Spirit of Change Magazine Fall/Winter 2019

HOLISTIC NEW ENGLAND

FALL/WINTER 2019

Healing Relationships Exposing The Myth of Race D Restoring Mental Health Through Homeopathy The Surprisingly Simple Path to Healthier Relationships D The Sex Ed You Missed Dreamwork Advice D Beautiful Words D How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

2 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

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MAIN OFFICE PO Box 405, Uxbridge, MA 01569 Phone: 508-278-9640 Fax: 508-278-9641 www.spiritofchange.org ADVERTISING INFORMATION

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Phone: 508-278-9640 x 5 E-mail: advertise@spiritofchange.org PUBLISHER & EDITOR Carol Bedrosian Phone: 508-278-9640 x 3 E-mail: carol@spiritofchange.org ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Carrie Rowan Phone: 508-278-9650 x 5 Email: carrie@spiritofchange.org WEB EDITOR

Departments Features

Laurie Johnston Email: laurie@spiritofchange.org

56 Fall/Winter 2019 • Vol. 33, No. 141

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Eric Linter, Annie B. Kay BOOK REVIEWS Gail Lord E-mail: SOCBookReviewer@gmail.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION Janice Nadeau, Samantha Angeli, Amber Routten-Mitchell, Wendy Watkins PRINTING GDI, Inc, Hanover, MA

Departments Musings

by Carol Bedrosian.................................. 8

Five Gentle Yoga Poses for Relieving Back Pain by Ritu Kapur..........22

Starspeak

Solutions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

by Dr. Meir Schneider with Jack Thompson.................................................24

by Eric Linter............................................12

Healthy Cooking

by Annie B. Kay ..................................... 16

Journal of Natural Healing

by Mari L. McCarthy............................. 20

Calendar.................................................63

Directories Yoga Practitioners of New England.......................................... 23 Holistic Logo Directory......................68 Online at: SpiritOfChange.org Copyright ©2019 Spirit of Change. All Rights Reserved. Spirit of Change distributes 50,000 magazines throughout New England semi-annually (Fall and Spring) and accepts paid advertising as an advertising service.

Responsibility for the products, services or claims of our advertisers rests solely with them; advertisers are liable for any claims made against Spirit of Change Magazine as a result of their advertisement. The information in Spirit of Change is intended as a sharing of knowledge about holistic health for educational purposes. Health care decisions requiring medical advice should be made with the help of your health care professional. Subscriptions are $20.00/4 issues. Article and artwork submissions are accepted for review and will only be returned if accompanied by a SASE. To receive bulk shipments of Spirit of Change to distribute to your clients & customers, please email carol@ spiritofchange.org.

Massachusetts Safe Harbor Legislation Update........................................ 10

Holistic Specialties Directory..........76

Restoring Your Child’s Mental Health Through Homeopathic Healing by Gracelyn Guyol...............................................................................26 Not So Black and White: An Interview with Dorothy Roberts

by Mark Leviton......................................................................................................32 The Sex Education You Missed by David Helfand........................................38 Why Can’t I Just Get Over It? By Trish Whynot........................................... 40 I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Path to Healthier Relationships .

by Michael Sorensen............................................................................................ 44

At the Heart of the Money Matter by Linda Marks..................................... 48

Classifieds............................................. 77

Taking Your Dreamwork to the Next Level

by Linda Yael Schiller........................................................................................... 50

Advertiser Index.................................... 78

The Place Where Angels Show Up by Elvia Roe..........................................54 How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?................................................................56

Barbara Ann Strassman • Paul Callahan • Jennifer Blaine

Debbie Ritter • Jacyntha Kamor • Carrie Rowan

Beautiful Words by Neil Murphy page................................................................62

Cover Art “Valentine”

Amanda Clark www.etsy.com/uk/shop/earthangelsarts

6 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Upcoming in Spring/Summer 2020

Happy Brain, Happy Body AD DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2020

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 7

MUSINGS

BY CAROL BEDROSIAN

The Most Important Healing Relationship You Will Ever Have

A

fter over three decades of enjoying easy, holistic self-care measures to keep my health intact and my body relatively symptom-free, I hit 55 years old and everything just seemed to suddenly fall apart! Starting with cavities, extractions and gum disease, from my teeth to my toes, not to mention a couple of sites in-between, I found myself constantly attending to one health concern or another — sometimes multiples — like having a houseful of crying babies to care for all alone, while still carrying on a full- time life.

Of course I wasn’t alone with my ills and pains, as the world is full of very skilled healers, both allopathic and alternative, many of whom are listed right here on the pages of Spirit of Change. I turned to a trusted dentist and periodontist to stem the tide of my tooth decay, a likely sign of deeper distress within the body, and also relied on my beloved yoga teacher and acupuncturist for support — healing stalwarts in my life for over 20 years.

But at a certain point I realized I needed to let these healing allies go so I could fully tune into my own healer within, the very best healthcare provider I could ever find. Your inner healer works full time, fixing things before they get broken, cleaning up your excesses and poor choices, and performing endless adjustments in the quest to restore health and balance to any part of your injured body, mind or spirit. It's the most important healing relationship you will ever have on Earth, even if you’re not aware of its presence in your life — a strong and unconditionally beneficient partner.

So I made lots of time for meditation and self-care, which meant saying “No” to lots of other stuff, and saying “Yes” to things like always wearing socks with my shoes to avoid getting that foot arch pain, even when it’s one hundred degrees outside, because that’s the support my body says it needs to heal right now. I started saying “Yes” to new practitioners who came to my attention or popped into my thoughts repeatedly, and from each one I learned new healing information, as my symptoms slipped away. I experienced first-hand the profound healing of remote energy treatments.

After three decades of publishing advertisements and articles from thousands of alternative healers, and personally experiencing dozens of holistic modalities and hundreds of sessions, I see that there are as many healers and healing techniques, as there are people who need to be healed. There’s someone for everyone. Healing happens through the invisible energetic grid of inner healing wisdom that connects us all. However what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, so no one can judge who is and isn’t a good healer. The healer or healing technique that works for you will be the one uniquely suited to your energy at this particular time in your life. This will 8 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

change as your energetic body heals and evolves to the point where you can do all your own healing without the aid of others.

My work over the past year on safe harbor legislation to protect holistic practitioners in Massachusetts from potential charges of practicing medicine without a license has been a huge catalyst on my healing journey. Access to alternative medicine is just as important to me as access to the grocery store, since holistic healing is not only my primary form of healthcare, but also my livelihood. The innumerable volunteer hours spent are my eager contribution to ensure that the state remains a wellspring of alternative health practitioners and health freedom choice.

Through this work I was introduced to new healing practitioners and ideas. By reading the personal healing testimonies we’ve collected so far, I’ve been compelled to explore what others have mentioned over and over again in theirs. If permitted, the testimonies will be published in a future issue of Spirit of Change to inspire you too. Become a part of history and include your testimony now to help protect holistic healthcare in the state. Please turn the page to find out how. The hearing can be as soon as September of this year.

I am grateful for the abundant availability of advanced healthcare of all kinds in New England. As I age, I discover that more attention needs to be paid to taking care of myself, just as I would care for a precious, well-worn object that I want to last. Older and wiser, I know the whole point of being human on Earth is to learn how to take care of ourselves, each other and the world we live in — to cultivate healing relationships on all levels, to reduce suffering.

On that note, I’d like to mention the interview with Dorothy Roberts this issue on the myth of race (see page 32). Professor Roberts describes race as “a political category that has been disguised as a biological one.” There is no such thing as black genes and white genes; there are only human genes. The genetic variations we see in hair texture, skin color, eye shape and other physical features are mainly due to our ancestors’ proximity to the sun and geographical location many millennia ago. We are all one race — the human race. I hope the truth of this revelation ripples far and wide across the entire planet to help humanity rise above racism and embrace the power in loving each other. It’s the reason you were born a human.

“May the brokenness in these times create the conditions for love, peace and brotherhood. May our relationships radiate from a higher ground.”

— Richard Baydin Carol Bedrosian is the publisher of Spirit of Change Magazine. www.spiritofchange.org.

www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 9

Two Bills To Be Heard This Fall At The State House Will Determine The Future Of Holistic Health Care In Massachusetts PROTECT YOUR ACCESS TO ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE

BY ADDING YOUR VOICE IN SUPPORT NOW!

STOP S168

SUPPORT S665/H3660

"An Act Regulating Bodyworks," aka "The Bodywork Bill"

“Protection and Access to Complementary and Alternative Health Care,” aka “Safe Harbor Bill”

S168 would require licensing of all bodyworkers in Massachusetts. Bodyworker is defined very broadly. All practitioners of REIKI, YOGA, POLARITY, ENERGY HEALING, FELDENKRAIS, JIN SHIN JYUTSU, and OVER ONE HUNDRED OTHER HOLISTIC MODALITIES would be required to obtain state-approved training for licensure and pay annual licensing fees to continue their current practices. We would lose many practitioners throughout the state.

This bill has been proposed twice in recent years and passed the Senate unanimously in 2018. It now has the backing of the Massachusetts Attorney General and many Chiefs of Police, and it is gaining momentum at the State House as a proposed solution to stop human sex trafficking, despite recent high-profile arrests that have shown human trafficking also takes place in licensed facilities. THE LICENSING OF HOLISTIC HEALING PROFESSIONALS WILL NOT DETER HUMAN TRAFFICKING; only criminal enforcement of human trafficking laws already on the books will.

S168 will negatively impact thousands of private holistic health care practices in Massachusetts, and allow the State to determine which modalities can be taught and licensed, needlessly restricting consumer and practitioner health care choices.

Holistic health care is not a protected right in Massachusetts; currently many experienced, highly qualified alternative practitioners are unlicensed and can be threatened with PRACTICING MEDICINE WITHOUT A LICENSE. S665/H3660 protects non-licensed, compliant complementary and alternative health care professionals by securing an exemption for them from the medical practice act. A similar act has passed in 11 other states — most recently, Maine in 2019.

This bill is a proactive measure to ensure that these practitioners can continue to offer their services by agreeing to avoid common sense procedures, aka PROHIBITED ACTS, that could cause harm (such as puncturing the skin, administering radiation, prescribing pharmaceuticals, etc.) and by providing clients with REQUIRED DISCLOSURES describing their services, policies and disclaimers. This puts consumers in charge of making informed choices about their health care professionals.

S665/H3660 costs Massachusetts nothing to implement, protects holistic practitioners, boosts small businesses and provides consumers maximum health care choice and access to practitioners.

Legislators Need To Know How Important Alternative Health Care Is To You! 1. It is vitally important that you register your position on these bills with your state senator and your representative. Find them here at this link: https://malegislature.gov/search/findmylegislator PLEASE CALL, WRITE, OR VISIT YOUR LEGISLATOR TO MAKE YOUR POSITION KNOWN. 2. Then write a short testimony — your personal story and opinion — of LESS THAN 500 WORDS for one or both bills that will be given to committee members during the hearing for each bill. You can also choose to provide the testimony in person the day of the hearing. A wide variety of stories is needed, such as your return to health using holistic health care, successful use of your modality, success stories about your clients (names redacted), how, if passed, S168 would hurt your family financially as you would be unable to practice your modality, and how S665/H3660 if passed, would protect your livelihood or preferred form of health care.

Please include with each testimony, BILL NUMBER, YOUR NAME, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION (if applicable), EMAIL, STREET ADDRESS, TOWN, STATE, ZIP and PHONE NUMBER. Residents of any state can submit testimony. You do not need to live in Massachusetts.

STOP S168 Email your written testimony against S168 to Rita Glassman, Executive Director, MA Coalition of Holistic Practitioners at MACHH7@GMAIL.COM

SUPPORT S665/H3660 Email testimony in support of S665/H3660 to Carol Bedrosian at CAROL@SPIRITOFCHANGE.ORG

ACT NOW! HEARINGS CAN BE HELD AS SOON AS SEPTEMBER 2019.

Failing to act at this time may seriously restrict your access to alternative health care in Massachusetts.

10 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

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STARSPEAK

BY ERIC D. LINTER

Astrological Forecast Fall/Winter 2019-2020

“Every living being in this world is knowingly or unknowingly on a spiritual pilgrimage.” — Sathya Sai Baba

T

he road ahead may or may not feel like a pilgrimage, but it is a journey into uncharted territory with vast potential for awakening and change.

This winter, history is being made. Because Pluto was unknown before 1930, we are the first generations to consciously experience a conjunction of Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter in Capricorn. Respectively, these are the planets of power and transformation, responsibility and expansion.

The slow passage of Pluto through Capricorn, the sign of big business and big government, began in 2008. As expected, Pluto has spotlighted the existing hypocrisy and corruption in our major institutions. Saturn’s 2018 arrival in the sign of the goat only increased the exposure of abuses of power. Attitudes towards politicians, plutocrats, religious leaders and the news media will grow more contentious with Jupiter in the Capricorn mix. Responding to Pluto’s lowest vibrations, we will also continue to see gross examples of how entrenched the darkest of human emotions truly are.

Within the impressive healing potential of Pluto lies the redemption of fear, hatred and cruelty. Indeed the coming months are rich with the possibilities of consciousness raising, unity of purpose and applied wisdom. Ultimately, the stars provide energy.

Each of us must decide what to do with that energy. There will be plenty.

12 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

The month begins with a burst of enthusiasm and a great desire to squeeze as much into each day as possible.

Mercury, the Sun, Mars and Venus are conjunct in Virgo while also harmonizing with Uranus in Taurus and Saturn in Capricorn. This earth sign grand trine configuration says “Make it real, make it count.” Bear in mind, the Virgo planets are also opposing Neptune. While some folks do their best impression of an idealistic Don Quixote, others may make silly mistakes. As best you can, deal with people you know you can trust.

High hopes and spirited times continue as the Moon waxes full. Be careful the night of Friday the 13th. The full “Harvest” Moon in Pisces holds sway. Exact shortly after midnight on Saturday the 14th, the Moon is conjunct Neptune and the Virgo Sun is conjunct Mars, a volatile configuration. Feelings are super sensitive. Much is in flux on this full moon day. Mercury and Venus enter Libra, and Mars is opposite Neptune. Communicating can be challenging. Stay calm and work at it.

Saturn resumes forward motion on Wednesday the 18th. The direction shift may bring new life to some stalled projects. Jupiter forms the final of three squares to Neptune at the last quarter Moon of Saturday the 21st.

This is the stuff of overly optimistic expectations, mis-

placed trust and false information. Get your facts straight.

It may be several days before progress can be reliably made as mixed trends dominate the week of the 23rd.

The Sun arrives in Libra, signaling the autumnal equinox on Monday the 23rd. For a brief time the forces of darkness and light are balanced. Focus now on peaceful relations, especially as the Libra new moon on Saturday the 28th emphasizes partnering. Fortunately, Venus’ timely sextile to Jupiter the same evening helps usher in a new, more cooperative phase.

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OCTOBER 2019

Easy does it on the 1st. Venus is at odds with Pluto and the planet of transformation is stationed in preparation for turning direct on Thursday the 3rd.

Give loved ones and essential allies respect but stand firm against those who make unreasonable demands.

A series of planetary sign changes, Mercury into Scorpio, Mars into Libra, and Venus entering Scorpio, add to instability this first week of October. When the Libra Sun squares Saturn during the afternoon of Monday the 7th, it’s time to face facts. Walk away from no-win situations.

An opposition between Venus and Uranus precedes the full “Hunter’s” Moon in Aries on Sunday the 13th.

A break-up could feel liberating but with Pluto in the mix, obsessive thoughts can be haunting. Look beyond apparent losses and dramas. Trust that room for new opportunities is being created. Spirits are renewed the weekend of the 19th and 20th.

Autumn deepens when the Sun enters Scorpio on Wednesday the 23rd. Moods turn more pensive as the hours of daylight decrease. The Scorpio new moon on Sunday the 27th coincides with a square between Mars and Saturn. This celestial time of new beginnings carries with it a stern reminder from the cosmos. Be sure you know what you want and be willing to work for it. The Scorpio Sun/Moon tandem is also opposed to Uranus so plans are apt to change.

Mental Mercury and loving Venus join forces on Wednesday the 30th, a fine time to say, “I love you!”

However, make sure you really mean it. Words have consequences. The next morning Mercury turns retrograde and second thoughts could lead to different opinions and feelings. Halloween festivities are pleasant but relatively subdued as the Sagittarius Moon travels void of course.

NOVEMBER 2019

The month begins on an upbeat note. Venus pops into cheerful Sagittarius on the 1st. The skies are mostly mellow during the first few days of November.

Things grow more heated on Tuesday the 5th, Election Day. A Mars/Pluto square ushers in the dawn.

The explosive alignment underscores the behind the scenes battles that impact elections at every level, from school committees to national office holders.

On Friday the 8th the Sun sextiles Saturn and trines Neptune. Saturn is also sextile Neptune. If you have a dream, this is the time to make it come true. The waxing Moon and retrograding Mercury’s sextile to Pluto help facilitate progress. The full “Beaver” Moon in Taurus is exact Tuesday morning, the

Ross can also help you to identify and communicate with your own guardian angels and spirit guides. After your psychic or past-life reading, Ross can then heal the various issues that come up during the reading.

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Continued on page 14

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 13

FALL/WINTER ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST Continued from page 13

12th. Mars’ sextile to Jupiter adds passion to ideas and principled positions about truth, law and politics. Discussions remain animated on the 13th. Ideas are visionary and, at the same time, practical. A meeting of hearts or minds may prove elusive on Thursday the 14th when Venus squares Neptune. Watch your valuables.

Slow down and pace yourself the second half of Sunday the 17th. The Moon tests Mars and then Uranus, increasing the risk of an accident. Keep the concerns of partners close at heart in the last quarter Moon phase on Tuesday the 19th. Fortunately, Mercury resumes forward motion on Wednesday the 20th, in plenty of time for the busy holiday travel season. Movement is also supported by the Sun’s arrival in Sagittarius the morning of Friday the 22nd. The weekend is socially active. Venus is conjunct Jupiter, a celestial green light for parties and other celebrations. However, Mars forms a dangerous opposition to Uranus just before noon on Sunday the 24th. Watch your speed and handle tools, machines and sharp implements carefully.

The new Moon in Sagittarius helps make Tuesday the 26th a first-rate travel day.

Neptune resumes forward motion Wednesday morning. Weather may well impact travel. Pay attention to news reports and check schedules.

Thanksgiving Day features two magical alignments, a trine between Mercury and Neptune and another trine between Venus and Uranus. Gratitude is contagious. Love abounds as the Moon overtakes Venus during the mid-afternoon. Friday the 29th is comparatively quiet, with practical concerns paramount as the Moon passes through Capricorn. Be alert Saturday night when a lunar square to Uranus again raises risk levels.

DECEMBER 2019

Jupiter begins a year-long visit to Capricorn on Monday the 2nd. This is especially good news for Goat clan natives as well as those born under the other earth signs. Expect a lot of discussion about the use of resources during the coming year. Fortuitous aspects make Tuesday the 3rd seem to zip by in a flash. Venus is sextile Mars, igniting flirtations and energizing social encounters. It’s a fine night for a date but the first quarter Moon energy can dash hopes for those who carry on after midnight.

Faith may be tested on Saturday the 7th. The Sun is at odds with Neptune. Avoid taking risks. Venus and Neptune help turn Sunday the 8th into a fairy tale ending. This is a good day to visit an art gallery or take in a concert. Venus’ conjunction with Saturn on Wednesday the 11th is a make-or-break moment for some couples. Emotions are super heated, as the full “Cold” Moon in Gemini is exact just minutes after midnight on Thursday the 12th. Love proves more resilient than expected on Friday the 13th. Venus is conjunct Pluto. Don’t ever underestimate the power of love.

The weekend of the 14th and 15th is great for a travel adventure. Jupiter is trine Uranus on Sunday, a fine omen for mind-expanding, heart-opening experiences. Try something new and different.

Be wary of missed communications and other mix-ups when Mercury squares Neptune on Thursday the 19th. Do your best to eliminate confusion and mistakes. The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, is on Saturday the 21st.

The Sun enters Capricorn late that night. Venus tests Uranus early the next morning.

Hopefully the ensuing string of harmonious aspects offsets any friction between partners.

