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publisher’sletter My friend who is a healer set me straight.

“The one thing that you’ve said that I don’t agree with, Tom, is that the stimulus for spiritual growth is pain.”

I had thought it was pain; it was an understandable mistake to make. Talk of spiritual advancement is almost always accompanied by words like “trial” and “test” and sometimes even “by fire” or “under fire” or “through the fire.” The inescapable is always a mix of The Fire, You, and Engulfed By. And no mere Stop, Drop, and Roll situation is this, either.

No, the assumption is that before you earn your next-level spiritual stripes, you’ll be spending some substantial quality time in a state of burning, and learning.

Fire hurts. Probably more than any other thing. So you can see how I got to pain. That, and the athlete’s axiom: No Pain, No Gain.

But, again, the Spiritual lexicon. Overcome. Listening to the language, there does seem to be something that must be overcome in the process of spiritual growth and development. Adversity would be the football coach word for what the thing is that is overcome, that we are overcoming. It’s about meeting tough challenges head-on, bravely, and unflinching.

Sure, maybe you’re scared in your heart. But the fact that you forge ahead despite that fear makes you fiercely proud of yourself. It is the pride of a warrior. This pride in your warrior-self is the thing that propels you forward into the face of adversity. It is this pride, more than love, that fuels your courage to challenge that adversity.

To tell yourself, with honesty, that you are pursuing a spiritual path. Not going to, but are now. So you, with your warrior’s courage, cast about for a challenge to throw yourself against, merely for the purpose of overcoming it.

No pain, no gain fits right in here, even lending an ironic kind of meaning to the process, if the real meaning is not understood.

I had come to see myself as something like a Spiritual Rambo. Hardcore.

A real warrior indeed. For all of the ingeniously masochistic semi-self-authored traumas that I constructed for myself, I was proud of myself, too, in that fierce way of the warrior, for being unafraid to take on that much pain. I have grown exponentially in the past few years, compared to where I was before, which I really thought was the pain-stimulated spiritual rewards of surviving pain.

Turns out that I had it completely wrong, all along.

“Spiritual growth can only be achieved by one thing, Tom. Learning to Love and love unconditionally, everyone on earth, even your enemies. Especially your enemies, for that is the supreme test, and the only one. It’s not about pain.”

Sigh. I see that now. I get the point. I also see how, where, and when I missed the boat. That’s why I like our new Managing Editor so much, because she misses nothing, never has. She sees everything with an effortless and evenhanded clarity that is astounding to me, he who does not see, or didn’t before, and still doesn’t, really, at least when it comes to the really interesting stuff that’s happening now, all over the Tennessee Valley, within and among the readership of this magazine, both individually, and in groups.

I give you Michele Monticciolo NC MH, nutritionist, holistic healer and wellness coach, and now Managing Editor of Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley. Her essay entitled Choosing Love, A Special Anniversary is the heart and the soul of our February issue, and it is a stunning example of the life, the energy, and the passion that Michele is bringing to us, and to you, through Natural Awakenings.

contact us Publisher Tom Maples Tom@Natvalley.com Cell: (404) 395-9634 Fax: (256) 217-4274 New Business Development Advertising Sales Cindy Wilson Cindy@AlabamaAwakenings.com Cell: (256) 476-6537 Fax: (256) 217-4274 Managing Editor Michele Monticciolo Michele@Natvalley.com Cell: (256) 426-0982 Fax: (256) 217-4274 Design and Production Karen Ormstedt (256) 997-9165 Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley 14 Woodland Ave Trinity, AL 35673 Office: (256) 340-1122 Fax: (256) 217-4274 © 2011 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.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

February 2011

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contents 26

7 wisewords 11 healingways

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.

9 CHOOSING LOVE

14 8

A Special Anniversary

by Michele Monticciolo, NC MH

14 healthykids 16 fitbody

33

24 naturalpet 26 healthbriefs 28 consciouseating

35 33

inspiration

35 globalbriefs

13 TOUCHPOINTS, REFLEXOLOGY-

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR EVERYDAY LIVING Stay Warm This Winter: Adjust Your Body’s Own Thermostat

by Jim Barnes, Certified Reflexologist

14 MINDFUL KIDS

Inner Awareness Brings Calm and Well-Being

by Daniel Rechtschaffen

16 SIERRA BENDER’S HOLISTIC BOOT CAMP Redefining Fitness to Empower Women from the Inside Out

by Kim Childs

18 RELAX & RECHARGE ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE Display Ads due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 404-395-9634 or email editor@natvalley.com.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS* Newsbriefs due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. Limit 50-250 words. Content limited to special events and other announcements. No advertorials, please.

Articles and ideas due by the 5th of the month, 5pm CST. Articles generally contain 250-850 words, with some exceptions. No advertorials, please.

16

Therapeutic Home Recipes Rebalance and Renew Mind and Body

by Frances Lefkowitz

16

22 WHO’S WHO In the Valley Our Spotlight on Exceptional Businesses in The Valley

by Kimberly Ballard and Tom Maples

28 HAPPINESS IS… CHOCOLATE Dark and Delicious, it’s Blissfully Healthy

by Gabriel Constans

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendars and Ongoing Calendars due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. Calendar - Limit 50 words; Ongoing Calendar - Limit 20 words. Up to three Ongoing Calendar entries per organization. Please follow format found in those sections.

ADVERTISE WITH US TODAY 404-395-9634 -or- editor@natvalley.com * All submissions are subject to editing and will be printed at the publisher’s discretion. Article space often fills in advance. Deadline dates refer to the month prior to next publication and may change without notice due to holidays, shorter months, or printing schedules.

30 METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALS AND MINERALS Part 2 of the Series

by Mary Morales

33 ACHIEVE EMOTIONAL FREEDOM Dr. Judith Orloff Shows You How in Her New Book

by Karen Adams

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newsbriefs Fitness Should Be Fun

R

emember when you were young? You’d ride your bike across town to meet your friends at the playground. The day was full of games of tag, playing on the monkey bars and swimming. You went home and slept, tired but happy, and woke up the next day excited about doing it all over again. It didn't seem like exercise. It was fun!

One of the core values of the Top Notch Training philosophy is that getting and stay fit should be an enjoyable experience.

"Top Notch Training bridges the gap between traditional aerobics classes and personal training", says Liz Brown, co-founder of Top Notch Training (TNT) of Decatur. She and her partner, Mark Johnson, both Certified Personal Trainers, launched the new fitness training firm in January. "Our goal is what we call 'Functional Fitness', or fitness that is designed for, and calibrated to, the everyday physical challenges of real life." The kind of fitness one needs for cleaning the house, or carrying a bag of groceries up stairs, raking leaves or mowing the grass, squatting down to pick up your grandchild—these are the functional ways in which we interact physically with our day. Functional Fitness exercises and routines are designed with this in mind. "We focus a lot on Stability training, with a lot of core work. Right now we're using the medicine ball, though we don't typically use a lot of props. No weights or machines whatsoever. Everything we do can be readily modified to fit anyone's level of fitness, and at any age." ...And it's also fun!

Regularly scheduled training sessions are held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 8:30am and 5:30pm at Decatur Athletic Club, 1821 Beltline Rd. in Decatur. On-site sessions, at your home or place of business, are also available. Email TNT at GetFit@TopNotchDecatur.com or call them at 256-274-1FIT for detailed information.

“Green Clean” Cleaning Service Leaves Squeaky Clean Surfaces and a Small Environmental Footprint

E

veryone wants a clean, dust-and-allergen free home, just not at the cost of their health, or to the detriment of the environment. Green Clean was born with a powerful purpose in mind: making big changes in the way the Huntsville cleans their homes and businesses. Most private and commercial cleaning services are using harsh chemical cleaners that carry toxic warnings for both humans and the environment. But owner/operator Ruth Braswell is changing the world of cleaning, one building at a time.

“I suddenly became a fulltime caregiver, and I needed to have a job that was flexible, but also something satisfying for me – something I could really feel good about. I love knowing I’m doing work that brings peace of mind to my clients, while respecting the environment at the same time,” says Ruth.

Since the beginning of 2010, Green Clean has been making

Huntsville a little brighter and cleaner. They provide their own organic cleaning products, as well as environmentally-friendly cleaning materials and equipment such as HEPA filtration system vacuums. They offer free estimates to new customers.

Make 2011 your year to “clean up” in lots of ways! Contact Ruth to schedule your estimate today. GREEN CLEAN Cleaning Service, 256-684-0745.

A Classy Move for Valentine's Day

T

his month, take the stress out of finding a Valentine’s Day gift. This February, give your better half a Gift Certificate from Madison Ballroom Dance Studio.

Ballroom dancing is great for couples. Dancing not only brings all the benefits of physical activity, but it is also a lot of fun, and it will also make you smile and laugh, together! Madison Ballroom Dance Studio gift certificates may be customized for different interests, schedules, and budgets. Choose from weekly private lessons, group classes and Saturday dance parties. Learn a wide variety of dances, from waltz to salsa, swing to tango.

To purchase a gift certificate, contact Madison Ballroom by phone at 256-461-1900 or by email at Dance@MadisonBallroom. com, or visit us on the Web at www.MadisonBallroom.com. For Salsa and Cardio Ballroom gift certificates, please email Gabriela at Gabriela@GabrielaDance.com. See ad page 29.

Pilates on Highland Announces More Workshops for 2011 Schedule

P

ilates on Highland in Birmingham is adding more workshops to their already impressive line-up for the new year. These new additions for 2011 are sure to enhance the repertoire to any Pilate’s enthusiast, ranging from novice to advanced students. Beginning Thursday, February 10th ($20) dietitian, Kelly Pearce brings flavor and flare by incorporating the Mediterranean Diet to your daily meal plans for boosting energy and maximizing health. Friday, February 11th ($45) Learn how to release tension in connective tissue and release stress in the body by influencing the central nervous system through Cranialsacral Therapy, taught by Rene’ Yerby, (NDT) Neurodevelopmental Treatment certified. Saturday, February 19th ($20) Angel Burroughs will cover pre-Pilates movements designed to relieve pain or open the hips as a preventative measure. Monday, April 4th ($20) Get ready for our Weekend Warrior Warm-Up. Alison Page heads up this class covering warm-up and cool down movements designed to stop pain before it happens. These movements target the back, neck, hips, and more. Enjoy your outdoor spring activities without the after affects of pain and soreness.

For more information on these and other workshops, go to www.PilatesOnHighland.com or call 205-323-5961.

See ad page 29.

February 2011

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• Pet Compounding Pharmacy • Massage Therapy • Healthy Eating & Weight Loss • Book Center New Releases & Favorites Terry Wingo, RPh

Ginny Isbell, Pharm D

Seminars and Workshops Date: Thursday, February 17th, 2011 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Madison Drugs Instructor: Terry Wingo, RPh Topic: Managing Hormone Imbalances Cost: $20 – General Admission $30 – C.E. (nurses) R.S.V.P. @ (256) 837-1778

Wellness Counseling

We perform intensive one-on-one evaluations covering your health history and current health problems. Take control of your life today, and schedule an appointment with our trained and qualified staff.

??Ask the Pharmacist??

Terry, I am a 39 year old female experiencing hot flashes, frequent mood changes, and unexplained weight gain. I’m too young to be going through menopause, but I don’t know what else to attribute these symptoms to. If I am having hormonal issues, what are my treatment options, and how can I know that they are safe?

The Pharmacist Says...

What you describe is characteristic of the hormonal imbalances some women experience during perimenopause, the transitional period between fertile years and menopause. Any treatment should always be individualized to your specific needs but might include dietary changes, nutritional or herbal agents, and possibly bio-identical hormones to restore balance. Bio-identical hormones are chemically identical to those our bodies produce, so are safely metabolized in the body. Come to our class – we will cover this topic extensively. Good Luck!

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wisewords A Conversation with Harville Hendrix, Marriage Whisperer

On the Secrets of a Healthy Relationship

by April Thompson

H

arville Hendrix, Ph.D., knows the sorrow of a broken relationship.

In 1975, after a 16year struggle to make a failing marriage work, Hendrix and his wife decided to split up. On the day the divorce was final, he was scheduled to teach a class on marriage at a university graduate school. As Hendrix responded to audience questions, he realized that everyone wants to know the secrets of successful marriages—including him.

