E E FR
HEALTHY
The Art of Healing Creative Therapy Aids Recovery
LIVING
HEALTHY
Living In Troubled Times
How Do You Know What to Do Next?
PLANET
Kids Go Natural
Adventures in the Great Outdoors
April 2019 | Portland / Vancouver Edition | NAPortland.com
April 2019
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letter from publisher
HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET
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ou’ve been seeing a lot about resilience in the magazine lately, and you will be seeing more. I’m not one to cry gloom and doom but I am recognizing a sea change and suggesting we prepare for the weather shift that is coming by honing our skills of resilience. Even with breakthroughs in allopathic and natural medicine, it seems that more of us are getting gravely ill. Our cities are polluted and leaking poison into the environment. If we are paying attention, we know that the forests are crying out and the ocean’s delicate ecosystems are being choked by garbage. Many of us are holding our breaths, wondering where the next Climate Change disaster will strike. Inside the maximum-security Oregon State Penitentiary, a Japanese Healing Garden is beginning to grow. It is providing resilience to those living in custody who’ve made it happen, and to men who have been locked up for thirty or forty years and haven’t seen a tree in all that time. The first of a three-part series, “A Japanese Healing Garden Offers Resilience To Men In Custody: The Power Of The Human Spirit To Transform” tells their inspiring story. It reminds me that if resilience can be found inside prison walls, it can be found anywhere. I admit I was surprised to realize how much talent and skill is being squandered in America’s prisons. Amidst all the challenges being faced, we are surrounded by gifts of resilience. This month as spring begins, we are focusing on gardening in our Reality Check department. Mindfully watching the buds break out of winter’s soil models resilience. I like the idea offered in Deb Rodney’s introduction to our spread called, “Gardening as Resilience” that planting seeds is an act of hope. Nudging a seed into a shoot, which turns into a flower or vegetable, shows us what is possible in a small way–if we don’t take it for granted. Living closer to the earth by digging in the dirt grounds and moves us more in tune with the rhythms of the seasons, tides and planets. Everything is in motion and the ability to ride the waves of change come from grounding, relaxing and breathing. Inside the pages of Natural Awakenings you’ll find teachers, practitioners and practices to strengthen your resilience skills through meditation, yoga, qigong and simple habits of walking, hiking and gardening. We hope to inspire you to begin or strengthen your practices with our articles, Resource Guide and Calendar of Events. As the daffodils burst into life, Daphne fills the air with perfume and cherry blossoms get ready to bloom, I’m taking a lesson from them. They are inspiring me to wake up with gratitude and start every day with my yoga practice. get your shoes off, wiggle your toes in the dirt and breathe… Douglas
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Portland/Vancouver Edition
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PORTLAND/VANCOUVER EDITION PUBLISHER Douglas Merrow
MANAGING EDITOR Deb Rodney
AD SALES Carola Marashi 503-922-2698 Douglas Merrrow 503-419-6430
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© 2019 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. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.
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Contents 12 GARDENING AS RESILIENCE
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18 THE ART OF HEALING Creative Therapy Aids Recovery
19 SACRED SPACE
Bringing Bliss to Every Room
20 POTLUCK FOR
THE 21ST CENTURY
Breaking Bread, Building Community
22 INTO THE WOODS
Hiking for Health and Happiness
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24 NATIVE INTELLIGENCE Planting an Eco-Friendly Yard
26 LOVING NATURE
Outdoor Adventures for Kids
28 BRINGING UP KITTY
Get Off on the Right Paw
ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 503-419-6430 or email Publisher@NAPortland.com. Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@NA Portland.com. Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Calendar Events to: Calendar@NAPortland.com. Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 941-351-3740. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com..
DEPARTMENTS 4 event spotlights 6 health briefs 8 global briefs 10 reality check 18 healing ways 19 inspiration 20 conscious
eating 22 fit body 24 green living 26 healthy kids 28 natural pet 30 calendar 36 resource guide
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April 2019
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event spotlights
cover artist
Find Inner Peace Meditation & Discourse with Baba Shiva Rudra Balayogi
Return of Mother Nature Nick Gustafson
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or artist Nick Gustafson, the natural world is a creative catalyst. “Nature is the only thing I’ve ever been interested in painting,” says the Forest Grove, Oregon, artist. “I go hiking nearly every weekend and like to spend time in the wetlands.” He also enjoys wildlife photography, using his photos as inspiration for his canvases. Gustafson uses a variety of media, including acrylics, watercolors and colored pencils to render whimsically styled, brightly patterned horses, trees, mushrooms, flowers, frogs and insects. He typically photographs his paintings to edit them digitally, amplifying the colors. The artist’s family, including his five children, is another source of inspiration and support; he and his daughter recently captured first place in the adult and youth categories of a local area chalk art festival. An artist since childhood, Gustafson studied at the Art Institute of Seattle and Art Institute of Phoenix. His paintings have been exhibited in venues throughout the West. Gustafson has also donated works to some of his favorite wildlife charities, including Save the Frogs! and the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue.
Baba, one of the great Self Realized Yogis of our era, will be visiting the Portland Area, April 26th to May 5th on a world tour, conducting free meditation classes, answering questions on self-realization, meditation and finding inner peace. A three-day meditation intensive will also be held in Stevenson, WA. An essential message of Baba’s teaching is: People are suffering because they have not discovered the liberating Truth of who they are. Among the thousands of thoughts that appear in our mind each day, there is a one thing which is not a thought - our consciousness of existing. The silent witness to the mind is the true Self. Direct experience of this fundamental reality brings peace and contentment to our life. By silencing the mind with meditation, we come face to face with the truth of existence, a state of consciousness in which supreme peace is the reality. Baba is a masterful teacher who draws from his own experience of Self Realization to impart Self Knowledge and to clarify questions on meditation and spirituality. Learn and practice meditation with a true Master. Programs are free; donations appreciated. See Ad page 9 for venue details or visit SRBY.org.
Imagine the Possibilities!
Save The Date, The Imagine Possibilities Center is holding a plant sale to raise funds for their awesome Sensory Garden. Plants for sale will include those cared for by the participants at Imagine Possibilities and some from a local nursery. All plants are local, organic, pesticide free and safe for bees, birds and other wildlife. There is also a focus on pollinator friendly plants and native plants. The sale will be held in the Imagine Possibilities Center Sensory Garden, starting at 9am. All proceeds go directly to support the horticulture therapy program at the Imagine Possibilities Center. The sale runs from 9am. – 2pm. on Saturday, April 13, in the garden at 4450 SW 184th Ave, Aloha. For more information contact Hailey Myers, the Development Director at Imagine Possibilities. You can reach her at 503-664-4441. See page 13 for more information.
The artist’s portfolio can be viewed at Nick-Gustafson.pixels.com.
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Portland/Vancouver Edition
NAPortland.com
House of Dreams Spring Plant and Vegan Bake Sale The House of Dreams’ (HOD) annual spring plant and vegan bake sale is Saturday, April 20, from 10 am. to 2 pm. There will be outdoor and indoor plants for sale as well as decorative pots, garden art, raffle tickets and HOD merchandise, including cat toys! Loads of vegan treats and hot drinks will be available for purchase, as well. The sale takes place at 7634 SE Morrison Street All proceeds directly benefit the kitties at House of Dreams. Cards are accepted, but they can do more for the kitties with cash (no transaction fee). HOD is still accepting donations for the sale. To donate plants/ pots/outdoor decor, or vegan baked goods, email HODPlantSale@ gmail.com with subject line “Plant Sale” or call 503-262-0763. House of Dreams provides shelter and care for abandoned and homeless cats, finding them permanent homes or providing them a lifetime home in their facility. HOD is a free-roam, no-kill shelter where resident cats can explore, mingle or curl up in their own private space. They began in 1999 as an all-volunteer organization and remain so today—so every dollar donated and raised goes to the cats. HOD is a 501(c)(3) organization and one of the only area shelters with facilities for geriatric and feline leukemia positive (FeLV+) cats. For more information, visit KittyDreams.org, email HODPlantSale@gmail.com or call 503-262-0763.
Nature proves it every day When something is healthy, it is beautiful too. We offer a Holistic approach to Dental care: • • • • • •
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Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Larry Bowden, DMD
Voted One of Portland’s
TOP DENTISTS by Portland Monthly magazine
Akashic Record Readings: Clear Personal & Family Karma Discover your Soul Gifts Live with Joy & Abundance
Body-Mind-Spirit Healing Arts Patty Oliver 503.369.7810 in-person and worldwide by phone or Skype!
www.bodymindspirithealingarts.com April 2019
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The heavy use of household cleaning disinfectants may contribute to changes in infant gut bacteria and weight gain, reports a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. University of Alberta researchers collected fecal samples and studied the gut health of 757 babies between the ages of 3 and 4 months; then restudied the children at 1 and 3 years old. They found that children in households that used disinfectants at least once a week had higher body mass index (BMI) scores and elevated levels of Lachnospiraceae, gut microbes linked in other studies to insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. Babies in households that used vinegar or other eco-friendly cleaners had lower BMI scores and much lower levels of a family of bacteria that includes E. coli.
By mixing food additives with human gut microbes in petri dishes, scientists at the Czech Republic’s Institute of Microbiology found that gut microbes with anti-inflammatory properties were highly susceptible to being harmed by additives, while microbes with pro-inflammatory properties were mostly resistant. “We speculate that permanent exposure of human gut microbiota to even low levels of additives may modify the composition and function of gut microbiota, and thus influence the host’s immune system,” wrote the authors.
Twin Design/Shutterstock.com
Household Cleaning Products Affect Babies’ Guts and Weight
Gut Susceptible to Food Additives
Smoking Bans Lower Blood Pressure Non-smokers that live in areas that have banned smoking in public spaces such as restaurants, bars and workplaces have lower systolic blood pressure. In a Northwestern University study reported by the American Heart Association, blood pressure readings of 5,115 adults ages 18 to 30 in Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis and Oakland were taken over a 30year period and correlated with changes in local laws that banned public smoking. A meaningful decrease in systolic blood pressure readings was found in non-smokers when no-smoking laws were enacted, indicating a reduction in heart disease risk.
Vdant85/Shutterstock.com
health briefs
Sperm counts have plunged by half in the last 40 years among American and European men, according to a recent review of scientific studies. In a new doubleblind study of 56 infertile men, researchers at Iran’s Qazvin University of Medical Sciences found that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, can boost sperm counts. Each day for 10 weeks, half of the men took 80 milligrams of curcumin nanomicelle, in which curcumin is better absorbed; the other 28 were given a placebo. The researchers found that the curcumin significantly boosted sperm count and motility. 6
Portland/Vancouver Edition
NAPortland.com
Boonchuay1970/Shutterstock.com
Curcumin Boosts Fertility in Men
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The Prevalence of Trauma by Robin Bodhi
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e are living in a day and age where trauma permeates almost every aspect of our individual lives as well as the collective culture. In the world climate we are now navigating, there is an increase in violence and mental illness as well as unprecedented societal/cultural dis-ease. Most often trauma can be traced to a specific event or moment that is acutely disruptive to our nervous system and biology. These moments are so apparent that there is no denying the impact. In these moments, we may be more capable of naming the traumatic event, acknowledging the impact it carries and consider our steps for healing and finding balance again. An example of this type of trauma that has impacted the collective on a large scale is the “me too” movement. However, there is another aspect of trauma that is not so easy to identify or acknowledge, yet it’s damage is just as impactful. This insidious, covert and deceptive type of trauma can be as damaging as acute trauma. Sometimes it can take months or years after a person has been granted enough space from the harmful person or event to realize the
damage. This type of trauma is called complex trauma and creates complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). C-PTSD is often more associated with emotional or psychological abuse and the abuser can be an individual, organization or community. As we are being bombarded with trauma and the varying degree of its impact there is an increasing awareness around alternative medicine and its many benefits. Being in touch with our bodies on a visceral level is a key component to healing trauma.
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Massage Therapy Reiki Somatic Touch Hypnotherapy Psychedelic Integration
Robin Bodhi, BS, LMT, CHT robinbodhi@gmail.com robinbodhi.com 503-477-0931 2130 SW Jefferson Portland, Oregon 2915 NE 54th Ave. Portland, Oregon
One of the primary bi-products of a traumatic event is dissociation, which is a natural coping mechanism where a person disconnects from their own body. This is very disorienting and impacts the ability to be present and function in the world. Touch therapy and somatic awareness are profound, integral components of healing for C-PTSD, PTSD and dissociation. To be connected again to the body, in touch with the senses and listening to the body’s wisdom is imperative in living a healthy, vital and productive life.
Robin Bodhi, BS, LMT (OR 12722), CHP, a bodyworker for more than 20 years, has a diverse background ranging from medical based bodywork to energetic healing to somatic touch. In addition to her own healing practice, Robin works at the Integrative Trauma Treatment Center located at 2130 SW Jefferson Portland. Her work is tailored and crafted to each client’s individual needs from a holistic perspective. She can be reached at 503-477-0931, via email at RobinBodhi@gmail.com or by visiting RobinBodhi.com. Her private studio is located at 2915 NE 54th Ave, in Portland.
20% OFF A SESSION WITH THE MENTION OF THIS AD. April 2019
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Under final rules released by the current administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national labeling standard for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) completely exempts foods made with highly processed ingredients grown with GMOs, including sugar made from sugar beets, high-fructose corn syrup and refined soybean and canola oils. The change will allow 78 percent of products containing GMOs to avoid disclosure, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Companies don’t have to comply until January 1, 2022, and the new labels will use the term “bioengineered” instead of more common identifiers like “genetically engineered” or “GMO”. Small businesses, to-go food prepared at grocery stores, and meat, eggs or dairy from animals that are fed GMOs, which involves virtually all livestock not certified organic, are exempt from the labeling requirements.