These dark days of early winter do have bright spots. The Sun makes a fabulous trine to Uranus on Tuesday the 24th. An air of expectancy and excitement is palpable. Intuitive types find their hunches are on the mark. Christmas Day plays out under a cheerfully mellow void of course Sagittarius Moon. This is also winter eclipse season. The Capricorn new moon occurs minutes after midnight on the 26th and eclipses the Sun. Such precise alignments provide short-lived opportunities to tune in to one’s higher self. Integration of the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies is within reach. Meditation and breath work can pave the way to higher consciousness.

Friday the 27th has a comfortably busy, upbeat vibe. The Capricorn Sun and Jupiter are conjunct. This aspect and Mercury’s trine to Uranus on Monday the 30th are wonderful omens for travelers and spiritual seekers alike. New Year’s Eve celebrations are enhanced by a conjunction of the Moon and Neptune. Pursue recreational fun responsibly, and have a happy new year!

JANUARY 2020

New Year’s Day sees five of the ten major planets in gritty Capricorn. The Sun and

14 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Mercury are relatively short-term visitors but Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto stay a while. This concentration of celestial energy highlights the seriousness of peoples’ concerns about long-term security. Fortunate trine aspects from Uranus in Taurus to the Sun, Jupiter and Mercury support hopes for a healthier environment and a more egalitarian future. Technology may prove instrumental in overcoming many challenges.

Travel is facilitated by Mercury’s conjunction with Jupiter on Thursday the 2nd and Mars’ arrival in Sagittarius on the 3rd. The pace picks up noticeably as the Moon is waxing, to be full in Cancer on Friday the 10th. This full “Wolf ” Moon is also a lunar eclipse.

That same day Uranus turns direct. There’s a whole lot of shaking going on. Be prepared for revelations and shocking news. Good or bad, karma is very much in play from the 11th through the 13th as Mercury, Pluto, Saturn and the Sun form a tight stellium. We reap what we sow.

Moods soon lighten as Venus slides into Pisces and forms a serendipitous sextile to Uranus on Wednesday the 15th, a great date night. Plans as well as minds are likely to change later in the week. Winged Mercury is at odds with Uranus. Uncertainties continue when the Sun enters Aquarius on Monday the 20th. A solar square with Uranus leads to a great many unforeseen complications and adjustments around the 23rd. Help comes from unexpected quarters.

On Friday the 24th the new moon in Aquarius initiates another activity cycle. Set your intentions and look for early signs of spring. Romance is in the weekend air due to Venus’ conjunction with dreamy Neptune on Monday the 27th. Lies are exposed when Mars tests Neptune the morning of Tuesday the 28th. Use caution if you’re traveling. The weather can be tricky. A few quiet days close the month.

FEBRUARY 2020

Recommit to your intentions as February begins with a motivating first quarter Moon in Taurus. Slow and steady wins this race. Saturday the 1st also provides an evening of lively discussions and warming affections. Mercury’s midweek sextile to Uranus gives glimpses into the future for those who are tuned in. Trust your intuition.

The full “Snow” Moon in Leo is exact during the wee hours of Sunday morning, the 9th. Cascading moonlight sparkles on the winter landscape. Find ways to express your creativity and nourish your pure child within. The mid-February skies are mellow. Our annual celebration of love, chocolate and roses, St. Valentine’s Day, falls on Friday the 14th. With the Scorpio Moon sextile Jupiter that night, tastes are extravagant. Whatever your budget may be, the stars support generosity of spirit.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th brings challenges. On Saturday afternoon, the tense last quarter Moon leaves some folks feeling confined. Mercury turns retrograde on Sunday. Talking things over requires extraordinary patience and compassion but with help from Jupiter, it is well worth the effort.

The Sun reaches Pisces on Tuesday the 18th and soon occasions an upsurge in healing energy as well as progressive thinking. Jupiter favors Neptune on Thursday the 20th, inspiring artists, visionaries and humanitarians. Mars, newly arrived in Capricorn, makes a trine to Uranus early Friday morning. A technological breakthrough could be under way.

On Sunday the 23rd, the new Moon in Pisces, the last of the astrological year, is a fine time to launch projects. With retrograde Mercury hovering nearby, some abandoned causes and plans may be revisited and found worth pursuing. Keep an eye on costs as Venus’ square to Jupiter points to the possibility of runaway expenses. Upbeat trends dominate the last week of February. Physical energy levels are strong as the Sun sextiles Mars on Monday the 24th. High spirits are also felt during Mardi Gras celebrations on Tuesday the 25th.

Be attentive to partners when Venus tests Pluto on Friday the 28th. Fortunate aspects help offset insecurities and jealousy. Longer days and Mercury’s sextile to Uranus late Friday afternoon remind us that spring will soon be here and life keeps moving along.

Keep looking up!

Eric Linter offers a complete range of astrological services including readings, classes and his “On Top of the Stars Monthly Guide” for making inspired career and personal decisions. Contact Eric at ericlinter.com and read his daily forecast on the Spirit of Change homepage at spiritofchange.org.

Meet Eric at the Natural Living Expo for his talk “Today’s Stars: Astrological Guidance For All 12 Signs” on Saturday, November 9 at 5pm.

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 15

sugar on the label. A standard serving of carbohydrate is about 15 grams, and ideally there is no added sugar.

Packaged desserts, sweets and beverages tend to be loaded with added sugar.

Refined Grains. White flour acts a lot like sugar in the body, and is low in nutrients and fiber. Milling whole grains removes the bran (which contains fiber) and the germ (which contains nutrients), leaving starch. Eating too many refined grains has been associated with poor health. Instead, look for 100% whole grains and grain products.

Trans Fats. Hydrogenated oils contain trans fats, which in any amount have been shown to increase risk of heart disease. Trans fats are made when cheap oils are hydrogenated to make them act more like solid fats (namely, butter!). Check the label of baked goods like cookies, crackers and pastries for hydrogenated oils and avoid them.

Sodium. High sodium intake has been linked to heart disease, but the amount of sodium in a healthy diet remains controversial. Most sodium in our diet comes from canned and processed food. As a rule of thumb, look for foods that list less than 300 mg sodium per serving. Watch the sodium in canned beans, soups, and meats or fish.

HEALTHY COOKING

BY ANNIE B. KAY

DEGREE OF PROCESSING

Are Minimally Processed Foods Healthy?

L

ife can be confusing and so it is with food.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nearly 70% of our food is refined, yet we are told processed food is bad — unhealthy, right?

A whole-foods, plant-based diet has strong clear evidence of being the preventive health diet that will keep most of us healthy over our lives. The down side of this way of eating (particularly if you have a job and family) is that it takes time, knowledge and motivation. Aiming for a whole-foods diet means cultivating an ongoing habit — a practice. When in doubt, choose whole, unpackaged foods, locally grown and in season. But does that mean there is room for no canned or frozen foods, ever? In a word, no.

In this food environment where refined food is so prevalent, a bit of skill and practice can help you choose quality, minimally refined foods that can actually support your healthy whole-foods plant-based diet with taste, nutrition and convenience. Choosing minimally processed foods and reading labels to find nutrient-dense options free of added sugar, salt and synthetic additives can help you navigate your way in today’s environment.

The diet you choose represents a series of relationships.

To eat well, you are in relationship with farmers, the 16 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

people along the way that handle the food, and your local market. When you choose any food, you are making a decision about what may pass into your body -— your sacred vehicle. So, it’s easy to get worked up about the quality of food. I suggest that you make the best choice you are able; choose the highest quality food you can find and afford, then focus on enjoying whatever has come your way.

Appreciation of and gratitude for food enhances health. So do your best, then worry less, and enjoy more. Breathe and receive the gifts of the earth and all those involved in your nourishment.

JUST WHAT IS PROCESSED FOOD?

Anything done to food on its journey from the farm to your plate is considered processing. It includes canning, cooking, freezing, milling, dehydrating and packaging. The problem is that many of these processes reduce the nutritional content of the food and add products (salt, sugar and synthetic chemicals) that most of us would rather avoid.

In particular, things to watch for include: Added Sugar. Many refined foods contain added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and a variety of other sweeteners devoid of nutrition. If the ingredient list features a range of items ending in -ose (sugars) and other sweeteners you recognize, take a look at the amount of carbohydrates and

Generally, a short list of ingredients you recognize is a very good sign. Healthier processed foods include single-item foods like frozen organic fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, canned beans (be wary of sodium and rinse the beans before use), canned vegetables and canned or frozen fish. Bottled diced garlic or pre-washed, pre-sliced vegetables can be a handy time saver and a winning strategy to get actually getting vegetables into your body.

Here are a few terms to help you think about the degree of processing: Minimally Processed. Single items foods (canned beans, canned and frozen fish, frozen fruit and vegetables), few additives.

Moderately Processed. Prepared food that can be used in small amounts for flavor, or that can fit into an overall whole-foods meal to add zip to plant-based dishes. Examples include salsa, hoisin sauce, chili sauce. Using some of these within an overall whole-foods diet can be the sweet S spot of health and convenience.

Ultra Processed. Replaces a meal with nutritionally poor (high calorie, low nutrient, pro-inflammatory) choices, such as fast food at a drive-through, frozen pizza, TV dinners, most packaged cookies, crackers and chips.

As with any food, quality matters. When weaving in canned or frozen foods, ask yourself: “Does it help me follow a more whole-foods, plant-based diet?” If so, green light it.

The food industry is in constant flux and offers a cornucopia of choice — healthful and not so. There are more small food companies making delicious artisanal options, and some of the big food players are introducing higher quality options, too. The food environment does respond to what we ask for. We can all be food advocates — eaters who are asking, asking, asking for simple wholesome foods prepared humanely and sustainably. The market does respond.

Here is a collection of recipes for fall that leverage minimally processed foods within whole-foods plant-based meals. Enjoy the season.

RECIPES continued on page 18

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 17

HEALTHY COOKING Continued from page 16

QUICK FRUIT COMPOTE

Serves 6, 15 minutes to prep and cook Here’s a super-quick, easy and delicious fruit dish that will elevate your morning grain or French toast straight to heaven.

Ingredients 3 cups fresh or frozen fruit (such as 1/2 frozen blueberries, 1/2 bing cherries; 1/2 frozen blueberries, 1/2 fresh apples, peeled and sliced) 3 Tbsp orange juice Optional additions 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp fresh or ground ginger 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup chia seeds (add after removing from from heat) Directions Place everything in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Once bubbling, reduce heat slightly and use a large spoon to mash the fruit. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and either serve warm over grains with a dollop of yogurt, or spoon into a clean jar for storage in the fridge for up to two weeks. Use to top breakfast items or as a dessert over yogurt.

TOFU PAD THAI

Serves 4, 20 minutes prep time, 35 minutes cooking time I love the flavors of this classic dish.

Ingredients 14 oz extra-firm tofu, drained 1 Tbsp cornstarch 8 oz rice noodles 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1 tsp hoisin sauce 2 tsp sweet chili sauce Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving 1 clove garlic, chopped (1 tsp chopped) 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 red pepper, thinly sliced 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced 2 cups sprouts, mung bean or your choice 2 scallions, thinly sliced 2 eggs, hardboiled and chopped 1/4 cup chopped peanuts 18 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Recipes Directions Slice tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place on a baking sheet between layers of paper towels; sandwich with second sheet and place a cast iron skillet (or other handy weight) on top for 10 minutes to press out excess water. Cut into cubes, transfer to bowl and toss with cornstarch.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions and rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.

In small bowl, combine soy sauce, hoisin, chili sauce, lime juice and garlic. Set aside. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers, carrots and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tofu and cook, tossing, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add noodles and sauce and toss to combine. Fold in sprouts and scallions, chopped egg and cook 2 minutes. Serve into bowls, top with chopped peanuts and a wedge of lime. Enjoy.

STUFFED EGGPLANT MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Here is a lighter, easy variation on eggplant parmesan.

Ingredients 2 medium, (about 15 oz) eggplants, stems trimmed off and halved lengthwise 4 oz Italian style chicken or vegan sausage, casings removed, chopped 1/2 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 tsp from a jar) 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 3 Tbsp dried) 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 3 Tbsp dried) Salt and pepper, to taste 8 green olives, sliced 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese 4 tsp grated parmesan cheese Directions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Hollow out the flesh of the eggplant using a spoon or small knife, leaving a 1/2-inch of the skin all around to create a shell. Roughly chop the scooped out eggplant flesh.

Drop the eggplant skins into the boiling water and cook about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels to dry.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are soft.

Add chopped eggplant and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil and olives.

Pour 1/3 cup tomatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. Place eggplants on top. Season the eggplant with salt and divide the sausage mixture evenly among the 4 eggplant halves. Top each with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese. Cover lightly with foil and bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted and eggplant is cooked through.

TOMATO FETA RICE BOWLS

Serves 2, 10 minutes prep time, 20 minutes cook time You can substitute any grain you are currently enjoying for the brown rice in these bowls. Grain bowls — a little vegetable, a little sauce, seasoning and an egg on top — are a satisfying habit to get into this fall, and excellent for breakfast lunch or dinner.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1/2 tsp celery seed 1/2 tsp fresh oregano 1/2 tsp paprika Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 4 eggs 1 big handful of leafy greens, roughly chopped or torn 2 cups cooked brown rice or grain of your choice 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled Directions Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until soft.

Add tomatoes, spices and celery seed, and simmer until a bit thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped greens.

Crack the eggs over the greens. Cover the pot and simmer on low for 5 minutes until eggs are poached.

Scoop a cup of rice into each of 2 bowls, top with tomato mixture and 2 eggs (do your best not to break the yolks), and sprinkle each bowl with feta. Enjoy.

3 BEAN VEGETABLE SALAD

6 servings, 20 minutes to prepare Here’s a super-quick and nourishing salad that’s infinitely modifiable. Slice up and add any veggie you have in the fridge.

Ingredients 1 can organic garbanzo beans 1 can organic cannellini beans 1 can organic kidney beans 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 bell pepper, chopped 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1 tsp thyme Salt and pepper to taste Directions In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and mustard. Stir in the beans, pepper, onion and thyme. Season to taste. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.

Annie B. Kay MS RDN E-RYT500 C-IAYT is an integrative dietitian and yoga therapist who teaches internationally and has a Western MA-based telehealth private practice. www.anniebkay.com.

14

Annie Appleseed Project Present,

th

FEB 27 – 29

2020

EVIDENCE-BASED

Complementary & Alternative Cancer Therapies Conference Many Paths to Wellness

Embassy Suites Hotel, West Palm Beach, FL

AnnieAppleseedProject.org

(561) 749–0084 www.spiritofchange.org

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Conference

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Organic Food Giveaways Great Networking Fascinating Talks Exhibits Movie Yoga and More...

We’re on Facebook and Twitter @annieappleseed

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 19

JOURNAL OF NATURAL HEALING

I

g n eali HThrough Journaling

by MARI L. MCCARTHY

n 1991 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. However, it affects everyone differently. At the time of my diagnosis, I could not predict the journey that lay before me. All I knew was that there was no known cause or cure.

By 1988, I didn’t have the strength to cook a meal without dropping stuff all over the kitchen floor, and I had little function in the right side of my body. Bottom line: I had been floored by an ongoing health crisis. I was forced to sell my consulting business, and I couldn’t even write my name properly because I had lost the use of my right hand. In the past I would routinely walk for miles for fun and fitness. Growing up, I was an exceptional sprinter and basketball player. So I was used to being on the go and being active.

However, now I could no longer walk down the street in a straight line, which made me look like the town drunk. I was devastated because I had always been the one who solved everyone else’s problems. Now I had to solve my problem. And it was a big one!

In a desperate bid to recover my health I was walking in lockstep with conventional thinking. This means…you guessed it…I was taking a cocktail of prescription drugs every day as I dutifully went from one specialist to another.

But the pills didn’t make me better. They made me worse. It took a mammoth effort every day just to coordinate my legs and walk from the bedroom to the bathroom. Did I feel diminished by my chronic illness? Yeah, in a big way, and I wasn’t happy about it.

I knew I needed a radical transformation. I believe things happen for a reason, and I believe the universe sends you messages. And when it does, you’d better listen.

My message came to me through a friend who introduced me to writing therapy (also known as therapeutic journaling or expressive writing). At first I saw journaling as a means to an end. And that end was learning to write with my left hand because my right hand was barely working. However, as I began to write — a lot — I noticed that it eased my MS symptoms, especially when I wrote about them from the heart with depth and honest emotion.

As I continued my writing practice, my MS symptoms improved. This made me want to write more. “Aha,” I thought. I was onto something! This got my motor running and my determination grew by the week, and then the day, and the hour. I decided I wouldn’t be stopped.

Through journaling I began to uncover, discover and recover my true self. I even tapped into talents I never knew I had. My personal transformation is nothing short of radical. It no longer pains me to speak my mind. From a physical point of view, I feel very good because I’m in tune with my spirituality, my emotions, and my mentality, as well as my physicality. I’m entering my fifteenth year without using prescription drugs, and as a result my health continues to improve. As for nonprescription pills, I can also proudly say that I am now in my tenth year without any over-the-counter craziness in my life.

I have not carried health insurance for many years because I no longer saw the

20 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

point of paying $8,000 to $10,000 a year on the off chance that something is going to happen to me. Especially when insurance doesn’t cover anything that is going to help me stay healthy. I’m not saying everyone should drop their health insurance, but it has worked out well for me.

In addition to amazing health benefits, journaling has brought tremendous clarity to my life. I now realize that when I was on medication, it was because I had given into the head games the traditional medical system was pushing on me. We all need to take responsibility for the fact that at times we have allowed conventional doctors and the medical system to play God almighty in our lives without really questioning what we were being sold.

Journaling helped me dig into my thought processes, so I could realize what a bunch of crap I was being sold. I realized that if the medical establishment doesn’t know what causes MS — and they don’t have a cure — what’s a drug really going to do for me other than allow me to be a human vehicle that makes pharmaceutical companies rich, while I deal with mind-numbing effects? Through journaling I discovered my health was better served by making nutritional lifestyle changes. It was all about embracing change.

If you can write a shopping list, you can journal. Just put pen to paper and let your natural voice pour forth as if you’re having a conversation with your best friend. Just start writing about: • An ailment you are determined to overcome • Emotional pain you want to cast from your life • Relationships that you need to release and put behind you • Goals that you’re going to accomplish no matter what gets in your way • The new life story you’re going to tell yourself each and every day • The things you absolutely love about yourself that you take for granted Write about anything you want. The key is to just start writing. The tone and theme of your journal can always change and evolve over time, so you don’t need to over-prepare.

Just commit and start your journaling practice today!

Reprinted with permission of author Mari McCarthy from Journaling Power: How to Create the Happy, Healthy Life You Want to Live (2019, www.createwritenow.com).

JOURNAL OF NATURAL HEALING Email your natural healing story to editor@spiritofchange.org to be included in the Journal of Natural Healing online. Read more natural healing stories at www.spiritofchange.org/journal.

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In this workbook you will learn to:

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 21

5

Gentle Yoga Poses For Relieving Back Pain

By Ritu Kapur

I

f you are struggling with back pain, the only consolation is that you are not alone. Most people deal with some level of back pain in their lifetime. It is one of the most common causes of losing hours at work, not to mention the discomfort and frustration that comes along with not being able to do daily activities. If you are in acute pain, seeing your health practitioner and resting is the best thing to do. If you are able to move around fairly comfortably and are ready to stretch gently, here are some gentle yoga poses to consider.

To do these poses, place your yoga mat on a carpeted space or use two mats to give enough padding for your spine. Keep a few thick blankets nearby to help position your neck, head and legs comfortably while in position.

PARTIAL RECLINE

This is one of the simplest yet most effective poses to bring your spine back into alignment. Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Rest your head on a blanket so it’s in a straight line with the rest of the spine. Make sure it’s not tilted too far up or down. Tuck your tailbone by lifting it up and gently placing it back on the ground. Feel your lower, middle and upper back completely resting on the mat. This position will allow the normal curvature of your spine to come to a resting place. As you rest here, you can place your hands on your belly and focus on your breath for 2-5 minutes.

ALTERNATE KNEES TO CHEST

Bring your right knee in towards your chest, place both hands on the knee and give your knee a hug. You can add some ankle rotations here. Take 5-10 breaths, release the leg back on the mat in bent position. Repeat on left side.