That “Aha!” moment spurred years of research with couples and led to his seminal book, Getting the Love You Want, and the creation of Imago Relationship Therapy with his second wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D. Their partnership of 28 years has produced nine books on intimate relationships and parenting, most recently Receiving Love, and six grown children. Imago Therapy seeks to unearth the hidden agendas that we all bring to our relationships and address them with openness, compassion and fearlessness.

What should you know before getting into a relationship?

You need to know what pushes your buttons, whether it’s someone not looking at you while talking or someone being late.

You should also know what happened in your childhood that made you sensitive to that. Why? Because the person you

will be attracted to is going to push that button. It’s an opportunity to repair the shut-down part of yourself as you stretch to meet your partner’s needs and become whole in doing so.

The divorce rate has been 50 percent for the past 60 years, because people think conflict means you’re with the wrong person. But conflict is growth trying to happen. Every person who falls in love goes through this drama: You meet someone who activates the negative aspects of your parents or caretakers, and your unconscious wants this person, who acts as a parental surrogate, to fulfill the unmet needs of childhood. When such conflict occurs, you know you are in a relationship with the right person.

Many people may go to therapy or read self-help books, but if the issue you need to address is triggered only by certain types of people, you can’t work on it until it’s triggered. If you do go to therapy, go together. Therapy can actually be bad for your marriage unless you are in the same room at the same time with the same person helping you work through these issues.

How does real love feel?

Romantic love and real love are two forms of the same thing. The feeling of romantic love is one of joy, pleasure, relaxation, excitement and euphoria.

Couples eventually will lose that feeling and encounter conflict; if they can work through that, they can get to a point of real love. Real love feels like romantic love, but romantic love is fragile and driven by expectations, whereas real love is durable and lasts through frustrations.

What can we do to keep and develop intimate connection?

We teach couples how to have a different kind of conversation. It is called an Imago Dialogue, in which partners listen deeply to each other with curiosity, empathy and respect: what the other person thinks, how they feel and particularly, what they want in the relationship—and it is all done without criticism.

In a dialogue, I will tell you what frustrates me. Time is often a big factor—whether it’s being late or early, time together or alone or time management. We have a primordial need for reliability; what scares children most is parents not being reliable.

So I might say, “I need you to show up on time. In childhood, I couldn’t count on people.” You might respond, “Not having parents who kept promises, I imagine you feel frightened when I don’t show up.”

Then you come to the behavior needed to respond: For example, “If I’ll be late, I’ll give you a call, so you know when I’ll be there.” It’s all about communication.

If we fail to fix a past relationship, what does it take to make the next one work well?

It takes changing the notion that between our marriages, we can get fixed.

You are going to take any unresolved problems into the next relationship. The best and only thing you can do is be aware of this and resolve to respond to it differently the next time.

Ultimately, the best thing anyone can do for a relationship is to agree to end all negativity. If criticism is the basis of conflict, then appreciation, adoration and empathy are the basis for safety and passion in a relationship.

April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.

February 2011

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Intentional Dialogue

by Tim Atkinson

I

mago Dialogue is an intentional process that can help keep relationships dynamic and get beneath conflict to rediscover a deeper connection.

Most emotionally charged conflicts are only 10 percent about the present and 90 percent about some past wound that is causing pain now. Our current partner is the ideal person to help us truly heal old wounds.

Imago Dialogue is a conversation in which people agree to listen to others without judgment and accept their views as equally valid as their own. This can be challenging, especially if we are talking about a difficult subject. To truly hear what concerns our partner means putting aside all spontaneous reactions and listening without judgment. This requires creating a safe space, where both parties have agreed to banish all shame, blame and criticism from the dialogue.

Such intentional dialogue is initiated when one partner asks for an appointment and the other agrees to participate.

Before beginning, it’s good to set the stage for connection by sitting in chairs facing each other, knees close together, maintaining eye contact and breathing quietly.

Mirroring – Using “I� language, one person conveys his or her thoughts, feelings or experiences (“I feel, I need,� etc.) to the receiver without shaming, blaming or criticizing their partner.

8

Validation – When I mirror my partner successfully, she will probably already feel that I have heard her point of view. This step can be hard to do if my partner has a different perspective, but it’s important to recognize that what my partner says makes sense for her. In dialogue, creating the connection is paramount. Who is right and who is wrong doesn’t matter.

After I have summarized my partner’s messages, I can validate her by simply saying, “That makes sense to me.� I don’t have to agree with her, but need to show that I respect her reality. If I can, I might go on with “That makes sense to me because...�

Empathy – In this final step, I imagine what my partner might be feeling. I would just ask: “I imagine you might be feeling afraid, and a little sad, too. Is that what you are feeling?�

Then I check in with my partner, and if he or she shares other feelings, then I mirror them to show I also heard: “Ah, a little excited, too.�

Trying this with our partner helps us understand one another a little more and works to bring us closer. It has made a big difference in the lives of couples that use it.

Tim Atkinson is the executive director of Imago Relationships International. For more information visit GettingTheLoveYouWant.com.

In response, the receiver echoes the sender’s message, using a lead sentence like, “Let me see if I’ve got you. You said... �

Then there’s a beautiful question the receiver can ask: “Is there more?â€? When I ask that question, I then pause to show that I really want to hear more. My partner might say, “Well, let me see‌ maybe there is.â€? Often, they will go deeper and share more, and that sharing can be the most fascinating part of the dialogue.

When my partner says, “No, that’s all,â€? then I can summarize. “So, in summary, I heard you say that‌â€? Then check that you got it all. My partner might often say, “Well you missed this little bit—and it’s important to me that you hear it.â€?

Tennessee Valley

Make your $25 check payable to: Natural Awakenings 14 Woodland Ave Trinity, AL 35673

*Please remember to include your name and mailing address.

Addtional contact info, such as Email address, is encouraged.

Choosing Love A Special Anniversary

By Michele Monticciolo, NC MH

On Feb 12, 2010, everything I knew about love changed...

T

hat fateful day, my mother was one of three survivors shot during the tragedy on UAH campus.

I thought nothing like that would ever happen to me or anyone I loved.

Around that time, I was striving to be more loving. But my idea was to try to be more tolerant of people who cut me off in traffic, or of friends who forgot my birthday, or clerks who accidentally overcharged me for my eggs. I envisioned the end goal as becoming some sappy-sweet, cheerful Pollyanna who never disliked anything that life threw at her.

Now, I never knew Mother Teresa, but I bet she got really ticked off a few times during her life. I’m definitely guilty of getting irritated at petty things. Still, I think they’re useful, these everyday irritants, because they tell us about our patterns, the ways we disempower ourselves, sabotaging our efforts to achieve our deepest, truest desire, love. Notice that I did not say to be loving. I’m talking about love as an entity and a Being unto itself. Love is a measurable, tangible thing —an active force of energy in time and space, powerful enough to literally transform us. But perhaps not the way we’ve been taught.

The day mom was shot, we were thrown into a whirlwind. Mom was in the ICU, critically ill. Terminology used for the injuries were frightening and foreign to us. There was media frenzy for our story. We fought to understand why someone would attempt to murder my mother. It was utterly surreal in every way.

But B ut aalmost mo t overnight, v h my amount of free time to ponder such matters was almost nonexistent. I became caregiver and guardian to someone with brain trauma. I was incredibly unprepared.

My days were so long and so exhausting that I wept myself to sleep at night, when I slept at all.

From the beginning, I knew that negative words, thoughts, and emotions would hinder my ability to help my mother or myself. They were deliciously easy to indulge in; yet, every time I did, I felt horrid, drained, and powerless. I quickly got tired of feeling those feelings. It felt better to think about things I loved. Cooking.

Painting. Crafting. Knitting. More importantly, I had a very important task at hand: helping Mom through her recovery. I had a purpose beyond my present moment. A passion for fulfilling it.

When I felt bad, I started to shift my focus to things I didn’t have to work hard to feel positively about, such as new craft projects or recipes. As soon as Mom was aware enough to participate, I got her to do it with me. We could think about fun, happy things almost anywhere, even waiting at doctor’s appointments. We focused on the good things we wanted to think about, rather than fighting to change our minds about things that bothered us. But then a magical, wonderful thing would happen. We would gain clarity about those upsetting things anyway, without the effort of trying to force ourselves to feel good about them.

So what exactly was happening to me, on a subtle level? When I focused on ideas or things I loved, I was getting back into my point of power. But it wasn’t about loving my enemies or anything complicated like that. In fact, I gave those issues no energy at all, most of the time. Past situations that were painful or scary could not be changed,

February 2011

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but they weren’t going to ruin the excellent opportunities contained in my “today”. Besides, I didn’t have time to let myself be consumed by the cinema of a dramatic traumatic past. I had Mom’s occupational therapy to focus on, and my knitting, and even things I wanted to start learning about as soon as I had time. There were a virtually inexhaustible supply of future feel-good focal points, and oh, how I planned, indeed! I led my mind with a deep love for things that made me feel truly good every chance I had. And if things were torturously bad—as sometimes they really were—I would go to the bathroom and for one minute, I’d just think about things that felt good. It was hard to do, but I began to enjoy the feeling and CRAVE it. This wasn’t escapism. Quite the opposite. It was an understanding that my current reality was what it was, and that I’d never have the ability to handle it if I dwelled in painful feelings that leached my energy from me.

In the following months, Mom got better faster than anyone dreamed possible. Her doctors have called her the cat with 20 lives. Nowadays, she’s doing so well it amazes me.

Recently, I took some time to process the whole event now that things have calmed down. Looking back, I truly credit

10

Tennessee Valley

much of my ability to triumph through the adversity without crumbling, and to be the person Mom needed me to be, to my newfound practice of love. It seems so painfully simple, this practical, tactical, magnificent mental tool. I wonder how I missed it for all those years before? All I know is, now that I have it, I’m never letting it go.

Do I think we can transcend past our hurts and angers? Certainly. Does that mean we won’t ever hurt again? Certainly not. But, now I know how to use my own mind as a tool to help me feel better and live a happier life. The answer all along was just to focus on what I love.

I love you, Mom. After nearly a year of full time care for her mother, Michele Monticciolo, NC MH has just returned to a part time practice as a Holistic Healthcare Practitioner in Huntsville, AL. She has also recently become our Managing Editor for Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley. Please see her CRG ad on page 30 and visit her website at www.NewFocusNewYou.com

healingways

MEDITATION MADE EASY Try these simple tips to achieve better health, more happiness and peace of mind.

by Sally Kempton

“F

or 20 years, I’ve meditated before stressful meetings, when I’m slammed by deadlines and during all kinds of domestic crises,” reports one successful lawyer.

“In the middle of a tough day or any time I feel like I’m about to lose it, I’ve learned that if I close my eyes for two minutes and find that inner place of calm, it will give me the strength to deal with just about anything.”

A string of clinical studies since the 1970s supports meditators’ claims that the activity works to counteract the negative effects of both acute and chronic stress. Research from Herbert Benson’s Mind-Body Institute and other studies shows that meditation can turn

a natural stress response into a natural relaxation response. Instead of the body becoming flooded with chemicals that prepare us to fight or take flight or freeze, meditation releases a flood of calming neurotransmitters and hormones that soothe the system and stimulate immune functions.

Meditating helps to bring the body back into balance.

According to multiple studies cited in Daniel Goleman’s The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience, people who regularly meditate experience lower incidences of high blood pressure and heart disease than those who do not. Richard Davidson’s recent studies at the University of Wis-

consin demonstrate that regular meditation decreases brain markers for depression, while increasing brain activity that marks states of peace and joy.

Constancy is Key The key to such healthful effects is regularity. Conducted occasionally, meditating can give us a temporary emotional lift, but the real benefit comes when we do it every day. Then we learn to tune into the inner state that is the source of

February 2011

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meditation’s power to heal the body, calm the emotions and stabilize the mind. Meditators often describe feeling states of increased focus and clarity, a sense of connection and empathy with others and above all, the sense of core inner strength that accompanies them through life, even in crises.

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But in order to be willing to make meditation a daily priority, we need to find a way to enjoy it. Otherwise, chances are we won’t stick with it.

Meditation for the Love of It shares several core strategies for reaping pleasure from our practice.

The first consideration is physical comfort when sitting to meditate.

As long as the spine is straight and the chest open, comfort trumps form.

