Natural Awakenings New Haven & Middlesex CT SEPT 2021 by Natural Awakenings New Haven

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HEALTHY

LIVING

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YOGA for TRAUMA RECOVERY Finding

MINDFULNESS through ART & CREATIVE PRACTICE CONQUERING

CHRONIC PAIN September 2021 | New Haven-Middlesex | NaturalNewHaven.com September 2021

Dr. Tom O'Bryan Chief Health Off icer, KnoWEwell

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Copper Stops Germs Before They Spread

presents ever. This little jewel really works.” Frequent flier Karen Gauci had been suffering after crowded flights. Though skeptical, she tried copper on travel days for 2 months. “Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” she exclaimed. Businesswoman Rosaleen says when people around her show signs of cold or flu, she uses copper morning and night. cientists have discovered a illnesses by over half and saved lives. “It saved me last holidays,” she said. natural way to kill germs fast. The strong scientific evidence gave “The kids had crud going round and Now thousands of people are using it inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made round, but not me.” against unwanted viruses and bacteria in a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in Attorney Donna Blight tried copper the nose and on skin. the bottom of his nose. for her sinus. “I am shocked!” she said. Germs, such The next time “My head cleared, no more headache, no as viruses and he felt a tickle in more congestion.” bacteria, can his nose that felt A man with trouble breathing though multiply fast. like a cold about his nose at night tried copper just before When disease to start, he rubbed bed. “Best sleep I’ve had in years!” he germs get in your the copper gently said. nose they can in his nose for 60 In a lab test, technicians placed 25 spread and cause seconds. million live flu viruses on a CopperZap. misery unless you “I didn’t No viruses were found surviving soon stop them early. get sick,” he after. New device puts copper right where you need it. Hundreds exclaimed. Some people press of studies in the last 20 years by “Due to regulation we don’t copper on a lip right government and university scientists make health claims, so I can’t away if a warning tingle show that copper, a natural element, say if it is cause and effect.” suggests unwanted germs kills germs just by touch. “That was September 2012,” gathering there. The EPA officially declared copper he continued. “I have been using The handle is curved to be “antimicrobial”, meaning it kills it every time and have not had a and textured to increase microbes, including viruses, bacteria, single cold since then.” contact. Copper can and fungus. He asked relatives and kill germs picked up on The National Institutes of Health friends to try it. They reported fingers and hands after Dr. Bill Keevil: Copper kills viruses you touch things other says, “The antimicrobial activity of the same thing, so he patented on contact. copper is now well established.” CopperZap® and put it on the people have touched. Copper’s power to kill germs has market. The EPA says copper still works even been used for thousands of years. Soon hundreds of people had tried it. when tarnished. Buy once, use forever. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used The feedback was 99% positive if they Made in America of pure copper. copper to purify water and heal wounds. used the copper within 3 hours after 90-day full money back guarantee. Price They didn’t know about microbes, but the first sign of unwanted germs, like a $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap now we do. tickle in the nose or a scratchy throat. with code NATA21. Scientists say the high conductance Early user Mary Pickrell said, “I Go to www.CopperZap.com or call of copper disrupts the electrical balance can’t believe how good my nose feels.” toll-free 1-888-411-6114. in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “What a wonderful thing!” exclaimed Statements herein are not intended it in seconds. Physician’s Assistant Julie. Another and should not be interpreted as product Some hospitals tried copper for touch customer asked, “Is it supposed to work health claims, and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. that fast?” diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any They say this cut the spread of MRSA, Pat McAllister, 70, received one for disease. which is antibiotic resistant, and other Christmas and called it “one of the best ADVERTORIAL

September 2021

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PUBLISHER Gail Heard EDITOR Ariana Rawls Fine LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Gail Heard DESIGN Chik Shank Sandra Haniph CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ariana Rawls Fine SALES & MARKETING Gail Heard DISTRIBUTOR Man In Motion, LLC WEBSITE Chik Shank

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I hope you all fared well during and after Tropical Storm Henri’s visit. As I sit out here on my deck writing this letter to you, I am looking out at the lovely forest and thanking my lucky stars that all of the trees are all still standing. Our beautiful and fragile Earth must maintain a delicate balance in order to preserve planetary health and thrive. Humans also need to create balance (both inner and outer) in order to achieve optimal well-being—by making conscious choices that do not further harm our environment (outer) and ultimately ourselves, and through self-care of our body, mind and soul (inner). Whether you are 8 years old or 80 years old, and are looking for ways to regain your equilibrium, during these interesting times, our September issue may help you accomplish that goal. The intention of this month’s editorial is to offer insights and simple steps you can take to bring forth the harmony within, particularly if you feel the need to calm your nerves, stay more present and focused, heal emotional trauma or conquer chronic physical pain. Balance begins with mindfulness. Though meditation is a practice that can improve mindfulness, there are other ways to bring about this state of presence, calm, focus and flow. Our feature article is authored by Marcy LaBella, a Connecticut teaching artist and co-owner of Durham-based Earthly Goddess – Art to Nurture Your Soul. LaBella suggests that creating art for the purpose of play and experimentation (rather than an expected outcome and perfection) can be a very effective way to enhance mindfulness, particularly for those who find it challenging to sit and meditate daily. Earthly Goddess is offering a rich array of art classes for adults and children this fall, so be sure to check out the details in their news brief on page 6. Kids are naturally creative and inventive. However, these qualities begin to decline during their formal years of schooling, when there is more structure, academic performance expectations and heavy digital use. Read about ways to nurture your child’s imagination and creativity in our Healthy Kids section, beginning on page 14, followed by an article offering simple ways to calm anxious children, who are feeling the stress surrounding the pandemic. The suggestions offered can help increase your child’s awareness, attention span, memory and boost overall happiness. September is National Yoga Awareness Month. Our Fit Body feature points out the powerful physical and emotional benefits of yoga, regardless of the particular experience level of the class. We have included a side bar with a list of local yoga studios for you to explore. These studios offer virtual (via live streaming or Zoom) and/or in-person classes. Check the schedule on their website for details. In our Conscious Eating section, we offer some helpful tips on cooking with wild mushrooms. Be sure to try out the recipes too—Yum! For wellness events, classes, holistic practitioners and other offerings, see our News Briefs, Community Calendar and local resources. Wishing you serenity and balance as the hot Yang season of summer transitions into the cooler Yin autumn months ahead. Namaste.

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“No person, no place and no thing has any power over us, for ‘we’ are the only thinkers in our mind. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.” ~Louise L. Hay

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

Contents 12 FINDING

MINDFULNESS

Through Art and Creative Practice

14 CREATIVE KIDS

How to Nurture Imagination

16 RELAXED KIDS

Simple Ways to Calm Anxious Children

18 YOGA TO HEAL TRAUMA

Soothing Poses Calm the Nervous System

20 CONQUERING CHRONIC PAIN

How the Body-Mind Connection Works

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact Gail Heard at 203-988-1808 or email Ads@naturalnewhaven.com. Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Gail@naturalnewhaven.com. Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events online at: NaturalNewHaven.com. Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets, call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities, call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

22 FORAGED FUNGI FARE

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 10 global briefs 14 healthy kids 18 fit body 20 healing ways 22 conscious

Cooking with Wild Mushrooms

eating 26 calendar 28 classifieds 29 resource guide September 2021

news briefs

New Earthly Goddess Arts Center Opens in Durham

arcy LaBella, Cheryl Tuttle and Paula Murphy, three Connecticut artists sharing a vision of mindful creativity, have opened a new studio, Earthly Goddess – Art to Nurture Your Soul. It is located at the Red Barn at 352 Main Street, Durham, Connecticut. Upcoming fall classes include clay classes for adults and children, a tile and wood sculpture class, and watercolor painting. Workshops planned include beaded jewelry, collage and mixed media painting, gelli printing, spirit dolls, mono printing, and community craft nights. There are several holidaythemed workshops in papercraft and clay for cards and ornament making as well as a Holiday Sale with art, handcrafts and cards. The teaching staff also includes experienced teaching artists who are equally passionate about art, craft and creativity. The modern and comfortable studio accommodates small and medium-sized classes focused on individual attention and personal creative expression. “During the pandemic, having a creative practice really helped me to destress and stay grounded. Our goal with this new studio is to create space for others to have a place to nurture inner peace, mindfulness and self-expression through art and creativity,” said LaBella.

Therapy and More Offered at Woodbury Center Now in New Location

olf Spirit Wellness and Counseling Center is not a typical mental health office. They offer both traditional and alternative options to healing and utilize the mind-body-spirit connection to allow their clients to find the best path to optimal health and well-being. Wolf Spirit offers mental health counseling, hypnosis, meditation, drumming, health and fitness coaching and spiritual counseling—now at a new, more spacious location at 670 Main Street South, Suite B2, in Woodbury. Wolf Spirit practitioners offer an integrated approach to counseling, creating an individualized environment for each client to achieve optimal healing. The center specializes in PTSD, surviving narcissistic abuse, borderline and other cluster B personality disorders. In addition, they provide bariatric counseling, art therapy, therapeutic yoga and play therapy. The center also works with an APRN for psychopharmacological intervention as needed. Wolf Spirit Wellness offers individual, couples, family and group counseling. They work on a sliding scale and take most insurance plans, including Husky (Medicaid). For more information, call 203-263-3175 or visit WolfSpiritWellness.org. See ad on page 17.

