April 2011

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

16 NATURAL HEALING IN

10 HOT ROCK COCKS

by Tom Maples

12

UNNATURAL SETTINGS Homelike Touches Help Restore Health

10

by Melinda Hemmelgarn

FIGHT LIKE A WOMAN AT PRETTY WOMAN BOUTIQUE

18 MUKTI

by Liz Seifried

by Kimberly Ballard

20

20 SALAD LOVERS’ SALADS

14 RICHARD LOUV’S

Signature Dishes from the Garden or Farmers’ Market

WELL-BEING Rx: RECONNECT WITH NATURE

by Judith Fertig

22 TOUCHPOINTS

by April Thompson

14

REFLEXOLOGY- PRACTICAL TIPS FOR EVERYDAY LIVING Allergy Relief

by Jim Barnes, Certified Reflexologist

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS

23 THE POWER OF

25

PERMACULTURE HOW TO ADVERTISE Display Ads due by the 10th of the month prior to publication.

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 256-476-6537 or email Editor@Natvalley.com.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS* Newsbriefs due by the 10th of the month. 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. Articles generally contain 250-850 words, with some exceptions. No advertorials, please.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendar of Events and Ongoing Calendar listings due by the 10th of the month. Limit 50 words per entry. Please follow format found in those sections.

Care for People, Sustain the Planet, Share the Surplus

by John D. Ivanko

25 A CONVERSATION WITH QIGONG PRACTITIONER JEFF PRIMACK (PART 1 OF 2)

by Guy Spiro

28 ED BEGLEY, JR.’S GREEN HOME MAKEOVER Saving Energy and Cutting Waste is a Family Affair

by Brita Belli

ADVERTISE WITH US TODAY 256-476-6537 -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.

32 POSTURES BY GATLIANNE Grounding Yourself in Tree Pose

by Gatlianne

28

newsbriefs Steve Krzyzewski, CEDSAT, of Healthy Choices, LLC, Offers Computerized ElectroDermal Stress Analysis

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teve Krzyzewski, CEDSAT, of Healthy Choices, LLC is on staff with the Standard Enzyme Company of North America in Bremen, Georgia, as the Computerized ElectroDermal Stress Analysis Training Instructor. Workshops 3 and 4 were held on March 9-12, hosting a wide range of health practitioners, including chiropractors, registered nurses, and naturopathic doctors, from as far away as Norway.

James Hawver, NMD, world-renown CEDSA Expert, Founder and President of Standard Enzyme Company, as well as the Bremen Health Clinic, lectured on the advanced ways CEDSA is used to detect the root causes of issues affecting not only an individual’s physical well-being, but also their emotional and mental states.

The Electrodermal Stress Analysis System is the product of a 50-year evolution in Biological-Energetic/biofeedback testing that has helped individuals uncover their imbalances to live healthier and happier lives.

Healthy Choices, LLC is located in the Century Office Complex, 3322 South Memorial Parkway, Suite 526. Call Steve Krzyzewski at 256-679-1997 for an appointment or more information on how CEDSA can help you reach your ultimate health. See ad on page 13.

Not Your Traditional Ballroom

M

adison Ballroom Dance Studio offers weekly private and group lessons in a wide variety of ballroom dances, from waltz to cha cha, swing to tango.

The studio hosts dance parties every Saturday evening. Students and instructors have opportunities to perform in studio shows (the next one will be in August) and compete in regional competitions (Atlanta in May). The studio also offers a graduation program if students want to track their progress through a ballroom dance syllabus. The schedule of group classes and special events is posted online at MadisonBallroom.com.

Madison Ballroom is also Cardio Ballroom. Exercise with cha cha, jive and salsa every Saturday, 11am to noon. The good music and fast feet will jumpstart your day. Visit GabrielaDance.com.

Madison Ballroom is Salsa Central. The beginner salsa group class, Thursdays 8-9pm, teaches basics and cool combinations. Private lessons are also available.

Visit GabrielaDance.com.

The first-ever SalsAlabama Spring Salsa Fiesta will be held at Madison Ballroom, April 16-17. This event includes over 10 workshops, out-of-town instructors and DJs, a Saturday night fiesta-themed party and performances. For all the details, visit Salseroblanko.net.

Fitness Fusion Ultimate Boot Camps combine calisthenics, plyometrics, agility, resistance and core training. Sessions are offered before and after work hours.

Personal training is also available. Visit MadisonFitnessFusion.com Madison Ballroom Dance Studio is located at Madison Village, 9076 Madison Blvd, Suites C/D, Madison (in the same shopping center as Old Time Pottery).

256-461-1900. MadisonBallroom.com. See ad on page 30.

contact us Publisher Tom Maples Tom@Natvalley.com Cell: 404-395-9634 New Business Development Advertising Sales Cindy Wilson Cindy@Natvalley.com Cell: 256-476-6537 Design and Production Karen Ormstedt 256-997-9165 Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley 14 Woodland Ave. Trinity, Alabama 35673 Office: 256-340-1122 Fax: 256-217-4274 Natvalley.com

© 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.

April 2011

5

Satsang and Retreat with Mukti at the Center for Spiritual Living

W

A Spiritual Community supporting the practice of knowing God in the heart of every person.

ONGOING SERVICES AND CLASSES! New Thought Classes

Tuesdays, 6:30-9:00pm Wednesdays,10:00am-12:00pm

Revealing Services Sundays 9:45am

Celebration Services Sundays 10:30am

Meditation

Tuesdays & Wednesdays 6:00pm Sundays 8:30am

Satsang

Wednesdays 6:30pm

hat is the most essential you that is present before thought or emotion? Who or what has been present for all of your life experience? How does this spirit of constancy touch your life?

Mukti will speak on these compelling topics and follow up with questions and answers that point directly to the true nature of Self.

With three short satsangs, interspersed with periods of silent meditation, attendees will have an opportunity to tend to inner and outer silence and to nourish the brightness that shines through delusion. This silent retreat will offer a potent blend of stillness and dynamic inquiry.

Mukti is Vice President and an Associate Teacher of Open Gate Sangha. She has been a student of Adyashanti, her husband, since he began teaching in 1996.

In her own teachings, Mukti points audiences back to their natural state of wholeness or undivided consciousness.

The Friday night Satsang with Mukti will be held April 15, 7 p.m. The All-Day Retreat will be held Saturday, April 16, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Early-bird registration is $90 for entire weekend, or $15 Friday evening and $85 for the Saturday retreat, including lunch. Please pay at the door.

The Center for Spiritual Living is located at 308 Lily Flagg Road, Huntsville, AL 35802. For more information, contact: Gloria Agrelius at 256-503-3083 or visit csl-huntsville.org. See ad on this page.

Workshop on Christian Healing

U

nity Church on the Mountain will hold “The Healing Workshop” with Rev. Eric Donaldson, Saturday, April 9 at 9am. Rev. Donaldson trained in ministry under Rev. Dr. Johnnie Colemon, President of Association of Unity Churches, 1968-1970. This will be one of the most powerful events yet offered at UCOM. Based on the works of Charles Fillmore in the defining work "Christian Healing" and other pioneers of New Thought, The Healing Workshop is comprised of a wide variety of teaching/learning modalities, designed to immerse both the soul and the senses into a contemporary comprehension of the Spiritual.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 9, 9am on a love offering basis and is open to everyone. For more information, visit TheHealingMinistries.net.

Unity Church on the Mountain is located at 1328 Governors Drive in Huntsville.

UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com. 256-536-2271. See ad on page 15.

A Day with Martha Creek on the Mountain Rev. David Leonard Transforming Lives and Making the World a Better Place www.cslhuntsville.org

308 Lily Flagg Rd.

883-8596

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nity Church on the Mountain will host world-renowned speaker Martha Creek for a pair of workshops April 30-May 1.

April 30 Workshop, 10:30am – Martha will be offering a special Leadership training for New Thought Church/Progressive Christian Leaders Healthy Congregations (HealthyCongregations.com) May 1 Workshop, 1-4pm – Who would you be without your story? The Work of Byron Katie is a way of identifying and questioning the thoughts that cause all the fear and suffering in the world. Experience the happiness of undoing those thoughts through The Work, and allow your mind to return to its true, awakened, peaceful, creative nature. People who do The Work as an ongoing practice commonly report: Alleviation of depression - Find resolution, even happiness, in situations that were once debilitating; Decreased stress - Learn how to live with

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

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Seminars and Workshops Date: Thursday, April 21, 2011 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Madison Drugs Instructor: Terry Wingo, RPh Topic: Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Cost: $20 – General Admission $30 – C.E. (nurses)

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In our experience the symptoms of fibromyalgia are generally reversible when R.S.V.P. @ (256) 837-1778 underlying functional endocrine imbalances are corrected. Dietary and lifestyle changes Wellness Counseling along with nutritional support tailored We perform intensive one-on-one to individual needs strengthen our body’s evaluations covering your health history healing processes, enabling our recovery. and current health problems. Take control of your life today, and schedule an appoint- We’ll discuss our approach in detail in our ment with our trained and qualified staff. next class- why not call to reserve a seat?

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less anxiety or fear; Improved relationships - Experience deeper connection and intimacy with your partner, your parents, your children, your friends, and yourself; Reduced anger - Understand what makes you angry and resentful, and become less reactive, less often, with less intensity; Increased mental clarity - Live and work more intelligently and effectively, with integrity; More energy - Experience a new sense of ongoing vigor and well being; More peace - Discover how to become “a lover of what is.�

Both workshops are offered on an open-ended love

8

Churches Cooperate to Help Those in Need

T

he Committee on Church Cooperation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and social service agency serving the homeless and the working poor in Morgan County, Alabama.

Their mission build cooperative efforts among churches of Morgan County to provide short-term and emergency assistance to persons in need.

