Natural Awakenings Philadelphia September 2017

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feel good • live simply • laugh more

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Yoga as a Way of Life

Photo: Waleska Sallaberry and Luis Mendez

by Kelvin Sanchez, Facebook.com/KelvinSanchezPhoto

Floatation Therapy Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest

CREATIVE

AGING Gloriously Enriching Our Later Years

MT. AIRY

Neighborhood Spotlight

September 2017 | Philadelphia, PA Edition | NAPhilly.com natural awakenings

September 2017

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letterfrompublisher Happy Anniversary, Philadelphia! contact us Publisher Kimberly Murray Editor Martin Miron National Editors S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Calendar Sara Peterson Design & Production Stephen Blancett C. Michele Rose Sales & Marketing Kimberly Murray Multi-Market Advertising Pat McGroder: 704-657-3886 Franchise Sales 239-530-1377

Natural Awakenings – Philly 1515 Market St., Ste. 1200-533 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: 215-902-9137 Fax: 215-402-3423 Publisher@NAPhilly.com NAPhilly.com ©2017 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

When I started on this journey 12 months ago, I had no idea of the many people that would quickly gravitate to Natural Awakenings magazine. Throughout my travels and first months of publishing, people would often express gratitude as they welcomed a new forum that explores natural methods of health, healing, inner growth and Earth-friendly, sustainable living. For some, it’s familiar ground, and for others, it’s a totally new concept. The common mission of Natural Awakenings publishers around the country is sharing their unique knowledge, gifts and experience to focus on the things that connect us and how we are alike, rather than how we are different.

I am truly grateful for this opportunity to meet some of the fascinating people that help to nourish our planet. One of the great perks of my job has been meeting and getting to know them throughout Philly. Last month was no exception. I attended a “Women in Philly are Cookin’” event, and I want to thank Chef Bernard for inviting me to such an extraordinary day of all-female chefs cooking. The cooking and food show featured all kinds of healthy, delectable creations, including some amazing vegan pastries. The highlight of the day was meeting a 12-year-old chef that discovered her passion for cooking at a very early age. Phenomenal!

As we enter our second year, we look forward to bringing you the most cutting-edge information about our local and global community. Starting this month, we are highlighting neighborhoods throughout the metropolitan area that are doing fantastic things. Please continue writing us to share your thoughts.

I want to thank my wonderful and talented team that makes it possible to publish this magazine every month. My editor, Martin Miron, is a fine wordsmith; our layout artist, Michele Rose, is such a creative soul. The vision of our national CEO, Sharon Bruckman, has provided this platform, and the universe is better for it. Without our wonderful advertisers, there would be no free magazine. Thank you all. Most of all, I love our readers and thank you for joining us on this path of enlightenment.

Now let’s make this an even better year!

Kimberly Murray, Publisher

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised.

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe online to receive FREE monthly digital magazine at NAPhilly.com.

~Betty Friedan

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength.

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contents

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5 7 8 10 12

newsbriefs ecobrief healthbriefs globalbriefs neighborhood spotlight

14 greenliving 19 community spotlight

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20 24 26 27 29 30

fitbody healingways calendar classifieds resourceguide

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 215-902-9137 or email Publisher@NAPhilly.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@NAPhilly.com. Deadline for editorial: feature articles are due by the 5th of the month, news briefs and health briefs are due by the 10th.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Publisher@NAPhilly.com or visit NAPhilly.com for more information.

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 704-657-3886. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

NAPhilly.com Philadelphia, PA

12 WELCOME TO

PHILADELPHIA – MT. AIRY

by Martin Miron

14 SOLAR HEATS UP

Demand Surges as Prices Fall

by Jim Motavalli

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healthykids

advertising & submissions

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Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

16 AGING WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE

Finding Fulfillment, Creativity and Meaning

by Deborah Shouse

20 RODNEY YEE ON YOGA AS A WAY OF LIFE

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by Marlaina Donato

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Simple Strategies for Staying on Track

22 YOGA IS

EVERYWHERE

Local Yoginis Share Their Stories

by Martin Miron

24 NATURE’S

CLASSROOM

Outdoor Learning Engages the Whole Child

by Meredith Montgomery

26 FLOATING

AWAY STRESS

Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing

by Gina McGalliard

NAPhilly.com

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newsbriefs Keeping Our Air Clean

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he Clean Air Council will hold the 12th annual solarpowered and sustainable Greenfest Philly Celebration, our largest environmental festival, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., September 10, on Bainbridge Green—between Third and Fifth streets, sponsored by Toyota Hybrids.

More than 15,000 attendees are expected to enjoy this zero-waste festival with live music from popular local bands, MOM’s Organic Market Kids’ Corner with eco-friendly crafts and activities, a bike valet sponsored by Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Toyota Hybrids’ ride and drive experience, organic food and drinks, a beer garden, handmade goods and innovative green businesses and products—all powered by solar panels.

For more information, visit CleanAir.org.

Fall Into Wellness

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ith the theme of Self-Care to Community Well-Being, a holistic health and wellness event for all ages, Fall into Wellness, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., September 23, at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting. It features yoga, qigong, tai chi, guided meditation, mindful eating, exercises and mindfulness activities for kids, heart-full living workshops for seniors, raffle prizes and more.

For an additional fee, chair massages, health and wellness coaching, acupuncture, and reiki mini-sessions also available. There will be healthy food truck vendors onsite.

Admission is $60 at the door, $45 in advance and $35 before Sept.5; children 12 and under free. Free parking. Location: 20 E. Mermaid Lane, Philadelphia. To register, visit FallWellness. eventbrite.com. For more information, call 215-919-0023. natural awakenings

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newsbriefs Switch to a Natural Air Freshener

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aturallyNeat Cleaning Services, LLC, is launching a new line of natural air fresheners, Neat Signatures, on September 15. NaturallyNeat Multipurpose Natural Air Fresheners feature a unique blend of essential oils that are known to cleanse, refresh, uplift and enhance the air space—use them anywhere—in the home, office or car, or when traveling by bus, train or plane.

Most retail brands contain 90 percent synthetic chemicals, but NaturallyNeat is chemical-free. Owner Rafyah Lumb states, “This is important for everyone who has not made the switch to a natural air freshener.”

For more information, call 267-507-5862 or visit NaturallyNeat.services. See ad, page 20.

Outreach for Women’s Issues

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ose St. Julien, a licensed clinical social worker for 20 years, hosts a weekly women’s personal growth group for creative, positive change. It offers an opportunity for women to come together for sharing and growing, acquiring creativity in decision making and building positive self-esteem.

“Everyone experiences discomfort and stress or may need help in facing difficulties constructively,” says St. Julien. “This group is a collaborative, therapeutic process which appreciates each woman’s struggle in life and unique situation, and provides hope for a revitalized life.”

Location: 425 S. 20th St., Philadelphia. For more information, call 215-546-1040. See ad, page 9.

Rose St. Julien

Come for the Honey, Stay for the Education

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he Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild (PBG) eighth annual Philadelphia Honey Festival will take place on September 7, 9 and 10 only at three historic sites—Glen Foerd on the Delaware, Wyck Historic House and Bartram’s Garden—to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees to our environment, our food supply and our economy, and to promote urban beekeeping and gardening.

All three historic locations offer visitors family friendly activities, including open hive demonstrations, honey extractions, open hive talks, a host of children’s activities, honey tastings, mead tastings and sales from local beekeepers.

There will also be presentations by John Cambridge, Ph.D., from the Philadelphia Insectarium and bee-bearding demonstration with Don Shump, PBG president and owner of the Philadelphia Bee Company. Each venue will also have additional local community activities.

Locations: Glen Foerd on the Delaware, Grant Ave. and Milnor St.; Wyck Historic House, Garden and Farm, 6026 Germantown Ave.; Bartram’s Garden, 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd. For a complete schedule of activities, visit PhillyHoneyFest.com.

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hambra Johnson is an independent distributor and former platinum leader with Organo, a global network marketing company on a mission to change lives by helping people reach new levels of balance, freedom and well-being through their premium products and business opportunity.

Organo is a corporate sponsor of the nonprofit OG Cares Foundation which supports youth by providing them with opportunities to become productive and engaged members of their communities to initiate positive change for future generations.

Distributors provide product samples; individual product sales, automated shipping options and discounted sales of Organo premium gourmet beverages, nutraceuticals and personal care products through a preferred customers program.

Along with exclusive monthly product promotions and specials, this is a great way to receive hassle-free monthly shipments of favorite products at a 25 percent discount off retail prices.

For more information, visit Paid2Cook.MyorganoGold.com. See ad, page 20.

Eagles Raise Awareness of Ocean Pollution

he Philadelphia Eagles are featuring “sponge suits,” in the 2018 Eagles cheerleader swimsuit calendar now on sale, including Snow Feng on the cover. Designed by Eray/ Carbajo, an architecture and design studio based in New York and Istanbul, with technology engineered

by Sponge Inc., the sponge suit has the unique ability to clean the ocean by absorbing harmful, oil-based contaminants while repelling water as we swim.

The prototype was created using a super-hydrophobic, carbon-based sponge material fitted into a cutting-edge 3-D printed form. Contaminants are trapped within the inner pores of the material so that the wearer does not come in contact with them. The design allows the saturated “sponge” fillers to be recycled with with new inserts.

Christina Weiss Lurie, president of the Eagles Charitable Foundation, states, “As a professional sports team, we have a unique platform to serve as sustainability leaders through our ongoing ‘go green’ efforts and commitment to the environment. We believe that these innovative water filtration systems, along with the creativity seen in the Sponge Suit, will ignite conversation about the environment and further raise awareness.”

For more information, visit Tinyurl.com/EagleSpongeSuit.

News to share?