For more information, call 860-349-0251, email EarthlyGoddess3@yahoo.com or visit Facebook.com/EarthlyGoddess3. See ad on page 9.

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news briefs

Relax, Revive and Heal with Reiki Classes

ileen Anderson, a CCRN alumnus and Reiki master, will be offering Reiki Level 1 and 2 classes at two Connecticut locations starting in September 2021. Reiki is a healing practice originating in Japan. It restores balance to the body physically and emotionally, thereby promoting rest, relaxation, resilience, and stress reduction. Reiki Level 1 classes will be held at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center Eileen Anderson (Buttonwood.org) in Middletown, Connecticut on September19 and 26 from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. This course will be repeated monthly at The Buttonwood and by arrangement. Reiki 1 will also be taught at Wallingford Adult Education (WallingfordAdultEd.org) from 6:30-9 p.m. on October 5, 12, 19 and 26. For Reiki Level 1 (beginning level), students will learn Reiki’s benefits, uses, history, precepts, and the protocol for hand placements for giving treatments to others and yourself. Reiki 1 is the foundation for Reiki practice and self-care. A student will receive a certificate to practice Reiki 1 (must attend all sessions). Tuition includes a manual, which is provided at the beginning of the course. Reiki Level 2 is offered for Reiki 1 practitioners who want to deepen their practice. Classes will be held at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center as a one-day, 6-hour session. The next class will be November 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Classes are also available by arrangement. Students will learn how to use Usui symbols and receive ample practice sending distant Reiki. A participant must be a Reiki 1 practitioner with practice (on self or others) and will receive a certificate to practice Reiki 2. Anderson retired in 2017 after 32 years as a critical care nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital. Since 1999, she has been giving Reiki treatments to patients, families and staff until her retirement. She offers private treatments at Orange Chiropractic Center and Wallingford Senior Center, and also gives virtual community presentations on Reiki. For more information, call 203-314-5401, email EilAnde@comcast.net or visit ReikiwithEileenAnderson.com. CDC protocol will be followed with small classes in both locations.

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news briefs

person at the Woodruff YMCA in Milford, Connecticut, the monthly meetings are currently offered through Zoom.

Dr. Cerqueira Focuses on Dental Health with Holistic Moms Network

n September 21 at 7:30 p.m., join the New Haven County chapter of Holistic Moms Network on Zoom as we gather virtually as Dr. Paula C. Cerqueira, a pediatric dentist and the owner of Orange Children’s Dentistry, speaks about how oral hygiene can affect our health and how we can help our families with more holistic options. Dr. Cerqueira has lived and worked in Connecticut for more than 10 years. In addition to regular checkups, cavity prevention and hospital dentistry, her practice also focuses on tongue ties and breastfeeding, children with special needs, restorative dentistry, fluoride- and allergen-free options, and natural and homeopathic approaches. Dr. Cerqueira earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine at Tufts University and her bachelor’s degree

in anthropology from New York University. Her attention to individual care and ability to make personal connections with children landed her a place in the “Top Dentists” ranking by Westport Magazine. She expanded her dental knowledge by completing an advanced education in general dentistry and a pediatric dentistry graduate-level certificate program, which prepared her for diagnosing and treating patients with complex dental histories. She is currently a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and holds an appointment in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital. The mission of Holistic Moms Network, a nonprofit support and discussion network, is to connect parents who are interested in holistic health and green living. It welcomes people wherever they are on their own holistic path in an environment that does not judge. The monthly meetings, open to the public, are the third Tuesday of each month. While they usually take place in

For more information, visit HolisticMoms.org or Facebook.com/ HMNNewHaven. RSVP for the event on the Events page on Facebook.com/HMNNewHaven.

Advanced NeuroAcupuncture Now Being Offered at Fernwood Holistic Health

eople searching for relief from acute or chronic pain, or central nervous system and psycho-emotional disorders, including PTSD and ADHD, may benefit from a lesser-known acupuncture subspecialty known as neuroacupuncture. This advanced, evidence-based technique integrates traditional Chinese needling with Western scientific knowledge of neurology, anatomy and rehabilitation. Patients with multiple sclerosis, Alicia DeMartin Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and post-stroke recovery have also shown improvement from neuroacupuncture treatment in conjunction with medical care through a neurologist, or as an adjunct to physical therapy. During treatment, sterile, single-use needles are placed on the scalp to stimulate underlying neural pathways. The technique is well tolerated even by individuals who fear needles. Alicia DeMartin, LAc, now practicing at Fernwood Holistic Health in Westbrook in Connecticut, has undergone advanced postgraduate training in pain management and orthopedics and received certification from the Neuro-Acupuncture Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information or to make an appointment, call 860-661-5824 or email Info@FernwoodHolisticHealth.com.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED! Mindfulness • Guided Relaxation • Reflexology Energy Healing • Acu-Wellness • Hypnosis • Essential Oils Mind-Body Healing with Julie Thackeray, LPN, CRT, CH, ADS 203.215.6087 • solutionsforwellnessinc.com 8

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~C.S. Lewis

Is Joint Pain Causing Unnecessary Discomfort?

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re you experiencing significant levels of pain that prevents you from doing activities you enjoy? The looming Delta variant may cause us to stay home again for the next six months. Take advantage of our complimentary screening to assess the cause of your pain and the path to resolving it. Schedule your 10-minute session by calling Physical Therapy Services of Guilford 203-315-7727 (located in Branford) Physical Therapy Services of Guilford is offering complimentary 10-minute sessions, which can be in-person or via phone. The mini sessions will be held at Physical Therapy Services of Guilford in Branford, Connecticut. Call 203-315-7727 to schedule your 10-minute session. Location: Physical Therapy Services of Guilford, 500 East Main St., Ste. 310, Branford, CT. See ad, on page 19.

Art to NurtureYour Soul

Art Classes for all ages and abilities. We have classes in clay, painting, jewelry, printing and specialty workshops. We also offer private classes for individuals or groups; including special needs, dementia, and home schooled students.

860-349-0251 EarthlyGoddess3@yahoo.com Located at the Red Barn 352 Main Street, Durham, CT 06422

New Red Barn Events Spotlight Self Care and Community

he Red Barn in Durham has taken on new monthly initiatives to expand the value of community. Self Care Saturdays involve rotating practitioners offering mini services for $20 as a way to experience multiple modalities of healing. With so many different techniques being offered, there’s something for everyone. Come in and try something new while soaking in the loving energy of the Barn, and leave feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and more connected to Spirit. New Moon Gatherings and Full Moon Ceremonies offer a time to come together and release past challenges while setting powerful intentions for the future. Align with the energies of the lunar cycle to enhance inspiration and boost manifestation. Group settings allow for further growth through powerful and in-depth discussions, activities, and meditations. More monthly events are being added to the schedule. For more information and the most up-to-date schedule, email Connect@TheRedBarninDurham.com, or visit TheRedBarninDurham.com or the Facebook page @TheRedBarninDurham. Location: The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St., Durham, CT.

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September 2021

global briefs

Happy Homes

Fitter Fodder

Wild Bees Thrive on Forest Deadwood ralph gnonlonfoun/Pexels.com

Scientists from the UniverFarm Waste Doubles as sity of Freiburg surveyed Construction Material the German Black Forest Agricultural waste (agro-waste) such as manure, leaf National Park to determine litter and crop residues may not be thought of as likely the number of tree species, raw materials for sustainable construction, but with how the trees are scattered, traditional materials like concrete eliciting a negative the heights of individual environmental reputation, implementation of agrotree crowns and if there waste is being explored around the world. Recycling, are fallen trees or hollowed-out tree trunks. They found as an important part of agro-waste’s green potential, is that creating deadwood in coniferous forests is a promismaking the use of construction materials more organic ing restoration measure to promote an abundance of and sustainable, and helping reduce landfill issues. aboveground nesting bees. Their findings, “Wild Bees A 2018 study, Agro-industrial wastes and their utilizaBenefit from Structural Complexity Enhancement in a Fortion using solid state fermentation: a review, notes agroest Restoration Experiment,” were published in the journal wastes are an eco-friendly means of manufacturing Forest Ecology and Management. “biofuels, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, animal As part of an experiment, structural richness was artifeed, antibiotics and other chemicals.” This same study ficially created in 2016 on several sample plots by felling observed, “Many agro-industrial wastes are untreated and uprooting 20 spruce trees per plot, creating deadand underutilized, therefore disposed of either by wood and small gaps. Six other plots were left in their natburning, dumping or unplanned landfilling, which conural state as a control group. The researchers compared tributes to climate change by increasing greenhouse how many wild bees were in the different plots in June gases.” Another study found that integrating agro2018 and 2019. Results show that deadwood increases wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husks and the abundance and biodiversity of wild bees. Professor Dr. groundnut shells improved the construction materials Alexandra Klein, head of the Chair of Nature Conservation by enhancing their sustainability properties, boosting and Landscape Ecology, says, “In the course of climate their durability and reducing costs. change, forest areas will be increasingly characterized by deadwood and sparse areas caused by storms, droughts or bark beetles. As a result, Wealth Distribution Linked to Urban Canopies forest habitat will increase in It’s not surprising that more urban trees lower the levels of heat and pollution. Although importance for wild bees.” many cities maintain tree-planting programs, not all canopies have equivalent value. A new analysis from the American Forests conservation organization states that the U.S needs to plant more than half a billion trees across 500 metropolitan areas and 150,000 local communities. A new Tree Equity Score data tool (TreeEquityScore.org) allows users to see where urban trees exist and where they don’t. American Forests identified 20 large American cities that are lacking in canopies to protect their populations from hotter temperatures. Tree canopies are particularly effective in reducing health stress associated with urban heat “islands”. It was also found that a pattern of inequitable distribution of trees has deprived many communities of the health and other benefits that sufficient tree cover can deliver. Communities of color have 33 percent less tree canopy on average than majority white communities. Jad Daley, American Forests president and CEO, says, “We need to make sure the trees go where the people are, and more than 70 percent of the people live in cities or suburbs, so it’s a place-based problem with a place-based solution.” mary taylor/Pexels.com