Secondly, it helps to approach meditation as an experiment; one we conduct in the laboratory of our inner self.

The third basic principle is to find a core practice that feels good to us and that we can relax into. Choose one that focuses and draws attention and energy into the peaceful fullness of a deeply meditative state.

Three Classic Approaches Tuning into the Breath – After assuming an upright posture, sense the flow of breath in and out through the nostrils— cool on inhaling and warm on exhaling.

The key is to tune into the sensation of how the breath feels, which also engenders a natural sense of well-being.

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Tennessee Valley

Meditation in the Heart – Let the breath flow into the center of the chest, as if it were flowing through the chest wall. As it touches the center of the chest, imagine a soft glow in the heart, like an inner sun. With each inhalation, feel the sun glow. With each exhalation, spread it throughout the inner body.

(Note: To find the heart center, place the right palm over the center of the chest and focus attention on the very center of the body, behind the breastbone).

Mindfulness – Beginning with the crown of the head, move attention through the body, focusing next on the forehead, followed by the cheeks, ears, mouth, neck, shoulders, front and back of the chest, stomach, lower back, hips, pelvic area, thighs, knees, calves and ankles. Continue on. As straying thoughts arise, notice them, note them as “thinking,” and return to the practice.

To realize a daily practice, begin by sitting for five minutes at the beginning or end of the day. Each day, increase the time spent sitting by one minute, until reaching 20 minutes. Benefits accrue when we practice daily and make it a priority.

Sally Kempton is a master teacher of meditation. Her new book, Meditation for the Love of It, includes 20 practices to optimize meditation. A teachers’ teacher, her students include leading teachers of yoga and meditation around the world.

Visit SallyKempton.com.

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Touchpoints Reflexology - Practical Tips for Everyday Living

by Jim Barnes, Certified Reflexologist

Stay Warm This Winter: Adjust Your Body's Own Thermostat

H

ave you ever been in a cold room and wished you had control of the thermostat? When you find yourself in a classroom, seminar, or meeting and wish you had a coat or sweater, you can turn up your own heat control. Your body's intricate network of nerves can be called upon to stimulate your body's thermostat, the Hypothalamus. We call this technique the Body Warmer.

Here is why it works; aka, the science.

The endocrine system regulates homeostasis, or balance, of many metabolic processes; it consists of endocrine glands and tissues that release hormones. Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the inter-space of tissue fluid. The endocrine glands, together with the nervous system, are responsible for the control of most activities in the body tissues. They help the body adapt to the environment.

There is no direct pipeline from an endocrine gland to any particular organ. Instead, the glands produce internal secretions which are discharged into the blood and lymph systems and circulated throughout the body to stimulate the target tissue and change the metabolic activity. These secretions are chemical messengers called hormones, from the Greek, "I stimulate". Some endocrine glands you may be familiar with are the Thyroid, Adrenal and Thymus glands.

Two of the endocrine glands, the Pituitary and the Hypothalamus, act as a unit, regulating the activity of most of the other endocrine glands. The hypothalamus responds to

feedback from both the hormones and the nervous system and, in turn, controls the pituitary. The pituitary gland is the only gland that secretes hormones that specifically affect all the other glands. The pituitary monitors the activities of the other glands. Some of the hormones released by the pituitary either stimulate or inhibit the secretions of the other endocrine glands. The hypothalamus is the thermostat and the Pituitary is the heater.

Here's how to do the "Body Warmer!"

Find the highest point on your earlobe, the very top. Pinch lightly between your thumb and index finger. Rub both ears gently between your fingers for 2 minutes. Most people start to feel a warming sensation within 2 more minutes or so (depending on metabolism).

The nerve endings in the top of your earlobe are related to your endocrine system and their stimulation tells the hypothalamus that your body is cold. Then your Pituitary turns on the heat.

So now you can have control of the thermostat!

—Touchpoints is a monthly column bringing you information on reflexology; the therapeutic application of pressure to specific points on the hands, ears, and feet to effect physical changes in the body.

Jim Barnes is a Certified Reflexologist with a fast-growing practice in Decatur, Alabama.

Contact Jim at Reflex Action for more information and appointment scheduling.

Reflex Action Reflexology and Massage Therapy: Main Office (256) 309-0033, Cell (256) 227-2920. See CRG on page 39.

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healthykids

MINDFUL KIDS Inner Awareness Brings Calm and Well-Being

by Daniel Rechtschaffen

W

“You feel... more

hen I walk outside, students ness, in the forms of medical and psychorun to me from the school logical modalities such as Mindfulness playground, but they don’t yell Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness out my last name as they circle around and Based Cognitive Therapy, is gaining atgrab onto my legs, as it can be a bit much to tention as research suggests that it can remember and pronounce correctly. Instead, improve mood, decrease stress and boost I usually hear “Hey, Mr. Mindfulness,” or immune function. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, even, “The Mindfulness Dude!”

Ph.D., and others have been studying My job is to help to bring the art the medical effects of mindfulness for 30 and science of mindfulness to students years with impressive results. and teachers in schools, juvenile detenBrought into schools, it can be a Excerpt from a fourth-grader’s tion centers and sports teams, as well as powerful antidote to many struggles Mindfulness Journal to clients in my private psychotherapy facing our youth. In the California Bay practice. Happily, research is beginning Area, for example, the Mindful Schools to show that applying mindfulness can decrease stress, attenprogram has used mindfulness to teach concentration, attion deficit issues, depression, anxiety and hostility in children, tention, conflict resolution and empathy while benefiting their health, well-being, social relations and to 10,000 children in 38 schools; 66 percent of these academic performance. Children can easily learn the techschools serve low-income children. Inside Oakland’s juveniques, and when learned young, they become lifelong tools. nile detention centers, the Mind Body Awareness Project offers daylong, silent retreats for teens; although they presMindful Benefits ently live behind bars, they are learning to access greater inner freedom.

Mindfulness means intentionally and compassionately In sports, a season invested in training the Alameda High opening our awareness to what is here and now. Mindful-

connected to

everything. It felt

sort of like flying.”

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School’s boys’ basketball team in mindfulness techniques helped us reach the Northern California playoffs, an unprecedented achievement in the school’s athletic history.

These youth are learning the attention skills they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced, multitasking world.

With practice, students are also learning emotional balance and new ways to feel connected to their communities. The most vital result I see is a new baseline of peacefulness evident in these young people’s minds and bodies.

Mindfulness offers a general sense of well-being that all other skills for learning and productivity can build on.

When we embody mindfulness practices, we become a living example to the children in our lives. If you are interested in learning how to bring mindfulness practices to youth, begin by offering it to yourself. Join a mindfulness group, do some reading or even better, finish reading right now, let your eyes close, check in to your body and let go into this present moment.

Daniel Rechtschaffen, MA, a pioneering trainer in his field, helps implement mindfulness-based curricula in schools and organizations. Collaborations include the Mind Body Awareness Project, Mindful Schools and Mindfulness Without Borders.

He also convenes an annual Mindfulness in Education conference and teacher training at Omega Institute (search eomega.org). He has a private psychotherapy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area as a marriage and family therapy intern.

Visit MindfulChildren.com and NowCounseling.com.

True Education The word education comes from the Latin roots ex, “from within,” and duco, “to guide.” Thus, education originally meant to draw out, to guide a student in unfolding the wisdom that is inherently within each person, at any age. This is a fundamentally different approach than the conventional educational paradigm that approaches students from the outside in and from the top down.

In using what I call the “fire hose” method of learning, spewing information at students and penalizing them when they can’t retain what the powers-that-be deem important, we make the mistake of assuming what each child should be, instead of seeing them as they already are. Think of how different each of our own lives would have been if parents, teachers and other mentors helped us learn to become the person we were inherently meant to be.

This approach requires us all to discover and utilize our own mindfulness. When parents ask me, “What is the best mindfulness technique to teach my children?” my answer is always, “Your own mindfulness.” Our own mindfulness is already present within us; it’s not something we need to create.

Notice all of your thoughts in this moment: your doubts and interests, as well as sensations. Simply become aware of phenomena, without judgment or preference. The natural capacity to open up in the present moment to everything that is happening within and around us is mindfulness, an open, intentional, non-judgmental awareness.

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Tennessee Valley

n her early 30s, Sierra Bender was a personal trainer who looked and felt physically fit. Then, one day, her body took a turn that she didn’t see coming. Bender initially mistook the sensation she experienced for a pulled muscle.

“I exercised every day and worked as a professional trainer,” she recalls, “but I was so out of my body that I didn’t even know that my uterus had ruptured [from an ectopic pregnancy outside the womb]. That’s how disconnected I was… fit on the outside, but an emotional wreck on the inside.”

Today, Bender works to prevent other women from focusing solely on physical fitness and body image

at the expense of their emotional, mental and even physical health.

Her mission is to redefine health for women so that they understand wellness as a whole-self process and become empowered to lead truly integrated lives.

“Empowerment involves pulling forth what’s already within you,” Bender says. “We’ve mastered the beauty part of looking fit and good, but it doesn’t last, because it’s not coming from the core inside. So, that’s where women are searching.”

Boot Camp Intensive After years of studying yoga, bodywork, energy healing, nutrition and shamanism, Sierra developed the

Bender Empowerment Method 4 Body Fit concept that she teaches at her weeklong Boot Camp for Goddesses retreats around the country.

The four bodies identified are the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of a person, all of which receive training and treatment in Bender’s workshops.

Boot camp participants hike, practice yoga, learn anatomy and train with weights. They also dance, sing, cry, journal, share secrets, pray and purify themselves via Native American-style sweat lodges. The aim is to heal anything that’s preventing a woman from living her full potential, says Bender, and her methods show people where they most need to work.

“One day, you’ll be great at the mental exercises, but not the physical, so that shows where your weakness is,” Bender explains. “Some [students] are great at doing the exercises or workouts, but they can’t sit still or be quiet on a 45-minute hike; so each one is being challenged.”

The first technique that Bender teaches is conscious breathing to oxygenate the body and calm the nervous system. That means breathing deeply through the nostrils, filling the lungs and always checking in with the breath during any activity. Improper breathing and stress go hand-in-hand, she says, and because the stress hormone cortisol can cause fat retention, people who discount their breath may feel frustrated when diet and exercise routines seem to fail them.

“Breath is what burns fat in the simplest form,” says Bender. “What gives your body energy and vitality? Breath. What keeps you looking young and alive? Breath. Our skin is our largest organ.”

Fitness Made Easier Kim Davis, a 45-year-old legal secretary from Houston, Texas, enrolled in one of Bender’s workshops in 2008 to lose a few pounds. She says the conscious breathing enhances

her workouts.

“The best thing I’ve taken away from the boot camp experience is that fitness does not have to be difficult—with hours spent on a treadmill or pumping iron—to be effective,” says Davis. “I no longer feel I have to punish my body into fitness, but instead attain fitness through a loving relationship with my body.”

Davis, who went on to become a yoga teacher, says that she and others in Bender’s workshop also experienced emotional and psychological breakthroughs through holding yoga postures and practicing breathing techniques. This led to emotional releases through tears and words, followed by more lightness in the body, Davis reports.

Holistic Empowerment When teaching yoga and fitness, Bender tells her students which organs, glands and body systems are being affected by each posture. The psychological and emotional relevance of poses like Cobra are also explained to students who may feel uncomfortable in such a heart-opening posture.

“Students start to understand that this posture is reflecting their weaknesses and strengths, and they may realize, ‘Okay, I don’t want to open my heart that big; that’s too vulnerable,’” she observes.

Getting her goddesses to embrace their vulnerability, strength, inner spirit and authentic power is at the heart of Bender’s work with women and female teens. She advises: “A goddess warrior trusts her intuition and is brave enough to follow it.”

For more information about Sierra Bender, her recent book, Goddess to the Core: An Inspired Workout to Maximize Your Fitness, Beauty & Power, and upcoming workshops and events, visit SierraBender.com.

Kim Childs teaches Kripalu yoga in the Boston area. Connect at KimChilds.com.

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February 2011

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RELAX & RECHARGE Therapeutic home recipes rebalance and renew mind and body.

by Frances Lefkowitz

“A

chieving balance on all levels of being is the true measure of vibrant health,” says Thomas Yarema, a multidiscipline physician and director of the Kauai Center for Holistic Medicine and Research, in Hawaii.

