June 2012

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contents 12 12 healthbriefs

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 globalbriefs 17 ecotip

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20 healthykids 22 wisewords 26 healingways

18 HEALTHY ESCAPES Unplugged Getaways Rebalance Our Lives

by Judith Fertig

20 DAD’S GOLDEN

18

STORY HOUR Kids Listen with their Entire Being

by Clint Kelly

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28 inspiration

22 BRIDGING GENERATIONAL DIVIDES A Conversation with John and Ocean Robbins

by Linda Sechrist

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contact us Publisher Tom Maples Tom@Natvalley.com New Business Development Advertising Sales Cindy Wilson Cindy@Natvalley.com Cell: 256-476-6537 Calendar Editor Jerry Woosley Design and Production Karen Ormstedt Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley 14 Woodland Ave. Trinity, Alabama 35673 Office: 256-340-1122 Fax: 256-217-4274 Natvalley.com © 2012 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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n June 5, a solar system event called the Transit of Venus will occur, during which time the “Planet of Love” will be visible from Earth as a small shadow moving across the disc of the Sun. Astronomically, “The sight…is by far the noblest astronomy affords,” according to the man who named Halley’s Comet. Astrologically, the Venus Transit of 2012 will anchor the Divine Feminine energy on earth, in the form of the Feminine Christ Consciousness. What can males do to help raise the vibration in their own way? We want to help. We don’t want to be left out, and we are worried about being bypassed altogether.

If we can’t make some small significant contribution to the Shift, we won’t fare well, I can tell you. You’re going to have to give us a task. A task is the least we ask. What we want is to help Heroically. We want to help hugely, and humongously. Not steal the spotlight—Not NOW! No. It’s your time to lead, and we need your help to heal. So to reassure ourselves that we’re worth helping we feel we must Help Immensely, and Impressively! So. What can we do as evolved, Nontraditional males...to impress Women...in a way that suggests we are more evolved than Traditional males traditionally only out to impress women?

Look. It’s still our only Onus (Impetus?) (Animus?) to impress women. Nowadays, even, ever more than ever. Because we feel it, too. The rising Re-Energizing. Reality: Revitalized Regenerated. Rejoice! It is the Return of the Feminine Energies to Earth.

We miss those energies, as a part of us, too. Probably as much as you! We need the Balance in a much more spectacular way, anyway. Alright, Men. Just try to be harmless and helpful.

That’s harm-less, and help-full, and in that order. If you can only work on one, focus on the first. If you can really render yourself incapable of causing new harm, then you’re being very helpful, without having to do something. In truth, unless you’ve had some experience in Helping in ways that were actually helpful, before, don’t go looking to impose your assistance on anyone until they ask for your help.

Often, this is not helpful. If often enough, it’s not harmless.

That’s why Helpful is one of the highest honorifics a human can be handed.

Because it’s hard. You need some skills. You need experience, judgment, balance, restraint. You also need luck. The Helpful are always Lucky, because Luck is always Helpful; and that’s their home turf.

You need grace. And males don’t have it. Not under Patriarchy. They don’t.

Even the ones who are not Patriarchical, or particularly so. “Not my idea,” we say, us Non-patriarchs, the nonprofessionals of the Piscean and its principles. “To downplay the divine feminine to the point where it’s pointless.” Some would say worse words. Downplay is bad enough as it was, because it caused our lives to be as they were.

Unbalanced. Out-of-sorts. Off. “Off our game,” we’d say, when we’d play.

Unhappily. Unhealed.

“Venus eclipsing the Sun represents an awakening of the Divine Feminine energies in our world...love, beauty, and connection. As the Divine Feminine energy awakens and expands compassion within our hearts, emotional healing can occur for all of Humanity.”1 We’ve been looking a long time for her, and she’s here.

Reference: 1

Govinda. “Who else is feeling the energies around the Venus Transit coming up on June 6th, 2012?”

Galactic Free Press. Motherfathergod Amon Ra, 2012. Mt. Shasta, California, USA. Accessed May 19, 2012 <http://www.galacticfreepress.com>.

Natvalley.com

newsbriefs The Yoga Center of Huntsville Under New Ownership

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s of June 1, 2012, Annette Beresford will take over ownership of The Yoga Center of Huntsville from its original founders, Tom and Melissa Musgrove, who established the Center fifteen years ago.

Annette is originally from Australia, but considers Huntsville her “Om” away from home since she has lived and taught here for nearly a decade. She is a longtime practitioner and certified instructor of both Yoga and Pilates, which she will continue to offer at the Center.

Annette’s background is strongly rooted in the history of yoga with an emphasis on the foundation of poses in a crossover style between Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha and Anusara. She has trained extensively and attended workshops around the country with nationally renowned yoga instructors such as Doug Keller, Rolf Gates and Desiree Rumbaugh. Her Pilates background is Stott certification with Moira Merrithew from Toronto.

Several other different styles of yoga and mat Pilates will be offered at The Yoga Center, with trained instructors who have incorporated other teachings to develop their own unique style to fit the needs of the growing yoga community.

The studio will be newly remodeled and fully equipped, with a class schedule that will be added to over the upcoming summer and fall. So please come join us at The Yoga Center of Huntsville on Pratt Avenue for our Grand ReOpening celebration on Friday, June 15 from 4-8pm. We will provide food and drinks and door prizes.

The Yoga Center of Huntsville is located at 500 East Pratt Ave, Suite A in Huntsville. For more information, contact Annette Beresford at 256-533-7975 or AnnetteBeresford@hotmail.com, or visit online at YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

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

Attention Bargain Hunters: Yard Sale at the Light of Christ Center June 30

P

roceeds will go toward the center’s building fund.

Items will be “priced to move.” In addition, there will be a bake sale and coffee for the early morning shoppers and lemonade for those late sleepers. With members, family and friends all donating goods to the cause, this will be a huge sale with many items ranging from books, furniture, baby items, clothes, household items, electronics and more. Everything goes half price after noon on Saturday. Local checks will be accepted, however cash is the preferred method of payment. There will be a special preview sale held Friday June 29 from 5-7pm, with an admission cost of $5. The Saturday Sale is free admission. The sale will be rain or shine, but we are hoping for shine, without heat.

The Center is located at 4208 Holmes Avenue NW, Huntsville, Alabama 35816, which is about mid-way between Jordan Lane and Sparkman Drive on the north side of the street. 256-895-0255. See ad on page 15 and CRG on page 39.

Rev. David Leonard Transforming Lives and Making the World a Better Place www.cslhuntsville.org

308 Lily Flagg Rd.

883-8596

natural awakenings

June 2012

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Hypnosis for Weight Loss

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$175.00 per person for groups of 4-5 people

Bring your friends and share a playful day of healing, food and fun with

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Learn how easy it is to: #PPTU .FUBCPMJTN t 1SPNPUF &NPUJPOBM #BMBODF t *ODSFBTF $PODFOUSBUJPO BOE t &MFWBUF &OFSHZ -FWFMT Then, enjoy an insightful presentation on the healing powers of Traditional Chinese Medicine, tailored to each participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerns. Kathy will provide each participant with a one-hour Consultation which will address three Problem Areas: Presenting Complaint (main disorder), Facial Sculpting, and Body Sculpting.

Read Our Newsbrief on Page 9 for More Details.

Call Kathy to Reserve NOW! Ca

256-303-5729 reedacu@gmail.com 6

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ypnosis can effectively help reprogram thought patterns from old, undesirable ones to new ones that promote a healthy relationship with food, exercise and even yourself.

By releasing these old thought patterns that are no longer in your best interest and replacing them with ones of being healthy and happy, phenomenal changes can occur.

Sometimes natural cues or signals with which our body innately guides us are overridden so many times that they are no longer detected. One such cue is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hungerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; signal.

How many times has a meal been skipped thinking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to make you thinner? When this natural indicator of being hungry is suppressed and you do not eat, that tells the body to slow the metabolism down because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough incoming food or fuel. Therefore, this creates a dysfunction and the body adjusts accordingly and normally not in our best interest.

These bodily cues can be restored, intact, by hypnosis, to honor what our bodies are designed to do. Weight loss can be an almost effortless undertaking when the focus is put on creating a new relationship with food. Through hypnosis, new thought patterns can be introduced to bring forth new desires to be healthy, happy and feeling comfortable around food. New patterns of being naturally attracted to healthier foods can be set up as well. Its amazing the transformation that can take place.

Please contact Marsha Mathes, Certified Hypnotist, at 256-698-2151 or Mathes79@knology.net to schedule your appointment to a healthier happier you. See CRG on page 38.

Tarot Intro Class at the Light of Christ Center

T

his course offers an introduction to the 22 Tarot Keys, or cards of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;High Arcana.â&#x20AC;? Open your awareness through the definition and discovery of archetypical symbols found in everyday life. As you paint black and white outlines of the Keys, you will also qualify your inner archetypes.

Lay the 22 cards of The Tarot High Arcana in a circle, beginning and ending with The Fool, and you can trace the path of your Consciousness, from Spirit, through life, and returning to the same Source. The Tarot is much more than a tool for divination. The Light of Christ Center offers a Basic Introduction to The Tarot as a method of self-discovery and self-awareness. Contemplate the symbols in Tarot Keys, and you can discover how the various archetypes comprise your personality.

This 11-week course begins Tuesday, June 19. Course fee is $110, plus materials. Call 256-895-0255 to register or for more information (please leave a message). Or email the instructor Rev. Donell Koch (donell@lightofchristcenter.org).

The Center is located at 4208 Holmes Avenue in Huntsville.

See ad on page 15 and CRG on page 39.

EPT Works Class Coming to Huntsville

A

t some point in our lives, each of us has been hurt or treated unfairly. Some people adapt better that others. Some talk about their wounds for a long time and some just get over it.

At the heart of every wound is the simple fact that a deep hurt results because something happened we did not want to happen. My husband had an affair. My dad abused me. My mother abandoned me. I lost my job. My son is addicted to drugs. My parents divorced. My wife has cancer. Alternately, something we really wanted did not happen. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never have a good marriage. My dad will never bless me. I never got my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never have a job I love. My sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life is ruined. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never have a happy family. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m losing the love of my life. Faced with the unexpected, few of us have the skills to just get over it. Getting over it can result in elimination of pain, more happiness, better health and more energy to enjoy life. EPTworksâ&#x201E;˘ is the answer for what to do when life gets hard and you feel stuck. EPTworksâ&#x201E;˘ supports you in letting go of what has hurt you. Letting go of the anger, hurt and failure opens up space that you can use to move forward and begin to love your life more right now. Book your reservation today for the June 23 workshop at EPTworks.com. See ad on page 27.

Pasture-Raised Chickens â&#x20AC;˘ Locally Raised on Pasture! â&#x20AC;˘ Fresh and Natural! â&#x20AC;˘ Great Tasting! â&#x20AC;˘ 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

Sha'La Lightwolf

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uthor, channel and energy worker, Sha'La Lightwolf will share her dynamic story of growing up in the backwoods of Kentucky and southern Indiana where she lived in extreme poverty with her family. As a Native American descendant, she was born with the gift of second sight. Sha'La lived in constant fear and ridicule from her peers and the fundamental community due to her special and uncommon gift.

Many of the people she has encountered throughout her travels have expressed similar experiences, but lack the insight or perspective to appreciate or understand them. Usually, they dismiss them entirely out of fear or confusion.

Throughout her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Led by Spirit,â&#x20AC;? she shares her experiences to help others realize their own divine potential and to understand they are not alone in their paranormal and spiritual experiences. She hopes this material may give someone

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato ~

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Advanced Rolf Practitioner Susan K. Jeffreys Consultations Available

Find out what Susan K. Jeffreys and Structural Integration can do for you!

Call (256) 512-2094 today

Susan K. Jeffreys, AL Lic.#249 $ :KLWHVEXUJ 'U Â&#x2021; +XQWVYLOOH $/

Structural Integration in the method of Ida P. Rolf natural awakenings

June 2012

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the encouragement and faith to go forth on their spiritual path of self-healing and self-realization.

Come hear Sha'La Lightwolf share her story at the Paranormal Study Center on Friday, June 22 at 6:30pm at the Radisson Inn in the Olympus room in Madison. For more information, visit ParapsychologyStudyGroup.com.

Admission is $10 for this special event.

Gail Butler

“I

t was a small class, five or six people gathered around the table in a downstairs studio. The walls above the bookshelves were hung with paintings; three canvases in varying states of completion stood on easels around the room and a pencil sketch of a future project was clipped to the drawing table at one side.

The scent of oil teased the air. Visionary artist Gail Genine Butler was conducting a class on esoteric art.” —from Legend of the Fire Eye by Lynn Chamberlain.

The Light of Christ Center is honored to host the Final Art Exhibition of Gail Genine Butler. Due to advancing age, and declining health and faculties, she hasn’t been able to teach classes for some time. Her personality, however, remains as vibrant as her paintings. Fans and friends are invited to view and purchase samples of her life’s work on Saturday, June 30. Her Final Art Exhibition will be held in conjunction with LOCC’s Yard Sale, beginning at 8am, at

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4208 Holmes Avenue near the UAH campus in Huntsville.