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Holistic Community Professionals HCP

Our professional team of holistic and natural businesses provides community outreach and education. We are committed to improving the health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit in the communities we serve. Visit our Site: HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org

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Intuitive Counselor & Healer Gayle Franceschetti, MEd, CHt Hypnotherapy, Meditations Reiki/Energy sessions, Essential Oils Group Past Life Regression Individual Past Life Regression Workshops, Spiritual Power Journeys, Private mentoring & counseling Return2love3@gmail.com Return2Love.com 203-631-7803

Medical Intuitive/Shaman Past Life Regression Therapy Spirit of the Lotus Robin Barros IMT-C, CSC, CPLC Hands-on Healer Medical Intuitive Shaman/Medium Spiritually-Guided Coach Advanced Soul Coach (R) Holographic Sound Healer 5 Gavin Drive, Columbia CT Robin@SpiritoftheLotus.org SpiritoftheLotus.org

CBDa 10xPure TM Earleen Wright CBDa 10xPure TM is known for its healing power over CBD alone. We are the only company that has CBDa. Contact Earleen Wright 203-215-3222 EarleenWright@gmail.com EarleenWright.myctfo.com

Lightworker Bradford W. Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT Remote journey and coaching sessions Workshops in Crystal & Sound Healing Professional certification courses In Universal White Time (UWT) Energy and Gemstone Healing 860-830-5841 Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com CrystalMusicHealing.com

Naturopathic Physician Vis Wellness Center Dr. Nicole Klughers ND, PharmD, MSAc Naturopathic Physician Acupuncture Provider Rocky Hill & TeleMedicine info@DrNicoleKlughers.com DrNicoleKlughers.com 234-2-ACU-DOC

Holistic Healer Indigo’s Path Adriana R. Russo MA, CHT, CCH, CHLC Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master Intuitive Body/Mind Coaching For transformative health and healing 203-510-8932 Indigopath2020@gmail.com IndigosPathWellnessCT.com

LMT, RMT, Psychic Jill Andrzejewski LMT, RMT, Psychic Massage Therapy #9900 Reiki & Chakra Balancing Angel Tarot & Oracle Card Readings A Moment In Time Treasures items for self-care and healing Workshops and classes 203-909-1108 jillamomentintimemassage@gmail.com AMomentInTimeMassage.org

Wellness Center The Red Barn in Durham Janice Juliano, MSW, LCSW Holistic Psychotherapist Coordinator MassageTherapy Nutrition / Yoga / Reiki / Sound Healing Professional Photography / Art Classes 860-559-6151 352 Main St, Durham TheRedBarninDurham.com

We Welcome You! To Join Holistic Community Professionals contact: Shirley Bloethe: 860-255-8844 HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org 11 September 2021

Paintig by Marcy LaBella

of creating as play and experimentation. In a recent painting class with a focus on mindful creativity, the class is seated around the art room tables with colorful watercolor paints and watercolor crayons and pencils. Soft music plays and the scent of an essential oil is pleasantly defused through the studio. Instructions are given but students are also asked to follow their intuition and allow the materials and their instincts to guide them through the project. The process of artmaking becomes the focus of the session rather than the final product. Color, play, alchemy and experimentation is where the magic of mindfulness can occur. Accept that being in the moment, and playing, experimenting and practicing is enough. Begin with no expectation. Going with the flow of ideas can be extremely liberating. Being able to connect with colors and materials as a child is a new experience even to some experienced artists. We are all born creative beings. No one has to teach children to paint; they are given crayons and paint, and they make art. To give adults the same permission to

Finding Mindfulness Through Art and Creative Practice by Marcy LaBella

ome turn to meditation, yoga or tai chi to enter into a meditative or flow state. However, creative practice can be equally beneficial and help those who find it hard to connect to a flow state in other ways. There are certainly benefits from a regular mindfulness practice so finding new and alternative ways for those who find it hard to sit and meditate can open doorways to experience its many benefits. Studies have proven that mindfulness practice can have many positive benefits. Being in the zone can create feelings of euphoria, intense concentration and clarity, but it also can be accompanied 12

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by positive physiological changes such as deepened breathing and slowed heart rates. Creativity can never be used up; in fact, the more that it is used, the more it flows. For those who love engaging in artistic pursuits, they may enjoy using a creative approach as an alternate way of tapping into a mindfulness practice. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist Way has said, “creativity occurs in the moment, and in the moment, we are timeless.” To start, creating art as a mindful practice is not about making masterpieces. It is more about letting go of the end result, immersion into the process and materials, and rather thinking about the act

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experiment and play in the same way is a gift. It can be a big deal to say to them that they are expected to paint for no reason but to play and enjoy the process, that no one ever needs to see it and no one will ever judge them on their work. It can be liberating in a world where people are judged on almost everything they do. A group of adult art students are gathered in a studio and are surrounded with piles of colorful paper and ephemera, scissors, paint, glue seem to be piled haphazardly on every surface. Some bits and pieces fall to the floor as they snip tear and arrange pictures, words and paint onto their surfaces in the process

of creating collage art. Colored shapes are merged with printed papers. Human forms, fauna, animals all collide on brightly painted backgrounds. Imagination flows. Surreal and imagined worlds immerge onto canvases. Collage is a process that can truly lead to the flow state as there is little to no pressure to create by traditional methods but rather by artfully arranging. Truly artistic works can be created by snipping colored and printed papers, shapes and images from magazines, old books and other sources. These are arranged on heavy cardstock, art paper or canvas that can be drawn upon and which also may contain painted elements. Many of the great master artists experimented with collage, such as Braque, Matisse and Picasso. It is a highly respected art form.

Painting by Marcy LaBella

Susane Grasso

Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the great master painters and early abstractionists, once said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.” In these few words, she describes how art gives us the gift of non-verbal language and also sums up what the field of art therapy does for so many. Art can be a way to relieve stress, increase self-awareness, experience pleasure and increase self-esteem. Artmaking in the therapeutic setting becomes a way to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of many individuals. Those who love art but don’t feel

creative can still use creativity to break into a mindful practice by taking a camera or cell phone along on walks, by starting collections from nature such as shells, pressed leaves or other natural objects, or by simply reflecting on works of art or nature that move them. They can pose questions to themselves about where their thoughts lead while looking at a particular piece of art, how it makes them feel, or why arranging a collection of nature objects on a shelf or table gives them a feeling of joy or peace. Even a simple practice can create space, stillness and calm. For so many people who are seeking to find calm in today’s hectic world, nontraditional ways to mindfulness such as art, music, dance, drumming or movement may be good options for starting a new mindfulness practice. Finding the practice that works for each individual is key and opening to creativity is just another doorway that can unlock wonderous mysteries far beyond the benefits of lower blood pressure and a slowed heart rate. Marcy LaBella, who co-owns Durhambased Earthly Goddess – Art to Nurture Your Soul, is a Connecticut teaching artist who works in painting and sculptural ceramics. She shows her work regionally and nationally. LaBella serves on the Council of Connecticut Women Artists and writes for the American Craft Council Blog. See ad on page 9.

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September 2021

healthy kids

Creative Kids

How to Nurture Imagination

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by Ronica O’Hara

oung children are naturally curious and inventive, yet research shows that their creative thinking skills peak at around age 6 and start to decline once they start formal schooling—a trend that’s accelerating in recent years with kids’ heavy digital use. This doesn’t bode well for their future on our rapidly changing planet. “Our world continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate. It’s estimated that many of the jobs we will need in 10 or 20 or 30 years haven’t yet been invented,” says children’s education psychologist Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D., author of The Power of Your Child’s Imagination. “Kids of today need to stretch their creative juices to come up with these new jobs and prepare for an ever-challenging and changing world.” Parents are integral in nourishing creativity, but according to research from the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, the role of parents is less about “teaching” creativity and more about creating a fertile environment in which creativity will take root, grow and flourish. Establishing that rich forum involves some simple strategies. 14

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Encourage their curiosity. “An attitude of curiosity connected to wonder, acceptance, flexibility and openness can bring out innovation and novelty,” says Reznick. That means not only being responsive to kids’ questions like, “Why do strawberries have seeds on the outside?” but also engaging their imagination to explore the world and to solve everyday problems. “Ask them, ‘What would it take to finish this project?’ Make it fun, brainstorm and mind-map, rather than make linear lists,” she suggests. “Ask open-ended questions, perhaps a bit out of the norm. ‘How did you feel when you were writing that short

story? What colors crossed your mind as you were singing? What music was flowing through your body as you were painting?’ The idea is to mix things up a bit to allow a new take on your child’s emerging creativity.”

