Dec2016online

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

feel good • live simply • laugh more

LOVING LARGE

P L A N E T

FREE

Scientists Say We’re All Connected

Fitness

2017

New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

Fetch, Stretch, Dance

Make Your Dog an Exercise Buddy

December 2016 | Twin Cities Edition | NaturalTwinCities.com natural awakenings

December 2016

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FEBRUARY 4-5 Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 5pm

MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER 1301 2nd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55403 est’s

The Midw

T LARGESd

Health an PO! Wellness EX

3 Our largest health show ever with up to 200 Exhibitors offering the latest in women’s and men’s health, natural health products, diet and nutrition, healthy foods and cooking, fitness equipment and more!

3 3 stages of seminars, demo, and entertainment!

3 Meet the Twin Cities top fitness experts, nutritionists, yoga instructors, chiropractors, doctors and more!

3 FREE goodie bag for the first 100 people in line!

3 See Staci of KS95 and spin the prize wheel to win!

3 Check out the Healthy Cooking Stage 3 Visit with Steve & Emily from Twin Cities LIVE 3 Enjoy a day of pampering and product sampling with mini massages, beauty make-overs, and more!

3 Visit the Demo Court! See exercise, karate, yoga and square dancing demos and more!

3 YOGA STAGE—Lessons/Demos/Seminar!

Featuring many of the Twin Cities top yoga experts.

Bring your mat for possible record-breaking class!

ADMIT 2

FREE Present this ad at door to receive FREE admission for two people.

(Regularly $6 per person)

www.MediaMaxEvents.com • Got a Healthy Product or Service? Exhibit here! (952) 238-1700

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Twin Cities Edition

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The SMART place to find resources for living a healthy life!

contents 7 5 newsbriefs 7 healthbriefs 8 globalbriefs 10 kudos 10 ecotip 8 12 greenliving 14 community

spotlight

18 fitbody 20 healingways 22 naturalpet 25 calendar 28 classifieds 10 28 directorylistings

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 763-270-8604 or email Jackie@ NAtwincities.com. Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Jackie@ NAtwincities.com. Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month.

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

12 A GORGEOUSLY

GREENER HOLIDAY

Fresh Thinking About Décor

by Avery Mack

14 NORMANDALE

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The Rx for Holistic Health Careers

12

by Jackie Flaherty

16 LOVING LARGE

Scientists Say We’re All Connected

by Linda Sechrist

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18 FITNESS 2017

New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

by Aimee Hughes

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20 HEAL ADRENAL

FATIGUE NATURALLY

Practical Ways to Regain Vitality

by Linda Sechrist

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Calendar Events to: Jackie@NAtwincities.com.

Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

22 FETCH, STRETCH, DANCE

Make Your Dog an Exercise Buddy

by Sandra Murphy

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NaturalTwinCities.com natural awakenings

December 2016

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letterfromthepublisher

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contact us Publisher Jackie Flaherty Sales & Marketing Director Julie B. Hill 651-485-6293 Julie@NAtwincities.com Editor Cheryl Hynes Design & Production Stephen Blancett Steven Hagewood Layout Sara Shrode of Campfire Studio Multi-Market Advertising 239-449-8309 Franchise Sales 239-530-1377

ere we are, on the other side of the election that most of us said we couldn’t wait to be over. Now, it’s time to heal and pray and do our part to undo the divisiveness that defined the American political scene for the last 18 months. No matter the outcome (wished for or feared), we need to join the causes that tug at our heartstrings and support the work that needs to be done for a world that is safer and kinder than any time in history. Who doesn’t want that?

This month’s theme is Uplifting Humanity and couldn’t have come at a more needed time to restore our spirits and our faith in humankind. Human + kind.

Now certainly is the time to remember this, especially as science shows that we are all connected (see page 16). As Linda Sechrist concludes in our feature article, “We discover abundant opportunities to feel love, loved and loving as we make ourselves available to them.”

This issue is filled with ideas to help us discover and practice ways to be calm, centered and loving. Jennifer Salness invites us to use crystals to bring peace and calm (see page 11). Laurie Wondra offers tips to shift stressful energy often heightened at this time of year (see page 19). Amy Cerny Vasterling encourages us to learn to listen and trust our intuition and find ways to offer “…your uniqueness to the world” (see page 13).

Let’s make this month one where we connect with each other and listen and share with one another. Perhaps invite friends and family to a local performance or exhibit to support our local talent and spend quality time together. The cold weather creates the perfect ambiance to gather together and chat while enjoying a hot drink infused with nourishing fruits such as pomegranate and oranges and lemons (recipes online). And don’t forget about connecting with your pets. Sandra Murphy offers some fun ways to make your dog an exercise buddy (see page 22).

May this be a month filled with laughter, kindness and a deep heart filled with gratitude.

With Joy,

P.O. Box 120052 St. Paul, MN 55112 Phone: 763-270-8604 NaturalTwinCities.com

Jackie Flaherty, Publisher

© 2016 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers.

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

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $25 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

Peace on earth, good will towards men.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

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Twin Cities Edition

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newsbriefs Tooth by the Lake Offers Near Infrared Sauna

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ooth by the Lake, in Hopkins, has added a Near Infrared Sauna (NAS) to their wellness practice. “We are excited to be able to offer this to our patients to further help with mercury detoxification and overall health,” says Dr. Kari Seaverson.

NAS is an indoor sauna powered and heated by the “near” portion of the infrared energy spectrum. Near infrared is a shorter wavelength of infrared energy that carries 10 times the energy of the far infrared. NAS is especially powerful in cleansing the body and for whole body detoxification, including removing fat-soluble compounds, water-soluble compounds and heavy metals.

Some of the other benefits include sweating out toxins, cleansing internal organs, improving circulation and the immune system and rejuvenating the skin.

Tooth by the Lake dental office has been creating healthy smiles in the Hopkins area since 1982 when Dr. Dwight Tschetter founded the practice. Seaverson now owns the full-service practice and her husband, Dr. John Seaverson, recently joined the team of holistically minded dental practitioners. Both are members of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) and the Holistic Dental Association and are actively involved in continuing their education in traditional and holistic dentistry.

Location: 1401 Main St., Hopkins. For more information, call 952-475-1101 or visit ToothByTheLake.com. See ad, page 27.

Minding Your Health: Take Back Control Debuts on AM950

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oberta Fernandez, owner of the FARE Hypnosis Center, in Eden Prairie, begins a new radio show starting December 3.

The weekly show, Minding Your Health: Take Back Control, airs at 10 a.m., Saturdays, on radio station AM950.

“Health reflects the broad spectrum for a variety of topics, issues and modalities that we’ll be exploring. Take Back Control is about empowering people in matters of health through education,” says Fernandez.

“Over the next year, I’ll be talking with various experts involved in traditional and alternative health care, insurance and legislation, even parenting. We’ll be talking about issues like pain, sleep, stress, fears and other emotions, performance improvement and weight,” Fernandez explains. “There may be entire shows about hypnosis or perhaps I’ll simply illustrate how hypnosis can be a complement to whatever we are discussing.”

The FARE Hypnosis Center offers free classes every month on a variety of uses for hypnosis, including getting a good night’s sleep, sports improvement, quitting smoking, weight loss, relaxation, childbirth and much more.

AM950 is a local progressive radio channel based in Eden Prairie.

Location: 8353 Crystal View Rd., Ste. 201, Eden Prairie. For more information, call 952-934-1315, email Roberta@FareHypnosis.com and for complete curriculum, visit FareHypnosis.com. See ad, page 6.

Intuitive Fair and Holiday Boutique on December 3

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he Metamorphosis Center, in Burnsville, is hosting a Holistic Holiday Boutique, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on December 3. This unique shopping experience will feature New Age products, intuitive readings, gift certificates, sacred geometry tools and much more.

“The annual Holistic Holiday Boutique is a great place to find that perfect stocking stuffer or to reward yourself with a new tarot deck to bring in the new year,” states owner Laura Strong. “Our hand-picked practitioners are among the best in their fields and bring very creative, intimate and comprehensive experiences for you to sample and enjoy.”

People can choose their practitioner and time slot by registering online which eliminates waiting at the event. Walk-ins are also welcome.

The Metamorphosis Center provides opportunities for people to explore their potential, exchange ideas and make positive shifts in their lives. The center hosts regularly scheduled events as well as special one-time events to inform, educate and develop a network for like-minded businesses and individuals to share resources and information.

Practitioners at the event and their services include Kim Julen, Certified Feng Shui Practitioner, Angel Card Readings; Nea Clare, Ascended Master and Archangel Readings; Julie Jacky, EFT Practitioner (Tapping), Intuitive Healing to Relieve Body Pain & Stress; Jana DancynCloud, Intuitive Reader/Healer, Clairvoyant, Medium; Laurie Wondra, Intuitive Reader, Shaman, Psychic Reader and Healer; Katherine Belisle, Animal Communication Reader, veterinarian, Reiki Master and Susie Kleppe, Faeriologist, Faerie Card Readings.

Cost:Free to attend. Practitioners have special offers for their sessions.

Location: 1301 E. Cliff Rd., Ste. 105, Burnsville. For more information, visit TheMetamorphosisCenter.net.

natural awakenings

December 2016

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newsbriefs

Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Delivery Service

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The Artist’s Way 12-Week Class

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ancy Jambor is leading a 12-week class on The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, starting on January 16, 2017. The class will meet Mondays, from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m., at Kopplin’s Coffee, in St. Paul.

The Artist’s Way, by author Julia Cameron, promotes two basic tools of creative recovery including the daily Morning Pages and the weekly Artist Date.

Jambor is a Life Coach and has been coaching clients and teaching The Artist’s Way classes since 2000. She also designs and facilitates retreats for women.

Explore what blocks your creativity, including limiting beliefs, fear and self-sabotage. Learn to replace them with affirmations and a newfound confidence in your creative ability.

Cost: $349. (Space is limited to seven.)

Location: 2038 Marshall Ave., St. Paul. For more information, visit NancyJambor.com.

chieve Clean (AC), an eco-friendly laundry detergent company that supplies job training and employment opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities, has begun offering a subscription service for their laundry detergent. Subscribers can choose their frequency of having their detergent either mailed to them (shipping is $2.99) or picked up at either Blaine or Fridley location.

Achieve Clean Laundry Detergent was launched in 2014 by nonprofit Achieve Services to provide a steady stream of revenue for the organization. Previously, most of Achieve Services’ revenue came from the government, such as medical assistance, but was unreliable and potential cutbacks made developing training programs and job placement difficult. With AC, the consistent source of income provides long-term financial stability as well as an ideal place for Achieve Services’ clients to work.

Business Development Specialist for Achieve Services, Alex Carlson, explains that 100 percent of revenue from detergent sales supports disabled individuals.

Location: 1201 89th Ave. N.E., #105, Blaine. For more information or to order Achieve Clean Laundry Detergent, call 763-783-4817 or visit AchieveClean.org or AchieveServices.org.

Teleseminar for Connecting with Your Soul

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aster Chunyi Lin, founder and creator of Spring Forest Qigong, will offer a teleseminar, Head to Heart: A Journey into Self, from 8 to 9:30 p.m., on December 5. The session will be recorded for those who can’t attend live as well as for those who want to listen to the program more than once.