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Portland/Vancouver Edition
NAPortland.com
koya979/Shutterstock.com
GMO Labeling Diluted
Over Dose
Citrus Crops to Receive Human Antibiotics
Scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressed concern over a recent ruling by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that opens the door to widespread use of the antibiotics streptomycin and oxytetracycline to spray commercial citrus crops. The antibiotics, which are often used on people, can kill insects that transmit a bacterium that causes citrus greening, which renders fruit small and bitter. But the EPA ultimately ruled that the economic benefits outweigh concerns about antibiotic resistance and potential harm to the environment, people and wildlife. The USDA says the amount of antibiotic exposure to people who eat fruit or juices still will be far less than what people are exposed to when prescribed antibiotics by their doctor. The antibiotics will have to be sprayed repeatedly over years just to keep the trees alive and producing fruit until they succumb to citrus greening. Public interest groups are protesting the action.
Vadarshop/Shutterstock.com
Muddled Message
Environmental risks are the top three concerns among the 1,000 global decision-makers surveyed in the latest Global Risks Perception Survey of the World Economic Forum (WEF). For the third straight year, “extreme weather” ranked first, followed by “failed climate change mitigation” and “natural disasters”. The survey was part of a WEF annual report produced in advance of the recent confab of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland. The World Bank has calculated that the real cost of natural disasters to the global economy is $520 billion per year.
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Environmental Risks Register as Top Threat
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Worldwide Worry
global briefs
MEDITATION & DISCOURSE Zoltan Acs/Shutterstock.com
a katz/Shutterstock.com
with Baba Shiva Rudra Balayogi
Find Inner Peace
Fuel Folly koya979/Shutterstock.com
Nuclear Waste Disposal Remains Elusive
A new report issued by environmental watchdog Greenpeace details the growing global dangers of accumulating nuclear waste that will remain hazardous for hundreds of centuries. Several of the designated storage facilities in the seven countries surveyed are nearly filled to capacity now. Unresolved safety issues across the industry include fire risk, venting of radioactive gases, environmental contamination, failure of containers, terrorist attacks and escalating costs. More than 65 years after the start of the civil use of nuclear power, 250,000 tons of highly radioactive spent fuel exists in 14 countries, and underground storage, seemingly the most viable option, has encountered major obstacles.
REBECCA MH KITZEROW, LAc
Chinese Medicine has a 3,000 year history of bringing the mind, body and emotions into balance to achieve optimal health. Come in today and see what it can do for you. Rebecca is humble to have won Favorite Acupuncturist/TCM Provider 5 years in a row!
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Online booking and insurance billing available www.allwayswell.com 503.548.4403
Baba is a masterful teacher who draws from his own experience of Self Realization to impart Self Knowledge and to clarify questions on meditation and spirituality. Learn and practice meditation with a true Master. Programs are free - donations appreciated. Portland, OR April 26, 7:00-8:30 pm, New Renaissance Events Center, 1338 NW 23rd Ave. April 27, 7:00-9:00 pm, Yoga Shala Wellness, 3808 N. Williams Ave. White Salmon, WA April 28, 7:00-9:30 pm, Yoga Samadhi, 177 W. Jewett Blvd. Columbia Gorge Meditation Intensive - Stevenson, WA - 3 Days May 3, 4, 5 - Hegewald Rock Creek Center, 710 SW Rock Creek Dr. Information: Call/Text Jennifer (503) 297-3928 jenn@jennrego.com See magazine “Event Spotlights”
Visit SRBY.ORG
Experience the Feldenkrais Method® and effort less. Group Classes Individual Lessons Workshops aliceboyd.com • alice@aliceboyd.com • 503-753-6437
al ANCE p y t e h Arc nication in D Commu
April 12, 2019
Deeper into Spirit, deeper into your dance, explore a sacred world of archetypes where Love empowers us to see ourselves with clarity, compassion, and honor...
www.spiritintransition.com April 2019
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reality check | finding resilience in troubled times
Living in Troubled Times How Do You Know What to Do Next? by Julie Kay
“We should live every day like people who have just been rescued from the moon.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear
I
magine for a moment that a large tumor has been found on your liver and your doctor says you have six months to live. Of course, you resist. You cry out, “No, I don’t want to die! Not yet!” The shock and grief and makes you swoon. You feel as though you are underwater and can’t reach the surface...nothing makes sense. Anything that might have felt like a safe harbor has liquefied beneath a tsunami of shock. Although it seems hard to imagine, with time the shock recedes somewhat, and you begin to pick up the pieces of your now severely shortened life span, putting one foot in front of the other toward a new normal, as one has to. No one can sustain a high level of emotional tension and angst; we have to find some way of “normalizing” our life, even if that means making a friend of death. Of course, you wobble on the edge of hope and despair. Of course you still want to live longer than six months. 10
Portland/Vancouver Edition
You discover that you have so much to live for, that life is rich in ways previously unnoticed. And as so many people facing life’s end have avowed, facing one’s own mortality vividly heightens our appreciation of life. But here’s the point of this imaginary scenario: You don’t want to live longer so you can have more suffering, more heartache, more pain, or more angst. You want to live longer because you want more love. More love! More tenderness! More beauty! More of what touches your soul, more of the mystery that can’t be named but can be felt in the corners of your knowing. More sunrises, more puppy breath, more skin touching skin, more fresh laundry
NAPortland.com
smell, more spring daffodils, more neon nebulas twinkling in the sky, more possibility, more dreams, more hope ... the truth is, it is all love. Even the icky stuff. You don’t need a terminal diagnosis to understand that more love is what life is all about. You don’t need a terminal diagnosis to understand that, in fact, more love is what life is all about. It is so easy to forget this when we are bogged down in the daily motions of life. Understandably. Our time is finite, and there is so much to manage just getting food, shelter, work that supports us, and relationships with others that run smoothly. Not to mention all of the other things that tug on our attention: Pleasure. Pain. Novelty. Now let’s suppose that you return to the doctor and she says, “Amazing news! Your tumor has disappeared and you will probably live at least another twenty years....” Does that mean you will live in a twenty-year state of blissful love? Hardly. Love isn’t always rainbows and unicorns, it can be fierce too—and life is messy and complicated. Rarely does it unfold along a
straight line, or painlessly, or seamlessly. At least, not all the time, or in the ways we want or hope for or plan on. And things change. We change. So, no matter your situation or circumstance, whenever you find yourself fused with the imponderables of daily living, and wondering what to do next, the message of life is clear:
There is No Time Not to Love – Deena Metzger There is no time not to love: it is always the right time for love. There is no time for us to squander by not bringing more love into the world. Love is always the next indicated thing to do, to be. These are indeed troubling times in humanity’s growth, even if you choose to focus your attention on the optimistic possibilities. The specter of greed and hate-driven destruction looms in every corner and cannot— should not—be ignored. Like a terminal diagnosis, we resist these things we do not want, cannot fathom. Understandably. With eyes wide open, however, do your best to accept each moment, exactly as it presents itself. As if you had chosen it. As if you had asked for its wisdom. Make each moment, especially the hard ones, your friend, your ally. Choose love. Then act. If you can do this, you will transform your life. And the life of others.
Compassion Exercise (for more love) Objective:
To Increase the amount of compassion in the world.
Expected Result:
A personal sense of peace.
Instructions:
This exercise can be done anywhere that people congregate (airports, malls, parks, beaches, etc.). It should be done on strangers, unobtrusively, from some distance. Try to do all five steps on the same person. Step 1 With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person is seeking some happiness for her/his life.” Step 2 Ditto: “Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in her/his life.” Step 3 Ditto: “Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness and despair.” Step 4 Ditto: “Just like me, this person is seeking to fulfill her/his needs.” Step 5 Ditto: “Just like me, this person is learning about life.”
Variation:
1. To be done by couples and family members to increase understanding of each other. 2. To be done on old enemies and antagonists still present in your memories. 3. To be done on other life forms. Julie Kay is a curator of the human story—a freelance editor, photographer, author/writer, and consultant for AwardWinning Books and Creative Content inspiring personal, social, and global change. www.SacredWriting.com JulieKay@SacredWriting.com
Keep close to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. ~John Muir April 2019
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reality check | finding resilience in troubled times
Gardening as Resilience W By Deb Rodney
e can find resilience in a garden simply by looking and meandering. Or by tilling and digging and planting and weeding. In our busy, noisy, stressful world, gardens are soft-pillow landings for the senses. Awe gives tension a rest by reminding us profoundly just how wonder-full it is to live, breathe and be completely present. In a garden, our eyes feast on beauty. We smell the muck of composting soil and the delicate perfume of a daffodil. We can get lulled into rest by a bed of soft grass, or get pricked awake by a thistle. We may notice the wind shuffling leaves or the chatter of birds, yet it’s listening to silence that is most possible in a garden. Planting a garden gives us the opportunity to give to others, to provide a sanctuary for birds and bees and worms and sometimes a rascally rabbit. We have to figure out how to play well with others, the pests and the weeds. We learn boundaries, and yet celebrate the rain and sun, which can’t be predicted or fenced. To touch the living earth connects us to fecund life. Flowers grow from the bones of our ancestors. The trees teach us rootedness and a sense of place. The seasons bond us to time. A cozy garden party connects us with our neighbors and provides a checkered-tablecloth kind of hospitality for laughter and companionship. Nature shows us what’s possible. Flowers sprout out of concrete. They grow on battlefields. Trees lean over cliffs, clinging resolutely to sand under the pressure of strong winds. Bamboo bends without breaking. Bitter root medicine heals us. Gardens teach us how to have hope because planting a seed requires hope. Every time we water it, we nudge it along, whispering, “Grow. Grow.” And every time we stand in a garden and surrender to its healing power it whispers back, “Thrive. Thrive.” A garden also teaches us to let go. Flowers die, vegetables stop forming. Trees fall. In a garden, every beginning has an end. Every ending is a beginning. Sometimes, it’s hard to trust that the silent winter ground is preparing itself for spring but again and again, tender little buds peek out cautiously and then boldly burst into bloom. “When we are really awake to the life of our senses… we discover that nothing in the world around us is directly experienced as a passive or inanimate object. Each thing, each entity meets our gaze with its secrets.” —David Abram, Trust your Senses
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Portland/Vancouver Edition
NAPortland.com
BEES ARE RESILIENT Bees can be resilient to the human element. Thanks to gardeners, urban landscapes provide ample forage for honeybees and the ~300 native bee species of the Pacific Northwest. Every bloom helps, but some are better than others, and there are ways beyond flowers to support bees in our communities. P’S FOR POLLINATORS: 1. Plant natives Ornamentals are beautiful, but don’t produce much nectar or pollen. Native, flowering plants provide the most forage for honey and native bees alike. Stagger blooming times so there are flowers during spring, summer, and fall to ensure there is food for bees with different active periods. 2. Pitch pesticides out Pesticides don’t discriminate, killing bees alongside pests. Systemics, like “neonics”, are particularly harmful. Ask garden store employees which plants and seeds have been treated before purchasing. 3. Provide bee habitats Most bees are solitary, gentle, and low-maintenance. Provide nesting-sites for ground-nesting bees by leaving low-traffic areas of bare ground with ample sunlight, drainage, and loose soil. Support tunnel-nesting bees by hanging “bee houses”. There are numerous commercial options available, but they are easy to DIY! 4. Preach stewardship Teach others about wild bees and how they, too, can support pollinators for a “fruit-full” future. Learn more about Bee and Bloom and other tips to support pollinators at BeeandBloom.com.
HORTICULTURE THERAPY at the Imagine Possibilities Center By Hailey Myers A young woman uses an adaptive garden hose to water a raised bed. She beams with pride at the marigolds she has been caring for before rolling her wheelchair to the next plant. A few years ago, this garden was a muddy lot and some participants had never planted anything before. The garden is now full of sensory experiences: the touch of lamb’s ear, the smell of lemon balm, the sight of a towering empress tree, the sound of wind chimes, and the taste of veggies. This is where Horticulture Therapy happens. Horticulture Therapy gives participants a chance to experience the satisfaction that comes from nurturing something. A participant may benefit from practicing fine motor skills while planting seeds or from practicing memory skills by remembering which plants need water. They may benefit from talking with staff about how they are feeling while gardening or simply from spending time outside and taking in the sensory experiences of the warm sunshine, the cool breeze, the sound of birds, and feeling of their hands in the dirt.
The Imagine Possibilities Center has been serving youth and adults who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 60 years. Other programs at the center include therapeutic yoga, art, and cooking club—which uses plants from the Sensory Garden. The Imagine Possibilities Center is holding a plant sale to raise funds for the Sensory Garden on Saturday, April 13th, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, located at 4450 SW 184th Ave, Aloha, OR, 97007. Hailey Myers is the Development Director at Imagine Possibilities. You can reach her at (503) 664-4441.
DEVELOPING A RESTORATIVE HOME GARDEN
Teresia Hazen is the coordinator of the Legacy Health Therapeutic Garden Program, which uses plants and trees in specially designed therapeutic gardens to help hospital patients heal.
Here are her suggestions for developing a restorative home garden: · Plan for four seasons of sensory stimulation with visual, touch, auditory, smell and good things to eat year-round. · Plan a four-season view out of a good viewing window. Stand indoors and imagine the view in summer, fall, winter and spring. Each season, plant and develop that view. · Encourage birds, butterflies and other wildlife with water, diverse plant choices and safe organic practices. · Develop a mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, herbs, annuals and vines. Use the right plant for the right place. · Shop and study at a garden center every month to develop the current month and season of interest. Plant what you love. · Keep it simple. Start small and maintain what you create. Think of a 10-by-10-foot square nature place, garden or restorative yard. It’s all about joy and fun gardening, not making more chores. To learn more about the Legacy Health Therapeutic Garden Program visit www.legacyhealth.org/gardens. See the schedule of free garden events.