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Let them follow their bliss. “The biggest mistake I see parents making in wanting to encourage creativity is leading their children and telling them what to do,” says Jen Lumanlan, host and founder of the research-based parenting podcast YourParenting Mojo.com. “When we instead see our role not as being the Sage on the Stage but rather the Guide on the Side, we don’t have to drag the child through a curriculum kicking and screaming; instead, the child asks us for more opportunities to follow their interest. They will ask insightful questions, read books, watch videos, draw their ideas, consult with experts, put on plays, develop an understanding of the world with their whole bodies (not just their heads) and teach others. It’s truly incredible to see.”

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Make creativity easy. Having lots of paper, paints, pens and other craft items on hand in a place where a child can easily access them enables creativity to flow when the mood hits. “You don’t have to have a huge budget for supplies. Save old cardboard boxes, empty paper towel rolls, cereal boxes and scrap paper. Give your child some markers and masking tape. I bet you’ll be amazed at what

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I turned off the screens and stopped trying to provide entertainment for my children and the results were amazing. can be created from the simplest materials,” says Liam Davies, a Berkeley dad of two who blogs about sustainable family fishing at FishingCommand.com. “Have plenty of loose parts available. Loose parts can be anything your child turns into something else,” suggests Maria Kemery, of Philadelphia, who blogs at the parenting website PlacesWeCallHome.com. “Bottlecaps become money, scarves become a doll’s dress, clean recycle bin items become robot parts or a collection of acorns becomes a bowl of soup. Having an assortment of loose parts encourages your child to engage in symbolic play (substituting one item for another), which builds creativity.” Allow them to be bored. “Kids often complain they are bored. I love that, because bored is also where new ideas come from,” says Reznick. “Our mind abhors a vacuum, so sooner or later, a creative spark will ignite.” That’s what Lorton, Virginia, mom Lauren Schmitz, who blogs at TheSimpleHomeschooler.com, witnessed. “I turned off the screens and stopped trying to provide entertainment for my children and the results were amazing. My middle child, who is the most screen-obsessed kid that I know, started doing things like making her own magazine, building dioramas and putting on plays. She suddenly wanted to paint, build a robot and learn about aerial dancing. Boredom is the best way to give a child space to think, create, imagine and build.” Natural health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

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Relaxed Kids

home settings where impressionable kids will naturally learn to chill out. “Babies are continually sensing their environments,” she says. “Just speaking in a calm voice or slowing down the pace of life, taking time to connect or practicing infant massage can prime their little minds and bodies for learning how to self-regulate, cope with life and default to relaxation mode just as soon as they feel stressed.”

Simple Ways to Calm Anxious Children by Sandra Yeyati

Benefits of Kid Relaxation Techniques From breathing games and animal-like yoga positions to meditative art activities and mindful nature walks, child-friendly relaxation techniques are limited only by our imagination. When practiced consistently, they offer numerous benefits, including increased awareness, attention, empathy, resilience and generosity; less emotional reactivity; and improved memory, according to Whitney Stewart, meditation teacher and author of Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus and Calm (BarefootBooks.com/ mindful-kids).

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Getting Started

t doesn’t take a full-on tantrum for children to experience or exhibit stress. According to licensed school psychologist and spiritual counselor Zemirah Jazwierska, anxiety is a child’s natural response to not having consistency or predictability in their environment. During the pandemic, with school closings, social isolation and associated challenges, childhood angst is on the rise, says the Boulder, Colorado, blogger at KidsRelaxation.com.

Setting a Calm Example Jazwierska believes that it’s never too early to expose kids to relaxation practices. She invites moms to incorporate meditation even while they’re pregnant, “to bathe their little babies in lots of good-feeling hormones and chemicals.” After birth, while an infant may be too young to learn how to meditate, she recommends that parents create relaxing 16

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Stewart recommends that parents and caregivers consider adopting their own mindfulness or meditation practices before introducing them to their children. “The next step could be to invite children to practice with you,” she advises. “With toddlers, this may be an invitation to sit or lie down with hands on their tummy or chest to let them feel their breath coming in and going out of their body. Young children don’t always have an awareness of their breath. Parents and caregivers can help them understand how we breathe in different situations; how breath can speed up or slow down in response to our physical and emotional state.”

Making Relaxation Fun According to Stewart, small children respond best to mindfulness exercises that are both physical and fun. Her Animal Antics is one example, in which kids explore movement meditation by pretending to be different animals. Another is Shake

the Sillies Out, which involves “happyshaking until you finally flop on the floor with a deep exhalation, followed by three mindful breaths. This one really helps work out kids’ excess energy,” she says. On her website, Jazwierska offers myriad examples of fun and creative activities to calm and awaken children. She teaches breathing techniques by offering imagery kids can understand, like smelling a flower to learn deep inhalations and blowing out a candle for the exhalations. When kids are overcome with strong emotions, she offers a snow globe. “It’s a great tool for seeing how things start to swirl when our emotions are too strong and our minds too worried. As you take a deep breath and stop moving the globe, the snow settles. We have to stop moving, or move very slowly, for everything to settle for ourselves.” Jazwierska’s Rock and Floppy Sock exercise instructs a child to make a tight fist— the rock—when they feel anger or another strong negative emotion, and then release their grip, turning it into a floppy sock. “It’s related to progressive muscle relaxation where you provide tension in the body and then you provide the contrast and let go, training the mind. Next time they feel tension, they’ll know how to relax,” she says.

Planting Seeds for Inner Happiness As children grow older, they can add visualization to their repertoire, like Stewart’s Heart Garden exercise, in which the child sits mindfully while relaxed, takes three mindful breaths and then thinks of a word that makes them smile. “That can be anything—like butterfly, rainbow or watermelon,” she explains. “Imagine planting that word like a seed in your heart. Repeat the word and imagine watering the seed in your heart garden. Repeat the word and imagine the seed opening and growing in your heart. What does it become? See it blossom. True happiness comes from inside. Everyone can plant their own inner happiness.” Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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fit body

YOGA TO HEAL TRAUMA Soothing Poses Calm the Nervous System

published in the journal Military Medicine in 2018 reports that U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that participated in a one-hour vinyasa-style yoga session for six weeks showed significantly lowered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as less insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Trauma-Intelligent Fitness

etting on the yoga mat can be a powerful stress-buster that lowers blood pressure and excessive cortisol, but yoga can offer an added boon for those living with the lasting effects of traumatic events. Trauma-informed yoga (also called trauma-sensitive yoga) is a promising therapeutic branch of the yogic system designed to quell the body’s programmed “fight-or-flight” responses. Founded on yoga, psychology and neurobiology principles, the approach is in harmony with the ancient yogic concept of samskaras, or memories imprinted on our cellular consciousness. People from many walks of life can benefit from traumasensitive yoga including bullied teens, women rebounding from abuse and anyone impacted by pandemic turmoil. Research 18

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Yoga performed with trauma sensitivity can pick up where talk therapy leaves off, targeting the amygdala, the danger detector in the brain, and the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the abdomen, which plays a vital role in processing trauma. “Somatic processing and treatment methodologies like yoga are now being used to help repair and rebuild distressed nervous systems, which in turn helps the brain integrate and ‘file’ distressing memories,” says Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide, the largest yoga teacher training school in North America, and the author of Healing Trauma with Yoga: Go From Surviving to Thriving with Mind-Body Techniques. The Fort Lauderdale-based yoga therapist and entrepreneur highlights the body’s role in trauma and stress. “The brain rewires itself around the traumatic event and memories stored in the tissues throughout the body. Yoga can help to free those memories, alleviating troubling emotions

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by Marlaina Donato

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and thought patterns, as well as chronic somatic tension and hypervigilance.” Shaw draws upon new psychological and neurological discoveries, including polyvagal theory, that help explain the full impact of trauma and most importantly, how and why yoga helps to lessen these impacts. Trauma-informed yoga keeps the nervous system in mind, excluding poses and breathing techniques that might provoke a sense of vulnerability or overstimulation. Trained teachers adhere to non-touch assistance methods and often opt for well-lit studios to avoid a possible triggering atmosphere. A trauma-informed yoga teacher knows the inner workings of the nervous system,” explains Mandy Eubanks, a trauma-trained yoga educator and certified yoga instructor in Tulsa. “We have respect for the variety of responses that our clients have to yoga, meditation and breathwork practices. For example, we understand deep breathing will be calming to one person and agitating to another. We normalize clients’ responses and work with them to find an effective technique for that individual.” Teachers with specialized training and access to props can also support people on a yoga journey that are limited physically. Eubanks emphasizes, “Yoga truly is for everyone and every body.”