RECLINED TREE POSE

While you are lying down on your back, straighten out your right leg on the mat. Bend your left leg and then drop the left knee towards the ground so that the sole of the left foot can touch some part of your right leg and allow it to rest. You can add a rolled-up blanket under left knee for support. Raise your arms above your head. Allow yourself to gently stretch from head to toe as you inhale. As you exhale, allow your arms to come to a resting place either above the head or by your side. Your elbows and hands should feel rested. You can use yoga blocks or blankets for support as needed. Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

22 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

RECLINED TWIST

After Reclined Tree Pose, you can bring both knees to chest and rock side to side a few times. Then stretch your arms sideways in T-shape. Rest both feet on the ground with knees in bent position.

Drop both knees to the right side and gently turn your head to the left side.

This stretch can be very gentle in the beginning and you can go deeper as your spine allows more pain-free movement.

Repeat on the other side. Take 5-10 breaths on each side.

SHAVASANA WITH SUPPORT UNDER THE KNEES

Keep a rolled-up blanket or a bolster under your knees. Make sure that your feet are on the ground and then allow them to rest completely. Allow your legs, hip and spine to completely rest against the ground. Rest your arms at a slight angle by your hips with palms up and fingers slightly curled. Rest your head on a blanket, close your eyes with your inner eye gaze resting on your breath. Simply notice your breath like a silent witness. You can surrender completely in this pose as the name suggests (shava in Sanskrit means dead, so you can literally play dead here as if you have no control over your body or your breath). Let it go! Stay here as long as you want.

When you are ready to get up, gently roll over onto your side and stay there for a short time before you begin to get up. Press your weight onto both the elbow of the side you are on and the hand of the opposite arm and slowly raise yourself about halfway, letting your spine and neck hang gently for a bit before slowly continuing to come up to a full and comfortable seated position. You can sit tall and meditate on your breath for 3-5 minutes. The whole practice can be done in 10-20 minutes depending on how long you stay in each pose. As the pain subsides over the next few weeks and you feel stronger to try more poses, talk to a yoga teacher about adding poses for strengthening.

Illustrations by Jeffrey Longo

Ritu Kapur is the owner of Sohum Yoga and Meditation Studio in Westborough, MA. She has been working as an occupational therapist with different age groups for over 20 years and is a registered Yoga teacher. You can reach her at Ritu.Kapur@Sohum.org or check out her class schedule at www.sohum.org.

YOGA DIRECTORY Yoga at the Ashram, Millis, MA

CONNECTICUT

East Hartford

Sacred Rivers Yoga is a Registered 200 and 300-Hour School with Yoga Alliance, as well as a member school with the International Association of Yoga Therapy offering Yoga for Every Body. www.sacredriversyoga.com. (860) 657-9545

MASSACHUSETTS

Bridgewater

Maha Yoga Center, 992 Bedford St. (Rt. 18), Bridgewater, MA 02324. Yoga all levels, Hatha, Ashtanga, meditation, massage. Yoga teacher training (Yoga Alliance). 508-697-3273 mahayogacenter.com

East Bridgewater

Bliss Through Yoga, Offering Svaroopa® Yoga for adults and mindfulness and Yoga 4 Kids. “Yoga for the Rest of Us!” 484 Bedford Street, E. Bridgewater, MA. (508) 331-3564, blissthroughyoga.com

Easton

Easton Yoga Center, 50 Oliver Street, Ste 208, Easton, MA 02356. Yoga for all levels. Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative, Beginners, Yin. Private Yoga, Reiki and Reflexology sessions available. 508-276-0315. eastonyogacenter.com www.spiritofchange.org

Opening Lotus Studio, Holden, MA

Holden

Opening Lotus Yoga. 465 Main Street, Holden, MA, 01520. All levels. Kundalini , Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Certified Yoga/Ayurvedic health coaching. 508-829-7435 openinglotusyoga.com.

Leominster/Central Mass Area

Yoga Anita. "Calm the mind, stretch the body, invigorate the spirit." Yoga and Meditation. Group, private, schools, corporate, workshops. www.yogaanita.com. 978-227-8297

Millis

Yoga at the Ashram, 368 Village Street, Kundalini, gong relaxations, concerts, workshops, healing circles, retreats and teacher trainings. First 30 days $30. www.YogaAtTheAshram.org. 508-376-4525 The Yoga Studio. A tranquil, welcoming healing center. Daily classes for all levels, private yoga therapy, and 200/500 hour YTT. First class free.

508-376-8508.theyogastudiomillis.com

Northborough

The Core Connection offers a variety of alignment-based yoga classes ranging from Yoga Sculpt and Funky Flow Yoga to Yin and restorative candlelight yoga. Visit www.thecoreconnection.com. (508) 393-8086.

Maha Yoga Center, Bridgewater, MA

Princeton

FrogPond Yoga Centre. Classes in the tradition of Raja Yoga for all levels of practitioners. 200 and 500-hr classes are ongoing. frogpondyoga.org

Uxbridge

State of Grace Yoga and Wellness Center for Health & Healing. Yoga, massage, acupressure therapy, Reiki, Anxiety & Trauma Programs. Yoga teacher training January 2020. Stateofgracewellness.com.

104 East Hartford Ave. 508-278-2818.

Westborough

Sohum is a Yoga and meditation studio with the mission to promote health and wellness to all for the body and for the mind. www.sohum.org. 508-329-3338.

Westborough Yoga for transformation, healing and spinal health. Offering Svaroopa yoga, meditation, private Yoga Therapy and Embodyment.

Contact Michelle (Kamala) Gross, 508-341-6424 westboroughyoga.com

Worcester

Worcester Yoga Center. Ann Bissanti. Over 30 years teaching experience. Trained in India by B.K.S. Iyengar. New location: 21 West Street, Worcester, MA. 508-829-6300. worcesteryogacenter.com FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 23

Solutions for

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

By Dr. Meir Schneider, PhD, with Jack Thompson

O

ur bodies are designed to gracefully move through the wide range of motions that have kept our species alive for so long, but today’s screen-based lifestyle gives us more opportunity than ever to constrict our movement. We are forced to strain the eyes by using our near vision much more than our far vision, we’re crammed into tight desks for long hours, and we move too little overall. Without motion, our body stagnates, and chronic illnesses like back pain, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome are much more likely to develop. We need to make conscious lifestyle choices about how we move and how often to keep pain, stiffness, and tension at bay.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or CTS, is caused by too much pressure being put on the median nerve, which runs through a tunnel from your forearm through the wrist, and provides sensation to the hand. When swelling or tension causes a constriction in the carpal tunnel, it begins to injure the median nerve housed there. Gradually, tingling, pain, swelling, and ultimately, debilitation result. Repetitively using the tendons and ligaments causes tension and damage over time.

Prevention for CTS is really no different than preventing other diseases of the joints caused or worsened by lack of movement or improper posture. Our bodies should be moving, and the more we do so in a relaxed, conscious way that utilizes our joints’ full range of motion, the better our joints are able to lubricate and repair themselves. This keeps pressure off our nerves naturally.

Office workers especially sit in the same places in the same postures doing the same things every day. Factory workers may operate heavy machinery that vibrates the wrists, and musicians often use unnatural movements over and over again. All of these situations increase the risk of developing CTS. The ultimate goal is to break up programmed routines of poor posture and rigid movement that creates or worsens CTS, as well as other joint disease like osteoarthritis. To do that, we need three basic steps.

Three Steps to Help Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often thought of as a repetitive motion injury, but I think of it as a repetitive misuse disorder. CTS and other repetitive misuse injuries are exacerbated, if not completely caused, by using our bodies repeatedly in an unnatural way, often with great tension and little awareness. We develop patterns in our movements and use only a small number of muscles to perform all our tasks. Our necks suffer, our back and hips suffer, and of course so do the hands and wrists.

24 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

STEP 1: BECOMING AWARE Simply taking time to get to know your body, stretch your muscles and rotate your joints, and enjoy deep, full breathing greatly increases your level of kinesthesia. Natural, comfortable postures and the charisma and grace that come with effortless movement are a side effect of bodily awareness.

Set aside a time set aside each day to stop and focus on your body. Breathe deeply and gently, move in natural, comfortable ways, gently stretching the muscles with simple movements like soft neck rotations, hip circles, ankle rolls, and wrist rotations. Incorporate stretches you know and like, or yoga poses you enjoy or would like to do more often, or perform exercises related to any aches and pains you may have. Make it a light, cheerful time before bed or after you wake or whenever you can. If you have five minutes, use five minutes, and if you have an hour, use that if you wish. The effects truly are enormous.

Use this time of the day as an anchor for your awareness. By loosening the body and relaxing the mind, you become more able to notice tension throughout the day and take immediate corrective action. The corrective action is always to pause, relax, and realign to a softer, more natural position.

STEP 2: SELF CARE THROUGH THE DAY Keeping the body, and wrists especially, in varying degrees of duress through the whole day simply cannot be undone by a few minutes exercise at night. Make it a habit to stop and shake out the tension in your body by performing simple, quick stretches and movements to counteract the contraction caused by your posture.

Self-care throughout the day, spontaneous and planned, is the next most important aspect to preventing or potentially stopping the progression of CTS. If your job has you at a desk typing, bending over tables, or performing otherwise repetitive, constrictive actions, it’s of great significance that you stop at least once an hour, preferably twice or more, to perform gentle stretches and bring your body awareness back home.

Start by taking time every half hour or so to check in with yourself and make a conscious decision to relax away some tension; this will take effort. It may help to set a timer as a gentle reminder. Stand up, take a small walk (or a long one when you can), stretch your arms up over your head, bend gently forward and backward. Make it natural, and move consciously while breathing deeply. Never tug on tight muscles, but gently feel the tightness and imagine the muscle coming loose, or that blood is flowing there. You are not trying to literally stretch the muscle out; instead, you are encouraging the muscle to let go. This approach is more effective and much less likely to cause injury to parts of your anatomy that you may have stopped fully utilizing.

Simply by moving more with more varieties of movement throughout the day, you can keep your wrists well cared for.

STEP 3: TARGETED MAINTENANCE Besides developing more general awareness to support body function overall, people at high risk for CTS should also pay some special attention to their necks, shoulders, arms, and hands. A few simple exercises done throughout the day can help to improve circulation and release pressure on the median nerve. You needn’t do all of them at first or each time you take a moment to stretch out, but gradually include them into your regimen. When you feel pain, ease off the exercise and return later. Awareness is the key.

WRIST CIRCLES ~ Rotate the wrists in both directions. Do so slowly, with great aware-

ness in your hands and forearms. Imagine the movement coming from the tips of the fingers, and as always, breathe fully and gently. Imagine the breath running smoothly down the arm into the hands, relaxing any tension you feel along the way. Aim for 100 rotations a day, but start where you’re comfortable.

WRIST FLEXION ~ Hold your arms out and flex the wrist forward and backward. Feel the motion in your wrists, and imagine that your forearms and wrists feel expansive and soft.

Gently deepen the stretch by helping one hand with the other, but be careful not to strain.

SIMPLE SHAKING ~ Gently shake the hands out, allowing the wrists to be totally limp, and imagine breathing breathe into your hands as you do. This improves circulation and is a sort of shotgun approach for releasing tension.

WRIST GLIDES ~ Sitting or standing, hold your hands up in front of you, so that the palm is facing you. The wrist should be neutral, sitting naturally on top your forearm with the fingers in the air. Gently rotate your forearms so that your palms face away from you, breathing into your hands through the shoulders, down the arm and through the wrist. Imagine the motion coming from the tips of your thumbs, and feel how elegantly your bones and tendons slide over one another in the wrist.

FINGER FLEXIONS ~ Holding your wrist in a neutral position, gently close your hand

into a fist, and open it again as wide as you can. Feel the muscles in your forearms contract as you do so, and breathe into your hands. Move one finger at a time, and rotate each finger one at a time. Feel free to allow one hand to assist the other. Really explore your hands and move them with as much awareness and interest as possible. Feel how this wide range of motion affects the wrists.

GENERAL STRETCHES ~ Your hands are not the sole concern. Perform gentle stretches for the shoulders and neck as well, so tension there doesn’t compromise your efforts. Softening the neck is a topic so important it deserves its own attention, so don’t ignore it.

It is never easy to undo the habits you have developed over a lifetime, but by simply moving more and with more variety of movements throughout the day, you can keep not only your wrists, but your entire body well cared for. Believe in your ability to change yourself, and you can dramatically improve your quality of life across the board.

An internationally respected therapist and educator, Meir Schneider, PhD, is the founder and director of the School for Self-Healing in San Francisco and the author of many books. As a healthcare visionary, he continues to develop his unique therapeutic system for healing a variety of visual disorders often considered beyond medical help. Visit www.self-healing.org. www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 25

Restoring Your Child’s Mental Health THROUGH

Homeopathic

Quantum Healing

O

By Gracelyn Guyol

n December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother at their Newtown, Connecticut home. He then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he fatally shot 20 children and six adult staff before committing suicide.

It was the deadliest mass shooting at either a high school or grade school, and the third-deadliest mass shooting by a single person in US history. National news coverage focused primarily on gun control. There were proposals for making background-check systems universal, as well as new federal and state gun legislation banning sale and manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms holding more than ten rounds of ammunition.

By January, however, there was still no mention that use of psychiatric drugs had been involved in most major school shootings since 1988. Nor was it mentioned that Adam Lanza

was first prescribed Lexapro, a psychotropic drug; later, he was prescribed Celexa, an antidepressant/anti-anxiety drug, and that he had recently stopped taking both drugs.

A list of teens committing school violence in the US from 1988-2006 reveals that most shooters were taking psychiatric prescriptions, (primarily antidepressants), according to the Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights. Psychiatric antidepressants are well documented as triggering mania, psychosis, hostility, aggression, and suicidal thoughts. Ninety-nine drug regulatory agency warnings have been issued from ten countries and the European Union. Since August 2004, US labels for all antidepressants caution against these and other dangerous side effects. Many experts believe homicidal thoughts should be added to this list of labeled side effects.

David Healy is an internationally respected Professor of Psychiatry at Wales’ Cardiff University, researcher, and author of 150 peer-reviewed articles and 20 books. His 2006 study, “Antidepressants and Violence: Problems at the Interface of Medicine and Law,” notes the rapid behavioral deterioration triggered by antidepressant use. Using information from pharmacological data and nine criminal trials of violent assaults between 1990 and 2005, his study concludes SSRIs use is directly connected with violence. Healy’s book, Pharmageddon, is the riveting story of how pharmaceutical companies have hijacked healthcare in America, and how greed has

trumped children’s safety and long-term health.

In 2011, other researchers revealed additional psychiatric drug concerns. Nancy Andreasen, editor in chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry from 1993 to 2005, began a longterm study of schizophrenic patients in 1991 that periodically measured brain volumes using magnetic resonance scans.

Her results published in 2003 and 2005 noted brain volume reductions but attributed these losses to the disease rather than the treatment. Her 2011 study, published in the February Archives of General Psychiatry, however, drew vastly different conclusions that rocked the mental health community. Based on MRI scans of 211 schizophrenic patients monitored for 7 to 14 years, she concluded long-term use of antipsychotics and clozapine was definitely associated with brain shrinkage.

Brain volume changes were caused by the treatment rather than the disease, said Andreasen, and severity was directly related to dose and length of use.

That same spring, a trio of books from highly credible authors questioned the efficacy of psychiatric drug use. Marcia Angell, MD, former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, critiqued all three in the June 2011 New York Review of Books. Psychologist Irving Kirsch’s, The Emperor’s New Drugs, cites fifteen years of research and meta-analysis of numerous studies, revealing that psychiatric drugs are only slightly more effective than placebos. Psychiatrist Daniel Continued on page 28

26 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 27

HOMEOPATHIC QUANTUM HEALING

Continued from page 26

Homeopathy, a medical treatment created more than 200 years ago, is now used by over 500 million people on a regular basis. According to the World Health Organization, it is the largest complementary and alternative medicine utilized globally, no doubt due to its low cost, safety, and effectiveness.

Consistent improvements to medical problems treated with homeopathic remedies have resulted in them being covered by national health systems in 42 countries. Yet among the 324 million residents of the United States, many of whom struggle to pay for medical insurance and prescriptions, only six million people use homeopathy, and those who do must pay for it out-of-pocket.

The story behind this is interesting, with the beginning told best in a remarkable and delightful book, Impossible Cure, The Promise of Homeopathy, by Amy Lansky, PhD. In it, Lansky CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S MENTAL interweaves details of how homeopathy cured her son’s autism with the history of Christian Frederich Samuel Hahnemann’s HEALTH TASK FORCE creation of a new medical system during the 1790s.

Upset by the news media’s focus on guns, it finally hit me Fluent in nine languages, Hahnemann began studying that most journalists did not have the training required to medicine at age 20 in Germany and translated scientific texts for suspect psychiatric drug use might have led to the shootincome. Nine years later he abanings. I sent a press release to doned the medical practices of his over 900 health media outlets time — induced vomiting, diarrhea, across the US, titled “Crucial bleeding, and using opiates or toxic Newtown Shooting Questions "Because homeopathy is doses of mercury — and adopted Not Yet Asked. What Do School the teachings of Hippocrates, a Shooters Have in Common?” I so safe, inexpensive, Greek physician born in 460 BC also wrote an article listing the easy to use, and effective who is considered the father of modteens who committed school vifor 70-80% of patients, ern medicine. The Hippocratic oath, olence from 1988-2006, offering it is the first mental “First do no harm,” is still taken by it free to the press. It included health treatment many graduating doctors. the year, name and age of the I suggest for Hippocrates maintained healshooter, which psychiatric drug children." ing could be achieved in one of they had been taking (primarily two ways: through the action of antidepressants), how many — Gracelyn “opposites” (using a medicine that people they had killed, in what Guyol creates the opposite effect of the state the shooting had occurred, patient’s symptoms) or through and my source. the action of “similars” (using a What did the assailants have medicine that creates in a healthy in common? Many had begun person the same symptoms experitaking or had abruptly stopped enced by the patient). Hahnemann had studied Hippocrates taking psychiatric drugs prior to the attacks; all except one writings, as well as that of Paracelsus and other medieval were boys; and all used firearms except one, whose weapon alchemists, and knew they had achieved cures using the was a knife. The press release also included the well-accepted latter approach. knowledge about how psychiatric drugs often cause mania, Hahnemann became well known and sought after for his psychosis, hostility, aggression, and suicidal thoughts, along translations of important medical texts. Yet he continued with the drug regulatory agency warnings information. searching for a better method of healing that made sense No one requested the article. Yet by the following week, scientifically and worked consistently. William Cullen, promany US television news outlets opened their shows by callfessor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh and author ing for better treatment of psychiatric problems in children. of Treatise on Materia Medica, hired Hahnemann to translate Encouraged, I sent a letter to the governor, offering my his book. In it, Cullen described using a Peruvian bark called knowledge of alternative, drug-free treatments. Within a cinchona or china. The source of quinine, it is still the primary month I was invited to serve on a new Connecticut Children’s treatment for malaria. However, Cullen’s explanation of how Mental Health Task Force, formed to recommend changes cinchona facilitated healing — that it had a tonic effect on the to legislators. Each Task Force member served for one year. I stomach — did not make sense to Hahnemann. was the only one with any expertise in alternative medicine.

He decided to test cinchona, and systematically took overFor six months, I researched drug-free treatments that were doses of the bark for several days, recording his reactions. His scientifically shown to be effective, affordable, and easy for notes summarize symptoms that are typical of an intermittent patients to use. In July 2014, I submitted a 30-page executive fever that lasted three hours every time he repeated the dose. summary of ten options for Task Force recommendation Yet when he stopped taking the medicine, he returned to good to the legislature and potential consideration by the four Connecticut agencies treating children with mental problems. health. This experience convinced Hahnemann that the similars principle could become the foundation of a new medical system.

Topping the list was homeopathy.

Carlat’s Unhinged, The Trouble with Psychiatry unveils the collusion between psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies, outlining how the profession should be reformed.

Award-winning author Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic asks why the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States has tripled over the past two decades, despite the touted “improved” treatment of psychiatric medications.

He details the harm drugs do, charting how the incidence of mental illness has risen in tandem with their use. Though they bring different perspectives, all three authors agree on the ineffectiveness and physical damage caused by psychoactive prescriptions. However, none propose what might replace psychiatric drug treatment — specific all-natural options that frequently restore mental health.