Email details to: Publisher@NAPhilly.com

Waleska Sallaberry and Luis Mendez Photo by Kelvin Sanchez

ecobrief

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coverphoto Photo credit: Facebook.com/KelvinSanchezPhoto

Wake Up and Smell the Organic Coffee

Waleska Sallaberry and Luis Mendez are the publishers of Natural Awakenings Puerto Rico. After 15 years publishing the magazine and creating wellness initiatives on their Island, they continue their passion for service and a desire to make a difference in their community and the world. They are both certified advanced yoga teachers (RYT 500 hrs.) and living examples of what natural, healthy and conscious living really is.

Waleska and Luis have three kids, ages 11 to 21. With a long-time focus on personal and spiritual growth, they make time every year to detox, recharge and reconnect. They both enjoy stand up paddleboarding, taking care of Mother Earth and inspiring others to do the same. They currently live in the laid-back surf town of Rincón, Puerto Rico, where they enjoy spending time with family and friends and growing an ecoconscious community. Their mottos are: “Life is good!” and “Work hard, play harder”.

Submittal deadline is the 10th of the month. natural awakenings

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Caring for Others Prolongs Life

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esearchers from several international universities have found that seniors that provide caregiving services live longer than those that do not. The scientists analyzed survival data and information collected from the Berlin Aging Study on 500 adults over the age of 69 from 1990 to 2009. They compared survival rates from the subjects that provided caregiving for children, grandchildren and friends to those that did not.

Of the subjects analyzed, the half that took care of their grandchildren or children were still alive 10 years after their first interview in 1990. Caring for nonfamily members also produced positive results, with half of the subjects living for seven years after the initial interview. Conversely, 50 percent of those that did not participate in any caregiving had died just four years after their first interview.

The researchers warn that caregiving must be done in moderation. Ralph Hertwig, director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, in Berlin, explains, “A moderate level of caregiving involvement seems to have positive effects on health, but previous studies have shown that more intense involvement causes stress, which has a negative effect on physical and mental health.”

Beetroot Juice Helps Older Brains Act Younger

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EARLY BIRDS EAT BETTER AND EXERCISE MORE

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esearchers from Helsinki, Finland, analyzed data from 2,000 people to find out how sleeping patterns affected their food choices.

They discovered individuals that wake up early make healthier food choices throughout the day and are more physically active.

“Linking what and when people eat to their biological clock type provides a fresh perspective on why certain people are more likely to make unhealthy food decisions,” explains lead author Mirkka Maukonen, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki.

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healthbriefs

eets contain high levels of dietary nitrate, which can increase blood flow and improve exercise performance. Researchers from Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tested the impact of consuming beetroot juice prior to exercise on the somatomotor cortex, the part of the brain that processes information from the muscles.

Twenty-six older adults with hypertension that generally don’t exercise were split into two groups. Half were given a beetroot juice supplement with 560 milligrams of nitrate prior to a thrice-weekly, 50-minute treadmill walk for six weeks. The other half were given a placebo with very little nitrate. The beetroot juice group showed substantially higher levels of nitrate after exercising than the placebo group.

“We knew going in that a number of studies had shown that exercise has positive effects on the brain,” explains W. Jack Rejeski, director of the Behavioral Medicine Laboratory in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Wake Forest and study co-author. “We showed that compared to exercise alone, adding a beetroot juice supplement for hypertensive older adults to exercise resulted in brain connectivity that closely resembles what is seen in younger adults.”

Yoga Eases Eating Disorders

Advertorial

Stay Stoked with Vitamin B12 from Nova Star

Meditation and Music Aid Memory in Early Stages of Alzheimer’s

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CandyBox Images/Shutterstock.com

new study from West Virginia University, in Morgantown, reveals that listening to music and practicing meditation may help improve memory function for those in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers asked 60 adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common predictor of Alzheimer’s, to engage in kirtan kriya musical meditation or listen to other music for 12 minutes a day for three months, and then consider continuing for an additional three months. Scientists measured the memory and cognitive function of the 53 participants that completed the six-month study and found significant improvements in both measurements at the three-month mark. At six months, the subjects in both groups had maintained or improved upon their initial results.

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esearchers from Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, have found that regular yoga practice can help reduce anxiety and depression in young women with eating disorders. The scientists followed 20 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 that were enrolled in an outpatient eating disorder clinic that comprised the larger control group.

Those selected agreed to participate in a weekly yoga class and complete questionnaires after six and 12 weeks, assessing their anxiety, depression and mood. Of those that started the study, five attended all 12 yoga classes and six completed between seven and 11 classes. Researchers found decreases in anxiety, depression and negative thoughts among those that participated in the yoga classes, with no negative side effects.

Another study from the University of Delaware, in Newark, supports these results.

Half of the 38 residential eating disorder treatment program participants did one hour of yoga prior to dinner for five days and the other half did not. The yoga group showed significant reductions in pre-meal anxiety compared to the control group.

ne of Nova Star Pharmacy’s favorites is Vitamin B12, a crucial vitamin for energy metabolism found in fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk. So, for vegans and vegetarians, it’s extra important to supplement B12 to replenish that which they would receive from animal products. B12 also supports red blood cells and the nervous system, helping to keep us calm, focused and energized.

According to Forbes magazine, Philadelphia residents are 42 percent more likely to do yoga than the general population. While we all try to juggle making time for our practice, eating whole foods and getting enough sleep, we somehow all seem to miss the mark on at least one. This is where we look for supplements to lend a helping hand.

Location: 301 E. Girard Ave., Philadelphia. For more information, call 215-739-3900. See ad, page 18.

Tonsillectomies Help Only Temporarily

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esearchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, examined the effectiveness of tonsillectomies in children with recurring throat infections. Using data from nearly 10,000 studies of tonsillectomies, the scientists analyzed illness rates and quality of life for young patients following the surgery.

The analysis found that children experienced a notable drop in school absences and infections in the first year after the surgery, but that these benefits did not persist over time. Dr. Siva Chinnadurai, an associate professor of otolaryngology and co-author of the report, believes, “For any child being considered a candidate for surgery, the family must have a personalized discussion with their healthcare provider about all of the factors that may be in play and how tonsils fit in as one overall factor of that child’s health.”

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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

Milk Muddle

Experiential Ed Alexander Raths/Shutterstock.com

Gestalt-Based Curricula Emerging Finland, internationally renowned for innovative educational practices, is poised to become the first country to eliminate school subjects. Officials are making changes to be implemented by 2020 that will revolutionize how the school system works by allowing pupils to absorb a body of knowledge about language, economics and communication skills.

“We need something to fit for the 21st century,” says Department of Education head Marjo Kyllonen. The system will be introduced for seniors beginning at age 16.

They will choose which topic or phenomenon they want to study, bearing in mind their ambitions and capabilities. “Instead of staying passively in their benches listening to the teachers, students will now often work in smaller groups collaborating on projects, rather than just assigned classwork and homework.”

Another new model of learning sparked by XQ: The Super School Project (xqsuperschool.org) is underway at New Harmony High School, housed on a floating barge at the mouth of the Mississippi River southeast of New Orleans. They’ve received a $10 million grant to work on environmental issues when it opens in 2018.

“High schools today are not preparing students for the demands of today’s world,” says XQ Senior School Strategist Monica Martinez; she notes that about a third of college students must take remedial courses and are not prepared to thrive as employees.

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The Aurora Organic Dairy pastures and feedlots north of Greeley, Colorado, are home to more than 15,000 cows—more than 100 times the size of a typical organic herd. It is the main facility of the company that supplies milk to Walmart, Costco and other major retailers.

They adhere to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations, but critical weaknesses exist in the inspection system the government uses to ensure that food is organic; farmers are allowed to hire their own inspectors to certify them, and thus can fall short of reaching standards without detection.

Organic dairies are required to allow the cows to graze daily throughout the growing season rather than be confined to barns and feedlots. Although the USDA National Organic Program allows for an extremely wide range of grazing practices that comply with the rule, Aurora was observed onsite and via satellite imagery by the Washington Post as having only a small percentage of the herd outdoors on any given day.

The company disputes the data. U.S. organic dairy sales amounted to $6 billion last year; although it is more expensive to produce, the milk may command a premium price of 100 percent more than regular.

J.D.S./Shutterstock.com

Organic Milk Producer Under Pressure

Plutonium Problem Glass or Cement May Encase Nuclear Waste

Congress might consider authorizing the U.S. Department of Energy to encase much of the nuclear waste at the Washington state Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the nation’s largest waste repository, in a cement-like mixture, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It states that when burying the waste, cement would be less expensive and faster than vitrification, an alternative process currently used to turn the waste into glass logs.

A $17 billion vitrification plant, one of the federal government’s most expensive construction projects, is intended to separate much of the waste into high- and low-level radioactive material, but construction has stalled over design and safety concerns.

After the highly radioactive waste is immobilized in the glass logs, it would theoretically be shipped to an as-yet-nonexistent national repository proposed for Yucca Mountain, in Nevada.

The 56 million gallons of waste in question is left over from plutonium production for nuclear weapons since World War II, and the site itself has a history of leaks. The Department of Energy likes the cement burial, but state officials believe the best way to safely deal with the waste and protect the environment is by turning it into glass.

Source: enews.earthlink.net

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Welcome to Philadelphia—

Mt. Airy

by Martin Miron

The greater Philadelphia area has been an important meeting ground in our country’s history since the days of the Liberty Bell, and is no less so today. Teeming with diversity and multicultural heritage from downtown to the suburbs, there are many neighborhoods, many points of view and many lessons to be shared among us all. We hope that our series of spotlights featuring events and personalities in all corners of our great metropolis will encourage residents to think outside the box and stray from their commute to explore their own city with a new perspective.

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Jyoti Indian Bistro, McMenamin’s Tavern, Mi Puebla and Trattoria Moma, will bring tables, chairs and service out onto the Avenue’s iconic Belgian blocks and trolley tracks. Each week will also feature two different local food trucks.

“Supper Sessions is designed to shine a light on the great local businesses,” says Brad Copeland, executive director of Mt. Airy USA. “Ultimately, it’s a chance to bring the community together out in the street for a weekly event.” Sales will benefit Mt. Airy USA and the Quintessence Theatre Group, with the 2017-18 season beginning in October.