Integrative physicians and practitioners understand that in many ancient Eastern therapies, including Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, well-being is all about balance.

In these disciplines, harmony—and by extension, health and happiness—is created by a constant rebalancing of energies, sometimes complementing a natural state and sometimes countering it. Thus, depending on our physical and emotional makeup (easy-going personality? hot-tempered?) and current situation (need a job? getting married?), balance may require a calming down

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or a boosting up, turning inward or turning outward.

Consulting the latest research and advice from scores of experts, Natural Awakenings has created a guidebook of recipes for balancing mind and body.

Whether the immediate need is to relax, refresh, release or recharge, we’ve got a simple to-do to get you back in balance.

Try these new approaches today.

Relax “Change is good,” the saying goes, but even good change, like falling in love or going on vacation—causes stress.

Stress is widely reported in medical journals like The Lancet and The Journal of the American Medical Association as linked to health problems from heart disease and diabetes to hair loss and depression. Because stress affects the immune system, frequent colds or

bouts with the flu may signal a need to slow down. Fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness and feelings of frustration can also indicate that it’s time to relax.

Get Herbal Drinking a cup of herbal tea is a simple, gentle and enjoyable way to “take five.”

Herbal educator Dodie Harte, of the Sierra Institute of Herbal Studies, recommends a blend of three common calming herbs: chamomile, linden flower and passionflower, with a dash of relaxingly aromatic lavender flower. Add a cup of boiling water to a mix of one teaspoon of each herb and a small sprig of lavender, then let steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

Apply Pressure Like acupuncture, acupressure is a technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine that works to rebalance the flow of

chi, or energy, in the body by stimulating key points along its energy meridians, or pathways. While acupuncture uses needles that puncture the skin and requires a visit to a professional, acupressure stimulates via points on the skin’s surface and can be part of a selfcare practice.

“When acupressure points are stimulated, they release muscular tension, promote circulation of blood and enhance the body’s life force energy to aid healing,” explains Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., founder of the Acupressure Institute, in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments.

To relax the neck and relieve tension headaches, use the point at the base of the skull, just where the head attaches to the neck. Feel for the hollow between the two thick, vertical muscle masses—finding and pressing it will probably elicit a sigh. Put one or both thumbs in that hollow and apply gentle pressure for one to two minutes.

Refresh Perhaps the problem isn’t stress, but a feeling of weariness or listlessness.

According to Atlanta psychiatrist Tracey Marks, a medical doctor and author of the new book, Master Your Sleep: Proven Methods Simplified, the continuous flow of electronic information in our smartphone lifestyles may be overstimulating our brains. The first step to refreshing and replenishing is to log off. In short, she says, “Off-hours create better on-hours.”

Go Solo Psychologist Ester Schaler Buchholz, Ph.D., author of The Call of Solitude, believes that “alonetime” is a basic need. She supports this belief with a series of infant studies, analysis of historical and anthropological data, and research examining how meditation and rest bolster the immune system.

“When we don’t get enough solitude,” she observes. “We get out of touch with ourselves; we get forgetful; we get sloppy.” We may also get angry, anxious and depressed.

Take a daily, refreshing, miniretreat by stepping away from the rest of

the world for 15 minutes.

Find a room with a door and turn off all electronics… then read a book, write a letter, meditate, or just close your eyes and listen to the silence.

Sleep “Sleep ends up being one of those things we see as expendable,” says Marks. Yet, a growing body of studies from Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine and other research institutions shows that it is crucial to your mental and physical health, as well as many of the body’s major restorative functions, including tissue repair, muscle growth and protein synthesis. New findings by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center even show that the brain uses sleep to consolidate memories and make them more accessible when we’re awake.

“We should really think of ourselves as operating on a 16-hour battery,” Marks advises, because we must recharge ourselves in order to perform well. Signs of sleep deprivation include irritable moods and an inability to concentrate.

Marks’ Countdown to Bedtime routine starts an hour beforehand. Put away the work and turn off the computer. Stop drinking fluids. Take a warm bath or footbath and don pajamas. Read, meditate or listen to music to wind down. Adjust the bedroom temperature to between 68 and 74 degrees and turn off all lights and electronics, covering their LED displays. If it takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel drowsy. “If your mind is busy, write out your thoughts on a problem-solving worksheet,” she suggests.

Get Outside Time and again, it has been proven that nature heals. One researcher, from the University of Southern California, has found that even just gazing at a natural landscape, sunset or grove of trees from a window can activate endorphins in the brain that make us feel good. Getting outside is even better. Integrative Psychiatrist Henry Emmons, a physician and author of The Chemistry of

Joy, explains that sunlight provides us with vitamin D, which he notes, “… plays a role in many physiological processes, including moods.” Emmons’ prescription: at least 30 minutes outside daily, without glasses, which can filter out healing components of sunlight.

Neuroimmunologist and physician Esther Sternberg, author of Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being, points to an extensive body of research showing that the colors, patterns and scents of natural environments affect mental and physical well-being.

She recommends spending time in gardens and growing your own plants, even if only a window box of herbs.

Release You can’t move forward if you’ve got something holding you back. Sometimes what you need is to let go of whatever’s weighing you down—even if you don’t quite know what it is. Here are feel-good ways to let go of physical and emotional stagnation.

Make Noise Many Eastern and Western sacred traditions utilize the healing power of sound through chants, songs, hymns and mantras; but the science behind sound healing is solid. According to Sound Healer Tom Kenyon, the repetitive patterns of music and chant stimulate the reticular activating system in the brain, which can induce a mild, trancelike state. Making sounds and music is even more transformative than just listening.

“The way music helps us release is that it helps us remember a little bit more of who we are,” advises soprano and Sound Shaman Norma Gentile,

February 2011

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from Ypsilanti, Michigan. Her favorite tip: Sing! Gentile exhorts, “Sing with the radio, with a choir or by yourself.” When you sing, she explains, you breathe deeply and your body vibrates and releases energy. Just sing whatever moves you, from the medieval songs of Hildegard von Bingen (her favorite), to Country & Western ballads. She adds, “There’s no style of music that can’t be

helpful and healing.”

To release aches and pains, Kenyon applies a different exercise. First, find a quiet, private room where no one will hear you. Then, close your eyes and focus on a part of the body that feels uncomfortable: the lower back or neck, perhaps, or maybe a heavy heart or other emotional unease. Breathe in slowly. Exhale in an audible sigh, letting the sound come from the place of discomfort.

Expressed sounds will be unique to each individual. Allow the sounds to build, reach a crescendo and then taper off naturally. “This is a simple, but powerful, technique for expressing tension with sound,” promises Kenyon.

Brush it Out “The skin is the largest organ in the body, and the better it functions as a toxin releaser, the less work the liver and kidneys have to do,” explains Tom Sherman, a bodyworker who teaches at the Acupressure Institute. He suggests daily dry-brushing, a low-tech way to stimulate lymph nodes, open pores, release toxins and exfoliate the skin.

Any natural fiber bristle brush with a long handle will do, though Sherman prefers the Yerba Buena palm bristle brush. He also likes the Vital Chi Skin-Brushing system developed by Bruce Berkowsky (NaturalHealthScience.com). Dry-brushing is a popular spa treatment with European roots.

For basic skin-brushing, remove clothing and gently, but vigorously, rub the dry brush over every part of the body, using circular motions. The basic rule of thumb is to brush toward the heart and in the direction of blood flow.

So, starting with the feet, brush in circles up the calves, thighs and buttocks, before moving to the hands and up the arms to the shoulders. Brush down on the neck, but up on the back. Finally, move to the chest and abdomen, brushing counter-clockwise. The whole process should take about 10 minutes. Follow it up with hydrotherapy—a simple shower will do—to help wash away dead skin and impurities. A fur-

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ther detoxing option is to follow up with a hot bath containing two cups of Epsom salts and 20 drops of tea tree oil.

Recharge After you have de-stressed, refreshed and released, it may be time to ramp up your energy. These final steps are geared to recharge your emotional and physical batteries.

nutrients to all systems of the body and, as new research from the University of Pittsburgh shows, improves memory. It’s a relatively lowimpact, safe, form of exercise that also gets you outdoors, which has its own balancing benefits. Beginners can try for 10 minutes a day at a slow, comfortable pace, while more experienced walkers may shoot for 30 minutes a day at a faster, more invigorating pace.

Stay in Touch Physical touch in any form stimulates the body, and while massage is typically used to relax and release, it can also revitalize. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that massage had a positive effect on cancer-related fatigue in patients who were undergoing treatments that drained them of energy.

“During an invigorating massage, the therapist uses faster paced, gliding, strokes, rather than slow, sustained, pressure,” explains Kristen Sykora, a licensed massage therapist and spokesperson for the American Massage Therapy Association. In-between visits (locate a local practitioner at FindaMassageTherapist.org), there’s plenty you can do on your own.

“Physiologically, when you massage yourself—even when you rub lotion on your skin—you’re asking the blood vessels to open up and bring in blood, nutrients and oxygen into that area,” Sykora says. She suggests a simple tapping technique, called tapotement, for re-energizing any area of the body that feels fatigued, such as quadraceps or derrière. To work on quads, sit comfortably, so the muscles are relaxed, make a soft fist and tap gently all over the muscle for one to two minutes. Use either the pinky end of the fist or the underside, where the fingers are curled.

Try Something New Sticking to the safe, familiar and tried-andtrue may seem like an energy-conservation measure, but upsetting your routine and trying new things can re-cultivate a passion for life. And passion, says Marks, helps provide life with meaning and purpose. “It’s important to find pleasures outside of work, even if you do love your job,” she counsels.

What will you do? Something you’ve always wanted to do, or used to do and have always wanted to get back to. Or, something you never thought you could do, or think you’re too old to do.

Natural Awakenings’ monthly Calendar of Events is a perfect place to start. Take a cooking or art class (local community colleges are great, too) or join a dining or green drinks or birdwatching group (Meetup.com facilitates local gatherings). Learn a new sport (tennis, paddleboarding, salsa dance) or a musical instrument (ukulele, an easy instrument to pick up, is making a comeback). Join a community gardening, handcrafting or reading circle, which are all part of the growing make-it-yourself movement. The list is endless...

Walk A simple way to get moving, walking raises heart rate and breathing capacity, increases circulation of blood and

Frances Lefkowitz’s new book, To Have Not, has been named one of five Best Memoirs of 2010 by SheKnows.com.

Connect at FrancesLefkowitz.net.

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INTHEVALLEY This month Natural Awakenings is proud to spotlight “Bazz” Bazzell and BazzWater.com “B

by Kimberly Ballard and Tom Maples

Change Your Water and Change Your Life with a Kangen Water Ionizing System GARVIN “BAZZ” BAZZELL, BAZZWATER.COM

H

ealth issues related to our water supply have plagued us for the past half century. Experts and marketers have offered a variety of options for ensuring that “plain old tap water” is free from contaminates and excessive amounts of chlorine – a watersoluble chemical used to disinfect water and cleanse our city and county sewage systems. Carbon filters fitted onto your kitchen faucet are inconvenient; filtering containers have limitations; and “bottled” water offers its own set of problems.

Many scientific experiments show health issues related to the Bisphenol A (BPA) compound found in clear polycarbonate plastics. Ingested with the so-called “purified bottled” water, the BPA in the bottle itself gets a bad grade. Although you can now buy BPA-free plastic bottles, the problem is still not widely known or publicized. “Bazz” Bazzell, a distributor

for Kangen Water throughout Madison County, believes that help has arrived on all fronts and that his Bazz Water business has the key.

Known as “Magic Water” in Japan, the Kangen Water ionization system features an amazing means for producing alkalizing, anti-oxidant water with superhydrating properties that not only tastes great, but also has body-cleansing characteristics imperative to a healthy lifestyle.

The shoebox-sized water-ionizing system for residential use fits conveniently on your countertop. Ionization isolates the acid and alkaline content found naturally in tap water and then restructures the water molecules into micro-clustered water, believed to enhance the ability of the blood to carry oxygen though the blood stream. Using 230 watts of power, tap water flows across seven platinum-coated titanium plates to produce Kangen Water.