The Power of Choice and Individuality Lisa Danylchuk, the Oakland-based author of Yoga for Trauma Recovery: Theory,

Philosophy, and Practice, underscores that in a trauma-informed environment, everything a teacher instructs is an offering or invitation. “This is important because people who have endured trauma have often not had a say over what happens to their bodies. A good trauma-informed class cultivates somatic and psychological resources, and focuses, above all, on cultivating a sense of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual safety.” The founder of The Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery believes it’s important to be responsive to individual needs. “Trauma affects so many different individuals and groups of people and in such a variety of ways that it is impossible to give one prescription. Some people might benefit from a weekly, 60- to 90-minute vinyasa-style class. Others might benefit from a short, fiveminute daily restorative practice.” Shaw also stresses a tailored approach. “How one wishes to practice is up to the individual, but I suggest a combination of both one-on-one instruction and class format. If someone is in the throes of trauma, they will need a private session to start.” Eubanks adds the importance of consistency. “In my experience, it is about finding which yoga practices work best for the client and then encouraging them to find time to practice every day. Yoga for PTSD is not a one-and-done deal. It takes time, effort and belief in oneself.” Marlaina Donato is a body-mind-spirit author and recording artist. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

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YOGA CLASSES IN CONNECTICUT Be Here Now Yoga & Fitness Studios Cheshire, Connecticut 203-250-0860 BeHereNowStudios.com Breathing Room Yoga Center New Haven , Connecticut 203-562-5683 BreathingRoomCT.com Center Yoga & Wellness Guilford & Clinton , Connecticut 860-669-9642 CenterYogaWellness.com Flow to Fit Yoga Southbury, Connecticut 203-910-3141 FlowtoFitYoga.com Fresh Yoga New Haven, Connecticut 203-776-YOGA FreshYoga.com Good Vibes Yoga Studio Wallingford, Connecticut 203-824-1929 GoodVibesYogaStudio.massageplanet.com Intuitive Wisdom and Wellness Dina DiCrosta 203-824-3369 Instagram: @holisticallydina Life Full Yoga & Pilates Kim Preveza Madison, Connecticut 203-350-3616 LifeFullYoga.com Ravens Wing Yoga Branford, Connecticut 203-488-YOGA RavensWingYoga.com Shoreline CT Yoga & Wellness Erin Schuster 808-927-2600 ShorelineCTYoga.com Your Community Yoga Hamden, Connecticut 203-287-2277 YourCommunityYoga.com

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September 2021

healing ways

Conquering Chronic Pain How the Body-Mind Connection Works

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by Ronica O’Hara

or three decades, David Hanscom was a top-ranked orthopedic surgeon in Seattle who daily put the scalpel to injured, deformed and twisted spines. Privately, he writhed in pain himself. He was beset over 15 years with burning feet, insomnia, tinnitus, anxiety, skin rashes, crushing chest pain, depression, sweats, heart palpitations and tension headaches, among other symptoms. That put him among the estimated 50 million American adults afflicted with chronic pain for which relief is hard to come by and often short-lived. The standard medical approaches of surgery and injections often don’t work well or last long for many patients, research shows. Opioids, once a standby, are now prescribed sparingly after being implicated in half a million overdose deaths. Treatment is especially elusive for the one in six adults and 30 to 40 percent of primary care patients with pain or chronic conditions considered “medically unexplained”. As a result, integrative pain management, which focuses on both mind and body and incorporates medical and holistic approaches, is growing in importance. Major medical cen20

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ters such as the Mount Sinai Health System and Cleveland Clinic, as well as practitioners such as chiropractors and homeopaths, offer dozens of modalities to turn around painful conditions. Sometimes a single simple method works quickly for a patient with a straightforward symptom; more often, it takes a combination of approaches over time to reverse pain, especially if it is complex, sustained or recurring. Launching on his own healing path, Hanscom came to a critical understanding: The abuse he had suffered as a child from a rage-filled mother, coupled with emotional repression and a fierce drive to excel as a surgeon, produced his high levels of anxiety. It turbocharged his central nervous system and set off a cascade of reactions that fed ever-rising levels of pain. “Your mind and body function as a unit with no separation,” he says. “Chronic pain results when your body is exposed to sustained levels of stress hormones, excitatory neurotransmitters and inflammatory protein. Your brain is sensitized and the nerve conduction speed is faster, so you physically feel more pain. It’s not ‘all in your mind’—it’s a normal physiological process.” After six months of intense inner work focused on his rage, Hanscom calmed his overwrought nervous system and his symptoms “essentially disappeared.” He began applying his experience to hundreds of spine patients, helping the great majority of them to avoid surgery altogether. In the book Back in Control, he describes his approach, which is designed for people with pain that is not caused by underlying structural or organ issues. He recommends these initial steps.

n Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, which may require

sleeping pills or natural methods.

PROMISING PAIN RELIEF THERAPIES

n Doing expressive writing twice a day, which involves writing down in longhand whatever is on the mind using graphic and descriptive language for 10 to 30 minutes, and then promptly tearing it up. Neurological research shows that this simple practice rewires the brain. “Some people experience remarkable pain relief right away,” he says.

In the offices of holistic practitioners and in some medical centers, a wide range of integrative modalities to treat chronic pain are healing the afflicted. Some commonly used options, which can be part of a multipronged approach or effective individually, include:

n Practicing “active meditation” throughout the day by mindfully fo-

cusing each time on a sight, sound or sensation for five to 10 seconds.

For deep, sustained healing, he stresses the importance of forgiveness, gratitude, self-discovery, exploring a spiritual path, relearning playfulness and connecting with others. Medication may be necessary initially, he says, and as pain levels recede, most people become ready to improve their diet and exercise more. Understanding the mind/body connection is key in pain management, concurs gastroenterologist David D. Clarke, M.D., author of They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! and president of the Portland, Oregon-based Psychophysiologic Disorders Association. “When medical evaluation shows no problems with organs or structures, then the pain is being generated by the brain, similar to what happens in phantom limb pain, where people feel pain in the location of an amputated arm or leg,” he says. “Chronic pain generated by the brain generally occurs due to stress, an emotional/psychological trauma or strong negative emotions (often toward people the patient cares about) that are not fully recognized. Often, these issues began due to adverse childhood experiences, which can be anything you would not want a child of your own to endure. I recommend people explore these possibilities on their own, with a loved one or with a therapist.” That process might sound daunting, but so is suffering crippling pain. “The most important thing for people to know is that pain can be successfully treated, relieved and often cured with the right techniques,” says Clarke. Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Learn More Direct Your Own Care Journey is a free, online course for healing chronic pain. Designed by David Hanscom, M.D., it includes an experiential app, group sessions, video tutorials and webinars at TheDocJourney.com. Stress-Disease Information, including videos, a webinar-based course, recent research and a list of practitioners, can be found at ppdassociation.org, the website of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, founded by stress-disease expert David Clarke, M.D. American Chronic Pain Association, at theacpa.org, lists treatments, clinical trials, support groups and other resources.

n CBD. Studies show this cannabis-derived substance, the non-mind-altering form of marijuana, acts on multiple pain targets in the central and peripheral nervous systems. It has demonstrated pain-relieving effects for neuropathy, some cancers, arthritis and irritable bowel disease, among other conditions. A University of Michigan study of 878 people with fibromyalgia that had used cannabidiol (CBD) products found that more than 70 percent had substituted it for opioids or other pain medications, with many stopping them altogether as a result. With research mounting, almost every state now allows CBD use in some form. n TURMERIC/CURCUMIN. The Indian spice that makes curry yellow has potent anti-inflammatory properties, especially in formulations that combine it with piperine (black pepper) to enhance bioavailability. A meta-analysis in Oxford Pain Medicine of eight randomized controlled trials of curcumin involving 800 patients with muscle pain, osteoarthritis or postoperative pain found that it effectively lowered pain levels without adverse reactions, outperforming nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol (ibuprofen) for knee osteoarthritis pain. n HYPNOSIS. By lowering the fear and anxiety that aggravate pain sensations, hypnosis reduces pain as effectively as many other approaches at a relatively low cost. A meta-analysis of 18 studies found that 75 percent of people, including those with both acute and chronic pain, received substantial relief from hypnotic techniques without side effects. In a University of Washington study, patients kept practicing self-hypnosis after completing the study even if it had not relieved their pain, saying it gave them better sleep, lower stress and a greater sense of calm and well-being. Hypnotherapy treatment usually involves four to 10 sessions and is often covered in full or in part by insurance companies or Medicare. n LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE. When taken at levels of 50 to 100 milligrams (mg) daily, this medication weans people off opioids and alcohol, but when used at low doses of less than 2 mg, research suggests it can ease the pain of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. Stanford School of Medicine researchers reported it significantly reduced pain for 32 percent of fibromyalgia patients and also improved mood and life satisfaction, noting, “The medication is widely available, inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated.” September 2021

conscious eating

FORAGED FUNGI FARE

Cooking with Wild Mushrooms

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by April Thompson

ild mushrooms can infuse exciting new flavors and textures into familiar dishes, along with a taste of the local terroir, the natural habitat, from woods to plate. “I first encountered wild mushrooms through local foragers, then later from specialty food purveyors who would fly mushrooms from around the world into our kitchen. They were the most unique ingredients I could find, offering colors, flavors and textures I had never experienced … pure catnip for a chef,” says Alan Bergo, a Minnesota chef and author of The Forager Chef ’s Book of Flora. Recipes at ForagerChef.com feature more than 60 species of wild edible fungi, from common deer mushrooms to prized porcinis. The intriguing flavors of wild mushrooms in part come from their diets, akin to the difference between grain- and grass-fed meats. “For fungi, their food is their habitat. Cul22