“Now is the time to know who you are and open the blockages of who you think you are.

Knowing your soul, as your real identity, is living with inspiration, creativity and joy,” says Lin. Some of the topics Lin will cover during the call include: Clearing Old Behaviors; Transforming Barriers to Love; Releasing Old Relationships and Stories; Surrendering Pain and Fear; Letting Go; Preparing to Awaken to Your Soul’s Love and Infinite Nature; and much more.

“If you are searching for purpose in your life and want to live a joyful life or searching for what you really love to do, the greatest transformation you can experience is making soul connection. When you choose to leave the notion that you are alone, you discover that the supply of every good thing, including wealth, is right there with you. You do not have to live in pain and suffer. You can consciously choose to merge with your soul and experience the freedom and liberation of your soul’s pure loving energy in action in your life,” explains Lin on his website.

Lin established the Spring Forest Qigong Center for Healing and Wellness, in Eden Prairie, more than 10 years ago to help empower anyone seeking to physically heal, experience emotional and physical balance and increase spiritual development. The center offers a wide range of personalized programs in the healing arts to help people meet their personal goals.

Cost: $9.97. Location: 7520 Market Place Dr., Eden Prairie. Register online at SpringForestQigong.com.

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Twin Cities Edition

NaturalTwinCities.com

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esearchers from Northumbria University, in England, have discovered that drinking peppermint tea can improve working and long-term memory. After 180 healthy adults filled out questionnaires about their mood, they were selected at random to consume one of three drinks—peppermint tea, chamomile tea or water—and then rested for 20 minutes.

The subjects were then tested for memory and other cognitive factors and given a second mood questionnaire. Those that drank peppermint tea exhibited improvements in both types of memory and were more alert than the other two groups. The participants that drank chamomile tea displayed reductions in both memory and attention functions compared to the others.

Researcher Mark Moss, Ph.D., notes, “The enhancing and arousing effects of peppermint and the calming, sedative effects of chamomile observed in this study are in keeping with the claimed properties of these herbs and suggest beneficial effects can be drawn from their use.”

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esearchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health have found that individuals living close to a natural gas hydraulic fracking site have a significantly higher occurrence of asthma attacks. The study examined health records from the Geisinger Health System, a healthcare provider in Pennsylvania, where the fracking industry has experienced incredible growth of more than 9.000 natural gas wells in the past decade.

The records of more than 35,000 Geisinger asthma patients between the ages of 5 and 90 were studied between 2005 and 2012. Patients that reported attacks were mapped and studied in relation to the fracking well locations, and the results compared with other patients not reporting attacks in the same year. The researchers discovered that those that lived in close proximity to multiple or larger active natural gas wells were 1.5 to four times more likely to experience asthma attacks.

Brian S. Schwartz, a medical doctor and a professor in the Department of Environmental Health Services at the Bloomberg School, in Baltimore, Maryland, was the senior author of the study. He states, “We are concerned with the growing number of studies that have observed health effects associated with this industry.

We believe it’s time to take a more cautious approach to [fracking] well development with an eye on environmental and public health impacts.”

R

esearch published in the Journal of Marketing Research links bright light to healthier food choices.

The study observed 160 diners at four separate metropolitan locations of a chain dinner restaurant between 6 and 8 p.m. Two of the restaurants used bright lighting (250 lux luminance) and the other two locations had dim lighting (25 lux luminance).

The researchers found that diners at the well-lit locations were more likely to choose healthy options such as baked or grilled fish and chicken than the patrons at the dimly lit restaurants.

These results were replicated in a laboratory test of 700 college students where scientists attributed students’ healthier choices to the alert feelings MEB-PrintAd-Marrák that being in a bright room 2-outlines.pdf elicits.

bubutu/Shutterstock.com

Fracking Linked to Asthma Attacks

Bright Lights Encourage Healthy Eating

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Don’t let the past steal your present. ~Taylor Caldwell natural awakenings

December 2016

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Chones/Shutterstock.com

A Cup of Peppermint Tea Boosts Alertness

LubaShi/Shutterstock.com

healthbriefs

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globalbriefs

America Outdone

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

Venezuela has passed a law that imposes some of the world’s toughest regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMO) and patenting of seeds in order to consolidate national food sovereignty, regulate the production of hybrid seed, reject the production, distribution and import of GMO seeds and ban transgenic seed research. Canada’s Centre for Research on Globalization describes it as one of the most progressive seed laws in the world.

The country intends to establish a national seed system to implement the new law. The group will monitor and sanction any agricultural violations, with a focus on the protection of traditional seeds.

Ocean Watch

Satellites Reveal Unexpected Plant Growth The study Greening of the Earth and its Drivers, published by an international team in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows significant greening of a quarter to onehalf of the Earth’s vegetated lands based on satellite data from the past 33 years. This represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees that produce sugars using sunlight energy to mix atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) with water and nutrients from the soil.

These sugars are the source of food, fiber and fuel for life on Earth. More sugars are produced when there is more of this greenhouse gas in the air in a process called CO2 fertilization.

About 85 percent of the Earth’s land is free of ice and covered by vegetation, currently encompassing 32 percent of the planet’s total surface area. Lead author Dr. Zaichun Zhu, a researcher from Peking University, in China, states, “The greening over the past 33 years reported in this study is equivalent to adding a green continent about two times the size of mainland USA, and has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.” The effect may serve as a carbon sink to help counter climate change.

Twin Cities Edition

Hospital Allows Cats and Dogs Pet dogs and cats are visiting with their seriously ill owners, reducing stress and improving morale, at the Juravinski Hospital, in Hamilton, Ontario. The Zachary’s Paws for Healing program, the first of its kind in Canada, was founded by Zachary Noble and his aunt, Donna Jenkins.

Before each visit, the animals are thoroughly cleaned so as not to introduce harmful germs, and brought in on covered, wheeled carts away from all other patients during their one-hour weekly visits. The all-volunteer program plans to offer foster care to pet owners that enter the hospital for treatment.

Learn more at ZacharysPawsFor Healing.com.

Source: Boston University

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Patient Pets

NaturalTwinCities.com

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

Greening Planet

Source: gmwatch.org

Somchai Som/Shutterstock.com

2016 was a mixed year for whales and dolphins and by extension, humans.

Marine Biologist Sylvia Earle states the importance of ocean health this way: “With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea. The ocean is the blue heart of the planet. There’s still time, but not a lot, to turn things around.”

Scientists have discovered a new, black-colored species of whale that’s onethird the size of a Baird’s beaked whale. Yet to be named, it’s rarely seen, feeding in deep canyons in the Bering Sea.

The oldest-known orca whale, Granny, at 105, swims Washington’s coastline.

Wild orcas usually live 60 to 80 years; captives, 40 years at most. Iceberg, the only known adult white orca, age 22, was spotted in Russian coastal waters earlier this year.

In 2013, a Korean marine park retrained five dolphins to feed naturally and released them into the sea, where they rejoined their original pod. Recent sightings found them thriving, affording hope for the 2,900 dolphins in marine parks, aquariums and zoos worldwide.

Pink dolphins in Hong Kong’s bustling harbor remain endangered. In 2003, there were 158; by 2014, only 61. The Baiji River dolphin, only found in China, has been declared extinct. Vaquitas, small porpoises in the Gulf of California, declined from 97 in 2014 to 60 this year, most drowned in commercial fishing nets; it may be extinct by 2018.

alekss-sp/Shutterstock.com

Sea Mammals Update

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Venezuela Bans GMOs

Extinction Scenario

Humans an Endangered Species The UK-based nonprofit Global Challenges Foundation’s annual report on global catastrophic risk (Tinyurl.com/ GlobalExtinctionReport) has found that the risk of human extinction is higher than we might expect. The Stern Review (Tinyurl.com/The-Stern-Review), the British premier government report on the economics of climate change, estimates a 0.1 percent risk of human extinction every year.

“We don’t expect any of the events that we describe to happen in any specific 10-year period. They might—but on balance, they probably won’t,” says Sebastian Farquhar, director of the Global Priorities Project.

United Nations-approved climate models estimate that temperatures might rise six to 10 degrees Celsius, which pushes the probability of extinction beyond 3 percent, even with a considerable decrease in carbon emissions.

Nuclear war, natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, genetic engineering gone awry and pandemic plagues figure in too, but the biggest threat might be the ever-increasing human population. According to a paper published in the journal Nature by Elizabeth Hadly, a professor of environmental biology at Stanford University, such growth has followed the trajectory of a typical invasive species and suggests there may be a looming global population downturn. Still, humans are capable of exponentially growing their population several times over through the invention of new technologies and cultural shifts, regardless of Earth’s natural carrying capacity.

Officials Urge Chinese to Cut Meat Consumption

Chinese officials have announced dietary guidelines designed to reduce the country’s meat consumption by 50 percent. The campaign includes a series of billboards and advertisements featuring American celebrities Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron.

“China’s move to cut meat consumption in half would not only have a huge impact on public health, it is also a massive leadership step towards drastically reducing carbon emissions and reaching the goals set out in the Paris agreement,” says Cameron.

Source: EcoWatch.com

Solar Sidewalk

Missouri Debuts Energy-Generating Pavers Missouri is rolling out a set of energy-generating photovoltaic pavers along a section of the iconic Route 66 highway in a sidewalk pilot project—the first on a public right of way—in the U.S. The street pavers were developed by Solar Roadways, a company created by inventors Scott and Julie Brusaw, which raised more than $2.2 million in crowdfunding in 2014 to bring their technology to market.

The Brusaws claim that replacing all of America’s roads and parking lots with their solar pavers would generate more than three times what the country consumed in electricity in 2009.

The Missouri Department of Transportation considered their own crowdfunding campaign to support their energy experiment; plans called for the hexagonal solar panels to be fully installed and operational by the end of this year. courtesy of Solar Roadways

iurii/Shutterstock.com

Vladimir Zhoga/Shutterstock.com

Good Move

Source: NBC

natural awakenings

December 2016

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kudos

ecotip Safe, Fun Gifts for Kids

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t. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, has recently completed implementation of solar panels on its 40 acres of college-owned land. The college’s solar subscriptions, combined with the energy generated by its wind turbine, will enable them to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electrical power.

In addition to the solar project on college land, St. Olaf is subscribing to 21 other community solar gardens in nearby communities, including Northfield, Farmington, Rosemount and Claremont.

“We are one of the largest community solar garden subscribers and the largest Windsource customer in the state,” says St. Olaf Assistant Vice President for Facilities, Pete Sandberg.

“With all of that in play, carbon per student is 47 percent less than it was in 2001. That’s one of the lowest numbers of any campus in the country.”

To further its commitment to green energy, St. Olaf matched its community solar garden subscriptions with a commitment to Xcel Energy’s Windsource program, which draws 100 percent of its energy from Minnesota wind farms.

Sources: StarTribune.com and StOlaf.edu

During the holiday gift buying season, it’s good to recall the days of old-fashioned toys.

Simple, wooden toys made with non-toxic paints are far safer than those sprayed with varnishes and paints containing lead and volatile organic compounds.