A UAH graduate, Gail has studied Art and painting all her life. She was a regular exhibitor at the Monte Sano Art Show for many years, until she became unable to transport her displays. Without an art show on the mountain this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the paintings of a beloved artist. Her subjects are vast and varied: mandalas, portraits, and landscapes, both realistic and imagined. Do not miss this chance to view this artist’s imagination portrayed in oils and canvas. The Center is located at 4208 Holmes Avenue in Huntsville. See ad on page 15 and CRG on page 39.

Mutual UFO Network Welcomes Brent Raynes

T

he Northern Alabama Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Chapter will have featured guest speaker, Brent Raynes.

Brent Raynes is the editor of Alternate Perceptions magazine (APMagazine.info) and author of “Visitors from Hidden Realms” and “On the Edge of Reality." He and his daughter Chandra host Alternate Perceptions radio LiveParanormal.com.

They will be doing a presentation entitled Paranormal Dynamics of the UFO Close Encounter/ Entity Syndrome.

Brent is a warehouse manager at a Tennessee state prison and lives in Waynesboro, TN. The meeting will be held at the Meteor Buffet on Saturday, June 2. Many of the guests grab a meal starting at 11am and the presentation begins at noon. The Meteor Buffet is located

at 751 Highway 72 East, Huntsville. $5 donations will be collected at the door. For further information, please call Rich Hoffman at 256-998-1001 or email UFOxprt@gmail.com.

“Simply Living!” A New Play Date on How to Stay Healthy Through the Seasons

Did You Know 75% of all Chronic Disease is PREVENTABLE?

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Y

es. A Play Date. This is not a workshop. Just sit back and “Munch and Learn” the easy way to health. Let acupuncturist Kathy Holmes Reed share recipes that boost the metabolism, elevate energy levels, and increase concentration at work and school. Participants will also receive solutions for sculpting their body, facial diagnostics for tips on facial rejuvenation, tips on how to become emotionally balanced, and will watch a demonstration of recipes while sampling a meal to boost the metabolism.

Play dates will be held on Fridays during the month of June in Decatur exclusively for groups with minimums of 4-5 participants. The cost is $175 per person with a $30 deposit per participant. Sessions are scheduled for 9am or 5pm on Fridays for the month of June. Call Kathy Holmes Reed at 256-303-5729 or email ReedAcu@gmail.com for an exclusive presentation. Once the $30 deposit is received, Kathy will conduct a 1-hour consultation (by phone or in person) to address presenting complaints of disorders treated

by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Kathy will choose topics based on participants presenting complaints so each consultation is honoring the privacy of each participant.

Come and enjoy the benefit of Kathy’s passion and creativity in the kitchen and home “Where East meets West.”

Kathy Holmes Reed believes in health for the entire family.

Call Reed Acupuncture 256-303-5729 or email: ReedAcu@ gmail.com, located at 1803 Somerville Rd SE, Decatur. See ad on page 6.

Hope For Life Colon Hydrotherapy

L

ooking to start your summer off right, come see us here at Hope For Life Colon Hydrotherapy. We are right off Memorial Parkway onto Weatherly Road. The clinic specializes in Colonics, Bio-Cleanse, Infra-Red Sauna, and has a Vibra-Trim Machine.

Our facility uses the Libbe, which is an open system for colonics.

Colon Hydrotherapy is the gentle cleansing of the colon with warm purified water. The therapeutic effects of colon hydrotherapy include improved

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Reduce your risk of chronic disease including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and autoimmune disorders

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CLICK! Point Your Life in a Healthy Direction Visit Our New Website Browse the local news, events calendar, resource guide, plus all the wonderful articles that support and inspire a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

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Center for Inner Wellness Creating Positive Change Through Hypnotherapy and Breathwork t 4USFTT BOE "OYJFUZ t 'FBST 1IPCJBT t 3FMFBTF /FHBUJWJUZ t 1BJO .BOBHFNFOU t 1SF 1PTU .FEJDBM 1SPDFEVSF t 8FJHIU -PTT t 4NPLJOH $FTTBUJPO Call For More Information.

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The Grass is Greenerr with Allergies Gone N.A.E.T. Allergy Elimination is a natural, non-invasive method that can be used safely in children and adults to permanently eliminate allergies and symptoms arising from previous exposure to allergens.

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muscle tone, which facilitates peristaltic action and enhances the absorption of nutrients while minimizing the absorption of toxic waste. Amanda Mashburn says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In case you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t noticed, we live in a toxic world. Everyday, we are bombarded with noise pollution, perverse energy, herbicides, pesticides, food additives, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, and many other toxins from various sources. The fact that any of us are still alive is a testament to just how wonderful the human body really is. Still, many of us are suffering from all kinds of symptoms, diseases, and maladies, as a result of our overall toxicity. These toxins may build up in the colon and eventually leach into the bloodstream where they can wreak havoc. In fact, many alternative practitioners believe that most diseases begin in the colon. A healthy colon is vital to a healthy life. Our facility focuses on helping others to help themselves with a healthy lifestyle.

Amanda Mashburn is I-ACT certified. She owns Hope For Life Colon Hydrotherapy located on 10300 Bailey Cove Road Suite 7A, Huntsville. Call 256-270-8731 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Please see her listing in the Community Rsource Guide in Natural Awakenings and receive a discount on your first colonic visit. See ad on page 19 and CRG on page 37.

Swami Nardanand Returns to Birmingham in June

H

ave you ever wondered what it might be like to go to an ashram retreat in India, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the time or money? Interested in a higher level of spiritual awareness?

You now have the opportunity in a local, safe, comfortable place to be taught, guided, and supported by a beloved, respected, and fun, Indian Swami. He is a master of Yoga and Meditation as well as Ayurvedic Remedies (â&#x20AC;&#x153;knowledge for a long healthy lifeâ&#x20AC;? with an emphasis on plant-based medicine and treatment) and Kundalini Shaktipat (descent and transfer of spiritual energy). Swami Nardanand explains that Kundalini Maha-yoga is a self-perfecting spiritual practice, in which the Kundalini power or the Shakti itself, performs the meditation.

Like many spiritual leaders, Swami Nardanand left his childhood home at a very early age to study. He excelled as a scholar and was recognized for his scholastic excellence as a boy, with an award from the President of India. By the age of 14, Swami Nardanand became a monk. His life and work is timeless, reaching beyond religions, cultures, and ethnicity. With him comes humility, universal love and his inner practice which is expressed to the outside world as a guiding light to others. Swami encourages self-inquiry; supports those who look for a higher purpose in life; builds bridges between people, dogmas, and religions, and rekindles respect and love.

You are invited to join our honored guest Swami Nardanand, who will be in Birmingham in early June, as part of his 2012 World Tour. Since his last visit in 2007, he has been busy completing the Paradeshwar Temple located in Siddha Ashram, where he welcomes visitors from all over the globe. Several people from the Birmingham area, have been to this Ashram along the banks of the Shipra River in Ujjain, UP, India, one of the holiest religious sites in India, for extended life enhancing retreats. They will be hosting Swami during his visit to Birmingham in June for a series of events. See ad on page 32 for the schedule.

Healing Rainbow As I stand under the healing light of God my spirit expands with love, light and peace.

Art and Text by Rita Loyd.

Copyright Š 2012

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 blog.

healthbriefs

Solving your health puzzle Herbs Vitamins Massage Reflexology Natural Foods Clinical Herbalist Auricular Therapy

Juggling Bumps Up Brainpower

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an rhythmically tossing and catching balls in the air help grow the brain? Researchers from the Universität Regensburg, in Germany, after studying two dozen people using brain scans, say yes. Half were asked to learn to juggle; the others were given no special instructions. After three months, the brains of the jugglers had grown by 3 to 4 percent in the areas that process visual and motor information; the more skilled the jugglers became, the greater the brain growth. No change occurred in the non-juggling group. The research team says the study proves that new stimuli can alter the brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure, not just its function.

Source: Nature.com

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Eggsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sunny Upside

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ften considered one of natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most perfect foods, eggs are an excellent source of protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Now, researchers at the University of Alberta, in Canada, have discovered that they also contain antioxidant properties that help in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Jianping Wu and his team of researchers at the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science examined egg yolks produced by hens that were fed typical diets of either primarily wheat or corn. They found the yolks contained two amino acids; tryptophan and tyrosine, which have high antioxidant properties. The researchers found that two raw egg yolks offer almost twice as many antioxidant properties as one apple and about the same as half a serving (25 grams) of cranberries. When the eggs were fried or boiled, however, the beneficial properties were reduced by about half. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big reduction, but it still leaves eggs equal to apples in their antioxidant value,â&#x20AC;? says Wu. In prior research, Wu found that egg proteins converted by digestive enzymes produced peptides that work in the same way as ACE inhibitors, prescription drugs used to reduce high blood pressure. That finding contradicted the notion that eggs increase high blood pressure because of their cholesterol content.

Red Meat Raises Diabetes Risk

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study by the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, shows that men are at greater risk than women for Type 2 diabetes, because they tend to develop it at a lower body mass index. Furthermore, red meat, a favorite food among many men, is a suspected risk agent.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers have found a strong association between the regular consumption of red meatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;particularly processed options like bacon and hot dogsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Their study notes that replacing red meat with healthier proteins, such as low-fat dairy, nuts or whole grains, can significantly lower the risk.

Can Canned BPA

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hink twice before sipping soda or soup that comes in a can. A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers discovered people that ate one serving of canned food daily for five days had significantly elevated levels of bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter sometimes found in plastic bottles, that also lines most food and drink cans. Studies have linked high urine levels of BPA to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health conditions. The spike in BPA levels recorded by the Harvard researchers was one of the highest seen in any study. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Source: Journal of the American Medical Association

Control Midlife Blood Pressure to Improve heart Health

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hanges in blood pressure during middle age can affect the lifetime risk for heart disease and stroke, according to a recent study published in Circulation, the American Heart Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekly journal. Data from nearly 62,000 individuals whose blood pressure readings were tracked for an average of 14 years confirms that people who kept or lowered their blood pressure to normal levels by age 55 had the lowest lifetime risk for heart diseaseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;22 to 41 percent, compared with 42 to 69 percent for those with high blood pressure.

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Spuds Lower Blood Pressure

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he potato’s rep as a fattening food is getting a much-deserved revision. In a recent report in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists note that two small servings of purple potatoes a day reduce blood pressure by about 4 percent—nearly as much as oatmeal—without causing weight gain. The researchers say that decrease may potentially reduce the risk of some forms of heart disease.

In the study, 18 volunteers that were overweight or obese with high blood pressure ate six to eight golf ball-sized purple majesty potatoes, with skins, twice a day for a month. The researchers used purple potatoes because the pigment in darker fruits and vegetables is especially rich in beneficial phytochemicals. They monitored participants’ blood pressure, both systolic (the first number in a blood pressure reading, such as 120/80) and diastolic, and found that the average diastolic pressure dropped by 4.3 percent, while the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent. None of the volunteers gained weight.

Although they aren’t yet certain, the researchers believe that red- and whiteskinned potatoes may offer similar benefits. Pass on the butter or sour cream, though, and don’t even consider French fries—the study’s potatoes were cooked without oil.

Build Muscles to Beat Diabetes

I

ncreasing lean muscle mass—known to be a key in fighting frailty associated with aging (a condition called sarcopenia)—may also help protect against diabetes. A new study reports that every additional 10 percent of skeletal muscle mass is associated with reductions of 11 percent in insulin resistance and 12 percent in prediabetes or diabetes.

Dr. Preethi Srikanthan, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and her colleagues recently evaluated the data on 13,644 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, from 1988 to 1994, and discovered the connection. After adjusting for other contributing factors for diabetes, including generalized and abdominal obesity, they found that individuals with the greatest muscle mass were 63 percent less prone to the disease.

“Our findings suggest that beyond focusing on losing weight to improve metabolic health, there may be a role for maintaining fitness and building muscle mass,” says Srikanthan. “This is a welcome message for overweight patients that experience difficulty in achieving weight loss, as any effort to get moving and keep fit should be seen as contributing to metabolic change.”

Source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter natural awakenings

June 2012

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TAI CHI

globalbriefs Concerned Citizens Public Demands GMO Food Labeling

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campaign by Just Label It (JustLabelIt.org), a national coalition of 500 diverse organizations dedicated to the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) or modified organism (GMO) foods, has united 1 million Americans of all political affiliations to demand that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require the practice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pink slime, deadly melons, tainted turkeys and BPA in our soup have put us all on notice that what we eat and feed our families is critically important,â&#x20AC;? says Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Americans overwhelmingly demand safety, transparency and labeling of genetically engineered foods. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for the FDA to come clean and restore public confidence in our food system.â&#x20AC;?

According to a political opinion survey conducted by The Mellman Group, pollster Mark Mellman explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Few topics other than motherhood and apple pie can muster over 90 percent support, but labeling of GE foods is one of those few views that are held almost unanimously.â&#x20AC;?

Colorado author Robyn Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, founder of the AllergyKids Foundation, remarks, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Americans want more information for their families. Like allergen labeling, GE food labels would provide essential and possibly life-saving information for anyone with a food allergy.â&#x20AC;?

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Poppa?

Dadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roles Changing with the Times

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Take care of your body.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn

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Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) confirms the continuation of a 50-year trend leading to more than one in four fathers of children 18 or younger living apart from their children; 11 percent live separately from some of their children and 16 percent from all of them. Logically, the study further shows that fathers living with their children become more intensely involved in their lives, spending more time with them and taking part in a greater variety of activities, such as sharing meals, helping with homework and playing.

Black fathers (44 percent) are more than twice as likely as white fathers (21 percent) to live apart from their children, while Hispanic fathers (35 percent) are in the middle. Among fathers that never completed high school, 40 percent live apart from their children, compared with only 7 percent of fathers that graduated from college.

Many absent fathers try to compensate by communicating via email, social media or phone. Almost half say they are in touch with their children several times a week, but nearly one-third communicate less than once a month. Twenty percent say they visit their children more than once a week, but 27 percent have not seen their children in the past year. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Source: PewForum.org

ecotip Mow, Mow, Mow Your Lawn… Or Mow Less, Sustainably

by Paul Tukey For some, mowing is the bane of summer; a choking, chugging chore to abhor. For others, it’s an artistic expression—the chance to maintain and admire a property’s carefully crafted aesthetic look while logging some laps around the lawn. Whether we enjoy it or prefer leaving the task to someone else, several considerations can make the experience less laborious, less polluting and even lighter on the budget as fuel prices rise.

Start high and stay high.

Resist the temptation to mow the family lawn to resemble a closely shaved golf green. Far better results are achieved by adjusting the machine’s blade to the top setting and leaving it there until after Labor Day. Taller grass in the spring shades the surface of the soil, so that crabgrass and other weed seeds can’t sprout as much. High levels in the summer conserve moisture and encourage deep root growth, so that the lawn becomes more drought-tolerant.

The fastest way to harm a lawn is by mowing too low—less than three inches for most grass species. Exceptions are Bermuda grass or seashore paspalum in the South, or bent grass in the North, all of which do best when mowed at one to two inches high.

Fertilize naturally. Organic fertilizers derived from plant or animal byproducts work with the soil’s biology to feed the lawn slowly and evenly.

Leave the grass clippings on the lawn, which quickly biodegrade to provide more free, natural lawn food.

The natural approach to nourishing a lawn requires less frequent mowing and makes it more adaptable to long dry spells. Synthetic chemical fertilizers, which are formulated to stimulate a lot of growth quickly, are designed to demand more mowing and watering.

Get grass off of gas. If a lawn is a third of an acre (15,000 square feet) or less, consider this: Today’s “push” or motorless mowers are not our grandfathers’ heavy wood and steel models. Manufactured from high-grade plastics, lightweight metals and precision blades that rarely need sharpening, the modern mowers cut grass cleanly and are a breeze to use.

They are the healthiest choice for people, lawn and planet. For larger acreage, new models powered by propane burn cleaner than gasoline-run engines.

Paul Tukey is author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual and Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games. Find more tips at SafeLawns.org.

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HEALTHY ESCAPES Unplugged Getaways Rebalance Our Lives

by Judith Fertig

W

hen Jeanna Freeman vacationed at Earthshine Mountain Lodge, in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Touted as a “techno-amenityfree property,” it specializes in off-thegrid getaways (EarthshineLodge.com), meaning no in-room TV and a chance to digitally detox. Guests are encouraged to ditch their cell phones and laptops in favor of a zip line adventure through the Smoky Mountains forest canopy and laid back log cabin informality.

“Honestly, it was exhilarating being away from my cell phone,” admits Freeman, an interior designer from Collierville, Tennessee. “I hadn’t felt that good and ‘connected’ in a long time. I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

Her experience highlights the new buzzwords and phrases in vacation travel: unplug, reconnect, digital detox and healthy escape. What is it about unplugging that seems so refreshing and like an ideal vacation?

Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, explains that, “Using the Internet

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pushes us to a skimming and scanning form of thinking.” He occasionally unplugs to recover his attention span, noting, “A lot of our deepest thoughts only emerge when we’re able to pay attention to one thing.”

For memoirist Pico Iyer, author of The Man Within My Head, “The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think—is nothing new.” What is new is figuring out workable definitions of stillness and movement when we spend a lot of our time physically still, but mentally in motion.

A noted travel writer for 20 years, Iyer likes to stay at monasteries around the world. He concludes, “Wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to expend to place it in some larger context.” We can just simply be.

Healthy vacation escapes help us do just that. We regenerate, reconnect with ourselves and others and re-imagine our lives in a more satisfying context.

Personal Growth: The Mind MJ Goff was on a magazine writing assignment the first time she visited the

Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, New York (eOmega.org). As a student of New Age theories and a potential yoga teacher, Goff says she welcomed the opportunity to learn more. Once she attended the women’s retreat she was researching, she was hooked. “Every year since, I find myself being drawn to Omega for its promotion of meditation and overall encouragement of ‘staying in the present,’” she says.

“All the programs stem from one mission: to keep us on the right path.”

Talks by internationally known speakers such as Joan Borysenko, Eckhart Tolle, Harville Hendrix and Daniel Amen are complemented by sessions in nurturing creativity, holistic health, and yoga practice. “People smile, but also keep to themselves,” explains Goff. “It’s a place for quieting your mind.”

For shorter getaways, Hay House, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, sponsors weekend I Can Do It! seminars in various cities (HayHouse.com). Speakers such as Louise Hay, Gregg Braden, Wayne Dyer and Caroline Myss help attendees nudge closer to making milestone transformations, consciousness shifts and progress on their healing journeys.

Sometimes, personal growth simply involves sufficient quiet time to walk, contemplate and reconnect with our muse. “The real meaning of the word ‘retreat’ in the spiritual sense,” says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, “is stepping back. When one steps back, one gets a better view of the world, others and our deepest self.”

Iyer finds solace at New Camaldoli Heritage, a Benedictine community amidst the rugged terrain of Big Sur, California (Contemplation.com). More than 2,000 monasteries and other spiritual communities throughout North America offer off-the-beaten-path retreats at reasonable prices and generally welcome guests of all religions and spiritual practices. The one requirement is that guests not disturb others.

At Ghost Ranch, in the high desert of Abiquiu, New Mexico, “The scenery alone is spiritual and healing,” relates Nancy Early, a New York film producer. Under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, activities encourage individual and social transformation (NewMexico-GhostRanch. org). Early says the best part is, “There’s one pay phone, and cell phones don’t work here; no TV or radio. You walk away from everything that controls your life.”

Optimal Wellness: Mind/Body Sometimes the healthy escape we seek can be found at a destination spa, which combines enough structure to slowly wean us from daily busyness with sufficient soothing, quiet spaces and physical nurturing.

For Debbie Phillips—who spends part of the year in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and the other part in Naples, Florida—one visit to a spa was all it took. As an executive and life coach, Phillips founded Women on Fire in 2003 to connect her “on fire” clients with each other via regional meetings and a free online newsletter, and discovered that the condition sometimes crosses the line into overwork.

“My first visit to a spa more than 20 years ago was when I first learned about the life-changing benefits of taking better care of myself. In addition to the soothing amenities, the peace, calm and quiet usually found at a spa—space to think, nap, read a book or gaze into the sky—often results in ‘less’ becoming ‘more’ in your life,” Phillips says. “I have returned home feeling lighter and brighter and even more excited for what is next. The experience gave me just the boost I needed to keep going.”

Recently, Phillips discovered simple techniques to nurture herself all year long by attending a breathing and meditation class at the Lake Austin Spa, in Texas. “Now I start each day with long, deep breaths before I even get out of bed,” she says. “It is so simple, so calming and establishes my day with peace.”

Virginia Nelson, a San Diego, California, attorney, likewise revels in her twice-yearly visits to Canyon Ranch, in Tucson, Arizona. “The pace in southern California is like running a marathon every day. My visits serve as respites that have allowed me to keep up with it this long.

“I first went in 1991 and saw a place to go and cocoon,” recounts Nelson, “but I also discovered incredible fitness and education classes.” The spa is essentially a reset button for her. “It’s rest, rejuvenation and reinvention.” Canyon Ranch has several U.S. locations (CanyonRanch.com).

Some facilities feature niche mind/body experiences, such as the psychic massage or chakra balancing at Mii Amo Spa, in Sedona, Arizona (EnchantmentResort.com). Others specialize in holistic wellness. Tucson’s Miraval Resort, in Arizona, offers an integrative wellness program guided by Dr. Andrew Weil (Tinyurl.com/6p2l237). Chill-out spa services like a hot stone massage are often balanced by breath walking, qigong or desert tightrope walking.

Bartocci has experienced the power of these connections firsthand. “Active vacations are truly transformative,” she says emphatically. “When I bicycled across Iowa on RAGBRAI [The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa], we cycled 76 miles one day on hills with a constant 20-mile-per-hour headwind. It was a tough day, but I made it!

My divorce was becoming final that summer, and completing that day gave me the encouraging inner message: ‘If I can cycle Iowa on the toughest day, I can re-cycle my life after divorce.’” She’s still moving along. Recently, she joined 500 other cyclists doing 60 miles a day for a week in Wisconsin.

Bill Murphy, of Annapolis, Maryland, made his breakthrough at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (boss-inc.com).

“While I wanted an adventure and to put myself out there,

Active Adventure: The Body Finding a clear stillpoint of one’s soul can also occur while moving and challenging our bodies. Exercise helps us break through not only physical boundaries, but emotional and spiritual barriers, as well.

Barbara Bartocci, a long-distance cycler and author of Meditation in Motion, maintains that moving keeps both our brains and bodies healthier. “Research at The University of Arizona found that regular exercise appears to preserve key parts of the brain involved in attention and memory,” she notes. “It is well known that exercise helps to reduce anxiety, allay depression and generally improve mood, by prompting our bodies to release more endorphins.” natural awakenings

June 2012

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healthykids

Cont'd...

I also wanted to know that I was in good hands,” he says about why he chose a guided trip. Murphy was already in good shape, having competed in a local Ironman event. Following an initial fitness assessment that involved testing his heart rate after running at high altitude, he was deemed fit to take part in an outdoor survival experience in Utah’s desert country. With a knife, wool jacket, cap, gloves, long underwear and suitable shoes—but no tent, sleeping bag or food—his group learned to live off the land with the assistance of three instructors in an initial phase of the program.

“After two days we were given our backpack with the critical blanket, poncho and food rations. I have never been so happy to hear the words ‘1,500 calories’ in my life, and though I have eaten at some wonderful restaurants, the soups we made with those rations tasted better than anything I have eaten in my life,” he says.

Murphy learned how to purify water, make a tent from his poncho, start a fire with minimal tools and bed down in the cold without a sleeping bag or blanket. A crucial part of the survival training was the need to go even further when the group thought their adventure had ended. “We didn’t know whether that would be in 10 miles or 30,” he recalls. His ability to physically push past the mentally established timeframe led Murphy to see that he could also move beyond his either/or boundaries: either family or business; either business or adventure. “I realized that I don’t have to choose one over the other. I feel a better sense of balance now.”

In other parts of the country, Outward Bound Adult Renewal also offers new experiences that test physical limits and present breakthrough opportunities (OutwardBound.org). It’s also known for programs that help teens get a better handle on life. Participants often rock climb the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia or sea kayak along the Pacific Northwest or North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Options for growth and renewal appear endless.

Nearby or far away, for a few days or longer, a healthy escape can be truly restorative.

Judith Fertig regularly contributes to Natural Awakenings.

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DAD’S GOLDEN STORY HOUR Kids Listen with their Entire Being

by Clint Kelly

“S

oon, the brave little tailor and the beautiful Princess Minnie were happily married. And to think it all began with seven dead flies.”

So ends The Brave Little Tailor, starring Mickey Mouse. Whenever I concluded reading with those words and attempted to close the well-worn book, I was inevitably hit with a chorus of, “Aw, Dad,” as they yearned for more.

Why had my offspring narrowed the book selections to so few predictable favorites? Although the kids loved it, the constant repetition got to me. I rather empathized with the darker side of the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale.

It’s not that I was opposed to pulling story duty. Children take comfort in the familiarity and lasting values of classic storylines. But at reading time, temptation whispered, “What they want is your time. It doesn’t matter what you read; just read…”

A brief motor racing vignette in Road & Track, perhaps, or the latest major league baseball trade analyses from Sports Illustrated?

My mind would wander. They’d scold me.

“Dad! You just said the little tailor caught seven flies in a row. It’s, ‘Seven flies at one blow,’ Dad.” Busted. Sadly, it wasn’t long before I was caught yet again.

“Dad! It was Chicken Little who thought the sky was falling and The Little Red Hen who worked to bake the bread her lazy friends wouldn’t lift a finger to make. You always get them mixed up.”

Verbal slips aside, the kids crowded closer. They jockeyed for position against my chest, listening to the whoosh of my heart, the cadence of the words and the conviction of my voice reverberating into their inner ears, down along their spinal columns and deep into their souls.

Still, given the choice between Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle or the daily stock quotations, I’m afraid that Wall Street often muscled the good woman aside.

My wife urged me to persist. “The children have me all day. If only for a half-hour every night, you’ve got a solid grip on the children. Don’t let them slip away.”

Okay, I thought. Just as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle had her magical cures for never-want-to-go-to-bedders, surely I could find a cure for my reading ennui.