“Gardening is an empowering act because it gives us the opportunity to be mindful and present.” —Jill Dunsmuir, Portland Nursery April 2019
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reality check | finding resilience in troubled times
Oregon State Penitentiary Healing Garden Design by Hoichi Kurisu
Japanese Healing Garden
A Offers Resilience To Men In Custody: The Power Of The Human Spirit To Transform PART ONE, OF A THREE-PART SERIES By Deb Rodney
P
icture this: You walk into a lovely garden full of plants. It’s lush and green. Bits of color tease your senses. The air smells fresh. You feel calm and nurtured. Now Picture this: You walk into the Oregon State Penitentiary and a series of six different metal gates lock behind you with a clang. It’s gray and depressing. There’s little color to soothe your senses. The air is thick and seems heavy on your head. You feel anxious. What happens when you put a healing garden inside a maximum-security prison fence? That’s what the members of the Asian Pacific Family Club living out long sentences inside the concrete walls of the Oregon State Penitentiary want to find out. For the last five years, they have worked faithfully to create a Japanese Healing Garden on the grounds. It began with a small seed of an idea: they wanted to add something beautiful and cultural to their hard, cold, dreary and racially tense environment. Their project has changed the lives of many people both inside and outside the prison, and the garden hasn’t even been built yet! The Asian Pacific Family Club was founded in 1998 to create opportunities to educate and celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritages. Through connections with the outside, they have brought many classes and cultural programs to the prison over the years and have inspired men of all races by broadening their perspective. Prison Staff Club Advisor, Patrice Lans, described the gloomy prison activity room full of men dressed in plain, prison-blue folding brightly colored bits of paper into traditional origami figures. 14
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The Japanese Healing Garden project is by far their most ambitious venture. Club members have raised over $300,000 in money, materials and in-kind help. They have inspired and enlisted the support of Hoichi Kurisu, who has designed gardens around the world, supervised the construction of the Portland Japanese Garden and firmly believes that nature heals. A contract has been negotiated and signed with his design company, Kurisu International. This was no easy feat as it required the cooperation of prison officials and had to meet the stringent security policies of the prison right down to the specific height of the individual trees. In 2014, the prison’s Veteran’s Club created a Veteran’s Memorial inside a small, empty fenced part of the prison yard. It was such an inspiring project that in 2015, the warden at the time asked the prison’s other activity clubs to come up with some ideas for using the space.
Johnny Cofer, today’s Project Coordinator remembered a vague, urban-legend kind of story about a koi pond at the prison that the old-timers talked about. At the meeting with the warden, he slid a piece of paper to the Club President, which said “What about a koi pond?” He scribbled back, “Why Not?” and suggested it to the warden who said, “Didn’t there used to be a Koi pond here?” Then he asked them to submit a proposal. The idea grew from a simple koi pond. Today’s Asian Pacific Family Club President and artist, Toshio Takanobu, built a small clay model with a pond for Koi, a bridge of inspiration and an encompassing, mystical circle of stones. Toshio describes the bridge in the Club’s vision: “Each step on the bridge is a symbol of our journey through life. As we proceed, we discover things about ourselves and others. And we become what we are destined to become. The steps represent Hope, Transformation, Trust, Integrity and Love.” Designer Kurisu held to the vision. On February 22nd, 2019, a ground blessing ceremony took place. It was led by Buddhist community supporter David Komeiji, Rev. Andrew Uzunoe and Rev. Lisa Uzunoe of Konko Church of Portland. The project became a reality. After a roller coaster of emotions spanning five years, Johnny describes how he feels:
Ground Blessing Ceremony
“Resilience is exactly what it took to get us to this point. Many times, I’ve dreamt about and imagined the garden. It has gone far beyond my expectations but there were many times where it felt like the event that happened that very day was going to end the project. Because of the support from the Department of Corrections, particularly our Advisor, Patrice Lans, and our community partners we found solutions for every challenge that came up.” Toshio adds: “I feel grateful that the challenges we overcame brought us this far. The main priority in this environment is security. The stigma of prison life between the keepers and the kept has always been divisive and with strict boundaries. We’ve consistently worked alongside the staff, not against but together.” It has taken patience, diligence and resilience to bring the healing garden to reality. The healing began with the vision but the real resilience and transformation for Johnny Cofer and Toshio Takanobu began long before this project. Each has a remarkable story. Johnny is serving two concurrent life sentences and has spent the last 20 years behind prison bars. Most of that time he spent as a prison hustler scrapping for turf and perks. “I’m the son of a US soldier and my Vietnamese-Chinese mother. I was born in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, which left a very bad taste in peoples’ mouths. So, I grew up as a mixed kid when there was a lot of racism around being Asian in Portland. I got into fights a lot over my identity and culture. I didn’t fit in around Asians or Caucasians. Most of my life I was struggling to find my identity. When I came to prison I felt a great sense of hopelessness, anger, frustration and a lack of accountability and responsibility. I spent a lot of time in my cell thinking about things that happened in the past, imagining a different future for myself, and looking for any distrac-
Johnny Cofer
tion from the harsh conditions. I was centered on what I was missing in my life and refused to take any classes or help myself. What was the point if I’m never getting out? But the garden project has changed me. If you go about life looking for a sense of identity and then you go to prison and find it there—what an unlikely place.” For years, Johnny was caught up in self-pity and frustration. His first breakthrough came when his father died and he lost his connection with the outside world. He felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. It took a while for him to realize that he needed to look inside his own caged environment for connection. He took a year-long class on non-violent communication which inspired him to more honestly address his feelings and needs. And then he opened further and looked outside the prison of his own mind to the needs of those around him. He became a part of the Asian Pacific Family Club, was mentored and nourished there to become a leader. With Toshio and other members of the club he has played a significant role in creating the garden. “After thirteen years of Continued on next page. April 2019
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doing nothing positive, I’ve found a meaningful purpose” he says. “I’m doing something in my life now that matters to people other than myself. I’ve accepted that this is where I’m going to be but I have new aspirations.” Toshio is about in the middle of a 25year sentence.
of the human experience of suffering. The garden project has transformed these two men. Undoubtedly, its peace and beauty will soften the harsh edges of prison life. In the nature-barren prison yard, a few trees stand waiting to be planted and are already doing their work. Johnny describes their therapeutic power.
“I grew up in Saipan, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on a farm. I came to Oregon and left everything I knew. With no family here, I tried to fit in and went through a bad breakup with my girlfriend who was the only person I had out here. When I lost that, I lost everything. One of the reasons I’m here is my drug abuse. Coming from a strong family and cultural background, I felt ashamed and embarrassed about my choices in life. Here I learned I had to put a mask on, be tough and not show weakness. Everything is iron and concrete. People become a product of their environment. We have to become hard like concrete. It takes away your dignity.”
“It had been twenty years since I touched a tree. The day the trees came in, I got to smell the pine needles and hold them in my hands. I didn’t want to leave them. I wanted to stay out there all night. I felt the trees speaking to me and I was talking to the trees. People were looking at me and laughing but I knew right away that I had this strong connection to them—that I was going to make sure they were safe. Now that they had found their new home, they would be cared for and I would make sure of that.”
Although Toshio grew up on a farm, he didn’t see the impact of nature. “It was something I took for granted” he said. “Until we lose something, we don’t take the time to reflect on what keeps us sane, what keeps us happy and inspired.” He said the designer Hoichi Kurisu impressed upon him the idea that in this modern world we imprison our minds and overlook the important things in life. There is something truly inspiring about finding resilience at the very bottom 16
Portland/Vancouver Edition
The day the trees arrived, many men who had been locked up for decades in a sea of sorrow and loss approached them and said thank you. Some of them hadn’t seen a tree for thirty or forty years and said they missed them. Both Johnny and Toshio are serving time for violent crimes. They’ve found part of their resilience in accepting responsibility for the hurt they have brought upon others. With that acceptance, they have been able to accept themselves and their situation. They have found the strength to take classes and educate themselves. They have found identity and family in their prison community and have committed to
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be of service. Not only in prison. Their service has already rippled out past the prison walls through their inspiring examples of resilience. “We are finding things that are therapeutic and calm and peaceful to the soul, given where we’re at,” says Toshio. As my interview ended and the men headed off to be counted, I looked through a dingy window to the spot where the first little trees were waiting to be planted and I had my own epiphany. As strange as it may seem to some, in the company of Toshio and Johnny, I felt I was in the presence of spiritual masters. As casualties of a toxic culture, they have been swept into the volatile fire of devastating human circumstances, and have been reduced to the ashes of suffering and humility. And STILL they have mastered resilience. They have found hope through their commitment and service to others. Maybe it’s not so strange to find personal meaning there where the clocks tick out each moment of incarceration. Stripped down to the bare essentials of the physical world like monks, they have found their inner strength. I remembered what Toshio said, “We wake up without an alarm clock with a purpose. We are incarcerated but that’s not going to stop us.” WATCH FOR PART-TWO IN THE MAY ISSUE - A JAPANESE HEALING GARDEN OFFERS RESILIENCE TO MEN IN CUSTODY: CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY
Deb Rodney has spent her career writing about change, empowerment and resilience. Sometimes she hosts soirees or leads workshops. Please contact her at debrodney@gmail.com with your thoughts and comments. They would be gratefully appreciated.
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healing ways
THE ART OF HEALING Creative Therapy Aids Recovery
When we awaken to the call of Beauty, we become aware of new ways of being in the world. –John O’Donohue
AMY LIVINGSTONE
Visionary Artist & Sacred Activist Painting | Sculpture | Installation Commissions | Ceremony sacredartstudio.net 18
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F
by Marlaina Donato
or decades, creative expression has been a valuable tool in healing, and expressive arts therapy—the integrated application of two or more art forms—is now considered a life-changing modality for veterans and anyone else struggling with anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also called creative arts therapy, this form of psychotherapy helps patients to process and express what is often beyond verbal language using music, art, dance, theater and writing as its primary modes of communication. “Individuals need no previous arts experience in order to benefit from working with a certified creative arts therapist,” explains Azizi Marshall, founder and CEO of the Center for Creative Arts Therapy, in Downers Grove, Illinois. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence—an outpatient clinic specializing in traumatic brain injuries at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland—ranks creative arts therapy among the top five most effective approaches in helping veterans. A study of combat veterans and creative arts therapy conducted at Concordia University, in Montreal, reported considerable progress, especially in areas of expressing emotions resulting from trauma and gaining understanding of symptoms such as depression, thoughts of suicide and insomnia.
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Psychotherapist Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., has authored several books, including The Art Therapy Sourcebook, and uses expressive arts therapy in her Louisville practice. “I’ve worked with soldiers for the past 10 years, and find that much of their healing comes about through telling their stories on stage or participating as an actor within a play or improvisation.” Malchiodi also incorporates mindfulness practices, visual arts, music and some simple forms of yoga in her sessions.
Creative Arts Therapy for Multiple Diagnoses
Expressive arts therapy is also making a positive impact on those suffering from panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addictions, eating and attention disorders, dementia and chronic physical illness. “Creative arts therapy can be used across life challenges; for example, dance or movement therapy has supported women with breast cancer and eating disorders,” says Marshall, who has also witnessed the power of drama therapy to help reduce feelings of fear in clients diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD. A 2015 study at Butler University, in Indianapolis published in the Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy shows the significant effects of theater arts on individuals with autism spectrum disorder. “Creative
inspiration FotoHelin/Shutterstock.com
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arts therapy can be successful in supporting children with autism, especially ways to practice social skills,” says Marshall. “The drama therapist uses role play, improv and games in order to facilitate interpersonal communication.”
Dopamine and Creating Art
The multitasking neurotransmitter dopamine is one of the brain’s natural antidepressants and plays a key role in feeling pleasure and reinforcing habits. It reaches its highest levels during the initial stages of love, observing something of beauty or creating art. A recent Drexel University study published in The Arts in Psychotherapy shows the neurological effects of drawing, coloring and simple doodling. Increased circulation in the area of the brain correlating to pleasure and reward was evident, and this dopamine-dominant response is responsible for decreasing symptoms of anxiety and increasing feelings of joy and accomplishment. Psychotherapist Doreen Meister, in Oakland, California, encourages her clients to focus on the process of creating, rather than the result. “Expressive therapies are an extension of the selfdiscovery continuum. I often hear, ‘I draw like a 2-year-old.’ To this I say, ‘Great! Draw like a 2-year-old!’ I believe that somewhere, many of us are told that creative expression must be a certain way. Creativity is a natural state, a human quality that we are born with, and the product of creation is not as important as the process.” Creativity from a clinical perspective allows for new emotional vantage points, distance from situations and viewing experiences through a different lens. “Bringing in creativity offers a wider palette of tools or access points, and gives us another way to understand ourselves,” says Meister. “Creativity as a life force is accessible to all of us.” Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Organizations
American Art Therapy Association, ArtTherapy.org International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, ieata.org American Dance Therapy Association, adta.org North American Drama Therapy Association, nadta.org American Music Therapy Association, MusicTherapy.org
Books
Arts with the Brain in Mind, by Eric Jensen (Tinyurl.com/ ArtsWithTheBrainInMind-Amazon) Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval, by James W. Pennebaker (Tinyurl.com/WritingToHeal-Amazon)
Online
51 Art Therapy ideas to decrease stress: CorinneMelanie.com/ reduce-stress-art-therapy National Organization for Arts in Health: Tinyurl.com/ Arts-HealthAndWell-Being For anxious kids: Tinyurl.com/FamilyTherapyBasics
SACRED SPACE Bringing Bliss to Every Room
S
by Maya Whitman
acred space is most often associated with places of worship, but it can be any place that connects us to meaning or joy. In the blur of daily living, nooks of inspiration and beauty provide spiritual sustenance, remind us of our dreams or celebrate lovely memories. Having “bliss corners” in the home or workplace is a wonderful way to stay connected to the positive. Most parents or grandparents can confess to having a bliss corner on the refrigerator door where drawings and accomplishments of young family members are proudly displayed. Having a place of inspiration in any room doesn’t have to take up much space and can easily add to the décor. It can be as simple as a wedding veil hanging on a bedroom wall or a bowl of shells, sea glass or sand from a beach vacation in the bathroom. It can be sentimental with dried flowers from a momentous occasion or a small table dedicated to loved ones with framed photos or letters and a piece of cloth that holds special memories. Corners of bliss fulfill their purpose best in places where they can remind us to follow our heart’s “true north” or help us to foster inner peace during busy days. Such places are office desks and bedroom nightstands near an alarm clock. The kitchen is an ideal room in the house for sacred space; designating a corner to light a candle during meal prep; filling an old teapot with fresh flowers every week; and displaying the photo of someone who once nourished us are all beautiful ways to bring more meaning into our relationship with food. Cultivating bliss can be a form of active meditation, simple rituals that can include prayer or other forms of mindfulness. On more practical levels, it can be an opportunity to bond with loved ones. Creating a bliss corner can be a creative and fun activity for teens to express a passion, whether it be a hobby, sport or favorite singer. Many of us have boxes of mementos or nostalgic things from childhood taking up space in a closet. Making a bliss corner is the perfect way to remind us why we kept them in the first place. Maya Whitman writes about natural health and living a more beautiful life. Connect at Ekstasis28@gmail.com. April 2019
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POTLUCK FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Breaking Bread, Building Community by April Thompson
A
mericans are eating alone more than ever, with adults going solo for nearly half of all meals, according to consumer research consultants at the Hartman Group. Yet, fellowship-minded foodies are bucking the trend by finding new and unique ways to bring strangers, colleagues and friends together for healthy, home-cooked meals. Meal sharing not only builds community and camaraderie; it can also save time and money and minimize food waste. Eating with others can also encourage mindful consumption, a boon to physical and mental health. A number of emerging ideas and platforms from around the block to across the globe are helping singles and families young and old connect over food.