Plastics can emit unhealthy chemicals used during manufacturing, which also produces environmental pollution. Pieces can break off, possibly injuring soft skin, or be consumed by toddlers with dangerous results. A recent report by Environment California, a research and policy center, found that products designed for babies and young children, such as soft plastic teethers, bath accessories and others, contain phthalates. Many toys require batteries containing heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

ChasingGreen.org recommends eco-conscious makers of toys available at GreatGreenBaby.com, including organic cotton stuffed animals; BabyBunz. com, featuring sustainably harvested cherry wood rattles and organic Egyptian cotton animals; and GreenToys.com, with play meal cookware and serving pieces made from bioplastic, consisting of a corn and starch resin. Here are other factors to consider.

Educational toys can “enhance language, conceptual understanding and numerical and spatial cognition,” according to a study in the journal Mind, Brain and Education. Six-to-8-year-olds can gain an appreciation for archaeology playing with Smithsonian toys available at Barnes & Noble and BarnesAndNoble.com.

PristinePlanet.com sells wood puzzles, solar-powered robots and board games from the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy. The Discovery Channel Store has safe toys and books for kids.

Follow age guidelines in choosing gifts, advises Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Toy Industry Association. “Age-grading has nothing to do with how smart a child is—it’s based on the developmental skills and abilities at a given age and the specific features of a toy.”

Practice conservation while saving money by canvassing thrift and consignment shops for classic card and board games.

Learn How to Dowse

To register: www.ConsciousLifeResources.com/events/

Check out my website for new classes in 2017!

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Twin Cities Edition

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kavring/Shutterstock.com

Eco-Toy Story

First Responder Wellness Gel A staple for every home.

Wellness Through Crystals and Gemstones

by Jennifer Salness

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ellness can happen through many forms.

Our body can use modalities such as acupuncture, natural supplements, exercise or massage. The mind can find wellness through meditation, EFT or changing our thoughts.

What about our spiritual wellness?

Historically, crystals and stones have been used for centuries. They are mentioned in the Bible and the Koran. In Egypt, they were crushed for use as paint. During the Renaissance, they were used along with herbal remedies for ailments. In the early 19th century, they began to be used as a balm for the soul and spirit through crystal healing.

In our modern times, crystal energy is being incorporated into spas and wellness clinics for relaxation, in massage and other holistic treatments. Crystals are part of a growing movement of spiritual awakening. People are hungry for more meaning and depth in their lives, a connection to something larger than themselves, and not always in a traditional way.

How do they work? Crystals and stones have their own distinct “personalities”, just like us. Everything in nature has an energy and vibration. Crystals have a vibration of energy that can help heal our mind and spirit. They can be a tuning fork to help our thoughts and spirit become more conscious, centered, abundant, focused, grounded or whatever else we may desire to live a better life.

What are popular crystals for our spiritual wellness? Amethyst has been known as a “sobriety stone”, used to help heal addictions. It helps us open to our spiritual life, to a higher guidance of receptivity and connection, and to soothe our energy back to calm and quiet.

Rose quartz is all about love and compassion. Its soothing pink color reminds us that our heart can be open to loving ourselves, our family and friends, the community around us. This stone feels supportive and encouraging when we feel lonely or lost and can be a reminder that there is always love available, whether it is from a relationship, a smile from the cashier, a beautiful flower or a big hug from your child.

Selenite is a beautiful pure white stone. I believe that our living and working spaces can affect our spiritual wellness. If they are cluttered or energetically filled with negativity through things like arguments, confusion or anger, it affects how we feel. Placing selenite in a room can bring the whole energy of the room to a place of brightness and clarity. Its properties remind us that there is a higher source with which we can connect at any time that is all about light, clarity and strength.

Searching for your own crystals for use in your own life can be rewarding and opens you to new possibilities.

Combat Mosquito Bites and Sun Burn naturally.

First Responder by Organic aah makes bug bites and sun burn disappear.

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Keep love in your heart.

A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. ~Oscar Wilde

Change your

thoughts and you change your world. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Jennifer Salness is a crystal intuitive and energy sound healer. Her passion for crystals and stones began at a young age and she has been working with them professionally for 18 years. She is certified in and has studied numerous holistic healing methods and has had a successful private healing practice. She is owner of Crystalline Light, an online shop offering crystals, stones, handcrafted energetic mists and other gifts. For more information, visit CrystallineLight.com or MyCrystalBliss.com. See ad, page 9.

natural awakenings

December 2016

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A Gorgeously Greener Holiday Fresh Thinking About Décor

by Avery Mack

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ature’s holiday decorations can transcend cliché pine wreaths or farmed trees to make highly personalized indoor décor that supersedes traditional greenery. Yet mistletoe, holly leaves and berries, eucalyptus, poinsettias, tree needles, acorns and a cut tree’s water reservoir can be harmful

to both pets and children. Here are some better choices.

The Tree

For smaller spaces or to make a statement, try grouping topiary trees of varying heights draped with solar twinkle lights and small ornaments or

Supporting Holistic Healing One Graduate at a Time

With an Integrative Health & Healing Associate in Science Degree and an Integrative Health & Healing Certificate And fast-track programs in Essential Oils Therapies, Herbal Therapy and Holistic Healing Coaching

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fresh flowers to create a focal point in a bay window.

“A lemon-lime cypress lends another burst of unexpected color on an entry hall table,” says freelance floral designer Janet Corrao, in Nutley, New Jersey. “It smells good, too.” Plants six inches tall work well. Corrao suggests setting the pots in colorful, inexpensive metal buckets from craft stores for added glamour.

Unless deemed a hazard to active kids or pets, set up a mid-sized stepstool on a table or open a six-foot ladder in a corner and hang ornaments down the center space; add garlands and lights and set potted flowers and small gift boxes on the steps. Search “alternative Christmas trees” at Pinterest. com for more ideas.

Another option uses hedge-like plants in lieu of a tree. Consider an English or Japanese boxwood plant or evergreen lilly pilly, and then trim to the desired size and shape. Plant it outdoors as weather and climate permit.

The Table

“While we were working on a photo shoot, the photographer decided to include a Christmas scene. I was able to add fresh greenery from the property to the red ornaments and white orchids that I’d brought along. It made a striking centerpiece running the entire length of the table,” says florist Angie Zimmerman, of Angie Zimmerman Designs, in El Dorado Hills, California. “For the fireplace mantel I used branches with red berries to add height on either side of the central mirror and then duplicated the centerpiece design between them.”

A festive table can be dressed with appealing edibles. Use a bread wreath as a base and stud it with skewered basil leaves, cherry tomatoes and small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese for an easy, self-serve, Caprese appetizer. A colorful dish of balsamic dressing or another dip in the center, along with small plates and holiday napkins, completes the offering.

For a sit-down dinner variant, place a few Caprese skewers in small, clear, glass vases along the table with individual finger bowls of dip. Flatleafed green parsley sprigs add another special touch. Zimmerman further suggests using deep-red Roma apples,

photo courtesy of Angie Zimmerman Designs

cored, as candle holders.

Make living place cards with small pots of herbs. Chalkboard paint identifies the plant and guest seating. Also consider colorful painted pots sporting a small cactus.

Transform oranges into aromatic pomanders by scoring the rinds with a citrus stripper in a spiral, circle or other pattern. Use a small nail to make holes and stud the fruits with whole cloves.

Adding seasonal greenery and sterilized pine cones makes a beautiful and fragrant centerpiece.

The Front Door

“I love to use pine cones for centerpieces,” Corrao says. “Our weather is cold enough that I don’t have to worry about bugs when collecting cones in the neighborhood.” For warmer climates, bake the pine cones for 30 minutes in a 200-degree oven to melt excess sap, kill insects and fully open them.

Sold online or in kitchenware stores, a bay leaf wreath offers cheer at the door. After the holidays, hang it in the kitchen for easy access. “Kumquats, lemons, tangerines, small oranges and crabapples add color to green wreaths,” notes Corrao.

Garlands

For many, Christmas demands the smell of fresh pine boughs. Spice up the traditional greenery with carnations or other light-hued flowers colored with the juices of fresh, canned or frozen fruits and veggies—red from cranberries, beets and cherries; yellow and orange from yellow onions and carrots; purple from blackberries; green from spinach; pink from strawberries; and blue from red cabbage or blueberries. Freshly cut the

flower stems and put them in the liquid from crushed produce or the can to absorb color. Hang garlands out of reach of young children and pets.

Navjot Kaur, of Navjot Designs, in Chicago, says, “We all have greenery in our yard or patio gardens that can be

used for the holidays. It’s fun to alter the design based upon what is available.”

Imagination and inspiration can spark new, greener traditions.

Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Exploring the Concept of Fulfillment

by Amy Cerny Vasterling

M

ost of this year has been about relationship growth, a year in which women stood up en masse to release very old belief systems which left us overly sensitive and disempowered, attributes not akin to the feminine. The year prior we left our old story behind, and in April this year, without knowing it, we banded together to dispel very old universal belief systems stemming from many years prior when the feminine surrendered to the masculine so it could become conscious.

Perhaps inspired by the heavenly stars, we shifted into an innate desire to grow up into our full potential as an adult female in her power, no matter what.

Men were then inspired to shift right along with us into their truer nature of strength and adventure, allowing us to ditch what our mothers taught us about being strong to instead embrace and operate through empowerment.

Over the next three years we’ll see men come full circle on this energy and step further into their truth, making available the opportunity for women and men to meet in balance, harmony and co-creation at the level of our innate nature. I see it in my husband who recently shared his readiness for “a work environment with soul.” While he loves what he does, he is ready for his workplace to create, inspire and offer a product that helps others in an altruistic manner. We’ll see more of this yearning in both women and men in the coming years.

So what does all of this have to do with fulfillment? People, more than ever, are bonding together to find support, learning to once again trust and then to operate more and more from their intuition. To do this, we must first feel safe in order to be willing to self-express; only then can we reach fulfillment.

This requires us to find what fuels our passion, acting on it even if at first nobody is interested in what we are doing. We keep “practicing our craft” because what we are really doing is offering our uniqueness to the world. Offering what is unique about us is what transforms our world from certain beliefs to opening up to fewer beliefs or judgments thus allowing everybody to be who they are.

The journey from here to there may appear to lack clarity for most. However, I highly recommend finding answers from within by tuning into your intuition and feeling your way through for the guidance you seek. While it can be as simple as choosing what feels good over the “must do’s,” consulting your clairsentience (clear sensing) for the answers may take a little more trial and error. However, your persistence will create and unfold safety, self-expression and ultimately fulfillment in a very beautiful and powerful way.

Amy Cerny Vasterling works as a fine artist and intuitive reader out of her vibrant studio in downtown St. Paul. She hosts classes around parenting, intuition, empowerment and her highly sought “Women’s Labyrinth”, a year-long journey to recapture trusting intuition, build community and find support. New Labyrinth groups begin January 2017. For more information, visit IntuitivePathfinder.com. See ad, page 21. natural awakenings

December 2016

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communityspotlight

Sunny Ainley, Mindy Hangsleben, Tracy Mastel

Normandale Community College The Rx for Holistic Health Careers

by Jackie Flaherty

N

“

ormandale’s Integrative Health Education Center is one of the best kept secrets in the Twin Cities,” according to Sunny Ainley, associate dean at Normandale Community College (Normandale), who hopes to change that. Ainley is part of the continuing education and workforce development department at Normandale and oversees integrative and holistic continuing health education programs.