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28 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

HOMEOPATHY’S NEW NANOPARTICLES

Hahnemann’s Law of Similars states that a substance which causes symptoms similar to those of a disease state can cure a sick person of that disease. Unlike others who utilized the principle occasionally, he decided to explore it to the limits. He tested hundreds of substances for responses, calling them “provings.” It became his life’s work and the basis of homeopathy.

Homeopathy grew rapidly for the simple reason it was more successful than most 19th century medicines. The American Institute of Homeopathy, founded in 1844, was the first medical association of any kind in the United States.

By the turn of the century the pace of medical discoveries was rapid. There were 20 homeopathic medical schools in this country. Several new vaccines were created; the blood typing system was developed; the existence of vitamins and their importance to health were documented; and use of insulin for diabetes began. Yet infected wounds and the tuberculosis and pneumonia bacteria were still notorious killers.

In 1928, Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery that mold on a discarded culture plate at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital had antibacterial action spurred tremendous excitement for modern medicine and launched the use of penicillin. Gradually, homeopathy use declined in the United States (although not in other countries).

This downward spiral was fed by decades of scientific controversy over the high dilution of homeopathic remedies. Utilizing the best biochemical assays of that era, not one molecule of the original bulk substance could be found in the remedies. Thus, many doctors maintained that health improvements must result from a patient’s belief in the remedy, known as the placebo response, not from the substance itself.

Undiluted remedies could bring about a cure, but they could also cause side effects.

Hahnemann’s ideal form of cure was rapid, gentle, permanent, and reliable. Convinced by the reliability of the Law of Similars, Hahnemann worked to make remedies gentle, easier for patients. He increased the dilution ratio of an active ingredient with water and alcohol, but when too diluted, found there was no effect. He tried to ensure remedies were well mixed by succussing (vigorously shaking them). Those made by dilution and succussion seemed to have greater curative power. He called the process “potentization” to indicate these enhanced benefits. Even non-medicinal substances — such as onion, garlic, salt, cinnamon, asparagus, potato, and milk — became powerful remedies following potentization.

Hahnemann experimented with higher potencies as well. He suspected the effects of potentized remedies were unlikely to be biochemical at all but that they acted on a more energetic or insubstantial plane — what he called the life principle or vital force, what Greeks called dynamis, an inherent power.

In total, Hahnemann spent 40 years refining and improving the remedies, testing new dilutions, methods and repetitions for dosing, along with various avenues of administration. At the same time, he developed additional remedies to expand treatment options. Today there are an estimated 3,500 homeopathic remedies in use.

ENLIGHTENING 2009 DISCOVERY

Two centuries after Hahnemann did his important work, Dr. Jayesh Bellare, the Institute Chair Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, who also has 20 years of worldwide experience in nanotechnology, proved Hahnemann right. The argument that homeopathic remedies were merely eliciting a placebo response was still used to disparage these inexpensive treatments. However, the argument had lost credibility because it was widely observed that these remedies worked. This was especially true in India, where 100 million people now depend solely on homeopathy for medical care, thanks to an entire system of homeopathic medical schools and licensed practitioners able to treat in hospital settings.

In 2009, Dr. Bellare observed that homeopathic remedies were manufactured in a process similar to modern techniques for producing nanoparticles. He and colleagues investigated six different commercially made homeopathic remedies using sophisticated electron microscopes and lab tests. Results revealed original source material was present in the remedies in nanoparticle forms at 6C, 30C, and 200C dilutions. Above 12C, no source material should have been present, yet it was — a stunning revelation that quickly broadened scientific interest in homeopathy.

The science of quantum physics explains how nanoparticles work, if you speak that language. I am not fluent, so allow me to share the concise explanation of two experts, for readers who are scientifically curious. Iris Bell, MD, PhD, is a board-certified psychiatrist who has served on the faculties of Harvard Medical School, University of California San Francisco, and University of Arizona. She has also been a researcher in complementary and alternative medicine for 30 years.

Bell speaks fluidly about homeopathy on YouTube videos, discussing extremely complex, biological functions in a concise manner. In her 2012 study, “A Model for Homeopathic Remedy Effects,” Dr. Bell says: “Nanoparticles stimulate hormesis, a beneficial low-dose adaptive stress response. Homeo Continued on page 30 www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 29

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HOMEOPATHIC QUANTUM HEALING

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pathic remedies prescribed in low doses spaced intermittently over time act as biological signals that Despite the complicated stimulate the organism’s allostatic nanoparticle science, biological stress response network, evoking nonlinear modulatory, homeopathy remains self-organizing change... Propervery simple to use. What ly-timed remedy dosing elicits dismakes homeopathy ease-primed compensatory reversal in the direction of maladaptive most appealing to dynamics of the allostatic network, busy patients thus promoting resilience and is that all they recovery from disease.”

Professor Marcin Molski, HAB, need do is PhD, MSc, at Adam Mickiewicz take the University in Poland, has received remedy as awards from the Polish Chemical Society in 1992 and 1998, and is directed vice-head of the scientific commitonce a day. tee of the Bioelectronics Foundation. Two of his fields of research are theoretical investigation of biological, physical, and chemical properties of substances used in cosmetics and medicine, and non-linear, non-local, coherent and quasi-quantum phenomena in biological systems.

The April 2010 article in Homeopathy Journal by Dr. Molski, “Quasi-quantum Phenomena: The Key to Understanding Homeopathy,” summarizes the action. Based on first- and second-order Gomperzian kinetics, it has been proved that the crystallization and its reciprocal process of dissolution are classified as quasi-quantum non-local coherent phenomena. This results in formulated ad hoc macroscopic versions of quantum non-locality, entanglement and coherence utilized in interpretation of the homeopathic remedies activity and effectiveness.

TREATMENT TODAY

Despite the complicated nanoparticle science, homeopathy remains very simple to use.

Treatment begins with the practitioner obtaining a detailed medical history and observing the client's unique personality, likes and dislikes. Such details enable selection of the specific homeopathic remedy that will best resolve physical and behavioral problems. Classical homeopathy uses only one remedy at a time. Doses may be adjusted, or new remedies tried, until a positive response is evident. Improvements may occur immediately or take several months or more to achieve maximum benefits, depending on how complex the medical challenge.

What makes homeopathy most appealing to busy patients is that all they need do is take the remedy as directed once a day. Dietary and lifestyle changes are often recommended, but they are not required. If psychiatric medications are currently being taken by a patient, they are continued with the homeopathic remedy until medications are no longer needed.

In the United States, homeopathy cost and availability depend on where you are treated, with higher rates in major cities. For an initial 60- to 90-minute visit with an MD or ND homeopath, $100-300; other homeopaths will charge $50-250 for an initial session; 15- to 45-minute follow-up visits with MD/ND, $50-100; still other homeopaths will charge $30-80.

Homeopathic remedy costs range from $7-25 per bottle; they cost less when purchased in kits.

Homeopathic remedies are regulated as drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. They are not currently evaluated for safety or effectiveness, thanks to their 200-years of use around the globe without serious side effects. Hundreds of clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of homeopathic remedies have been conducted over several decades. But until the discovery of nanoparticles in homeopathic remedies in 2009, there was obvious bias against homeopathy in much of the prior research.

A classic example of this bias is the first comprehensive review of homeopathy research, published in the British Medical Journal in 1991, which reviewed 105 clinical trials. The authors, three orthodox epidemiologists, came to this conclusion: “The amount of positive evidence even among the best studies came as a surprise to us. Based on this evidence we would readily accept that homeopathy can be efficacious, if only the mechanism of action 30 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

were more plausible.” Fortunately, this argument is now history. Here are conclusions from selected studies, published between 1999 and 2011.

A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of 60 mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) patients was conducted at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Homeopathic treatment was “the only significant or near-significant predictor of improvement” on the Difficulty with Situations Scale, the Symptom Rating Scale, and the Ten Most Common Symptoms of MTBI tests, indicating “clinically significant outcomes” from use of homeopathic treatments compared to the control (Chapman EH, et al, 1999).

The purpose of a prospective trial was to assess homeopathy’s effectiveness in hyperactive patients compared to methylphenidate (MPD), a prescription drug given to children with ADHD. One hundred and fifteen children (92 boys and 23 girls), were included, with an average age of 8.3 years. After treatment for 3.5 months, 75% of children had responded to homeopathy with a clinical improvement rating of 73%. Twenty-two percent of children needed MPD. Researchers concluded, “Where treatment of a hyperactive child is not urgent, homeopathy is a valuable alternative to MPD… In preschoolers, homeopathy appears a particularly useful treatment for ADHD” (Frei H, Thurneysen A, 2001).

The long-term outcome from homeopathic treatment was studied in 3,981 patients (2851 adults and 1130 children) in Germany and Switzerland, who were referred by 103 primary care practices having additional specialization in homeopathy. Ninety-seven percent of all diagnoses were chronic, with an average duration of eight years. For adults and young children, “major” quality of life improvements were observed after 3, 12, and 24 months, but no changes were seen in adolescents (Witt CM, et al, 2005).

Chronic primary insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining nightly sleep for a period of at least one month. Thirty participants were selected and divided between homeopathic treatment and placebo groups, with results measured by their Sleep Diary and Sleep Impairment Index. The Sleep Diary data revealed homeopathic treatment resulted in significant increase in duration of sleep, significant improvement in Sleep Impairment Index scores, and improved responses to all questions, revealing a statistically significant difference between the groups. (Naude DF, 2010) Young adults of both sexes — with above average scores for either cynical hostility or anxiety sensitivity and a history of coffee-induced insomnia — participated in a month-long study. Fifty-four received placebo pellets on night eight and homeopathic pellets on night 22 in 30C doses of one of two homeopathic remedies: Nux Vomica or Coffea Cruda. The remedies significantly increased total sleep time and non-REM sleep (Bell IR, 2011).

Because homeopathy is so safe, inexpensive, easy to use, and effective for 70-80% of patients, it is the first mental health treatment I suggest for children.

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RESOURCES

Amy L. Lansky, PhD, Impossible Cure, The Promise of Homeopathy, R. L. Ranch Press (2003), www.impossiblecure.com.

Homeopathy and Mental Health Care, Integrative Practice, Principles and Research (Homeolinks Pub., 2010); all chapters are authored by leading homeopathic practitioners around the world, edited by Christopher K. Johannes, PhD, and Harry van der Zee, MD. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, and Robert Ullman, ND, Ritalin-Free Kids (2013), and Rage-Free Kids (2005), which discuss the leading homeopathic remedies for hyperactivity and its various syndromes.

Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH, is certified in classical homeopathy and one of its leading advocates. The author of 10 books, Ullman is founder of Homeopathic Educational Services, a resource center for homeopathic information and correspondence courses, which has co-published over 35 books on homeopathy with North Atlantic Books. For an informative interview of Dana Ullman about using Homeopathy for children, visit https://www. homeopathic.com/Articles/Introduction_to_Homeopathy/Homeopathy_and_Childrens_ Health_An_Interview.html

Excerpted with permission of the author Gracelyn Guyol from Restoring Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Innovative Drug-Free Treatments (2018, Ajoite Publishing, Mystic, CT)

Gracelyn Guyol is the author of three books outlining successful, all-natural, drug-free solutions to mental illnesses, and has produced over 40 cable TV shows in an ongoing educational series, “Restoring Health Holistically.” In 2017 she founded the non-profit Mind Energy Innovations, Inc, to educate the public and improve patient access to drug-free treatments for mental disorders. Visit mindenergyinnovations.org www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 31

NOT SO

BLACK AND WHITE THE MYTH OF RACE

BY MARK LEVITON

There is no such thing as black genes or white genes; the concept of race is purely a political invention designed to enforce unjust hierarchies.

L

aw, Africana-studies, and sociology professor Dorothy Roberts describes race as a “political category that has been disguised as a biological one.” It’s a hard concept for many to grasp. Physical features associated with race, such as skin and hair color, are inherited through our genes. So how is race not biological? The long answer is found in Roberts’s book Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century, but the short answer is that there’s no clear biological basis to divide humanity into five or six or seven races, any more than there is to divide it into twenty or a hundred or a thousand. The lines are drawn by social and political imperatives, not nature.

Roberts’ thinking about race originated in growing up in an interracial family in Chicago. Her white father, Robert, was an anthropology and sociology professor, and her Jamaican mother, Iris, had been his research assistant at the university and became a public school teacher. Both of Roberts’ parents taught her that “there is only one human race.” As an adolescent in the 1960s, Roberts became interested in the antiwar and civil-rights movements, and her undergraduate years at Yale University introduced her to the women’s liberation movement.

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1980, Roberts clerked for federal

32 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

judge and civil rights champion Constance Baker Motley and practiced law in New York City. In the late 1980s she began to read about women — especially black women — being prosecuted, on charges ranging from neglect to attempted murder, for using illegal drugs while pregnant. Why, she wondered, was a threat to the health of mothers and their babies being treated as a criminal justice matter?

It was the beginning of her research into the stark differences between white and black women’s reproductive freedom in the U.S., culminating in her 1997 book Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty. From there Roberts explored racial injustice in the child welfare system, and more recently, the fields of genomics and medicine, where she finds that misguided ideas about race are leading to different treatments for patients of different races and false genetic explanations for racial health gaps actually caused by social inequities.

In 2012 Roberts joined the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as its fourteenth “Penn Integrates Knowledge” professor and became the founding director of the Penn Program on Race, Science, and Society. I met with her one winter morning in her cheerful, cluttered university office. She had expressive eyes and an easy laugh. As I tried to find a place for my recorder amid the piles of books, she chuckled and said, “I like stacks.”

MARK LEVITON: What was it like growing up in a biracial family?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: My father began studying interracial marriage as a twenty-two-

year-old grad student at the University of Chicago. His parents were immigrants from England and Germany, and he grew up in a European-immigrant Chicago neighborhood.

He interviewed interracial couples as early as 1937, and in 1940 he wrote his master’s thesis on interracial marriage and the racial order in the United States. It’s amazing to me that he even found these couples, some of whom had gotten married in the late 1800s.

There were barriers to race mixing in Chicago then, though there wasn’t an outright ban on interracial marriage in the state of Illinois. In the 1950s my mother, who was originally from Jamaica, was one of my father’s students. They fell in love and got married while working on this black-white marriage project. I was born a year later.

My parents were devoted to the principle that there is only one human race. It was a mantra in our house. My father was doing his research not just because of his personal

Photo Credit: Sandy Huffaker

An interview with DOROTHY ROBERTS on

relationship to the subject, but because he believed that interracial marriage was the answer to this country’s race problem. He believed that if blacks and whites got to know each other — preferably intimately [laughs] — racism would wither. He saw black Americans and white Americans as incredibly similar. My father would say that if you compared a black American, a white American, and someone living in a tribal village in Liberia, where he also conducted research, there was no doubt that the two Americans had a lot in common.

From an early age I believed strongly in the equal humanity of all people. I also was very aware that my mother was black and my father was white. A number of interracial couples were friends of our family. My piano teacher was in an interracial marriage. So was our plumber. When I was young, I was proud to be part of an interracial family. I remember walking down the street holding my mother’s hand on one side and my father’s on the other and wanting people to see us: Look at us! Black and white people can live together! I thought of myself as being both black and white.

By the time I was in seventh grade, I’d become interested in the civil rights and antiwar movements, and I began to think of myself as a black person living in a racist country. I also felt a duty to do something about racism.

MARK LEVITON: Do you feel the civil rights movement made you “choose a side”?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Maybe. Also, my mother had dark skin, and even though I was intellectually close to my father and would talk to him about ideas all the time, when it came to racial identity, I was closer to my mother. I don’t think I’ve quite figured out myself exactly when I decided to identify as black and not biracial! [Laughs.]

As I became more and more aware of racial injustice, I started to question my father’s view that an increase in intimate relationships between blacks and whites by itself could overcome racism and white supremacy.

MARK LEVITON: You argue that race is not a biological condition but a “political invention.”

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Right. I’m not saying that race is a natural division of human beings that can lead to unjust hierarchies. I’m saying that the very concept of race was invented to create and enforce such hierarchies.

My parents were devoted to the principle that there is only one human race. It was a mantra in our house.

MARK LEVITON: How old is this political invention?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Certainly hundreds of years old. The term “race” came into use

to distinguish human groups in the sixteenth century when Europeans began to conquer other peoples and enslave them. To justify capturing Africans and turning them into property, Europeans came to describe them as a separate kind of human being — or even not human at all.

As soon as people invent the concept of race, they rank races into a hierarchy. Some people think it’s harmless to believe in biological differences between races as long as we don’t value one over another, but the whole point of dividing humans into races is to value some more than others. The inventors of the biological concept of race said that Africans were naturally meant to be enslaved, that it was for their own good, that they were better off being slaves! These ideas were written into law in the United States during the slavery era.

Medicine played a big part in promoting racial thinking. Doctors claimed that people of different races had peculiar diseases, or experienced common diseases differently, because they had innately different bodies. In 1851 Dr. Samuel Cartwright argued before the Medical Association of Louisiana that black people had lower lung capacity than white people, and forcing them to work was therefore good for their health. It would “vitalize” their blood and “free them from barbarism.”

MARK LEVITON: But is it fair to say that, before colonialism, people did notice differences in skin color, eye color and hair texture?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Yes, those differences were seen as significant. For centuries, groups of people thought that other groups — often distinguished geographically and by physical appearance — were inferior to them. Aristotle thought the Greeks were superior to the barbarians. But those differences in status could be erased. Barbarians could become civilized. Tribal membership could change through marriage. Race is seen as universal and immutable: from the moment of birth you belong to one group and cannot www.spiritofchange.org

Continued on page 34

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 33

NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE continued from page 33 change your nature or status. Even if some black people can “pass” as white, they still possess some essence that makes them naturally black.

MARK LEVITON: Doesn’t our skin color come from our genes?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: There is genetic variation in the human species. In Africa alone we could divide people into a thousand different “races” if we wanted to, based on various genetic differences. But there would be no point in having a thousand races. If you divide humans into just a few groups, however, then you can build a social hierarchy around those divisions. Besides, skin color varies within races and is consistent between some people of different races.

The biological concept of race has been refuted by evolutionary biologists and geneticists and genomicists for decades. The scientists who led the Human Genome Project made a point of saying human genetic variation isn’t divided into races. There’s no such thing as black genes or white genes. You might have genes that can be traced to a certain population somewhere on the globe, but there’s no point at which you can draw a boundary line and identify one race on one side and a different race on the other.

All humans originated in Africa and then migrated outward in groups, each carrying a subset of the genetic variation in Africa. No one has identified a point in human history at at which time these migrating groups evolved into discrete and homogeneous “races.”

MARK LEVITON: You’ve written that during U.S. slavery there were many laws and tests to determine who belonged to what race, and these laws changed over time.

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Mixtures had to be dealt with. Human beings, regardless of race, can have children together. That’s always been a problem for the biological argument. At first some European naturalists believed that men and women of separate races couldn’t produce progeny. When it turned out they could, the naturalists claimed that the offspring would be sterile, like mules. That’s where the word mulatto comes from, by the way. And when that turned out not to be true, the definition of race had to be written into law.

The colonists didn’t really care about biological categories except as a means to justify enslaving other people and not people like themselves. The colonists in Virginia needed to determine the race of the children white men fathered with enslaved African women — by sexual assault, since the women had no right to refuse. They also didn’t want these children to have any claim on inheritance from their fathers. Colonial law literally begins with a ruling about “whether children got by any Englishman upon a Negro woman should be slave or free.” British common law said children inherited their social status from the father. In 1662 the white settlers passed a law that, in the Virginia Colony, the social status of children born to black women was inherited from the mother, so they could be enslaved.

By the twentieth century the law of racial inheritance becomes the “one-drop” rule, which says that if you have any discernible African ancestry, from your mother or father, you’re black. You can have seven white great-grandparents and one black great-grandparent, and you’re still black. In American culture white means “pure white.” Blackness can be a mixture, but whiteness cannot. Privilege and entitlement are given exclusively to people who can legally claim to be white. Jewish, Irish, Italian, and Slavic people weren’t always classified as completely white but were eventually able to attain that status. This system is clearly a political invention to establish white supremacy and white dominance.