Linking Diners Through Technology “I wanted to find a place to create more meaningful conversations and meet new people than bars where people often meet up, and thought home is that place. Who 20
Portland/Vancouver Edition
doesn’t like dinner parties or potlucks?” says Jared Gold, co-founder of MealTribes, in Washington, D.C. Within two years, MealTribes has grown to more than 200 members that can host or join potlucks via a private Facebook group open to area residents in their 20s and 30s. To encourage participants to be fully present, the group encourages guests to leave their phones in their bags. Instead of strict food do’s and don’ts, MealTribes encourages attendees to bring a contribution that makes them proud. However, guests are discouraged from bringing alcohol in lieu of a food dish to avoid it becoming the focus of the table. “Lasting friendships and business opportunities have come from our potlucks,” says Gold. “Even skeptics have come away from events feeling like they got the best-case scenario; nice people, homey environment, with good food and conversation.” Jay Savsani, co-founder of Meal Sharing, in Chicago, got the idea for the
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“Airbnb of meals” after seeking out a home-cooked dinner while backpacking in Cambodia. He was invited to a farm feast in the countryside, connecting with local hosts over great conversation and delicious food. “I returned home wanting to find a way to use technology to recreate that serendipitous moment,” says Savsani. Today, the platform uses technology to connect curious diners with affordable, home-cooked meals in 150 countries. “The concept is open; we encourage hosts to make whatever they believe in,” says Savsani. “That can be a top chef serving nine-course meals or a simple spaghetti someone offers for a few bucks or even free.” Savsani says the meal becomes secondary to the deeper social interactions that can manifest through these gatherings. “We even got an inquiry from a local fire department interested in hosting meals to get to know people in the community better.”
Organically Grown Gatherings Lilia Fuquen, who directs the Food and Community project in Virginia, participates in several gatherings intended to nurture community through food. Fuquen’s project aims to bring people across the state together to document, celebrate and share traditional, contemporary and emerging foodways, initiating a deeper conversation about and the connections between food, place, culture and community. Last fall, the project convened more than 200 people around a feast celebrating indigenous foods, people and foodways in Virginia. The meal was prepared from locally farmed and foraged ingredients representative of the diverse native culinary traditions of the region, including greens,
Cabeca de Marmore/Shutterstock.com
~Jared Gold, co-founder of MealTribes
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com
Even skeptics have come away from events feeling like they got the best-case scenario: nice people, homey environment, with good food and conversation.
conscious eating
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We even got an inquiry from a local fire department interested in hosting meals to get to know people in the community better. ~Jay Savsani, co-founder of Meal Sharing mushrooms, wild rice and fish sourced from fields, forests and streams. On a more grassroots level, an intergenerational family potluck dinner “helps create community and a sense of family among people who often live far from blood relatives,” says Fuquen, who lives on a small farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia. The workplace can also be a great place to break bread together, says Fuquen. Her office enjoys hosting the Souper Club, where co-workers each bring a key element like salad fixings, a loaf of bread or a pot of soup to enjoy together—away from their desks. Rebecca Shaloff, a fundraising consultant in Washington, D.C., has participated in work lunch swaps, which she says promote camaraderie, new food discoveries and healthy eating. She also takes part in a closely knit monthly supper club of four young families in her neighborhood. “We all value each other’s friendship and company, but there’s something about coming together for dinner that makes us feel more like family than friends,” Shaloff says. Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.
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M
by Marlaina Donato
any of us Walking and hiking Individuals in the study equate fitness that walked six hours a balance the body with going week lowered their risk through natural move- of dying from cancer to the gym, but a good ment, oxygenation hike in a natural environand cardiovascular and ment can foster unique of the cells and the respiratory disease. It benefits for both body also shows that just two use of our muscles and psyche. as they were designed hours of walking per Hiking or walking week could significantly to be used. outdoors not only proimprove health. motes heart health, help“Walking and hik~Dami Roelse ing to balance both blood ing balance the body sugar and blood pressure, it increases hip through natural movement, oxygenation bone density to help reduce fractures, of the cells and the use of our muscles according to research on postmenopausal as they were designed to be used,” says women from the ongoing Nurses’ Health Dami Roelse, of Ashland, Oregon, author Study. Navigating uneven terrain also of Walking Gone Wild: How to Lose Your necessitates lateral movement, which can Age on the Trail. “Walking is in our genes; strengthen core muscles and improve balDNA molecules need to be stimulated n ance more significantly than working out regularly to express themselves, and walkh. on a treadmill or cycling. ing does just that. It also improves mood and cognition.” Walk and Live Longer The beauty of hiking is that it offers Any kind of walking can be a great boon a tailored experience according to ability to health. Recent research by the Ameriand personal interests. Day hikes, whether can Cancer Society involving 140,000 in the countryside or in urban botanical older adults correlates a lower mortality gardens or parks, are uplifting and ideal for rate with even short intervals of walking. any fitness level.
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Longer or overnight treks with a backpack of supplies offer healthy challenges and opportunities for total immersion in nature. Bringing the kids on a hike offers family fitness time and a healthy way to unplug from technology and sneak in a fun learning experience about local flora and fauna.
Helpful Links and Inspiration National trail guide resource: AllTrails.com
Trek for a Healthier Brain
13 best hiking apps: AtlasAndBoots.com/best-hiking-apps
Exercise stimulates feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, but getting a workout in a natural setting fortifies the whole nervous system. A 2015 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science led by Stanford University researchers shows that walking in nature for 90 minutes decreases activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain most affected by depression. In contrast, individuals that walked in an urban environment did not reap the same results. Another 2015 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that nature walks improve memory and decrease anxiety in teens. The Japanese philosophy of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”, woven into Japanese Shinto and Buddhist traditions, has become an important part of science-based health care in Japan. A significant 2009 study by Japanese researchers published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine shows that just 20 minutes of walking in the woods decreases stress hormones. Forest bathing has also been shown to speed postoperative healing, improve concentration in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and fortify immunity with an increased number of NK, or natural killer cells. Naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley, in Washington, D.C., knows about Mother Nature’s therapeutic gifts firsthand. “I participated in some of the health research both in the field and the lab during a forest bathing trip to Japan,” says the author of The Joy of Forest Bathing: Reconnect with Wild Places & Rejuvenate Your Life. “My vital signs were checked before and after shinrin-yoku walks, and in the lab my brainwaves were
Hiking with the kids: Tinyurl.com/HealthyHikingWithKids Beginning with day hiking: SectionHiker.com/10-tips-forbeginner-day-hikers Backpacking tips for beginners: REI.com/learn/expert-advice/ backpacking-beginners Practical advice, inspiration and tips for women hikers: GirlsWhoHike.net Walking to stay fit: VeryWellFit.com/walking-4157093 Library of forest bathing articles: TheForestLibrary.com/forestbathing-online-articles measured while viewing urban and forest scenes. My blood pressure was lower after every walk, and my brainwaves calmed while viewing forest scenes.” Choukas-Bradley emphasizes that forest bathing doesn’t require a forest setting, noting, “You can forest bathe in the desert, at the beach or even an urban park during a lunch break.” Hitting the trails can also help us see life from another perspective. “Forests are living, breathing organisms. Mountains transcend my humanness,” muses Roelse. “It’s both a humbling and uplifting experience.” Marlaina Donato is the author of several books on spirituality and clinical aromatherapy. She is also a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.
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However, what’s wild isn’t necessarily aintaining a grassy yard or native. These days, the woods and forests ornamental shrubs can be time are rife with alien species that escaped from consuming and less than econon-native gardens or were planted to perfriendly. That’s why conservation-minded form some specific purpose that went awry. gardeners are turning to lush, native landKudzu, for instance, was imported scaping as an aesthetically pleasing alterna- from Asia and installed along roadways to tive to spartan, water-free xeriscaping. prevent soil erosion. The perennial vine, Native plants not only save water, which can grow up to a foot per day, has they enhance local ecosystems by probecome the plague of the South, rooting viding food and shelter for birds, bees, out native plants and toppling trees under butterflies and wildlife. “Indigenous plants the sheer weight of its smothering foliage. build healthy soil and retain and replenish In 2013, the U.S. Environmental ground water,” says Michael Fleischacker, Protection Agency issued a report sumchair of landscape architecture and enmarizing numerous studies that concluded vironmental sciences at Delaware Valley that non-native plants disrupt the food web University, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Accustomed to the climate and nutrients and present a growing problem for “organisms that depend on native plants for food, in their habitat, they don’t need the extra fershelter and places to rear their young.” tilizer required by exotic transplants. Natives are also better equipped to fend off harmful Natives vs. Nativars insects, reducing the need for pesticides. While the harm caused by many invasive “When pests did show up, I used insecplants that evolved in a foreign habitat is ticidal soap and neem oil. Both are great ecowell-documented and profound, the ecofriendly remedies,” says Kimberly Button, logical impact of plant variations derived an Orlando-based freelance journalist and from native species—known as cultivars or author of The Everything Guide to a Healthy nativars—is sometimes more subtle. Home: All You Need to Protect Yourself and Your Family from Hidden Household Dangers. Cultivars have been developed to A genuine indigenous plant in the highlight specific traits, like larger blooms or U.S. predates European settlement. These longer bloom times. They may be bred for natives grew in the wildlands of the regions a stronger scent, or have the scent bred out natural awakenings August 2016 7 where they evolved and adapted over hunof them in pursuit of another trait, making dreds or thousands of years. them less enticing to pollinators and wildlife.
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photo by Kimberly Button
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by Avery Mack
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Native varieties have longer growing seasons, a decades-long lifespan and tight plant groupings to prevent weed growth. ~Michael Fleischacker
Finding Resilience in Growing Food
One drawback to cultivars is what those “improved” traits can affect. “The native serviceberry (Amelanchier) has small, bright red berries birds love to eat,” Fleischacker says. “Because they add color to a winter yard or are used for wreaths and décor, cultivars were bred to produce larger berries. Birds choke on the bigger berry, unable to swallow them.” A current, multi-year research project at the Mt. Cuba Center’s native botanical gardens in Hockessin, Delaware, is seeking to determine whether certain cultivars are as attractive to insects as their native counterparts. What’s certain, say the experts: A gardener can’t go wrong with indigenous plants. “Native varieties have longer growing seasons, a decades-long lifespan and tight plant groupings to prevent weed growth,” Fleischacker says. Despite the perception by some that natives are boring, they can be showier than their cultivar cousins and also thrive in their region’s unique conditions. “I keep my yard as natural as possible to co-exist with my neighbor, the Hiawatha National Forest, and its small animals and birds,” says Monica Cady, co-founder of the Herbal Lodge and a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa tribe in Hessel, Michigan.
April Community Voice Ian Wilson
Going Native
Transitioning to native landscaping isn’t as daunting as it might seem. Small changes can make a difference, and local plant nurseries can assist. Some may have a staff horticulturalist to help distinguish the natives from the nativars and to steer gardeners clear of invasive, water-guzzling, nutrient-needy non-natives that will spread quickly and overwhelm the landscape. Going native isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, says Fleischacker. “Consult a local nursery or landscaper about adding natives to the mix. There are plants that love shade or sun, dry areas or damp.” When planning, look past what’s trendy. “The ecosystem is set up to protect and promote beneficial insects and pollinators,” says Button. What was old can be new again.
“I find, like so many people, that it is easy to become overwhelmed by the immense challenges that we are facing as a planet. I have also found that growing food is an incredibly powerful antidote to this overwhelm. It is a very real and tangible way that we can all address global climate change as well as a wonderful way to settle and calm our spirits in a world that moves too fast. And of course, the activity of gardening itself is deeply satisfying and brings a sense of calm and ease and appreciation and connection.” Ian Wilson launched Portland Edible Gardens in 2013 after talking to one too many people who wanted to grow their own food but didn’t know what to do about it.
photo by Kimberly Button
Connect with freelance writer Avery Mack at AveryMack@ mindspring.com.
NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES Tinyurl.com/GardeningWithNativePlants Tinyurl.com/AboutNativePlants Tinyurl.com/NativePlantFinder Tinyurl.com/NativePlantsForPollinators Tinyurl.com/ChickadeesAndNativeTrees
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healthy kids
Coming Next Month
All kids like creating special places, going on adventures, befriending animals, following maps and paths, and so on.