Activities for children include story time at 5:30 p.m., followed by a diverse range of musical performances. Bethlehem & Sad Patrick, Ryan Tennis, Aaron Parnell Brown and others will take the stage in front of the Sedgwick Theater. A host of local artists, including Mt. Airy illustrators Paul Carpenter and Scott Holford, Germantown jeweler Sara Mosley, local wood artisan Joe Pruiti and others will be selling their work.

Mt. Airy is a community with a rich

photo courtesy of Street Fare

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ocated in Northwest Philadelphia, Mount Airy is a neighborhood unlike any other. Its diversity encompasses all walks of life: socioeconomic, religious, or ethnic—the product of hard work throughout the centuries. Mt. Airy extends from Cresheim Valley Road in the northwest to Wissahickon Gorge in the west, Washington Lane in the southeast and Stenton Avenue in the east.

After a successful run last year with 1,500 attending, the Supper Sessions street festival will return from 5:30 to 11 p.m. each Tuesday in September in the 7100 block of Germantown Avenue between Mt. Pleasant Avenue and Mt. Airy Avenue. Admission is free, with free parking in the lot behind the Sedgwick Theatre, entrance on Chew Avenue. On September 12, Mt. Airy USA, Wells Fargo and invited officials will make a special announcement regarding the implementation of Mt. Airy 2025, a community-driven action plan.

Great restaurants and bars, including Chef Ken’s Cafe, Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange, Earth Bread + Brewery, Golden Crust Pizza, The Juice Room,

history. In 1750, William Allen built a summer mansion and estate on the current location of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, on Germantown Avenue. He gave the estate the name Mount Airy, which gradually became adopted as the name of the area. At that time, Mt. Airy was a popular resort spot where the wealthy citizens of Philadelphia would spend their summers. Germantown Avenue was known as the “great road” and its Belgian blocks line what was long ago a Native American hunting trail. The small neighborhoods which comprise Mt. Airy, with names like Dogtown, Beggarstown and Kresheim, go back as long as Philadelphia.

In 1777, Mt. Airy was the setting for Philadelphia’s only Revolutionary War battle at the Chew family mansion of Cliveden, a nationally recognized historical monument. Mt. Airy is also the location of the Johnson House, a monument of equal importance to American history. The home was a Quaker safe house for runaway slaves traveling the Underground Railroad in the 1850s, and is one of the few historical sites of its kind that is still open to the public.

Founded in 1980, Mt. Airy USA has a mission to preserve, empower and advance a vibrant and diverse community.

The organization provides housing counseling and financial literacy services, advances real estate development, promotes small businesses and facilitates investment in neighborhood public schools.

The 7100 block of Germantown Ave. is easily reached via SEPTA a number of ways: Allen Lane Station on the Chestnut Hill West regional rail line is two blocks; Sedgwick Station on the Chestnut Hill East regional rail line is three blocks; the H and 23 buses each stop right on Germantown Ave. For more information, visit MtAiryusa.org/ supper-sessions.

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CONNECT WITH OUR READERS!

THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL PLANNING CALENDAR

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Uplifting Humanity plus: Holidays Our Readers are Seeking: Spiritual Guidance & Holiday Related Providers & Services

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ow is a good time to buy a solar system and get off the grid. Solar photovoltaic prices have fallen 67 percent in the last five years, reports Alexandra Hobson with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

It’s a boom period for solar—a record 14.8 gigawatts were installed last year in the U.S. Solar represented 39 percent of all new electric capacity added to the grid in 2016, surpassing natural gas (29 percent) and wind (26 percent). In the first quarter of this year, solar and wind together comprised more than half of all new U.S. power generation.

The Solar Investment Tax Credit was extended for five years at the end of 2015, so homeowners and businesses can qualify to deduct 30 percent of the installed cost from their federal taxes. Also, there’s no upper limit on the prices for the qualifying panels.

There are 1.3 million solar systems in the U.S. now, with a new one added every 84 seconds. Some 260,000 people currently work in the industry, double the figure of 2012.

California is the leader in installed

capacity, followed by North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Utah.

Technical Breakthroughs

In 2016, the average residential solar system produced seven kilowatts, at an average installed cost of $3.06 per watt, according to Hobson. A system costing just over $21,000 before taking the income tax credit yields a final net cost of $15,000. “It’s a perfect marriage for residential customers,” says Bill Ellard, an energy economist with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). “The systems will produce electricity for about five cents per kilowatt-hour year-round compared to the average electric price of 10.34 cents per kilowatt hour tracked in March 2017.”

New solar panel designs coming online mean even greater savings.

Panels with built-in micro-inverters are cutting home installation costs for large central units (although their long-term, all-weather durability isn’t clear yet). A breakthrough at Japan’s Kobe University means single solar cells could achieve 50 percent efficiency, up from the 30 percent former-

ly accepted as the upper limit.

Ugly panel frames may also be a thing of the past. More aesthetically pleasing frameless panels are expected this year from big players like SolarWorld, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar, with adapted mounting hardware. Producers like Prism Solar and DSM Advanced Surfaces are also working on frameless clear panels, with cells bound between panes of glass. These attractive clear panels are highly resistant to fire and corrosion.

Tesla, which recently acquired SolarCity, is marketing tempered glass photovoltaic shingles that integrate with tile roofing materials to make the installation nearly undetectable. Tesla claims they’re three times as strong as standard roof shingles and guarantees them for the life of the house.

Solar Works for Many Now

For an average household electric load of 600 kilowatt-hours per month, for example, a daily dose of five hours of direct sunlight and four-kilowatt system will likely meet demand.

For households with higher usage, especially in the South and West, big-

It’s a boom period for solar—a record 14.8 gigawatts were installed last year in the U.S. Solar represented 39 percent of all new electric capacity added to the grid in 2016, surpassing natural gas (29 percent) and wind (26 percent). ger installations are the norm. “Solar system sizes have been growing fairly steadily as the price has come down,” Hobson notes.

Thanks to Google Earth, solar installers usually know if a property has the right conditions; avoiding the fee for an onsite inspection. Houses with a southern orientation within 40 degrees of direct southern exposure are golden.

Those with flat roofs work well because the panels can be tilted for maximum effect. Adjustable panels can also be adapted to the best angle per season.

Panels can’t be in shade for a significant part of the day.

Rooftop installers can work around vent pipes, skylights and chimneys. If major obstructions are a problem, ASES suggests a ground-mounted array or solar pergola, a freestanding wooden frame to mount panels.

Solar systems heat swimming pools, too, offering huge operational savings over conventional heaters.

They start at around $3,500 and average $5,500, compared to an average $2,664 for a fossil-fuel heater, reports HomeAdvisor.com.

Determine if a state has net metering laws, which make it easy to sell excess power from a whole-home system back to the grid. Check for local tax subsidies on top of the federal 30 percent. The beauty of solar is that once the system is in place, operating costs are negligible. The lifespan of today’s panels is two decades and the payback is just two to three years.

Jim Motavalli is an author, freelance journalist and speaker specializing in clean automotive and other environmental topics. He lives in Fairfield, CT. Connect at JimMotavalli.com.

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Finding Fulfillment, Creativity and Meaning

by Deborah Shouse

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ant to age well? The answer isn’t in your 401k.

Self-acceptance, a positive attitude, creative expression, purposeful living and spiritual connections all anchor successful and meaningful aging. In fact, these kinds of preparations are just as important as saving money for retirement, according to Ron Pevny, director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, in Durango, Colorado, and author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging.

Savor Self-Acceptance

While most people believe adulthood is the final stage of life, Dr. Bill Thomas is among the creative aging experts that identify another life chapter: elderhood. “Elders possess novel ways of approaching time, money, faith and relationships,” says Thomas, an Ithaca, New York geriatrician and fierce advocate for the value of aging.

“The best chapters may be near the end of the book,” Thomas continues. “Once you appreciate yourself and your years, you can relinquish outdated expectations and seek to discover your true self. Then the world can open up to you,” says Thomas. “Living a rewarding life means we are willing to say, ‘These chapters now are the most interesting.’” During this time, rather than feeling consumed by what we have to do, we can focus on what we want to do.

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Fill the Funnel of Friends

For older people, relationships offer foundational connections; but as we age, friends may drift away, relocate or die.

“Successful aging requires refilling our funnel of friends,” says Thomas, who considers socially engaged elders with friends wealthier than a socially isolated millionaire.

“Notice opportunities for interacting and connecting,” advises Shae Hadden, co-founder of The Eldering Institute in Vancouver, Canada. Talk with the checkout person at the grocery store or smile at a stranger walking her dog.

Cultivate a Positive Attitude

Our beliefs about aging shape our experiences. A Yale University study found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those less so inclined.

Connecting with positive role models helps us release limiting beliefs and embrace an attitude of gratitude instead.

Other life lessons can be gleaned from observing how negativity affects people physically, emotionally, and socially.

Holding onto regrets traps us in the past zapping energy and self-worth; it also keeps the best in us from shining out says Pevny. He suggests a simple letting-go ceremony, with friends as witnesses. If possible, hold it in a natural outdoor setting.

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Aging with Passion and Purpose

Understand Our Life Stories

Creating our own life review helps us acknowledge and understand our most significant experiences and reminds us of all we’re bringing to our elder journey.

Pevny offers these approaches: n Develop a timeline, dividing life into seven-year sections. For each, write about the strongest memories and most influential people. n Consider what matters most, from people and values to challenges and dreams. n Write to children and grandchildren, sharing tales of our life’s most significant events and lessons. n Record key stories on audio or video.

Explore the Arts

The changes that aging brings can mire elders in depression and isolation. “Older people need to be brave and resilient,” says Susan Perlstein, of Brooklyn, New York, founder emeritus of the National Center for Creative Aging, in Washington, D.C., and founder of Elders Share the Arts, in New York City. “To age creatively, we need a flow of varied experiences, exploring new activities or reframing longtime interests from a fresh perspective.”