This faith-based organization is a part of the Morgan Baptist Association and offers food staples, general clothing and household goods during the week. The CCC provides an emergency food pantry, a clothing closet, a prescription medication program, a school supplies program, holiday sponsorship for children, burn-out and new move-in assistance, infant/child assistance, travelers' aid, and the Food for the Soul Soup Kitchen, which is available every Monday and Thursday from 11am-1pm.

The CCC strictly follows the guideline of providing assistance once every three months, with the exception of the Soup Kitchen.

Funding for the CCC is provided exclusively from local sources. Churches, schools, individuals, clubs, and organizations are all substantial contributors. All financial assistance and donations are tax deductible.

Eligibility requirements for assistance includes a Morgan County ID, a Social Security card for everyone in the household, proof of income for all those 18 and older living in the household, including Food Stamps, and proof of residence in the form of a utility bill or rent agreement. Intake procedure is walk in to apply. There is no fee for service.

The Committee on Church Cooperation for Morgan County is located at 119 1st Ave Northeast, Decatur, For more information, call 256-355-8893.

offering basis. For more information about Martha, visit MarthaCreek.net. Unity Church on the Mountain is located at 1328 Governors Drive in Huntsville. Visit UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com. 256-536-2271. See ad on page 15.

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.

Earth Day April 22 E

Mother Earth With the robe of earth over her shoulders, Mother Earth sits in her garden inviting me in for a visit.

I once asked her if she was disturbed by all the harm people have caused the earth? With a sigh, she replied “I mourn not for myself but for my diminishing ability to give beauty and nourishment to those that I love”

by Rita Loyd © 2011

Rita Loyd is a professional watercolor artist and writer. The message of her work is about the healing power of unconditional self-love. Rita began painting in 1996 as a way to cope with chronic illness and depression.

Through this journey, the creative process became her teacher, healer and friend who would guide her to find the true meaning and experience of unconditional self-love. Rita writes about this experience and all that she has learned about unconditional self-love in her new book Unconditional Self-Love: What It Is, Why It's important and How to Nurture It in Your Life. You can purchase this book in Huntsville at Ruth's Nutrition, H. Raines Gifts or at www.NurturingArt.com, where you can view Rita's artwork and new blog.

April 2011

9

Hot Rock Cocks

By Tom Maples

“I

n Bloomington, Indiana there’s one of three things you’ll find people doing at parties. Eating, playing Euchre, and playing Old-Time music.”

Sam Bartlett of Cocks of the North explains why Bloomington is one of the hotbeds of traditional American Music in the United States.

If the other Old-Time trios in Bloomington play as well, and as well together, as Bartlett, on tenor banjo, Claudio Buchwald on piano and fiddle, and Eric Schedler on accordion and keyboard, then Bloomington must be a very special place indeed.

Christening themselves Cocks of the North—which is merely the plural of “Cock of the North,” the traditional Irish bagpipe tune, Claudio Buchwald is careful to explain—the threesome bills themselves as a dance band, but can also play an accomplished sitdown show for the wine-and-dinner crowd, which they did in fine form and a theatrical flourish for an audience of about sixty at the Flying Monkey Theater on Saturday evening, January 29.

With an easygoing but energetic style and disarmingly charming collective chemistry, one can see how Cocks of the North can so effortlessly oscillate between Celtic-

10

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Hosts Gary Nelson and Rebecca Holbrook invoke talismanic simian power to fire up the Flying Monkey.

Appalachian hoe-down party band and sublimely serious, seated-show concertinos. They love to entertain, and they do. Mixing medleys of tunes from Celtic ballads, wistful waltzes, fiddle-fueled foot stompers, and the bulletproof Vaudeville of prankish prop-driven parlor tricks put on, hilariously, by Bartlett, between sets, who performed, and demythologized, a selection of dexterously skilled silliness he calls “Stunts,” drawn from, and definitively catalogued in, his own book, The Best of Stuntology.

The sit-down set list included a rollicking call-andresponse party tune version of “Trouble in Mind,” along with lovely, lyrical “Laura’s Waltz,” composed by Claudio Buschwald. “Merriweather” proved to be a propulsive, swaying Old-Time fiddle standard. The wistfully poignant piano and accordion duet “Tristesse,” a waltz written by Claudio Buchwald. The stately, processional piano hymn “Though I am Weary,” and a whimsical, cathartic “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” construed as an audience participation exercise involving abrupt positional change, the letter B, and undivided attention.

The show was put on by Hot Rock Hollow Productions, headed by old-time music and contra dance enthusiasts

Gary Nelson and Rebecca Holbrook. It was the first of Hot Rock Hollow’s Fifth Saturday Dinner Concert Series.

Begun last year, the Series schedules four events per year, bringing nationally renowned bands in this eclectic but fanatically followed genre to Huntsville.

Usually referred to as either Contra Dance music or Old-Time music, it is a virtuosoMusicological Stuntologist Sam Bartlett plays a acoustic fusion of talking…wood saw…wailing out bent notes rollicking Roots-wrung like the broken-bottle blues. renditions conjured out of a kaleidoscope of imaginative instrumentational combinations. Bands who travel the country playing for dances may include a saxophone, keyboards, conga drums, electric base or any instruments imaginable. This fusion of old and modern instrumentation has resulted in a rare gemlike genre of unlikely, exciting musical exuberance that is communal, celebratory, and compellingly cathartic, whether one or more than one of One’s feet are involved in what’s going on.

The next concert and dance event in the Hot Rock Hollow series is slated for April 30. Land of Sky will be performing both the dinner concert at the Flying Monkey Theater at Lowe Mill and the contra dance at Faith Presbyterian Church, later.

Season Tickets for the 2011 Concert and Dance Special Series are available online.

Event tickets for the Land of Sky dinner show are $12 in advance, The trio tripping lightly, and ripping tightly, through or $15 at the door. an intricate, bright tune.

Box dinners from What's for Supper? are available for order until April 27 in meat-lover or vegetarian versions. Tickets for the dance afterwards are $10 at the door, $5 for students.

Bring your concert ticket to the dance to get $2 off. For more information, visit HotRockHollow.com. _____________________________________________________

April 30 Concert – 5-7pm. Flying Monkey Arts Center at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville.

Contra Dance– 8-11pm. Faith Presbyterian Church gym.

Faith Presbyterian Church, 5003 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CINDY WILSON

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11

coverartist

Fight Like a Woman at Pretty Woman Boutique

by Kimberly Ballard

T Embraced by Mother Earth

by Rita Loyd Professional watercolor artist and writer Rita Loyd began to paint in 1996 as a way to cope with chronic illness and depression. As she continued to paint through the years, the creative process became a teacher, healer and friend, guiding her to find the true meaning of self-love.

Today, her boldly colored, fluidly drawn images explore themes of inner strength and healing, as well as compassion for self and others. She writes of Embraced by Mother Earth: “I receive from the tree the nurturing of a mother’s embrace. Rooted in strength, she reaches out her limbs in sensitivity and concern. When I am with my tree, I am as a bird, nestled in the boughs of love and support.”

Loyd recounts her journey of self-discovery in a book, Unconditional Self-Love: What It Is, Why It’s Important and How to Nurture It in Your Life. “My goal for my art and writing is to nurture spiritual wholeness,” she advises. “As this nurturing place of self-love and appreciation expands within us, so does our ability to love and nurture other living beings in a more authentic way.”

View the artist’s portfolio at NurturingArt.com and visit her blog at NurturingArt.com/blog. Her book is available online.

12

Tennessee Valley

he survival rate is 90% with early out of the operating room to the lab to detection, but one in every eight make sure they get “clean margins”, or women will be diagnosed with surrounding tissue that may be infectsome form of breast cancer in their ed but not yet showing malignancy. lifetime. That heart-stopping diagnosis “Clean margins are very imchanges your life forever, and it happortant,” says Brenda who is also a pens on the turn of that word: cancer. registered nurse. “They want to take In defense of oncologists, nurses, radias much tissue surrounding the cancer ologists, and many other cancer-relatas possible to make sure they got it ed medical professionals, they simply all, which lowers the chances of it are not equipped, nor do they have the coming back.” time to outline for every patient, what “You go home within twenty-four to expect along this very singular and to forty-eight hours after surgery,” Barterrifying journey. “That’s why I opened bara says. “It takes about two weeks Pretty Woman Boutique,” says Brenda to recover, but in reality, the challenge Kerley, owner of Kerley Medical and has just begun. Chemotherapy treatits Woman’s Health division, which ments and daily doses of radiation includes Pretty Woman Boutique. “I bring about a whole new round of wanted to offer a support group for problems no one warns you about.” women who have been diagnosed with Barbara began a chemotherapy all forms of cancer. I wanted to proand radiation treatment process vide products that are specific to their that began in April and lasted until needs, and clothing that is comfortable Thanksgiving. “Nearly nine months and feminine for women recovering of treatment is a lot of wear and tear from surgery, undergoing treatment, on your body, and then you discover and putting their lives back together you can’t wear your favorite deodorafterwards.” ants or lotions.” Instructed not to wear According to 8-year breast cancer off-the-shelf lotions and deodorants survivor Barbara Garrison, a customer because metals and chemicals in those advocate for Pretty Woman Boutique, products are believed to exacerbate from the time you are diagnosed until radiation-related skin toxicity, Barbara you are declared cancer-free, you says your skin is red, itchy, and dry and lose about a year of your life fighting you want to put something on it but to rid yourself of the menace. “There you don’t know where to turn. “Pretty are a lot of books Woman sells lowritten on it and tions, deodorants, “I wanted to offer a support and other skincare they help, but there are still so group for women who have products that don’t many surprises. have metals in For instance, from been diagnosed with cancer them, made spemammogram to - not just breast cancer, but cifically for cancer diagnosis to bipatients, as well as all forms of cancer.” opsy to surgery – special sun blocks it all occurs in just with UV proteca few days,” Barbara explains. “Once tion for future safety, and shampoos they know an area is ‘hot’ – that is, designed for hair loss.” they know there is something there – Treatments also affect skin sensithey get you into surgery to remove it tivity. Typical fabrics that are usually as soon as possible.” During the surcomfortable like cotton and knits often gery, the surgeon runs samples in and cause itching, scratching, and chaf-