Healthy Vision
~David Sobel
Plus: Mental & Emotional Well-Being
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MAY
WOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUE
LOVING NATURE Outdoor Adventures for Kids
To advertise or participate in our next issue, call
503-419-6430 26
Portland/Vancouver Edition
etting kids off the couch and into the great outdoors can be a challenge when they tend to be better acquainted with the popular Angry Birds video game characters than with the real warbling ones. Unfortunately, studies show that digital devices, parental work overload and media-stoked fears of the outside world are currently making our kids nature-deprived. Yet, they have an instinctive love of the outdoors, experts agree. “When given free access to nature, children’s play follows the same patterns all around the world,” says prominent environmental educator David Sobel, author of Wild Play: Parenting Adventures in the Great Outdoors. “All kids like creating special places, going on adventures, befriending animals, following maps and paths, and so on.” The more we encourage them, the more likely they’ll discover the thrills of the natural world—and numerous studies show that they’ll then be calmer and less stressed,
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better able to concentrate and less likely to be obese. Kids also are more “responsive and connected” when they are talking outdoors with adults than talking indoors, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Here are some simple ideas to get started:
Build fairy houses. In a park, forest or backyard, ask the child to find a quiet spot, like the base of a tree or under a bush, and build a tiny house using only their imagination and natural materials such as sticks, bark, grass, pebbles, feathers and pinecones. “The fun is ageless and connects you to nature in magical and memorable ways,” says Tracy Kane of Maine, whose website, FairyHouses.com, offers ideas and books. Befriend a bug. Help them look for
bugs and crawling things in the dirt and on leaves, then ask them to draw them. Back home or at the library, kids can search in
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by Ronica A. O’Hara
Engage in real-life tweets. Show
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them how to listen carefully for bird songs and count how many different ones they hear. See if they can imitate the tweets or find words that describe them. Check out a bird-song beginner’s guide at Audubon. org/news/a-beginners-guide-common-birdsounds-and-what-they-mean.
Create mud art. “Make a batch of mud and use it to create sculptures, paint a masterpiece or just use it to jump in and get messy with,” suggests MaryEllen Mateleska, director of education and conservation at the Mystic Aquarium, in Connecticut. Make dolls and critters. Kids can
use hibiscus or hollyhock flowers and toothpicks to make dolls with flowing skirts. Or they can collect leaves of different shapes and sizes and glue them together to create leafy creatures. “You can take it an extra step by inventing a story and creating a one-of-a-kind storybook,” says Mateleska.
Grow a garden. Using a kid-sized plot of land—it can even be a big pot of dirt— give them a trowel, a watering can and easy-to-grow seeds such as radishes and carrots. Not only will they get exercise, a Texas A&M University study shows gardening makes kids more likely to choose veggies for snacks.
Invent a cozy hideaway. Under the
limbs of a big tree, old blankets and pillows can be used by a child to build a “secret” hiding place, stocked with lemonade, apples and fun books.
Incorporate digital delights. Rather than competing with digital devices, integrate them into the nature experience. “A phone app like iNaturalist lets kids take a picture and will identify the creature or plant for them,” says science teacher Jemma Smith, of The Education Hotel, a UK-based tutoring service. “Or have them take three artistic pictures of nature.”
Try geocaching. This game for older
kids requires them to use their phones as a GPS to find tiny treasure boxes that have already been hidden all over the countryside. “Most boxes have small trinkets to swap and a tiny book to sign their name,” says Smith.
Time It. Simply set the timer for an hour, open the door into the back yard and let the kids “go at it,” as does writer Attiyya Atkins, a mother of four in Pompano Beach, Florida. “Mostly it’s self-play, but I come out sometimes and teach them about nature, or we do art projects with leaves, rocks or dirt. It’s always naturally fun, and they’re pretty tired afterwards!” Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based natural health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.
EVEN MORE IDEAS Dmitry Naumov/Shutterstock.com
action alert
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guidebooks or online to learn the critters’ names and traits.
Maker Lab Outdoors: 25 Super Cool Projects, by Jack Challoner Nature in a Nutshell for Kids: Over 100 Activities You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less, by Jean Potter Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv Introduce Kids to the Geocaching Adventure Game: Tinyurl.com/ GeocachingGameInstructions
Support Citizen Action Against Plastics Every minute, the equivalent of an entire garbage truck of plastic gets dumped into our oceans, reports the World Economic Forum. Many of the materials are disposable, single-use plastic products like straws, bags and Styrofoam containers, which some cities and towns have banned. This type of citizen action is increasingly blocked by the Plastic Industry Association (PIA), which has spent big money to successfully ban plastic bag ordinances in 10 states where 70 million Americans live. This means local communities are prohibited from taking effective action that could reduce the plastics that litter our streets and pollute our waterways. The Sierra Club is calling on nine major corporations that are members of the PIA to withdraw from it with an online petition. So far, two have indicated they will not be renewing their memberships this year: Clorox (which owns companies like Burt’s Bees, Brita and Glad) and the Ascena Retail Group (which includes Ann Taylor and Loft). To participate, sign the online petition at Tinyurl.com/PlasticPollutionPetition. Other action steps, including tweeting and involving friends, are also detailed. April 2019
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carpeted scratching surfaces, placed vertically and horizontally to meet all preferences. Keep the scratchers in areas where the kitten hangs out.
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Train kitty to use the scratching post.
Initially, it might help to apply catnip or attach a feather toy to make the scratching area especially appealing. Discourage any feline from scratching on inappropriate surfaces by attaching double-sided tape or inflated balloons to rugs or furniture that are off limits.
BRINGING UP KITTY 9 Get Off on the Right Paw
Offer toys that bring out the feline hunter.
by Karen Shaw Becker
T
here’s nothing as endearing as a bigeyed kitten hopping sideways across the floor or curled into a small ball of fluff on our lap. Getting a new kitten started off on the right foot will ensure they grow up to be a healthy and happy companion.
1
Prepare a sanctuary for the family’s new kitten.
When bringing a new kitten (or adult cat) into their new home, it’s best to separate the new addition in a little bed-andbreakfast-like setup of their own for at least a week. Put their litter box, bedding, food and toys in their space and keep noise, confusion and foot traffic to a minimum.
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Provide warm, snuggly sleeping quarters.
Felines, especially tiny ones, like their environment warmer than what humans generally prefer. Look for bedding that hasn’t been treated with flame-retardant chemicals such as PBDE; Swedish scientists have linked the chemical, commonly found in foam, to hyperthyroidism in cats. The best choice is wool, which is naturally flame resistant.
3
Consider crate training.
Most cats fight being put into a carrier because it only happens when someone’s about to take them to a place they don’t want to go to. That’s why it’s a good idea to set up a carrier for a kitten on their first day
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home. Entice them to enter on their own using food treats, toys and comfy bedding.
4
Go slow with family introductions.
Introduce other members of the household to the new kitty one at a time. Ideally, introductions occur in a neutral location, like the living room, when the kitten ventures out to investigate.
5
Offer this tiny carnivore the nutrition they were born to eat.
To provide the very best start in life, feed the little one either a homemade or commercially available, nutritionally balanced, fresh food diet (preferably raw) designed for cats at all stages of life.
6
Help the kitten learn to love their personal litter box.
Most kittens can use a litter box at about four weeks. Just make sure its walls are low enough that they can hop in and out on their own. If a kitten or cat is avoiding the box, there’s likely a reason: location, type of litter or failure to clean it often enough.
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Provide appropriate climbing and scratching surfaces.
Climbing and scratching are natural feline behaviors. Try burlap, cardboard and
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Think like a cat and buy or create toys that draw out their hunting instincts. A piece of string wrapped around the end of a stick dragged on the ground will bring out the stalker in almost any cat. So will ping-pong balls or small wads of paper flicked across the floor.
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Indulge most kittens’ love of boxes.
When cats in the wild feel threatened, they head for trees, dens or caves for safety. Domestic kitties don’t have that option, so their obsession with hiding in boxes may be an adaptation. Providing “hidey holes” may also help a kitten acclimate faster to their new home and family.
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Provide easy, safe access to the outdoors.
Indoor cats need time outside. Consider building or buying a safe, secure, outdoor enclosure (catio) for them to hang out in when the weather is nice.
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Consider adopting two kittens at the same time.
One of the best ways to avoid many common behavioral problems is to adopt a pair of kittens. Because they crave stimulation and interaction, adopting two provides instant playmates to occupy each other’s time. Karen Becker is a proactive, integrative doctor of veterinary medicine who consults internationally and writes for Mercola Healthy Pets (HealthyPets.Mercola.com).
Copper in new device prevents cold and flu last holidays,” she said. “The kids had colds going around, but not me.” Some users say it also helps with sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” Some say copper stops nighttime stuffiness if used just before bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had in years.” Copper may even stop flu if used earNew research: Copper stops colds if used early. ly and for several days. Lab technicians ew research shows you can went away completely.” It worked again placed 25 million live flu viruses on a stop a cold in its tracks if you CopperZap. No viruses were found alive every time he felt a cold coming on and take one simple step with a soon after. he hasn’t had a cold since. new device when you feel a cold about People have used it on cold sores He asked relatives and friends to try to start. and say it can completely prevent ugly it. They said it worked for them, too, so Colds start when cold viruses get in outbreaks. You can also rub it gently he patented CopperZap™ and put it on your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you on wounds, cuts, or lesions to combat the market. don’t stop them early, they spread in infections. Soon hundreds of people had tried it your airways and cause misery. The handle is curved and finely texand given feedback. Nearly 100% said But scientists have found a quick tured to improve the copper stops way to kill a virus. Touch it with copper. colds if used withcontact. It kills in 3 hours after the Researchers at labs and universities germs picked up first sign. Even up agree, copper is “antimicrobial.” It kills on fingers and microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, to 2 days, if they hands to protect still get the cold it just by touch. you and your That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyp- is milder and they family. tians used copper to purify water and feel better. Copper even heal wounds. They didn’t know about Users wrote kills deadly germs Sinus trouble, stuffiness, cold sores. that have become viruses and bacteria, but now we do. things like, “It Scientists say the high conductance stopped my cold right away,” and “Is it resistant to antibiotics. If you are near of copper disrupts the electrical balsupposed to work that fast?” sick people, a moment of handling it ance in a microbe cell, destroying it in Pat McAllister, age 70, received one may keep serious infection away. It may seconds. as a gift and called it “one of the best even save a life. Tests by the Environmental Protecpresents ever. This little jewel really The EPA says copper still works tion Agency (EPA) show germs die fast works.” Now thousands of users have even when tarnished. It kills hundreds of on copper. Some hospitals tried copper stopped getting colds. different disease germs so it can prevent for surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. People often use CopperZap preserious or even fatal illness. ventively. Frequent flier Karen Gauci This cut the spread of MRSA and other CopperZap is made in the U.S. of used to get colds after crowded flights. illnesses by over half, and saved lives. pure copper. It has a 90-day full money Though skeptical, she tried it several The strong scientific evidence gave back guarantee when used as directed times a day on travel days for 2 months. inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When to stop a cold. It is $69.95. Get $10 off he felt a cold coming on he fashioned “Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” each CopperZap with code NATA10. a smooth copper probe and rubbed it Businesswoman Rosaleen says when Go to www.CopperZap.com or call people are sick around her she uses Cop- toll-free 1-888-411-6114. gently in his nose for 60 seconds. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold perZap morning and night. “It saved me Buy once, use forever.
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ADVERTORIAL April 2019
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calendar of events THURSDAY, APRIL 4 Dao Yin Stretch – 5:30-6:15pm, Thursdays, Apr 4-May 30. This movement discipline strengthens and enhances vitality in many dimensions by opening the joints and clearing the channels of energy. Dao-Yin Stretch will also increase mobility, strength and resilience, improving your coordination, balance and endurance. Dao-Yin helps the student develop body awareness and understand the principles of alignment for practicing Shiatsu in an efficient manner. Workshop is open to beginners. $125. OSM Portland Campus, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland. Alisha, 503-244-3420, AE@OregonSchoolOfMassage.com, OregonSchoolOfMassage.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5 Rest Deeply - Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga – First Friday of every month, 7:30-9pm. Yoga Nidra, or Yogic Sleep, is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. It is a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner wisdom of the body and world that exists deep within us. Based on ancient teachings of meditation, IRest, a type of Yoga Nidra, is an evidence based transformative practice that leads to psychological, physical and spiritual healing and well-being. Regular practice has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, fear, insomnia, pain, interpersonal relations, stress and PTSD. Experience this unique and illuminating journey. $20 register online/$25 at the door. Heart and Healing Wellness @ Sellwood Yoga, 7970 SE 13th Ave, Portland. 503-539-5552. Register at CarrieBoothHeartHealingYoga.org/ upcoming-events.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 Chakra Clearing – 11am-1pm. Join Robin Friedman and learn about each of the 7 chakras, how to test your chakras for whether they are “happy” or “unhappy” and how to clear and balance your own or another person’s chakras. Each person will get an individual chakra assessment and have the opportunity to practice giving or receiving a chakra clearing with another person, or just to do it for yourself if you prefer. $20. 1338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland. 503-224-4929, NRBEvents@Gmail.com, NewRenBooks.com.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 Intro to Palmistry – 7-8:30pm. Join bestselling author and renowned palmist Vernon Mahabal for an introduction into the fascinating art and science of palmistry. Palmistry, or hand analysis is a power-
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ful metaphysical tool for navigating all aspects of this life as well as uncovering and understanding past lives. Together, we will go over the basics of hand analysis, how to identify talents within one’s hands, as well as the intuitive side of palmistry. $25. New Renaissance Bookshop, 1338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland. 503-224-4929, NRBEvents@Gmail.com, NewRenBooks.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 12 Archetypal Communication in Dance – 6-9pm workshop. Ecstatic dance to follow from 9pmmidnight. By building dance into a language that is exciting, loving, equitable and without agenda, we can re-pattern old forms of communicating, strengthen our community and grow confident in our very human exchanges! We invite you go deeper into Spirit, deeper into your dance, and open to a sacred world of archetypes where Love explores a vast range of dynamics and empowers us to see ourselves with clarity, compassion, and honor. Sink into a deeper knowing of yourself, and the mindful intention of sharing the moment with another. $35 workshop and dance or $12 for dance only. Multnomah Friends Meeting, 4312 SE Stark St, Portland. Matthew Koren, 503-765-6542, Matt@SpiritInTransition.com.