In fact, taking a page from the Little Tailor’s playbook, I found seven.

First, I sometimes invited a “guest” reader. A Grover hand puppet and a gravelly voice kept me alert, delighted the kids and gave those stories a fresh new lease.

The second remedy was to turn off the TV, ignore the phone and read by a lone lamplight that ringed me and my audience in a cozy glow.

Third, for variety, we’d sometimes read in a “secret” place. Goldilocks acquires a new dimension when read under the kitchen table.

My fourth remedy was to introduce dinner readings. “For the first course,” I’d say, “a heaping helping of Hansel and Gretel.” Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches lend themselves nicely to this departure from standard fare.

Eyes sparking, minds receptive, the children’s slight bodies vibrate like tuning forks of language, wonder and virtue when we read together.

Fifth, I’d occasionally take a break by playing a talking book episode. It made old standbys like Tom Sawyer fresh again.

As a sixth solution, when I assigned the kids parts in a story the plot took on a dimension that would often make us giggle. Even very young children that haven’t learned to read are able to memorize well-loved passages and recite lines verbatim.

The seventh remedy was to spin original tales. When I was a boy, my mother created an entire forest world populated by clever animals: Fox, the sly one; Owl, the fusty Winston

Dads Booked as Heroes

by Jeremy Adam Smith

F

athers show up comparatively rarely in children’s books. According to a review of 200 children’s books by David Anderson, Ph.D., and Mykol Hamilton, Ph.D., fathers appeared about half as often as mothers.

Mothers were 10 times more likely to be depicted taking care of babies than fathers and twice as likely to be seen nurturing older children.

Of course, moms are still most likely to be taking care of kids. But how does that help nontraditional families and other parents embrace broader caring role models? They can choose from this list of books that depict dads as co-parents and primary caregivers.

 Mama’s Home!, by Paul Vos Benkowski, illustrated by Jennifer Herbert (Chronicle Books, ages 1-3)  Kisses for Daddy, by Frances Watts and David Legge (Little Hare Books, ages 1-5)

 The Bunny Book (also published as When Bunny Grows Up), by Patricia M. and Richard Scarry (Golden Books, ages 1-5)  The Complete Adventures of Curious George, by Margret and H.A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin, ages 1-5)  Daddy’s Lullaby, by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft (Margaret K. McElderry Books, ages 2-5)  My Dad, by Anthony Browne (Macmillan, ages 2-5)  Daddy’s Home!, by Rosanne D. Parry, illustrated by David Leonard (Candy Cane Press, ages 2-5)  My Daddy and I, by P.K. Hallinan, author and illustrator (Candy Cane Press, ages 2-5)  Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (sequel is Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity), by Mo Willems (Hyperion, ages 2-6)

Churchill; and Beetle Boy, the action hero. I took what she began and created Further Adventures from the Deep, Dark Wood.

While I didn’t feel every inch the polished spinner of tales early on, neither did I abdicate the richly fulfilling role of chief reader for our little tribe. The more interest I showed their beloved classics, the closer they snuggled. Remedies in hand, my attitude improved. I relaxed and became less attached to my “other” reading material. At story time, I soaked up the hugs, the laughter and the love.

Truth be told, I came to like having the most luxurious—and requested— lap around.

Clint Kelly, a communications specialist for Seattle Pacific University, in Washington, authors tales for children and adults on topics ranging from dinosaurs to child rearing. Connect at ClintKelly Books.com.

 Mama’s Coming Home, by Kate Banks, pictures by Tomek Bogacki (Farrar Straus Giroux, ages 3-6)  Daddy Calls Me Man, by Angela Johnson, paintings by Rhonda Mitchell (Orchard Books, ages 3-6)  Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee (Chronicle Books, ages 3-6)  Tell Me One Thing, Dad, by Tom Pow, illustrated by Ian Andrew (Candlewick Press, ages 3-7)  Horton Hatches the Egg, by Dr. Seuss (Random House, ages 3-7)  And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole (Simon & Schuster, ages 3-7)  A Father Like That, by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (HarperCollins, ages 3-7)  Danny, Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake (Knopf, ages 8-12) Jeremy Adam Smith is the author of The Daddy Shift and co-editor of Rad Dad: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Fatherhood. Connect at JeremyAdamSmith.com.

natural awakenings

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wisewords

Bridging Generational Divides A Conversation with John and Ocean Robbins

by Linda Sechrist

J

ohn and Ocean Robbins have worked as a father-and-son team for more than 20 years. John, a pioneering expert on the dietary connection between the environment and health, is a bestselling author; his latest release is No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution.

Ocean, founder of the global nonprofit Yes! and an internationally renowned spokesman for an ethical and sustainable future, has helped improve the lives of people in 65 countries. Their latest collaboration is leading Intergenerational Healing workshops that are helping communities to bridge generational divides.

Ocean, how did you develop an identity independent of the family fortune and fame?

Because my grandfather, the co-founder of Baskin-Robbins, was determined that my father would follow in his footsteps, my dad felt he had to rebel so that he could stand for his own values and pursue what he loved. My journey was different. Because my dad allowed me the opportunity to explore and discover who I wanted to be, I was free to focus my energy on rebelling against the

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pervasive social injustices of the world rather than rebelling against my parents.

Although our strategies and ideas differ, my dad and I have congruent values and work together harmoniously. In my work with leaders and others in many nations, I stand in awe of the congruency in people’s core values across generations. When I ask the citizens of any country to describe the world they want to live in, they state many of the same things: clean air and water, freedom to practice their faith, the opportunity to eat good healthy food, and safe places for children to play. These values are inherent in a global dream of how the world could be.

John, how did the two of you shift from a parent/ child relationship into a partnership?

Our rare and vibrant relationship is a product of challenging assumptions about the present dominating parent model. As adults, we are equal partners, although in Ocean’s dependent years, I played a fathering role in guiding him in the development of his capabilities. But even then, I didn’t

insist that he think like me or comply with my wishes for his life.

I see myself as a guardian of Ocean’s spirit, rather than someone that is here to tell him what to do. In educating him about how to become a capable and self-sufficient adult, my part was to discern how to awaken his inner fire, draw out his inner wisdom, pique his curiosity and expand his capacity to learn. My role as a parent, and now as a friend, is to help my son achieve and fulfill his destiny by honoring his vision for his life. In remaining attentive to his natural talents and special gifts, we discern what he needs to continue growing into his personal power.

Intergenerational collaboration such as we have requires a bridge built of shared values, love, mutual respect, trust and support. I am in awe of Ocean, who doesn’t just stand on my shoulders; he flies from them as a courageous humanitarian responsive to the needs our times, as well as being a wonderful father himself.

How do your workshops help both elders and youths bridge the gap between the generations?

We use creative, thoughtful activities that build heart-filled community. Basically, we create space for learning how each life stage brings its own gifts, challenges and valuable perspectives. We learn to recognize that we need each other, across the age spectrum, to grow, heal, have fun and create thriving lives and communities.

Our children and grandchildren come into the world carrying the seeds of the future. They come endowed with new possibilities, new understandings and new energies. If as elders we wisely support them with the respect and assistance younger people deserve, they can accomplish things we cannot. They may be able to correct the errors of past generations, including our own. Then our children will not only be free to be themselves, they will bring a new breath of life into the world.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings magazines.

CLICK! Point Your Life in a Healthy Direction Visit Our New Website Browse the local news, events calendar, resource guide, plus all the wonderful articles that support and inspire a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Now just a click away!

www.Natvalley.com natural awakenings

June 2012

23

essentials

Lavender

(Lavandula Angustifolia)

By Linda Hileman BS, CCA

L

avender is the most versatile and useful of all the essential oils. This extraordinary oil is effective for a multitude of physical and psychological problems and often addresses both at the same time. Lavender is highly regarded for matters of the skin as it has profound tissue regeneration and wound healing properties that are especially evident in burns. Lavender also relieves tension and pain, balances the emotions, and supports the Qi-energy of the heart. This oil is a must have and is a wonderful way to introduce yourself to aromatherapy.

Below are a few suggestions as to how to use Lavender.

For the skin: • Use a drop on an insect bite or sting to disinfect, stop itching and reduce swelling.

• Use to cleanse cuts, bruises and skin irritations.

• Dilute 50/50 with carrier oil and use topically to soothe dermatitis.

• Put 2-3 drops on a minor burn to

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decrease pain, speed healing and minimize scar tissue.

• Mix several drops with aloe gel or distilled water and use topically to calm and heal sunburn.

• In natural lotion it is a beauty tonic and helpful for facial blemishes.

• Rub 2-4 drops over the armpits as a deodorant (dilute if sensitive).

As an antiseptic, to reduce inflammation, to relieve pain: • Lavender can ease respiratory infections when used in inhalations, vaporizers, baths or topical application.

• Dab on cold sores or mouth ulcers.

• Diffuse or inhale deeply from your palms to alleviate symptoms of hay fever or allergies.

• Apply neat or diluted on the body at places of discomfort.

• Use with a warm compress, in a massage, or in a bath to relieve sore muscles or muscle spasms.

• Rub 1-2 drops on the temples to relieve headache pain.

Stress and emotional balance: • Rub on the feet or the temples and forehead for calming.

• Anoint and hold the depression on the edge of the wrist bones when a person is in a state of hysteria.

• Use on the lung meridian to release grief and nourish the emotions.

• Inhale, use topically, or brush through the energy field with the hands to: • Soothe and relax the psyche • Calm strong emotions • Lift sadness and depression • Quiet and stabilize the mind and heart bringing about a sense of equilibrium • Ease nervous tension and decrease feelings of panic • Increase alertness while reducing mental stress • Encourage awareness, acceptance, clarity and comfort • Promote peace

General health and harmony of the mind, body and spirit: • Run oil through the field on the hands to clear stagnant energy and to calm fears.

• Rub on the bottoms of the feet and inhale at bedtime to relax the body and enter a deep sleep.

• Use on the crown chakra to release the built-up physical pressure and promote relaxation.

• Use on the heart chakra to allow feelings of grace.

• Use in meditation to help attune to your guardian Angels.

Lavender is the subject of more research than any other essential oil and it has excellent safety data.

If you’ve been considering trying aromatherapy, Lavender is the perfect oil to start with.

References: Vibrational Healing, Deborah Eidson Everyday Uses for Essential Oils, Tamalu Watkins Linda Hileman BS, CCA is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist. For more information or to make an appointment, call 256-325-4444 or email EssentialOptions@aol.com.

Tai Chi and Meditation

by Weimin Kwauk

T

ai Chi is a slow movement martial arts form.

Different from many styles of fast-moving martial arts, Tai Chi is one of the so-called inner martial arts that emphasizes the inside, the movement of Chi (the inner energy), mindful concentration, and a philosophical understanding of the Universe.

A simple posture could produce many results. Ultimately, the harmony of Yin and Yang achieved through the practice of Tai Chi results in the harmony and balance of the internal Chi. Therefore, better health or self-healing can be achieved.

There are many styles of Tai Chi forms. The most common styles include: Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun, and others. Each one has its own distinguishable martial arts flavor.

The Tai Chi form which uses no weapon in hand is called the empty-hand form, or Tai Chi Chuan (or Quan).

“Chuan” means fist in Chinese. Normally we use the term “Chuan” together with “Tai Chi” to distinguish this form with a weapon form.

Different weapon forms of Tai Chi are more complicated in movement. For example, the most common sword form has thirteen basic techniques: Whipping, Pulling, Raising, Blocking, Striking, Piercing, Tapping, Kicking, Stirring, Pressing, Splitting, Intercepting and Cutting.

No matter which form you play, with or without weapons, you must learn to play it the “Tai Chi” way, putting into harmony your movement, breathing, and concentration to reach the meditation state, or the trance. Playing a fast movement martial arts form in slow motion is not playing Tai Chi; neither is playing a set of meaningless movements in slow motion.

Tai Chi’s movements always incorporate Yin and Yang.

When you stand on the ground it is the Yin and when your hand strikes it is the Yang. Yin and Yang keeps changing as your postures and footwork are always transforming.

People practice Tai Chi for different reasons. Some like to explore its martial arts potential and others use it to improve their health. Nonetheless, when practicing Tai Chi as a “moving” meditation you should not concentrate your mind in the same way as “calm” meditation forms.

To learn Tai Chi, you should know each posture’s name.

Ask your teacher to explain each posture’s starting and ending position. Understand the martial art background of the posture and what it is used for. Understand the functionality of each small segment of each posture. Without this knowledge, the whole routine cannot be played correctly.

As a beginner, you should copy your teacher’s movements. As you start to refine your play, try to sense the relationship between the Yin (calmness) and Yang (movement). Learn to unite the outside movements with your inner mind.

Your body and waist should be relaxed.

The shifting of your weight from one position to another should be a smooth and flowing transaction. Like a skillful violinist, you do not hear a break in a long note, even when the bow changes its direction.

Concentrate your mind within the “Target Zone,” the area within the striking distance of your hand, sword or other weaponry. As your posture transforms from one to another, the “Target Zone” will change as well. Your mind should remain focused on the circular “Target Zone” area following the changes between “Yin” (calmness) and Yang (movement). Your Dan Tian (located in the lower abdomen) is always the center.