ing. “We carry sleepwear made from and convenience of their handsome lift bamboo that is comfortable and repels chairs. Most surgeons don’t want the moisture,” Brenda says. “If you sweat post-operative patient putting preswearing cotton, your shirt gets wet and sure on their upper body – straining sticks to you – very uncomfortable for the arms and chest in order to push people undergoing themselves up treatment. With of a chair. “…From the time you are out the bamboo nightKerley Medical shirts, this isn’t a diagnosed until you are sells comfortable problem.” lift chairs declared cancer-free, you lounger Pretty Woman that raise up high carries stylish lose about a year of your enough to set bathing suits with on your feet, life fighting to rid yourself you nipple padding without a lot of and sleeves for exertion. of the menace.” breast forms. “The A great deal sleeve is on the inside of the bra and of Pretty Woman’s merchandise is for doesn’t show. It is the only thing that cancer-free and non-cancer customers. makes our suits different from any The sale of Miche handbags, handother, so no one knows you have had a made jewelry, all types of clothing and mastectomy.” accessories like jeans, blouses, t-shirts, Pretty Woman also sells compresand caps with the famous Pink Ribsion garments to help with swelling bons and Fight Like A Woman breast caused by lymphedema, the buildup cancer slogans, all help raise money to of fluid caused by the removal of, or fight breast cancer. at least surgically damaged, lymph Pretty Woman Boutique provides vessels and lymph nodes after most continued support and sponsorship of mastectomies. They fit patients for the Sandra J. Bryant Bosom Buddies mastectomy bras and lingerie, breast Breast Cancer Support Group here in prostheses, and hair loss products Madison County. They are also active including wigs, scarves, and hats. Most annual participants in the American insurance companies cover mastecCancer Society’s Relay for Life event tomy bras for the rest of the cancer coming up May 6-7 at John Hunt Park. survivor’s life.

Relay for Life is the ACS’s signature Because Pretty Woman Boutique event with three specific purposes: to is a division of Kerley Medical, cuscelebrate the life of cancer survivors; tomers can experience the comfort to remember loved ones who lost their

life to cancer; and to fight the dreaded disease.

Pretty Woman Boutique, 210 Sivley Road Southwest, Huntsville, AL 35801, 256-519-2386. See ad on Page 29. ___________________ Kimberly Ballard is a Professional Writer & Marketing Consultant and is available for consults. Call 256-653-4003 and receive a free press release with any marketing project. Visit www.KimberlyWritesCreative.com, or email Kimberly@ KimberlyWritesCreative.com.

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April 2011

13

wisewords

Richard Louv’s Well-Being Rx: Reconnect with Nature

by April Thompson

I

f it’s true that people are self-interested creatures at heart, journalist Richard Louv has a message for humankind: Think not only what we can do for nature, but what nature can do for us.

Louv’s seminal book, Last Child in the Woods, launched a national dialogue about the disconnection between children and nature, a state he calls naturedeficit disorder. Now, in The Nature Principle, Louv vividly portrays how a nature-infused lifestyle can enhance the quality of our health and relationships, benefiting every facet of experience. He asserts that the more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need, and offers a roadmap to a future that

incorporates nature into every aspect of our lives, from our homes to our workplaces.

The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Louv is the author of eight books and the founder of the Children & Nature Network.

You cite many instances of nature’s power to heal and restore us mentally, emotionally, physically and even intellectually. How does science account for this?

Healers have known about the importance of nature to our health and wellbeing for thousands of years, but only in recent years have scientists begun to

study the benefits of what I call, “vitamin N.” Still, the preliminary research indicates overwhelmingly positive correlations between human health and intelligence and nature.

For example, a University of Illinois study of urban children with attention deficit disorder found that even a little exposure to nature can have a positive effect on ADD. Several other studies indicate that walking in natural areas improves our mental and physical health. Researchers from Sweden and England that compared exercising in indoor and outdoor settings learned that expending the same amount of energy in these different environments provides different results, with green exercise offering added value. Science can’t yet tell us the causes and mechanisms behind these correlations, yet we know enough to act.

Technology permeates every aspect of our lives today. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that American youth spend an average of 53 hours a week using entertainment media. So we have to consciously bring more nature into our lives—not just to escape technology’s documented negative effects, but also to access the positive benefits that nature provides.

It’s not a case of nature versus technology, however; it’s a matter of balance. The “hybrid mind” can access the benefits of both, facilitating skills in big-picture thinking.

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Tennessee Valley

Structural Integration in the method of Ida P. Rolf

You assert that reconnecting with nature also strengthens community and family bonds, but where can busy urbanites start?

Often, families want to connect with nature but don’t know how. We offer free tools at ChildrenAndNature.org to help you start a family nature club organized around prearranged nature play dates. One club has 600 families. This helps create meaningful social bonding within and between families. It’s something any family can do, regardless of location or income, and it’s good fun.

need, humans included. We can start in our backyards by replacing lawns with flowers and native plants that will bring back sustainable migration routes for birds and butterflies.

Acting on The Nature Principle is an optimistic way of looking at the future. It’s not just about survival; it’s creating a way of life that is profoundly all-around better for all of us.

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. ~Benjamin Franklin

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

What roles do governments play in preserving a naturebalanced world?

All have a role to play. Urban planners a hundred years ago planned cities around nature. It’s not a new idea; we’ve just forgotten.

Nature can offer cost-effective solutions to some of the problems cashstrapped governments face. For example, it costs a lot to tear up a canyon and put in a new stormwater system, but a lot less to develop a system that takes advantage of the natural watershed.

People often think about nature as somewhere else, like a state park or wilderness area, yet you point out the need to re-imagine our own yards and neighborhoods.

What can we do to enhance the local habitats that ultimately sustain us?

We often overlook the nature where we live, work and play. In 2008, for the first time in history, more people on Earth, were living in urban, rather than rural, areas. That means if we are going to have meaningful experiences with nature, we are going to have to rethink nature within cities.

Looking forward, conservation measures alone won’t be enough to get us where we need to be. We need to start re-creating nature in order to protect the biodiversity that all creatures

Unity is positive, practical Christianity. We teach the effective, daily application of the principles of Truth taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ. We promote a way of life that leads to health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind. Unity has established centers of study and worship throughout the world where people discover and practice the Unity way of life. We address physical, mental, and emotional needs through affirmative prayer and spiritual education. We serve those who seek inspiration and prayer support as well as those who use Unity teachings as their primary path of spiritual growth. We believe that all people are created with sacred worth, and we strive to reach out to all who seek support and spiritual growth. Therefore, we recognize the importance of serving all people in spiritually and emotionally caring ways. Our ministries and outreaches are free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, and sexual orientation.

Our sincere desire is to create spiritually aware organizations that are nondiscriminatory and support diversity.

April 2011

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O ALL IS CONNECTED... no one thing can change by itself. ~Paul Hawken

16

Tennessee Valley

h, how we take the comforts of home for granted—until we lose them. Despite our best intentions and mindful actions to stay physically and spiritually sound, sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Accidents, toxic environments, illness and other situations beyond our control can radically, often unexpectedly, change our lives.

No one wants to find themselves in a hospital bed, but if you or a loved one requires the high-tech, life-saving skills of a medical center, nursing home or another institutionalized care facility, you can help

restore health through high-touch, natural nurturing.

To begin, it’s helpful to know that healing is enhanced and quality of life returns quicker in loving, peaceful, natural environments.

Frances Kuo and her colleagues at the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, have shown how green space is a necessary, beneficial component of human health.

Because plant life is physically and mentally restorative, an increasing number of hospitals nationwide have created onsite

“healing gardens.” The University of Alabama Hospital, for instance, designed a garden according to the concept that the way a patient feels and interacts with his or her surroundings can play an integral part in the healing process. Complementing its soothing greenery and pleasant floral scents, a water feature helps mask unpleasant noise.

It’s good to bring green plants, fragrant flowers and herbs to the bedside of a loved one, but intensive care units often ban plants in rooms, due to concerns about mold, allergens and bacteria, so check with nursing staff first. If an institution restricts the presence of plants, substitute posters or pictures of gardens, forests or national parks to bring visions of natural life to barren walls.

Here are additional suggestions for transforming unnatural environments into more natural healing spaces: Like Hippocrates, think of food as medicine. Unfortunately, “healthy hospital food,” is too often an oxymoron.

It’s wise to ask the staff dietitian for an organic diet. Organic food is produced without toxic chemicals, antibiotics, hormones and genetically modified ingredients. If no organic options exist, let hospital administrators know you would appreciate having local, organic food on the menu. Inquire about dietary restrictions and get approval to bring nutritious, homemade comfort foods, prepared with loving hearts and caring hands.

Satisfy the senses. Listen to the healing rhythms of nature via recordings of songbirds, crickets, frogs, ocean surf, trickling streams and gentle rain. Many are available through libraries, local bookstores and websites.

Paul Kervick, cofounder and one of the directors at Living Well Community Care Home, in Bristol, Vermont, believes, “It takes more than medical management and clean sheets to feel vibrant and happy.” So, in addition to organic food, Kervick provides music therapy and meditative drumming for residents.