Massage Training Preview – 10am-noon. Learn about Oregon School of Massage’s 640-hour training program in the massage profession at this free presentation. OSM is committed to providing holistic education that integrates the body, mind, heart and spirit. Summer Term begins June 24. Community Education classes are also offered each quarter. See website for details. RSVP. Free. OSM Salem Campus, 2111 Front St NE, Salem. Morgan, 877-588-8912, MN@OregonSchoolOfMassage. com. OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. Intuitive Eye Readings - Free Samples & Sessions – 10am-5pm. Apr 13-14. 100+ Vendors. Eyes are the window to your soul – and your soulmates. When Laureli reads the energy shining through your eyes, you’ll feel immediately, deeply and fully seen. She describes your soul with ThriveTypes, archetypes for clarifying your life purpose, tuning your career path, hiring/managing/selling, synergizing relationships, finding soulmates, avoiding roadblocks and growing personally, professionally and spiritually. $5 entry. Linn County Expo, Santiam Building, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany. Laureli Shimayo, 720-352-2434, Laureli@ThriveTypes. com, LaureliShimayo.com, ThriveTypes.com. RasaniFair.com.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
Foot Reflexology – 9am-5:30pm. Foot reflexology is a form of massage used for both healing and relaxation. It is based on the belief that certain areas of the body, notably the feet, contain reflex connections with internal organs. This workshop will present basic working techniques, history and theory, and emphasize practical application. $170. OSM Salem Campus, 2111 Front St NE. Alisha, 503-244-3420, AE@OregonSchoolOfMassage. com, OregonSchoolOfMassage.com.
Drumming Circle for Heart Connection – 9:4510:30am. Come join us for the powerful effect of the drum circle. Bring your own drum & any other hand instruments you wish, but not required. Join in with the healing power and creative energy of drumming & free flow music. Free. The Center does accept Love donations if you are moved to do so. The Unity Center, 20255 Willamette Drive, West Linn. Sharon McGrath, 503-697-9765, TheUnityCenter@ WorldHealing.org, WorldHealing.org.
Barefoot Shiatsu – 9:30am-5:30pm. Two Saturdays, Apr 13 & 20. Barefoot Shiatsu is a traditional Japanese approach to bodywork utilizing the feet to press, stretch and stroke the body in what is a surprisingly comfortable and satisfying massage experience. It is also fun to do. Barefoot technique develops a strong sense of balance, body awareness and sensitivity similar to practicing Tai Ji Quan. The barefoot style was first promoted in this country by Shizuko Yamamoto. This technique is especially useful when the client is larger than the practitioner. This class is open to anyone and, like Shiatsu Basics, is a good introduction to Shiatsu. $340. OSM Portland Campus, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland. Alisha, 503-244-3420, AE@OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. OregonSchoolOfMassage.com.
Intuitive Eye Readings - Free Samples & Sessions – 10am-5pm. Apr 13-14. At RaSani Fair in Albany. See listing April 13.
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The Architecture of Sound – 11:30am-1pm. Join Cam and Tree for a mystic sound journey with Gongs, Singing Bowls, Overtone Chanting, Tingshaws, Didgeridoo, Oceanic Drums and other sacred instruments. Participants will sit comfortably on chairs or on a yoga mat in lotus position. The sacred sounds of the instruments will guide the sound travelers through their own unique magical journey. $20. New Renaissance Bookshop, 1338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland. 503-224-4929, NRBEvents@Gmail. com, NewRenBooks.com.
Yin Yoga - For Emotional Balance and Deep Stretching – noon-1:45pm. Inspired by gentleness, precision and “letting go”, a Yin practice is designed to bypass the muscular tissue and target the connective tissues - ligaments, tendons and fascia - to improve flexibility and increase circulation in the joints. Yin poses are floor postures that may be held for 3-5 minutes, allowing the body time to relax and sink deeper and deeper into the pose. $20 Preregistration / $25 Walk-In. 10560 SE Main St, Milwaukie. 503-303-4078, ElkRockTeam@gmail. com, ElkRockWellness.com. Gong Sound Healing by Mahkah Florino – 2-3:30pm. This Gong Sound Healing is accompanied with applying ancient and modern tools like tapping, shaking and breath to assist with moving desired and undesired energy through the body. Come relax, heal, destress and grow. Mahkah Florino has studied Nada Yoga (the yoga of sound) with Bhagavan Das and Michael Sterling and has been offering sound healings since 2008. $20. New Renaissance Bookshop, 1338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland. 503-224-4929, NRBEvents@Gmail.com, NewRenBooks.com.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 House of Dreams Cat Shelter Plant and Vegan Bake Sale – 10am-2pm. Indoor/outdoor plants, pots, garden art and vegan baked goodies! We are part of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale Event. Great selection and amazing low prices – for a good cause. All proceeds benefit our all-volunteer, no-kill, free roam cat shelter and sanctuary in NE Portland. Donations of plants, outdoor décor and vegan baked goods welcome. 7634 SE Morrison, Portland. 503-262-0763. HODPlantSale@gmail. com, KittyDreams.org. Empower Thyself – 11am-6pm. Apr 20-21, two day class. Hermetic teachings work no matter what. You the practitioner become living proof of the magick passed down to thousands of practitioners before you, within a worldwide community that traces its roots back to the days of King Salomon
and his Temple built for one purpose: to achieve the Divine Human. $1200. Incite Healing Center, 6940 N Michigan Ave. Matthew Koren, 503-765-6542, Matt@SpiritInTransition.com, SpiritInTransition. com/calendar Light Journeys Metaphysical Healing and Psychic Faire – 1-7pm. Come at 1pm to meet the practitioners and vendors and experience the free gallery readings portion. Then enjoy our various gifted energy healers, readers & vendors at their individual stations for signup & fees. We also have classes & raffle drawings for services and products. Plenty of free parking. Free admission. The Gem, 1110 NE Glisan St, Portland. Sharon Sananda, 503701-7687. Facebook.com/healingfaire. Meetup. com/Light-Journeys-Healing-and-Psychic-Fair. SharonSananda.com. Calendar continues on the next page.
TUESDAY, APRIL 16 Discussion: Upgrade your Energy Body with a DNA Activation – 7-8pm. What’s possible in life is a function of your capacity to dream and your tenacity in following your dreams. It’s time to upgrade both. DNA Activation is a technique that has been used for the last three thousand years within the secret mystery schools. It is a rite of passage to activate priests/priestesses and healers so they can achieve a heightened state of consciousness and be empowered to a degree not ordinarily reached by human beings. Free. Incite Healing Center, 6940 N Michigan Ave, Portland. Matthew Koren, 503-7656542, Matt@SpiritInTransition.com, SpiritInTransition.com/calendar.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 Mindful Living: a Six-Week Mindfulness Meditation Course – 7-9pm. Begins April 17. In this six-week course we’ll take an experiential dive into the fundamental principles and practices of mindfulness meditation, exploring how they support well-being, compassionate awareness and embodied presence – wherever we are. Meets six consecutive Wednesdays + a daylong retreat May 18th from 9-3. Limited group size. Tuition includes recordings of talks and meditations, weekly emails and a private one-on-one session. Taught by Ashley Dahl, MSW, CMT-P of OpenSpace Mindfulness. Class held at: Beam & Anchor, 2710 N Interstate Ave, Portland. Info@OpenSpaceMindfulness.com, OpenSpaceMindfulness.com/mindful-living.
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calendar of events
SATURDAY ~ APRIL 27th 10 am to 2 pm Portland Farmers Market near PSU
Continued from the previous page. Empowering Qi/Energy for Strength & Healing – 2-5pm. This workshop will provide attendees with routines for building their qi, or energy – particularly beneficial to those in the healing arts. When our essence is strong, we are less apt to succumb to illness. We build vitality, clear thinking, and resilience. This energy can be utilized to heal ourselves and others. $40/$35 if registered before April 7. Awakenings Wellness Center, 1016 SE 12th Ave, Portland, 503-482-9253. RoseCityQigong.com.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27 CPR Training – 9:30am-12:30pm and 2:30-6:30pm This CPR course provides hands-on training in Adult, Child and Infant CPR. Choking and use of the AED are also covered. Content is based on the American Heart Association Guidelines. Participants will receive a 2 year CPR/AED certification card. $85. OSM Portland Campus, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland. Alisha, 503-244-3420, AE@ OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. Massage Training Preview – 10am. Learn about Oregon School of Massage’s 640-hour training program in the massage profession at this free presentation. OSM is committed to providing holistic education that integrates the body, mind, heart and spirit. Summer Term begins June 24. Community Education classes are also offered each quarter. See website for details. RSVP. Free. OSM Portland Campus, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland. Alisha, 503-244-3420, AE@OregonSchoolOfMassage. com. OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. World Tai Chi & Qigong Day – 10am-2pm. Come out and participate in this annual event. We honor these ancient healing practices, knowing that we are moving simultaneously with people the world over! Learn how you can take more control of your health and energy. There will be representatives from various schools to provide free instruction in these moving arts. Portland Farmers Market, South Park Blocks near PSU. Details at RoseCityQigong.com. Healing the 7 Chakras - Yoga and Plant Medicine – 11:30am-1:30pm. The chakras are centers of energy all over the body. We will focus on a new chakra system each week focusing on different yoga poses and plants each week that pair with each chakra system. Come try, taste and experience yoga and plants with us! $25-$45 (sliding scale). ElkRockTeam@gmail.com, ElkRockWellness.com.
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Portland/Vancouver Edition
Demonstrations and Public Participation Let us together share in the practice of these
Healing Arts
Join humanity the world over, moving energy as one to promote global and personal health. Events in 100s of cities and over 80 nations. More info at RoseCityQigong.com WorldTaiChiDay.org
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 Massage Basics Class – Tuesdays, Apr 30 - May21, 11am-1:30pm. In this popular 4-week class, you will learn basic massage techniques for the back, neck, shoulders, hands, feet and head. Also learn about nurturing touch and about bodywork as a healthcare tool. A great class to take if you are interested in massage as a career. Instructors are experienced healthcare practitioners and licensed massage therapists with extensive additional training in a variety of bodywork styles. This workshop is open to beginners. $85. See website for details. OSM Portland Campus, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland. Alisha 503-244-3420. AE@OregonSchoolOfMassage.com. OregonSchoolOfMassage.com.
plan ahead Spices & Spells: A Night of Messages with 3 Intuitives – May 16, 6:30-8:30pm. Ask us anything. We’ll share a precious answer with you. You’ll also hear and glean from what we share with others. HeatherMist.com: Akashic Records, Inner Magic Coach. LaureliShimayo.com: Intuitive Eye Reader, Body Psychology Coach. KirstinIntuitive. com: Powerful Intuitive. Free. New Renaissance Bookshop, 1338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland. Laureli Shimayo, 720-352-2434. Laureli@ThriveTypes. com, MetaphysicalEmpowermentEvents.com. Metaphysical Empowerment & Wellness Fair – May 18, noon-8pm. 50 Vendors – Free Intuitive Panel noon-1pm. Free Talks. Experience 50+ readers, healers, vendors: crystals/jewelry, mediumship, astrology, tarot, medical intuition, sound/energy/ shamanic healing, bodywork, psychic readings, spirituality, reflexology. Free admission, samples, parking & snacks. Also Sept 7, Nov 2. Unity of Portland, 4525 SE Stark St, Portland. Laureli Shimayo, 720-352-2434. Laureli@ThriveTypes.com, MetaphysicalEmpowermentEvents.com.
NAPortland.com
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only MAY thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead
save the date Finding Inner Peace Meditation & Discourse with
Baba Shiva Rudra Balayogi Free meditation classes and answering questions on meditation, self-realization & finding inner peace. Donations appreciated.
Portland, OR April 26, Fri, 7-8:30pm New Renaissance Bookshop Events Center, 1338 NW 23rd Ave. April 27, Sat, 7-9pm. Yoga Shala Wellness, 3808 N. Williams Ave.
White Salmon, WA April 28, Sun, 7-9:30pm Yoga Samadhi Columbia Gorge 177 W Jewett Blvd , White Salmon, WA
Columbia Gorge Meditation Retreat Hegewald Rock Creek Center 710 SW Rock Creek Dr, Steveson, WA May 3, Fri, 7-9:30pm May 4, Sat, 8:45am-9:30pm May 5, Sun, 8:45am-1:00pm
Info: jenn@jennrego.com Jennifer 503-297-3928
Are you creative, driven and passionate about healthy living? Inspire others to make choices that benefit themselves and the world around them by owning a Natural Awakenings franchise. Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 25 years. This is a meaningful home-based business opportunity that provides training and ongoing support. No previous publishing experience is required.