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“Let’s work together to find what works for you.�

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Some of the benefits believed to result from micro-clustered water are the slowing of the aging process; possible reversal of some medical problems and unpleasant disorders like nausea, halitosis, skin problems, and fatigue; the potential enhancement of weight loss; cleansing of the colon. Producing pH levels of 8.5 - 9.5, Kangen Water helps restore your body to a healthy alkaline state while counteracting acidic foods and other harsh elements surrounding your lifestyle.

“I sincerely believe there isn't any more valuable information you could receive that could impact your health than Kangen Water.� “If you haven't experienced this water, it will blow you away,� Bazz says. “I am so sure you will immediately notice the difference in the taste, and within weeks experience the healing effects of this water, that I give away containers of it at my Bazz Water Awareness meetings every Monday evening.�

Bazz also provides a copy of the Kangen Water DVD where you will see amazing testimonials from people with all types of health problems who swear by the results. A stunning live demonstration compares the pH levels (acid/ alkaline) and the oxidation levels (ORP) of a glass of Kangen Water against a glass of your favorite soft drink, a glass of tap water, and a glass of bottled water.

But perhaps the most persuasive point in favor of Kangen Water is Bazz himself. He is something of a living,

breathing testimonial to the health-instilling effects of alkaline water. He shares a story of his best friend, who was able to restore enough of his kidney function just in time to permanently avoid the grim fate of dialysis that he was already scheduled for, by drinking one gallon of Kangen Water per day. Bazz seems just as amazed and awed by the power of the water, now, as one imagines he was back then during his friend's remarkable recovery. Just as amazed and delighted as when he shows his guests his "numbers."

His lipid levels, blood pressure, and other test results do match those of a much younger man. "I haven't had numbers this good since I was 40," says Bazz.

There is something incredibly genuine about Bazz, a tall, slender senior with wide, square-set shoulders, resonant Radio voice, and halo of white hair. He is a believer, and what he believes is that Kangen Water can help people. That it may be the only thing that can help some people with specific health issues, and it is the one thing, the single best thing, that any person can do to enhance their overall health. “This water is endorsed by medical doctors,� Bazz says. “I sincerely believe there isn't any more valuable information you could receive that would impact your health than Kangen Water.�

For more information, contact G.B. "Bazz" Bazzell in Madison, AL at 256-277-1059. For a comprehensive overview of Kangen Ionized Alkaline Water systems, visit www.BazzWater. com. See ad on this page. ___________________ Kimberly Ballard is a Professional Writer & Marketing Consultant. For information, call 256-653-4003 and visit www.KimberlyWritesCreative.com, or email Kimberly@KimberlyWritesCreative.com.

James E. McMinn M.D. Introduces...

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naturalpet

PURRING FOR PROTEIN Why Canned Food is Best for Cat Health

by Dr. Lisa Pierson

from a healthy diet, so have the feline friends that are

(grain or vegetable) protein and too low in animal protein; 2) the water content is far too low, at just 5 to 10 percent; and 3) its carbohydrate load is too high, as much as 50 percent. This is not what is needed to support a healthy animal.

dependent upon us for their food.

Protein Puzzle

Just as with humans, diet comprises the bricks and mortar of health for our pets. Unfortunately, as we have strayed

O

ften ignored principles of proper feline nutrition explain why cats have a better chance at optimal health if they are fed canned food instead of dry nuggets or kibble.

Putting a little thought into what we feed our cats can pay big dividends over their lifetime and likely help them avoid experiencing serious, painful and costly illnesses.

To begin, it is vital to understand that cats are obligate (strict) carnivores, and are very different from dogs in their nutritional requirements.

Cats are designed to have their nutritional needs met by

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Tennessee Valley

the consumption of a large amount of animal proteins (meat/organs), instead of those found in plants (grains/vegetables). Plant proteins are less complete than meat proteins.

A wild cat’s diet typically consists of rodents, birds, rabbits, lizards and insects. Such natural feline prey are high in animal protein, high in water content (about 70 percent) and low in carbohydrates (less than 5 percent). Most canned foods are of similar proportions.

Now, consider three key negative issues associated with dry cat food: 1) as a protein source, it’s too high in plant

Humans and dogs can take the amino acids provided in plant proteins and, from those, produce any missing amino acids normally provided by animal proteins. Cats cannot do this, and so cannot live on a vegetarian diet.

That is why the protein in dry cat food, which is often heavily grain-based, is not equal in quality to the protein in canned cat food, which is meat-based.

The protein in dry food, therefore, earns a lower score in terms of biological value. Many pet food companies use grain proteins, such as corn, wheat, soy and rice, which are cheaper ingredients than meat proteins, because this practice contributes to a higher profit margin.

Water for Life Water, too, is vital to life and it also plays a critical role in the health of a cat’s urinary tract. Cats, by nature, have an extraordinarily low thirst drive and are designed to obtain water as part of their

food. People who feed their cat dry food think that the animal is consuming enough water, because they see it drinking from a water bowl, but cats do not make up their water deficit this way.

We can think of wet food, packaged in cans or pouches, which is a minimum of 75 percent water (approximating that of a cat’s normal prey), as working to flush out the cat’s internal plumbing several times each day, because such a waterrich diet produces much more urine than a water-depleted dry diet. The fact that urinary tract problems are common in cats, and often life-threatening, underscores the importance of keeping water flowing through the kidneys and bladder, which is critical to the health of this organ system.

Forget love .

I’d rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes

Carb Load The high carbohydrate load of dry cat food wreaks havoc on the blood sugar balance of many cats because they lack the necessary enzyme systems to efficiently process carbohydrates. This comes as no surprise, given a cat’s strict carnivore status. While some cats are able to handle elevations in blood sugar levels, many are not, and this can contribute to the development of diabetes.

In the 20th century, dry kitten and cat food attracted a huge following due to its convenience and affordability, but informed and caring owners now realize that wet cat food is a far more healthy choice. Veterinarians and enlightened consumers understand that a core principle of nutrition is: pay more for good food now or pay the doctor later. This principle applies to our pets, as well as to us.

Finally, no discussion of dry versus canned food would be complete without addressing the myth that dry food is good for a cat’s teeth. In fact, this old tale has no basis in reality.

Lisa Pierson is a doctor of veterinary medicine based in Lomita, CA. For more information on how to make the switch to a healthier diet, see the “Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food” at CatInfo.org.

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Structural Integration in the method of Ida P. Rolf February 2011

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healthbriefs

Acupuncture Helps Heart Patients

R

esearch news from Germany reports that acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure.

The researchers gave such patients—who were on conventional medication and stable—10 sessions of acupuncture, focusing on the healing method’s pressure points that boost general strength, and according to traditional Chinese medicine, influence the nervous system and inflammation. The control group was treated with placebo needles that did not break the skin.

The needles did not increase the heart’s pumping function, but they seemed to have an influence on skeletal muscle strength, and increased the distance that the heart patients were able to walk in a given time. The acupuncture patients also recovered more quickly from the exercise and tended to feel less general exhaustion.

This finding could provide a useful option in the future if relatively low-cost acupuncture treatment can work to improve the prognosis for cardiac patients over the long term.

Grapefruit’s BitterSweet Secret

G

rapefruit’s piquant combination of sweet and slightly bitter tastes comes with a newly discovered benefit. Researchers have discovered that naringenin, an antioxidant derived from the bitter flavor of grapefruit and other citrus, may be of help to people with diabetes.

Naringenin, the researchers explain, causes the liver to break down fats instead of storing them, while increasing insulin sensitivity, two processes that naturally occur during long periods of fasting. The natural compound, the scientists suggest, seems to mimic some lipid-lowering and anti-diabetics drugs; it holds promise for aiding weight control, as well as regulation of blood-sugar levels, both vital components in treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

“It is a process that is similar to the Atkins diet, without many of the side effects,” notes Martin L. Yarmush, Ph.D., a physician who is the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine and a study author. Earlier evidence has shown that naringenin also has cholesterol-lowering properties and may ameliorate some of the symptoms associated with diabetes.

—Source: Public Library of Science

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Tennessee Valley

Dream on… and Learn Better

M

odern science has established that sleep can be an important tool for enhancing memory and learning skills. A new study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center sheds light on the role that dreams play in this process.

“After nearly 100 years of debate about the function of dreams, this study tells us that dreams are the brain’s way of processing, integrating and really understanding new information,” says senior author Robert Stickgold, Ph.D. “Dreams are a clear indication that the sleeping brain is working on memories at multiple levels, including ways that will directly improve performance.”

Indeed, according to the researchers, these new findings suggest that dreams may be the sleeping brain’s way of telling us that it is hard at work on the process of memory consolidation— integrating our recent experiences to help us with performance-related tasks in the short run, as well as over the long term. In other words, dreams help us translate this material into information that has broad application in our lives.

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Nomadic Tapestry

A

groundbreaking Swedish study has demonstrated that heart cells are able to regenerate themselves, overturning the conventional wisdom that the body cannot replace damaged heart cells. Examining the heart tissue of 50 people over four years, the researchers found that on average, new heart cells appeared to replace old ones at a rate of about 1 percent a year in youth and 0.5 percent a year by age 75.

Thus, our heart comprises a mosaic of older and newer cells.

Scientists hope to learn how to stimulate this organ’s ability to naturally regenerate. —Source: Natural News Network

Bellydance - Drumming - Yoga

Stress-Busting Walnuts

Happiness Keeps Growing

A

diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress, according to a team of Penn State researchers. They specifically considered how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence our blood pressure. Their studies showed that walnuts and walnut oil have the ability to lower blood pressure, both when we are at rest and in response to stress.

1219 B&C Jordan Lane, Huntsville 256-318-0169 For class schedules and pricing go to: www.nomadictapestry.com

I

s there any good news about growing old? Researchers reported at a recent American Psychological Association convention in Toronto that an increase of happiness and emotional well-being occurs as people mature.

Their study of contributing factors showed that older adults exert greater emotional self-control, have learned to avoid or limit stressful situations and are less likely than younger adults to let negative comments or criticism bother them. —Source: HealthDay.com

February 2011

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consciouseating

Happiness Is…

CHOCOLATE Dark and Delicious, it’s Blissfully Healthy

by Gabriel Constans

D

id you know that more than half of U.S. adults prefer chocolate to other flavors and spend $55 per person per year to indulge their hankering? That’s a lot of chocolate— some 3.3 billion pounds annually, or about 12 pounds per chocoholic.

The International Cocoa Organization further estimates that by 2015, U.S. chocolate sales will top $19 billion.

Yet, Europeans still enjoy the majority of chocolate per capita. Switzerland leads the trend, with its citizens each forking over the equivalent of U.S. $206 a year for the treat. Worldwide, 21stcentury chocolate consumption continues to climb year after year; cocoa seems to be a recession-free commodity.

That’s good news for Indonesia and the West African nations that produce 70 percent of Earth’s cocoa beans.

It’s widely known that dark chocolate, in particular, is good for our emotional and physical health. The only debate that remains is what quantity is the most advantageous to include in our daily or weekly diet.

Why Chocolate Appeals Eating dark chocolate makes people happy, researchers have learned, because it contains phenylethylamine, the same nurturing hormone triggered by the brain when we fall in love. It’s

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Tennessee Valley

no wonder that Madame du Barry and Giacomo Casanova both believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac. Further, according to the California Academy of Sciences, the theobromine in chocolate acts as a myocardial stimulant, dilator of coronary arteries and smooth muscle relaxant, all inducing good feelings.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine recently reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that subjects who consistently consumed dark chocolate showed a 40 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction and stroke than those who did not.

A study published in the European Heart Journal that tracked almost 20,000 people for 10 years found that people who ate about 7 grams of dark chocolate per day had lower blood pressure and 39 percent less risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack, compared to those who ate an average of 1.7 grams daily.

Scientists have learned that cocoa powder and chocolate contain rich sources of polyphenol antioxidants, the same beneficial compounds found in red wine and many fruits and vegetables that help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Professor Frank Ruschitzka, head of cardiology at University Hospital, in Zurich,

Switzerland, comments: “Basic science has demonstrated quite convincingly that dark chocolate, particularly with a cocoa content of at least 70 percent, reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular and platelet [appropriate blood clotting] function.”

Chocolate lovers also will be glad to know that dark chocolate contains more antioxidants per 3.5 ounces than prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, plums, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, cherries, onions, corn or eggplant.