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tivated mushrooms have less variety of the micronutrients and secondary metabolites that can add flavor to a wild mushroom,” says Eugenia Bone, a New York City food journalist and editor of Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook. Foraged fungi also offer a host of nutritional benefits surpassing commercially grown mushrooms. Wild mushrooms like chanterelles and morels can contain up to 1,200 international units (IU) of vitamin D

per serving, whereas commercial mushrooms, typically grown in dark conditions, contain less than 40 IU, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. While foraging is the most satisfying way to procure wild mushrooms, they are becoming increasingly available through farmers’ markets, online purveyors and gourmet stores. Some species that grow wild throughout North America such as oysters, maitake (hen of the woods) and lion’s mane are also grown commercially; these can be suitable for transitioning from buying to hunting. Sam Fitz, owner of ANXO Cidery & Tasting Room, a neighborhood taproom in Washington, D.C., picked up mushrooming when COVID-19 hit, in part mentored by the restaurant’s wild food purveyor. Fitz started ANXO making hyperlocal ciders from crabapples foraged on bike rides through the nation’s capital, salvaging fruit that otherwise would go to waste. Today, the seasonally focused menu often features wild fungi and other foraged ingredients from savory tartelettes made with beech and hedgehog mushrooms to cocktails

made from bitter boletes. One of ANXO’s signature dishes is a vegan “chicken of the woods” sandwich, served hot, Nashville-style. This orangecolored tree mushroom, also known as sulphur shelf, has a taste, texture and color that so closely resembles chicken that many recipes use it as a meat substitute. “People are so blown away by its meaty texture they can’t believe they are being served mushrooms,” says Fitz. When preparing mushrooms, “Forget what you know about cooking vegetables,” says Bone. “Also forget the notion that mushrooms are too delicate to take washing or high heat. Mushrooms are extremely hardy because of the chitin in their cell walls, a compound that is more like fingernails than the cellulose of plants. You can cook mushrooms twice and they will still retain their integrity.” Because the amino acids in mushrooms respond to heat more like meat than vegetables, Bone suggests searing mushrooms on the grill or under the broiler. “A slice of maitake will cook beautifully on the grill,” she says.

When cooking a particular species for the first time, Bone recommends ovenroasting the mushrooms wrapped in parchment paper. “When you open up the parchment, you can really smell the mushroom. It’s a wonderful way to pick up subtle flavor differences and see how the mushroom handles,” she says. Since fungi take on all sorts of shapes and sizes, Bergo suggests letting a mushroom’s morphology inform how to cook it. Lion’s mane, for example, has a texture that mimics crabmeat, so faux crab cakes make a fun dish that honors its form. “Chefs tend to chop things up, but I prefer to cook many mushrooms whole, especially when they have interesting shapes,” says Bergo. One of the chef ’s go-to preparations of oyster mushrooms is to toss large pieces in seasoned flour or brush them with mustard, then bake until crispy. “They turn into cool-looking, crispy croutons you can put on a salad or eat as a snack,” he says. Connect with Washington, D.C., freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

Wild mushrooms are a culinary delight, but beginning foragers should harvest with caution. The forager’s rule of thumb is to be 100 percent sure of an identification 100 percent of the time given that toxic lookalikes can exist. It’s also important to try a small amount of a mushroom the first time around, as some individuals can respond adversely to a particular species despite its general edibility.

Hen of the Woods Steaks 4-oz pieces of hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms, broken into large clusters Kosher salt Cooking oil as needed, about ¼ cup Clean the hens by swishing them in cool water, gently peering inside the caps to make sure they are cleaned, trimming with a paring knife as needed, then allowing to drain on paper towels. Heat the oil in a pan or on a griddle until hot, but not smoking. Add the mushroom clump and season with salt, placing a weight— like a rock, log, crumbly wood or cinder block wrapped in foil or a pan—on top, then cook until the underside is deeply caramelized, then flip and repeat.

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Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com

yield: 1 serving per 4 ounces mushrooms

If the pan gets dry, add a little more oil. When both sides of the mushrooms are deeply caramelized and browned, serve immediately, with extra finishing salt on the side. Recipe from Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com. September 2021

Sicilian Chicken of the Woods Here is a traditional Italian preparation for chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus or Laetiporus cincinnatus), flavored with wild monarda leaves and served with charred bread rubbed with garlic. yield: 4 to 6 servings

Heat the oil in a wide pan with high sides. A cast iron skillet will work, but isn’t ideal as the sauce is acidic. Add the mushrooms and cook until they’ve given up their moisture, then push them to the side of the pan, add a little extra oil if the pan looks dry, or if the mushrooms were very juicy. Add the garlic to the clean spot of the pan, then arrange the pan off-center on the burner so that the heat is focused on the garlic.

Meanwhile, lightly oil the bread and char on a grill. It should have good black spots, but not be ashy. Rub a garlic clove gently into the toasted bread slices, press-

ing down so that it “melts” into the bread a bit—don’t go crazy, a little goes a long way. Double check the seasoning of the mushrooms for salt and chili, adjust as needed, then serve the stewed mushrooms with the grilled garlic bread on the side. Drizzle some oil over the top to give the dish an attractive sheen. Spoon the mushrooms and their sauce on the bread and eat. Leftovers make killer mushroom hoagies a la cheesy meatball sub sandwiches. Recipe from Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com.

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Sweat the garlic in the oil slowly until it’s light golden and aromatic, then add the shallots and cook for 1 minute.

Add the crushed red pepper directly to the garlic and shallot, cook for a moment more, then deglaze the pan with the wine, tossing in the bay leaf. Reduce the sauce by one half, then add the tomato puree, water, capers or olives, bergamot or other herbs and cook until the mixture is thickened lightly and the mushrooms are coated with a rich sauce, about 15 minutes.

photo by Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com

1 lb young tender chicken of the woods, sliced ¼- to ½-inch thick 1 large clove garlic ¼ cup mild or extra-virgin olive oil mixed with flavorless oil, like grapeseed (plus 1 or 2 Tbsp extra if the pan threatens to dry out), along with a drizzle at the end 1 large shallot or small yellow onion 1 Tbsp sliced Monarda fistulosa (also known as bee balm or wild bergamot) or fresh mint or oregano Crushed red pepper flakes or hot chili to taste 1 Tbsp capers or a small handful of Castelvetrano olives (or other green olives) 2 dried bay leaves ¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup water or stock 1½ cups seedless tomato puree or tomato sauce Grilled high-quality bread, preferably slightly charred, for serving 2 whole fresh garlic cloves as needed for rubbing into the bread

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2 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup minced shallots 1 tsp sliced garlic 1 to 2 tsp grated ginger Freshly ground black pepper 6 oz oyster mushrooms 1 Tbsp white or black sesame seeds 2 marinated white anchovy fillets, chopped 2 Belgian endives, leaves separated and cut into 2-inch sections ½ Meyer or regular lemon Pinch of kosher salt ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley for garnish 2 whole scallions, chopped diagonally for garnish Drizzle of high-quality white truffle oil for garnish (optional) Grated Parmigiano cheese for garnish (optional)

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In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until golden, a few minutes. Stir in the ginger and pepper to taste. Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping the mushrooms over, until they release their liquid. Add the sesame seeds and toast them in a bald spot in the pan for a minute or so. Turn the heat down to medium, add the anchovies and endives, and cook until the endives wilt, a few more minutes. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt. Garnish with the cilantro and scallions, and optionally, white truffle oil and a sprinkle of the cheese. Recipe by Annaliese Bischoff from Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook, edited by Eugenia Bone.

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and nonbromated ingredients whenever possible. September 2021

calendar of events

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Friends of Hammonasset Annual Mum and Pumpkin Sale – 9am-5pm. (Thurs through Sun from Sept 2, through Oct 3, 2021). Friends of Hammonasset will be offering mums and pumpkins for purchase to benefit its work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at the Park. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, on Route 1 entrance next to the Greenway Trail parking lot. For information or to volunteer, contact Maureen Egan at plantsale@hammonasset.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 New Earth Teachers Courses – 6pm-9pm. (Tuesdays Sept 7th-Nov 9th). This 10-week ascension preparedness course covers important information about the coming Earth changes, visiting the New Earth in meditation, raising your frequency, releasing karma, our evolving chakra systems and more. ($750 Value) 35% off Paid up front: $495 (save $255); 15% off 2 installments of $320 (save $112) Some segments have optional additional costs for materials. Taught via Zoom. Register: https://tinyurl.com/NETSept2021. Contact Bradford: info@CrystalMusicHealing.com or 860-830-5841.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 It’s Not Your Fault: Overcoming the Shame, Stigma, and Guilt of Trauma – 9am-12pm. Virtual on Zoom. While everyone’s lived experiences vary, many people can relate to the thought of living a life with a secret or dealing with some form of dysfunction. Learn about shame, stigma, guilt, and gain skills crucial for working with clients struggling with these feelings after traumatization. 3 CECs. $60. Register at WomensConsortium.org.