Expressive arts can engage people’s minds, bodies and spirits. A George Washington University study shows that people engaged in the arts are happier and healthier. Perlstein understands this firsthand, having begun taking guitar lessons in her 70s. Motivated to play simple songs for her new granddaughter, she subsequently learned to play jazz and blues tunes and joined a band.

“I’m doing something I love,” says Perlstein. “I’m meeting diverse people, learning new things and enjoying a rich life.”

EdBockStock/Shutterstock.com

At one of his conscious aging retreats, Pevny created a fire circle. Mike, 70, had been a dedicated long-distance runner for most of his life. Now plagued with mobility issues, Mike decided to let go of regrets. He brought a pair of running shorts into the circle and talked about what the sport had meant to him—its joys, challenges and camaraderie. Then he tossed the shorts into the fire, telling his friends, “I am letting go so I can find a new purpose and passion.”

The answers can lead to fresh settings, including local community centers and places of worship. Many universities have extension classes for lifelong learners. State arts councils support programs, and museums and libraries host helpful activities. Shepherd Centers encourage community learning and Road Scholar caters to elders that prefer to travel and study.

Discover a Purpose Older people are our Upon retirement some people feel greatest resource. We need purposeless and lost. They yearn for that offers up excitement, to nurture them and give something energy and joy. Hadden invites people them a chance to share to be curious and explore options.

“We’re designing our future around what they know. who we are and what we care about ~Susan Perlstein, founder, National Center for Creative Aging and Elders Share the Arts

Musician John Blegen, of Kansas City, Missouri, was 73 when he realized his lifelong secret desire to tap dance.

When Blegen met the then 87-year-old Billie Mahoney, Kansas City’s “Queen of Tap,” he blurted out his wish and fear of being “too old.” She just laughed and urged him to sign up for her adult beginner class. He asked for tap shoes for Christmas and happily shuffle-stepped his way through three class sessions.

“Tap class inspired me, encouraged me and gave me hope,” he says.

“Now I can shim sham and soft shoe.

It’s a dream come true.”

To unearth the inner artist, ask: n Which senses do I most like to engage? n Do I enjoy looking at art or listening to music? Do I like sharing feelings and experiences? If so, a thrill may come from writing stories or plays, acting or storytelling. n As a child, what did I yearn to do; maybe play the piano, paint or engineer a train set? Now is the time to turn those dreams into reality. n How can I reframe my life in a positive way when I can no longer do activities I love? If dancing was my focus before, how do I rechannel that energy and passion? If puttering in the garden is too strenuous, what other outdoor interests can I pursue?

now,” she says.

Try keeping a journal for several weeks. Jot down issues and ideas that intrigue, aggravate and haunt. After several weeks, reflect on the links between concerns that compel and those that irritate.

Perhaps we’re intrigued by a certain group of people or a compelling issue.

“A concern points to problems and people you want to help,” Hadden observes. This can range from lending a hand to struggling family members, maintaining our own health, volunteering for a literacy project or working to reduce world hunger. “Choose what inspires you to get out of bed each day, eager to move into action.”

Develop Inner Frontiers

People in their elder years may still be measured by midlife standards, which include physical power, productivity and achievement. “They come up short in the eyes of younger people,” dharma practitioner Kathleen Dowling Singh remarks. “But those standards do not define a human life.”

Rather, aging allows us to disengage from the pressures of appearances and accomplishments. As we release judgments and unwanted habits, we can increase our feelings of spirituality and peace. “When doors in the outer world seem to be closing, it’s time to cultivate inner resources that offer us joy and meaning. We have the beautiful privilege of slowing down and hearing what our heart is saying,” says Singh, of Sarasota, Florida.

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Meditation is one way to deepen spiritually as we age. “Sit in solitude, gather your scattered thoughts and set an intention,” Singh suggests. “A daily practice shows what peace, silence and contentment feel like. As you become more comfortable, add time until you’re sitting for 20 to 40 minutes.”

Acknowledge Our Shelf Life

“We cannot speak about aging and awakening without speaking about death and dying,” Singh believes. “We need to confront our mortality.”

Meditating on the coming transition opens us up to the blessings of life. We can ask ourselves deep questions such as, “What am I doing? What do I want?

What does this all mean? What is spirit?”

Singh believes such searching questions are vital. None of us knows how much Earth time we have to awaken to a deeper, fuller experience of the sacred.

Help the World In today’s world of chaos and crisis, the wisdom of elders is more important

Nearly three-quarters of America’s adults believe they are lifelong learners. It helps them make new friends and community connections and prompts volunteerism. ~Pew Research Center than ever. “Older people need to be engaged, using their insights to help the Earth, community and world,” Pevny

says. Creative aging is about improving the future for subsequent generations.

In 2008, longtime educator Nora Ellen Richard, 70, of Overland Park, Kansas, wanted to be of greater service. She asked herself, “What if I housed a foreign student?” and found the International Student Homestay Program. She embarked upon an exploration of cultures from around the world without leaving home.

Today, Richard has hosted more than a dozen female students and each relationship has expanded and enriched her life. “We talk about politics, food, religion and cultures; we even pray together,” Richard says. She points to memorable moments of bonding and respect, appreciation and celebration, and says, “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned how vital it is to nurture the world I am in.”

Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor and dementia advocate. Her newest book is Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together. Connect at DementiaJourney.org.

Creative Aging Resources Center for Conscious Eldering CenterForConsciousEldering.com Changing Aging ChangingAging.org Dr. Bill Thomas DrBillThomas.org The Eldering Institute Eldering.org Elders Share the Arts Estanyc.org From Aging to Sageing Sage-ing.org Kathleen Dowling Singh KathleenDowlingSingh.com National Center for Creative Aging CreativeAging.org Shepherd’s Centers of America ShepherdCenters.org

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communityspotlight

Living Life on the Yogic Path

by Kelly Montgomery

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and Philadelphia during childhat a Yale University eduhood, Matsya chose Philadelphia cation could not provide, as the home of Mantra Lounge an ancient yoga text did. because it is a “city with a heart,” That is what bhakti yogi Devamrita he says. “Philadelphia has the Swami (Jaya Matsya) experienced in sophistication of the Northeast the 1970s. As a scholarship student, and the warm-heartedness of the Matsya wanted answers to the world’s Midwest,” he says. Matsya has problems. After consulting with taught this tradition on almost evhis academic advisors, he studied ery continent and offers free yoga whatever subject he wanted to. Upon classes to university students. graduation, he was unsatisfied. He Devamrita Swami His love and respect for the had not found solutions to things environment and true sustainability led Matsya to such as justice inequality, environmental unconsciousthe Gita Nagari Farm, in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. ness and nuclear weaponry. However, several months He serves as director of the 350-acre organic farm, later, he discovered the Bhagavad-Gita, a yoga text which is the only USDA-certified cruelty-free farm that is part of the larger epic Mahabharata. After readin the U.S. Matsya invites people to get out of the ing it and several other yoga texts, Matsya decided to city and into a rural setting, and remarks that more live the Krishna bhakti tradition, also known as bhakti people live in urban areas than rural areas for the yoga, or path of the love supreme. He became the offirst time in human history. “Yoga, meditation and ficial student of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta ecology go hand-in-hand,” he says, and that enviSwami Prabhupada, the founder/acharya of the Interronmental problems are worse now than before. national Society for Krishna Consciousness.

“We’re the only species that destroys its own habiIn 1982, he became a Krishna monk, and for the tat,” he reflects. “We are so disconnected, not only past 40 years has been travelling all over the world from nature, but from source.” living and teaching bhakti yoga. He speaks regularly at In addition to teaching through the spoken Philadelphia universities, including Penn, Drexel and word, Matsya also is an author of three books, Temple. He wants to help people connect with nature including his third and most recent book, Hiding and ultimately, source. in Unnatural Happiness. Dedicated to everyone, The Bhagavad Gita presents the science of selfhe wants to open people’s minds to nonmaterial realization, which is what Matsya was searching for. sources of happiness. He also presents the BhagaThis particular lifestyle does not come without chalvad Gita in a contemporary context. People have lenges, though. He says it requires people to travel lost their ultimate connection with source, and he deep within themselves to get to the advanced levels wants to reconnect people with it through his writof the yoga system. Another challenge is showing ings and teachings. His next step is to strengthen compassion toward all living creatures, which is why the connection of Mantra Lounge with the farm he lives a vegan lifestyle. project at Gita Nagari.

Matsya founded Mantra Lounge, in Fishtown, part of an international network of bhakti yoga Mantra Lounge is locate at 312 E. Girard Ave, in Philcenters, to cater to a diversity of people so they can adelphia. For more information, call 215-834-8043 or enrich and enliven each other while learning about visit MantraPhilly.com or DevamritaSwami.com. bhakti yoga. Splitting his time between New York

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fitbody

Rodney Yee on Yoga as a Way of Life Simple Strategies for Staying on Track

by Marlaina Donato

R

Connect ~ Promote ~ Advance

Learn more at sbnphiladelphia.org

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enowned yogi and international teacher Rodney Yee, of New York City, has maintained an inspired yoga practice for 37 years while juggling career obligations, fame and family life.

While the benefits of yoga are increasingly well known—from stress reduction and pain management to a more limber body and inner peace—Lee is also aware of the challenges to maintaining a consistent practice. Here he shares insights on the pitfalls encountered by both beginning and advanced students.

“My advice is to first get rid of self-berating behavior, including judgmental inner dialogue. In many aspects of life, we are constantly measuring ourselves against a standard, which is a waste of time and energy,” says Yee.

With a professional background in classical dance and gymnastics, Yee decided to give yoga a try at a nearby studio when he craved more physical flexibility. “As many people do, I came to yoga for a reason. I was a dancer with tight joints. After the first class, I couldn’t believe how I felt. It was not at all like an athletic high; I had a sense of well-being and knew what it means to feel peaceful and clear.”