Think positively and hold healing thoughts. Creative visualization can be a vital healing tool. It is the internal process of embracing healing images and good thoughts and then applying them to our experience and our bodies. For example, Dyer references a horse field she saw outside her rural hospital window during an illness that had left her weak. She focused on the horses’ galloping strength and visualized herself running strongly again.

Every patient needs an advocate to ask questions, take notes and provide a second set of watchful eyes and helping hands. It’s a good idea to keep a dated record of procedures, doctors’ comments, test results and care plans. Meanwhile, protect your loved one’s rest while offering small services that provide great comfort—such as companionship during meals or helping them step outside for some fresh air.

Repeatedly express gratitude to care providers for their services and for incremental gains in healing that bring a loved one ever closer to returning to home sweet home.

For additional insights, visit Health Care Without Harm (NoHarm.org).

Melinda Hemmelgarn is a registered dietitian and awardwinning writer and radio show host, based in Columbia, MO. Her daughter recently spent a month in the hospital while recovering from a fall. Visit FoodSleuth@gmail.com and tune into Food Sleuth Radio online podcasts at kopn.org.

Heal through touch and movement. Medical facilities may employ professional massage, healing touch and physical therapists. If not, a gentle foot or hand massage, with jasmine, rose or lavender-scented lotion, provides soothing stress relief. Be close; hold your loved one’s hand or stroke their hair.

In A Dietitian’s Cancer Story: Information & Inspiration for Recovery & Healing, author and dietitian Diana Dyer found that meditative movement, like yoga and qigong, aided her own healing journey.

Bring something from home to the facility. Family photographs, a favorite blanket or special sweater can help make a strange space feel more personal and cozy. Some care facilities even allow visits from pets. Pull up a chair and read stories aloud, sing softly and share memories and images of home.

April 2011

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Tennessee Valley

Mukti

By Liz Seifried

T

he first time I ever saw Mukti was in Nashville, TN. She sat in the midst of a crowd while her husband, Adyashanti, spoke to us for a few hours on being present and aware. About a year later, I found myself in California's Mount Madonna Retreat Center attending Adyashanti's five-day silent retreat. I was a moth drawn to two flames. I would soon be sitting in front of Mukti in San Jose, California, in dokusan.

During my five-day silent retreat with Adyashanti at Mount Madonna, I scheduled a dokusan, a private meeting with a spiritual teacher, Mukti. I arrived a few minutes early and sat in a small waiting room with a feeling of anticipation. So few spiritual teachers with full awakenings make themselves so available to the public. Upon entering, all anxiety vanished. Mukti’s sparkling eyes and graceful countenance spoke volumes as her words helped me see the Truth behind my jumbled approach to life.

Every true teacher offers special gifts and insight. Mukti has been invaluable as a teacher. She is humble, genuine, and keeps her focus to one thing: helping whoever is present to fall into awareness. One valuable lesson she taught me during a dokusan was, "The kundalini has a wisdom of its own."

This enabled me to allow spirit to lead my life. Another lesson: let go of the need to be the doer, and just be.

Like her husband Adyashanti, Mukti does not play around with ambiguous Yoda-like phrases. Since her focus is not

on metaphysics or the paranormal, she attempts to stay away from loaded words or phrases such as “enlightenment,� “Self,� or “God.� Mukti’s words reveal what is underlying what I call myself. Once mental and emotional blocks are exposed, at least momentarily, freedom begins to shine. I am very grateful to her for her insight, wisdom, and guidance.

Mukti's words are almost always reminiscent of Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian saint known for a method of self inquiry. Her teaching parallels his in that she suggests we look within and ask who it is who is responding, who is doing?

This question does not necessarily have an answer. It is a process. She once suggested I write a list of all the things I thought I was and to look to see if they were really true.

Mukti studied Chinese medicine for years, read Yogananda's texts, and practiced Tai Chi. She also sings and plays guitar from time to time. She is based in California, where she gives dokusan, but has recently started touring the United States and giving satsang. After asking Mukti to come to Huntsville for two years, she finally decided it was time to go on tour in the southeast. In our last conversation, she expressed that she was feeling excited about visiting Huntsville.

Mukti will conduct satsang at Huntsville's Center for Spiritual Living on April 15 & 16. For more information go to csl-huntsville.org. To learn more about Adyashanti and Mukti, go to adyashanti.org. See ad on page 6.

Earth Day April 22 E

Nurturing Energy The earth is filled with nurturing energy. She gives food, water, medicine, shelter, beauty and inspiration. May we appreciate and protect her always. As she has always nurtured and protected us.

by Rita Loyd Š 2011

Rita Loyd is a professional watercolor artist and writer. The message of her work is about the healing power of unconditional self-love. Rita began painting in 1996 as a way to cope with chronic illness and depression. Through this journey, the creative process became her teacher, healer and friend who would guide her to find the true meaning and experience of unconditional self-love. Rita writes about this experience and all that she has learned about unconditional self-love in her new book Unconditional Self-Love: What It Is, Why It's important and How to Nurture It in Your Life. You can purchase this book in Huntsville at Ruth's Nutrition, H. Raines Gifts or at www.NurturingArt. April com, where you can view Rita's artwork and new blog.

2011

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consciouseating

Salad Lovers’

SALADS Signature Dishes from the Garden or Farmers’ Market

by Judith Fertig

G

oing green—at least on our plates—has never been easier. Every season, it seems that more varieties of fresh greens are available at farmers’ markets and in selections of nursery plants or seeds for home gardeners. Not so long ago, Americans generally thought of salad as pale iceberg lettuce with high-fat bottled dressing or some mixture of veggies, bound together with mayonnaise. These days, we can choose from among a bounty of tender lettuces and exotic greens, topped with extra virgin olive oils and splashed with colorful creative counterpoints that add zest and yum.

Salads today provide a culinary canvas for both the cook and the gardener. A signature salad generally comprises several key ingredients: cool, crisp, fresh and nutritious greens; a fresh-tasting, low-calorie dressing; and bite-sized fruits, nuts, vegetables or cheeses that add flavor, texture and interest.

For the greens, tender leaf or Bibb lettuce, crisp Romaine or cabbage, sliced or finely chopped, make the besttasting salads. For the best-tasting dressings, cooks whisk ingredients together in a bowl minutes before serving. We can drizzle them over each salad, serve them in a small pitcher on the side or place the salad in a large bowl, and then toss to incorporate the dressing. Added accents have expanded to include everything from soft fruits such as strawberries and oranges; savory and salty crumbled feta or blue cheeses; or something crunchy, like toasted almonds or walnuts, in addition to ubiquitous garden-fresh vegetables, such as scallions or tomatoes. Adding a healthy hot or cold protein makes a salad even more of a main course. Altogether, in ever-evolving combinations, today’s wide-ranging healthful ingredients can work edible magic.

Judith Fertig is a freelance writer in Overland Park, KS; see AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com.

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Tennessee Valley

Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm’s Slaw When Minnesota’s Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm employees gather for a summer lunch, this crunchy cabbage-based slaw often graces their table.

Serves 6 Slaw ½ lb Napa cabbage, cored ½ lb green cabbage, cored 1 bunch red radishes (about 12 medium to large), trimmed ½ lb broccoli, florets separated from stalks ½ bunch green onions, pale and green parts, sliced ¼-inch thick ½ lb green beans, ends trimmed, sliced ¼-inch thick Dressing 1 /3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-½ Tbsp cider vinegar or more to taste 1 Tbsp honey ¼ tsp ground ginger Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Chop cabbages, radishes and broccoli florets into very small pieces. With a knife or vegetable peeler, pare the tough outer layer of the broccoli stalks to reveal the pale core.

Chop the cores the same size as the other vegetables.

2. Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and add the green onions and green beans. Toss to mix.

3. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, ginger, and salt and pepper in a bowl, according to taste.

Add the dressing to the slaw, using just enough to coat the vegetables nicely. Toss well. Let rest at room temperature for

about an hour before serving, or cover and refrigerate. The slaw will remain crunchy for at least eight hours.

Source: Adapted from Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers, by Sur La Table and Janet Fletcher (AndrewsMcMeel.com).

Strawberry and Feta Salad with Honey-Yogurt Dressing Gardening blogger Barbara Pleasant counts this as her favorite salad, one that changes with the season. In the spring, strawberries go well with feta. In the fall, pears pair with blue cheese.

Salad 2 cups fresh salad greens 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries ½ cup crumbled feta cheese Ÿ cup chopped, toasted almonds or walnuts 1. For the dressing, mix the yogurt, mayo, honey and rice vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Arrange the greens on two salad plates and top with strawberries and feta. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve.

Award-winning garden writer Barbara Pleasant blogs about growing and eating organic food at BarbaraPleasant.com.

2. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, green onions, tomatoes, radishes and vinaigrette. Divide evenly onto four plates. Top with avocado pieces.

Source: Adapted from 350 Best Salads & Dressings, by George Geary Š 2010 Robert Rose Inc. (RobertRose.ca). Excerpted with permission; all rights reserved.

Spinach and Avocado Salad This fresh-tasting salad features a variety of colors, flavors and textures.

Serves 4

Serves 2 Honey-Yogurt Dressing 2 Tbsp plain yogurt 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or veggie mayo 1 tsp honey 1 tsp rice vinegar Salt and pepper to taste

1 large ripe avocado, diced 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 4 cups baby spinach leaves ½ cup chopped green onions 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves 1 cup sliced radishes ½ cup bottled low-calorie Italian vinaigrette 1. In a small bowl, coat avocado with lime juice. Set aside.

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Touchpoints Reflexology - Practical Tips for Everyday Living

by Jim Barnes, Certified Reflexologist

Allergy Relief

D

on't you just love Springtime? The skies turn blue, the birds start singing, everything turns green again and life is good. Unless you suffer from allergies. Yes. Those beautiful blooms and trees that north Alabama is so famous for can be such a pain if you suffer from seasonal allergies. Having a blocked nose and stuffed sinuses can be a miserable experience, but there are some self-help reflexology techniques to ease your pain.