Gabriel Constans, Ph.D., is a counselor, journalist and author of a dozen books, including Luscious Chocolate Smoothies: An Irresistible Collection of Healthy Cocoa Delights and Great American Smoothies. For more information, visit GoGabriel.com.

A Bite of History Xocolatl was the Aztecs’ word for chocolate, which they called “bitter water” and considered a gift from the gods.

Cultivated for 1,000 years, the cacao tree is prolific once it reaches maturity, producing cocoa pods every six months for about 20 years. The beans must be fermented before they begin to taste like the chocolate we know and love.

Cocoa was first introduced to Europe when explorer Hernán Cortés brought the beans from Mexico to Spain in the early 1500s. The Spaniards kept their discovery a secret for almost a century, until it was smuggled by monks into France. By the 1650s, cocoa had crossed the channel to England and the North American colonies of the English and Dutch; 1831 heralded the invention of the first chocolate bar in the United States.

Chocolate Smoothies for Valentines

The Sweetie 2 cups orange juice 1 banana ½ cup raspberries ½ cup blueberries ½ cup guava slices ½ cup mango slices 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 1. Place all the fruit and cocoa in a blender and mix on high for one minute.

2. Pour into clear glass and serve.

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix on high for two minutes.

2. Pour contents into tall glasses and serve.

2. Pour into tumblers or wide-mouthed glasses.

Yields: 4 cups

Source: Luscious Chocolate Smoothies: An Irresistible Collection of Healthy Cocoa Delights by Gabriel Constans

The Naked Truth 2 cups plain low-fat dairy or non-dairy milk ž cup vanilla ice cream (dairy or non-dairy) 1 ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted 2 Tbsp brandy 1. Place all ingredients, except brandy, in a blender and mix on high for about two minutes; add brandy and blend for 10 seconds more.

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5IVSTEBZT 6 oz melted bittersweet dark chocolate 2 cups milk – dairy or non-dairy (soy, rice, nut, coconut or grain) 2 bananas ½ Tbsp flax seed oil 1 tsp cinnamon powder

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1. Place ingredients in a blender and mix on medium for one minute.

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The Velvet Orchid 2 cups chocolate low-fat milk – dairy or non-dairy (½ banana, in chunks 1 12-oz package of soft silken tofu 1 cup frozen mango slices 2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

February 2011

29

Metaphysical Properties of Crystals and Minerals

By Mary Morales,

Part 2

Reiki and Karuna Master

I

hope that 2011 is turning out to be a year of strong connectivity with your friends, your families, and (why not) your crystals! After all, they are part of your lives.

Crystals are your silent helpful friends. They are alive and “waiting” for you to pick them up and allow all that beautiful pure energy to flow through you. What a wonderful feeling that is. What a wonderful gift they are.

The following partrial list represents Part 2 of all of the crystals and minerals (H through Z) that are used in metaphysical work. If you love crystals and their proper-

ties, “ask” the ones you already have to guide you to any others that would be beneficial for a particular reason.

They will surely lead you to the right ones.

Helpful advice: When buying crystals either in a store or on the Internet, let the stones guide you to which one you need by passing your dominant hand slowly over them or over the computer screen (if you’re buying online). This will also work if you’re looking for your very first crystal.

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALS Continued...

—H

JASPER MOTTLED: protection

HAMBERGITE: help us stick to our beliefs, character, and truth.

—M

—K

HEMATITE: grounding stone, stone of the mind with calming properties.

KORNERNPINE: teaching abilities, eloquence, communication, clarity.

MAGNETITE: balance yin/yang energies, dispels grief, fear, anger, confusion, attachment.

HERDERITE: behavioral problems, promote the leader within, psychic work.

KUNZITE: deep feelings of love, peace, relaxation, dissolves negativity, promotes maturity.

HERKIMER DIAMOND: lucid dreams develop higher states of consciousness.

—I INFINITE: soothing, calming.

IOLITE (Cordierite): truth, simplicity.

Considered a “shaman stone."

IRON: balance, strength, endurance, protection, persistence, emotional stability.

—J JADE: considered a sacred stone for centuries, promotes love, wisdom, generosity, calm, serenity focus.

JASPER RED: fairness, justice, responsibility, compassion.

JASPER GREEN: receptive, sympathy.

JASPER BROWN: grounding, centering.

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Tennessee Valley

—L LABRADORITE: powerful in recalling mystical and magical experiences. Protection from attempts by others to tap and drain your energy. Protects against mental confusion. Especially good for those who fear chance.

LAPIS LAZULI: uplifting, boosts psychic awareness, openness, inner powers, spiritual connection, self confidence, contact guardian spirits. Use with caution with nervous individuals or those with very high energy.

LARIMAR: release self imposed bonds, let go of attachments, freedom from inappropriate burdens.

LEOPARD JASPER: shamanic journeys, service to others. Helpsyou to discover and connect with your power animals.

MARBLE: clarity and suspension in meditative states, promotes peak states of meditation, recall of dreams.

MARCASITE (Pyrite): brings the energy of the sun, increases stamina, stimulates the intellect, wealth, shield stone, removes negativity.

MELANITE (Andradite Garnet): opens psychic vision for forecasting divination and seeing the future, brings understanding and acceptance of death, reminds us of rebirth and reincarnation.

MOLDAVITE: a rare meteorite called a Tektite, the only extraterrestrial gem stone found only in the Moldau Valley in Czechoslovakia. The best and foremost property of this wonderful gift is transformation. Moldavite energy is very strong and may not always be comfortable.

Strips away the things in your life that you no longer need. Excellent tool for inner journey, channeling, crystal consciousness, expansion, contact with interdimensional or extraterrestrial forces.

—N NAHCOLITE: achievement, success, victory, triumph. This is a mineral that help us overcome challenges to reach our goals.

NEBULA STONE: unique and very powerful, help with memory, removes fears, grounding stone. Helps release the old, making room for the new. Excellent for meditation.

NEPHRITE: inner strength, fortitude, courage, protection, persistence, helps us stand on our ground.

NOVACULITE: known as “the cord cutting crystal” due to its properties to cut psychic or etheric cords. Also cuts through problems, finds solutions.

—O OBSIDIAN: a volcanic glass, widely use for grounding. Redirects draining energies away from you.

OCEAN JASPER: very soothing, helps people love one another also help with self love and acceptance, increases responsibility and patience.

ONYX BLACK: protection, calms unwanted sexual desires, assists with life challenges. Grounding stone, controls or eliminate unwanted energies.

OPAL: astral projection, recall past lives. When worn it brings out one’s inner beauty.

—P PAPAGOITE: brings optimism, peace, purity, helps one speak with clarity.

When used in meditation gives an euphoric state of oneness.

PEARL: like Amber, Jet and Mother of Pearl, Pearls are the product of a living creature. They attune the wearer to ebb and flow of life, calming and centering, purity, promote faith, charity, truth and loyalty.

PERIODOT: protection, health, wealth.

Great for sleep issues, renewal of all kinds. Harmony in relationships, particularly marriage. Lessens stress within relationships, controls anger and jealousy. Strengthens ESP. PETALITE: the “stone of the angels" is excellent for spiritual healing. Encourages connection with spirit guides, lifts one to a higher awareness allow-

ing access to higher dimensions. Very useful for astral travel and meditation because it will ground and protect.

Balances yin/yang energies.

—Q QUARTZ CLEAR: power stone that harmonizes and balances, enhances energy and thoughts, purifies the spiritual, mental and physical.

Very protective.

QUARTZ RUTILATED: enhances mental and physical stability, selfreliance, meditation on feminine issues. Diminishes fears and depression.

Helps with decision making.

QUARTZ ROSE: love and open heart, unconditional love, lower stress. A very happy and soothing stone. Promotes self-esteem and sense of self-worth, balances emotions, heal emotional wounds and traumas. Reconciliation, dream recall.

QUARTZ SMOKEY: grounding and stabilizing stone. Brings calm and centering, disperses depression, enhances practicality. Removes negative energies, brings happiness, subconscious wisdom, and psychic protection.

—R RED TIGER’S EYE: enhances the integrity of the self. Promotes self-sufficiency.

A survival stone, aids with the correct use of power for survival in difficult times.

RHODOCROSITE: when you are drawn to this stone, it means that you are ready to learn more about your own spirituality, promotes love, peace and energy. It calms emotions and de-stresses. A spiritual body gemstone, it offers a higher frequency of energy which enters and moves throughout the spiritual bodies.

RICHTERITE: stone of calmness, relaxation and strength. Suppresses the “fight or flight” syndrome associated with post traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety states. Balances action and

reaction to help you handle life in a calm steady and strong manner. Allows the body freedom to heal more fully.

Enhances internal communication.

RUBELLITE: balances and calms, good for emotional balance, helps one open up, detach from personal pain, great for distress, and brings passionate energy and love.

—S SAPHIRE: promotes psychism, love, peace, harmony, creativity, removes unpleasant thoughts, repels envy, promotes mental clarity and clear thinking, clears mental garbage. Has the ability to discern the truth and foresees the future.

SARDONYX: friendship, happiness, good fortune, romance and marriage, protective of the young and those who try new things. Relates to stamina, vigor energy and creativity.

SCAPOLITE: problem solving and achievement, helps you make changes in your life. Brings inspiration and strength of purpose. Breaks old patterns of sabotaging self. Brings acceptance of success, calms debilitating emotions.

SPHENE: mental stone, improves the mind and the processing of information. Use it for studying, theorizing and debating.

—T TANZANITE: awakens the mind and heart, excellent tool for enhancing psychic abilities. Called “the workaholic’s stone” because it helps one slow down.

Relieves stress and enhances composure, poise and harmony.

February 2011

31

coverartist

THULITE: a deeply nurturing stone, aids in understanding and healing the pain and illness caused by lack of nurturing and abuse, good for survivors of incest, physical abuse, emotional abuse, abandonment and neglect. Helps with eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia, loneliness, brings nurturing, love and understanding of love to one’s life.

TIGER’S EYE: protection, courage, general energy, is a warm stone and promotes energy flow through the body.

Strong male energy, it enhances integrity, willpower, practicality and gives a sense of correct use of power. Helps one see clear without illusion.

—U

Paisley Hearts

by Michael Wertz Michael Wertz says he has always found the act of melding the art of illustration and commerce exciting. “I love to direct that passion into crafting an emotive experience that words cannot,” explains the Oakland, California-based illustrator. “For me, it means I’ve created an image that distills a moment of clarity.”

Wertz’s bold, energetic visions leap from his imagination through the pencil he always uses to begin an illustration, and finish as digital collage, monoprints or screen prints. He has been creating images for publishers, designers, advertising agencies and musicians since 1995, when he graduated from California College of the Arts, in Oakland.

The artist’s colorful imagery, commissioned by dozens of national clients, has been featured in Communication Arts and American Illustration and recognized by the Society of Illustrators. Today, Wertz runs a printmaking shop called Inky Oxnard, in West Oakland, and lives nearby, as a “… friend to the four-pawed and a lover of all things brightly colored, including love.”

View the artist’s portfolio at Wertzateria.com.

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UNAKITE: a stone with gentle but powerful energy, promotes strength of character and self growth. Can assist one in finding one’s animal guide(s). A good protection stone. Fosters unconditional love for humanity, connection and reunion.

—V VANADINITE: fosters spiritual insight, inspiring us to quest towards the creator, encourages prayer, meditation, revelation and direct communication with higher forces.

VARISCITE: soothing stone, also called “true worry stone” because it eases fear, tension, anxiety, worry and impatience.

Also relieves tension, depression, can give courage and inner strength, calms the mind. Excellent stone for meditation, benefit intuition and psychic perception. Great for past life recall.

VERDITE: stimulates the kundalini.

Helps one to access, assimilate and understand ancient knowledge.

VICTORITE: peace, awareness of higher energies, emotional release, clarity of speech.

—W WITHERITE: control of ego. Helps us to be modest without being too humble.

WONDERSTONE: excellent meditation stone enhances creativity, helps reduce depression and anxiety, giving an

overall sense of wellbeing, mental clarity, insight to the right course of action.

WULFENITE: teaches people to be caretakers of all wild and beautiful things of nature, encourages us to be outdoors, to love and respect nature.

Promotes creativity and devotion.

—Y YTTRIAN FLUORITE: stone of manifestation that helps ground the ideas of philosophers, thinkers and dreamers by manifesting their plans. A stone of selffulfillment and self-actualization, it has the effect of making ideas come to life.