For people with jam-packed lives, finding time for exercise can be daunting. Yee suggests a relaxed approach to scheduling yoga into a busy day. “As the rishis [Hindu sages] say, we shouldn’t ‘try’ to meditate, not try to force a natural state. To say, ‘I have to do yoga,’ just puts another thing on our to-do list. Sometimes discipline is needed, but another part of discipline is not about force.”

You can blink and half your life is gone.

You can’t always be busy, busy, busy; you have to decide how to fill your life.

Different approaches to yoga abound, and part of staying motivated may include exploration of a variety of traditions as individual needs change due to lifestyle, health, interests or simple curiosity. Yee reminds us to go with the flow and follow how we feel in the moment. “Different schools of yoga exist because each offers something different. There is a form for all of our moods and a practice for how you feel at any given time.”

Reflecting on how his own practice has evolved through the years, Yee recollects, “In my 20s and 30s, my yoga practice was arduous, including three to four hours of strong, physical work and a half hour of pranayama [breath work].

Then for 20 years, it involved a lot of teaching. Over the past 17 years, my practice has become more subtle, with a focus on sequencing and meditation; it’s about how to do this all day long in the context of my body and my life; about being both centered and in the world. In some way, we’re always doing yoga, as we already take 20,000 breaths a day. From a philosophical and ethical point of view, yogis have no choice but to practice.”

Because many American women have found their way to a yogic path, men often assume it’s primarily a women’s niche. But yoga has been a male practice for nearly 2,500 years in other countries. Yee encourages men to not feel intimidated. “Why not try something that can help you improve your business, family life and even your golf game?” he queries.

While Yee believes in a no-pressure approach, he also suggests inviting ways to foster consistency. “If you are just beginning, set aside a half-hour before going to bed or get up a half-hour earlier. Also note that pain is less to be avoided than learned from.”

Wisdom can come from dedication to a yoga practice.

Yee’s philosophy is, “You can blink and half your life is gone.

You can’t always be busy, busy, busy; you have to decide how to fill your life. As spiritual teacher Ram Dass counsels, ‘Be here now.’ Train yourself to bring body, mind and heart together and fully drink from that.”

Learn more at YeeYoga.com.

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com. natural awakenings

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Yoga is Everywhere Local Yoginis Share their Stories

by Martin Miron

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t seems that there are so many varieties of yoga—some ancient, some innovative—some strict, some freewheeling— that there must be one to suit every individual. Whether looking for physical fitness, mental benefits or Nirvana, experts say to try several forms before deciding and make sure there is good chemistry with the teacher before committing.

Lotus Blossoming

Grace Perkins, founder of Pushpanjali Yoga and owner of Lotus Blossoming, has been teaching since 1985. She states that her speChair yoga class at Lotus Blossoming cialty is, “Yoga, the practice and the journey.” She relates, “It is possible through yoga to bring changes into your life, creating satisfaction, good company, comfort of body and mind, and well-being. Many studies have found this to be true and it has certainly been so in my life.”

After recovering from an illness, Chestnut Hill Senior Center and Mount Airy Learning Tree encouraged her to develop a class that would involve people recovering from illness or older adults to gain benefit from yoga.

“Developing the class where participants stand or sit in chairs has been a wonderful experience through the years making it possible for people who have trouble getting to the floor and standing up to regain their balance and develop strength using asana, classical yoga postures, to their advantage,” says Perkins.

She explains that yoga postures are basically six movements: forward and backward bending, seated, standing, supine and inverted. “In participating in the chair class, we do both standing and seated postures. Since seated poses rely on a stable pelvis, seated in a chair is an excellent way to gain the benefits of this practice,” says Perkins. “Our classes also often include poetry and sometimes inspirational readings.”

Yoga on Main

Sophie Bernard has been an inner fire yoga teacher at Yoga on Main since 2007, a reiki master energy healer since 1990 and a NLP coach practitioner since 2017. She says, “Inner fire yoga stems from a branch of hatha yoga and is influenced by the healing science of ayurveda, which looks at the individual 22

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needs of each person in the practice and application of yogic techniques.” Her classes are small (eight students maximum); students get personal attention and adjustments when necessary so they can experience the full power of a correct pose and not hurt themselves.

Bernard has been practicing yoga since 1991 in Los Angeles. She says, “The more I discovered through my own practice, the more I felt the need to share as a teacher. Inner fire yoga is perfect for me to teach, for it is about awakening our inner creative forces. Using the breath and intention, I guide my students into their innermost selves to really pay attention to what their bodies are saying. Each pose talks to them, their body communicates to them and the poses address specific issues with specific body parts.”

She uses intention, because thoughts carry energy and mudras, because hand movement send neural transmissions to the brains to deepen her students’ experience of yoga. She says, “As a natural healer, I enjoy using several tools to help my students broaden their sense of self and lead them after 60 minutes of asanas through a 30-minute guided relaxation.”

MotherHeart Yoga

Dawn Smelser, ERYT, owner of MotherHeart Yoga Sangha, trained at the Yoga Institute in Mumbai, India. She has taught yoga philosophy and practice, yoga’s inner journey and meditation for more than 20 years.

She says, “When I was in my early 20s, working at a yoga studio in Pennsylvania, I saw a picture of an enlightened yogi on the wall. I would Dawn Smelser stare at it while I worked and felt deeply that I wanted to study with the yogi. Within a month of learning that yogi’s name, I received an anonymously donated scholarship to live at his ashram in India. His name is Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra, and I learned the deepest yoga from him and hansaji Yogendra.

Her next teacher training program begins October 21.

Local Resources Grace Louise Perkins, 8855 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. 215-772-1118, graceetold@gmail.com.

Yoga on Main, 66 Westview St., Philadelphia.

267-671-4737, facebook.com/voilawellnessyoga.

MotherHeart Studio, 2359 E. Susquehanna Ave., Philadelphia. 484-885-9081, MotherHeartStudio.com.

Sophie Bernard

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Kindergarten means “children’s garden” and originally took place outdoors. It’s commonplace today in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

NATURE’S CLASSROOM Outdoor Learning Engages the Whole Child

by Meredith Montgomery

Nature-based schools provide a child-centered, guided discovery approach to early learning that appeals to kids, parents and teachers and offers far-ranging benefits.

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or youngsters at Tiny Trees Preschool, in Seattle, nature is their classroom— rain or shine; tuition even includes a rain suit and insulated rubber boots.

At Schlitz Audubon Nature Preschool, in Milwaukee, children use downed wood to build forts and fires. Students of Vermont’s Educating Children Outdoors (ECO) program use spray bottles of colored water to spell words in the snow.

Forest Schools Based on the publicly funded forest kindergarten model used by Scandinavian countries since 1995, Tiny Trees encompasses seven urban park locations throughout the city, ranging from 15 to 160 acres. With no buildings, playgrounds or commercially produced furniture and 30 percent less overhead, “We can make exceptional education affordable,” remarks CEO Andrew Jay.

“Most of the day is spent exploring the forest. If children see salmon in the stream, we observe them from a bridge, and then search out the headwaters to see where they’re coming from,” explains Jay. 24

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Nature Preschools The launch of Earth Day in 1970 and America’s nature center movement in the 1960s yielded another immersive nature-based model that includes indoor learning.

The preschool at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designcertified Schlitz Audubon Nature Center includes three nature-focused indoor classrooms and three outdoor areas—two with manmade structures like a slide and picnic tables, and one left completely natural. Founding Director Patti Bailie says the children spend most of their day outside and teachers can take them beyond the play areas to explore 185 acres of prairie, forest, wetlands and lakefront beach habitats.

Public School Programs ECO currently collaborates with seven Vermont public schools from preschool to high school, offering year-long programs for students in inquiry-based outdoor learning for up to four hours a week.

Tania Kolinko/Shutterstock.com

healthykids

“We immerse ourselves in nature with a 10-minute hike into the forest,” says program coordinator Melissa Purdy. Students first learn safety protocols and how to set up camp. Introducing skill-appropriate tools, preschoolers whittle sticks, third-graders build teepees and lean-tos, and high school students build bridges across streams.

Building Resiliency Sharing space with insects and plants requires special safety protocols and preparation, but the injury rate of outdoor learning is no higher than that of indoor schools. “Children are building risk literacy—they climb trees, but only to safe heights; they step on wet rocks, but learn how to do so without falling,” says Jay. Classrooms without walls work because students have a sense of freedom within reasonable boundaries.

“In winter, we dress warmly and do more hiking to generate body heat.

We use picnic shelters in heavy rains.

Children don’t have anxiety about the future—rain means puddles to splash in and snow means building snowmen,” says Jay.

Developing the Whole Child Outdoor learning naturally creates knowledge of local ecosystems, environmental stewards and a sense of place, but teachers also observe many other developmental benefits.

At the Magnolia Nature School, at Camp McDowell, in Nauvoo, Alabama, Madeleine Pearce’s agile and surefooted preschoolers can hike three miles. Located in a rural county with a 67 percent poverty rate, the school partners with Head Start to secure tuition-free opportunities for families. Pearce attests how exploring the 1,100-acre property fosters

language skills. “With less teacher instruction, children have more time to talk freely with each other.”

Instead of loudly calling kids in, Purdy uses bird calls or a drum, which fosters a sense of peace and respect.

During daily sit time students observe themselves as a part of nature.

“As birds sing and wildlife appears, children see the rewards of quiet and stillness, so self-regulation becomes natural,” agrees Bailie.

Bailie sees how children in forest kindergartens express better motor skills, physical development and cognitive abilities than those restricted to traditional playgrounds. Natural playscapes change with the season, are sensory-rich and provide extra oxygen to the brain—all factors that correlate to brain development. Such benefits are reported in Brain-Based Learning

by Eric Jensen, Brain Rules by John J. Medina and the Early Childhood Education Journal.

Parents and teachers often describe nature preschool students as being more observant, confident, inquisitive and engaged.

Outdoor preschools also foster microbial exposure, essential for healthy immune system development.