An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body's immune system to a substance that is not usually harmful. The immune system is highly complex and helps us fight infections by identifying foreign invaders and mobilizing white blood cells to fight them. Typical allergic responses are nasal congestion, cough, wheezing, itching, hives, shortness of breath and fatigue. Allergens are found everywhere. Food, molds, pollen, dust chemicals, cosmetics, animals; the list goes on. Pollen is one of the most common irritants in our area.

When allergies affect every day activities, most people see their doctor or pharmacist for a chemical medication. These medications do nothing but mask symptoms to help the patient feel better, when in reality she is no better off at all. By simply masking the problems, these medications

make us come back for more temporary relief! We must get to the root of the problem to take care of it. This is where reflexology and complementary therapies can be very beneficial.

The reflex points for your sinuses are on both your hands and feet. It is often easier and more convenient to work the hands than the feet. Take the thumb of the right hand, bend it slightly and practice “walking” the ball of the thumb across the palm of the opposite hand. The movement you are looking for is kind of like the movement of an inchworm. Make the movement as small as you can, so that pressure is applied almost continuously as you walk your thumb across. Now repeat this movement on the ball of each finger of the left hand, moving across from right to left. You may discover some “crunchy” or “bumpy” feelings as you thumb-walk the tips of each finger. These bumps are good to find because this will help unblock your sinuses. So work these crunchy spots well. Switch thumbs and thumb-walk the fingertips of the right hand with your left thumb. That is all it takes.

This reflexology technique combines zone and meridian theory treatments and can create immediate clearing of the sinuses. So keep the tissues handy. Some people get a slower drain over time, but a lot of people do experience immediate positive results. So before you reach for another chemical for temporary relief, reach for your other hand and rub those allergies out.

Touchpoints is a monthly column bringing you information on reflexology; the therapeutic application of pressure to specific points on the hands 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 phone 256-227-2920. See CRG on page 39.

22

Tennessee Valley

greenliving

THE POWER OF PERMACULTURE

Courtesy of John D. Ivanko

Self-Sufficient Systems

Care for People, Sustain the Planet, Share the Surplus

by John D. Ivanko

Permaculture is often considered a societal revolution disguised as gardening. It shows up in urban hamlets, suburban neighborhoods and rural farmyards. Be they large or small, the diverse flora and fauna in these Gardens of Eden gush with life.

T

he ethics of permaculture are simple: Everything revolves around caring for people and the planet, while sharing the surplus.

A term coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, permaculture melds the needs of human habitation and horticulture, creating viable integrated designs based on natural ecological systems, in which what’s produced by one element of the system becomes the input for another.

“It’s about design and relationships,” explains Bill Wilson, cofounder of Midwest Permaculture, with his wife Becky. “Permaculture is larger than gardening. It’s a creative and artful way of living where people and nature are both preserved and enhanced by thoughtful planning and the careful use of resources. Practices mimic patterns found in nature. Principles reflect a respectful approach to life. Embraced, these attributes create an environment of diversity, stability and resilience, where all may thrive for untold generations.”

Permaculture is widely adaptable to suit local climates, soils and geographies, and can scale to any size location that can sustain life. Because nature fosters no waste, permacultureinspired gardens recycle or reuse all nutrients and energy sources; this approach regenerates natural systems, while boosting the self-sufficiency of human settlements and reducing the need for industrial production systems that rely on polluting energy sources.

Plants are selected and planted according to the way they help one another. Animals also play key roles in garden sustainability. Free-range chickens, for example, can help fertilize and work up the soil and control insect pests, while providing nutrient-packed eggs; humans, meanwhile, provide shelter, security, a water source and supplemental food.

Surplus produced in these gardens is freely shared.

“Many permaculturists are concerned about their relationships with others—all others—and the planet,”

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Permaculture is for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place.

Within 10 years it will be impossible to travel to the North Pole by dog team. There will be too much open water. ~Will Steger

continues Wilson. “We believe that it is possible to redesign our lives to provide an abundance of food, fiber, energy and shelter for every person on this planet, while dramatically improving overall quality of life.” He notes that only 20 percent of the permaculture process is about growing food.

“Permaculture is the big picture,” agrees Heather Lanier, who has developed a plan for Hill of the Hawk Farm, in Big Sur, California. “It’s about how relationships are built and how these relationships help care for one another in the circle of life.”

At her farm, the staff are transforming abandoned chicken coops into living spaces and artist studios, and planting a forest garden that will provide shade and fresh fruit, while attracting beneficial insects. Chickens and ducks meander around a series of ponds that collect water in preparation for the region’s long dry season.

Just down the road, the Esalen Institute offers educational workshops, which Lanier’s staff have attended. An instructor there also helped complete the permaculture plan for Lanier’s property.

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Tennessee Valley

Permaculture is equally appropriate for the urban and suburban areas where most Americans now live, says Wilson.

“It’s for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place.”

He and other permaculture enthusiasts maintain that, “With more and larger settings, together we can have a great positive effect on the total environment.” When it comes to the potential for rural areas, “We can harvest a far greater amount of resources than we do now—water, sun, carbon dioxide and wind—and greatly improve productivity, while improving the overall quality of the region.” However, he quickly clarifies: “One can be very successful in small spaces, too.”

John D. Ivanko is the co-author of Rural Renaissance, describing Inn Serendipity’s journey toward sustainability (InnSerendipity.com), based in part on permaculture and onsite generation of wind and solar power.

GO-TO PERMACULTURE EXPERTS General Education

Regional Workshops

Permaculture Activist, PermacultureActivist.net

Esalen Institute, Esalen.org

Urban Permaculture Guild, UrbanPermacultureGuild.org

Glacial Lakes Permaculture, GlacialLakesPermaculture.org Midwest Permaculture, MidwestPermaculture.com

A Conversation with Qigong Practitioner

Jeff Primack

(Part 1 of 2)

by Guy Spiro

Qi — In Western terms, the Chinese word “qi” is often seen as synonymous with “energy flow.”

Qigong — Qigong is the art of harnessing qi.

“Qi Revolution” comes to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center MAY 22-31, 2010.

Practitioner Jeff Primack and 100 instructors teach 4-days of Qigong Training for $99. To reserve tickets & for more information, call 1-800298-8970 or visit www.Qigong.com.

GS

Jeff, I like to begin an interview by asking people to tell their story. I know you teach Qigong seminars to thousands of people each year and also host the website Qigong. com. What did you come through to get where you are now?

two day seminars with them. I’d get 70 to 80 people together with these masters and we’d all learn Qigong together.

I taught my first class after completing five years of training. After intensive study with these masters, I designed my own form of Qigong.

JP

GS JP

I began training in Energy Arts, Qigong, in about 1996. I was a college student at the University of Florida getting dual degrees; one in Eastern philosophy and one in business. During my time there, I studied for two years with my first true teacher, a Siberian shaman and Zen master who had spent numerous years in a Taoist monastery. She was a professor at the University and an amazing human being. She fortified within me a deep reverence

for Chinese healing practices. However, like all great teachers, at some point, they send you off with, “Now use what I’ve taught you.” She moved to California.

I craved further knowledge in this art form called Qigong. I read hundreds of books, but it wasn’t the same. I went on a quest to find masters of Qigong, flying some of highly experienced teachers from China, Canada, Europe, all over the world, to Florida, arranging

Who were you most influenced by?

Paul Dong is definitely somebody I would name. He is author of the book Empty Force. He showed me how we could move our body (and others), without touching, through the use of qi.

I use this concept in our Qigong push hands exercise.

Another highly respected teacher is Master Weizhao Wu. I studied with him intensively and arranged many of his workshops. I practiced Qigong everyday as my job, learning how qienergy works. Through my own daily practice I could feel qi as magnetism in my hands … pulsation of blood, heat and incredible vibration in the abdomen. Each year the energy grew stronger; the blend of exercises affected me on a profound energetic level. I sought to develop my own, deeper, ‘hybrid’ Qigong forms.

My practice centered on breathing techniques (pranayama) from India’s yoga tradition, Dao-Yin slow movement Qigong and special alchemy meditations from Chinese Taoist masters. Most of the exercises I’ve taught remain audience favorites; like the 9-breath method.

GS

What was it like when you first began teaching Qigong? Was it well received right away?

JP

The first workshop I taught took place in my parent’s living room in March 2003. Only twelve people came but the response was ecstatic

April 2011

25

and I knew I was onto something big.

After two years of increasing turnouts and larger hotel venues, a major shift occurred for me.

In November 2005, I charged under a hundred bucks for a four-day ‘Qi Revolution’ seminar and two hundred people came. As of today, fifteen thousand people have taken the seminar.

We show participants breathing techniques, like nine-breath method, a technique that can give the user a full-body vibration within 45 seconds. We’ve received testimonials from people who had been doing energy work for 30 years before taking a seminar, telling us the Nine-breath method was the strongest energy of their lives. Supreme Science Qigong is an experience combining many types of Qigong distilled into a simple format that Western audiences can run with.

GS

It’s interesting to watch what’s happening in all different areas of spirituality, metaphysics, and even religion. Across the board, it’s time for all of these kinds of things to be made more accessible.

iff you could circulate as much blood flow from ogging two miles as jogging you could while standng or sitting effortlessly, ing practicing Qigong. You pulse effortlessly with stronger blood flow fl ow from specialized movements, breathing techniques and meditation practices. This increased blood flow is immediately palpable and many even report it helps take away pain.

Qigong is the art of harnessing qi. It directly affects blood flow, digestion and the body’s metabolic energy.