After years of training and meditation practice, you will be able to send the Chi from Dan Tian to your fists, hands, feet, and shoulders.

After you have learned your sword form (or other weapon form) routine, refine your play and gradually learn how to meditate with your sword. When you meditate in the sword form of Tai Chi, you are united with your sword and become the One. Your routine will flow smoothly. Your arm, wrist, and sword connect with the Dan Tian where the origin of your movements lies. You feel your Chi being sent to the tip of the sword or to a section of the blade, depending on the posture. Then the Chi returns to the Dan Tian and continues to the next move.

In your empty-hand or Sword play, you will learn how to sense your surroundings. When you practice with other people, do not watch them directly. Use your peripheral eye sight to sense and synchronize with the group.

It sounds very complicated, but it is not. It is never too late to learn something. With practice and determination, you will achieve better health and better life.

Visit HsvTaiChi.com for more information about the author and his Tai Chi class. See ad on page 16. natural awakenings

June 2012

25

healingways

Hormone Help for Guys Natural Ways to Boost Vitality

by James Occhiogrosso

W

ithout hormones, the body’s chemical messengers affecting every human biological system, nothing works correctly.

Testosterone, in particular, is critically important for male development, starting in the embryo, through puberty and into old age.

After reaching peak levels in a man during his mid-to-late-20s, his testosterone level begins a slow decline.

From the age of about 35, it drops by about 10 percent per decade for the rest of his life, accompanied by a slight increase in estrogen levels.

While women experience physical markers when they enter menopause, there is no specific point at which men typically enter andropause, the less extreme male version of the change of life due to low hormone production.

Related changes usually cause minor problems at first and then tend to become more severe.

Medical studies from Seattle’s Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System, the University of Washington and Harvard University show that testosterone deficiency contributes to reduced muscle and bone mass, male breast enlargement, depression, atherosclerosis, anemia and diabetes.

Test First Hormones travel the bloodstream in bound and unbound (free) forms; only the free ones activate various body functions. When evaluating a man, a doctor will typically order a blood test for total testosterone, combining both forms.

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Older men often can show a normal total testosterone level, but have a low level of free testosterone. A saliva test brings clarity, because saliva only contains free hormones. Fifty-plusyear-old men with low free testosterone that show signs of hormone imbalance should consider natural supplementation, even when total testosterone is normal. It’s best to test before starting a rebalancing program and to retest after a few months. Establishing a record over time allows a man to monitor and adjust progress.

Hormone Help Starts Here Taking supportive steps in nutrition and lifestyle choices can make a big difference.

Diet. Proper nutrition, embracing a full complement of vitamins and minerals, is essential. Eliminate red meat, cheese, fast food

“When a man with low testosterone restores his level back to its biological norm—he feels like a man again!” ~ Dr. Eugene R. Shippen

and processed snack foods, which can increase estrogen levels. Herbal supplements such as Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris), or puncture vine; ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Korean red ginseng (Panex ginseng) and maca (Lepidium meyenii or Lepidium peruvianum) can help by increasing testosterone levels, sexual libido or erectile function. Some influence testosterone levels directly; others help enhance function by indirectly providing nutrients to improve circulation and general sexual health.

Weight control. Excess fat, particularly around the abdomen, stores and produces estrogen. Reducing fat tissue can help both lower estrogen and enhance testosterone.

Environmental exposure. Endocrine disruptors, called xenoestrogens, from everyday exposure to toxic estrogenic industrial chemicals, can mimic the effects of estrogen in a man’s body. These routinely appear in petrochemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dairy products, meats, canned foods, personal care products and plastics. Bisphenol-A (BPA) in the lining of metal food cans is particularly dangerous.

To find a local compounding pharmacy for natural bioidentical testosterone skin cream, as prescribed by a medical practitioner, visit iacprx.org.

Avoid microwaving foods in plastic containers, even when they are labeled as microwave-safe.

Research medications. Dr. Eugene R. Shippen, co-author of The Testosterone Syndrome, states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;High-dose statin drugs used to lower cholesterol definitely lower testosterone levels and are high on the list of causes of erectile dysfunction.â&#x20AC;?

Exercise. Physically inactive people lose up to 5 percent of their total muscle mass per decade. Exercise helps to lower estrogen levels and enhance testosterone levels.

Testosterone Supplements Past incorrect beliefs that testosterone replacement therapy causes prostate cancer left many medical practitioners reluctant to prescribe it. The latest scientific research shows that a healthy man does not increase the risk by raising his testosterone level to the normal biological range for his age. Renowned medical oncologist and prostate cancer researcher and survivor, Dr. Charles â&#x20AC;&#x153;Snuffyâ&#x20AC;? Myers, has stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is absolutely no hint that testosterone at high levels correlates with prostate cancer.â&#x20AC;? He founded the American Institute for Diseases of the Prostate, near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Natural bioidentical testosterone cream labeled USP, for United States Pharmacopeia standard, is available at compounding pharmacies. Bioidentical means that a substance has the same chemical form as that produced by the human body.

Other forms of testosterone therapy, including biweekly injections, skin patches and pills, typically employ synthetic chemicals that are similar, but not identical, to natural testosterone. Thus, such products are not completely recognizable by the body. About 15 years ago, bestselling author and hormone balancing expert Dr. John R. Lee published his startling conclusion that synthetic hormones can cause serious side effects, including an increased risk of stroke, cancer and liver damage. His findings were subsequently confirmed by the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Initiative study. Injections, skin patches and pills subject the body to unnatural fluctuations in testosterone and estrogen. In contrast, skin creams permit precise daily or periodic dosing as prescribed by a qualified health care practitioner.

As they age, some men strongly feel the effects of a cumulative decline in testosterone levels and experience significant symptoms, while others barely notice it. Restoring testosterone to its biological norm can be rewarding.

Remember that hormones are powerful and a little can go a long way. Beyond a prescribed amount, more is not better and can reverse benefits.

James Occhiogrosso, a natural health practitioner and master herbalist, specializes in salivary hormone testing and natural hormone balancing for men and women. For a phone consultation, call 239-498-1547, email DrJim@ HealthNaturallyToday.com or visit HealthNaturallyToday.com.

Transforming your stress, relationships & health with Energy, Intuition and Forgiveness

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256-783-1928 natural awakenings

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inspiration

“Allow my Hands to Transform Your Life”

BORN TO EXPLORE

by Joe Robinson

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE

%FDSFBTFE "OYJFUZ t &OIBODFE 4MFFQ 2VBMJUZ t (SFBUFS &OFSHZ t "O Overall Feeling of Well Being

A New You Massage and BodyWork Offering Hot Stone, Deep Tissue, Swedish and Pre-Natal Massage.

Call Today for Your Appointment!

PAULA J. SORG, L.M.T. #3321 256-520-0663 anewyoubodywork@gmail.com anewyoumassageandbodywork.com Huntsville Office: 222 Rhett Ave, Ste A Harvest Office: 15093 East Limestone Rd.

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible. ~Audrey Hepburn~

I

t happens to all of us. We wake up one day and realize that we have been here before—just like yesterday and the day before that.

Today is destined to be the same as all the others: safe, comfortable… and boring.

Often, we need to engage in new experiences to be more vital and happy.

Research from psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Gregory Berns, Ph.D., author of Satisfaction, shows that our brains benefit from new experiences so much so that the process releases the feel-good chemical dopamine. According to a study published in the journal Neuron, it is even triggered by the mere expectation of a new experience. Researchers call this the “exploration bonus.”

We are born to explore. Dr. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain that Changes Itself, maintains that connections between brain neurons, called dendrites, develop in response to new experiences, and they shrink or vanish altogether if they’re not stimulated with new information. To keep our brains happy, we have to keep moving forward into the new.

If novelty feels so good and does good

things for us, why do we usually stick with what we know? The answer lies deep in the emotional center of the brain, called the amygdala, which perceives the unknown as potentially threatening. As a result, we often overestimate the potential risk inherent in a new experience and underestimate the consequences of playing it safe.

The good news is that we can override this default. Here are some practical ways to build the necessary life skills—our venture aptitude—to pursue new experiences and really start living.

Do it to do it. When you approach an experience with this attitude, there is no harm to your self-worth because your objective isn’t the result, but the experience; the pursuit of knowledge, challenge or enjoyment—and that’s egoless.

Advance into the fear. You inflame fear by running from it, and you reduce it with every step that you take facing straight at it.

Make the unknown more knowable.

Knowledge trumps irrational fears. Talk to others that have participated in experiences you wish to engage in. Do research.

Don’t look at the mountaintop. Break down big goals (running a race, acting in a neighborhood play) into small, incremental goals (running around the block, taking a beginner’s voice class) to build competence and confidence.

Dabble. Sample the offerings. Try several different classes or events to see which ones excite you the most.

Judge your life by how much you try, not by the results. That removes the fear and alibis, and puts you squarely in the center of the place where you are at your happiest—absorbed in life-affirming experiences.

—Joe Robinson, DontMissYourLife.net.

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by Gatlianne

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS METTS

Side Plank Pose “The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

E

ach of us is an extraordinary being full of potential and purpose. We are human manifestations of spirit whom have the great opportunity to learn the lessons of humanity in order to overcome shadow aspects such as jealousy, envy, and hatred, and to reach unconditional love and reconnect with our highest Self. While on this human journey we move with the ebb and flow of human life, flowing in and out of positive and negative emotions and behaviors, gaining knowledge and wisdom, and all the while moving toward an ultimate goal – balance in body, mind, and spirit. Essentially our journey does indeed make up our destination, for without the journey of ebb and flow we could truly never reach our ultimate potential of being who we truly are – divine spirits who see all with the light of unconditional love.

When body, mind, or spirit is in a state of unbalance – so shall all three be in a state of unbalance. One cannot reach their highest potential while living in an unbalanced state.

Find your balance in Side Plank Pose.

We continue our Side Plank series with the traditional Side

Plank Pose (Vasisthasana). With the willing patience we learned from the pose modification we can now move into a state of balance in the full pose.

This state goes deeper than just being able to hold the pose. It reaches in to create a balanced and settled spirit, calm and peaceful mind, and intentional and conscious body awareness.

Move into Side Plank Pose from Modified Side Plank by releasing the bent knee so that both legs are extended and rotating the body open with left arm lifted. As this pose and movement become more comfortable, and as your body progresses, move into the pose from Downward Dog by lowering to Plank Pose then rotating the body open with the right hand on the floor and left arm lifted. Stack hips, knees, and ankles on top of each other. Wrist and shoulder joints should be parallel. Look up toward the extended hand and breathe fully into the abdomen.

Listen to your body and be

aware of its movement. Listen for its balance point. Shift until you feel the point where your body, mind, and spirit fall into the state of connected balance —the state of your true being.

Vasisthasana comes from the Sanskrit word Vasistha or “most excellent” or “best.” This pose allows you to be your best and most excellent self and is sometimes referred to as “Sage Pose.”

In Side Plank you can be the extraordinary being that you are – your best and most excellent self. Find your balance in Side Plank Pose and connect to the Sage within you.

(Contraindications: Do not perform this pose if you have arm, shoulder, or wrist injury. Return to Modified version if balance cannot be attained, pain is present, or if upper body strength is not pronounced enough to maintain balance. Forcing any pose can cause unnecessary injury.)

M/Gatlianne is an Author, Yoga Instructor, Interfaith Minister and Holistic Health & Reiki Practitioner based in Athens, AL. For more information contact her at M@ Gatlianne.com or visit Gatlianne. com, DeepRiversHealing.com, or DiscoverPath.com.

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calendarofevents FRIDAY, JUNE 1 Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am-5pm. Journey back through the Ice Age to view some of Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most aweinspiring mammals in The Field Museum exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Monumental video installations, hands-on interactive displays, life-sized models, fossil tusks and skullsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and even touchable teethâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;bring these ancient giants back to life. This exhibit is included in general admission. U.S. Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base, Huntsville.

American Women from the Collection â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11am4pm. American Women from the Collection celebrates the achievements of American women artists working from the mid-19th through the early 21st centuries. The Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curators chose the title CHICKS to suggest smart, capable, and confident women, but the word can also have the opposite connotationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;reminding us of the lingering gender bias that still exists in our society. The struggle of women to gain recognition as artists regardless of their sex is an age-old one that continues to this day. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St SW, Huntsville. HSVmuseum.org.

Darkness into Life: Alabama Holocaust Survivors through Photography and Art â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11am-4pm.

The Huntsville Museum of Art is pleased to be the first major institution in N Alabama to host Darkness into Life, presenting the stories of 20 Holocaust survivors who reside in Alabama. Organized by the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, the exhibition includes narratives about each survivor and paintings by Mitzi Levin illustrating their memories of childhood, hiding, imprisonment, and liberation.

Becky Seitelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photographs capture the survivors in the present are also on view. This exhibit is free to the public. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St SW, Huntsville. 256-535-4350. HSVmuseum.org.

Cigar Box Guitar Festival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6-9pm. Flying Monkey Arts 8th annual Cigar Box Guitar Festival

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SATURDAY, JUNE 2 Madison City Farmers Market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8am-12pm.

Come early for the best selection of local produce, home baked goods, goat cheese, milk, eggs, meats, fresh herbs, honey, relishes, jams and jellies. Come see creations from local artisans including handmade cards, soaps, lotions, jewelry, candles, wood and iron works and other handmade items. Open Saturdays April through November. 1282 Hughes Road, Madison.