“Without this exposure, children are at increased risk for developing allergies, asthma, irritable bowel disease, obesity and diabetes later in life,” says B. Brett Finlay, Ph.D., author of Let Them Eat Dirt, which cites supporting science.

Kindergarten readiness is a goal of all preschools, but Pearce doesn’t believe a traditional academic focus is required. “By putting nature first, children are socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten,” she says. “They know how to conquer challenges and are ready to take on academics.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi (HealthyLiving HealthyPlanet.com).

A

Enroll in Nature for a Sustainable Curriculum

s a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade private school offering a rigorous college preparatory experience tailored to the needs of today’s student: collaborative, challenging, creative, relevant and student-centered, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH) nurtures courageous hearts, curious minds and creative spirits.

Located next to the woods, water and wildlife of the Wissahickon Valley, SCH Lower School boys exploring a has been connecting students with nature Wissahickon Creek feeder stream since the its inception in 1861, and they have come to see this amazing natural resource as their outdoor classroom. Trip programs take them off campus to explore natural areas such as Hawk Mountain, Ringing Rocks, Valley Forge and the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge. Older students go on overnight camping trips to the Eastern Shore, Poconos and Pine Barrens. The SCH outdoor program culminates in ninth grade with a five-day Outward Bound experience somewhere in the Pennsylvania highlands.

Whether learning the skills of mapping and orienteering, releasing baby trout into the creek or taking water samples for biology class, SCH students are constantly outdoors and learning through nature.

Location: 500 W. Willow Grove Ave., Philadelphia. For more information, call 215-247-7007, email mbaker@sch.org or visit sch.org.

Historic School Embraces Nature A bington Friends School (AFS), a pre-K through 12th grade coed independent Quaker School was founded in 1697 and is the oldest school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to have continuously operated on the same plot of land.

They are holding open house events to learn more about AFS Outside and the Center for Experiential Learning at 1 p.m. October 17 and 9 a.m., November 7. Private visits are also available.

AFS Outside is a key element of the AFS Center for Experiential Learning.

It is a school-wide outdoor learning program designed to connect children in sustained and meaningful ways with the living world. The 50-acre campus, which is also an arboretum, grants teachers the opportunity to design curriculum to help students evolve their relationship with the outdoor world through exploration, research and discovery.

Their mission is to uphold the 320-year tradition of Quaker education in which children develop deep roots of inner strength and the ability to thrive in dynamic settings, and make the most of their future college and professional communities.

Location: 575 Washington Lane, Jenkintown, PA. For more information, call Melissa Calder, director of marketing, at 215-576-3963, email mcalder@ AbingtonFriends.net or visit AbingtonFriends.net. natural awakenings

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healingways

FLOATING AWAY STRESS Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing

by Gina McGalliard

S

ensory isolation in a floatation tank is known for inducing deep relaxation with subsequent improved health. A 2014 study published in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry investigating the effects of a series of flotation tank treatments for 65 participants, showed it to be an effective measure in decreasing stress, depression, anxiety and pain, while enhancing a sense of optimism and quality of sleep.

The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea, by Michael Hutchison, reports on 20th-century research suggesting the therapy can help allay ailments like chronic pain, migraines and sore muscles. There’s also evidence for enhanced meditation, creativity and spiritual experiences.

Float therapy was invented by Dr. John C. Lilly, a neurophysiology specialist. The individual enters an enclosed tank containing 11 inches of water heated to 93.5 degrees—a normal temperature for human skin—and some 1,000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. The effect is like buoyantly floating in the Dead Sea, but in a clean, quiet, private realm. The water is typically filtered three to five times between each session and sanitized using UV light; some also use peroxide and ozone gas to purify the water.

Without any sensory input—no sight, sound or tactile sensations—the floater typically enters a profound deeply calm state of theta brain waves that tends to bring the subconscious to the surface. It can take experienced meditators years to learn to consistently achieve this condition, remarks Bryan Gray, of Float North County, a spa in Solana Beach, California.

Ultimate Meditation Venue

Scientific research has shown that floating can release the feelgood neurotransmitters endorphins and dopamine, and lower 26

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the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Studies performed by the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which maintains a float clinic, have found the therapy is an effective treatment for patients with anxiety disorders.

“It frees your mind of distraction and puts it in a zone,” explains Gray. “It removes the need for fight or flight, so those hormones are reduced. That part of the brain mellows out.”

Marvelous Magnesium

Lying for an hour in water infused with Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, the body receives a huge infusion of magnesium, a mineral essential to optimal health. While calcium and vitamin D deficiencies get more attention, it’s even more likely most of us are low on this element due to magnesium-depleting drugs and inadequate farm soils.

Many ailments shown by research to be helped by floating have also been linked to magnesium deficiency.The mineral is also essential for heart health, strong bones and central nervous system function, as reported in The Magnesium Miracle, by Dr. Carolyn Dean, a physician and naturopath in Kihei, Hawaii.

Wide-Ranging Healings

Chronic pain sufferers often find relief through floating because the lessened gravity allows the body to fully relax. The accompanying serenity releases the brain’s natural endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, into the bloodstream, reports Hutchison.

The sheer tranquility of floating can alleviate some mental health issues. “We’ve treated several people with posttraumatic stress disorder. One man has returned six times and says he’s advanced more in the last three months while floating than he did in the prior five to 10 years,” says Andy Larson, owner of Float Milwaukee.

Athletes also appreciate floating because it shortens injury recovery periods through enhancing blood flow, helping to heal sore muscles. The way it facilitates a calm state ideal for implanting ideas into the subconscious mind enables them to better visualize improved performance.

Discoveries Within

Floaters can fall into what sleep specialists call the hypnagogic state, meaning they are apt to have lucid dreams while awake. Also known as Stage 1 sleep, it is the drowsiest condition we experience while still consciously aware. This is the scientific explanation for reports of visions or “Eureka!” problem-solving moments in the tank, says Hutchison.

This phenomenon can be especially beneficial for creative artists. “We have a girl that always emerges from the tank with an idea for a new painting,” says Gray. He also regularly hosts a composer that has worked with famous singers, who has experienced innovative musical breakthroughs while floating.

Floating is among the rare healing modalities that can benefit body, mind and spirit in just one hour, with repeat benefits.

Gina McGalliard is a freelance writer in San Diego, CA. Connect at GinaMcGalliard.com.

calendarofevents

1632 Rte 38, Lumberton. 609-445-4325. Registration required: GenesisSpiritualHealing.com.

NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines for submissions at NAPhilly.com or email Publisher@NAPhilly.com for more information.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Film Series: La Haine – 7:30-9:15pm. This French film follows the lives of three young men from immigrant families in the aftermath of a riot. Themes of race, community and marginalization resonate with Urban Riders. $14/members, $7/students.

Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Reboot Your Health Series – 11am-2:30pm.

Christina Pirello, Emmy Award-winning host of Christina Cooks on PBS launches a new fall series of her popular cooking classes (includes class handout and a full meal). In this class, we’ll explore the ideas behind eating well and commitment to it. $30. The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, 4100 Walnut St, Philadelphia. Register: 215-551-1430 or ChristinaCooks.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Music and Movement: End of the Day Parade – 4:30-5pm. March in a musical parade through the museum, and add your own sounds and moves to close out a special day at Please Touch Museum.

Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia. 215-581-3181.

Fierce Healing – 6-8pm. This series is grounded in evidence-based research that demonstrates that yoga is effective in combating the results of complex trauma (Emerson, 2011, Kolk, 2014). The class will blend three main themes identified as important for a trauma-sensitive yoga practice. $7. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. RSVP: AAMPHealing.Eventbrite.com.

Community Education: CE Preview Night – 6-9pm. Interested in taking a class or trying something new, but don’t know where to start? Register for this tuition-free mini class to sample what PAFA continuing education (CE) has to offer. $10/materials. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118128 N Broad St, Philadelphia. Info: 215-972-7600.

Please Touch Museum – 6:30-7pm. Offering discounted admission and two extra hours of play the first Wednesday of every month. Admission is $2/ person beginning at 4pm. The Museum stays open till 7pm to allow for two extra hours. Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia. 215-581-3181.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 The Sanctuary City – 5:30-7:30pm. Domenic Vitiello, associate professor of urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the sanctuary movements and immigrant experience of the 1980s and today. $18/ nonmembers $9/members, free/college students with valid ID. Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 The Un-Sung Stories of We Shall Not Be Moved – 6:30pm. Gives real-life accounts of those affected by these infamous events in Philadelphia history through an evening of short oral history films and live poetic performances from strong and diverse Philadelphia voices. Curated by Nina “Lyrispect” Ball. Free. Seating is general admission and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. Info/register: 215-574-0380.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 Reiki Levels 1 and 2 Certification Class – 11am6pm. Both levels in a one-day class. Become attuned

Intro to Mystical Meditation – 2-4:30pm. Learn the basics of meditation with an emphasis on mystical meditation, which takes one into a deep state of consciousness with the goal of experiencing a connection with the divine creator and universal consciousness, bringing more peace, love and joy. $44.

Genesis Spiritual Healing & Metaphysical Center, 1632 Rte 38, Lumberton. 609-445-4325. Registration required: GenesisSpiritualHealing.com.

to both levels, learn history and principles of reiki, chakra and aura scanning, self-healing and healing others, distant healing and give first reiki session. $265. Genesis Spiritual Healing & Metaphysical Center, 1632 Rte 38, Lumberton. 609-445-4325.

Registration required: GenesisSpiritualHealing.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Build Wealth From Inside Out – 8pm. Join Lateisha Johnson, a Licensed Personal Finance Coach and host of Wealth & Wellness Network podcast, for a wealth building webinar. Your money story plays a significant role in your financial success, but how can you change it unless you know what your story is? Learn how to identify and change your money story so that you can attract wealth.

LateishaJohnson.com.

Psychic Development Class – 11am-6pm. Learn to develop psychic abilities and how to give professional readings through intuition, photo reading, psychometry and reading for fellow students; includes meditation to meet spirit guides and more.