While Normandale is well known as an affordable two-year college for transferable credits and two-year degrees, its Integrative Health Education Center also offers the Midwest’s largest selection of classes, workshops, certificate training and special events.

“We offer introductory to intermediate classes to bring a variety of health modalities to the public as well as healthcare givers,” says Ainley. Integrative and complementary health approaches are gaining better recognition, awareness and credibility through research and data. “It’s a perfect opportunity for individuals and healthcare practitioners to learn, integrate and practice integrative health concepts,” Ainley explains.

Part of the success of the holistic programs and classes being offered is due to the growing awareness of the public on the importance of individual ownership of

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Providing skills at the forefront of health care and focusing on health outcomes rather than healthcare services are driving the need for classes to address this growing trend. one’s health. Many are seeking ways to alleviate pain, reduce the effects of stress and calm the mind, and they’re learning effective techniques through programs such as tai chi, qigong, meditation and other holistic modalities that can potentially help with a variety of health challenges and overall well-being.

Providing skills at the forefront of health care and focusing on health outcomes rather than healthcare services are driving the need for classes to address this growing trend. “Our mission is to support individuals and our workforce with the knowledge and skills to thrive in their jobs and as a person. Staying current with the changing healthcare landscape is critical. Understanding how to care for people and improve health in innovative and safe ways is a key benefit of learning holistic therapies,” says Ainley.

Even though Normandale is part of a large academic institution within a state agency, they are able to respond to the needs of the community with justin-time, relevant learning that people can use right away. For example, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) came into being in 2010, much focus was targeted to improving the healthcare system, including quality improvement goals, care delivery changes and a patient-centered approach. But to the workforce, this meant increased patient care demands, possibly greater workloads and more care documentation along with complicated new tools and technology.

Normandale has made the latter easier, thanks to a new national training program that’s being offered online for free (Normandale.edu/continuing-education/ rx-for-healthcare-careers).

A new and upcoming area of growth is in the health information

Coming in January 2017 technology (Health IT) space, which includes supporting the move to electronic health records versus paper records.

Normandale is recognized as a national leader in Health IT training, leading the state through the initial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded Health IT workforce training initiatives, which began in 2010, and established the Minnesota Health Information Technology (MNHIT) program.

“In order to improve quality outcomes in health care, we must have the information, knowledge and data,” explains Ainley. “Having people trained to effectively understand, use and conceptualize the technology systems is so needed right now. This is why the government has funded these no-cost training grants.”

At present, students who work in health care can participate in no-cost Health IT training in areas such as healthcare data analytics and valuebased care and population health management. Trainings are short (eight to 11 hours for each course) and offered online. CEUs and CMEs are also available. For more than 20 years, Normandale has offered holistic and complementary courses, being one of the first in the Twin Cities to do so. Ainley says the courses reflect a rich and diverse offering which appeals to their wide spectrum of students: traditional, non-traditional and adult learners.

Normandale Community College is located at 9700 France Ave. S., Bloomington. For more information, call 952-358-8200 or visit Normandale.edu/ continuing-education. See ad, page 22.

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15

LOVING LARGE Scientists Say We’re All Connected

Cosmic View

by Linda Sechrist

T

rue love is not something reserved exclusively for soulmates, couples, children, friends or family. Observations by sages for millennia and by enlightened scientists more recently are increasingly aligned with the point of view articulated by renowned meditation teacher Jack Kornfield that true love and awareness—a sense of universal connectivity and the idea that divinity, or the sacred, is found in all things—are indistinguishable.

Scientific View

This state of being, generally denoted by strong feelings of love or acceptance toward others, brings us into contact with universal energy which connects all of humanity with the natural world.

Clues to our united commonality are explored in two 21st-century books, Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become, by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D., and A General Theory of Love, by medical doctors Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini and Richard Lannon. These authors explore the brain science that’s related to love and awareness.

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Although trying to grasp love intellectually may be like eating soup with a fork, the authors of A General Theory of Love cite feelings as a good starting point. Fredrickson describes love as “the momentary upwelling of three tightly interwoven events: a sharing of one or more positive emotions between you and another; a biochemical synchrony between your and the other person’s biochemistry and behaviors; and a reflected motive to invest in each other’s well-being that brings mutual care.”

Fredrickson, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believes love is a complex physiological response; a “positivity resonance.” She describes key factors in love’s ability to biologically transform us as oxytocin, a hormone active in social bonding and attachments, and the vagus nerve deep within the brain stem that connects with numerous organs, including the lead “character” in this relationship, the heart.

The neural synchrony of positivity resonance between the brains of two individuals is a connected oneness that

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During their 30-year friendship, Bob Staretz collaborated with astronaut Edgar Mitchell, Sc.D., the lunar module pilot on Apollo 14 and founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, to research and write “The Quantum Hologram and the Nature of Consciousness,” published in the Journal of Cosmology. Their scientific theory explains how all of creation learns, self-corrects and evolves as a selforganizing, interconnected holistic system through love.

“Without exception, everything in nature exists and works together in total balance, resonance and harmony, interacting as one. From this perspective, Edgar and I reached the obvious conclusion—the organizing principle of the cosmos is agape love, an ultimate form of unconditional love that accepts all things existing in nature without regard to conditions, expectations, shortcomings, flaws or faults,” explains Staretz.

The former executive director of Eternea, an organization focused on spiritually transformative experiences and the study of consciousness, Staretz says individuals that undergo such an experience attest that loving one another and all

images by tai11/Shutterstock.com

Fredrickson notes is far more ubiquitous than previously thought possible.

Her research shows that it requires only connection, not the intimacy or shared history that comes with any special bonds.

Micro-moments of the connected oneness we feel as life-giving reverberations occur via shared smiles or laughter, a common compassion or an engaging story. Humans all hunger for such moments. The prerequisites are perceived safety and authentic sensory connection with another, even if it’s fleeting. In Fredrickson’s perspective, such neural coupling is a biological manifestation of oneness in which a habitual focus on “me” expands to a life-expanding “we”.

of nature, of which we are a part, is the central reason for our existence.

Anita Moorjani’s latest book, What If This Is Heaven? reiterates the life lesson she learned from her dramatic near-death experience in which she identified herself as a state of pure consciousness connected with everything in the cosmos. She clearly heard: “Your only work is to love yourself, value yourself and embody this truth of self-worth and self-love so that you can be love in action. That is true service, to yourself and to those who surround you.”

This message continues with her, and she explains that by not loving ourselves, we are denying the part of God that expresses itself through us. An overarching insight from her life-changing journey is, “Unconditional love is a state of being, not an emotion.

It’s not just one side of the coin— it’s the whole coin.”

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. ~William Blake

How-to Resources Interest in this deeper perspective led The Shift Network, which offers online transformative education, to host a recent Advanced Teachings for Truly Loving Yourself with Margaret Paul, P.h.D., co-author of Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By You?

Many others are working to spread the word about a larger sense of life-giving love, including Cleveland, Ohio, intuitive psychologist Debra L. Reble, Ph.D., author of Being Love: How Loving Yourself Creates Ripples of Transformation in Your Relationships and the World. She says, “Our soul’s purpose is to be and express love. We dream of love, yearn for love and make love, but rarely do we realize that we are love, a source of divine energy.”

Reba Linker, a New York City life coach and author, hosts a Leaders in Self-Love Facebook page and the Paint Yourself into The Picture online coaching show. Linker’s philosophy on love resembles that of New Thought leader Michael Beckwith, minister, author and founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, in Culver City, California—

to discern that our true nature is love is to know that we are created in the very image and likeness of love, the essence of life itself.

Gary Sinclair, author of Healing Memories in Seconds, views his life from an altitude of oceanic oneness.

His 35 years of study in a field that uses energy to heal spirit, mind and body led him to develop Soul Link, a memory energy therapy. His work is changing the face of therapy for those with post-traumatic stress disorder and led to the revelation, “Love pulls whatever it touches to its highest potential.”

Teaching what he knows “beyond a shadow of a doubt” helps to shift his students’ worldview. “All of creation is made up of electromagnetic energy vibrating at different frequencies. We are energy beings who can learn to manage our energy to heal ourselves.

We are all connected by omnipres-

ence, the energy of love, a heart connection of life. Consciously choosing this awareness allows us to be ‘love living life.’”

Kamini Desai, director of education for the Amrit Yoga Institute, in Salt Springs, Florida, lends her yogic perspective to love. “We are each a wave on the ocean of existence. Even though we are separate waves, we carry the essence of the same ocean.

When that essence manifests in us as spirit, its quality is a healing force of love surrounding our cells, causing our heart to beat and regenerating our organs. This intelligence guides and directs the universe in the same manner that it heals and maintains our body. In yoga, we learn to listen to its subtle voice so that we can follow its urges and energetic impulses to the source from which it springs.”

The perceptions of California’s HeartMath Institute founder Doc Childre, dedicated to helping people access their intuitive insight and heart intelligence, are generally aligned with those of Fredrickson. Both approaches recognize how order and balance in the nervous system and smooth, harmonious and coherent heart rhythms enhance our ability to clearly perceive a far larger universe of experience.

The ensuing connections widen the windows of perception to view ourselves as no longer separate, but part of a unified whole. Accumulated micro-moments of love communicated through synchronized gazes, touches and vocalizations forge a shared subjective appreciation of connection and oneness. We feel ourselves embodying positive resonance and experience easier and more immediate rapport in familial, familiar and even new relationships. We discover abundant opportunities to feel love, loved and loving as we make ourselves available to them.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

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December 2016

17

FITNESS 2017 New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

by Aimee Hughes

E

very January, we rally our hopes, vowing that this time our New Year’s resolutions will finally stick.

However, “If you don’t have a plan, plan to fail,” says Kansas City, Missouri, personal trainer Jake Albracht.

We can make our health and fitness goals for 2017 a reality instead of just wishful thinking.

Find a good trainer. “A personal trainer provides a helpful base of knowledge because the hardest part for most people is a lack of planning and diligence in following up. Trainers can step in to help a client achieve their goals,” says Albracht.

Jeanne Rankin, assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, adds, “A personal trainer can also help you set lofty goals that you wouldn’t have considered on your own due to fear of failure in achieving them.”

Secure personal attention. Individual attention is invaluable. Albracht notes, “There’s nothing like the instant feedback with technique, information and support that one-on-one training provides.”

Rankin adds, “In ongoing individual evaluation, a personal trainer can see exactly what’s going well and what

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isn’t, providing a better assessment than in a group.”

“Group settings can also be positive and mimic a team environment, but a one-on-one relationship allows for a deeper bond of trust. Sometimes that can make all the difference in the world,” Albracht explains.

Ask questions. If engaging a personal trainer isn’t in our available budget, they are often willing to answer a few burning fitness questions. Most of us have had volunteer teachers at some point in our lives that expected nothing in return because they loved sharing what they know. It’s a slower process, but can be a viable option.