Learn more today: NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/Franchise
239-530-1377
April 2019
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ongoing events
wednesdays
NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 12th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Visit NAPortland.com/resources/calendar/ to submit online. No phone calls or faxes, please. Email Calendar@NAPortland.com for guidelines or assistance.
sundays Second Sunday Mindfulness Meditations – 9-10am, second Sunday of the month. Mindfulness reduces stress and supports our capacity to respond to life with wisdom and kindness. These monthly drop-ins feature guided meditations and mindfulness talks. All levels welcome. $16 discounts with passes & memberships. Unfold Yoga, 2370 SE 37th Ave Portland. Ashley Dahl, MSW, CMT-P, Info@ OpenSpaceMindfulness.com, OpenSpaceMindfulness.com. “Loving Kindness” Meditation Group – 10am1pm. Fourth Sunday. With Paul M. Rakoczy, Reiki Master. Experience group meditation with meditators and beginners alike. There will be multiple sits with discussion in between. Bring a sit cushion; chairs available. 3939 NE Hancock, Ste 205, Portland. 503-997-8611. RSVP to PMR1354@hotmail. com. PaulRakoczyTherapist.com/groups. Feel like you need a friend? – 2-3:30pm. The Ascended Masters would like to be your friend. They can help you with your health, relationships, spiritual life, job, etc. (The Ascended Masters are the saints robed in white mentioned in the bible). Topics for study include karma, reincarnation, angels, twin flames, the Ascension and the Violet Flame. Mar 3 &17, Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd, Portland. Mar 10, Tualatin Library, 18878 SW Martinazzi Ave, Tualatin. Mar 24, Belmont Library, 1038 SE Ceasar Chavez Blvd, Portland. Info at 503-839-2400. SummitLighthouse.org. Yin Yoga – 7-8:15 pm. This all-levels, relaxed floor practice focuses on moving prana–life-force and breath–through areas of our bodies where we tend to hold chronic tension. Passive postures that target shoulders, back and hips are propped, supported and held for 45 seconds to 3 minutes. These longer held poses encourage fascial release, increased circulation and improved joint mobility. A strong emphasis on breath and pranayama practices aid in reducing anxiety and stress of daily life. DAYA Foundation, 5210 SW Corbett, Portland. 503-552-9642. Info@ DayaFoundation.org. DayaFoundation.org.
Kyklos International Folk Dancers – 7-9:45pm. Dance with us. We do a variety of dances from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Israel and the United States, with a mix of couple, line and set dances. Newcomers are warmly welcomed. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes to protect the dance studio floor. Kyklos events are fragrance-free. Please do not wear chemicals or scented products. $2; free for Reed students. Reed College Sport Center, 2870 SE Botsford Dr, Portland. KyklosFolkDancers.org.
mondays
Portland/Vancouver Edition
Curvy Yoga – 12:15-1:30pm. An empowering yoga class, where bigger-bodied students can practice (re)connecting to themselves! The laid-back atmosphere encourages you to ask questions, explore variations and learn about movement that fits YOUR body. We are owning our shape unapologetically and learning to listen to our bodies through movement, breath and a healthy dose of candidness—we are keeping it real. Appropriate for beginner and experienced yogis alike. DAYA Foundation, 5210 SW Corbett, Portland. 503-552-9642. Info@DayaFoundation.org. DayaFoundation.org.
Healing from Depression & Anxiety Support Group – 6:30-9pm. Experience the healing power of community. Learn practical tools and coping strategies that will create wellness and reduce your symptoms of depression and anxiety. Conveniently located. Sliding scale fee. 503-544-9248. DouglasBloch@gmail.com. tinyurl.com/lnjfuvk.
Qigong for Parkinsons – 1-2pm. Eight-week series runs March 6 thru May 1. Learn forms to develop a home practice and keep the energy flowing. Dropins welcome at $15; caregivers free. Parkinson’s Resource Center in Beaverton. 503-961-2242. RoseCityQigong.com.
The Movement Center Community Meditation Program – 7-8pm. Join us for chanting, satsang and guided meditation in our beautiful meditation hall. Community yoga ($5) before meditation, from 5:45-6:50pm. The Movement Center, 1021 NE 33rd Ave, Portland. 503-231-0383. Info@TheMovementCenter.com. TheMovementCenter.com.
Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Class with Alice Boyd – 4-5pm. Explore mindful movement to refine your awareness and reconnect with your body’s natural capacity for efficiency and ease. Experience The Feldenkrais Method and learn to effort less! $15 drop in; 3 classes for $39; 5 classes for $55. Luminance, 3430 NE 41st Ave. Alice Boyd, CFP, 503-753-6437, Alice@AliceBoyd. com, AliceBoyd.com.
tuesdays Relax & Restore with Yoga Nidra – 5:45-6:45pm. Through supported and guided relaxation, we’ll gently release accumulated tension, activating our body’s innate capacity to self-heal and restore. All levels, all bodies welcome. $16 drop-in, discount with passes & memberships. Unfold Yoga, 2370 SE 37th Ave, Portland. Ashley Dahl, MSW, CMT-P, Info@OpenSpaceMindfulness.com, OpenSpaceMindfulness.com. Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement Class with Susan Marshall – 5:45-6:45pm. Bring greater ease into your daily movements: breathing, walking, turning, reaching, safer pelvic movement, freeing your back and more. $13 drop-in; other discounts may apply. The Movement Center Yoga Studio, 1021 NE 33rd Ave, Portland. 503-313-9813. Register at MCYoga.com/calendar. Susan.Marshall@ FeldenkraisPDX.com, FeldenkraisPDX.com. Healing from Depression & Anxiety Support Group – 6:30-9pm. See Monday listing for details.
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Senior Discount – Every first Wednesday of the month is Senior Morning at the Hollywood Grocery Outlet. During this time, anyone 55 or better will receive 10 percent off their total purchase (excludes alcohol). Hollywood Grocery Outlet, 4420 NE Hancock St, Portland. 503-282-5248.
NAPortland.com
The Movement Center Community Meditation Program – 7-8pm. Join us for a short talk and guided meditation. Community yoga ($5) before meditation, from 5:45-6:45pm. The Movement Center, 1021 NE 33rd Ave, Portland. 503-231-0383. Info@TheMovementCenter.com. TheMovementCenter.com. Evening Reiki Share Group – 7-9:30pm. First Wednesday. With Paul M Rakoczy, Reiki Master. Share or exchange reiki energy with practitioners and beginners alike. No experience necessary to encounter the warm energy. Donations accepted. Please RSVP by email. Individual sessions and attunements by appointment. 3939 NE Hancock, Ste 205, Portland. 503-997-8611. PMR1354@hotmail. com. PaulRakoczyTherapist.com/groups. Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement with Alice Boyd – 3:30-4:30pm. Explore mindful movement to refine your awareness and reconnect with your body’s natural capacity for efficiency and ease. Experience The Feldenkrais Method and learn to effort less! $15 drop in, 3 classes for $36.
5 classes for $55. Friendly House Community Center, 1737 NW 26th Ave (at Thurman St. Alice Boyd, CFP. 503-753-6437, Alice@AliceBoyd.com, AliceBoyd.com.
Celestial Living Arts Monthly Forecast
fridays Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement Class with Susan Marshall – 10:30-11:30am. Bring greater ease into your daily movements: breathing, walking, turning, reaching, safer pelvic movement, freeing your back and more. $13 dropin; other discounts may apply. The Movement Center Yoga Studio, 1021 NE 33rd Ave, Portland. 503-313-9813. Register at MCYoga.com/calendar. Susan.Marshall@FeldenkraisPDX.com, FeldenkraisPDX.com.
saturdays Moving Meditation with Qigong – 8-9am. New Time & Location. We begin our day by checking in with our energetic bodies, building strength and vitality. All are welcome. $10. Hawthorne Movement Center, 3942 SE Hawthorne, Portland. 503961-2242. RoseCityQigong.com. Intuitive Readings – 10-11am or 1-2pm. Developing your intuition. $35. 15800 SW Stratford Loop, Tigard. Sue, 503-267-8074, SueW5828@Yahoo. com, AmazingPsychicSue.com. Queer+ Yoga – 11:30am-12:45pm. Safe, accessible and inclusive, Queer+ Yoga is a luminous invitation to radical self acceptance and radiance. The practice of yoga allows us to move past that which limits our true range of expression. Grounded in mindfulness and focused on alignment, this all-levels flow is for all who identify as LGBTQIA+. Join us, in supportive community, as we journey onward to come into the light of our true selves. Donation $10-$15 per class. DAYA Foundation, 5210 SW Corbett, Portland. 503-552-9642. Info@DayaFoundation. org. DayaFoundation.org.
MAY
Apri 2019 © Liz Howell The annual Aries New Moon marks a pivotal transition from the completion of one cycle and the beginning of the next. Now in its infancy, we’ve sown the seed of new life and are ready to embody that fresh breath with zest and new initiations. This April 5th lunation is graced with a preamble of Pisces magic between April 1-3 while the Moon makes memorable mystical connections, first with Venus, and then Neptune conjoined with Mercury, all in the Piscean sign of infinite potential. We have been bathed in an ocean of possibilities and now can instinctively make our choices with this New Moon. The Full Moon of April 19 is quite unique as it is the 2nd consecutive Libra Full Moon of the year and poised at a critical degree. Luna Libra offers us the opportunity to think about not only how our desires and actions impact us personally, but also about the concentric ripples that are generated by our actions and how that affects others. With Jupiter turning retrograde on April 11th followed by Pluto on the 25th and Saturn on the 30th, we would be wise to put some irons in the fire that will serve us down the road as we eventually bring our new initiations to fruition.
Mantras and musings for the month of April: Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19): Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it. ~Pema Chödrön Taurus (Apr 20-May 20): The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Gemini (May 21-Jun 20): If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends, you talk to your enemies. ~Desmond Tutu Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22): You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible. ~Deepak Chopra Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22): It is never too late to be what you might have been. ~George Eliot
Coming Next Month
Mental & Emotional Well-Being
plus: Healthy Vision
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22): Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. ~Seneca
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22): Don’t Fall in love, Rise in Love! ~Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. ~Friedrich Nietzsche Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): Fantasies are like mirrors. We hold them up in front of us in order to see what is behind. ~Mordechai Gafni Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19): Every strike brings me closer to a home run. ~Babe Ruth Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely deter-mine where you start. ~Nido Qubein Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20): Indefinite plans get dubious results. ~Natalie Goldberg
Aries! Celebrate your birthday with 15% OFF astrology readings for you this month. CelestialLivingArts.com
Liz@CelestialLivingArts.com | CelestialLivingArts.com April 2019
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JUDITH BOOTHBY, MS DC PC
community resource guide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email Advertising@NAPortland.com to request our media kit.
ACUPUNCTURE
1620 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214 503-233-0943 ThirdWayChiropractic.com Dr Boothby utilizes a soft tissue technique to relieve structural tension on the nervous system and restore ground support to the body.
BODY SCREENING
ALL WAYS WELL ACUPUNCTURE & WELLNESS
RADIANT BODY THERMOGRAPHY 1314 NW Irving St, #705 Portland, OR 97209 503-775-1812 Info@RadiantBodyThermography.com
Rebecca MH Kitzerow, LAc Jonathan Irvin, LAc 503-548-4403 AllWaysWell.com
A medical thermography clinic providing 100% safe, non-invasive, painless breast and full body screening utilizing digital infrared thermal imaging. Reports written by thermologists, board-certified physicians.
Voted Favorite Natural Health Center 2017, Favorite Acupuncturist 2014 to 2017. Now in Portland and La Center. Facial Rejuvenation, Chinese Herbs. Book online!
NORTH PORTLAND WELLNESS CENTER Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage 4922 N Vancouver Ave, at Alberta St 503-493-9398 NorthPortlandWellness.com
We specialize in Injury Treatment, Auto Accident Recovery, Acute & Chronic Pain Relief and Family Health & Wellness. Our dedicated team provides effective medicine in a warm, comfortable environment.
BOOKS, GIFTS & EVENTS NEW RENAISSANCE
TALISMAN ACUPUNCTURE AND HERBS
Beth Ann Mills, LAc, Dipl OM 503-358-1963
Books, Gifts, and Events for Conscious Living 1338 NW 23rd Ave at Pettygrove, Portland 503-224-4929 NewRenBooks.com Oregon’s largest metaphysical book and gift store specializing in spiritual books from all traditions. Events to enlighten, educate and entertain. Full event listings at NewRenBooks.com
TalismanAcupunctureAndHerbs.com
AKASHIC RECORDS BODY-MIND-SPIRIT HEALING ARTS LLC Patty Oliver, Akashic Records Soul Realignment® Master 503-369-7810 BodyMindSpiritHealingArts.com
METAPHYSICAL EMPOWERMENT & WELLNESS EVENTS
MetaphysicalEmpowermentEvents.com Laureli Shimayo 720-352-2434 Metaphysical wellness fairs, intuitive events in Portland, Salem, Eugene, OR; Seattle, WA & Online. 20-50+ vendors, free: admission, panels, talks, snacks, community. New vendors/ practitioners welcome.
Release yourself from past-life karma with an in-depth reading and clearing of your Akashic Record. Conducted by phone, Skype or in-person.
CHIROPRACTIC Vitalistic Chiropractic, Naturopathic, and Rolfing 2205 N Lombard St, Ste 101 Portland, OR 97214 503-893-4407 InnerEssenceChiro.com
SARASVATI INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPY
Susan Bass, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 503-208-2716 AyurvedicYogaTherapy.org 200, 300 & 1100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Programs Portland’s first Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Program. SIAYT is recognized by Yoga Alliance, IAYT, NAMA & APPNA.
Portland/Vancouver Edition
ECOMAIDS
503-908-0950 EcoMaids.com/Portland.com EcoMaids is Oregon’s premier green cleaning company serving homes and businesses. We are committed to creating safe and healthful spaces for your family, pets, and coworkers; while reducing harmful toxins in our ecosystem.
COACHING & CONSULTING SALSBURY & CO. April Salsbury 503-850-8411 SalsburyAndCo.com
Building strong foundations and growing your business. Business & healthcare private practice consulting.
INNER ESSENCE CHIROPRACTIC AND HEALING CENTER
AYURVEDA
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CLEANING
NAPortland.com
Vitalistic chiropractic bringing consciousness into healing your physical, emotional and spiritual bodies; Naturopathic medicine healing the root cause; Rolfing for balance and freedom of movement.