Hammonasset Beach Cleanup on International Coastal Cleanup Day – 9am-12pm. Meet at the Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Due to COVID we ask everyone to bring a water bottle and water. We will not be providing water or drinks, but will provide individually wrapped snacks. Contact: Jim Mazur, jamesemazur@gmail.com. Universal White Time Gemstone Healing 1 Certification – 9am-6:30pm. (September 18-19). UWTGH is unlike any other crystal healing education in the world. It is ground-breaking, and rapidly gaining recognition as a tool for spiritual awakening. Learn to heal yourself, others, animals and the environment with this rare and ancient knowledge. All levels of experience are welcome. Braulttree Wellness Center, Higganum. $400 includes the basic stone Contact Bradford 860-830-5841 or info@crysalmusichealing.com.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Reiki Class Level I – 10am-3:30pm (Sundays, Sept 19 &26 ). Learn Reiki for self-care and treatment of others. Participants will learn, the benefits, history, and precepts of Reiki. Ample time for practice while following CDC PROTOCOL. Small class open for 3 participants at the Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, 605 Main Street, Middletown. Cost $160 Members, $170 non-members, For more information, call: 203-314-5401 or eilande@comcast.net. ReikiwithEileenAnderson.com.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

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Fun, Healthy & Sober: Using Self-Expression and Holistic Practices to Enhance Treatment Culture – 9am-12pm. Live Training in Hamden. As people, we are influenced by our surroundings and vice-versa. Instead of being at the mercy of unhealthy influences, participants will learn how to create a fun, healthy and sober culture by positively impacting the biochemistry of clients through self-expression and holistic practices. 3 CECs. $60. Register at WomensConsortium.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Full Moon Meditation w/Gayle Franceschetti – 6:30pm-8pm. Align w/new energies of full moon. Opportunities for allowing spiritual energies to reach human hearts and minds. Tap into this vast pool of energy. $25. On Zoom, 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

Free Essential Oil Class, Young Living Essential Oils – 6:30pm-8pm. Help align your mind, body, spirit. Learn to take control of you and your pet’s health with therapeutic grade oils. Free class. On Zoom. 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

Sonic Alchemy – 7pm-8:30pm. This sound healing meditation concert combines Bradford Tilden’s inspiring piano music, crystal bowls and channeled vocal tones to create a powerful activating, and healing experience. $20. Prepay with Venmo: @ ronald-smith-419 required to RSVP. $25 cash at door. Avant Garde Holistic Center, Branford, CT. 203-481-8443, AvantGardeCT13@yahoo.com. AvantGardeCT.com. LIVESTREAM access for $4.99 @ facebook.com/CrystalMusicHealing.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Introduction to Qi Gong – 2pm-3:30pm. Location: at Starr Mill Yoga 91 Beverly Heights Middletown. WellnessLiving.com/rs/event/starr_mill_yoga.

Autumn Equinox, w/Gayle Franceschetti – 6:30pm-8pm. Tap into autumn’s new energiesfacilitate purifying one’s life, planting new seeds and endeavors, develop new values and make new decisions and goals. $25. On Zoom. 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Are You An Empath? – 9:30am-12pm. Are you sensitive to other people’s energies? Can you walk into a room and “feel” what has been going on? If so, you are most likely an EMPATH. Learn tools and techniques to positively utilize your abilities, as well as ground and protect yourself from negative energies. $55. 36 Cheshire Rd, Wallingford, (or on Zoom) 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

New Haven/Middlesex

Connect w/Guides & Angels: 5 Classes w/Gayle Franceschetti – 6:30pm-8pm. (Tuesdays Sept 21st, 28th, Oct 5th, 12th & 19th). Listen/communicate with “helpers” to guide and protect you. Easily and safely make your connection, tune into their vibrations/recognize them in future. Series $97. On Zoom. 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

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Grounding & Centering to Our Earth – 9:30am-12:30pm. Experiential workshop. The more grounded to Earth, the easier it is to access other dimensions and shield the body from electromagnetic interference imbuing a life filled with secure, rational and loving energies. $75. 36 Cheshire Rd, Wallingford, 203-631-7803, or Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com. Qi Gong essence meditation with Erik Harris and John Odlum – 4pm-5:30pm. Connect with the energy of the plants and trees using medicinal aromatherapy. Start with a meditative qigong practice then move into a guided meditation using sound healing. $30. Location: The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St, Durham. For more information, go to ChiforHealing.com/pages/calendar.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Forage walk with Qi Gong practice-learn summer wild edible, medicinal plants and mushrooms – 10am-12pm. This in person class will be in Middletown. $25. For more information, go to ChiforHealing.com/pages/calendar.

ongoingevents

sunday Friends of Hammonasset Annual Mum and Pumpkin Sale – 9am-5pm. (Thurs through Sun from Sept 2, through Oct 3, 2021). Friends of Hammonasset will be offering mums and pumpkins for purchase to benefit its work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at the Park. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, on Route 1 entrance next to the Greenway Trail parking lot. For information or to volunteer, contact Maureen Egan at plantsale@hammonasset.org. Reiki Class Level I – 10am-3:30pm (Sundays, Sept 19 &26 ). Learn Reiki for self-care and treatment of others. Participants will learn, the benefits, history, and precepts of Reiki. Ample time for practice while following CDC PROTOCOL. Small class open for 3 participants at the Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center,605 Main Street, Middletown. Cost $160 Members, $170 non-members, For more information, call: 203-314-5401 or eilande@comcast. net. ReikiwithEileenAnderson.com.

monday Come see CELC Middle School in action – Tours by appointment only! Middle school specialists, 5th – 8th grade. Small class sizes, personalized instruction, robust academics. Limited openings still available for 2020-21. 28 School St, Branford. Contact mandm@CTExperiential.org or call 203-433-4658. For more information, visit CTExperiential.org. Qigong with Maureen from Living Your Qi! Wuji Gong Moving Meditation – 7:30pm. (No Class on 9/6). Location: The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St, Durham. To register, email or text Maureen: maureen.funke@gmail.com. 203-530-5156.

tuesday Come see CELC Middle School in action – Tours by appointment only! Middle school specialists, 5th – 8th grade. Small class sizes, personalized instruction, robust academics. Limited openings still available for 2020-21. 28 School St, Branford. Contact mandm@CTExperiential.org or call 203-433-4658. For more information, visit CTExperiential.org.

Weekly Qi Gong class – 6pm-7pm. Qi gong translates to the practice of moving energy. Qi gong focuses on breath and movement to open up the energy flow in the body. There will be brief meditation integrating breath-work with a combination of chanting, singing bowls, and aromatherapy, and an inspirational reading at the end of each class. $15. Location: The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St, Durham. Go to ChiForHealing.com/pages/calendar for more information. New Earth Teachers Courses – 6pm-9pm. (Tuesdays, Sept 7-Nov 9). This 10-week ascension preparedness course covers important information about the coming Earth changes, visiting the New Earth in meditation, raising your frequency, releasing karma, our evolving chakra systems and more. ($750 Value) 35% off Paid up front: $495 (save $255); 15% off 2 installments of $320 (save $112) Some segments have optional additional costs for materials. Taught via Zoom. Register: https://tinyurl.com/NETSept2021. Contact Bradford: info@CrystalMusicHealing.com. 860-830-5841. Connect w/Guides & Angels: 5 Classes w/Gayle Franceschetti – 6:30pm-8pm. (Tuesdays Sept 21st, 28th, Oct 5th, 12th & 19th). Listen/communicate with “helpers” to guide and protect you. Easily and safely make your connection, tune into their vibrations/recognize them in future. Series $97. On Zoom. 203-631-7803, Return2love3@gmail.com, Return2Love.com.

wednesday Come see CELC Middle School in action – Tours by appointment only! Middle school specialists, 5th – 8th grade. Small class sizes, personalized instruction, robust academics. Limited openings still available for 2020-21. 28 School St, Branford. Contact mandm@CTExperiential.org or call 203-433-4658. For more information, visit CTExperiential.org. Weekly Qi Gong class – 9:30am-10:30am. Qi gong translates to the practice of moving energy. Qi gong focuses on breath and movement to open up the energy flow in the body. There will be brief meditation integrating breath-work with a combination of chanting, singing bowls, and aromatherapy, and an inspirational reading at the end of each class. $15. Location: Elizabeth Park in West Hartford. Go to ChiForHealing.com/pages/calendar for more information. Open Healing Arts Exchange – 6pm-8pm. (Sept 8 - Every 2nd Wed of the month). Gather and experience each other’s unique healing modalities. While featuring White Time Energy and Gemstone healing, we welcome all practitioners and anyone interested in giving and receiving a healing and/ or curious about the healing arts. $20. Braulttree Wellness Center, Higganum. 860-344-9573. BraulttreeWellnessCenter.com.

Sound Healing & Reiki Meditation – 7pm-8:15pm. Explore energy healing, relaxation modalities, release pain/stress, and rejuvenate your body from the inside out. $35/Session or $25/ prepay multi sessions. The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St, Durham. Katie@FeelYourLight.com for information or to register.

GOT EVENTS IN OCTOBER?

Share your upcoming happenings with our readers in our community calendar! Submit your calendar events at: NaturalNewHaven.com by September 10.

September 2021

ongoingevents

thursday Come see CELC Middle School in action – Tours by appointment only! Middle school specialists, 5th – 8th grade. Small class sizes, personalized instruction, robust academics. Limited openings still available for 2020-21. 28 School St, Branford. Contact mandm@CTExperiential.org or call 203-433-4658. For more information, visit CTExperiential.org. Friends of Hammonasset Annual Mum and Pumpkin Sale – 9am-5pm. (Thurs through Sun from Sept 2, through Oct 3, 2021). Friends of Hammonasset will be offering mums and pumpkins for purchase to benefit its work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at the Park. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, on Route 1 entrance next to the Greenway Trail parking lot. For information or to volunteer, contact Maureen Egan at plantsale@hammonasset.org. The Caring Network: Free virtual support group through Microsoft Teams for adults who have lost a loved one – 6pm. (Thurs, Sept 2 & Sept 16). Bridges Healthcare, 949 Bridgeport Avenue, Milford. Information about grief and loss; facilitated open discussion. Adults do not need to register. The group is facilitated by a Bridges counselor and is sponsored by Bridges Healthcare and Cody-White Funeral Home. For more information, please call the Group Facilitator, Brooke Torres M.Ed., at 203-878-6365 ext. 480. or email brtorres@bridgesmilford.org.