Set realistic goals. “I tell clients that structuring a program of specific goals will always trump a non-structured program,” says Albracht. “They need to fill out a goals sheet and develop a personal model that is repeatable, sustainable and successful. We use the SMART acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.” Sometimes writing things down is just what’s needed to make them actually happen.

“When you look at pictures of famous people in magazines, realize

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that the images have been Photoshopped. They also have access to the best and most expensive resources in the world, and looking good is their job,” reminds Rankin. “Set a goal, and then set a bunch of small, achievable, measurable and quantifiable steps along the way that’ll push you towards that bigger goal.”

For example, If the goal is to lose 50 pounds in a year, then maybe shoot to lose 30 pounds in the first six months and 20 in the second six months.

“Breaking it up into what feels doable for you is key,” says Rankin.

Establish intentions. Krysten Clark, a Los Angeles personal trainer, yoga teacher and founder of Yogva Nutrition, uses the SMART elements along with establishing an intention for each session. She states, “It’s important to recognize what ‘being healthy’ means to you. I always have my clients set an intention for their workout in the moment, which allows them to be fully present with what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Connecting with their ‘why’ proves powerful in a day-to-day practice.”

She also strives to bring mindfulness into any fitness workout that evolves from a mind-body connection.

The accompanying sense of self-compassion furthers progress in the never-ending process of personal growth and healthy living.

Acquire a fitness posse. An accountability partner can be a friend or a personal trainer—someone that’s only a phone call away. Rankin observes, “If you know that you are letting someone down by not working out, then you are more likely to stick to a plan, especially if you’re paying that person.”

Hit the reset button if needed.

“Set a deadline to attain a goal and work backwards from there to achieve it,” advises Albracht. “If the goal is missed, reassess and plan again.” Be patient and forgive yourself as often as necessary if slip-ups occur. The ultimate results of feeling good and healthier provide their own payoff.

Aimee Hughes, a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO, is a doctor of naturopathy and consultant for the Yandara Yoga Institute. Connect at ChezAimee@ gmail.com.

JAN

The Giving Season

by Laurie Wondra

I

t might seem that as temperatures drop, stress levels rise.

According to two-thirds of those polled by Friends Life, a UKbased organization, winter is the most stress-inducing season.

September was indicated as the least stressful month of the year and December the most stressful.

David Williams, director of group protection at Friends Life, who did the research, states, “The seasons can affect staff mood levels quite considerably and it is important that employers are aware of this.”

Deborah Jeff, head of Family Law at the west end law firm, Seddons, London, UK, that conducted another research study on couples, explains, “Although December can be a wonderful time for many families, it can also be a time of stress and strain for others. If a relationship is already suffering due to poor communication or lack of time for each other, this will heighten during a month when we are busy focusing our attentions on keeping other people happy such as extended family and friends. January is a time when we see a significant increase in the number of clients consulting us for advice about divorce and separation.”

Not everyone experiences stress during this time, but for those who do, why at a time that is advertised as the season of joy, giving, celebrations and social gatherings? It’s a “season”, a temporary shift in our normal routine and that in itself can create additional activities or work in addition to regular routines.

We might have difficulty in balancing or agreeing on expectations for things such as gift giving, spending money, family gatherings, events to attend or levels of food or alcohol consumed that create conflict within and between us.

Many experience the ongoing battle between what I “want“ to do and what I feel I “should” do. These are feelings related to obligation and guilt and usually neither feels good.

It’s been an incredible year for a shift in our emotional body which makes the winter season of 2016 feel more emotionally raw than years past. Without fully understanding this, we can become confused as to why little things are triggering big disagreements or deep feelings of anger, hurt or frustration.

Some things we can do to shift this energy. In this time of giving that includes giving our time, it is important to first be aware of our energy. Don’t let yourself become overcommitted or run down. Stay hydrated, eat healthy and stay away from the emotional trigger food—sugar. Be aware of your self-energy, meaning your emotional health and what brings you joy and happiness. Plan events or time that allow your self-energy to be recharged. Mentally prepare to not only give but to allow acceptance of what you need. That might be rest time, alone time, quiet time or play time and being honest with what you need.

Laurie Wondra is a gifted psychic medium, shaman, energy healer, crystal master, author of four books, teacher and public speaker. Using full brain balance between science and metaphysical worlds, she walks the world balanced as an Executive Consultant in Information Technology and owner of Your Life Core. Since childhood, she has been a clear channel working with the energies of the universe, Archangels, Ascended Masters, Light Beings and our loved ones. Her ability to tune into the varying frequencies of the universe allows her to share this knowledge and energy. For more information, visit YourLifeCore.com.

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2017

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Heal Adrenal Fatigue

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F

atigue due to physical or mental exertion is common in those beleaguered by stress, poor eating habits and insomnia, struggling to balance the needs of family and career and too often using caffeine and other stimulants to artificially rebound energy. James L. Wilson, Ph.D., a doctor of chiropractic and naturopathy, educates medical professionals about an even more serious health issue he identifies as “adrenal fatigue”; it’s characterized by below-optimal adrenal function induced by an overload of such stressors. Our two walnut-sized adrenal glands, one atop each kidney, produce vital hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and many other functions, including how the body deals with stress.

Identifying the Core Issue

In his book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, Wilson sheds light on the scope of the problem.

“The fact that adrenal fatigue is unrecognized by conventional medicine has left millions of people suffering from an untreated problem that interferes with their ability to function normally and capacity to enjoy life. For those whose adrenal glands are ‘running on empty’, even something as basic as happiness seems almost out of reach,” comments Wilson, who resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Individuals suffering from adrenal fatigue are most concerned about their low moods, energy, mental acuity and libido, for which conventional medicine typically prescribes antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. These medications do nothing to revive adrenal functioning.

This faulty condition also affects weight gain and a propensity toward the development of some diseases, including

fibromyalgia. “Your resiliency, energy, endurance and very life depend on the proper functioning of the adrenals,” Wilson says.

We’ve inherited our sympathetic nervous system and its stress response of fight-or-flight from our prehistoric ancestors. It hasn’t evolved to differentiate between an acute threat to survival and the chronic threats from looming deadlines, financial pressures and other modern-day worries.

“The adrenal stress response to physical danger or any perceived psychological threat is identical—the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine responsible for cascading physiological reactions,” explains Dr. Vijay Jain, who treats fatigue from an integrative perspective at his Mind Body Wellness Center, in Palm Coast, Florida.

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Adrenal fatigue is mainly a self-induced health problem that doesn’t just appear. It results from an accumulation of ongoing choices that we can change.

Jain applies ayurvedic principles to reestablish balance in the body’s three prominent mind-body types that influence personal well-being. These are known as vata, pitta and kapha. For people primarily characterized by vata and pitta typology, fatigue is the result of being overactive and burning the candle at both ends. For those with kapha constitutions, fatigue is the outcome of a sedentary lifestyle with insufficient movement and eating the wrong foods for them.

He further recommends getting more sleep with regular bedtimes, practices such as yoga nidra meditation, pranayama (yogic breathing) and a slower-paced yoga practice with longer-held meditative poses, as well as massage and a diet designed to restore our biological energies, or doshas, to a balanced state. “Depending on a patient’s constitution I advise some to slow down and burn 50 percent less of their candle, while I tell others to increase their physical activity and improve their diet.”

Jain also recommends a type of ayurvedic purification and detoxification treatment that involves a series of five therapies including massage and herbal treatments. Performed in sequence, these allow the body and mind to drop into a state of peacefulness. Acupuncture treatments are also helpful, along with a regimen of adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng, schisandra and ashwagandha, according to Jain.

In Happy Healthy Thyroid: The Essential Steps to Healing Naturally, author Andrea Beaman writes about how she recovered naturally from adrenal fatigue. To restore energy and vitality to the body, she further recommends the healing practices of hatha yoga, qigong and tai chi. “These modalities build energy, whereas power yoga, and cardiovascular exercises drain energy in fatigued individuals,” advises Beaman. She notes that it can take six months to two years to restore desired energy levels.

Beaman counsels individuals with behavioral characteristics that make it more challenging to burn less of their candle. She grabs their attention with the critical nature of their situation. “‘You are in and out of life in a blink. If you’re exhausted at age 48, how are you going to live a vibrant, happy and exuberant life right up to the finish line?’ That generally works,” she says.

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Cheryl Downey | 612-272-3977 Healing@SacredWheelCenter.com | Metamorphosis Wellness Center www.SacredWheelCenter.com

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com. natural awakenings

December 2016

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paws,” says Monica Weintraub, a food and travel blogger currently working from Beijing, China. “Carl loves the burst of energy, and we both build muscle.”

A backyard agility course can complement or even substitute for walks. It’s easy to make with weave poles, jumps and tunnels. Vary the order of the obstacles and run alongside the dog to call out each one. When it’s excessively wet, cold and icy or hot outside, create an indoor agility course. Use blankets and upturned chairs for tunnels, cardboard boxes to designate a weaving trot and a hula hoop for jumps. Set it up on top of rugs that foster firm footing. Balance can also be improved with exercise balls. While some dogs only see a soccer game, others try to balance on the ball, strengthening core muscles like their humans.

Learning doga, or yoga for dogs, incorporates a canine’s natural trainability, flexibility, mimicry of human moves and desire to please. Kristen Corral, who’s also certified in animal massage, teaches Anima yoga fusion classes for people and pets of all ages in Las Vegas. “Anima means an expression of one’s true inner self,” she explains. “We work on balance and never force the dogs into poses. They’re excited during the first sessions, but as you move and breathe together, it becomes a calming and relaxing activity.”

Floor exercises with the help of a dog also helps strengthen core muscles. Do leg lifts and teach the pet to walk under a raised leg to ensure it stays raised for the proper amount of time. Incorporate fetch games with sit-ups; throw the toy when sitting up and accept it back while reclining. Alternate arms—the dominant one has better aim, while the other one adds steps for the dog as it runs to fetch an errant toss.

For chair exercises, use a toy to lure the dog under the chair, moving it from side-to-side, simultaneously working the waistline. Fetch lets the dog chase the toy before dropping it in front of

Fetch, Stretch, Dance Barna Tanko/Shutterstock.com

by Sandra Murphy

M

an and woman’s best four-legged friend can activate and energize even the most reluctant couch potato or exhausted owner, making the family dog an excellent exercise buddy. Regardless of how lax we may be, everyone feels better after some kind of workout. A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology confirms that working up a sweat outdoors affords an appealing boost of energy, enjoyment and improved state of mind.

Dogs love routine, so they’ll be waiting by the door for their daily walks. Make each outing mindful by letting the pet choose the route and pace. While they stop to sniff, do hamstring stretches by leaning against a wall, fence or tree.

Once the warm-up portion is completed, add sprints to burn more calories. Ask for a sit, pick a goal a short distance away and then give the cue to run together fast. After arriving at the goal, ask for another sit.

“Our favorite time to go is before 7 a.m. to avoid cars and when the asphalt isn’t too hot for his

Offering a Blend of Western & Eastern Medicine • Acupuncture • Herbs • Nutritional Therapy • Behavior Counseling • House Calls Available Susan M. Swanson, D.V.M. 1524 Mahtomedi Avenue, Mahtomedi, MN 55115

www.HolisticCatClinic.com 22

Twin Cities Edition

NaturalTwinCities.com

Sean Nel/Shutterstock.com

Make Your Dog an Exercise Buddy

the chair, giving the owner’s core muscles a workout when bending to pick it up each time.