—Z ZEBRA STONE: this wonder of creation can help us connect to Mother Earth and to the infinite energy and love in the Universe. These connections can show us our true nature and help us see past illusion, particularly effective at protecting the auric field, stimulates energy, stamina and endurance.

ZIRCON CLEAR OR WHITE: clears thinking process.

ZOISITE: considered in mystical lore to be a stone that engenders and enhances trust in the Universe and in the ultimate goodness of life. This releases fears and promotes trust in general, which can bring a depth of happiness to one’s life.

Increases energy, dispels laziness, and boosts vitality.

It is your birthright to know about Nature and all her gifts to you. Ask her and like a good mother she will guide you to what you need to know. Experiment with crystals, learn their silent language, remember not all are for everyone. Take care of all creation, after all you are part of it.

Mary Morales is a Reiki and Karuna Master with an energy healing practice based in Decatur, Alabama. You can contact her at 256-580-3108 or email KungaLhadon@ aol.com for more information. See Mary’s ad on page 37.

inspiration

Achieve

EMOTIONAL

FREEDOM

Dr. Judith Orloff Shows You How in Her New Book

by Karen Adams

W

hat if we all had the power to change our world, both now and in the future, simply by understanding and embracing our emotions? According to Dr. Judith Orloff, psychiatrist and author of the new Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life, we do.

“Emotional freedom is being able to increase your ability to love, both yourself and others, by cultivating positive emotions and by compassionately witnessing and transforming negative ones,” says Orloff.

It’s about learning how to approach life from a heart-centered place, instead of simply reacting when our buttons are pushed. This loving disposition includes all situations in life, the challenging ones as well as the good ones.

“I believe that the point of being alive is to develop our souls,” Orloff says. “I want to blend all aspects—the spiritual, psychological and biological.”

Her holistic approach helps us to use everything that happens to us as material for personal growth. It helps us learn how to work with what she terms, “the energies of emotions”—to master them, instead of allowing them to master us.

The first step toward achieving Orloff’s vision of individual emotional freedom is understanding that each person has a natural emotional type to which we retreat under duress. In her book, she counts four basic types, each with its own specific strengths and weaknesses: The Intellectual, who can think his or her way through life, but would benefit from feeling and playing more.

The Empath, who is sensitive and compassionate, but can be overwhelmed by others and must set protective boundaries.

The Gusher, whose emotions are “out there,” and tends to share everything, but must learn restraint to keep from exhausting others.

The Rock, who is always there for others, but may appear detached, due to disconnection from his or her own inner feelings.

Orloff observes that modern life has created an epidemic of what she calls, “emotional vampires,” consumed with their own psychological needs; it’s essential to be able to identify them and respond in healthy ways. She explains that when we’re with someone and our energy level plummets or we feel put down or even ill, these are strong clues that we’re in the presence of an emotional vampire. Here are six main types she discusses in Emotional Freedom: Q The Victim has a “poor me” attitude and thinks solutions don’t exist.

Q The Criticizer puts others down with cutting comments.

Q The Narcissist needs lots of attention, but has no empathy for others.

Q The Drama Queen or King loves to create big scenes.

Q The Controller always tells others what to do.

Q The Splitter sees everyone as angels or devils, and destroys relationships by turning people against each other.

Her advice? “Emotional vampires get their energy from upsetting you. So, if you’re calm and nonreactive, they’re not going to be interested in you.”

Orloff firmly believes that inner peace is the foundation of emotional freedom, and comes from connecting with the spiritual. Once established, an awareness of our innate worth, our own divinity, becomes a lifelong source of refuge and regeneration. That connection constantly reminds us that we are loved.

Wherever we are in our journey to emotional freedom, Orloff concludes, one lesson is essential: “Trust that emotions are teachers for your own awakening.”

Judith Orloff, M.D., is the author of Emotional Freedom and an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

For details on her national book tour, visit DrJudithOrloff.com.

Karen Adams is a Natural Awakenings editor and freelance writer.

February 2011

33

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Tennessee Valley

globalbriefs Campus Life Going Back to School in the Golden Years Retirement communities, typically nestled near beaches or golf courses, are beginning to emerge somewhere else: near university campuses. Educational opportunities and cultural activities there are among the perks for those who feel most alive in active, intellectually stimulating and intergenerational settings.

Alma maters are a special draw for sports fans.

About 50 campus-oriented retirement communities exist around the country, estimates Andrew Carle, an industry expert and founding director of the Senior Housing Administration program at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia. Another 50 are planned.

Rocking Change Social Tools Revolutionize Young Lives Older teens interested in community service or social change have long been able to tap into tailor-made resources, including DoSomething.org, the nation’s largest database of teen volunteer opportunities; it sparked more than a million teens to action in 2010. But, how about tweens, who often find it difficult to make themselves heard? The Do Something! Handbook for Young Activists now empowers younger kids, too, with the tools and know-how to change their world.

Checkbook Bingo The Rising Cost of Raising a Child Because few parents do the math, not many would guess that it costs more than $222,000 to bring up the average child in today’s middle-income American family. That’s the latest price tag, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures—even before college starts.

Although the lion’s share of parental spending today goes toward housing and food, healthcare costs have doubled to 8 percent of the total since 1960. Education, including childcare and extracurricular activities, is up 2 percent, comprising 17 percent of the total childhood bill.

Some economists say the USDA estimate is modest, because it doesn’t take into account competitive spending practices among the upper classes. These can range from high-speed Internet access, unlimited smartphone texting and cultural travel to competitive sports, private schooling and expenditures on orthodontia and brand-name status symbols. All are vying to give kids a leg up to success.

calendar SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Community HU Song – 1:30-2pm. Join others in singing HU, an ancient love song to God that can help and uplift one in countless ways. Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Avenue, Ste 3, Five Points. 256-534-1751. ECK-Alabama.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 The Foolish of God– 7:30-8pm. Inspiring stories and insights from Harold Klemp, spiritual leader and acclaimed author of more than sixty books on Eckankar. Tune in to explore some behaviors and attitudes you might recognize in others or even in yourself to help you unfold spiritually. Free.

Comcast Cable Channel 3 (Huntsville). 256-5341751. ECK-Alabama.org.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Huntsville Green Drinks – 5:30pm. An organization for anyone interested in sustainable living to share their interest and expertise with like-minded individuals. Eating and drinking are optional. Come learn about various topics such as green building, eating locally, environmental education efforts in local schools, and local green businesses. To join our mailing list, email HuntsvilleGreenDrinks@ gmail.com. Venue: Brix on Airport Road, Huntsville.

BrixHuntsville.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Paranormal Study Center– 7pm. Meets at Radisson Hotel/Olympus Room, 8721 Madison Blvd, Madison. For more information, contact Greg Rowe, 256.326.0092.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Madison Ballroom Studio Show – 7-10pm. An evening of social dancing highlighted with Special Performances by Students and Instructors. $15/ person. Contact Traci for tickets at 256-461-1900 or Dance@MadisonBallroom.com. Madison Ballroom Dance Studio, 9076 Madison Blvd, Suites C/D, Madison. MadisonBallroom.com

—Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Happiness Index Most American Adults Say Life is Good A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 61 percent of adults rate their lives today as good or excellent. Among the most satisfied are married adults, those with no children at home and people with the highest incomes. Of the 1,000 men and women surveyed, 58 percent consider the years from 18 to 49 as the very best, 17 percent ultimately prefer age 50 and up and 14 percent maintain that childhood takes the cake. The rest are undecided.

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. ~Robert Benchley

February 2011

35

ongoingevents SUNDAY

to basic bellydance technique. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. Class info: NomadicTapestry.com.

Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

Beginner Yoga – 5:30-6:30pm. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Lunchtime Belly Basics – 11:30am-12:30pm.

Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville.

NomadicTapestry.com.

A Course in Miracles Study Group– 9:15am. Shared reading and group discussions. Extra books available.

Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville.

256-895-0255. LightOfChristCenter.org.

Intro to Yoga– 5:30-6:30pm. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Power Yoga– 5:30-6:45pm. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Affinity Circle– 6pm.A safe space where individuals can open up and reveal what they are experiencing in life. Confidentiality is assured. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596.

Conscious-Living.org.

Beginner/Intermediate Mat Class– 6-7:15pm.

This class adds more exercises from the series and will challenge one’s mind/body connections. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St, Ste C, Huntsville.

256-704-5080. BodyLanguagePilates.com

Level I Yoga – 6:30-8pm. All levels. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Meditation – 6pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596. ConsciousLiving.org.

Yoga with Mitzi – 6:30pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. More info: 256-361YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

Science of Mind Classes (Accredited) – 6:30-8:30pm.

Reverend David Leonard. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596.

Conscious-Living.org.

Unity Church Service– 10:30am. Practical Christianity from a transformative new thought metaphysical perspective.

Our doors are open with love for all. Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville.256-5362271. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

Celebration of Spirit – 11am. A different service each week including ritual, music, and a message in an open, loving environment. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville. 256-895-0255.

LightOfChristCenter.org.

Kadampa Meditation Group– 3-4:30pm. Sunday book study class. Books-A-Million, University Dr, Huntsville. 3rd Sunday at Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. 256-5362271. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

Power Yoga – 4:30-5:30pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.256-6539255 or 256-533-7975.YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

MONDAY Detox Footbaths, Nutritional Counseling, Wellness Coaching –Wellness is always available, if we know the tools to access it! Contact Michele Monticciolo, NC, MH via email at Michele@NewFocusNewYou. com or call Healing Arts at (256) 534-2954 for your consult or appointment.

Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

Reduce Stress with EFT – Private phone sessions.

To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 256-774-3392. Info: TapIntoHealing.com.

Spring City Cycling Club– Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

Level 1 Pilates– 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Mixed Flow Yoga– 8-9:30am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Energy Lunch Lift– 12pm. Group Resonance Healing.

Donations accepted. The Center for Directional Healing, 3322 S Memorial Pkwy, Ste 532, Huntsville.256-8820360. DirectionalHealing.com.

Intermediate Mat Class– 5-6:15pm. Work at a faster pace incorporating exercises that will challenge one’s strength, flexibility and coordination. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St, Ste C, Huntsville. 256-7045080. BodyLanguagePilates.com.

Basic Bellydance– 5:30-6:30pm. Mon-Thurs. Intro

36

Tennessee Valley

Activating and Utilizing Your Psychic Power – Thru Nov 15. 7pm. $100. Light of Christ sponsored. Contact: 256-881-2658 or Fayeglas@Knology.net.

NEWtritional Health Care Conference Call –7pm.

Listen to Roy Williams,owner of NHC, talk on the weekly health topic. Ask him questions on how NHC products can help you reach your optimum health.

Call 760-569-6000 and enter PIN number 411810 #.

To hear previous week call: 760-569-6099 and enter PIN number 411810 #. Visit MyHealthyKingdom. com/10003 (Invitation # 10003).

Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Yoga with Mitzi – 6:45pm. Candlelight Yoga. All levels welcome. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 Pratt Ave, Huntsville.More info: 256-361-YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

Practical Energy Techniques Experiential Class– 7-9pm. For the novice or trained. Five Points location.

Taught by Katy: KatyShamanHealer.Blogspot.com.

Call 256-426-0232 for directions. (love offering)

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

Reduce Stress with EFT – Private phone sessions.

To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 256-774-3392. Info: TapIntoHealing.com.

Sierra Club Hikes – Tuesday night hikes’ around Huntsville.Alabama.SierraClub.org/NA.html.

Spring City Cycling Club – Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

Mixed Flow Yoga– 8-9:30am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Pilates– 9-10am.Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975.

YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Yoga with Mitzi – 9am. The Art of Yoga. All levels welcome. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Ave S, Huntsville. More info: 256-361-YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

Power Yoga – 9:10-10:10am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Level I Yoga– 10:15-11:30am. Tatum Crigger. The

Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

Reduce Stress with EFT – Private phone sessions.

To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 256-774-3392. Info: TapIntoHealing.com.

Spring City Cycling Club – Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

Level 1 Pilates– 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Align and Define Yoga– 8-9:30am.Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Level I Yoga– 9:15-10:30am. Erin Kennedy. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Practical Spirituality Class – 10am-12pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville.