Genesis Spiritual Healing & Metaphysical Center, 1632 Rte 38, Lumberton. 609-445-4325. Registration required: GenesisSpiritualHealing.com.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Making In America: How DIY Technology is Transforming Industry – 5:30-8pm. America was

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, Night Skies in the Observatory – 7-10pm. With Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts. View celestial objects in the night sky, including stars, planets, nebulae using Bloom Observatory at Ben’s Starlight Lounge. Build your own experience from any combination of planetarium shows, a live presentation on astronomy or space science, hands-on astronomy activities and continuous telescopic observing all evening (weather permitting). Franklin Institute, 271 North 21st St, Philadelphia. 215-448-1200.

Info: GuestServices@fi.edu.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Artists Bash: Drivers for Social Change – 8-11pm.

Taking a cue from Urban Riders, this artist salonstyle event brings together musicians, comedians and poets harnessing art’s power to drive social justice and transformation. $30/nonmembers $15/ members. Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Chakras 101 – 11am-1:30pm. Learn and understand the seven major chakras and their functions, the minor chakras and the rest of the chakra system and how to perform easy chakra clearing and strengthening exercises for general health and well-being. $44.

Genesis Spiritual Healing & Metaphysical Center,

natural awakenings

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Download Natural Awakeníngs'

FRESH, NEW APP TODAY! Upgraded and updated mobile app for active people seeking healthy and sustainable choices • Search the National

Directory to locate services and products, at home or on the go • Find your local magazine/read articles • Keep up to date with push notifications • Sign up for promotions and newsletters • Watch for franchise “for sale” listings • Read feature stories en Español • So much more and it’s FREE!

built by makers. Today, a new movement of makers has taken root, empowering innovators from all walks of life to tinker, hack and bring their most inventive ideas to life as part of what is known as The Maker Movement. Join the Franklin Institute’s Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts in conversation with the leader of this viral new sensation, founder of MAKE magazine and Maker Faire, Dale Dougherty. Free.

Preregistration required. 271 N 21st St, Philadelphia.

Info: 215-448-1200.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Community Night – 5-8pm. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun at these educational and fun-filled science extravaganzas that include The Franklin Institute’s famous exhibitions, special programs and hands-on activities. Free admission, $6/parking garage.

271 N 21st St, Philadelphia. Info: 215-448-1200.

Course: Othello by William Shakespeare – 6-8pm.

This course includes one session and one field trip to Lantern Theatre’s production of Red Velvet, about a 19th-century African American actor and his career portraying Othello onstage. The Rosenbach, 20082010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia. Info: 215-7321600. Info@Rosenbach.org.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

savethedate SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Fall Into Wellness Holistic Health and Wellness Event – 10am-5pm. Activities include yoga, qigong and Tai chi, guided meditation, mindful eating, exercises and mindfulness activities for kids, heart-full living workshops for seniors, chair massage, health and wellness coaching, raffle prizes and more. $30/adults by 9/5, $45/ thereafter, $60/door, kids 12 and under/free. Free parking nearby. Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 20 E Mermaid Ln, Philadelphia. Info: 215-9190023. Register: FallWellness.Eventbrite.com.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Make Your Own Hard Cider – 7-9pm. Fall is apple season, so fresh cider is cheap and plentiful.

Learn how simple it is to turn all that tasty juice into a beverage with some kick. Each student will prep a batch of juice and receive the materials and know-how to take it home and complete the fermentation process. $24 plus $15 materials fee.

Project Learn School, 6525 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia. Registration required: 215-843-6333 or MtAiryLearningTree.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Under The City Lights Cocktail Party – 6pm. Join to raise funds for Divas Abroad’s Women Empowerment Mission to Ghana in November. Enjoy music

by Philly’s Youngest in Charge DJ, Master Rich; eat savory food from award-winning chef, Kwame Dennis. The night will include a chance to win prizes and a date with eligible bachelors in a live auction. WeWork Walnut St Rooftop Lounge, 1430 Walnut St, Ste 200, Philadelphia. 215- 883-8182.

plan ahead SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 First Sunday Celebrate – 10am-5pm. Performers include the Cambodian Association, Olive Dance Theatre, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, The Renegade Company and Sister Cities Girl Choir.

Free. Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 Open Rehearsal with the Barnes Ensemble – 10am-noon. Sit in on a rehearsal of the Barnes Ensemble, a cutting-edge contemporary music collective debuting on October 8. In this educational, behind-the-scenes program, you’ll see how a conductor works with a large group of musicians; you’ll also have a chance to ask questions. Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27

savethedate FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 Empowered Light Holistic Expo – 5-9pm, Fri; 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun. This expo will focus on healthier lifestyles, including food, physical activities, stress reduction and self-care. Enjoy inspiring lectures, meditations, yoga, alternative healing treatments like reiki, massage and reflexology and angelic and intuitive readings.

Try healthy food samples and purchase natural products for personal and home care. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Halls D & E, Oaks.

Sue Greenwald: 484-459-3082, EmpoweredLightExpo@gmail.com. EmpoweredLight.com.

Yoga is an art and science of living.

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~Indra Devi

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NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines for submissions at NAPhilly.com or email Publisher@NAPhilly.com for more information.

Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $20 for the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. To place an ad, email Publisher@NAPhilly.com.

OPPORTUNITIES ADVERTISE HERE – Are you: hiring, renting property/office space, selling products, offering services, or in need of volunteers? Advertise your personal/business needs in Natural Awakenings classified ad section. To place an ad, email Publisher@NAPhilly.com.

daily Escape Rooms – Days/times vary. Using the most advanced cutting-edge technology and awe-inspiring immersive design, Escape Rooms at The Franklin Institute will transport guests to one of two fantastical worlds where a series of clues, codes, puzzles, and tasks lead teams to achieve an ultimate goal. Best experienced with a group. 271 North 21st St, Philadelphia. 215-448-1200 or GuestServices@fi.edu.

sunday Please Touch Playhouse Presents Pinch Bear – Thru Sept 11. Pinch Bear is so small and cute you could just pinch her cheeks. But, she knows she’s much more than just small and cute. Don’t miss this inspiring story about pride, determination and believing in yourself no matter the odds. Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park, 4231 Ave of the Republic, Philadelphia. Performance times: 215-581-3181.

Reiki Level I for Beginners – This foundation course is the most important of all levels of training. It’s open to anyone, regardless of experience.

Seasoned bodyworkers will benefit, as much as beginners with no background in spiritual development or holistic health. The Reiki School and Clinic, 727 S 4th St, 2nd Flr, Philadelphia. Info: 215-238-0659.

Albert Einstein’s Brain – 10am-5pm. The Mütter Museum is one of only two places in the world where you can see pieces of Albert Einstein’s brain.

For decades, Pathologist Thomas Harvey, MD, kept the brain of one of the world’s greatest minds in a glass jar, sometimes in a cider box under a beer cooler. 19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia. 215-560-8564.

Info@CollegeOfPhysicians.org.

A Stitch in Spine Saves Nine: Innovations in Spinal Surgery – 10am-5pm.This exhibition traces the history and development of spinal medicine through objects donated by Parviz Kambin, MD, the foremost pioneer in minimally invasive spinal surgery.

The Mütter Museum, 19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia.

215-560-8564. Info@CollegeOfPhysicians.org.

monday Yoga/Pilates Mix – Begins Sept 18. 7-8pm. Eightweeks. Stretch the muscles of the core with yoga, and then strengthen the muscles with Pilates. This is a great combination for the body and mind. Bring

a mat. $79/8-weeks. Summit Presbyterian Church, 6757 Greene St at Westview, Philadelphia. Registration required: 215-843-6333 or MTAiryLearningTree.org.

wednesday Mohamed Bourouissa: Urban Riders – Thru Oct 2nd. 10am-5pm. Features approximately 85 works; including drawings, photos, costumes, sculptures and a video –many presented for the first time in the US. Mohamed Bourouissa b. 1978, Algeria; lives and works in Paris. Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia. Info: 215-278-7200.

thursday Laughter Yoga – Thru Oct 26. 7-8pm. Six-weeks.

Experience the empowering, focusing and motivating aspects of intentional laughter, deep yogic breathing and meditation. Strengthen your immune system, melt stress, and feel happier and more energetic as we clap, laugh and breathe to feel amazing. $59. Wesley Enhanced Living, 6300 Greene St, Philadelphia. Registration required: 215-843-6333 or MTAiryLearningTree.org.

friday Fit Possibilities – Begins Sept 22. 10-10:45am.

Nine-weeks. The goal is to improve flexibility, balance, joints, core strength and overall ability to be more efficient in your daily activities. This is not for extreme athletes. There will be options to sit or stand throughout the class. Participants will be weighed and measured to discuss a realistic goal. $89. Grace Epiphany Church, 224 E Gowen Ave, Philadelphia. Registration required: 215-843-6333 or MTAiryLearningTree.org.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SALES – Excellent opportunity for flexible part-time work.

Natural Awakenings Philadelphia is seeking a selfmotivated professional with strong interpersonal and communication skills to introduce businesses to the benefits of advertising in print and online.

Must be self-motivated, organized, creative and good in sourcing suitable clients and events to target in Philadelphia. Must enjoy conversing on the phone and hosting face-to-face meetings, working from home and from the road. Need 20 flexible daytime hours per week to prosper. Occasional weekend and evening time required to attend events and network. Generous commission plus bonuses. Previous relationship-based ad sales experience necessary. Email your name, phone number and a brief description of your experience to Publisher@NAPhilly.com.

Natural Awakenings Maga zine is Ranked 5th Nationally in Ci sion’s 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitne ss Magazines List 1.

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The world’s leading source of media research Spry Living – 8,907,303 Shape – 2,521,203 Men’s Health – 1,852,715 Prevention – 1,539,872

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Women’s Health – 1,511,791 Weight Watchers Magazine – 1,126,168 Dr. Oz The Good Life – 870,524 Vim & Vigor – 789,000 Experience Life – 700,000

5. Natural Awakenings – 1,536,365

saturday For the Love of Singing – Begins Sept 22.