Dogs love to play hide-and-seek. It’s easy with two people; one holds the dog while the other hides. If solo, teach the pet to sit until a timer goes off before starting the hunt.

“I ask Felix, my mixed-breed dog, to hold a sit-stay while I go hide,” says Chantelle Wallace, a professional writer who volunteers to exercise animals at Skyline Pet Care and Fitness, in Austin, Texas. “Hide and seek activates both mental focus and physical exercise.”

Dancing to favorite tunes expends lots of energy. Dogs may perform obedience moves to the beat or, like humans, dance like nobody’s watching. Scientists at the University of Missouri are among those that have found that music improves moods, too.

Teaching a dog to help around the house impresses everybody and takes advantage of bad weather to catch up on chores. They can tour a laundry basket to bedrooms, pick up trash or place items for recycling in a bin. Select individual items to be carried up or down stairs for a muscular workout. Take some tips from Jesse, a most helpful dog, at Tinyurl.com/HouseholdHelpPooch.

When our will to exercise is wavering, an eager dog will help keep an exercise routine interesting and on track. The dog’s goal is always to have fun with their favorite person.

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calendarofevents Please call ahead to confirm dates and times. Pre-register early to ensure events will have a minimum number to take place. To place a calendar listing, email us before the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email Jackie@NAtwincities.com for guidelines on how to submit listings. Thanks!

Energy Medicine: Futuring - Predicting, Creating & Understanding – 9am-4pm. Discover the future through the study of the past. Explore “futuring” traditions and methods across several cultures and time, from countries including Egypt, Lapland, Wales, Greece, China and Siberia; and communities including the Mayans, Gypsies, Hindus, Cherokees, Hebrews and Sufis. $145. Normandale Community College.

952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

The Infinite Way – 9-10am. This meditation is held the first Thursday of each month. Listen to a CD

by Joel Goldsmith, sitting in the silence and then having a short discussion. Register online. Freewill offering. Unity Church, 4000 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley. UnityMinneapolis.org.

Readings with Intuitive Pathfinder Amy Vasterling 9am-1pm. Amy can help you see a clearer path to living your life more in flow and teach you how to live life spiritually and to actualize more of want you want through simple shifts in your approach. 1 hour/$100 and 30 mins/$55. Book by calling Green Lotus Lakeville 952373-0055. Green Lotus, 18480 Kenyon Ave, Lakeville.

GreenLotusYogaCtr.com.

Climate Generation: Celebrating 10 Years of Climate Action – 5:30-11pm. Celebrating our 10th year of engaging people in climate change solutions with cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, music and dancing. $125. Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St, Minneapolis. ClimateGen.org.

Local Holiday Gift Market – 10am-3pm. Do your local holiday shopping that supports MN and WI artists and producers, bring the kids out for some holiday gift-making or spend an afternoon with friends sampling product from local producers. Free. Wedge Table, 2412 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. Wedge.coop.

The Art of Muscle Testing: Emotional Balancing (Part1) – 6-8pm. Emotional stress is something that we all experience in our lives, and it can be controlled by muscle testing techniques. Learn and experience how color and gentle acupressure can relieve past or present pain and trauma and even future performance anxiety. $49. Normandale Community College. 952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

Create Confident Communication – 1-5pm. Three unique master teachers will guide and empower you to speak with more confidence and freedom and heal the physical throat, grief, sadness, hurt, and fear related to speaking your truth. $15-$85 sliding scale. Aslan Institute, 4141 Old Sibley Memorial Hwy, Eagan. TheWonderHorse.biz.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

How to Find the Hidden Toxins in Food – 6-7pm.

Learn how toxins are affecting your health and get the natural solutions to the pollution. Free.

Seating is limited, please RSVP to 612-314-9333.

YOUnique Wellness, 2459 -15th NW, New Brighton.

TheHealthiDeserve.com.

Depth of Fan Workshop – 1-3pm. Start your weekend out right with this fun and interesting workshop. You will review and fine-tune your tai chi fan abilities in the Moving Stillness Fan form. Students will learn how to add more depth to their skills as well as refine them. $29. Normandale Community College. 952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Drumming at LHSC – 7-8pm. Drumming circle with the sacred Buffalo Drum - donation based.

Step into the energies on this Power Day and join us for this magical night of drumming. Lake Harriet Spiritual Center, 4401 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis.

Dances of Universal Peace – 7-9pm. Weave a circle of sacred presence with experienced seekers and curious newbies alike. We honor all the traditions of the world by singing sacred songs and dancing simple steps in a circle of universal prayer. Free-will offering. Holistic Gateway Center for the Healing Arts, 1415 6th St NE - 2nd Floor, Minneapolis. Holistic-Gateway.com.

“Pay-what-you-can” Wellness Night – 7-9pm. We invite you, the first Friday of each month, for a “Pay what you can”-styled Wellness Night. Therapies: Reiki Circle, Colorpuncture, Access Bars & others.

Psinergy Natural Health, 1553 Como Ave, St Paul.

PsinergyHealth.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 Reiki Energy Therapy Level 2 – 8am-4pm. Learn how to develop abilities to handle more complex situations and techniques to enhance your practice of the therapy. Upon completion of this course, you will be certified as an Advanced Practitioner with greater capabilities and ability to transmit the Reiki life force. $150. Normandale Community College.

952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6 Intuitive Readings with Amy – 9am-7pm. Come with questions and be ready for quick and concise answers with Amy Vasterling. Call Amy to schedule yours at this special rate for this day only. $75 for 50-minute readings. 612-405-0916. In-person or phone. IntuitivePathfinder.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 Homeopathy: A Holistic Form of Health Care 6:30-7:30pm. Learn some basics about homeopathy and how by working with the immune system it can help with physical, mental and emotional issues.

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Free. First Wed of each month. Minnesota Center for Homeopathy, 7104 Lake St W, St Louis Park. Teresa Stewart. 612-720-2332. Homeovista.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 Advanced Enneagram Workshop – 10am-3pm.

This advanced Enneagrams workshop is facilitated

by Dr. David Banner. Knowledge of Enneagrams and your personality type required. $50; pre-registration encouraged. Unity Minneapolis, 4000 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley. UnityMinneapolis.org.

Spiritual Wisdom on Health and Healing 7-8:30pm. Class also meets 12/14 and 12/21. Come explore divine keys to good health. Learn how dreams can bring healing and discover the greatest creative force you can use for healing. Free. 952-380-2200. Eckankar, 7450 Powers Blvd, Chanhassen. TempleofECK.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 Art of Muscle Testing: Emotional Balancing (Part 2) – 6-8pm. Emotional stress is something we all experience in our lives and it can be controlled by muscle testing techniques. Experience how color and gentle acupressure can relieve past or present pain and trauma – and even future performance anxiety. This workshop is a continuation of the Part 1. $49. Normandale Community College. 952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

Essential Oils and DIY Gifts – 6-7:30pm. Learn what essential oils are, where they come from, and how we can safely use them to enhance our everyday lives.

Free. Seward Coop, 2823 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis.

Seward.coop.

Taste of Shiatsu – 6-8pm. Learn a little theory and a simple shiatsu sequence and discover if shiatsu is right for you. Free. CenterPoint Massage & Shiatsu Therapy School & Clinic, 5300 W 35 St, St Louis Park. CenterPointMN.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 Qi-ssage with Spring Forest Qigong – 8:30am4:30pm. A technique for opening the twelve major energy channels in your body and balancing the flow of your body’s energy. Learn how to stimulate these key energy points with your fingers, hands and drawing the healing energy from the source love. $239.

Normandale Community College. 952-358-8343.

Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

Energy Medicine 3: Energy Anatomy: Channels 9am-4pm. Learn the two main energy channels, the meridians and the nadis, that support and determine our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. $145. Normandale Community College.

952-358-8343. Normandale.edu/ce/classes.

Massage Basics – 10am-5pm. Designed for people considering a career in massage and bodywork or for those who would like to learn a simple and safe massage sequence to practice on family and friends.

Come prepared to experience giving and receiving massage. $75. CenterPoint Massage & Shiatsu Therapy School & Clinic, 5300 W 35 St, St Louis Park.

CenterPointMN.com.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 Hennepin County Fix–it Clinic – Noon-4pm. Bring your broken household goods and clothing in need of repair. Please also bring any tools and supplies you think might help with the job. Free. Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 6th St NE, Minneapolis.

Hennepin.us/FixItClinic.

Youth Christmas Program – 12:30-3pm. All are invited for our annual potluck dinner followed by “Our Gift to Unity” presented by the Youth of Unity.

Freewill offering. Unity Church, 4000 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley. UnityMinneapolis.org.

Winter Vata Spa – 1-3pm. Treat yourself to a grounding and nurturing experience designed to calm and warm your heart and soul. Join us for a gentle all-level

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hatha yoga class, essential oil blend make-and-takes, recipes, plus dietary, yoga and lifestyle tips to calm, warm and nurture yourself during the cold days of winter. a sensory experience. $50. Green Lotus, 750 Main St, #100, Mendota Hts. GreenLotusYogaCtr.com.

Restorative Yoga with Essential Oils – 3-5pm. For two blissful hours be guided to full relaxation so that you have an opportunity to rejuvenate and reconnect with your body, mind and spirit. $40. Spirit of the Lake Yoga & Wellness Center, 244 Water St, 2nd Floor, Excelsior. SpiritOfTheLakeYoga.com.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Holiday Gift Making with Organic Essential Oils 6-7:30pm. Learn how to use organic essential oils to make Salt Scrub Body Polish as holiday gifts for loved ones. Free, but must register. Space is limited. Wedge Table, 2412 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. Wedge.coop.

Nourish 101 – 6:30-7:30pm. Spaghetti Squash classes feature basic scratch-cooking techniques and recipes that feed a family of four for under $10 ($15 with meat). Free. Seward Coop, Friendship Store, 317 E 38th St, Minneapolis. Seward.coop.

Reduce Holiday Food Cravings with EFT (Tapping) 7-9pm. To reduce food cravings we use a technique called the Emotional Freedom Technique, simple and easy to use anywhere. Taught by Julie Jacky. $39.Metamorphosis Center, 1301 E Cliff Rd, #105, Burnsville.

Metamorphosis.cc.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 Holistic Chamber of Minnesota – 7-9pm. This month’s focus is in on learning to understand and love your numbers. Free for first–time visitors.

Metamorphosis Center, 1301 E Cliff Rd, #105, Burnsville. HolisticChamberMn.com.

Winter Food Therapy Class + Cupping Demo – 7-8:30pm. Join licensed acupuncturist Leah Fifield for a fun and informative wellness workshop on how to select, prepare and enjoy healthy food for the winter season according to Chinese therapeutic principles.

Taste a seasonal dish and win some black beans. NE Community Acupuncture, 1224 2nd St NE, #201, Minneapolis. NECommunityAcupuncture.com.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 Essential Oils Class – 6:30-8pm. Learn about non-toxic cleaners, winter options for diffusing in your home & wellness blends to help with pain, allergies and skin care. Join us for a night of interactive fun. Free but must register. Email Luna@ EastSideFood.coop. EastSide Food, 2551 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis. EastSideFood.coop.