256-883-8596. Conscious-Living.org.

Science of Mind Classes– 10am-12pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256883-8596. Conscious-Living.org.

Meditation– 6pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596.

www.Conscious-Living.org.

Power Yoga– 6-7pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975.

YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Yoga with Mitzi – 6pm. Yoga Flow. All levels welcome. Chiropractic Wellness Depot, 8210 Stephanie Dr, Huntsville. More info: 256-361-YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

Satsang – 6:30pm. Satsang with a video of Gangaji.

Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596. Conscious-Living.org.

THURSDAY Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

Gays) – 6pm. Second Thurs.Parents, friends, and gay community members welcome. Bring snack. Huntsville Public Library. 256-881-0939.

Yoga and Wine –6pm. All levels welcome. Presented

by Yoga with Mitzi and The Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Ave, Huntsville. More info: 256-361YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

ZumbaDance Class – 6:30pm. Donations accepted.

Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596. Conscious-Living.org.

Level I Yoga– 6:45-8:15pm. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Salsa 101 Dance Class– 8pm. Get the moves, feel the heat! Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Madison, AL 35758. GabrielaDance.com.

Spring City Cycling Club – Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

FRIDAY

Piliates– 9am. A fusion of Pilates and Hanna Somatic work teaching one to access and strengthen one’s deepest connections bringing balance to one’s spine and overall posture. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St, Ste C, Huntsville.256-704-5080.

BodyLanguagePilates.com.

Spring City Cycling Club – Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

Pilates– 9-10am. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975.

YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Slow Flow Yoga– 8-9:30am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Power Yoga– 9:10-10:10am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Level I Yoga– 10:15-11:30am. Tatum Crigger. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Level 1 Pilates– 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Power Yoga– 9:10-10:10am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Public Clearance Session– 7pm. Third Fri each month. Learn effective healing through reception and application of Divine energies. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville.256-895-0255.

TBE Nooner Toastmasters–11:45am-12:45pm.

Practice public presentation and meeting etiquette.

TBE Building #1, Sparkman Dr/Lakeshore Dr, Huntsville.Nancy Wade: 256-797-0700 or NWade@ LJStyle.com.

Paranormal Study Center – 7pm, fourth Friday each month. Meets at Radisson Hotel/Olympus Room, 8721 Madison Blvd, Madison. For more information, contact Greg Rowe, 256-326-0092.

BellyKids– 4-5pm. Shahala Liz. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. NomadicTapestry.com.

SATURDAY

Mixed Flow Yoga– 5:30-6:45pm.Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave, Decatur. BodyInBalanceStudios.com.

Al-Anon – For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 256-885-0323. AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and

Feel Good Tapping Party – Be the host of a group

tapping session. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 256-774-3392. Info: TapIntoHealing.com.

Sierra Club – For weekend hike, canoe, backpacking and other activities, visit Alabama.SierraClub.org/ NA.html.

Spring City Cycling Club – Times and schedules at SpringCity.org.

Level I Yoga – 9-10:15am. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Cardio Ballroom– 10am. Mega calorie burning dance fun! No more treadmill! Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Madison, AL 35758. GabrielaDance.com.

Yoga with Mitzi – 10am. The Art of Yoga. All levels welcome. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Ave, Huntsville. More info: 256-361-YOGA or MitziConnell.com.

Renewable Energy (RE) & Off-Grid Living – 10am4pm. First and third Sat each month. Take steps to live the dream. Learn RE Basics. Benefit from a decade of experience. See an off-grid home in action. Reduce one’s carbon footprint. $75/class. Giles County, TN. Register: 931-565.4006 or Pharos@ardmore.net.

Level I Yoga – 11:30-12:45pm. Bobbie Brooks. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Community HU Song – 1:30-2pm. Join others in singing HU, an ancient love song to God that can help and uplift one in countless ways. Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Avenue, Ste 3, Five Points. 256534-1751. ECK-Alabama.org.

Ballroom Dancing– 7pm, Beginner Group Class. 8pm, Dance Party. Madison Ballroom Dance Studio, 9076 Madison Blvd. 256-461-1900. MadisonBallroom.com.

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – For sale in Austin, TX; Lexington, KY Manhattan, NY; Pensacola, FL; Southwest VA and Ventura/ Santa Barbara, CA. 239-530-1377.

L’BRI PURE n’ NATURAL Naturally… the best skincare product.

Denise Brown Independent Consultant

256.755.6822 de456brown@aol.com www.denisebrown.lbri.com

February 2011

37

COMING IN MARCH

COMMUNITY resourceguide

COLON HYDROTHERAPY CENTER FOR OPTIMAL WELL BEING 7910 S. Memorial Pkwy, Suite F-2, Huntsville 256-489-9806 phone 256-489-2873 fax 866-488-9806 toll free The Center for Optimal Well Being is dedicated to improving your health with colon hydro-therapy and body empowerment services. Sessions are conducted in clean, comfortable and relaxing private suites with soft lighting and aromatic fragrances.

Our staff is clinically trained and certified by the International Association for Colon Therapists.

JARVIS NATURAL HEALTH CLINIC 1489 Slaughter Road, Madison 256-837-3448 I-ACT Certified colon Hydro Therapists. Do you know that 80% of your immune system is in your colon? Bathe your body from the inside to improve health. Colon irrigation aids in soothing and toning the colon, which makes elimination more effective.

special edition

NATURAL FOODS Natural Awakenings takes a look at the growing food revolution in our March issue.

ELECTRODERMAL TESTING ELE HEALTHY CHOICES LLC HEAL 3322 S S. Memorial Pkwy, Suite 526 Huntsv Huntsville, AL 35801 256-67 256-679-1997 healthy healthychoicesLLC@gmail.com Healthy Choices LLC provides Electrodermal Testing and the Detoxifying Ionic Footbath.

Electrodermal Testing uncovers the root cause(s) of health issues and designs a protocol to help the body heal itself.

The Detoxifying Ionic footbath helps excrete toxins out of the body bringing you back into balance.

EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUES SELF-HEALING AWARENESS WITH EFT Judith Pflum, EFT-ADV Practitioner 256-774-3392 www.tapintohealing.com Tap into healing. Specializing in women’s emotional/physical issues: anxieties, fears, relationships, stress, weight. Painless, drug-free, easy-to-learn technique. Individual, group, or phone sessions.

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

404-395-9634 38

Tennessee Valley

ENERGY HEALING CENTER FOR DIRECTIONAL HEALING Susan Spalding, Director 256-882-0360 www.directionalhealing.com Free the energy within you! Take your health and your life to a new level with Directional Healing. Clears, cleanses, balances, rejuvenates through resonance healing.

EUROPEAN FACIAL TREATMENT EUROPEAN MEDICAL ESTHETICS CLINIC 17 Years in business Huntsville, Alabama 256-880-0709

FAMILY MEDICINE PROGRESSIVE FAMILY MEDICINE Chad Gilliam, M.M.S. PA-C 1230 Slaughter Road, Suite C, Madison, AL 256-722-0555.

Progressive Family Medicine provides medical care for patients of all ages and uniquely blends Natural and Prescription medicines together to help speed the patient’s recovery. Progressive Family Medicine is the patient’s clinic of choice when they would like to understand how natural medicines work along with prescription drugs.

FENG SHUI FENG SHUI BY TRUDI GARDNER Trudi Gardner, M.S. (256) 772-6999 Tygard2000@aol.com An interior design philosophy that invites serenity and reduces stress. Feng Shui design concepts brings positive energy into your home and office to encourage Prosperity, Well Being, Harmony, and Balance.

IN-HOME MASSAGE CLOUD NINE Evening and Weekend Appointments 256-337-6989 Finally, someone who makes housecalls! Swedish, Ortho and Deep Tissue massage in the privacy of your own home. Gift Certificates also available for any occasion.

JIN SHIN JYUTSU® JIN SHIN JYUTSU OF HUNTSVILLE Sandra Cope Huntsville 256-534-1794, 256-509-3540 Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner. An easy, effective way of restoring health and well-being by balancing the body’s energy pathways to enhance the body’s natural healing abilities.

MASSAGE CENTER FOR THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE AND BODYWORK 1634 Slaughter Rd., Madison 256-430-9756 Our vision is to provide professional massage services in a comfortable clinical environment to Madison and the surrounding area. Student massages available for 1/2 the regular rate.

Lic. E1311.

JACI HOGUE

305 Jefferson St., Ste. C 256-704-5080 sybil@bodylanguagepilates.com www.bodylanguagepilates.com

256-656-4108 jaci@alabamarolfmethod.com www.alabamarolfmethod.com

Our goal is to teach individuals how to take control of their health and well-being through the Pilates method, creating a wholesome person of sound mind, body, and spirit. Private, semi-private and group training on the equipment is available along with group mat classes.

A complete system of body education that balances the physical body, improves posture, and helps resolve chronic pain. Created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf in the 1950s, Structural Integration has been scientifically validated and has withstood the test of time, as millions of people have enjoyed the remarkable benefits.

YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVILLE

SUSAN K. JEFFREYS

MASSAGE SCHOOL MADISON SCHOOL OF MASSAGE THERAPY, LLC 1634 Slaughter Rd, Suite C Madison, AL 35758 256-430-9756 www.madisonschoolofmassagetherapy.com Our training will change your life forever in a new career as a Professional. Student massages available for 1/2 the regular rate. AL Board of Massage School Lic# S-117 AL State Board of Ed. School Lic# 1200I

MUSIC THERAPY HEALING SOUNDS MUSIC THERAPY Stephanie Bolton, MA, MT-BC 256-655-0648 www.imageryandmusic.com Huntsville, AL- based music therapy practice focused on improving personal health and wellness using guided imagery and music techniques.Currently providing workshops and individual consultations.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

PILATES BODY LANGUAGE, INC.

500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975 www.Yogacenterofhuntsville.com Our focus is on core stability, neutral alignment and patterned breathing. It restores the natural curves of the spine, relieves tension and enhances self-confidence. We feature certified instruction in group and individual training.

Advanced Practitioner Lic.#249 Dr. Ida P. ROLF method 2336A Whitesburg Drive Serving Huntsville since 1995 256-512-2094 www.rolfguild.org “When the body gets working appropriately, then the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.” Ida P. Rolf

REFLEXOLOGY

VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURE

JIM BARNES, CERTIFIED REFLEXOLOGIST REFLEX ACTION 124 14th St. Suite D3, Decatur, AL 35601 256-227-2920 256-309-0033

ACUPUNCTURE FOR ALL ANIMALS Vikki Trupin, DVM 256-710-5378 VTrupin@Ardmore.net IVAS (International Veterinary Acupuncture Society)-certified since 1994. Treatments in the clinic or in your home.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATES Dr. Deb Gilliam, N.M.D. 1230 Slaughter Road, Madison, AL 256-722-0555 Dr. Gilliam treats a variety of health problems with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, heart disease, hormone replacement and thyroid issues being at the forefront. Dr. Gilliam sees patients from around the world due to the reputation she has earned by treating hard to treat medical conditions. Dr. Gilliam works to find the cause of medical conditions and does not simply treat the patients’ symptoms.

SHAMAN HEALER KATY GLENN WILLIS 256-426-0232 katyglennwillis@yahoo.com KatyShamanHealer.blogspot.com Spiritualy Assisted Intuitive Readings, Energetic Healing and Balancing for People and Pets, World Culture Shamanic Training, Spirit Midwife: Assistance for individual and caregivers during Death & Dying Process. Forty years of training and experience.

YOGA YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVILLE 500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975 www.Yogacenterofhuntsville.com We teach yoga postures and principles designed to bring strength, flexibility, openness, and awareness into the body.

Classic yoga postures, modifications are introduced to give the student many options in developing a personal practice.

NUTRITION & WELLNESS DETOXIFYING FOOTBATHS, NUTRITION, WELLNESS COUNSELING Michele Monticciolo, NC MH Certified Nutritionist, Herbalist, Holistic Healthcare Practitioner 256-426-0982 Michele@ NewFocusNewYou.com

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out

before we tackle that.” ~Thomas Edison

February 2011

39

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Complete Health Care For Your Family! amily m y 1230 Slaughter laugh laug ugh ghter ghte hte ter er Rd. er Rd Madison, n, AL AL 35758 35 3575 5758 57 5758

256.722.0555 722 222.

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