High metabolism can also be described as high qi vibration. The practice of

“According to classical Chinese Medicine, qi is the mother of blood. In other words, qi rules the blood.” — Jeff Primack

JP

Qigong is only one small part of everything that’s happening to expand natural medicine and the global consciousness of humanity. The unique thing that Qigong brings to the table is kind of biological experience of spirit.

For example, the pulsing, the humming, the heat vibration involved with Qigong is so tangible, it breaks through many limiting beliefs about our healing potential and even, who we really are. I think energy cultivation techniques will prove vital to the emergence of a higher consciousness at this critical time period on Earth.

GS

So, keep it theoretical and learn intellectually, but eventually you’ve got to get down and do it. Give us a working definition for Qigong.

JP

It is a special type of exercise that makes people ‘pulse’. Imagine

26

Tennessee Valley

Qigong exercise can result in healthier bowel movements; higher energy; greater strength; increased metabolism, sex drive, etc.

GS JP

When you say metabolic, it starts to sound like a physical thing.

Qi is physical in that it is what moves the blood in your body.

From the biological viewpoint, Qigong exercises can use energy to boost the blood, the flow of qi, and the metabolism. It is physical in that it is what moves the blood in the body. If, for instance, somebody has a shoulder injury, they can do Qigong exercises, bringing blood, bringing qi, into that area. You feel it the moment you begin. The energy is magnetic, palpable. Circulation is everything in Qigong. Blood flow is synonymous with qi circulation.”

Increasing numbers of high profile

personalities are speaking out boldly about the healing power of Qigong. Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show and a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey’s show says “If you want to live to be 100, do Qigong!” Many qualified authorities are even saying Qigong is the ideal practice for people fighting diseases of the immune system, like cancer.

GS JP

Would you equate qi with prana?

Prana and qi are the same, but when we talk about prana it tends to be more related to breath (the word pranayama means breath discipline).

Prana and qi are the same. When you take deep breaths into your body, very deep and powerful, you’re taking in oxygen and you’re taking in prana.

You’re taking in a lot of qi, and that’s the power behind the practices.

(Part 2 of this 2 part interview with Jeff Primack will appear next month.) See ad on page 3.

Astrologer Guy Spiro conducted this interview with Jeff Primack on January 5, 2010. Spiro has for many years interviewed a range of luminaries in the New Age field, from well-known to up-and-coming visionaries. He also is publisher of Chicago’s Monthly Aspectarian magazine dedicated to awakening consciousness.

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February 2011

27

Ed Begley, Jr.’s

GREEN HOME

MAKEOVER Saving Energy and Cutting Waste is a Family Affair

by Brita Belli

E

d Begley, Jr., widely regarded as America’s most environmentally aware actor—the one by which other green celebrities are measured— has never tired of the years of effort he and his family have made in making their home as green as possible.

But this past year, his wife, Rachelle Carson-Begley, had had enough.

She isn’t fed up with turning off lights or relying on solar power—she’s just grown weary of the home’s tiny closets and sharing one small bathroom between two adults and a soon-to-beteenage daughter, 11-year-old Hayden.

While Rachelle played the disgruntled foil to the over-achieving eco-cop Ed on their former television show, Living with Ed—which aired for three seasons, first on HGTV and then on Planet Green—her problems with their modest 1936 home

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in Studio City, California, are those to which most homeowners can relate.

For example, cramped rooms make entertaining difficult. The home’s 1,600 square feet of main living space (plus an additional 600square-foot room above the garage) does not easily accommodate the fundraisers the Begleys regularly host; not to mention the camera crews that routinely invaded the family’s dayto-day lives to capture the couple’s good-natured squabbles over everything from composting to conserving water and energy. For seven years, the family even ran a nontoxic cleaning business—Begley’s Best—out of their garage, adding to the mêlée.

“Even if it were designed differently, it would be better,” Rachelle explains. “It’s just that it’s a 1936 house.

Yes, it’s efficient, but it would be great to be able to incorporate everything that’s going on now in eco building and be a recipient of all the latest benefits— why not?”

So, the Begleys are moving. After years of documenting how to retrofit an older house to maximize use of solar energy for electricity, heating, cooling and hot water, family recycling and rainwater catchment, they are planning to sell their modest abode and build a modern, 3,000-square-foot home a mile away.

Ed emphasizes that the move is a major concession on his part. “I made it crystal clear when Rachelle and I were dating: ‘This is the home I plan to be buried in. I will never move.’ And I said it repeatedly from 1993 until about a year and a half ago; now I’m going

against that.�

Although the Begleys are trading up, they will continue to set an example by building their new home to green building standards that few homeowners have achieved. They’re going for the platinum; that is, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards, the highest rating possible for buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (usgbc.org). This premier LEED designation requires an incredible environmental commitment in every aspect of the building process, from responsible site development, reduced water use and renewable energy utilities to the use of recycled and local materials and indoor air quality control. Of the more than 130 LEED Platinum building projects in California—the state that boasts the most such projects—only about 30 are private homes. Despite his initial protestations, Ed admits that he’s excited about the prospect. If there’s one thing he relishes, it’s a green challenge.

Life with Ed It’s not easy to live up to Ed’s 30-yearstrong waste-nothing ethos. Although he first made a name for himself as an actor, initially as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the 1980s TV show St. Elsewhere, followed by his recurring roles in the hit TV series Six Feet Under and Arrested Development, as well as a co-starring role in Woody Allen’s 2009 film Whatever Works, lately he’s become best known as Hollywood’s green guru.

He’s the people’s go-to expert on green building and saving energy, authoring the how-to books, Living Like Ed and Ed Begley, Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living.

Ed is often spotted around Hollywood riding his bike, his preferred mode of travel; on weekdays, he and his daughter ride together to her school, pedaling two miles each way.

This down-to-earth, affable man is perhaps eco-conscious to a fault.

The success of the show Living with Ed relied in great part on the watchdog antics of Ed catching his wife stuffing vegetable peelings down the garbage disposal, instead of in the compost bin, timing her long showers or opening a

running dryer to discover Rachelle’s lone tank top inside. In each case, the chastised Rachelle vowed to be more eco-conscious, with a raised eyebrow aimed at the camera. “I felt vindicated,� Rachelle says of her reality show adventures. “They [the viewers] were going to side with me.�

If there’s any question that Ed’s needling occurs only when the cameras are on, his family members put those doubts to rest. Rachelle describes how her husband insists on keeping the temperature uncomfortably low on cold nights for the sake of saving energy; of turning off her curling iron while it’s warming up if she leaves the room; or switching off the TV if she’s listening to it while getting dressed down the hall.

Daughter Hayden’s biggest gripe has to do with TV time. “I love to watch TV for hours on end,� she says. “My dad is very cautious about using power and we have to turn off several different things when we use the TV, like the DVR and its power switch.�

But Ed insists that all these little energy-saving strategies add up. While he was willing to recently trade his obsolete 1992 TV set for an HDTV, he knows it’s a major energy hog—and not only when someone’s watching it. “The phantom power can be as high as 100 watts per hour,� he says—that’s the power the TV consumes simply by being plugged in. “But,� he notes, “ if you have put power strips everywhere in the house

and you just walk around and click off a few of them, all of that phantom power is turned off. Then, you can enjoy an appliance like that without using a tremendous amount of energy.� The sun may be an unlimited source of energy, but the solar power stored in their home’s batteries has limitations—and Ed is a vigilant watchdog.

With rooftop solar panels providing most of the home’s power, the Begleys remain blissfully unaware when there’s a power outage in the neighborhood. “I only find out about it when I walk to the post office and see the signal flashing to show that power has been restored,� Ed comments.

Ed manually switches over to the municipal power grid only when he senses that the stored power capacity in the home’s solar batteries is running low. He foresees that eventually that system will be automated, but for now, he’s happy to keep track. The solar power generated onsite is enough to

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April 2011

29

operate the house and professional TV cameras; it also charges an electric car in the garage—an all-electric 2002 Toyota RAV4 that’s clocked 85,000 miles.

For hot water, the family comfortably relies mostly on a simple solar thermal setup—a 4-by-10-foot panel on the roof of black anodized tubing behind a piece of glass. A pump activates when a sensor in the panel senses that it’s hotter than the temperature in the tank.

Ed observes: “If you keep things simple, they work well.”

Simplicity also keeps maintenance issues at bay. The upkeep required for his solar electric system is minor; he’s committed only to adding water to the batteries every nine months and occasionally getting up to the roof to clean the panels with a brush and a little water.

Embracing the Great Outdoors One of Ed’s first acts when he purchased his current house in 1988 was to rip up the existing lawn and replace it with native California plants and a fruit and vegetable garden. Unless raising cows or running a golf course, he can’t imagine why anyone would need high-maintenance, water-wasting grass outside their home. But, as with many of Ed’s improvements, energy saving tends to trump aesthetics. That’s where Rachelle comes in.

“A few years after Rachelle had moved in here, she was telling a friend to meet her at the house,” Ed recalls, “and she said ‘It’s the one on the corner that looks like the Addams Family yard.’

I thought: ‘Oooh, maybe that garden isn’t quite as nice-looking as it used to

be.’ It was very drought-tolerant, but it didn’t look good.”

With Rachelle’s help, a new landscaper joined the effort of turning the formerly bleak-looking yard into an attractive mix of native plants that includes fragrant rosemary and purpleflowering sage along with broccoli, artichoke, corn and lettuce. Plans for the new family home will allow Ed an expanded capability to harvest rainwater through a large catchment system with an underground tank, so that he can irrigate the gardens without drawing from the municipal water supply— which he characterizes as having, “… our straw dipped into someone else’s drink”—namely, Northern California’s water. “If you’re going to take water from someone else,” Ed advises, “the least you can do is to use it responsibly and not waste it on non-native species.”