Healthier Fascia, Healthier You – 6:30-8:30pm.

Learn to reduce pain and increase the benefits you get from your healthy food and supplement choices to helping you feel great. Learn simple, no-cost techniques for freeing your bodies’ fascial system. Free.

Valley Natural Foods, 13750 Co. Rd 11, Burnsville.

ValleyNaturalFoods.com.

NaturalTwinCities.com

Ramsey County Fix–it Clinic – 10am-1pm. Bring your broken household goods and clothing in need of repair. Please also bring any tools and supplies you think might help with the job. Free. Our Lady of Guadalupe, 401 Concord St, St Paul. RamseyCounty.Us.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 Global Healing & Social Harmony Meditations – Noon-1pm. Frustrated by global, social and political strife? Do you want to do something positive to offset negativity? These guided sessions work on subtle levels to change participants spiritually then have them send forth energy for individual, social and global healing. $5-$15. Healing Elements, 2290 Como Ave, St Paul. HealingElementsWellness.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 Intro to Hand Drum – 10-11:30am. Introductory workshop for women and girls to learn techniques applicable for a variety of hand drums such as the conga, djembe and ashiko. $25. Must preregister.

651-206-7617. Women’s Drum Center, 2242 University Ave W, St Paul. WomensDrumCenter.org.

Self-Hypnosis – 7-9pm. David John, certified clinical hypnotherapist at Balanced Mind Hypnotherapy, will lead this group through a self-hypnosis session. Free. Holistic Moms’ Network. Think Bank Community Room, 3655 Hazelton Rd, Edina.

TwinCitiesMn.HolisticMoms.org.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27 Intro to Aerial Yoga Workshop – 7:30-9pm. Learn how to stay safe and present in the fabric hammock as you invert, maneuver, balance, stretch and have fun. Practice modification and propping techniques to help you work more comfortably in the fabric. $30. Tula Yoga & Wellness, 99 Snelling Ave N, St Paul. TulaYogaWellness.com.

plan ahead SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 Dances of Universal Peace – 7-9pm. Weave a circle of sacred presence with experienced seekers and curious newbies alike. We honor all the traditions of the world by singing sacred songs and dancing simple steps in a circle of universal prayer. Free-will offering. Holistic Gateway Center for the Healing Arts, 1415 6th St NE 2nd Floor, Minneapolis. Holistic-Gateway.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 The Infinite Way – 9-10am. This meditation is held the first Thursday of each month. Time will be spent listening to a CD by Joel Goldsmith, sitting in the silence and then having a short discussion. Register online. Freewill offering. Unity Church, 4000 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley. UnityMinneapolis.org.

ongoingevents

thursday Hatha for Everyone – 6-7pm. Everyone is welcome to this weekly drop-in class. All levels. Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well-being. $10. Meditation Center, 631 University Ave NE, Minneapolis.

TheMeditationCenter.org.

Please call or check the website to ensure the classes or events are still scheduled for that week.

sunday Sunday Morning Meditation Service – 10-11am.

This Sunday Morning Alternative is for persons of all traditions who desire spiritual nourishment through a meditation-based service. Suggested donation $5$20. Center for Performing Arts (Sun Room), 3754 Pleasant Ave, Minneapolis. Awake-in-life.com.

Qigong Practice Group – 3:30-4:30pm. Practice group to learn more about qigong and the gentle movements that are powerful in moving your energy.

Class if free, but request a small donation to help pay for space. Psinergy Natural Health, 1553 Como Ave, St. Paul. PsinergyHealth.com.

monday Cardio Fitness Drumming – 6-7pm. Burn calories in a fun, way with this full body workout that doesn’t feel like a workout. Free. Nutrition Hub, 7880 University Ave NE, Fridley. Text or call to reserve your spot. 612-787-2582. Facebook.com/ TheNutritionHub.Fridley.

Lovingkindness Meditation Practice – 6-7pm.

Through ancient, gentle and gradual practices, we learn to let go of fear and ill-will and to open our hearts to ourselves and to others, known and unknown. Our time together will include instruction, guided meditation and discussion. Donation based. River Garden, 455 7th St W, St Paul. RiverGardenYoga.com.

Light Meditation Classes – 6:30-7pm. Be led through a simple mindfulness meditation. Whether you are new to meditation or have been meditating for many years, it can be helpful to meditate with a group and have an instructor lead you in a focused way. Free.

Center of Light, 2548 Pleasant Ave, Minneapolis.

612-205-5545. Minneapolis@CentersOfLight.org.

.

wednesday

Practice Qigong – 12:30-1pm. Please feel free to join at the Spring Forest Qigong Healing Center for a practice group. Free. Spring Forest Qigong, 7520 Market Place Dr, Eden Prairie. SpringForestQigong.com.

Max Meditation System – 6:30-7:30pm. A guided meditation, combining ancient meditation techniques with modern Neuro-Linguistic Programming to help beginning and experienced meditators quiet the mind and connect for a relaxing meditation. $15 or 5 for $55. Healing Elements, 2290 Como Ave, St. Paul. 651-348-6216.

HealingElementsWellness.com.

Introductory Presentations on the Transcendental Meditation Program – 7:30-9pm. Transcendental Meditation is easy to learn and offers a lifetime of benefits for health, well-being and development of the human potential. Free. Transcendental Meditation Center, 399 Ruth St N, St. Paul. 651-714-0254.

TM.org/Transcendental-Meditation-Twin-Cities.

Candlelight Flow Yoga – 8:30-9:30pm. Step into the surroundings of a uniquely illuminated candlelit studio with soothing music that takes you away from the stress of your day. Through breath and posture, gain deeper awareness of your body and develop higher levels of strength, focus and flexibility through a vinyasa class for all levels in a candlelit space. $15 drop-in. Yoga Sol, 21 5th St NE, Minneapolis. Yoga-Sol.com.

Gentle Yoga for Every Body – 10:30am-noon. A welcoming environment for students of all shapes and sizes. $15 drop-in. River Garden Yoga, 455 W 7th St, St. Paul. RiverGardenYoga.com.

Drop-in Meditation – 5:15-6pm. A guided meditation presented through the lens of a Wisdom Practice (gratitude, compassion, and inquiry). $20 (or donation). Aslan Institute, 4141 Old Sibley Memorial Hwy, Eagan. AslanInst.com.

saturday Free Meditation – 6-7:30pm. Join us for a free weekly meditation. Sahaja Yoga Meditation, Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie. FreeMeditation.com.

Cardio Fitness Drumming – 8-8:30am. Burn calories in a fun, way with this full body workout that doesn’t feel like a workout. Free. Nutrition Hub, 7880 University Ave NE, Fridley. Text or call to reserve your spot. 612-787-2582. Facebook.com/ TheNutritionHub.Fridley.

Tooth by the Lake HOLISTIC GENERAL DENTISTRY

tuesday Stress Busters Meditation – Noon-1pm. Join us when you can for a free meditation at the University of MN. Mayo Building, Third Fl. Meditation Space, Minneapolis. CSH.umn.edu.

friday

Kari Seaverson DDS John Seaverson DDS

1401 Mainstreet Hopkins, MN 55343 952-475-1101 ToothByTheLake.net

Hand Drum for Beginners – 5:30-6:30pm. Learn drum technique as we learn and practice African, Brazilian, Latin and American hand drum songs. $10. Women’s Drum Center, 2242 University Ave W, St Paul. WomensDrumCenter.org.

Free Meditation – 6-7:30pm. Join us for a free weekly meditation. Sahaja Yoga Meditation, Hennepin County Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. FreeMeditation.com.

Experience healthier dentistry natural awakenings

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classifieds

directorylistings

Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month with a 20-word minimum.

To place listing, email content to Jackie@NATwinCities.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month.

To find out how to be included in the Directory Listings, email Jackie@ NATwinCities.com to request a media kit.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

BREAST HEALTH AROMATHERAPY NATURE’S WAY Healthy Girls’ Breast Oil Joyce Sobotta • 715-878-4474 AromaTherapyNaturesWay.com

Healthy Girls’ Breast Oil when applied with a self-breast massage helps to balance, detoxify, soften breast tissue, improve lymphatic circulation and stimulate the immune system. Improved circulation helps your entire body! See ad, page 21.

SPREAD YOUR WINGS – Add a Rejuvenation Studio to your existing beauty, fitness or health/ wellness business. Bring in new customers, gain revenue from several sources, and your customers will love it! For more information, check out: CirculationNationStudios.com.

CREATIVITY – HEALING WHAT IS STOPPING YOUR CREATIVITY? Gifted artist/teacher/healer offers musicians, writers and all artists a healing approach to unblocking creativity. 651-214-0646.

HELP WANTED OFFICE HELP – Thermography clinic needs part-time person to answer phones, process reports and schedule appointments. QuickBooks & computer experience needed. Some Integrative Medicine knowledge preferred. Send resume to: Info@PictureMyHealth.com.

ROUTE DRIVER – Various routes in the Twin Cities for magazine deliveries. Flexible hours.

Contact Dan at Mill City Distribution, MillCity Distribution@yahoo.com for more information.

VIBRANT SALES PERSON DESIRED – PartTime in the Twin Cities area. Natural Awakenings is seeking to find a self-motivated experienced sales person who enjoys a healthy lifestyle. This commission-based position offers flexibility and opportunity to create abundance. The right person will have their own car, computer and phone. Please email Jackie@ NAtwincities.com if interested.

PICTURE MY HEALTH

6420 W Lake St (Main screening location) St. Louis Park • 952-926-2511 See website for other locations PictureMyHealth.com Offering safe breast/fullbody screenings using Digital Infrared Thermal Picture My Health Gently caring for your body Imaging in more than 35 locations. Functional and physiological changes can be detected in early stages with no radiation and no touching. FDA cleared.

Use HSA & FSA dollars.

NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Integrative Health Education Center 9700 France Ave S, Bloomington 952-358-9182 • Normandale.edu/CE/ Health Classes, workshops and certificates offered in ayurveda, aromatherapy, herbalism, energy medicine, reiki, Healing Touch, hypnosis, qigong, tai chi, yoga, and more. Integrative healing business classes and professional development. Hands on, experiential learning for holistic wellness. See ad, page 22.

COMPUTER REPAIR PSINERGY TECHWARRIOR ST. PAUL 1553 Como Ave, St. Paul 612-234-7237 • PsinergyTech.com

“Is your Computer being Crabby?” Onsite/In-Home or Office, Bring-to-Us Computer Repair services. 2011-15 Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner. Local • Affordable • Honest • Greener.

CHIROPRACTIC

DENTIST

GOLDEN SUN CHIROPRACTIC

Una Forde, DC International Village Arcade Building 220 West 98th St, Suite 7, Bloomington 952-922-1478

PRODUCTS BIOMAT – Feel rejuvenated in body and mind with the Amethyst Biomat. Experience relief form joint pain, reduce your stress and improve your circulation. Call Jennifer at 651-705-6760 or visit CrystallineLight.com for more information. Try for free for one week!

CLASSES

years’ experience.

Quality chiropractic care.