MARK LEVITON: The Naturalization Act of 1790 prohibited nonwhite immigrants from becoming American citizens. In 1923 an Indian Sikh named Bhagat Singh Thind attempted to have himself categorized as Caucasian, but the U.S. Supreme Court decided his skin color disqualified him.

DOROTHY ROBERTS: The Thind case is a perfect example of how the decision of who gets to be white is not a biological one. Thind brought to court scientific evidence that his ancestors were of the same Aryan blood as Englishmen and white Americans.

In fact, he argued that his superior caste position in India made him of purer white descent than white people in the U.S. The Supreme Court basically dismissed his data and said, in effect, “No white man in America is going to think you’re white. Therefore you can’t be.” The legal category of “Asian” was created to identify those who would be excluded. But where’s the border? Is Russia less Asian than China? U.S. law considers Russians to be white but Chinese people to be Asian — because historically Russians were more welcome as immigrants, though not as welcome as the English.

First comes the desire to conquer another people and take their land or enslave them.

Then follows classifying human beings into races to justify and manage it. Racism isn’t a product of race. Race is a product of racism. People think it’s OK to categorize people by race as long as they’re not racist, but any division of people into supposedly natural races promotes a racist agenda, whether we intend it to or not.

MARK LEVITON: Politically it seems there’s always a need to define some group as a burden on society, undeserving of the resources and advantages upstanding citizens have earned.

DOROTHY ROBERTS: This is a familiar discourse in the U.S. Black women on welfare. Mexican immigrants. They are costing taxpayers too much. We need government policies to control them: welfare rules that deny benefits to women who have another child; immigration laws that keep Mexicans from giving birth on American soil. To me this is the language of eugenics, even if the people espousing these policies don’t mention sterilization or genetics. It’s still focused on the threat to society posed by certain people’s childbearing.

And you hear the argument, both in the past and today, that these policies are for the benefit of the disadvantaged people themselves. That 1924 Virginia law mandating sterilization was passed in a package that included the Racial Integrity Act, which criminalized marriages between blacks and whites. That law wasn’t overturned until 1967, in Loving v. Virginia.

One of the creators of the Racial Integrity Act, Earnest Cox, said, “The sane and educated Negro does not want social equality. They do not want intermarriage or social mingling any more than the average American white man wants it. They have race pride as well as we. They want racial purity as much as we want it.” In other words, “We’re doing this for their own good!”

Likewise, Holmes argued in Buck v. Bell that if the government sterilized the mentally ill, it could release them from asylums and let them live freely. Sterilization benefited them! So Holmes framed a violent act as benevolent.

Samuel Cartwright, the nineteenth-century physician I mentioned earlier, argued in a medical journal that blacks suffered from “dysaesthesia aethiopica,” a mental condition that caused laziness and could be cured by forced hard labor. Slavery “unchained the mind” of black people from barbarism and ignorance. These attitudes persist today in the way legislators talk about how to “cure” the problems of the black community. In 1965 Democratic senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan issued a report titled The Negro Family: The Case for National Action. It concluded that poverty in black communities was caused by “matriarchal” black single mothers, the poor character of black men, and ghetto culture — not forced residential segregation, substandard schools, and employment discrimination.

The disadvantages suffered by black people today are not due to innate flaws in black people themselves but stem from the institutional racism that’s been practiced over centuries in this country. Our society is unequal because it is engineered to be that way.

Medical professionals, geneticists, criminologists, sociologists, and psychologists who don’t think of themselves as racist still find it hard to conceive of doing their work without categorizing people into natural races. Doctors ask, “How can I treat patients without taking their race into account?” Researchers ask, “How can I do this study without having subjects tick the box to indicate race?” By treating race as if it were an essential, innate part of who we are, they are upholding institutions and ideas that perpetuate inequality.

Avowed white supremacists are aware of their investment in the system. They are dedicated to propping up institutions that favor white people based on a belief in white superiority. But most white people don’t realize the depth of institutional racism. It’s painful for them to confront how they have benefited from these systems. They want to believe they deserve what they have. Because they don’t understand or don’t want to acknowledge how being white confers privileges, they do nothing to dismantle these systems where racism is embedded, and they even support policies and ways of thinking that maintain them.

The myth of biological race keeps many people from seeing that there’s nothing wrong with people who suffer from social disadvantage. What’s wrong is a society that puts people at such social disadvantage because of their race.

MARK LEVITON: You’ve said that government policies that do not overtly specify race still have unequal outcomes from different racial groups.

Most white people don’t realize the depth of institutional racism. It’s painful for them to confront how they have benefited from these systems.

They want to believe they deserve what they have.

34 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Continued on page 36

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 35

NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE continued from page 34

The scientists who led the Human Genome Project made a point of saying human genetic variation isn’t divided into races. There’s no point at which you can draw a line and identify one race on one side and a different race on the other.

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Government statutes that appear to be race-neutral often have racial assumptions embedded in them, or they have a different impact on people of color because other institutions have already put those people at a disadvantage. I certainly support universal, race-neutral policies that promote equal access to resources — for instance, Medicare for All. But even if we had that, we would need to recognize that it won’t benefit everyone equally. Residential segregation has put black Americans in neighborhoods with fewer highquality hospitals, cutting edge technologies, and medical caregivers. Black people have to travel farther to get care, often using substandard transportation systems. Then there are the living conditions that put black people at greater risk of poor health in the first place, like the proximity of toxic-waste sites, air pollution, lead in the water, police violence, and higher levels of stress. Universal access to single-payer health insurance is urgently needed, but it won’t solve those problems. People who live in betterresourced areas, who can buy more-nutritious food and have less exposure to toxic chemicals and other unhealthy conditions, are still going to have a health advantage.

Most of my work looks at institutionalized disadvantage, not individual bias, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of individual bias on the part of police, social workers, employers, landlords, teachers, and healthcare providers. Studies show that many doctors falsely believe in biological differences between races, and they incorporate these beliefs — especially negative myths about black people’s bodies — into their medical practices.

One atrocious example is the undertreatment of black patients for pain. Black patients receive less pain medication than white patients for the same injuries, and black people are less likely to get any pain medication at all. A study of children coming into emergency rooms with severe appendicitis found that white patients were more than twice as likely to be given opioids to relieve their suffering than black patients. In some emergency rooms, because of a myth that black people exaggerate their pain, nurses are instructed to give black patients less pain medication than is indicated by how they describe their pain.

MARK LEVITON: But isn’t there any validity to race as a factor in medical studies? For instance, aren’t blacks more likely to get sickle cell anemia?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: We shouldn’t confuse a higher prevalence of a particular genetic variant in a population with a racial disease. It is true that the genetic mutation that causes sickle cell disease is more prevalent in certain parts of Africa, as well as in other parts of the world where malaria is endemic, because the sickle cell trait provides a protective advantage against malaria. But the trait doesn’t exist only in black people. Nor are individual black people likely to have it just because they are classified as black. There’s also

36 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

a reliable test to detect the sickle cell gene. Why not use it instead of depending on flawed race classification?

MARK LEVITON: In Fatal Invention you tell a story about Richard Garcia and his childhood friend. What did you learn from him?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: Dr. Garcia is a physician who wrote an article in Pediatrics about how notions of race can lead to misdiagnoses. He used the example of a friend of his, an African American girl named Lela, who from a very young age had suffered from respiratory problems.

She kept coming back to the emergency room, and doctors could not figure out what was wrong with her. Her medical chart contained doctors’ notes identifying her illness as “another pneumonia” and a “fever and cough.”

When Lela was eight years old, an X-ray technician looked at her X-ray without knowing her race and immediately asked, “Who’s the kid with cystic fibrosis?” She’d had the symptoms from the beginning, but the doctors thought only white people carried the gene for cystic fibrosis.

There is no such thing as a black, white, Asian, or Native American gene. There’s genetic variation among humans, all of whom descended from Homo sapiens on the continent of Africa. Cystic fibrosis may occur more often in a certain population of European descent, but that doesn’t mean that it cannot be carried by someone who is not of European descent or who is not identified as white.

And this African American girl could have had European ancestry — in fact, she could have had mostly European ancestry — but doctors still would have identified her as African American because her skin was a certain shade, or her hair was a certain texture, or because her parents ticked the “black” box. In the U.S., “black” means having any discernible amount of African ancestry.

Doctors use race as a proxy for genetic differences because it’s convenient, or because they don’t have time to do genetic tests. But testing for cystic fibrosis is better medical practice than continually admitting a patient like Lela to the hospital. Her race wasn’t considered just a factor; it was considered a categorical exclusion. It meant she couldn’t have cystic fibrosis, even though she had the symptoms of the disease.

Race overwhelms everything else. If you’re a doctor, even when your patient has the clinical indicators and the symptoms are right in front of you — everything you need to make a diagnosis — you might discount it all because of the patient’s race. That makes race a dangerous category for doctors to rely on.

MARK LEVITON: You’ve written about how white women can avail themselves of a system that encourages childbearing, while black women are discouraged from having more children.

DOROTHY ROBERTS: There is a racial caste system in reproduction. Black women in particular have been stigmatized for their childbearing, to the point where

it’s seen as a social problem. There’s a long history of punishing black women for having babies, from forced and coerced sterilizations, to the way welfare policy is written, to how black women are prosecuted for drug use during pregnancy. The hysteria over “crack babies” during the Reagan administration was just that: hysteria. More recent, long-term studies have shown that crack use during pregnancy didn’t produce the dire physical and social harms that were predicted. In any case, drug use during pregnancy should have been treated as a health problem instead of a crime. Racism and the devaluation of black mothers were key to this punitive approach. I wrote Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare to highlight how the child welfare system monitors, regulates and mistreats poor families, especially poor black families: investigating parents; forcibly removing children from the home; terminating parental rights. That’s how family needs are addressed, instead of by supporting families.

At one point in U.S. history, the child welfare system was used to separate white immigrant children from their families. Charles Loring Brace’s Children’s Aid Society — founded in 1853 — was created to remove Catholic immigrant children from their families and place them with God-fearing Protestant families. That was at a time when child welfare was only for white children.

MARK LEVITON: How is it different today?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: As black families became involved, the system became more punitive. The child welfare system is run as if black children need to be protected from their innately inadequate mothers. This leads to black children being removed from their homes with greater ease than white children. There’s a widespread belief that black children are better off in imperfect foster care than in their own homes.

There have always been “undeserving poor,” but black mothers are seen as even more undeserving. The mythical “welfare queen” — an inner city black woman — became the face of the welfare system, even at a time when there were more white families receiving public aid. According to a widely held myth, white families used government money to care for their children, whereas black families spent it on frivolous luxury items. Black women were actually thought to be having babies just to get a supposedly generous welfare check.

This all led to the ridiculously titled Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, which President Bill Clinton signed in 1996. The first thing the 1996 law says is “Marriage is the foundation of a successful society.” In other words: You black women need to get married and stop having children out of wedlock. Before 1996 you were entitled to public assistance to care for your children if you had a certain level of need.

Since then, Congress has made no bones about the fact that welfare is a behavior modification system. The law doesn’t examine why welfare recipients need public assistance; it is designed simply to get them off public assistance through marriage, fertility control, low-wage work, or cutting off benefits.

MARK LEVITON: So what can be done to change these broken systems?

DOROTHY ROBERTS: We can start with awareness. Everyone should understand that the reason we have mass incarceration of black men and women isn’t because most of them are violent and dangerous. We don’t have a huge foster care population because so many black parents are monsters. Researchers are too often trying to figure out how to “fix” black people. My mantra is “There is nothing wrong with black people.” What’s wrong is structural racism. The systems in place ruin black people’s lives and restrict their opportunities to participate equally in society.

I think if more people understood that the problem of inequality is systemic and institutionalized, it would go a long way toward changing the discussion. These issues are interconnected, and we need all progressives, at least, to see the connections. We need people organizing and protesting in the streets and writing op-eds in the newspapers and putting forward legal challenges in the courts and creating more humane alternatives in their communities. I can be pessimistic about this country ever becoming a nonracist society, but I’m heartened when my undergraduate, medical, and law students ask what they can do to bring about such a change.

I don’t believe we should be “color-blind,” that we shouldn’t pay any attention to race.

As a political invention, race continues to determine power arrangements and is not going to just go away. We have to dismantle racist institutions to affirm our common humanity.

And to do that, we need to understand how the concept of race really functions.

This interview appeared in a different form in the April 2019 issue of The Sun (thesunmagazine.org). It appears here by permission of Mark Leviton and Dorothy Roberts.

Mark Leviton is supposed to be retired, but it didn’t take. He lives in Nevada City, CA. www.petsoundsmusic.com www.spiritofchange.org

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The

SEX EDUCATION You Missed

truth is that we make time for what is important in our lives.

If you want to get better at a sport, you practice. If you want to improve your relationship, it also takes practice. Schedule time in both of your calendars to spend with each other.

Ideally, there would be at least 10 minutes each day to check in and a 2-hour span one day per week where you both agree to put down the smartphones, turn off the TV, get a babysitter, and just be with each other. You can schedule an activity together or even just go for a walk. The important part is to make it a positive experience to reconnect. If at all possible, this should also include some time for cuddling, sex or just holding hands while watching a sunset or a movie together.

PRACTICE RELAXATION AND SELF AWARENESS

By David Helfand, PsyD

BE POSITIVE AND KIND

T

This one might be seem obvious, but we break this rule in relationships and daily life all the time. There is substantial research that shows in order for a relationship to work there must a ratio of five positive interactions to one negative interaction. Every interaction matters — a smile, a wave, a hug, a frown, the tone of your voice. Keep in mind that it is better to say something if you are uncomfortable about a situation than to say nothing at all. However, if you are going to speak up, framing it in a positive way will yield optimal results. For example, you might want to tell your partner during sex, “I don’t like it when you bite my lip.” This is negative feedback and probably makes the other person feel discouraged about being a lover. Instead, try redirecting them in a positive way.

“It makes me feel all tingly when you kiss my right ear.” Even better, say it with a sultry smile.

hink back to your sex education classes in school.

If you even had a class, it probably focused on abstinence education or the body mechanics of reproduction. Perhaps you are having a flashback to images of body parts being drawn on the chalkboard while the students around you giggled. Maybe you were even lucky enough to be taught a little about healthy sex and not just persuaded to avoid it all together. Whatever your experience was during those formative years of your life, there was probably one key question that went unaddressed: how do I have healthy and lasting relationships and sex?

Understanding the mechanics of the body is important for a healthy and satisfying sex life, and good sex is important in many relationships. However, it is equally and sometimes more important to understand the mechanics of relationships themselves. The brain is the most important sex organ, and learning how to stimulate and operate it will undoubtedly lead to more pleasure in the bedroom. If you are in a relationship, or you hope to be someday, here are three principles that can improve your relationship in and out of the bedroom.

38 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

SCHEDULE UNINTERRUPTED TIME TOGETHER Most of us have busy lives, however there is one phrase that I often hear from couples that should be addressed: “We didn’t have time for sex/intimacy/romance.” If you ever hear yourself or your partner say those words, take a moment to reflect. The

This last suggestion is something more targeted to an individual, but you can also work on this as part of a couple.

One of the biggest problems that couples face is not knowing how to relax or walk away from an argument due to the lack of awareness of emotional trigger patterns. Ninety percent of the emotion during an argument is really about one’s own childhood and history. When your partner says something that reminds you of your mother scolding you, or they behave in a way that reminds you of how helpless you felt during a past relationship, all of those old feelings are brought up and projected towards your unknowing partner. Learning how to identify your triggers, their origin, and communicate those experiences in a relaxed manner can not only save your relationship but also heal those old wounds. This allows for discord in a relationship to become an opportunity to build intimacy instead of break it. The next time your partner says something that triggers you, instead of responding with a snarky comment, you might say, “When you use that word, it reminds me of how my father used to yell at me as a child and I feel this rush of emotion come back up. I’d like to find a different word to use. It would make me feel so much closer to you knowing that you understand this trigger for me and are willing to work on it.”

Imagine the impact on the divorce rate, childhood trauma rates, and general relationship satisfaction overall if sex education included training and awareness on nurturing better relationships and communication. Start a discussion and share one thing with your partner that you learned about relationships from this article. Even making one small change can create a chain reaction that substantially improves your relationship, your sex life, and your overall satisfaction as an individual.

David Helfand, PsyD, is a relaxation and relationship coach who offers private retreats for people who want to dive deeply into themselves or their relationship. He has spent more than 10 years studying ways to calm the nervous system through meditation, yoga and neurofeedback, as well as helping couples communicate and build intimacy. Contact David at (844) 3544050 or visit www.DrHelfand.com.

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 39

Vis

NAT at tihteus U A L LIV exRp BO o ING

Why Can’t I Just

OTH #70 3

Get Over It?

How to let go with gratitude

By Trish Whynot

F

inding a new dentist had been on my to-do-list since before my last checkup.

But there on my answering machine was a new message — you guessed it — confirming my next cleaning.

Have you ever been meaning to do something yet find yourself putting it off? Or had a project that kept getting carried forward from one to-do-list to the next?

I called and cancelled my appointment. At least it was one step in the right direction.

But three months later I still hadn’t had my semi-annual checkup. I’d gone every six months for practically my entire life. I almost just gave in and made an appointment with the old dentist, but something in me was ready to move forward so I called a hygienist friend instead. I told her what I was looking for in a dentist, she handed me over to their receptionist, and the appointment was made.

Phew!! A sense of euphoria came over me the instant the phone hit the cradle.

How do you feel when you finish a project that has been hanging over your head?

Relieved? Lighter? Energized?

That is because you are no longer feeding it your energy. Even when not consciously thinking about an unfinished project there is an undercurrent of energy necessary to keep it alive. Finishing the project frees up that energy. Why did it take me so long to complete that last liberating step?

As Trish Whynot, my inquisitive mind wants to know. I want to go after the buried treasure because my findings never fail to add richness to my life. My intuition tells me that understanding why it took me so long to find a new dentist will be fruitful.

You might be rolling your eyes about now, thinking, “It’s just a dentist, Trish.” But is it? Just a dentist would not have caused me to procrastinate, especially when my friend is a hygienist.

40 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Has anyone ever told you some version of, “just get over it” when you’ve been struggling? Or encouraged you to let go of an experience before you were ready?

Did you feel shame when accused of making too big a deal out of it? Maybe it seemed to others that you were making a big deal out of whatever it was because they didn’t know the whole story. So let me share more of my story.

I had the greatest dentist in the world. Not only was he a great dentist, but he had been my dentist since childhood. He acknowledged my whole person, not just my mouth.

I loved my dentist’s fatherly nature. When my children were young, he’d take extra time after my appointment to let them lie back in the chair while he counted their teeth. It only took a moment, showed how much he cared, and built trust between them. When they were old enough for cleanings, we all reaped the rewards. I never had to battle with them over a dental visit; they felt relaxed and safe with him, and so did I. But then he retired and left us in the hands of a dentist who I really didn’t care for.

Has anyone who touched you deeply ever moved on from your life or been lifted out of it before you were ready to let them go? A death, a divorce, a loved one moving?

How did you feel?

My feelings were: • Sadness because I was grieving. Although I was happy for him, I was sad for me

because I was experiencing loss.

• Abandonment because he moved on and left me with this other dentist.

• Anger because I wasn’t ready to let him go. He even gave us a good year’s notice,

but are we ever ready to let go of someone we cherish?

• Regret because I didn’t realize how he had touched my heart until it was too late

to let him know.

Now, you might be rolling your eyes again. “Come on, Trish, abandoned by a dentist?” “Grieving?” “Touched your heart?” Isn’t that a bit much?

Initially I thought my anger came from my frustration with the dentist I had been left with, but it took my moving on from her to realize that she hadn’t been as bad as I had been telling myself. What my frustration had truly been telling me was that I had not been ready to let go of my beloved childhood dentist. As a rule, when strong feelings are triggered — especially if those feelings seem out of proportion to the situation at hand — it is a signal that they connect to something else in our past, something we haven’t dealt with. Therefore, I figured that once I began my grieving process, other experiences of letting go would be related.

To understand this, let’s think about rhizomes. A mint plant spreads not only by producing seeds, but by sending out underground runners called rhizomes. The rhizome then produces roots and sprouts that develop into a new plant, which sends out another rhizome, which sprouts another plant, and so on. Our life experiences are connected to each other much like the mint plants are connected by these rhizomes. I had experienced a string of losses, all of which were connected by this underground system. The rhizomes of mint are shallow (but tough), so when you pull on one plant it causes a chain reaction — which disturbs the other plants, much like my feelings of loss.