Meeting in the Middle Bringing Rachelle’s aesthetic influence to bear has entailed replacing outdated living room curtains with attractive and energy-efficient wooden shutters, and finding ways to recycle without having large bins in plain sight. She’s orchestrating the design and layout of the new house—allowing for both entertaining space and larger closets—while Ed focuses on its renewable energy systems—including more unshaded rooftop panels and orienting the build-

30

Tennessee Valley

ing to make the most of natural light.

“If we don’t go LEED Platinum, then who will?” Rachelle queries. “That alone is not easy; still, I want to make it look like other houses in the neighborhood. I don’t want a Jetsons’ house; super modern has never been my style. I‘d like to show people that you can have it all, and I’m praying that it’s true.”

The Begleys got off to a good start in March by tearing down an existing home on the property they recently purchased—96 percent of which, from cabinets to pipes, will be recycled or reused through Habitat for Humanity. By March 2012, the new house should be finished. They want their LEED Platinum home to serve as a model for people who are building new residences, to show what is possible in achieving real energy efficiency and waste reduction without sacrificing style or comfort. Ed’s aim is to ensure the place produces more energy than it uses.

As before, the whole process will be documented. “I hope that I’ve shown what you can do with a retrofit,” Ed

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says. “Now I want to show people what you can do from the ground up in 2011 and beyond.”

The family’s ongoing focus on green living has made a major impact on Hayden, who accepts environmental consciousness as the norm. “I learned everything from my dad, from composting to solar panels,” Hayden says. “I always teach my friends to turn off the lights more often, take shorter showers, stuff like that.”

Her green awareness gives this tween maturity beyond her years. As Rachelle says, “She thinks about things outside of herself. She’s always been conscientious. She’s also really concerned about the planet and very compassionate.”

Hayden is proof that a family’s day-to-day environmental commitments can leave a lasting impact that reaches far beyond the immediate family.

Brita Belli is the editor of E-The Environmental Magazine and the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Renewable Energy for Your Home. Her next book, due out this fall, explores the relationship of environmental toxins and autism.

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April 2011

31

By Gatlianne

Grounding Yourself in Tree Pose

I

n Tree Pose, you will find balance, confidence, concentration, and stability. Our Root Chakra lies at the base of the spine and is our connection to the earth.

In this area, and through our legs and feet, lie our stability, safety, and grounding.

In our Root Chakra, we also hold fear. When we feel unstable in life, our Root Chakra gets out of balance and our connection to the earth shifts. We literally become displaced within ourselves. Tree Pose is a wonderful way to return to our roots and re-stabilize. While in Tree Pose we allow our roots to run deep and the mind to be strong like a sturdy oak. Our legs become our stable roots, our torso a solid trunk, and our head and arms our expanding branches growing and reaching, blossoming and stretching, connecting and growing – releasing our fears.

To do Tree Pose, begin in Mountain. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides with thumbs pointing forward. Soften the face and knees, pressing the feet firmly into the floor. When you are grounded in Mountain, shift your weight to your

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Tennessee Valley

left foot. Slowly lift your right foot from the ground, bend the right knee, and place the sole of the right foot on the inner left thigh where it is comfortable for you. Keep your right foot pressed into your inner left thigh and bring your hands to Prayer or Namastè position at the center of the chest. Open the hips; contract the abdominals.

Then, repeat with the left foot.

Tree Pose is a very active body pose. If you put your entire body in alignment, you will be able to balance effortlessly. You will be centered within yourself while centered within the pose. This balance can be carried forward in life. At any moment in our lives, we can have the stability to trust in ourselves and our surroundings that we have while in Tree Pose. It only takes centering and settling in our own bodies and connecting ourselves to the world.

When we are centered within – we are centered with all.

A tree is connected to everything around it like we are connected to everything around us. We are shifting and connecting, moving toward a transformation of self that will lead to a transformation of all. We are open to all there is, reaching out with all we are – like the branches of a great tree. As our connection grows, each branch grows nurturing new branches from each bow. The tree that is Life expands and evolves in never-ending possibility. Our connection spreads; our branches flourish. The branch that is me touches the branch that is you and your branch touches another and another until our tree is thick and full – warmed by the light of a world of hearts, nourished by the falling of a world of tears, rooted by the trunk of a world as one. And like the great tree is connected within itself, but also connected to the earth and sky, we are connected to our inner self, but also to others and life.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS METTS.

Gatlianne is an author and Yoga & Reiki practitioner based in Athens, pr AL. A For more information or to t schedule a private yoga or Reiki session, please co contact her at M@ G Gatlianne.com or visit G Gatlianne.com.

Earth Day April 22 E

Celebration Let us join hands in celebration of the Earth. We are stronger and louder united. Beautiful is the sky, the water, the land. We are all the native dwellers of this sacred ground. Let us protect and nurture our home, our planet, our mother.

by Rita Loyd Š 2011

Rita Loyd is a professional watercolor artist and writer. The message of her work is about the healing power of unconditional self-love. Rita began painting in 1996 as a way to cope with chronic illness and depression. Through this journey, the creative process became her teacher, healer and friend who would guide her to find the true meaning and experience of unconditional self-love. Rita writes about this experience and all that she has learned about unconditional self-love in her new book Unconditional Self-Love: What It Is, Why It's important and How to Nurture It in Your Life. You can purchase this book in Huntsville at Ruth's Nutrition, H. Raines Gifts or at www.NurturingArt.com, where you can view Rita's artwork and new blog.

March 2011

COMING IN MAY

calendar FRIDAY, APRIL 1 thru SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Spring Festival of Flowers– A long-established Huntsville rite of spring and the largest in the state, the Spring Plant Sale offers annuals by the flat or pack; ferns, geraniums, a huge selection of herbs, cherished heirloom plants, houseplants, orchids, perennials, old-fashioned roses, vegetable plants, water plants, wildflowers, shrubs, vines, and trees.

All varieties have been specially selected to thrive in North Alabama. Master Gardeners will perform soil pH testing. Vendors offer garden accessories.

Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. 256-830-4447. Hsvbg.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

WOMEN’S WELLNESS SPECIAL EDITION Feel good both inside and out Express your natural beauty Celebrate feminine power

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

404-395-9634 34

Tennessee Valley

Huntsville Hazardous Waste Collection – 8am12pm. Drop off household hazardous waste on the first Saturday of each month at the Handle with Care Collection Center. Huntsville Landfill, 4100 Leeman Ferry Road. For special assistance, call 256-880-6054. For more information or to view a list of accepted household waste materials visit the Solid Waste Disposal Authority (SWDA) website at swdahsv.org.

Walls of Jericho Hike – 9am-5pm. Hike time 6 hrs.

Hike rating: “Difficult. “Alabama’s Forever Wild program protects the headwaters of the Paint Rock River in north Alabama and the Walls of Jericho, a beautiful bowlshaped natural amphitheater. Call for more information, including directions to startpoint.

256-534-5263.

HCMG Concert, Dubravka Tomsic – 5pm.

Huntsville Chamber Music Guild concert featuring Slovenian pianist and music teacher who has been playing the piano since the age of five. He has released more than 80 recordings, including the music of Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt.

Admission charged. Trinity United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 607 Airport Road, Huntsville.

256-489-7415.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 thru SUNDAY, APRIL 10 Mountain Stories (Companion Piece To Appalachian Witches) – 8pm Friday/Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday. A continuation of the life and times of three Appalachian mountain women of one family’s blood line, Mountain Stories follows the family tradition of healing. The production includes music, superstitions, history and faith as found in the Appalachian mountain region. Tickets $15-20. Renaissance Theatre, 1214 Meridian Street, Huntsville. 256-536-3117.

RenaissanceTheatre.net.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Community HU Song – 1:30-2pm. Join others in singing HU, an ancient love song to God that can

help and uplift you in countless ways. Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Avenue, #3, Five Points.

256-534-1751. Eck-Alabama.org.

MONDAY, APRIL 11 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.

HSVGreenDrinks.org. Venue: Pane e Vino, 300 Church Street SW, Huntsville.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 Journey Into Possibility – 7pm. Monthly Ceremony, led by local Shaman. Feel free to just attend, or request to participate. 256-426-0232.

KatyShamanHealer.blogspot.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16 thru SUNDAY, APRIL 17 SalsAlabama Spring Salsa Fiesta – Saturday and Sunday. 11 workshops, 6 instructors (from Houston, Atlanta, Nashville and Huntsville). Saturday night Fiesta Salsa Party with performances and professional salsa DJ from Virginia. $5 for beginner salsa class, $20/workshop, $15 for the party.

Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Madison.

256-461-1900. MadisonBallroom.com.

Record Store Day at Vertical House Records – Saturday,11am-6pm. Hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day” by simultaneously linking and acting as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally.

Free admission. Flying Monkey Arts Center at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville.

256.658.2976. TheVerticalHouse.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 Earth Day! – Mark the Occasion with Ritual and Fun. Get Communal. Celebrate the Earth.

EarthDay.org.

Critical Mass Bicycle Ride – 6:30-8:30pm. Meet at SE Corner of Courthouse Downtown. Ride Starts at 7pm. Easy ride, fun for the whole family.

Mediumship, Science, and the Soul – 6:30pm.

Paranormal Study Center presents Rhonda Manning April 22at the Radisson in Madison. $8 admission. Medium Sessions available 4/22 by appt. or can be made for 4/23 at the meeting. 256-326-0092. RhondaManning.com.