Healing Class for Chronic Illness/Pain using Tong Ren therapy through Zoom – 7pm-8pm. For this class we focus on helping people struggling with chronic illness and chronic pain. Tong Ren Therapy is based on the power of our mind creating energy for healing. Using the hammer technique, we hit points on an acupuncture doll to focus the energy on a person. During the Tong Ren class people will sit and receive energy. 3 things will be tapped on for each person. Group energy healing will be received and we will send distance healing also. This class also utilizes meditation, sound healing, and inspirational readings. $10. For more information, go to ChiForHealing.com/pages/calendar. Gemstone Clinic – 7:30pm-9pm. (Sept 16 – 3rd Thurs of the Month). Come get stoned with us! Experience gemstone treatments for only $10 each and learn about Universal White Time Healing and what it has to offer. $10-20. The Red Barn in Durham, 352 Main St. Durham. RSVP preferred. Bradford: 860-830-5841 or info@CrystalMusicHealing.com.

friday Come see CELC Middle School in action – Tours by appointment only! Middle school specialists, 5th – 8th grade. Small class sizes, personalized instruction, robust academics. Limited openings still available for 2020-21. 28 School St, Branford. Contact mandm@CTExperiential.org or call 203-433-4658. For more information, visit CTExperiential.org.

Friends of Hammonasset Annual Mum and Pumpkin Sale – 9am-5pm. (Thurs through Sun from Sept 2, through Oct 3, 2021). Friends of Hammonasset will be offering mums and pumpkins for purchase to benefit its work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at the Park. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, on Route 1 entrance next to the Greenway Trail parking lot. For information or to volunteer, contact Maureen Egan at plantsale@hammonasset.org.

saturday Friends of Hammonasset Annual Mum and Pumpkin Sale – 9am-5pm. (Thurs through Sun from Sept 2, through Oct 3, 2021). Friends of Hammonasset will be offering mums and pumpkins for purchase to benefit its work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at the Park. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, on Route 1 entrance next to the Greenway Trail parking lot. For information or to volunteer, contact Maureen Egan at plantsale@hammonasset.org.

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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE ON YOUR LIFE’S PATH and are you seeking an ethical intuitive reader to guide you? Feel free to reach out to Claire1@sympatico.ca. A 30-minute reading is $75.

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MEDICAL/INTUITIVE HYPNOTIST HYPNOSIS THERAPY CENTER – There is a meaning behind every ailment and condition people have. It's your body speaking to you. If you are tired of being sick and are ready to help yourself heal, then consider having a Discovery Session so you can learn the cause and 'cure.' Madison. 203-245-6927.

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community resource guide APPLIED KINESIOLOGY KC CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS Kevin Healy, DC 17 Woodland Road, Madison, CT 203-245-9317 KevinHealy@sbcglobal.net DrHealMe.com

Applied Kinesiology i s a n e u r o logical evaluation to find and treat dysfunction. Different because it addresses causes instead of chasing pains, Dr. Healy tests if a therapy alleviates dysfunction, finding immediate answers as to which provides the most improvement. Chiropractic, craniosacral, myofascial and acupressure are among the therapies Dr. Healy uses. Generally, no single cure exists as disease and dysfunction typically involve multiple areas of the body. The goal of any therapy—physical, chemical, or emotional—is to improve function; a combination of therapies typically yields the best results. See ad on page 15.

EDUCATION CONNECTICUT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER (CELC) MIDDLE SCHOOL 28 School Street, Branford, CT 203-433-4658 mandm@CTExperiential.org CTEXperiential.org

CT Experiential Learning Center (CELC) Middle School provides experientially-based education with a personalized approach to learning, designed to empower young people to thrive. Our students come from a variety of towns throughout Connecticut, from families looking for a program that engages and deepens learning, where their children can flourish during these important and impactful 5th - 8th grade years. See ad on page 15.

MASSAGE THERAPIST A MOMENT IN TIME MASSAGE, LLC Jill Andrzejewski LMT #9900, RMT & Psychic 3490 Whitney Avenue, Suite 205 Hamden, CT 203-909-1108 Jillamomentintimemassage@gmail.com AMomentInTimeMassage.org

I use a holistic approach to treat my clients—We work as a team, setting goals to move forward to get you where you wish to be physically, mentally and spiritually. My intention is to empower people to empower themselves. I am an advocate for gentle stretching, crystals and breath work to maintain a feeling of being grounded and calm. Services available: massage, 30-minute sessions for chronic pain management, Reiki, chakra balancing, angel tarot, oracle card readings, couples Reiki, foot baths with hand made all natural herbal ingredients, group events and classes. A Moment In Time Treasures items available for purchase. Sessions available by appointment only.

MEDICAL THERMOGRAPHY CT THERMOGRAPHY

April Beaman 2 Forest Park Dr. Farmington, CT 212 New London Turnpike Glastonbury, CT 860-415-1150 info@ctthermography.com CTThermography.com CT Thermography specializes in medical thermal imaging, also known as Thermography. Thermography is the use and study of thermograms for detecting and measuring variations of heat emitted for the surface of the body. A thermogram is produced by a highly sensitive, medical infrared camera that accurately maps the temperature variations which are then interpreted by Board Certified physicians known as thermologists. Thermography does not expose the body to radiation or involve contact and is used to aid in the detection of inflammation, disease and cancer. See ad on page 6.

PET EUTHANASIA SERVICE FINAL JOURNEY, LLC

MEDICAL INTUITIVE/SHAMAN PAST LIFE REGRESSION SPIRIT OF THE LOTUS

Robin Barros, IMT-C, CSC, CPLC 5 Gavin Drive, Columbia, CT 860-709-3903 Robin@spiritofthelotus.org SpiritoftheLotus.org

Spirit of the Lotus is a sacred space, warm and welcoming, where you can go for holistic health and healing. Robin uses many modalities to get to the heart of what’s caus-ing you to be in pain, out of alignment or just frustrated with what feels like a block to living your best life. Integrative Manual Therapy, gently helps you release tension from injury, illness or surgery. Intuitive guidance helps you release Physical, Mental & Spiritual baggage, carried for years, lives or generations. As an Advanced Soul Coach & Past Life Coach (R), we clear away inner debris in order to connect you with the wis-dom of your soul. With years of experience and training, you can experience optimal health & wellness.

Kristen Klie, D.V.M. 203-645-5570 FinalJourneyLLC.com

Final Journey, LLC is an in-home euthanasia service for your animal companion that brings comfort and peace during a sensitive and challenging time. See ad on page 15.

PHYSICAL THERAPY PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES OF GUILFORD 500 East Main Street, Suite 310, Branford, CT 203-315-7727 (Phone) 203-315-7757 (Fax) PhysicalTherapyGuilford.com

At Physical Therapy Services of Guilford, we specialize in manual therapy using hands-on techniques to help the body’s natural healing process. We also incorporate traditional programs and modalities to maximize health. 40-minute sessions are conducted one-on-one in private treatment rooms. See ad on page 19.

September 2021

coming in the october healthy planet issue

Breast Health and Living a Simpler Life

community resource guide REIKI SUSANE GRASSO, RMT 2489 Boston Post Road Guilford, CT 203-500-6950

Stress is the plague of the 21st century and the cause of physical and emotional woes. Because of this, my sessions combine my ability to see auras with Reiki, Theta Healing, acupressure and Sound Vibrational Healing to provide deep relaxation and balance. “Tension out! Wellness in” is more than a phrase. For my clients it is a statement of fact. Distance Healing available. See ad on page 13.

SALT HEALING THERAPY WELLNESS CENTER SALT OF THE EARTH THERAPEUTIC SPA

WHOLE BODY WELLNESS CBD MASSAGE ELM CITY WELLNESS 774 Orange Street New Haven, CT 203-691-7653 ElmCityWellness.com

Elm City Wellness is an independent, womanowned wellness center with a focus on community healing. Services include a variety of skilled massage, CBD massage, community and private acupuncture, Reiki, craniosacral therapy and organic skin care, including signature, microderm and high frequency facials. Skilled therapists specifically tailor each and every session. Our wellness store features local products, candles, wellness supplies and books, smudge kits and a large range of third-party tested, pharmaceutical grade CBD products. See back cover ad.

787 Main St, S Woodbury, CT 203-586-1172 NaturalSaltHealing.com Combining an array of natural therapies that have been used since ancient times with today’s technology, Salt of the Earth Spa provides a sanctuary for deep transformations, healing and grounding for Mind, Body and Spirit.

UNIVERSAL WHITE TIME CRYSTAL & SOUND HEALING CRYSTAL MUSIC HEALING

Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT 860-830-5841 info@CrystalMusicHealing.com CrystalMusicHealing.com

plus: water scarcity talking to kids about climate change

New Haven/Middlesex

My goal is to empower you to develop spiritually and professionally. I offer sessions and teach certification classes in Universal White Time (UWT), Lemurian Intuitive, Crystal, and Sound Healing, transformational voice coaching, and guided visualization. I use these techniques, and more to help you to obtain authentic expression, empowerment, and transformation. You can purchase personally attuned crystals, through me. My clients and students gain a renewed clarity and a sense of purpose in working with me.

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w w w. AYa n n i ve rs a r y. o rg September 2021

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