As I put two and two together, my procrastination and my excessive frustration with my retiring dentist’s replacement, it became obvious that I was experiencing loss, and that it was bigger than just my dentist. From there I used my feelings of abandonment as fuel to go into the rhizomes of my past — the conduit for my energy that was still feeding some partially grieved losses. I landed at another physical manifestation of loss — a painful breakup from my teen years. It was traumatic for many reasons, and my pride along with my lack of emotional maturity, prevented me from processing it at the time. It took me years to get over that, but had I truly gotten over it or had the memory just become distant with time?

Now again, you might be thinking, “Come on, Trish. Don’t you have more important things to do than rehash something that happened more than 30 years ago?”

Over the course of my adult years, I have come to know that real strength is born of humility — having the courage to admit when I am bothered and knowing how to use my feelings to lighten my past, illuminate my present, and brighten my future. Based on this understanding, I knew with certainty that this was the most important thing to do right now. I realized that the feelings I Continued on page 42

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 41

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WHY CAN’T I JUST GET OVER IT? continued from page 41 this was the most important thing to do right now. I realized that the feelings I had around my dentist retiring had forced old feelings of loss to the surface; I had disturbed the underground rhizome system, so that I could suddenly see and feel the interconnectedness of these experiences.

Instead of smoothing over the disturbed soil, I dug in. And just as expected, I emerged from this visit into my past with some pearls — the value I had lost from believing that I had been discarded and the wisdom of knowing, without a doubt, that I had not been the victim I once thought I had been. These findings were hugely liberating for me.

Rather than seeing myself as jilted, I now saw the loss of that relationship as part of the natural process of growth and change. As part of this natural process, a restructuring takes place where some people fall out of our lives and we fall out of theirs because we have moved out of alignment in some way.

That’s what had happened with my dentist. He no longer wanted to be a dentist and I still needed one. Our journeys had simply gone in separate directions. All of a sudden I could clearly see that this was also what had happened with this boyfriend and with other losses in my past. Our desires for our futures were too different; our paths had crossed but diverged. But at the time all I could do was blame and become the victim.

With this realization, along with the work I had done leading up to it, I was able to put closure to an entire string of similar events, which freed up even more energy. Rather than add another event to my string of losses, my string of losses had morphed into a string of valuable pearls that I could thrive on.

Knowledge is not meant to diminish the My future holds hurt we experience, but through having the humility to feel our hurt, we are able to embody the promise our knowledge with every fiber of our being that rather rather than holding it only as head knowledge.

From the closure of these old abandonments than being had emerged an entirely new, lighter and more emotionally hopeful dimension to letting go. My future holds the promise that rather than being emotionally charged by a charged by a string of past events, letting go string of past will become an occasion for gratitude. I will events, letting still grieve the loss over what will no longer be, but I’ll be able to be grateful for what was, and go will become expect something at least as good, if not better an occasion for — something that matches the new me — to be just around the corner. I’ll also be expecting that gratitude. everyone involved will be getting exactly what they need at the same time, just as I have.

Why did it take me so long to complete that last liberating step?

Because I had been subconsciously struggling with it’s just a dentist, I am a victim, and there’s nothing better out there. I was viewing my present, and my desires for my future through the filters of my past. I may have to test drive a few dentists before I find a good fit, but I know without a doubt that it will be worth the effort in more ways than I can currently wrap my mind around.

Next time you are told (or want to tell someone) to just get over it, think about the string of pearls that came from my dentist story. There may be some buried treasure underfoot for you as well, if you accept your invitation to lighten your past, illuminate your present, and positively change the course of your future.

Adapted and reprinted with permission of author Trish Whynot from Why Me? Why Now? Why Not? Finding Opportunity in Your Obstacles, 2012.

Trish Whynot, D.C.Ed. is celebrating her 20th year as a holistic counselor and has recently completed a Holistic Life Coach Certification. She is the author of Why Me? Why Now? Why Not? Finding Opportunity in Your Obstacles, an illustrated guide to living that expects opportunities even during challenging times. Trish works with clients remotely and in person. Visit www.TrishWhynot.com.

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I Hear You:

The Surprisingly Simple Path To • • • •

Healthier Relationships

By Michael Sorensen

By Michael Sorensen

The truly good listeners of the world do more than just listen — they listen, seek to understand, and they validate.

H

ave you ever talked to someone who clearly heard the words you were saying, but didn’t seem to get what you meant? Or maybe they understood your point, but were obviously disconnected from the emotion or weight of the situation? That person listened to you, but didn’t really hear you. Now, I know that hearing is technically a sense (i.e., our ears allow us to hear sound), but colloquially, we often use the phrase, “I hear you” to mean “I understand you” or “I get where you’re coming from.” It’s that kind of hearing — a true understanding and connection — that we crave.

So that begs the question: how do you show someone you really hear them? This is where things get interesting. The truly good listeners of the world do more than just listen. They listen, seek to understand, and then validate.

Validation is a way of pausing to truly understand and acknowledge another person’s feelings, rather than offering a quick fix of surface-level reassurance. Validation is something we all crave. We as humans are social creatures. We crave acceptance, appreciation, and a sense of belonging. In times of joy and success, we seek to share our excitement with others. In times of pain and sorrow, we seek comfort and support. Whichever way you slice it, we are hardwired for connection. As psychologist John Gottman noted in his forty years of couples research, we make dozens — if not hundreds — of requests for connection each day. More often than not (and whether we know it or not), we are looking for validation.

Validation (in the context of interpersonal skills, anyway) is the act of recognizing and affirming the validity or worth of a person’s emotions. Essentially, validation means saying to someone, “I hear you. I get what you’re feeling, and it’s perfectly alright to feel that way.”

EFFECTIVE VALIDATION HAS TWO COMPONENTS • It identifies a specific emotion • It offers justification for feeling that emotion For example, let’s say you’re out to lunch with a coworker. You’ve finished your meal and are chatting for a few more minutes before heading back to the office. You’ve noticed that she seems a bit distracted, frequently checking her phone and not being as present and engaged as 44 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

she typically is. Curious, you ask what’s up.

“Oh…my daughter was supposed to call me when she got home from dance practice,” she says, “but I haven’t heard from her. I was expecting to hear from her an hour ago, so I’m a little worried.”

What would you say? Would you offer reassurance? (e.g., “Oh I’m sure she’s fine. You know how teenagers are. She probably just forgot.”) Or would you jump in with advice? (e.g. “You should call one of her friends!”) While both these responses might help, they would be even more effective if you first took a moment to validate.

To validate your coworker in this situation, you would hold off on the advice and assurance for a moment and instead say something like, “I don’t blame you for being worried, especially if she told you she’d call an hour ago…”

Notice how that response 1) identifies a specific emotion (worry), and 2) offers justification for feeling that emotion (it’s been over an hour since she expected to hear from her daughter).

This response shows your friend that you not only hear how she’s feeling, but that you understand why she’s feeling that way. While it may seem counterintuitive, choosing to validate your friend instead of offering solutions to her problem is likely the best way to help.

A study published in 2011 illustrates this point. Participants were asked to complete a number of difficult math problems during a short period of time, and then asked to report their emotional state (e.g., stressed, embarrassed, confident, etc.). The facilitator then responded with either a validating or invalidating comment. If the participant expressed frustration, for example, the researcher would respond with a comment such as, “Whoa, other people were frustrated, but not as much as you seem to be” (invalidating), or, “I don’t blame you — completing math problems without pencil and paper is frustrating!” (validating).

Participants were then asked to complete a second round of arithmetic and once again report their feelings. Their emotions were once again validated or invalidated, and the process was repeated a third and final time. Researchers measured participants’ response to the stress and feedback by tracking their heart rate and skin conductance levels (SCL), common measures of physiological response. When the experiment was complete, the information was gathered and analyzed, and trends, correlations, and insights recorded.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, participants who received invalidating responses showed a gradual increase in SCL, a prolonged stress response, and a steady increase in heart rate. They also reported regular increases in negative feelings after each round, despite being told “not to worry.”

In other words, they were worrying, and they really weren’t enjoying the experiment.

Participants who had their emotions validated, however, had entirely different results.

These individuals showed a significantly lower trajectory of SCL, reported nonsignificant changes in negative feelings, and actually showed a steady decrease in heart rate over the course of the experiment. It wasn’t just that their heart rate stayed flat, or rose at a slower rate than those who were invalidated; it actually went down, despite the fact that they continued to work through difficult problems. While they were exposed to the same stressors as the other group, those who had their feelings validated found it significantly easier to regulate their emotions and keep their cool.

More often than not, people who vent or complain already know how to handle their current situation — they’re just looking for someone to see and appreciate their struggle. While it seems almost counterintuitive, validation is often the quickest and easiest way to help people work through their concerns and get back on track.

There are, of course, countless ways to validate. As long as you show the other person that you recognize and accept their emotions, you’re validating. Any of the following comments would be validating in the appropriate context: “Wow, that would be confusing.”

“He really said that? I’d be angry too!”

“Ah, that is so sad.”

“I totally get why you feel that way; I’ve been in a similar situation before and it was rough.”

“You have every right to be proud; that was a major accomplishment!”

“I’m so happy for you! You’ve worked incredibly hard on this. It must feel amazing.”

Notice again how each of these responses refers to a specific emotion and shows some justification for or acceptance of it. Including both elements of validation shows the other individuals that you not only hear them, you understand them.

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INVALIDATING RESPONSES Invalidating responses are often born out of good intentions, but they do anything but help. Society teaches us from an early age that there are certain emotions that we should and shouldn’t feel. Comments such as “don’t cry,” “don’t worry,” and “don’t be angry,” as well as “be happy,” “be more confident,” and “just enjoy the journey” all reinforce this idea. For some reason, we’ve grown uncomfortable with certain emotions and labeled them as bad. These often include worry, fear, anger, jealousy, pride, sadness, guilt, and uncertainty. At the same time, Continued on page 46 www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 45

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we’re told that we need to feel more of the good emotions. These typically include happiness, excitement, calm, confidence, and gratitude.

This may seem fine and dandy on the surface, but it starts to become a problem when we feel bad about ourselves for feeling a negative emotion. If I shouldn’t get angry — but I do — then maybe I’m a bad or angry person. If I’m worried about something that I shouldn’t be worried about, then maybe I’m irrational or overdramatic. If I’m afraid of something that I shouldn’t be afraid of, then perhaps I’m weak or a coward. These and other shame messages run rampant through our minds, all because we aren’t feeling the way we should.

The truth is there’s nothing inherently good or bad about any emotion. Emotions just are.

They’re simply reactions to a situation. And, whether we like it or not, we’re going to feel a whole slew of them, each and every day, for the rest of our lives. William Shakespeare said it best: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” It is how we interpret these emotions — and choose to handle them — that makes the difference.

Anger, for example, gets a bad rap. While many let it lead them to violence, others let it lead them to positive action. Many of the most significant, positive changes in this world came about because individuals became angry about an injustice and let that anger drive them to do something about it.

So how does this judging of emotions relate to validation? Put simply, it completely undermines it. When we tell people they should or shouldn’t feel something, we risk making the situation worse. Think back to the previous study: telling participants to not worry (or otherwise suggesting that they were being irrational) added to their stress. Unfortunately, invalidating others is easy to do. For most people, it’s almost a knee-jerk reaction. How many times have you responded to a friend or family member with some variation of the following?

“You’ll be fine.”

“It could be worse!”

“At least it’s not [fill in the blank].”

“Just put a smile on your face and tough it out.”

“Don’t worry; things will work out.”

“Stop complaining; you’re not the only one who’s hurting.”

“It’s not that big a deal.”

If you’re anything like me (or most people), one or more of these phrases probably sounds all too familiar.

“But what if there’s really nothing to worry about?” you ask.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that the other person is worrying and wants someone to see and appreciate that. Everyone — regardless of age, gender, or IQ — will find themselves in a similar situation from time to time, when they’re stressed or worried about something they shouldn’t be. When people are in that state, a simple “don’t worry” doesn’t help. If you instead show them that you see and appreciate what they’re feeling, they’ll either find a solution of their own, or become much more willing to listen to yours.

KNOWING WHEN TO VALIDATE While everybody likes the feeling of validation, very few people know about it by name.

They can sense when they are or aren’t receiving it, but rarely do they know what to call it.

As a result, it’s unlikely that someone will approach you and outright say, “I could use a little validation.” So this begs the question: how do you know when to validate?

Requests for validation are far more common than you might expect. In my experience (admittedly lacking any form of scientific measurement), 80-90 percent of conversations have at least one opportunity to validate. In other words, if someone is talking to you, they’re probably hoping for validation. This again stems from our basic human need for appreciation and acceptance. It’s something we all feel an inner draw towards, regardless of how independent, confident, or self-sufficient we may be.

If you’re uncertain about whether you should validate, simply check to see if the other person is sharing something. It could be an experience, an emotion, a concern, etc. If someone is sharing something with you (e.g., “You’ll never believe what happened at work!” “I just don’t know what to do with Aaron.” “This upcoming exam is going to kill me!”), they are probably looking for validation. Even if they share an issue with you and ask for advice, they will still be hoping (consciously or unconsciously) for a little validation first.

The remaining 10-20 percent of your conversations will be factual in nature with little-tono emotion involved. If the other person is asking for directions, assigning a project to you at work, or asking what you’d like for dinner, you’re probably in the clear. But if a person asks for directions, and then tells you he’s worried he’s going to get lost, he is once again looking for validation.

If someone is distraught, angry, or concerned, validating them is your best chance at getting them to be receptive to feedback. The great thing is, you can validate someone even if you disagree with them. Learning to do so will give you a valuable tool for navigating confrontations, negotiations, disagreements, and the like.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU NEED VALIDATION With your increased understanding of validation, you are now much more likely to recognize when you yourself are seeking it. In these situations, it’s often best to just ask for it directly. It’s obviously best to talk with someone who already knows how to validate, but if the person you talk to doesn't, you can still point them in the right direction. For example, you might say: “Hey I’m feeling stressed right now and need some validation. Can I vent for a minute? I don’t want feedback or any suggestions for fixing it. I’d just like you to hear me out and help me not feel crazy.”

I had an opportunity to practice this just the other day when I started venting to a couple people in my family. They began to give advice and counsel and I found myself becoming irritated and defensive. I had literally just asked for their thoughts on the matter, then immediately went on the defensive against everything they were saying. It took me a few minutes to snap out of my own drama, but as I got curious about my defensiveness, I realized that I really just needed validation. I had already found a solution to the problem; I just wanted someone to appreciate the difficulty of the situation. I shared that with my family and they immediately stopped providing advice. Sure enough, with a little validation, I was able to let it go and felt significantly better.

LEARN TO VALIDATE YOURSELF In addition to seeking validation from others, it’s important to learn to validate yourself. We are often our own worst critics, judging ourselves in ways we never would another individual. Practicing self-compassion and learning to validate ourselves is a critical part of developing strong emotional health and happiness.

As with validating others, self-validation can be used for both positive and negative experiences. This means you’re allowed to feel pride and excitement when you do something well, and sadness or regret when things don’t turn out the way you had hoped. More often than not, we invalidate our emotions in an effort to avoid uncomfortable feelings such as fear, anger, or sadness.

You will recognize by now that the “just get over it” or “don’t get too excited” type responses weigh on us just as much as they would anyone else, yet are often difficult to catch in our own internal dialogue. Instead of dismissing or judging your own emotions, practice validating yourself in the same way you would a close friend. For example, you might say to yourself: “That’s some quality work right there! I nailed it.”

“You know what? It makes perfect sense that I’m frustrated. I put a lot of time and effort into cooking this meal with the expectation that my husband and I could enjoy a nice evening together.”

“I actually have a lot on my plate right now — it makes total sense that I’m overwhelmed. I think anybody in my situation would feel the same way. It’s probably worth taking a step back and slowing down.”

Ignoring, dismissing, or suppressing your emotions doesn’t get rid of them; it buries them.

It tucks them away to fester and arise again at a later time. When you recognize and validate your emotions instead, you strip away the judgment — the “I’m bad,” “this is wrong,” or “I shouldn’t” responses — and allow your experiences to flow through you. It helps you quell the inner critic and live a more present and enjoyable life.

NOTES Shenk, Chad E., and Alan E. Fruzzetti. “The Impact of Validating and Invalidating Responses on Emotional Reactivity.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2011, pp.

163-183.

Excerpted with permission of the author from I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships (2017, Autumn Creek Press) by Michael S. Sorensen.

A marketer by day and personal-development junkie by night, Michael S. Sorensen never aspired to write a book. His passion for helping others, fueled by his entrepreneurial spirit, led him to pen and self-publish the best-selling book I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships. Sorensen now shares the message of validation through speaking engagements, podcasts, and online instruction. Visit michaelssorensen.com. www.spiritofchange.org

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AT THE

eart H

OF

THE MONEY MATTER

By Linda Marks

In a culture obsessed with money, most of us don't have an answer to the question, "How much is enough?"

D

o you know anyone that is totally comfortable with their relationship with money?

Money is one of our culture's most emotionally loaded concepts; it is a metaphor for all our worst fears, our highest expectations and those parts of our lives we can and cannot control. Wealthy, poor or making ends meet, rarely is anyone satisfied with their financial position.

Many people spend years trying to come to peace with money and that peace is hard to come by. In a culture obsessed with money, most of us don't have an answer to the question, "How much is enough?" Some of the reasons it is so hard to answer this questions are: 1. Many of us don't know what matters most to us. What makes you happy? What brings you joy and contentment? We are bombarded with marketing messages telling us what we should have and all the new products and services that are out there. One small problem: what we think we should have may not be what makes us happy.

2. "Enoughness" follows from living purposefully. Many of us struggle with what brings us meaning and purpose. If we do what others tell us or define ourselves from the outside in rather than the inside out, both purpose and enoughness are hard to find.

3. Defining enough requires both a spiritual grounding to identify what really matters and the ability to translate the actual cost of what matters into financial terms.

Money Is A Mirror

Psychologically and culturally, we have projected onto money our most basic needs, our deepest fears and elusive things we hunger for. This is what I mean when I say money is a mirror. Here are some examples: 1. Money is power. It comes with the ability to influence other people. How people hold and use their power varies. Some use money to serve; others use money to manipulate.

2. Money is safety and security. It enables people to meet their basic needs for survival: food, shelter and protection. It can also bring us the ability to access resources that can keep us safe and secure.

3. Money separates people. Defining people by how much money they have — "the haves" and "have-nots" or the "upper class," "middle class" and "lower class" — is a common cultural practice. Neighborhoods often reflect the financial common ground of a particular group of people. Renting an apartment in a multi-family home suggests a different social subgroup than living in a gated community of homeowners. Disagreements over money can cause rifts in families. Long-standing friendships can be thrown into question when the financial position of one friend greatly changes, but not the other.

4. Money is all the things we want in our heart of hearts. This includes freedom, happiness, peace and love.

5. Money is a responsibility and, for some, a burden. Managing money takes a lot of time and energy.

6. Money creates opportunity. Money can enable possibility. Money can open doors.

7. Money is acknowledgement. Money is often a reward for our labors. Sadly, different professional areas are valued financially very differently. Someone who works on Wall Street makes far more money than a grammar school teacher. The professions that are most highly paid are not always the ones that make the greatest contribution to society.

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How Much Is Enough?

The key issue with money is not how much you have but how you hold what you have.

Getting caught in the cycle of "I never have enough" creates a trap that impedes the quality of life. I like to answer the question "How much is enough?" by saying "Whatever I need to do the things I really care about." The answer is different for every person.

Someone who enjoys living in the country might need a very different amount than someone who really loves living in the heart of the city. Singles have very different needs than those with children. At different times in our lives, we may answer the question differently.

Learning to know ourselves is both an introspective process and sometimes a process of trying out something that interests us, and seeing if the experience increases or decreases our sense of interest. We need to look to our hearts as well as our minds to find answers.

Learning to become honest with oneself takes time and courage.