Catapult Your Brand Workshop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am-12pm.

Catapult your Brand unveils the mystery behind effectively positioning your brand and company.

Take advantage of the natural instinctive preferences hardwired into the minds of all consumers. Your brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position is the reason why customers choose you instead of your competitors. Arts Council, 700 Monroe Street, Huntsville.

Annual Skyline Day Festival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10am. Free Entertainment and Catfish dinner. Bring a â&#x20AC;&#x153;covered dishâ&#x20AC;? and lawn chair. Cumberland Mountain. Info: Angie Scarberry 256-587-3335 or The Chamber at 256-259-5500.

Dairy Day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10-11am. Practice milking our â&#x20AC;&#x153;fauxâ&#x20AC;? cow, crank the old fashioned ice cream churn, make homemade butter, and learn about all things â&#x20AC;&#x153;dairy.â&#x20AC;?

Join us for this perennial favorite and become a dairy expert. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville. BurrittOnTheMountain.com.

Encounters: Sloane Bibb â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11am-4pm. The Museum is pleased to again present its award-winning Encounters series of regional contemporary art with works by N Alabama artist Sloane Bibb. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St SW, Huntsville.

HsvMuseum.org.

The Red Clay Survey: 2012 Exhibition of Contemporary Southern Art â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11am-4pm. The Huntsville Museum of Art is pleased to announce the return of its 11th presentation of The Red Clay Survey, an exhibition that regularly â&#x20AC;&#x153;takes the pulseâ&#x20AC;? of contemporary Southern art through a selection of work in all styles and media determined by jurors with strong national credentials. The works typically range in style from the traditional to the avant-garde and encompass painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, fine craft, photography, and mixed media works from artists throughout an 11-state region. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St SW, Huntsville.

Community HU Song â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:30-2pm. Join others in singing HU, an ancient love song to God that can help and uplift you in countless ways. Held each Saturday. Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Avenue, #3 (Five Points). 256-534-1751. Eck-alabama.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 Unity Church on the Mountain hosts Rev David Torres, from Cookeville, TN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Worship at 10:30am. Workshop following. 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271. UnityChurchOnThe Mountain.com.

Film Co-op Monthly Workshop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2pm-4pm. The Film Co-op monthly workshop meets in Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio (264), Specific Topics To Be Announced. Open to all, public invited. Admission is free. Don Tingleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio (264), Flying Monkey Arts, 2nd floor, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville. 256- 457-5371.

Rolling Jazz Review â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7pm-10pm. $5 admission.

Flying Monkey Arts, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville.

features handcrafted instruments, artist market, Bill Jehleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cigar Box Guitar Museum, workshops, demonstrations, documentary film, and music. Friday, 6pm to 9pm is a free Concerts on the Dock event.

Saturday, 7pm â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;till midnight itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Flymo Theater Extravaganza with special guests, John Lowe, Microwave Dave, Pat and John Nickel, 7 Hills Stomp and more. $15. Lowe Mill, Concerts on the Dock and Flying Monkey Arts 2nd floor, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville. 256-479-7863.

Tennessee Valley

Natvalley.com

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.

MONDAY, JUNE 4 Be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Senseâ&#x20AC;?able Summer Camp â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9-11am, June 4-8. Each day, a different way to investigate the world around us. We promise a â&#x20AC;&#x153;senseâ&#x20AC;?ational time for the youngest in your family. Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville.

Concerts in the Park â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:30-8:30pm. This 10-week free series features a wide variety of sounds from some of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most well-known musicians. Big Spring Park (behind Huntsville Museum of Art), 300 Church Street, Huntsville

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 Teens Path to Success Foundation Concert â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A battle of the bands contest. Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville. TeensPathToSuccess@gmail.com.

Greene Street Market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4-8pm. The Church of the Nativity is sponsoring a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market in Huntsville. The market will be in the parking lot at the SE corner of Greene Street and Eustis Avenue in downtown Huntsville. Greene Street and Eustis Avenue.

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County June 2012 Business After Hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5-7pm.

The premier networking event for professionals in the area. Southern Convention Services, Inc. (SCS), 10446 County Line Road, Madison.

Align & Wine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6-7pm. Unwind with Mitzi Connell of Yoga with Mitzi. Align your body every Thursday at 6pm in the Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful spaces, then proceed downstairs for wine and light hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres at the delicious Pane e Vino cafe. Cost and additional details can be found on the Yoga with Mitzi site. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Street, Huntsville.

HAL5 June Free Program: Space Transportation Infrastructure Supported By Propellant Depots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7-8:30pm. Huntsville AL L5 Society (HAL5), a local chapter of the National Space Society, will hosts its free June public program at the main auditorium of the Huntsville-Madison Country Main Public Library. 915 Monroe St. Huntsville.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 HYP Annual Canoe Trip â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Our popular, annual canoeing and kayaking trip is approaching once again. Paddle down the Elk River with HYP... or float, if you want to relax. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll boat seven miles from Shallow Bridge to Dinky Bridge, stopping for swim breaks and lunch. The cost is $20. Remember to bring drinking water, food, sun block, bug repellent, a towel, and clothes you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind getting wet and dirty. Attendees are allowed to bring their own canoes and kayaks. Meet at: Wal-Mart parking lot at the Sparkman Dr/ N Memorial Parkway intersection.

Elk River Canoes (190 Smithland Rd, Kelso, TN 37348) An RSVP is needed to ensure we have enough boats. Please RSVP to George.A.Mills@gmail.com Madison City Farmers Market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8am-12pm.

Come early for the best selection of local produce, home baked goods, goat cheese, milk, eggs, meats, fresh herbs, honey, relishes, jams and jellies. Come see creations from local artisans including handmade

cards, soaps, lotions, jewelry, candles, wood and iron works and other handmade items. 1282 Hughes Road, Madison.

The Call of Soul â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2-3pm. Free introductory presentation and discussion for people of all faiths.

Facilitators will share stories, tools, and techniques to help attendees see deeper truths within and apply them in their lives now. Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Avenue, #3 (near Five Points). 256-5341751. Eck-alabama.org.

Jazz Concert at Three Caves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:30-10:30pm. Fundraiser for the land preservation efforts of the Land Trust of North Alabama. Acclaimed saxophonist and composter Tom Braxton will present an evening of great smooth jazz under the stars. Historic Three Caves, Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville. BurrittOnTheMountain.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 Unity Church on the Mountain Welcomes Back Rev Sydney Lindquist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Worship at 10:30am.

1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271.

UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 Face2Face Improv â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30-8:30pm each Tuesday.

Tickets are $5 (8 and under free). Sam & Gregâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizzeria, 119 N Side Square, Huntsville.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

wellness naturally

Identify Illness Before Symptoms Surface Dr. Linda Jarvis, NMD

provides computerized testing services to determine your best path to wellness.

Electrodermal Screenings, Biological Terrain Assessments, and Computerized Regulated Thermography help her determine the exact areas in your body where the natural energy has been disrupted, which can often detect disease before it develops.

Call Today for an Appointment.

Dr. Linda Jarvis, NMD +BSWJT$MJOJD DPN r 4MBVHIUFS 3E t .BEJTPO "-

Hike at Hays with Operation Green Team 9-11am. Operation Green Team will lead hikes through Hays Nature Preserve on the natural and paved trails each Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. The first hike of the series will be on Wednesday, March 14th. Enjoy exercise surrounded by the beauty of the Preserve. Registration is free. Hays Nature Preserve, Huntsville. 256-532-5326. GreenTeam@ Huntsvilleal.gov Trailblazers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am-2pm. Explore 167 acres on hiking trails while developing skills in orienteering, plant identification, and emergency preparedness and first aid. Create unique crafts using items you find in nature and gain a new appreciation for the world around us. $155 (members), $165 (non-members) Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr Se, Huntsville.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 Over the Edge for the Y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; You step to the edge, look over, and catch your breath. Adrenaline takes over and, next thing you know, the thrill of adventure consumes you. Welcome to Over the Edge!

Participants who raise a minimum of $1500 will rappel 12 stories down the Historic Times Building, all to support YMCA community outreach. The event is free. Historic Times Building, 228 Holmes Avenue, Huntsville Greene Street Market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4-8pm. The Church of the Nativity is sponsoring a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market in Huntsville. The market starts Thursday May 3rd and is open to the public from 4pm-8pm. It is held every Thursday at this time until October 25th. The market will be in the parking lot at the SE corner of Greene

Street and Eustis Avenue in downtown Huntsville.

Greene Street and Eustis Avenue, Huntsville.

Dine & Dash, a downtown trolley tasting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6-9pm.

Dine on hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;eourves, sip on cocktails & dash to the next location! Join us every 2nd Thursday from April thru September as the trolley wisks you to five different downtown establishments. Tickets are only $30 per person and that includes the trolley ride and â&#x20AC;&#x153;samplesâ&#x20AC;? at each restaurant. Seats are limited.

Downtown restaurants & bars, Huntsville.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 4th Annual Community Golf Tournament â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7am2pm. Hospice Family Care is Madison Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only not-for-profit hospice and this tournament helps raise funds for programs, including free bereavement services for children and adults in our community. $85/player, $340/team. The Links golf course on Redstone Arsenal, 4140 Goss Road City Lights and Stars with Henriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Notions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:309:30pm. The Notions draw from a broad palette of melodious sounds. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville.

The Road to Spiritual Freedom: A History â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:308pm. Inspiring stories and insights from Harold Klemp, spiritual leader and acclaimed author of more than sixty books on ECKANKAR. Discover some of the milestones on your road to spiritual freedom.

Free. Knology Cable Channel 11. 256-534-1751.

Eck-alabama.org.

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June 2012

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SATURDAY, JUNE 16

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Juneteenth Celebration – 10am. An all-day celebration featuring a full Bar-B-Que cook-out, educational activities, and music throughout the day. Scottsboro Boys Museum & Cultural Center, 428 West Willow Street, Scottsboro.

Unity Church on the Mountain hosts Minister Vicki Goldston – Worship at 10:30am. 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271. Unity ChurchOnTheMountain.com.

Father’s Day Special Ride – 1-2pm. Dad has been working hard and deserves a special day and a relaxing train ride on the Mercury & Chase Railroad. N Alabama Railroad Museum, 695 Chase Rd, Huntsville.

Oliver! – 7:30-9:30pm. IMP is celebrating the 200th birth of Charles Dickens by presenting the musical adaptation of his famous work Oliver Twist. Lee Lyric Theater, 606 Forrest Circle, NE, Huntsville.

Hypertufa Containers – 1-3pm. Hypertufa is a mixture of Peat moss, perlite and Portland cement that mimics the natural stone ‘tufa’ that was used in England. We can help you create the masterpiece you desire using sand as the mold or if you prefer, you may bring your own container to use as a mold.

Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. HsvBG.org.

Pony Painting Parties –3-5pm. Monica Yother,

owner of MY Designs, is teaming up with her tenyear-old daughter, Erin, to introduce Pony Painting Parties. The theme of the sessions will be horses, and people are welcome to bring a photo of their own horse to work from. Lowe Mill, MY Designs Studio, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 Summer Cross Country Runs; 1, 2, and 3 Miles 6:15pm-7:15pm. Every Tuesday - 6:15PM - Huntsville Running Park (South end of the Old Airport near the municipal golf course.)

Mind, Body Yoga with Katherine –6:30-7:30pm.

A blend of asanas (poses) that will tone the body, as well as calm the mind and energize the spirit. From beginner to experienced. Soles Dance Center, 901 Franklin St, Huntsville.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 Creamery Tours – Come tour your local cheesemaker. Find out where and how the goat cheese recommended by Oprah, Food Network, and Southern Living is made. Fromagerie Belle Chevre, 26910 Bethel Road, Elkmont. 256-423-2238.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Art Krewe’s Young Professional Cocktail Hour at the Museum – 6-8pm. All Huntsville young professionals are invited to the Spencer hall at Huntsville Museum of Art to mingle and view the galleries.

Free admission, cash bar. Huntsville Museum of Art, Spencer Hall, 300 Church Street, Huntsville.

HsvMuseum.org.

Summer Cuisine of Provence, Have Some Class 6-8pm. Learn the art of cooking from the Provence Region of France with Merle Phillips and her staff at Eaves Restaurant. Reservations are a must. The deadline to sign up for this class is Friday, June 15th by 2pm. 501 Church St NW, Huntsville. 256-536-2882.

Teachings & Practice with Swami Nardanand Founder of Siddha Ashram in Ujjain, MP, India

Teacher of Kundalini Maha-Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda

Free Lectures and Discussions

Three-Day Weekend Retreats

“The Path to Spiritual Freedom” Monday June 4, 7:45-9:15pm Birmingham Yoga

605 37th St S, Birmingham, AL 35222

“Vegetarian & Ayurveda Living” Tuesday June 5, 5:30-7pm Golden Temple Natural Grocery & Cafe 1901 11th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205

in Homewood

Tennessee Valley

Natvalley.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Worldly Wise Summer Camp – 9am-4:30pm.

Campers will learn about cultures, plants and much more from different countries. Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave, Huntsville.

HsvBG.org.