9-10:30am. This class will explore the joy of singing, develop your understanding of what it is to sing, what stops us from singing and explore breathing for singing, vocal range and some basic music skills. $95 plus $8 materials fee. FUMCOG, 6001 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia. Registration required: 215-843-6333 or MTAiryLearningTree.org.

www.naturalawakeningsmag.com

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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Publisher@NAPhilly.com to request our media kit.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE NATALIE BLISS, PHD. SH, RMT

Stress Management Consulting Classes • Workshops • Private Sessions Philadelphia • 267-251-6052 ReikiSoundBliss.com Reiki Master Teacher Natalie Bliss is an independent educator and consultant. Following a lifetime as a professional musician and teacher, she was ordained in nonsectarian Spiritual Healing (PhD. SH). Her healing ministry incorporates reiki and therapeutic sound for relief of stress and its manifestations. See ad, page 5.

SAGE INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CENTER

FURNISHINGS – ORGANIC YOUR ORGANIC BEDROOM 83 Lancaster Ave, Paoli 610-647-4068 YourOrganicBedroom.com

The healthy and natural alternative store for luxury organic mattresses, bedding, pillows and now, organic sofas. See ad, page 21.

HOLISTIC SKIN CARE NU YOU WELL MED

1601 Walnut St, Ste 1523 Philadelphia • 215-847-5659 Award-winning NU You Well Med has certified estheticians that specialize in treating skin conditions holistically. We also offer a unique male waxing program. Let us help you look and feel amazing. See ad, page 15.

Wendy Romig, MS, CNS, LDN 538 Carpenter Ln, Philadelphia 215-839-3950 • SageIntegrativeHealth.com

Sage Integrative Health Center offers a customized, natural approach to helping people overcome illness using a blend of nutritional counseling, herbal remedies and wellness coaching.

Visit our on-site herb shop. See ad, page 8.

ANIMAL HOSPITAL CHESTNUT HILL CAT CLINIC 8220 Germantown Ave Philadelphia • 215-247-9560 ChestnutHillCatClinic.com

We are a full-service veterinary hospital, dedicated to the gentle compassionate care of felines. We specialize in preventative health care and provide exceptional surgical and dental services. See ad, page 27.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MT AIRY USA

6703 Germantown Ave Ste 200, Philadelphia 215-844-6021 • Info@MTAiryUSA.org Live. Work. Thrive. The mission of Mt. Airy USA is to preserve, empower and advance a vibrant and diverse Mt. Airy by stimulating development responsive to the community’s needs.

LOCALLY GROWN DELIVERY SERVICE WEGARDN

Katie Delorenzo Philadelphia • 973-216-3668 info@wegardn.com • WeGardn.com We G a r d n i s a delivery service to all of Philadelphia. That means you can access the freshest, most local harvest anytime, anywhere. We have the highest standards for local, quality food sourcing. Our team knows that no other choice affects our quality of life and health more than what you put in it. That kind of discernment often comes at a high cost, but we believe it should be affordable to make the best choice for your family’s health. See ad, page 5.

LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE FARM TO CITY

Weekly Outdoor Farmers’ Markets Philadelphia • 215-733-9599 Info@FarmToCity.org • FarmToCity.org Farm to City connects urban residents with food from local farmers through 15 producer-only farmers’ markets, many CSA farms and its Winter Harvest Buying Club. Visit our website for seasonal schedule and opening days.

Aging has a wonderful beauty and we should have respect for that. ~Eartha Kitt 30

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MASSAGE THERAPY RELAX THERAPY SPA

Gilda Smith, LMT, Yoga Instructor 7151 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia 215-760-9035 • Gilda.Smith@icloud.com Thai massage, yoga, bodywork, positional release therapy, Dolphin Neurostim, MPS. Relax therapy services will bring a sense of grounding, encompassing all of the aforementioned for the client to begin their very unique journey to restoration. Now introducing scar therapy.

METAPHYSICAL GENESIS SPIRITUAL HEALING & METAPHYSICAL CENTER Faye Weber 609-445-HEAL GenesisSpiritualHealing.com

Faye is a psychic medium, reiki master and spiritual teacher bringing guidance, healing and metaphysical education through her services and classes. Classes include Reiki levels 1 & 2 in one day with no waiting period until Master level, Psychic & Mediumship Development, Crystal Healing, Tarot and more. See ad, page 21.

NATURAL CLEANING SERVICE NATURALLY NEAT

Philadelphia • 267-507-5862 NaturallyNeat@gmail.com Our team of highly trained neat professionals provides janitorial services for a wide array of commercial spaces using Naturally Neat, environmentally conscious products and services.

Contact us for a quote. See ad, page 20.

NATURAL HEALTH DR. SUSAN STUKES, DDS, CHHC

116 White Horse Pike, Haddon Heights, NJ Serving Philadelphia, PA 844-646-7382 • Sevalife.net The Sevalife whole health approach enables you to take small steps that lead to massive change in hormone imbalances, unexplained weight gain and even stress reduction. It does not include restrictive diets and extreme exercise plans. One on one attention is at the cornerstone of our care. Our goal is to empower you to take control of your health and wellness and importantly, your happiness.

NATURAL ORGANIC MARKET ESSENE MARKET

In the heart of historic Fabric Row 719 S 4th St, Philadelphia 215-922-1146 • EsseneMarket.com Philadelphia’s premier natural foods market, Essene specializes in organic, local, veganfriendly selections. Our café’s hot bar features ready-made Korean, vegetarian and gluten-free entrees. Our fresh juice bar is renowned for invigorating smoothies and enlivening elixirs. Be sure to try freshly baked treats prepared in our own vegan bakery. From hard-to-find items to everyday staples, we’re your neighborhood market for healthconscious living.

NATURAL PHARMACY NOVA STAR PHARMACY 301 East Girard Ave Philadelphia • 215-739-3900 NovaStarPharmacy.com

Nova Star Pharmacy, located in Fishtown, is a local, independent pharmacy that concentrates on holistic and natural medications. See ad, page 18.

NATUROPATH EARTHLY ESSENCE

Dr. Jacquilen Fostor Tomas Ali 3901 Main St, Bldg B, Ste 201, Philadelphia 215-360-4110 • DrAliND.com Become the Master of Your Own Healing ©. Dr. Jacquilen Fostor Tomas Ali, ND, is a Naturopathic Physician, Certified Nutritional Counselor (CNC) and Master Herbalist (MH). Also, as a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, Dr. Ali focuses on and addresses the causes of health challenges, not just symptoms. This focus provides a wellbalanced approach to health and healing.

ORGANIC COFFEE COMPANY ORGANO GOLD

Shambra Johnson 267-455-6019 • CupOfFreedom.com Paid2Cook.OrganoGold.com Organo Gold, world’s leading coffee and tea provider, enriched with organic ganoderma mushrooms; bringing the treasures of the earth to the people of the world. Info: OrganoGold.com. See ad, page 20.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONS

ORGANIC PRODUCTS ORGANIC MATTRESS COMPANY 1075 Main St, Hellertown 484-851-3636 TheOrganicMattressStore.com

The Organic Mattress Company has been around since 2004. Don’t be fooled by misleading advertising. We are here to answer any of your questions.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS NETWORK 2401 Walnut St, Ste 206, Philadelphia 215-922-7400, ext 104 sbnPhiladelphia.org

The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Greater Philadelphia is a nonprofit membership organization striving to build a just, green and thriving local economy. See ad, page 20.

PAIN RELIEF AUNT ALBERTA’S REMEDY

WELLNESS CENTER

Homeopathic Pain Relief Cream 973-715-9097 AlbertasPainRelief.com

AMAZING WELLNESS CENTER

Try Aunt Alberta’s Remedy to ease joint and muscular aches and pains from sciatica, gout, arthritis, neuralgia, fibromyalgia and more. Great buy: get a 4 oz. jar for $15. See website for more options. All natural ingredients.

Refer a friend and get 10% off your purchase.

Read what people are saying about Aunt Alberta’s Remedy at our website.

SPECIALTY SPICE SHOPPE THE SPICE RACK

8431 Germantown Ave Philadelphia • 215-274-0100 ChestnutHillPA.com/The-Spice-Rack Chestnut Hill purveyors of American made small batch, organic, artisan and gourmet specialty goods and accessories.

See ad, page 21.

Dr. Donna Skerry 7017 Calvert St, Philadelphia 215-624-8824 • TheHealthyYou.com An all-in-one holistic specialist, Dr. Skerry will address the source of your physical pain with deep muscle therapy, weight or fatigue with whole food nutrition and barricades that stop you from succeeding with unique emotional work. Gluten-free pizza baked on-premise is also available (order before Fri).

HERB ALCHEMY CRAFT AND WELLNESS 232 S 4th St, Ste 1, Philadelphia 215-375-4539 HerbAlchemyCraftWellness.com

Herb Alchemy provides relaxation, pain relief and energy healing so that you can enjoy your life with increased energy and wellness. See ad, page 18.

STRESS MANAGEMENT NATALIE BLISS, PHD. SH, RMT

Stress Management Consulting Classes • Workshops • Private Sessions Philadelphia • 267-251-6052 ReikiSoundBliss.com Reiki Master Teacher Natalie Bliss is an independent educator and consultant. Following a lifetime as a professional musician and teacher, she was ordained in non-sectarian Spiritual Healing (PhD.SH). Her healing ministry incorporates reiki and therapeutic sound for relief of stress and its manifestations.

See ad, page 5.

WOMEN’S GROUP ROSE ST JULIEN, LCSW Center City 215-546-1040

Rose St. Julien, a licensed clinical social worker for 20 years, hosts a weekly women’s personal growth group for creative, positive change. It offers an opportunity for women to come together for sharing and growing, acquiring creativity in decision making and building positive self-esteem. See ad, page 9.

The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind. ~Rodney Yee

natural awakenings

September 2017

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