SELF RENEWAL Linda Lawson TeleCoach 720-301-3993 Heartlink-ed.com
OPENSPACE MINDFULNESS
Ashley Dahl, MSW, CMT-P Info@OpenSpace Mindfulness.com OpenSpaceMindfulness.com
COACHING & CONSULTING SPIRIT IN TRANSITION
Matthew Koren Matt@SpiritInTransition.com SpiritInTransition.com
BENAZ SHIDFAR
Mindfulness Life Coach 503-516-6546 Benaz.com
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY RUBATO CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY
10403 SE 10th St, Vancouver 360-624-5151 JimIvories.net
DENTIST
AADVANCED DENTAL Healthy Life Dr Inna Shimanovsky, DMD
1508 St, Oregon City Your Comfort in Washington Mind 503-659-3003 AAdvancedDental.com
The Smile for your Healthy life. State-of-the-art dental care with your comfort in mind, while also caring about the world we live in.
essionals
m
AESTHETIC DENTISTRY OF LAKE OSWEGO
Dr. Inna Shimanovsky, DMD Larry Bowden, DMD
17720 Jean Way, Ste 200, Lake Oswego 503-620-7100
LakeOswegoCosmeticDentist.com
We are dedicated to providing our guests with comprehensive dental excellence in a friendly, relaxing atmosphere so that optimal health, beauty and comfort can be realized for individual needs. The finest quality will always be provided.
JAY HARRIS LEVY, DDS
Holistic Dental Care 511 SW 10th Ave, Ste 1102, Portland 503-222-2157 JayHarrisLevy@gmail.com JayHarrisLevy.com Holistic dentistry is about promoting oral health by customizing the finest quality dentistry to suit a patient’s needs in a safe, caring environment.
ENERGY HEALING EXPERT PAIN HEALING
Emotion/Body Code Practitioner Lori Arveson 971-800-1560 LoriArveson@gmail.com ExpertPainHealing.com Lori specializes in relieving chronic pain. Lori uses the Emotion / Body Code system to identify and release trapped emotional energies caused by physical and emotional trauma, entities, toxins, pathogens, inherited emotional energies, and other manifestations that create imbalance in our bodies, causing chronic pain and disease that manifests in daily life.
HANDS OF FREEDOM HEALING/ QUANTUM-TOUCH®
Judie Maron-Friend, Certified QT Level I, II & Self Created Health Instructor/ Practitioner 8725 NE Broadway St, Portland 503-753-1590 JudieMaronFriend@gmail.com VitalityLink.com/p/hofh When one learns QuantumTouch®, during class students typically relieve 50% - 100% of each other’s pain. Not only do bones align with a light touch, inflammation reduces and healing accelerates. Often students experience dramatic and profound emotional release. Contact Judie to learn more or sign up for a class today and discover your power to heal.
MARCONICS 5D ENERGY & HEALING THERAPY Ron Rathburn M.Sc., CMP 360-823-7071 NWSpiritualCollective.com
Energy healing modality that integrates high wave frequencies to balance and clear the chakras; recalibrate the body’s energetic field and integrate the higher aspects of soul identity.
TEMPLE MEDICINE HEALING Amy Kimmick, BSN RN 1716 NE 42nd Ave, Portland TempleMedicineHealing.com
My work brings you back to you, by way of energy healing, mediumship, and knowledge of the body to release ancestral patterns and emotions.
FELDENKRAIS FELDENKRAIS® CENTER OF PORTLAND
Susan Marshall, GCFP Laurelhurst Healing Arts Building 3059 NE Glisan St, Portland 503-313-9813 FeldenkraisPDX.com Improve neck, back, hip pain and more. Best selling author Norman Doidge, MD in The Brain’s Way of Healing, calls the Feldenkrais Method “applied neuroplasticity”—using your brain and nervous system for healing. Susan received a “Nattie” Award in the category Favorite Massage Therapist/Body Worker 2016, 2017 and 2018.”
ALICE BOYD FELDENKRAIS Alice Boyd, GCFP Feldenkrais Lessons in NW & NE Portland AliceBoyd.com Alice@AliceBoyd.com 503-753-6437
HEALTH INTUITIVE MEDIUM BE-JOY!
Readings By Phone or In-Person 1316 NW 23rd Ave, Portland 503-805-7403 Be-Joy.com
HOLISTIC WELLNESS COHESIVE THERAPY HEALING & REJUVENATION CENTER
2400 Broadway St, Vancouver WA CohesiveThearpy.org
Offering programs for motor vehicle, workman comp, weight loss detox programs, mind body spirit healing and rejuvenation. Accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield for Acupuncture and massage.
HEALTH MATTERS
Constance Coquillette, MSW 971-404-5174 Lisa Fishman, MA 425-736-4784 HEALTH MATTERS NORTHWEST LLC HealthMattersNW.com
Specializing in preventing/reversing Specializing in preventing/reversdisease & controlling weight food ing disease andwith controlling weight Constance MSW with food.Coquillette, 971.404.5174
Lisa Fishman, MA 425.736.4784
www.healthmattersnw.com
April 2019
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HOLISTIC WELLNESS
MASSAGE
SPIRITPATH TRANSFORMATIONAL SHAMANIC HEALING Liz Randol 505-204-0452 LizDragon2002@gmail.com Spiritpath-Healing.com
OREGON SCHOOL OF MASSAGE Training LMT’s for over 25 years 9500 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland 503-244-3420 OregonSchoolOfMassage.com
We offer massage and bodywork courses for aspiring massage therapists, licensed professionals and the general public.
Release the past, embrace the present and find your role in the Great Changes that are upon us. Tap the wisdom of the Higher Self/Divine Feminine/Great Spirit quickly with unique healing that taps into the Akashic records, past lives and trauma from this lifetime. Break through to the sacred truth in each being. Call for Free Consultation.
MATCHMAKING INTUITIVE EYE READINGS WITH THRIVETYPES®
SUPERIOR SPORTS NUTRITION & WEIGHT LOSS
Laureli Shimayo 720-352-2434 ThriveTypes.com
Ellen Gyberg, Holistic Nutrition Expert 360-601-0137 Superior-Nutriton.net
Conscious online dating, matchmaking. Life, Love, Leadership coaching. Hiring consulting, career path coaching, resume writing. By video and MetaphysicalEmpowermentEvents.com. LearnToReadEyes.com
HYPNOTHERAPY LOVING KINDNESS HYPNOSIS
Laney Coulter, BCH, CPHI, NLP, M.Ed BWRT Level 2 Practitioner 503-289-3614 LovingKindnessHypnosis.com
MINISTER/CELEBRANT NW SPIRITUAL COLLECTIVE Marie Marks BA, STT, IWA 360-609-6498 NWSpirtualCollective.com
Celebrant/Minister: weddings, rite of passage, blessings, prayers, meditations, cultural and custom design ceremonies. Transformational Advocate: spiritual guidance & mentoring.
LANDSCAPING BLOSSOM
1829 NE Alberta St, Ste 8 Portland, OR 97211 503-837-3557 Info@BlossomPdx.com BlossomPdx.com
Providing personalized, science based, efficient, biomechanically sound workouts designed to meet your immediate goals and focus on long-term health & wellness. Pearl location. No gym membership needed. Also mobile - I’ll come to you!
PETS MEAT & BONES CALIFORNIA, INC.
220 NW 8th Ave Portland, OR 97209 Hello@MeatAndBones.com MeatAndBones.com
Holistic raw food for happy & healthy dogs. We formulated our unique balanced blend that your dog will love eating and you will love feeding.
QIGONG Rose Allen Portland, OR 503-961-2242 RoseCityQigong.com
Qigong practice unlocks our life force energy and enhances our vital essence, while addressing the root causes of illness. Many are discovering the power to activate inner healing through these simple movements. The gentle forms are easily learned and provide proven health benefits. Rose is a Certified Instructor with 15 years of dedicated practice. Now is a great time to discover Qigong. All are welcome.
ORGANIC SALONS REV!VE ORGANIC SALON
At Blossom, it is our goal to meet your landscape and construction needs while providing ecological and sustainable solutions for the environment.
4460 SW Garden Home Rd, Portland 503-360-1324 ReviveOrganicSalonPDX.com Revive is an organic and ammonia-free salon promoting beauty, wellness and green living by being free of chemicals, damaging toxins, and harmful carcinogens.
MASSAGE MIKI MORROW, LMT
Yaimayu Massage 201 SE 124th Ave, Ste 202 Vancouver, WA 98684 360-608-0135 MikiWaMassage.com Facebook.com/Yaimayu Lic. MA00025265
Portland/Vancouver Edition
MICHAEL HAYNES
NASM Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Sr. Fitness, Nutrition & Weight Loss Specialist 312-519-9270 Train_With_Mike@yahoo.com
ROSE CITY QIGONG
Clear emotional pain and create powerful inner resources. Stop smoking, eliminate excess weight, remove phobias, learn strategies to control anger, stress and much more. Empower yourself with hypnosis! Be the person your dog thinks you are!
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PERSONAL TRAINER
READERS TAROT READINGS Dynamic, Insightful, Empowering
Crystal Chakra Healings Resolve Major Life Issues Now Gina Crystal 360-984-6837 RadiantCrystal@att.net GinaCrystal.com
REIKI Good nutrition and regular exercise definitely help you cope with life’s dramas. ~Terri Irwin
NAPortland.com
VICKI MCARDLE
Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Portland, OR 503-939-4357 VickiMcArdle.com
RETREAT CENTER ANANDA CENTER AT LAURELWOOD Retreat, Conference and Event Center 38950 SW Laurelwood Rd Gaston, OR 97119 503-746-6229 AnandaLaurelwood.org
A beautiful place to host your next meeting, event, retreat or conference and only 45 minutes west of Portland. We have bright spaces for groups of all sizes; lovely guest rooms, most with views of the lush valley; delicious vegetarian meals served daily; yoga and meditation.
SOUND HEALING SOUND HEALING PRACTITIONER Mikaela Jones 3736 SW 10th Ave Portland, OR 97239 503-705-1609 HealingSoundBaths.com
Trained in sound healing and hypnotherapy, Mikaela utilizes various sound healing instruments and her voice for stress release, Higher Self communication, goal manifestation, restoring harmony to body, mind, and Spirit.
THERAPY/COUNSELING EMOTIONAL PEACEMAKING
Hypnotherapy/Energy Psychology Val Jolley C.Ht, P.NLP, EFTP, QTP ValJolley.com
PAUL M RAKOCZY, LCSW
Humanistic Psychotherapy/ Reiki 3939 NE Hancock, Ste 205 503-997-8611 Pmr1354@hotmail.com PaulRakoczyTherapist.com SJL PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES Stuart J. Levit, Ed.S, M.Ed.
4531 SE Belmont St, Portland 503-983-7949 Info@StuartJLevit.com StuartLevit.com Have a particular life obstacle that you are trying to understand and resolve? Somatic and Mindfulness based counseling in a private comfortable space. Evening & weekend hours available.
THERAPY/COUNSELING HEART WHISPERER RELATIONSHIP-INTIMACY COACH Carola Marashi M.A. 512-925-0625 Beaverton, OR http://CarolaMarashi.me
As a trained Transpersonal Therapist, I help you shed fear and resistance for rapid evolution. As an Ordained Minister, I understand intimacy is a spiritual practice. As a published author, I advocate speaking your truth.” Over 35 years experience with a Master’s Degree in Transpersonal Psychology and Bachelor’s in Clinical Nutrition. Author of Sensual Eating and In2it! Trust Your Intuition Deck and Guide, and founder of Body Choir Community Ecstatic Dance in 1994
TRAUMA TREATMENT ROBIN BODHI, BS, LMT, CHP 2915 NE 54th Ave, Portland 503-477-0931 RobinBodhi@gmail.com RobinBodhi.com
A bodyworker for more than 20 years, with a diverse background in medical based bodywork, energetic healing & somatic touch. In addition I work at the Integrative Trauma Treatment Center at 2130 SW Jefferson. I craft and tailor my holistic work for individual needs. Private studio, 2915 NE 54th Ave.
YOGA THE MOVEMENT CENTER YOGA STUDIO 1021 NE 33rd Ave, Portland 503-231-0383 TheMovementCenter.com
Hatha yoga for all levels, workshops & specialty classes, private & healing yoga sessions, at a beautiful meditation and retreat center in the heart of the city.
DAYA FOUNDATION
Sarahjoy Marsh, Yoga Teacher + Therapist 5210 SW Corbett Ave, Portland SarahjoyYoga.com DayaFoundation.org Public yoga classes, private lessons, yoga therapy, and Hunger, Hope + Healing Series for women with food and body image issues.
GOOD BEGINNINGS YOGA
GoodBeginningsYoga@yahoo.com GoodBeginningsYoga.com Prenatal + Mom & Baby yoga with Sound healing. Classes in North Portland.
VETERNARIAN TWO RIVERS VETERINARY CLINIC 3808 N Williams Ave Suite 129, Portland Phone: 503-280-2000 Info@TwoRiversVet.com
YOGA SARASVATI INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPY
Susan Bass, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 503-208-2716 AyurvedicYogaTherapy.org 200, 300 & 1100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Programs Portland’s first Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Program. SIAYT is recognized by Yoga Alliance, IAYT, NAMA & APPNA.
April 22, 2019
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OUR ADVERTIZERS LOVE US… “My ad in Natural Awakenings Magazine is the best advertising dollar I spent last year, so re-upping this year is a no-brainer.” Candace Parmer LMT, CCT Certified Level II Clinical Thermographer
“I have been advertising with Natural Awakenings every month for over a year now. Not only have the ads paid for themselves with new customers I have been blown away by the staff’s true interest in helping my business to grow. Thank you so much for your integrity and heart!” Susan Bass AyurvedicYogaTherapy.org
SO, DO OUR READERS… “I am currently incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional facility and have been receiving a monthly copy of NA for quite some time now...Lucky for me I only have three more months before I can pick up a copy in the Portland area like everybody else. Anyway, I’m super grateful to be able to share my copy with like-minded gals around here and WE LOVE NA!” Lisa “When I moved back to the East Coast from Portland, I looked for a NA magazine in my new city so I could find classes, workshops and practitioners. Unfortunately, the local edition had just closed. I miss the Portland NA!” Amy It is wonderful that a magazine, which focuses on healthy mind, body, and spirit also focuses on the health of, and our relationship to, Mother/planet Earth. As I read each article, the words penetrate my heart and offer a sense of optimism for a healthy and greener tomorrow. Many thanks! Shalom
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