“Awakening and Deepening the Spiritual Practice” Friday June 1 at 8pm through Monday June 4 at 5pm Thursday June 7 at 8pm through Sunday June 10 at 5pm

Black Jacket Symphony presents AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’ – 8-11pm. Tickets $31, $26, available at VBC Box Office or any TicketMaster outlet, Von Braun Center, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, 700 Monroe Street, Huntsville.

To register, email the address below

Heel & Crank Duathlon – 7-10am. Fundraiser for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Nrop Grumman Corp.

301 Voyager Way, Huntsville.

Contact Information: SwamiVisit2012@gmail.com 32

Hood to Coast-the Movie Experience – 7-9:30pm.

Fundraiser for the Dixie Daredevils, a non profit running club. Part of the proceeds will benefit Relay for Life Huntsville. $15-$18. The Monaco, Bridge Street Town Center, 370 The Bridge St, Huntsville.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Alabama Military Collectors Summer Show 2012 – 9am-4pm. Huntsville Jaycee’s Community Building, 2180 Airport Rd, Huntsville.

Bonsai for Indoors- 9-11:30am. In this beginning workshop using tropical plant material, you are introduced to the basic bonsai techniques of pruning, wiring, potting and care of this living art form.

Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. HsvBG.org.

OPERATION GREEN TEAM PRESENTS: PLAY DAYS AT HAYS

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 Unity Church on the Mountain Welcomes Back Rev Sydney Lindquist – Worship at 10:30am.

1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271.

UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com

MONDAY, JUNE 25 Close Encounters of the Animal Kind – 9am-2pm.

Get up close and personal with the animal kingdom, including all of our barnyard buddies as well as snakes, reptiles and raptors. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville. Burritt OnTheMountain.com.

Huntsville Photographic Society Program Night 7-8:45pm, 2nd and 4th Mondays. Come and associate with some of the best photographers in the valley.

Check our web site for NOVICE opportunities.

Learn from our professional programs and HPS Master mentors. Huntsville Public Library Auditorium, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville. Hmpcl.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 Lunch with Elizabeth Smart – 11:30am-1pm.

Lunch with Elizabeth Smart is a fundraiser hosted by Crestwood Healthy Woman. All proceeds will go to The National Children’s Advocacy Center and Kids to Love. $50. The Jackson Center, 600 Genome Way, Huntsville.

Huntsville Traditional Music Association Playing at Burritt on the Mountain – 7-9pm. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville.

BurrittOnTheMountain.com.

BERKELEY BOB’S JUNE 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.

June 2 Hart Deer – Atlanta folk group rescheduled June 9 Bimini Road – Our favorite folk rock band June 15 Locket – A folk band from Huntsville June 16 Ashley Main and David Morton June 22 Abigail Bobo June 23 Songwrtier Showcase with Ron Brown, Allan Watkins, Chapman James, Ted Whitington, Robin Stewart

Children with adults explore and learn about the great outdoors at Terramé Natural Playground at Hays Nature Preserve. Call 256-532-5326 to reserve your spot and to get more information.

NOTE: For all these events, children should wear old comfortable shoes and play clothes that can get a bit dirty. Don’t forget a bottle of water. Your preferred insect repellent, especially on the lower legs, will help fend off unwanted insect bites. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the sessions.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

Orienteering and Forest Safety (K-6th) – 9-11am. Take a long walk through the Preserve and learn the critters and plants in the forest that could harm you. Explorers will also learn how to find their way with a map and compass through an eco-scavenger hunt. See who gets the most answers to the questions about the Preserve.

Cache in on Treasures (3rd-6th)– 9-11am. We will geocache to find hidden natural treasures in the bottomland forests of the Preserve and learn why these are important to our natural environment. Students will take home a special souvenir.

Please bring a hand held GPS unit if you have one, we have a few.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

Fair Feathered Friends (K-6th)– 9-11am. Walking quietly through the forest we will observe many species of birds in the Preserve. Explorers will learn about migrations and what makes it difficult for birds to migrate. We will discuss the unusual birds seen in the Preserve only during winter and why birds of the same species can look very different.

Becoming Swampthang (3rd-6th) – 9-11am.

Wading into a shallow water wetland, we’ll look for plants and animals that make it a marsh, and using microscopes explorers will see a world of tiny plants and animal organisms that can’t be seen easily by the human eye. Learn about different wetland habitat types of the Preserve why they are important and what do they do to protect humans.

Explorers will play a wetland habitat match game and use a flow chart to distinguish the different types of wetlands.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 Wonderful Wacky World of Bugs (K-6th)– 9-11am. Have fun being a bug detective in the Preserve’s bottomlands to find insects lurking there and learn all about them. Parents and students should bring a clear plastic container with a lid with holes punched in it. No glass please.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 What is Your Name? (K-6th) – 9-11am. Explorers will make tree cookie nametags and play an engaging game of “Animal on My Back.” A forest exploration looking for animal signs, finding creatures in their bottomland homes and discussing the importance of rivers will wrap up the morning fun.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26 Waters to the Sea (3rd-6th) – 9-11am. Follow the life of a water drop from the Preserve to the sea and back. Learn what a watershed is and how to tell you what watershed you are in. Students will do a transpiration experiment and learn water conservation practices.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 Mapping Wetlands (3-6th) – 9-11am. We will run a transect line to measure the shore of a wetland then check our work on Google Earth. Explorers will use their wetland outline to detail various species they find and learn about the littoral zone of ponds and lakes.

June 29 Herb Trotman Band

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June 2012

33

Basketweaving – 2pm-3pm. No reservations necessary. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville. BurrittOnTheMountain.com.

ongoingevents sunday

Free Biomat Sessions – 10am-5pm. Free 30-minute Biomat sessions all day at the Center for Directional Healing. Call to reserve a time. 256-882-0360.

DirectionalHealing.com.

Meditation – 8:20am. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596. CSLHuntsville.org.

Zumba Gold classes – 4:30-5:20pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.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.

Beginning Belly Dance Classes – 5:30-6:30pm.

Learn new school belly dance with an old school flair. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville. 256-637-9979. NomadicTapestry.com.

Unity Church On The Mountain Service – 10:30am. Adult Sunday School at 9:30am. Practicing Oneness with God in a positive light of love for all. 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville. 256-5362271. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

Beginner Couple/Partner Dances – 6-8pm. Sandra Watts will be teaching Sweetheart Schottische along with other partner dances. Social dancing after the class. If you have never danced, this is the class to learn how. $5.00. Gee’s Place, 2274-A Highway 72 East, Huntsville. 256-682-7886.

1-Hour Mystery School – 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.

Social Dance Class – 3-6pm. Social Dance Class taught by Sandra Watts. Combination of ballroom and country/western dance. Prepares you to dance anywhere. One hour class with practice dancing to follow. $6.00. Gee’s Place, 2274-A Highway 72 East, Huntsville. 256-682-7886.

Power Yoga – 4:30-5:30pm. Erin Kennedy. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Zumba Dance – 6-7pm. “JAK”arta. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. NomadicTapestry.com.

Beyond Basic Bellydance – 5-6pm. Michelle. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville.

NomadicTapestry.com.

Keys of Compassion Support Group – 6-7pm.

There is a higher perspective to your pain. Free.

Natural Elements, 1874 Suite M, Slaughter Rd, Madison. 256-922-8454.

monday Your Yoga with Casey – 6-7am. Beginner’s class with Casey, $14 session or $45 for 4 class pack (valid one month from purchase) Studio 258, 2nd floor, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville.

Email: Casey@youryogasite.net or call 256-6797143. YourYogaSite.net.

Level 1 Pilates – 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenter OfHuntsville.com.

34

Tennessee Valley

Natvalley.com

Beyond Basics – 6:45-7:45pm. For those with less than 75 hours of class time training. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville. 256637-9979. NomadicTapestry.com.

Yoga Class – 6:00-7:15pm. Iyengar-based yoga focuses on form, technique and alignment. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St, Ste C, Huntsville. 256-704-5080. BodyLanguagePilates.com.

Level I Yoga – 6:30-8pm. All levels. Bonnie Richardson. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenter OfHuntsville.com.

Dialogue on Awakening – 6:30-8pm. Weekly forum with rotating facilitators. Love offering. Please call 256-534-8779 for location and more details.

Huntsville Photographic Society Program Night 7-8:45pm. Come and associate with some of the best photographers in the valley. Join for only $20 per year. We meet the second and fourth Mondays of each month except December. Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Auditorium, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville. HuntsvillePhotographicSociety.org.

tuesday

Bellydance Blast Class – 4:30-5:20pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.com.

Beginning Belly Dance Class – 5:30-6:30pm.

Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville. 256-637-9979. NomadicTapestry.com.

Line Dancing – 6-8pm. New and old line dances taught by Diane Martin. $5.00. Gee’s Place, 2274-A Highway 72 East, Huntsville. 256-682-7886.

Level I Yoga – 6-7:15pm. Mitzi Connell. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

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

Beginner/Intermediate Mat Class – 6-7pm. 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 Toastmasters: Redstone Toastmasters – 6-7:30pm.

The Apollo Room, Radisson Hotel, 8721 Madison Boulevard, Madison. Guests always welcome.

Redstone.FreeToastHost.net.

Science of Mind Classes – 6:30-8:30pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville.

256-883-8596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

Basic American Tribal Style (ATS) – 6:45-7:45pm.

Lea. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. NomadicTapestry.com.

Back to Basic Drumming – 8-9pm. Darbuka Dave.

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

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

The Living Art Bonsai Society – 7pm, first Tuesday of every month at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave. Contact: Shelby Aesthetic, 256-417-7187 or Hsv.LivingArtBonsaiSociety@ gmail.com. LivingartBonsaiSociety.org.

Pilates – 9-10am. Annette Beresford. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

wednesday

Level I Yoga – 10:15-11:30am. Annette Beresford.

The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOf Huntsville.com.

Level 1 Pilates – 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenter OfHuntsville.com.

Lunchtime Belly Basics – 11:30am-12:30pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville.

NomadicTapestry.com.

Creamery Tours – 9am, 10am, 1pm, 2pm. Find out where and how the goat cheese recommended by Oprah, Food Network, and Southern Living is made.

Belle Chevre Creamery, 26910 Bethel Road, Elk-

mont (Huntsville). $8 adults, $4 kids, free for 6 and under. 256-423-2238. Email@BelleChevre.com.

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

256-883-8596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

Bellydance Blast Class – 4:30-5:20pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.com.

and healing. Common conditions such as scoliosis, sciatica, herniated disks, neck strain etc. are addressed. Space is limited. Contact Suzanne Newton at Suzanne.M.Newton@gmail.com or 256 585-3727 to sign up. Drop-ins are also accepted based on space availability.

Beginning Belly Dance Class – 5:30-6:30pm.

Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville. 256-637-9979. NomadicTapestry.com.

Fusion Pilates – 9-10am. 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.

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

Pilates – 9-10am. Annette Beresford. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-658-9748. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

“You Are A Powerful Creator” – 6:30pm. A class that will guide you how to create the life you want.

Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271. UnityChurchOnThe Mountain.com.

Level I Yoga – 10:15-11:30am. Annette Beresford.

The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOf Huntsville.com.

Power Yoga – 6-7pm. Claire Herdy. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville.

256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

West Coast Swing Dance Class – 6:30-8:30pm.

West Coast Swing Dance Class taught by Stephane Schneider. One hour class with practice dancing to follow. No partner needed. $5.00. Gee’s Place, 2274A Highway 72 East, Huntsville. 256-682-7886.

Free Tennessee River Writers Group – 6:308:30pm. Open-minded, open-hearted and creative group. Exercises, Readings, considerate critiques.

All experience levels welcome. Flint River Coffee Company, 1443 Winchester Rd. Call George Kost 256-682-5479.

Satsang – 6:30pm. Satsang with Gangaji. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville.

256-883-8596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

Searching? – The Red Mountain Study Group of Huntsville invites inquiries from men and women, no matter what their beliefs, who are still searching for the meaning of their lives now and here. Our work includes meditation, practice and study based on the teaching of G. I. Gurdjieff. We are affiliated with the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York. 256361-9575. Email: rmsg@att.net.

Hike at Hays with Operation Green Team – 9-11am. Operation Green Team will lead hikes through Hays Nature Preserve on the natural and paved trails each Wednesday through August 29.

Enjoy exercise surrounded by the beauty of the Preserve. Registration is free. Contact 256-532-5326 or MailGreen.Team@HuntsvilleAL.gov to reserve your spot. In the event of inclement weather, hikes will be canceled.

thursday

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

Shahala Liz. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. NomadicTapestry.com.

Zumba Gold Class – 4:30-5:20pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 C Jordan Lane, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.com.

Dance Basics– 5:30-6:30pm. Amber. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.com.

Align & Wine! – 6-9:30pm. Yoga with Mitzi at the Huntsville Museum of Art. Cost and additional details at MitziConnell.com. Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Street South. HSVmuseum.org.

“A Course in Miracles” – 6:30pm. A class that will positively change your life at Unity Church on the Mountain. 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, 256-536-2271. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

“Life Questions” Class – 6:30pm. Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. Info: 256-536-2271 or call Debbie Preece at 256-337-8200. UnityChurchOnTheMountain.com.

friday Level 1 Pilates – 7-8am. All levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenter OfHuntsville.com.