It is also important to look at our wants and needs in the context of others and their needs. If we are afraid of life and do not trust we will find what we need, we might hold onto money and things tightly. We may find ourselves building fortresses and cushions of protection so we don't end up left in the lurch. In doing so, we may be taking more than our share out of fear. This behavior can become a cycle of stuckness built on feelings of "I'll never have enough."

In our culture today, we have too many examples of people who are ruled by greed with little conscience. The media is full of stories and images of people who lie, break the law and do whatever they want with little care for the consequence of their actions. There is a very high spiritual cost to living this way. And it breaks down the fabric of community and interconnection that is so important for all of us to have what we really need.

Developing a healthy sense of enough, while also incorporating a sense of social consciousness, is far more likely to lead to peace than living from a place of fear or greed.

Gratitude and appreciation feed the spirit and often generate more of the things we really want and need.

Becoming grounded about your financial needs, your financial resources and your financial habits is also a key part of the money equation. How often do you spend money without tracking what you've spent or determining if you have enough for all your basic needs? Are you afraid to add up your expenses for fear of what the number might be?

These kinds of habits leave us ungrounded. Keeping a money log where you track what you spend, and what you have to spend allows you to compare income and outflow consciously. It helps ground your money choices in money reality and lets you truly take care of yourself.

Linda Marks, MSM, is a heart-centered body psychotherapist and life coach, who has worked with individuals, couples, groups and families since 1985. Linda is also a professional singersongwriter and the founder of artist-alliance group #WIMG Women In Music Gathering. You can reach her at (617) 913-0683 or lsmheart@aol.com. Visit www.healingheartpower.com. www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 49

Taking Your

Dreamwork to the Next Level

By Linda Yael Schiller

Every night can be a new opportunity for getting relationship advice through your dreams.

W

e are hard-wired to live in connection with others. As humans, we are by definition part of a tribe, a clan, a family. We have friends, colleagues, spouses; we have bosses, children, pets, and some of us maintain connections on the other side with our departed friends and relatives. Sometimes these relationships are smooth, easy, and enhance our lives. Sometime they are messy, painful, and cause us no end of grief. That is all part of “the full catastrophe” of life, as the character Zorba the Greek teaches us. There are many avenues to address healing or understanding relationships that are difficult, but one that is often overlooked is waiting on our pillow each night.

We all dream every night, whether or not we recall it.

Neuroscience and brain scans tell us that we have five to 50 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

seven REM (rapid eye movement) dreaming cycles per night. Our dreams give us a window into our deepest and wisest selves, and allow us to tap into wisdom that we cannot access while awake. The phrase “let me sleep on it” when confronted with a problem or dilemma is not just hyperbole; we actually can problem solve and gain insights into our waking world issues before, during, and after we wake from our dreams. In addition, if we also attend to signs and symbols in our waking life as a form of waking dream, and approach these synchronicities (what Carl Jung called “meaningful coincidences”) in the same way that we approach our dreams, these waking dream states can also provide guidance our lives. You can harvest the wisdom from your dreams that can allow you to find your way back home to your truest self.

BEFORE YOU SLEEP

Dream On Purpose and Ask For What You Want With Dream Incubation Dream incubation, in a nutshell, is endeavoring to dream on purpose. In ancient times rituals that accompanied this goal often included embarking on a journey to a sacred site, bringing sacrifices to the gods, and praying for a healing or revealing dream. In modern times, we might be more apt to light a candle, meditate, or journal and write down the question we are hoping to get an answer to. We then go to sleep hoping to have a dream that clearly answers this question.

At its core dream incubation is about intentionality. We intentionally turn to a source of wisdom that is larger than ourselves, and open to the response we get from the

universe through the portal of our dreams. When we point relationships, pay attention to whether you can access our thoughts and attention in a particular direction, we this state of awareness while asleep. Sometimes there are more apt to find advice and answers than if we cast too will be a succinct thought in a dream, “I am dreaming!” wide a net. or sometimes there is a cue that lets you know this. One Dream incubation is most often used to ask for a method suggested is to assign your hands, for instance, specific dream to address an issue or problem that is as the cue in waking time, and then later in your dream, important in your life or relationships, such as: “I really if you notice your hands, that is your cue that you are like Jeremy, but should I actually marry him?” or, “I have having a dream. been having so much conflict with my boss lately. What In particular, if you dream of the person you have can I do to smooth things out at work?” or, “My dad died a relationship issue with, and notice this person while last year and I still have so much unfinished business with you are dreaming, then you have successfully accessed him that it feels like he is haunting me. Can I do anything lucidity. If you are able to achieve this state of awareness now?” I used this technique 21 years ago to answer the while dreaming, you can begin to dialogue with that question, “Is this our baby?” when we received our referral person about the issues right then and there, or you can for adoption from China. (The dream answer I received reset your dream and move it towards a different and in symbolic form was “Yes!” Our “baby” is 22 now, and a more positive outcome. This is a fairly advanced level of delightful young woman). lucid dreaming however, so don’t worry if you can’t do Incubating a dream is a way of lining up our queries, it while asleep. You can easily do this exercise after you our dilemmas and our intenwake up. A wonderful sci-fantions with the highest source tasy book I read recently had to get answers, or at least guidthe lucid dreamer grab hold of ance, to questions that we are her dream by the corners while not able to fully answer on our she was in it, shake it out like own. Through the practice of beach blanket, and then have it intentional dreaming, morning resettle into a nicer landscape can bring new light to the dilemand circumstances. That’s some mas we were stuck with when we strong dreaming! went to sleep the night before, AFTER THE DREAM and shine light on both past and Unpack Your Dream current relationships.

Upon Waking The core of the practice is to Dream characters may There are many ways to work spend a few minutes before gorepresent an aspect o with the dream material, and ing to bed writing down your yourself that you many layers of each dream that question, being sure that it is need to befriend, may be simultaneously true. in the form of a question. You heal, reclaim, If you dreamed of a particular can journal for a while first — person in your life as a dream come to terms with, spend five minutes or half an character, here is a list of possior simply hour — but try to end with a ble meanings for you: succinct question about your reget to know better. lational conundrum. The clearer your question is, the greater the chance that your answer will also be as clear. In the morning, or in the middle of the night, record your dream on the same page as the question you wrote, and then examine it. Remembering that dreams usually come coded in symbol and metaphor, take some time to see how your dream may be related to your question if it is not clear at first. Get others’ opinions as well; two or more heads are better than one in decoding symbols since we can’t see around the back of our own heads without someone helping to hold another mirror.

DURING THE DREAM

Practice Becoming Aware During Your Dream There is a type of dreaming called lucid dreaming that is, in essence, being aware while we are asleep that we are dreaming. It is a kind of meta-awareness, a way of having our consciousness alert during the unconscious process of a dream. There are a number of techniques and books available to help you develop the practice of lucid dreaming. For our purposes, after incubating your dream with your intention to receive answers about your www.spiritofchange.org

1. They come to the dream as themselves. Mom is really mom in the dream; no symbolism here. Look at what she is doing and what is happening in the dream.

Samantha’s mom died four months ago. She misses her a lot, but has moved past the initial hardest months.

Sometimes she dreams that she and her mom are together doing things they used to do, like walking the dog or baking cookies. They feel like bittersweet memories to her — sweet memories, but no longer possible to do. Recently she began having a different kind of dream of her mom.

These dreams feel incredibly vivid — more present, “in living color.” In this type of dream her mom is simply smiling at her fondly, nothing else is happening. When this happens, Samantha feels as if her mom is there in the room with her. Her sense is that these dreams are more like a visitation, that her mom is right with her saying, “Hi sweetie, I am still watching out for you.” Her spiritual belief system holds with the eternity of spirit, so she is very comforted by these visits.

Continued on page 52

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DREAMWORK

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Sheila A. Fay, Lic.Ac. Advanced Arvigo® and Pregnancy Practitioner Watertown, MA • (617) 905-6664 acufay@yahoo.com www.sfayacupuncture.com Noreen Cerqua, LCMT Certified Arvigo® Practitioner Walpole, MA • (508) 397-8287 www.WombCareAndConnection.com Susan Cotta, MSPT, CST-D Certified Arvigo® Practitioner 566 Wilbur Ave, Suite #5 Swansea, MA • (508) 982-1100 www.unlimitedpotentials.com Christine Lee, RNCS, Lic. Ac. Certified Arvigo® Practitioner & Self Care Instructor Balance and Healing Center Framingham MA • (508) 596-4680 acuchrisrn@aol.com NEW HAMPSHIRE Bernadine Kosowicz, OTR/L CLT Certified Arvigo® Practitioner NRHN Windham, NH (603) 432-9662 ext 2 bkosowicz@northeastrehab.com

Diane MacDonald, RN, MSN Certified Arvigo® Practitioner, Self Care & Professional Care Instructor Antrim, NH • (603) 588-2571 office@arvigotherapy.com Kym Feltovic, LMT Certified Arvigo® & Advanced Pregnancy Practitioner Goffstown and Concord NH 603-913-4267 kym@liberationalchemy.com www.liberationalchemy.com Laurie Freeman, LMT Certified Arvigo® Practitioner & Self Care Instructor Boscawen, NH (603) 630-6052 www.aha.massagetherapy.com Lilliana Rivera, LMT Certified Arvigo® Practitioner Antrim, NH • (603) 289-1082 http://lillianarivera.amtamembers.com lily.lotusheartwellness@gmail.com RHODE ISLAND Rebecca LaRose, LMT, Doula Certified Arvigo® Practitioner East Providence, RI • 774-277-8709 www.rebeccalarose.com

Continued from page 51

2. They come as a symbolic stand-in for someone else. That man with the dark hair who is not my dad in real life is actually my dad in the dream. Stand-in characters sometimes have a symbolic tie-in with the people they represent.

Josh dreamt that he entered a dark forest following behind a man. When the man turns towards him Josh sees that he has a mask on. As he takes it off, Josh realizes that this man is not who he thought he was. The now unmasked man has a sinister smile on his face, and Josh feels that he was lured in by him.

Upon waking, Josh notes that he felt anxious about entering the forest, but felt compelled to do so since it seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where it was. He felt the man was creepy, and that he was stupid for having trusted him. Why was he masked; what was he hiding from me? Among other things, Josh notices the man feels like a vampire, so he thinks about people who might be “energy vampires” in his life. This generates an “aha” for Josh –— the truest barometer of the meaning of a dream. Josh’s aha is, “He is just like my father! And for that matter, just like any number of my previous boyfriends!”

3. They represent a part of yourself. Dream characters may represent an aspect of yourself that you need to befriend, heal, reclaim, come to terms with, or simply get to know better.

Going back to Josh’s dream, Josh recognized that this masked man was also a part of himself — the part of him that ran away from true intimacy or pushed others away.

He realized he had masked this part of himself in his dream because he wasn’t proud of it. He felt embarrassed even to name it, but knew it was true that he had been sabotaging himself each time he found a good man, instead pursuing men who were needy and “sucked him dry,” rather than offering a true partnership.

When Josh could learn to trust and protect this masked part of himself, he was then more available for mutually caring relationships with others.

Spend a few minutes before going to bed writing down your question, making sure it is in the form of a question.

The clearer your question is, the greater chance that your answer will also be as clear in the morning.

4. They appear as an archetype.

This Jungian term implies the embodiment of a primordial image or character, such as the Witch, the Trickster, or the Lover.

While I was at a recent international dream conference, I had a dream of my friend Jennifer wearing a witch’s hat. She looked at me and said, “You know that you are one too.” Both Jennifer and I have been exploring uncanny ways of knowing such as dreams, intuition, and synchronicities for many years, and this fun archetypical dream message seemed to confirm that we are still doing so.

A colleague of mine painted a picture from her dream of a king with his crown slightly askew sitting on a type of throne in the background, while the court jester or fool was saying “Shhh” in the foreground with his finger up to his lips. On closer inspection, the throne was actually a large toilet. Our dream circle had a field day with this one, immediately thinking about a public figure who sets himself up as a false king, whose name happens to rhyme with “dump.” The “don’t tell” jester invoked associations to the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” This dream did not have any personal associations for the dreamer, but came through on a transpersonal level as a collective message for all.

52 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

5. They are a guide or a higher being. They come to give us precognitive information or spiritual direction. He or she may be a commonly known figure like the archangel Michael or Buddha or Persephone (goddess of the underworld.) They may have some numinous sacred quality, but sometimes our guides come disguised as tricksters or unsavory characters or people we have known.

Terry had a dream in which she was sitting in the lap of St. Teresa of Avila, her patron saint. St. Teresa was one of the great mystics, and Terry was currently exploring more of that direction in her life as well. She knew that St. Teresa had a message for her; for the moment however, she just wanted to bask in the peaceful energy she felt in her lap.

When you awake, write out your dream images and dialogue, and then ask questions of the person you need answers from. Write out both sides of the conversation — yours and their responses. Don’t worry if it feels contrived; just let it flow from your intuitive self. This exercise can be done both with living relationships, as well as with those who have departed Earth. It is possible to repair a difficult relationship in this way with someone who has passed, as well as receive advice and connection.

Giving your dream a title often helps get to the core meaning of your dream more quickly. For example, when Maria had a series of dreams about traveling with her Hartmann luggage set, which got lost, stolen, and spilled out in public places, she named them Losing My Heartman, spontaneously changing the spelling to Heart. Recognizing the pun let her know these dreams were about her desire for a life partner and her history of losing her heart too quickly and ending up with several divorces.

In addition, you can perform a symIf the answer is not bolic act that honors your feelings and clear at first, get others’ desires about the relationship brought opinions as well. about by the dream: plant a flower, say Two or more heads a blessing, rip something up, rearrange are better at decoding your room. The power of dream-based symbols since we can’t actions is strong, and doing something see around the back of in the physical world helps manifest the essence of the dream. our own heads without Think back to the person or relationsomeone helping to ship you asked for help or information hold another mirror. about and see if any of the above categories seems to fit. Notice what they are doing in the dream, what your relationship with them is there, and whether it is better, worse, or the same as in waking life. Consider which aspects from the dream character you would like to add or subtract from your waking relationship. Ask them questions, listen in your heart for the answers, and write those down, too. You can say things in your dream-based journaling that you couldn’t or haven’t yet said to the person in real time, or in their lifetime.

If you can make changes in your dream, or in your dream dialogue, or your understanding about the person you have struggled with, you can then apply your insights to shift the energies with that person in waking life. Be patient and compassionate with yourself, and know that you can practice whenever you desire clear answers. Every night can be a new opportunity for sweet, healing and productive dreams.

Linda Yael Schiller, MSW, LICSW, is a psycho-spiritual and body-oriented therapist, consultant, dreamworker, teacher, and author of "Modern Dreamwork: New Tools for Decoding Your Soul’s Wisdom." She regularly provides international training seminars, workshops, and experiential dream groups on all aspects of dreamwork for clinical, pastoral, corporate, and educational forums. Visit www.lindayaelschiller.com. www.spiritofchange.org

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The Place Where

By Elvia Roe

I

was 12 when I became fully aware that my parents weren’t compatible. It wasn’t because of fighting; there wasn’t much. Instead, there was tension. Intense tension. My mother’s voice smacked of resentment, even cruelty, when she spoke to my father. His response was usually silence or retreat. At that point they had been together 22 years and had four children. Promises had been spoken and broken — promises that defined the landscape of our family.

There was no malintent, just an inability to reconcile and grow together. I remember my brother and me splurging on a pair of engraved silver plate goblets from Shreve, Crump and Low in Boston for their 25th anniversary. There was no celebration. Nothing happy was said to commemorate their marriage. I know without question that their love for us was unwavering, but as time went on their relationship grew more and more corrosive. All was kept beneath the surface, except those times I’d walk into a room and my mother would be silently sobbing.

It was two or three months after my husband Peter and I got married that my mother told my father she was leaving him for another man, her soul mate. She had been seeing this man for a couple of years and wanted to wait until I was married before creating such a seismic disturbance. The family unit was obliterated. It became clear pretty quickly why she hadn’t been fully engaged with planning my big day. All beneath the surface. I’m only just realizing now, 34 years later, how deeply all this impacted me in ways I hadn’t understood before. Maybe it’s because I’m close to the age she was, with a crone’s perspective.

We all absorb habits and behaviors from our parents; it’s inevitable. What I picked up from mine was that normal and expected choices are often not aligned with one’s truth and what feels right in the heart. My mother had convinced herself that it’s okay to be asleep to her own emotional needs.

54 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Show Up My father lived in a world that was so much about his own intellectual needs, it was to the exclusion of everyone else.

What I now understand is that I actually needed to witness my mother’s breakthrough. I needed to see her break away with actions that resulted in some devastating effects and finally listen to her own heart and choose from that place. If my mother hadn’t followed her own truth, there’s a very good chance that I’d still be asleep to mine. Her brave, bold actions after 35 years of marriage smothered in a conservative culture showed me how to break free and gave me permission to unapologetically follow my own heart, to the place where the angels show up and make themselves known in those tiny, sacred spaces within.

My journey with the angels rose to a new level when I began to make choices from truth rather than from guilt, obligation or ego-oriented responsibility. This was on a subconscious level at first and for many years I was simply making decisions that felt good. Little by little, I was starting to pay attention to a sense of wholeness, which I can only describe as inner peace from the faith that somehow and in some way everything was in perfect order. I now know that these are hallmarks of a partnership with the angels.

The specific details of how each person communicates with the angels is unique. Some people feel a divine calm in their bodies, some hear audible, reassuring whispers, some have a strong sense of gut knowing, but for most people, it’s a combination of several modes. All communication, however, will have the following three noteworthy traits.

First, angelic guidance is always directing you on the path of love, never fear. For instance, you may feel a nudge to stand up to someone who is treating you unfairly or step away from a career that brings little joy but pays well. Those whispers, feelings and instinctual hits may demand courage to follow through on, but are always based in love for your higher self and highest good.

Second, these senses are built-in as part of who you are. You were born with them. Many of us have learned to tune out these higher levels of sensitivity because it is counter to the busyness and material frenzy that drives our culture. Humans are evolving, however, to a new level where trusting your intuition and divine instincts isn’t just a luxury, but rather a requirement.

With so much noise around us, we have to consciously go inward to focus on what’s truly meant for our highest good.

Which brings us to the third and most important point: your angels are leading you to discover and express the most honest and joyful expression of you. They are here to lovingly tune you in to influences and authority figures that have convinced you to do something other than your heart’s desire, like following the path to be a doctor when you really want to be an artist, or believing you’re supposed to be heterosexual when you’ve always secretly fantasized about homosexuality.

When we partner with the angels and enlist their support and guidance, we are tasked with the job of listening to and acting on the truth we discover. Sometimes those lessons can be painful for ourselves and others, but what’s in the highest good for one person is always in the highest good of everyone involved. My mother’s choice to leave nearly broke my father, but it also opened the pathway for a life that was much more joyful for him.

Here’s some helpful reminders for when you are feeling triggered in one of your relationships: z

Trust yourself, believe in yourself and love yourself enough to insist on following what feels truly right in your heart. Take personal responsibility for each and every decision with faith that you’re being led to goodness for all concerned.

z

View the disharmonious aspects of your relationships as a learning experience with an opportunity to heal and step more firmly into your true self. This could be called coming into oneness with the angels inside you.

z

As you are able, try looking at your relationships from a higher perspective,as the angels do. There are many situations where souls agree to incarnate and be in human relationship together to learn. Are you resolving issues or karma? What can you learn as you raise the level of your perspective of the situation?

It’s essential for you to seek out the help and support you need as you move closer to your wholeness, so don’t be shy about lovingly advocating for whatever you may need — healing or coaching sessions, time spent with supportive friends or families, engaging in activities that feed your body and soul. Everyone deserves this support and happiness.

Your angels are here to guide you to every resource, every person, and every experience you need to be the most beautiful expression of you!

Elvia Roe discovered her angels in the early 2000’s after leaving her high-powered corporate career to be home with her children. She has been featured on ABCs 20/20 as an expert on psychic children and is a co-author of several bestselling anthologies. She teaches women and men from around the world how to communicate with their angels to lead happy, truthful, and soul satisfying lives. Visit AngelsTeach.com.