ParapsychologyStudyGroup.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 thru FRIDAY, MAY 20 Relay for Life –The annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life is about raising money to fund research to find a cure for cancer. It is an evening to celebrate the survivors and remember those who have lost there lives to cancer. Plan to join your local communities in some fun, food, music and activities for the whole family. Find a team, or form one, from local businesses, clubs, families, friends, hospitals, churches, schools and service organizations. During the event, team members take turns walking on the track and camping out overnight. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Each participant is encouraged to raise at least $100 for the American Cancer Society.

Relay For Life 2011 Events in North Alabama: Madison, April 29 Madison Academy Hartselle, April 29 J.P. Cain Stadium Decatur, May 6 Ingall’s Harbor Huntsville, May 6 John Hurt Park Cullman, May 6 Heritage Park Athens, May 13 Swann Creek Park North Marshall County, May 13 Arab Soccer Field South Marshall County, May 13 Boaz Middle School North Madison County, May 20 Hazel Green High School For more information on these events or to find out how to form a team, call 1-800-ACS 2345 or visit RelayForLife.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Hot Rock Hollow Productions Special Series Concert & Dance Event, featuring “Land of Sky” with Gaye Fifer. HotRockHollow.com.

Concert – 5-7pm. Flying Monkey Theater. Box dinners from What's for Supper? are available for order until April 27 in meat-lover or vegetarian versions. Adult tickets $12 online, $15 at door.

Flying Monkey Arts Center at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville.

Contra Dance – 8-11pm. Faith Presbyterian Church gym. Tickets at the door $10, Students $5. Show Concert ticket for $2 off. Faith Presbyterian Church, 5003 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville.

BERKELEY BOB’S APRIL MUSIC LINEUP Located in Cullman, Alabama, Berkeley Bob's Coffee House and Whole Earth Store is a 1960's style California Coffee House where we "celebrate nature, coffee and folk music." Open Mike Nites every first and third Monday from 7-9pm. Bring your guitar, bongos, poems, whatever, and share your talents with us. Saturday night concerts feature local and out of area musicians playing a wide variety of styles. All shows 7-9pm, family oriented and free. To inquire about a booking call Bob at 256-775-2944.

BerkeleyBob.com.

Pasture-Raised Chickens • Locally Raised on Pasture!

• Fresh and Natural!

• Great Tasting!

• No Drugs! Period!

256-751-0987 www.RaisedOnPasture.com

Sold fresh at our family farm.

Reservations required.

Located off I-65 outside Hartselle in North Alabama

April 2 Songwriter Showcase with Chapman James, Ron brown and Allen Watkins April 4 Open Mic April 9 Fred Roberts, easy listening, country covers April 15 Nashville Singer Songwriter Panama Red, Country Folk

What is a weed?

A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

April 16 Songwriter Showcase with Skip Cochran, Rick and Jilda Watson and Steve Norris April 18 Open Mic April 22 Molly Knight and Behind the Times Benefit for the Daystar House Homeless Shelter

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES HOME BASED BUSINESS www.OpportunityAdvancement.com One of the world’s most successful health products business is looking for ambitious and industrious individuals with a compelling desire to work from home, own their own business and desire unlimited opportunity in earning capacity. The company will provide free expert consultation and allow the opportunity to market and recruit. If you are serious about making changes, are teachable, willing to follow a proven success outline and work, then go to http://www.opportunityadvancement.com for more info and submit the form today.

We, who have so much, must do more to help those in need. And most of all, we must live simply, so that others may simply live. ~Ed Begely, Jr.

CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – For sale in Birmingham, AL; Lexington, KY; Manhattan, NY; North Central, FL; Tulsa, OK; Southwest VA and Volusia/Flagler, FL.

April 2011

35

ongoingevents SUNDAY

Healing, 3322 S Memorial Pkwy, Ste 532, Huntsville.

256-882-0360. DirectionalHealing.com.

Power Yoga – 9:10-10:10am. 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.

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.

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

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.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.

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.

256-536-2271. 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. 256536-2271. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

Power Yoga – 4:30-5:30pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-653-9255 or 256-533-7975.

YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

MONDAY

Basic Bellydance – 5:30-6:30pm. Mon-Thurs. Intro to basic bellydance technique. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. Class info: NomadicTapestry.com.

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

Intro to Yoga– 5:30-6:30pm. 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.

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.

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

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

NomadicTapestry.com.

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

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

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.

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

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

Beginning Yoga – 7pm. Holly Dyess. Beez Fitness, 7495 Wall Triana Highway, Madison. $8 at the door for non-members.IronHorseFitness.com.

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.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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

AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

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

AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

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. TapIntoHealing.com.

Reduce Stress with EFT – Private phone sessions.

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

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.

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.

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

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Tennessee Valley

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.

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. ConsciousLiving.org.

Power Yoga – 6-7pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-5337975. 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.

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

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

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and 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.

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

AAHuntsvilleAL.org.

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

Pilates– 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.

Pilates – 9-10am. 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.

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

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

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.

Beginning Yoga – 7pm. Holly Dyess. Beez Fitness, 7495 Wall Triana Highway, Madison. $8 at the door for non-members.IronHorseFitness.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.

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

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.

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.

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

256-461-1900.GabrielaDance.com.

Cardio Ballroom – 11am-12pm. Mega calorie burning dance fun! No more treadmill! Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Madison. 256-461-1900.

GabrielaDance.com.

FRIDAY

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

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.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.

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.

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

Artist Market – 12-4pm. Local artists and others are invited to set up a booth and sell their wares to the public. There will be art, jewelry, vintage clothing, records, and more interesting things for sale inside our facility. Safe from rain. Free admission. Flying Monkey Arts Center at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville.256.489.7000. FlyingMonkeyArts.org.

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, Madison. 256-461-1900.

MadisonBallroom.com.

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

Denise Brown Independent Consultant

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

April 2011

37

COMMUNITY resourceguide

COLON HYDROTHERAPY

FAMILY MEDICINE

CENTER FOR OPTIMAL WELL BEING

PROGRESSIVE FAMILY MEDICINE

7910 S. Memorial Pkwy, Suite F-2, Huntsville 256-489-9806 phone 256-489-2873 fax 866-488-9806 toll free

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

ELECTRODERMAL TESTING HEALTHY CHOICES LLC Steve Krzyzewski 3322 S. Memorial Pkwy, Suite 526 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-679-1997 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.

ENERGY HEALING CENTER FOR DIRECTIONAL HEALING Susan Spalding, Director 256-882-0360 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

GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT M. A. JACKSON CO. SUNROOMS, BATH SYSTEMS & OTHER HOME REMODELING P.O. Box 2625, Cullman, AL 35056 office 256-739-0317 fax 256-734-7022 MAJacksonCo.com The M. A. Jackson Co. is a quality home improvement business since 1972, covering the North Alabama region. We specialize in sunroom/screen room additions, window/door replacement, cabinetrefacing and bathtub/shower systems.

We display our products in Sam’s Clubs, local magazines, Shopping Malls, and Trade Shows located in the Tennessee Valley. All of our products are custom made to fit your needs and are installed in less than a week. Free Design Consultation.Call today toll free at 1-888-739-0317.

IN-HOME MASSAGE

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.

MASSAGE SCHOOL MADISON SCHOOL OF MASSAGE THERAPY, LLC 1634 Slaughter Rd, Suite C Madison, AL 35758 256-430-9756 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

MASSAGE / SPIRITUAL COACHING / RETREAT CENTER THE YURT GARDEN Lynn Leach 256-424-2221 YurtGarden.com The Yurt Garden is nestled on five acres at the base of Keel Mountain, ten minutes from Hampton Cove.

Here you can unwind and de-stress with a therapeutic massage, energy work session or hot rock massage. Life coaching and cancer support are offered in a healing atmosphere surrounded by a hidden garden and an eleven-circuit labyrinth. Overnight packages for singles and couples available.

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.

MUSIC THERAPY HEALING SOUNDS MUSIC THERAPY Stephanie Bolton, MA, MT-BC 256-655-0648 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.

38

Tennessee Valley

NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR

PILATES

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATES

YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVILLE

JACI HOGUE

Dr. Deb Gilliam, N.M.D. 1230 Slaughter Road, Madison, AL 256-722-0555

500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975 YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

SHAMAN HEALER KATY GLENN WILLIS 256-426-0232 katyglennwillis@yahoo.com KatyShamanHealer.blogspot.com

PERSONAL TRAINING / FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TOP NOTCH TRAINING Decatur, Alabama 256-274-1348 GetFit@TopNotchDecatur.com TopNotchDecatur.com TNT's PowerPlay sessions combine the energy and social experience of traditional aerobics classes with the power and effectiveness of working withknowledgeable, experienced personal trainers.

With our low client-to-instructor ratio you are guaranteed abundant personal attention at each class for a fraction of the cost of an individual training session. Regularly scheduled classes are held Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30am and 5:30pm at Decatur Athletic Club’s Beltline location. $15 per session. Additional classes and offsite locations can also be scheduled.

Top Notch Training

PILATES BODY LANGUAGE, INC. 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C 256-704-5080 sybil@bodylanguagepilates.com BodyLanguagePilates.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.

SMALL CHANGE COACH / NLP SMALL CHANGE WORKS John Lambert Cullman, AL 35055 256-590-3824 jwlamber@gmail.com John Lambert offers Small Change Sessions for individuals and Small Skills Workshops for groups. John specializes in utilizing your language, metaphors, and timelines to refine goals, change thoughts, and generatenew behaviors.

Workshops are held in nonlecture format punctuated by short, engaging presentations and an abundance of individual attention, creating a safe environment for learning and practicing new skills you can use in your everyday life.

SUSAN K. JEFFREYS Advanced Practitioner Lic.#249 Dr. Ida P. ROLF method 2336A Whitesburg Drive Serving Huntsville since 1995 256-512-2094 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

YOGA YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVILLE 500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975 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.

Earth Day April 22

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.

April 2011

39

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