Bellydance Blast Class – 4:30-5:30pm. Shahala Liz. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. NomadicTapestry.com.

Concerts on the Dock – 6-9pm. Friday nights, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, 2211 Seminole Drive. Picnics, coolers and pets on a leash are welcome. 256-533-0399. LoweMill.net.

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.

Paranormal Study Center – 6:30pm, fourth Friday each month. Meets at Radisson Hotel/Olympus Room, 8721 Madison Blvd, Madison. For more information, contact Lamont Hamilton at World Psychic@email.com.

Ballroom Dance Class and Party – 7-10pm. Group class at 7pm with a different dance being taught every month. Then, social dancing from 8 to 10pm. $10 per person. Southern Elegance Dance Studio, 3005 L and North Dr SW, Huntsville.

All art is but imitation of nature. ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Spiritual Awareness Class taught by Rev. Grace Gifford – 6:30-8pm through December 8. Living the truth through the Christ within all of us. Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville. 256-536-2271. UnityChurchOnThe Mountain.com.

Level I Yoga – 6:45-8:15pm. Bonnie Richardson.

The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOf Huntsville.com.

Beyond Basic Zils – 6:45-7:45pm. Sallye. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Ln, Huntsville. Nomadic Tapestry.com.

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

Yoga for Back Care class at Body Language Pilates – 5:30-6pm, Thursdays, March 29-May 3.

Yoga postures can be modified for back care health

natural awakenings

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ongoing

cont'd

saturday Natural Childbirth Classes 9-11am. Downtown Cullman. A 4-part series.

Call to Register 256-962-0975. BirthingBeautiful.net.

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

Intro to Yoga at Body Language Pilates – 10-11:30am, Saturdays, March 31-May 5. This is a 6-week series class that is suitable for beginners and all levels of students who want to refine the basic skills of Yoga. Postures are taught in a precise alignment method. Active postures are balanced with restorative postures and meditation. Space is limited. Contact Suzanne Newton at Suzanne.M.Newton@gmail.com or 256 585-3727 to sign up. Drop-ins are also accepted based on space availability.

Level I Yoga – 9-10:15am. Pam Herdy. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

Your Yoga with Casey – 9:45-10:45am. Beginner’s class with Casey, $14 session or $45 for 4 class pack (valid one month from purchase) Studio 258, 2nd floor, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville. Email: Casey@ youryogasite.net or call 256-679-7143. YourYogaSite.net.

Level 1 Gentle Yoga– 10:15-11:45am. Nikki Russell. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 E Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-653-9255 or 256-533-7975. Yoga CenterOfHuntsville.com.

Cardio Ballroom – 11am. Mega calorie burning dance fun. No more treadmill!

Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Madison. GabrielaDance.com.

Level I Yoga – 11:30-12:45pm. Bobbie Brooks. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 East Pratt Ave, Huntsville. 256-533-7975. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

More than 20 years of experience.

Call for your appointment today.

ealth lternatives colon irrigation colon 2817 Hwy 72 E. Huntsville, AL 35811

Amelia Self Colon Hydrotherapist

256-513-2274

Natalie Self Colon Hydrotherapist

256-652-4244

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

Reiki Free Clinic (no charge) – 2-4 pm. Every Third Saturday of each month.

Center for Personal Growth, 924-B Merchant Walk Way SW, Huntsville. For appointments contact Shari Feinman-Prior at Shari1717@gmail.com.

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

Jin Shin Jyutsu® of Huntsville

Aiding Healing through Body Harmony & Relaxation

SANDRA COPE

Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu® Practitioner (256) 534-1794 Office (256) 509-3540 Cell

36

Tennessee Valley

Natvalley.com

Huntsville, Alabama

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

ACUPUNCTURE

COLON HYDROTHERAPY

THE NEELEY CENTER FOR HEALTH

CENTER FOR OPTIMAL WELLBEING

600 Saint Clair Avenue SW, Bldg. 5 Suite 11 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-716-4048 Hours: T-F, 9am-5pm, Sat 8am-12pm House calls by Appointment

U’Jeana Wilson Owner/Certified Colon Hydrotherapist Degree in Psychology 256-489-9806

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Chinese Herbology, Pastoral Counseling, Beam Ray Therapy, Rapid Eye Technology, Nutritional Supplementation, Detoxification.

BIO-FEEDBACK TESTING HEALTHY CHOICES, LLC Steve Krzyzewski 2225 Drake Avenue, Suite 18 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-679-1997 HealthyChoicesLLC@gmail.com Steve Krzyzewski provides Advanced Bio-Feedback Testing, the Amethyst Bio-Mat Infrared Therapy, and the Ionic Footbath.

The Bio-feedback uncovers root cause(s) for health challenges and develops natural protocols allowing the body to heal itself. The Amethyst Bio-Mat uses infrared, negative ions, and the natural healing of amethyst to bring the body back into balance. (RichWayUSA.com) The Ionic footbath helps the body to detoxify.

Center for Optimal Wellbeing is the longest operating colonic therapy provider in Huntsville. First time clients have expressed immediate feelings of increased energy levels and improved efficiency in waste elimination. You will enjoy the experience of your own “personal cleansing spa” as you receive colon hydrotherapy (colonic), far infrared sauna, an optional massaging shower, and ionic footbath services—in a clean, comfortable, and relaxing private environment.

Call for directions and a 10% discount on your first service when you mention Natural Awakenings or use code COWB.

HOPE FOR LIFE COLON HYDROTHERAPY Amanda Mashburn, owner/certified colon hydrotherapist 10300 Bailey Cove Road, Suite-7A Huntsville, AL 35803 256-270-8731 hope4lifeal.com Our goal is to live long and live strong. Young or old, male or female, healthy or sick, will benefit from an internal cleansing.

Mention this ad and get $10 off your first colonic session.

ENERGY HEALING CENTER FOR DIRECTIONAL HEALING™ Susan Spalding 2225 Drake Ave. SW, Suite 18 Huntsville, 35805 256-882-0360 DirectionalHealing.com For over 20 years, Susan Spalding and the staff at the Center for Directional Healing have been helping people achieve harmonic health through Directional Healing, Reflexology, and now the Amethyst Biomat.

Clients may choose a single service, or combine all three for the most complete healing experience. Healing techniques, articles, and more information are available online at DirectionalHealing.com.

ENERGY PSYCHOLOGY CENTER FOR PERSONAL GROWTH Shari Feinman-Prior 924-B Merchant Walk Way, SW Huntsville, AL 35801 256-289-3331 Shari1717@gmail.com RapidEyeTechnology.com “SPARK YOUR LIGHT” from within your TRUE BEING and TRANSFORM your life.

Offering tools from energy psychology, Rapid Eye Technology, Healing Touch, Reiki, and Life Skills Coaching, to create change in deep seated patterns of behavior for a healthy and joyful life.

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

CHILD BIRTH SERVICES 10 MOONS RISING BIRTH SERVICES Donna Mitchell CPM, CLC, BMsc 10MoonsRising.com Midwife@consultant.com 256-566-9305 Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee 10 Moons Rising Birth Services offers education and resources for women during pregnancy. We offer counseling in nutrition, herbal teas, VBACs, Out of Hospital births in TN and MS, midwifery care, prenatal visits, postpartum visits, doulas and monitrices.

We specialize in natural birth options in the North Alabama/Tennessee area. We have Certified Lactation Consultants also available for consult.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY 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.

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.

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act. —Buddha natural awakenings

June 2012

37

JIN SHIN JYUTSU®

FENG SHUI FENG SHUI BY TRUDI GARDNER

JIN SHIN JYUTSU OF HUNTSVILLE

Trudi Gardner, M.S. 256-772-6999 Tygard2000@aol.com

Sandra Cope Huntsville 256-534-1794 256-509-3540

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.

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.

HYPNOTHERAPY CENTER FOR INNER WELLNESS

HAIR SALON CJ HAIR AND ART STUDIO CJ Denison 105E Church St Madison, AL 35758 256-603-9018

Specializing in NATURAL Hairstyles. Cuts with Texture and Movement. Specializing in Fine Hair, Razor cuts, Men's Hair Pieces with A NATURAL Look.

Specializing in Hair Color OFF the Scalp. Hair Painting. A Safer way to Color or HiLight Your Hair to Help in Decreasing the Exposure to the Scalp. HEALTHY HAIR is HAPPY HAIR. Also Original Art Work and Private Art lessons available. Call Today for YOUR Appointment.

HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY CENTER CIRCLE COUNSELING Jane Ajaya, LCSW, MSEd Located at Behavioral Health Solutions 1644 Slaughter Rd, Madison 35758 256-325-1690 CenterCircleCounseling.com Jane.Ajaya@gmail.com Offering compassionate, confidential guidance and counseling for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health and happiness. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness meditation, energy-work, dream analysis, hypnotherapy, grief and recovery work, 12 step support. Individual, couples and family therapy. In private practice for over 20 years. Most insurance accepted. No insurance? Still affordable.

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Becky Waters Certified Hypnotherapist and Professional Breathworker 3322 S. Memorial Parkway, Suite 641 Huntsville, AL 256-348-5236

Creating positive change through hypnotherapy and Breathwork. Empowering you to live to your highest potential. Relieve stress and anxiety, release negativity, pain management, pre/post medical procedure, fears/phobias, weight loss, smoking cessation, and more

MARSHA MATHES Certified Hypnotist 3313 Memorial Parkway, Ste 116 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-698-2151 MarshaMathes.SkinCareTherapy.net Hypnosis is a tool to assist you in countless ways to heal your past, empower your present and create your future: • Quit smoking • Weight loss • Nail and lip biting • Teeth grinding • Insomnia • Anxiety and stress relief • Phobias and fears • Pain relief • Sports enhancement • PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) • Current and Past Life Regressions • Much more…

SMALL CHANGE WORKS John Lambert Cullman, AL 35055 256-590-3824 SmallChangeWorks@gmail.com Ever Feel ‘Stuck’ with Unwanted Feelings and Behaviors? I’ll help you with issues like anxiety, anger, self-esteem, regrets, worry.

Personalized service. Flexible hours. Reasonable fees.

Call John Lambert at 256-590-3824.

MASSAGE A NEW YOU MASSAGE AND BODYWORK Paula J. Sorg (L.M.T. #3321) 2222 Rhett Ave, Ste A, Huntsville, AL 15093 East Limestone Rd, Harvest, AL 256-520-0663 ANewYouBodyWork@gmail.com ANewYouMassageAndBodyWork.com

Helping you relieve stress, recover from injury or just helping you transform your life through better health. Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, and Hot Stone Massage along with Neuromuscular and Paraffin Wax Therapy.

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.

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.

MASSAGE THERAPY 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.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR

SHAMAN HEALER

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

WATER, WILLOW & MOON SHAMANIC HEALING Jeffrey Rich WaterWillowMoon.com Jeffrey.Rich@gmail.com 256-337-1699 "Medicine for the Soul," shamanic healing is the sacred technology which can help you achieve wholeness by addressing the spiritual causes of disease.

Empty? Out of sorts? Something "just not right"? "Haven't been the same since ..."?

Explore the techniques of shamanic healing and find answers. Offering Soul Retrieval, Thoughtform Unraveling, Illumination, Space Clearing, Past Life Work and much more.

PILATES BODY LANGUAGE, INC.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

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

MEETING ROOMS/ EVENT SPACE

SUSAN K. JEFFREYS

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.

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

LIGHT OF CHRIST CENTER 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville 256-895-0255 LightOfChristCenter.org The Light of Christ Center is comfortably situated in a vintage Centenarian House conveniently located near the UAHuntsville campus. Our Center facilities are available for rent to both members and non-members. We offer our Spiritual Home as your ideal venue for weddings, receptions, memorial services, classes/workshops and other gatherings. Call 256-895-0255 and leave a message if you’re interested in a tour or to speak with someone about your event. Amenities available: • Kitchen (microwave only) • Solarium • Lounge/Salon • Roundtable Room (meeting/dining) • Chapel (w/up to 50 chairs)

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

“When the body gets working appropriately, then the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.” —Ida P. Rolf

REIKI MARY MORALES Universal & Karuna Reiki Master 256-584-8081 KungaLhadon@aol.com Reiki is a simple natural and safe method of healing. Reiki treats the physical body, the emotions, and the mind and spirit, creating many beneficial effects. Many have experienced miraculous results.

Reiki works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

SHAMAN HEALER

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

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

natural awakenings

June 2012

39

Bio-Identical Hormones Save the Day WOMEN DO YOU SUFFER FROM?

MEN DO YOU SUFFER FROM?

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Are we all destined to experience unpleasant changes in our bodies as we age? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fact that as we age, our hormone levels decline or may become out of balance. Individualized biologically identical hormone replacement therapy can help you restore your magnificence and grace at any stage of life.

To find out if Bio-Identical hormones are right for you contact Progressive Family Medicine for a consultation.

Progressive

Family Medicine

Ask about Thermography to screen for Breast Disease and Cancer with NO radiation.

Alternative Medicine Associates Chad Gilliam M.M.S. PA-C

256.722.0555

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Progress Towards Wellness & Prevention