Experience holistic healing and gentle chiropractic adjustments that allow the nervous system to relieve such symptoms as headache, back, neck pain and numbness which allow your body to return to a state of balance and well-being. 25

HEALTH CENTERED DENTISTRY N7915-902 St River Falls, WI 715-426-7777 HealthCenteredDentistry.com

W h o l e P e r s o n D e n tis tr y observes and deals with the mind, body and spirit, not just your Teeth. This approach to dentistry encompasses both modern science and knowledge drawn from the world’s great traditions in natural healing.

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh

Who so loves believes the impossible. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Twin Cities Edition

NaturalTwinCities.com

NATURAL SMILES DENTAL CARE 4700 Lexington Ave N, Suite D Shoreview 651-483-9800 NaturalSmilesDental.com

We’re an integrative practice committed to promoting dental wellness and overall assistance to the whole person. We desire to participate in the creation of healthier lives, while being sensitive to physical, philosophical, emotional and financial concerns. See ad, page 25.

ENERGY HEALING EMOTION CODE HEALING

Pure Dental offers integrative, holistic, alternative and biological dentistry for your dental health.

We take pride in providing quality, holistic dental care and service for our patients. See ad, page 21.

CAMPFIRE STUDIO

Master Hong Certified Emotion Code Practitioner 9672 63rd Ave N, Maple Grove 763-208-4246 or 914-708-9463

Sara Shrode, Graphic Designer Minneapolis, MN 612-554-6304 • CampfireStudio.net Sara@CampfireStudio.net

Chronic pain? Suffering from emotions? Relationship problems?

Life not going as planned? The Emotion Code is a tool I use to help you break through any emotional and spiritual blocks so you can live your best life. Trial session only $35.

PURE DENTAL

Dr. Amy Ha Truong 6230 10th St. N., Ste 520, Oakdale 651-731-3064 • PureDentalMN.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALING CONSCIOUS LIFE RESOURCES

Annette Rugolo, Master Dowser 612-605-8608 ConsciousLifeResources.com Annette@ConsciousLifeResources.com

TOOTH BY THE LAKE

1401 Main St, Hopkins 952-475-1101 • ToothByTheLake.net We build a foundation of trust by treating our patients as individuals. Understanding how uneasy some patients may feel about their dental visits, we make a difference by providing a relaxing and positive experience. See ad, page 27.

Is the energy of your home supporting you or keeping you stuck?

Cure the negative and enhance the positive with a consultation and create a home filled with light.

Email Annette and ask for a free e-book. See ad, page 10.

Ignite the possibilities of your next project by having Campfire Studio design it! Innovative, fullservice graphic design studio that takes the essence of a campfire—warmth, stories, community—and infuses it into every design project we do.

GRIEF SUPPORT SACRED WHEEL GRIEFWORK Cheryl Downey • 612-272-3977 13942 Echo Park Cir, Burnsville SacredFire44@gmail.com

See ad, page 21.

We often resist the changing power of loss and grief. The ancient wheel and other sacred arts can help lighten heaviness and allow grief’s mysteries to emerge into light. Phone and in-person sessions, workshops and groups.

Call for free 20-minute session.

stkate.edu/holistic

HEAL

M.A. or Certificate in Holistic Health Studies • Achieve your life purpose and calling • Focus on the mind-body connection and spirituality in health and wellness • The only program of its kind in the country

St. Catherine University — Holistic Health ad 2016–17 Natural Awakenings — ad “B”

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HAIR REGROWTH

HYPNOSIS

MARRAK

1206 Thomas Ave, St Paul, MN 651-307-5257 • MarrakByMEB.com Marrak Hair Recovery Creme is the only all natural and organic product clinically proven to recover hair, reduce scalp itch and dandruff, and improve overall hair and scalp health, with no side effects. See ad, page 7.

FARE HYPNOSIS CENTER 8353 Crystal View Rd #201 Eden Prairie • 952-934-1315 FareHypnosis.com

Hypnosis services to help you live your best life – eating healthy, quitting smoking, increased self-confidence, reduced stress and more. We also offer hypnosis training for new hypnotists as well as continuing education for hypnotists/other professionals. See ad, page 6.

HAIR REMOVAL AARK ADVANCED ELECTROLYSIS & ADVANCED WELLNESS Diane Christofferson 704 - 9th Ave NW, New Brighton 651-636-4049 • AarkElectrolysis.com

I offer Electrolysis (the only proven method of permanent hair removal) on all types of hair; noninvasive Ionic Detoxing and LED Skin Light Therapy. 25 years’ experience and am Certified in the Natural Health Care Field.

INTUITIVE GUIDANCE INTUITIVE PATHFINDER

Amy Cerny Vasterling 308 Prince St, #160, St Paul IntuitivePathfinder.com IntuitivePathfinder@gmail.com I help you learn to trust what you already know by connecting to your inner guidance system. Not sure which way to go? I help you get your bearings so you move forward with confidence. See ad, page 21.

HEALTH Dr. Maureen Hyde, DC 2459-15th St NW, #A, New Brighton 612-314-9333 • TheHealthiDeserve.com Digestive upset, headaches, chronic muscle aches, fatigue, PMS, menopausal symptoms, etc. While common, they’re not normal. Heal at the cellular level and experience relief, perhaps for the first time.

Health evaluation and testing only $49 and includes a free gift.

MASSAGE/STRETCHING HEALING TAJ

Theodore Rick Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) International Village Arcade Building 220 West 98th St, Suite 7, Bloomington HealingTaj.com • 763-913-6722

HOMEOPATHY NORTHWESTERN ACADEMY OF HOMEOPATHY

Warren King.

7104 W. Lake Street, St. Louis Park 763-746-9242 • HomeoVista.org

“I love massage, but too often it feels good temporarily and then the pain and tightness comes back again. I have found with AIS that by stretching and lengthening the fibers, almost like a yoga/massage that the pain doesn’t come back again,”

NUTRITION

Homeopathy is a safe, effective path to healing. We offer low-cost homeopathic care for everyone.

Clinic is staffed by advanced students and supervised by faculty.

Twin Cities Edition

CAT CARE CLINIC

Susan Swanson, D.V.M. 651-429-4153 • HolisticCatClinic.com 1524 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi Offering a blend of Western and Eastern Medicine including; nutritional counseling, behavior counseling, Chinese Herbs, acupuncture, Western herbs, essential oils, homeopathy, flower essences, nutritional supplements, chiropractic, reiki and more. See ad, page 22.

PRODUCTS CRYSTALLINE LIGHT

Jennifer@CrystallineLight.com 651-705-6760 CrystallineLight.com Selling high-quality energy crystals/stones; handcrafted energetic mists, gemstone jewelry, bath salts and more. Online shop, energetic services, workshops and education on the importance of the mineral kingdom in your every day and spiritual life.

THERMOGRAPHY

YOUNIQUE WELLNESS

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PETS

AMY NADEAU FOOD AND NUTRITION Nutritional Therapist, Caterer Personal Chef and Educator ChefAmyNutrition.com • 612-239-7525

NaturalTwinCities.com

Do you suffer from digestive discomfort, brain fog, or high blood sugar? Would you like to forge a new relationship with the food you eat? Call for a free consultation and start taking control of your health through real food!

PICTURE MY HEALTH

6420 W Lake St (Main screening location) St. Louis Park • 952-926-2511 See website for other locations PictureMyHealth.com Offering safe breast/fullbody screenings using Digital Infrared Thermal Picture My Health Imaging in more than 35 Gently caring for your body locations. Functional and physiological changes can be detected in early stages with no radiation and no touching.

FDA cleared. Use HSA & FSA dollars.

WELLNESS CENTERS PSINERGY NATURAL HEALTH & HOLISTIC WELLNESS 1553 Como Ave, St. Paul 612-217-4325 • PsinergyHealth.com

Utilizing well-defined natural wellness tools and therapies customized for you, we make holistic health easy, understandable and affordable. Our process is to help bring you back into balance while educate you along the way.

Spreading Light and Love to Over 4 Million Readers s from Through 90+ Publication Center n Coast to Coast and the Caribbea Huntsville, AL Gulf Coast AL/MS Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ East Bay Area, CA San Diego, CA Boulder/Ft. Collins, CO Denver, CO Fairfield County , CT Har tford, CT New Haven/Middlesex, CT Washington, DC Daytona/Volusia/ Flagler, FL - NW FL Emerald Coast - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Jacksonville/ St. Augustine, FL - Melbourne/Vero, FL - Miami & theFlorida Key s - Naples/Ft. Myers, FL - Nor th Central FL - Orlando, FL - Palm Beach, FL - Peace River, FL - Sarasota, FL - Tampa/St. Pete., FL - Treasure Coast, FL - Atlanta, GA - Hawaiian Islands - Chicago, IL IL - Chicago Western Suburbs, - Indianapolis, IN - Baton Rouge, LA - Lafayette, LA - New Orleans, LA - Boston, MA - Ann Arbor, MI - East Michigan - Wayne County , MI - Western MI - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - Charlotte, NC - Lake Norman, NC - Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill, NC

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- Bergen/Passaic, NJ - Central, NJ - Hudson County , NJ - Mercer County , NJ - Monmouth/Ocean, NJ - Nor th Central NJ - South NJ - Santa Fe/Abq., NM - Las Vegas, NV - Albany , NY - Buffalo, NY - Central NY - Long Island, NY - Hudson Valley W., NY - Manhattan, NY NY - Westchester/Putnam Co’s., OH tral - Cen - Cincinnati, OH - Toledo, OH - Oklahoma City , OK - Por tland, OR PA - Bucks/Montgomery Co’s, - Chester/Delaware Co’s, PA - Harrisburg/York, PA - Lancaster/Berks, PA - Lehigh Valley, PA - Philadelphia, PA - Pocono, PA/Warren Co., NJ - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA - Rhode Island - Charleston, SC - Columbia, SC - Greenville, SC - Chattanooga, TN - Austin, TX - Dallas Metroplex, TX - Dallas/FW Metro N - Houston, TX - San Antonio, TX - S. Houston/Galveston, TX - Richmond, VA - Seattle, WA - Madison, WI - Milwaukee, WI - Puerto Rico - Dominican Republic

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“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

– Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness is about observing the world around you without criticism or judgment. Being mindful can help you reduce stress, improve your health and wellbeing, and can be a powerful tool for increased performance in the workplace.

Learn how stress impacts your body and your decision making, and develop important skills to improve your health and wellbeing through a regular mindfulness practice.

Gentle movement like yoga, mindful communication exercises, and group discussion will improve your wellbeing and reduce your stress.

Upcoming Opportunities: Mindful Self-Compassion

(8 weeks)

Most of us feel compassion when a close friend is struggling. What would it be like to receive the same caring attention whenever you needed it most? All that’s required is shift in the direction of our attention—recognizing that as a human being, you, too, are a worthy recipient of compassion.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

(8 weeks)

Learn how stress impacts your body and your decision making, and develop important skills to improve your health and wellbeing through a regular mindfulness practice.

The University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing has been a leader in mindfulness for more than two decades. Classes are offered throughout the Twin Cities metro area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Plymouth, and White Bear Lake.

Learn about our upcoming Mindfulness classes and workshops at z.umn.edu/BeMindful