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Healthy Relationships for Past, Present and Future Lives

By Barbara Ann Strassman

T

he energies we emit from our auric field, and more specifically our emotional body, often are taken in by those closest to us, i.e., our children, siblings, parents and other loved ones. As children we tend to identify with one parent more than another. Children are very sensitive and open to subtle energies as well. If there is an emotional imbalance, or a trauma, the child may want to help the parent, trying to remove pain, heartache or sadness, and unintentionally he/she may attract those energies into their own auric field. In the healing world we may say “you took on your mother’s/father’s energies.” Our experiences shape our beliefs and how we react to others, and before we know it we are like Mom or Dad.

56 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Sadly, we create exactly what we don’t want, as our focus is on exactly that: I am not going to raise my children the way I was raised! I am not going to fight the way my parents did, and so we strive to be different.

Energy follows thought, so a key step in healing our relationships with ourselves and with others is to always focus only on what you desire to create.

By being sympathetic and/or empathetic, we connect with those we love and we feel for them. Unintentionally though, we may be taking on their emotions and this does not assist their personal healing. We feel as though we are helping them, but if we become too entrenched into their trauma it affects all of our energy bodies over time. Often we are not aware, but we may be feeling a

heaviness, sadness, or helplessness and it is not even ours. The energy builds up over time and it affects the health of our energetic bodies.

I often find that it is well into the child’s adult years that they may finally start to realize the relationship has become unhealthy. The inability to help the other person to change or eliminate their pain becomes more apparent, more frustrating, and the fixer becomes upset. Around this time individuals will realize they have been ignoring their own needs and deep resentment arises.

These interactions, connections and energies are called “cords” in the world of energy healing. Our chakras emit energies and receive energies and the cords can attach to different chakras of the other person. Often people say they feel drained by another person, they feel the life being sucked out of them and they can identify the area of the body where they feel that. Those are energetic cords. The entanglement of these cords causes the unhealthy relationship.

The key to a healthy relationship is the understanding that you are you, and the other person is his or her own self. To know who you are, to stand in your truth, to not sabotage or give yourself away is very important. Often we sacrifice for those we love, meaning we give up a part of ourselves or we sell ourselves short. In cases where loved ones are ill and need energy from us to try and remain healthy and heal, they may feed off our energy body. However, we can become depleted if we are not re-energizing and balancing ourselves in other ways. The experience of losing a loved one may also cause us to give away part of our heart, and that too needs to be called back.

A part of our own self may leave with the deceased, even though we may be unaware of this personal loss of self.

We have cords that need healing in these situations. Traditional therapy certainly helps with relationships on an intellectual level but it does not clear the energetic level — the feelings that rise within body, the visceral response, or the root cause of the unhealthy relationship. Learning about boundaries, healing the wounds of the inner child, and sending any unhealthy energies back to the other person are very important in any healing. Knowing you can change your response, knowing what is triggering you, and learning that you make the choices in every moment, changes your whole trajectory. You are free to become the limitless you. Because everything is energy, the healing of relationship cords can be done even if the other person is no longer part of your life or if the loved one has passed over — there are no limitations!

Barbara Ann Strassman is a multi-dimensional healer, empath and founder of the Heart and Soul Healing Center in N. Easton, MA. Visit www.heartandsoulholistic.com

The Heart Wall

By Paul Callahan

W

hat is it that really draws us to a potential mate? Is it purely physical attraction? Or is it personality? Or maybe unspoken chemistry? Perhaps it’s something we are completely unaware of, something unseen, like vibration. After all, we each possess a distinct vibration, and more often than not, we are attracted to those with a similar vibrational frequency.

My high school sweetheart was a cheerleader and I was on the football team. That sounds like the perfect superficial match, right? What I didn’t realize until years later is that the real reason we were so drawn to each other was due to a very familiar and shared pain. We were both children of alcoholic fathers. We lived a childhood of walking on eggshells, in constant fight or flight mode, and fearful of unpredictable fathers and never-ending chaos at home.

We also shared something else in common: a heart wall. A heart wall is built by the subconscious mind after you’ve been hurt in order to protect you from being hurt again. It is made from bits and pieces of negative energies from past, unhealed traumas, emotions trapped in your body, often hundreds of them.

Your subconscious uses these emotions as brick and mortar to construct that energetic force field around your heart. A heart wall can be responsible for pushing away the right partners and attracting the wrong ones over and over. Have you ever experienced that pattern and continue to have failed relationships? That's not merely coincidental.

Often we subconsciously attract mates that we feel we deserve rather than those we www.spiritofchange.org

Continued on page 58

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 57

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How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

THE HEART WALL Continued from page 57

consciously desire. The partner that you could find true love and happiness with could be perceived as a threat to your heart and therefore pushed aside for someone that is safe. This type of self-sabotage is exactly what happens when you have a heart wall. That fear of having your heart broken can prevent you from finding the true love you long for.

Most disturbing about the heart wall is that it prohibits the pure love in our hearts from being felt by those we love. Our feelings of love must pass through layers of negative emotions like anger, resentment, shame, sorrow, abandonment, and fear before they are felt by our loved ones. Picture a white horse crossing a muddy river. What will it look like when it reaches the other side?

A heart wall can also block success, prosperity, and personal opportunities in life. For many, it can cause or

contribute to diseases or chronic conditions, and even prevent you from healing.

So, how can you get rid of a heart wall if you have one? The heart wall can be removed just the way it was formed, one trapped emotion at a time through various forms of energy healing. Once the heart wall is gone you can give and receive love freely. You’ll attract people that have a higher vibration and are better suited for you in your new light. You will be able to feel and express positive emotions better. Your love no longer has to pass through layers of negative energy to be felt by someone you love.

Paul Callahan is a holistic practitioner with over 25 years of experience specializing in intuitive energy healing. www.TheWellnessCodes.com.

Turn Heartaches Into Healing

By Jennifer Blaine

W

ould you like to know how to use your challenges to move you closer to yourself, feel better, and go about the business of creating change? If you say yes, follow these four steps.

1. START WITH RECOGNIZING HOW PRECIOUS IT IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY CARE. You wouldn’t be so disturbed by these things if you weren’t a sensitive, compassionate person. So first things first, deeply appreciate yourself for having the ability to be affected by things. You are wonderful.

2. MAKE THE CHOICE TO EXPRESS. In fact, there is a magic that comes out of finding the right balance between experiencing and expressing. If you don’t feel good, chances are you are doing too much experiencing without expressing or too much expressing without enough experiencing. If you are overwhelmed by circumstances, make time and space to express. Tell a friend how you feel. Get art supplies and draw a really bad picture. Put on music and make your “blah” dance or movement to match what you are experiencing. If you are talking and talking without noticing life around you, take time to tune in and listen. You will start to notice your own personal favorite balance of expression and experiencing things.

3. EXAMINE IF YOU ARE GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF BEING STUCK. If you are frustrated by things, it’s useful to realize that you are angry. Anger is present if there’s a fundamental injustice. Depending on what you are angry about, this may be a sane response. What if you are angry because you want things to be different? If so, how do you want them to change? What are you willing to do about it? The film

“The Cove,” a documentary about the annual devastating slaughter of dolphins in a small Japanese cove, exposed how this cultural ritual was so entrenched that there was no support to change it. But due to awareness raised by the film, and a mass international effort, the practice of killing those dolphins has ended.

Isn’t that incredible!? If you align yourself with actually making a big change, you will feel better, and perhaps even end up transforming what really disturbed you in the first place.

4. THE FILMMAKERS OF “THE COVE” TOOK ACTION. In the end we all need to do that, to transform ourselves and the world. For me, engaging in a creative act always brings more energy. If I feel drained by being alone when I am parenting, I make a movie of my daughter, Lily. As a result, I get energy because I am being creative in the way I want to be creative. And if I entertain others with my creativity, I am honored to have brought joy to someone’s day. For some, just choosing to be more loving is enough of an action to take. For others, saying an affirmation is powerful. For others still, starting to build stamina by exercising can give them the energy to tackle their goals. A goal need not be huge, but by making up your mind to actually choose something different and take action you will experience a shift.

In life, we always get to choose whether we are resigned to things as they are, or if we are willing to change and choose a healing path with ourselves and others. If we are willing to change, we get a burst of creativity, inspiration, an actual feeling of being alive. What could be better?

Jennifer Blaine has been a transformational coach since 1997.

Self Worth

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By Debbie Ritter

A

the same coin. As soon as we think we've landed heads couple of weeks ago, I was awakened in up, we immediately start worrying about how we can the middle of the night by a pain along stay there, and at some point we are propelled back to the front of my right shin. Not quite a tails. Life becomes something we have to win at, or we charley horse, not a shin splint either. Still semi-conwill lose, and losing at life means we have no value. scious, my first thought was that if I exercised more it A Course in Miracles says our value is determined would not have happened. That somehow it was my by our higher mind, which is perfect and knows who fault. From there followed a stream of thoughts that we really are. Nothing we think or say or do or even were so mean-spirited that they jolted me fully awake. believe is connected in any way with our worth. We I watched those thoughts as if in slow motion as they simply are. And simply being us is perfect and changemounted their attack on me. After a few moments less. While we rarely connect with the full grace of the last thought curled back around itself, as if to say, what that feels like, just knowing it is true can help “There, we're done, now you can go back to sleep.” immensely when we fall prey to thoughts But I didn't. The pain in my leg had “Our inner dialogue of unworthiness. passed, but my attention was on the Life can seem to be all about setting thoughts instead. Initially horrified, I be- is often shockingly goals and achieving them, of growing, came filled with gratitude. After years of hateful and and of trying to improve ourselves. And, stealthily tracking my attacks on myself I had finally been shown them in their full, condemning; we say through those efforts we get to know ourselves better and settle into ourselves, boldfaced absurdity. things to ourselves and over the decades maybe even achieve Normally these kinds of thoughts are a measure of self-acceptance. And when much sneakier. Often they hide in one of we would never the penny turns, as it always will, we my long running-patterns, or they masdream of saying to don't need a better image of ourselves, querade as logic and truth. They like to but a different relationship with our own lurk in dark corners and pop out when I'm anyone else.” humanity. At that level, we are imperfect. overwhelmed and not in a position to fully — Adyashanti Rather than hating ourselves for that, notice or protest. or expecting that to be different, we can be kind to American-born spiritual teacher Adyashanti has said ourselves when our shortcomings cause us pain, and that our inner dialogue is often shockingly hateful and remind ourselves that we are much more than what the condemning. We say things to ourselves we would nevego would have us think we are. Then, as happened to er dream of saying to anyone else. To counter that, we me that night, when the next attack arrives, we can see talk a lot about self-esteem, as if that is the remedy, and it clearly with the light of understanding and watch it then look for ways to bolster our images of ourselves. dissolve back into the unreality it came from.

The idea that we can be unworthy comes directly from our ego, which is the least qualified part of ourDebbie Ritter is a spiritual intuitive who reads and selves to make that evaluation. The ego will tell us that teaches the Akashic records and practices meditation. A to be worthy we have to do something, or change, or former lawyer and expatriate, she currently lives on the improve ourselves in some way. What it doesn't tell us Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. is that self-esteem and self-hatred can be two sides of

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Three Rites of Passage Through Heartbreak

By Jacyntha Kamor

L

oss and resulting heartbreak are excruciatingly painful. To a trained and perceptive eye, the heart chakra can actually appear to be energetically broken. That’s why our heart feels this way. And when our heart is broken, our mind feels disoriented, our identity is shaken, and pain dominates. It can even feel like we’re dying.

The feeling and fear of dying from grief actually has a physiological foundation to it. Clinical researcher and abandonment trauma recovery expert Dr. Susan An-

www.spiritofchange.org

derson explains why grief and loss are so intensely and viscerally painful and can often make us feel like we’re dying. Anderson describes how our early infant survival depended on bonding to our caretakers, and that this physiology continues to run in our adult lives. Rationally we know that as adults we can still physically survive the departure of a beloved, but parts of our brain and nervous system are thrown into a physical shock based upon the vulnerability we experienced in infancy.

Added to this emotional grief, the mental break in our worldview and identity along with spiritually unfulfilled Continued on page 60

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FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 59

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

THREE RITES OF PASSAGE THROUGH HEARTBREAK Continued from page 59

hopes and dreams, can all feel overwhelming and devastating. A fresh wound can also reopen older unhealed traumas begging to be healed and integrated. When all of this is swirling in excruciating angst, how could such a debilitating experience ever become something remotely evolutionary?

There are stages to grieving. In the beginning of grief and loss, basic triage care and soothing are needed. First, we need to shore up the basic necessities of daily life, reach out for more help and support and get lots of extra rest.

But equally important, we need to engage in simple soothing practices that help the infant physiology that has temporarily hijacked us. Our whole system needs to feel deeply calmed and comforted. Try these practices for surprisingly and powerfully simple relief.

SPIRIT HOLDING. Lie in a fetal yoga position in bed or on any comfortable surface while swaddled in soft covers, breathing slowly and deeply. Imagine either a cocoon or egg of a soft, beautiful color surrounding you and/or a loving angel or your spirit guide with you, loving you, simply being with you in your grief, accepting you right where you are. Gradually and as best you can, begin to breathe in a feeling of being unconditionally held and loved.

SELF-LOVE MUDRA. Place the right hand on your chest over your heart chakra, and your left hand over the right. Close your eyes and bow your head forward slightly.

Breathe slowly and deeply. Allow your hands, breathing, and awareness to send love and care into the pain. When ready and able, gradually deepen into the portal, which opens to your soul underneath the pain.

THE VOICE OF PAIN. Allow your pain to have a voice. Either through writing/ journaling, speaking, sound and/or movement, let the pain express itself. The more this energy feels respected, attuned to and allowed expression, the deeper and more meaningfully it can begin healing to bring relief.

If we reject and resist the pain, it intensifies. But when we can embrace, respect and tend to the power of suffering when it arises, this deeply felt energy can later open us to extraordinary new dimensions of our soul, expand our human and spiritual awareness, and deepen our love and genuine compassion. As challenging and hurtful as a broken heart truly is, when well tended and trusted, suffering can become the beginning of a powerful path into a whole new and even more expansive, creative and love-filled life.

Jacyntha Kamor is a transformational life coach, spiritual counselor and core energy healer with over 30 years of experience in the healing arts. Visit www.jacynthakamor.com.

Do â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sad Songs Say So Muchâ&#x20AC;? or Do They Just Make us Sadder?

By Carrie Rowan

O

ur taste in music varies from person to person much like our taste for food. There are so many styles of music to experience and sample, yet we tend to choose the same things over and over. Our musical taste buds are flavored by variations in genre, tempo, volume, mood, and lyrical content, and they can also be influenced by our state of mind at the time of listening, as well as any past programming or memory associated with that music. With all our complex sensory, emotional and cognitive musical interactions, it begs the question: Are our habitual listening choices good medicine for us or do they make us feel worse than before we listened?

60 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Research shows that it depends on whether you have a propensity for depression and rumination or not.

Depressed people have been found to want to listen to sad music more often than their upbeat counterparts.

Originally researchers concluded that this was because they wanted to maintain their low moods. However, a new study published in the journal Emotion, has flipped that implication on its head. Rather than maintain their mood, “the sad music may be calming to people with depression, even uplifting,” says Christian Jarrett in his article, “Why do people with depression like listening to sad music?”

Listening to sad music can make people feel like a supportive friend is there so they feel less alone. Much like reaching for a pint of ice cream, a glass of wine or meditation, we use music to soothe us. Here are five simple ways you can customize a musical remedy for your own healing.

1. START BY BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR OWN VIBRATION. Which emotions are you living in right now? Since everything is energy, music carries its own vibrational frequency as well. We can learn to become more aware of our own emotional vibrations and how everything around us affects our vibration, including the music we listen to. As you experiment with this, you may find it annoying to run up to the top of the vibrational scale and listen to joyful music when you are feeling stuck in anger or grief. But listening to a song that has a heated vibration, like the Carrie Underwood song, “Before He Cheats,” can raise you above feeling depressed and fearful.

Experiment with different songs and how they make you feel. If you feel better after listening, you are on the right track.

2. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A NO JUDGMENT ZONE. It’s fine if you are drawn to sad songs at this time; try and get the most out of them. We move in and out of emotions all the time. Sad songs can give us a good cry, which may be just what we need at this time. They also make us feel there is someone out there who feels the same way, and the singer stands in for a compassionate friend that is cradling you in a healing musical embrace. Use this time to feel the sadness in the music as a cathartic healing balm.

3. FIND A THEME SONG THAT EMPOWERS YOU AND PLAY IT FREQUENTLY. Pick something that makes you feel empowered like Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” that reminds us “what doesn’t kill you

makes you stronger” or Helen Reddy’s famous “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.” You can even re-write the words to a famous melody you like, incorporating the things you want to feel in your own life. Try recording yourself singing it on your phone and listen to it when you need a reminder. There is power in hearing your own voice speak the things you most want, burrowing deep down into your subconscious to evoke change and speed up learning. Some other examples of good theme songs are: “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles “Respect” by Aretha Franklin “We Are The Champions” by Queen “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor “Girl On Fire” by Alicia Keys “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen “Brave” by Sara Bareilles 4. ASK YOURSELF BETTER QUESTIONS. As easy as this next step sounds, don’t underestimate its power. Start to pay attention to the negative questions you are asking yourself so you can come up with contrasting positive ones. When you ask a question, your mind must give an answer. So instead of asking, “Why does this always happen to me?” and receiving a disempowering answer, you could rephrase it: “How can I attract more good things my way?” When we learn to ask better questions, we will get better answers. I attended the Evolution 2019 seminar with Bryna Haynes and one of the most compelling takeaways from the 3-day event was this question: “What else is possible here?” It stimulates your subconscious mind to find a positive answer. So before you decide to reach for the same piece of music try asking, “How will this song make me feel after I listen to it? Then ask the all-important question, “How do I want to feel?” Let that be your guide to choosing a more empowering song for yourself and see how well it works!

Kevin Conklin

Psychic Medium, Spiritual Guide www.kevinconklinmedium.com

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5. TRY SOME CLASSICAL MUSIC. Sometimes it’s just the thing you need when your mind cannot take in any more words. Just the calming effect of the instrumentation can quickly bring peace into your own head.

Try Antonio Vivaldi's Flute Concerto in C. When we can learn to appreciate a brand new tune, our hearts soar in harmonious waves of vibration that lift us up to explore the vastness of a new rainbow.

Carrie Rowan is an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, mindset coach and edutainer, who educates while entertaining children and adults through music. www.carrierowan.com.

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Info@truthorganicspa.com FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 61

Beautiful Words Compiled by Neil Murphy

Many years ago a Spirit of Change reader mailed to me his unique list of Beautiful Words that he hoped would make him a more loving person if he started using them more in his vocabulary. I was inspired by how comprehensively the list included beauty shared by all humans on Earth, and how much beauty there is that connects us.

Did you find your favorite words here? What words are on your list? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Editor Adore Aesthetics Affection Afterworld Agriculture Alive Allure Ambition Amity Ancient Aphrodisiac Art Ascension Astral Audience Baby Balance Barter Basic Beautiful Beautify Begin Beloved Benevolence Beyond Birth Bless Bloom Blossom Body Born Brilliant Brother Build Calm Capacity Care Caress Change Children Civilization Clean Clear Climate Climax Coexist

Combine Comfort Comfortable Communicate Community Companion Compatible Conceive Concentrate Conception Concord Confidence Conformity Conscience Conscious Contribute Cooperate Correct Cosmic Cosmos Council Creation Creator Crops Crowds Cultivate Culture Dawn Daydream Daylight Delight Destiny Devotion Dimension Discover Divine Dream Duration Earth Ease Ecstasy Eden Efficient Elation Elevate Embrace

62 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

Embryo Emotion Encircle Endurance Energy Enhance Enjoy Enlighten Entrance Equanimity Equilibrium Environment Equality Eros Erotic Essence Eternal Eternity Euphoria Everlasting Evermore Evolution Evolve Exalt Exhilarate Exist Existence Explore Express Faith Family Fantasy Farm Feed Feel Feeling Fellowship Fertile Flight Float Flower Fly Focus Food Forest Forever Foundation

Free Freedom Fresh Friend Friendly Friendship Frontier Fruit Future Galaxy Garden Generate Generous Gentle Gift Give Glee Glitter Global Glow Good Greet Group Grow Habitat Happy Harmony Harvest Healthy Heart Heaven Hedonism Help Herb Home Hope Horticulture Hugging Human Hydroelectric Hydroponics Idea Ideology Illuminate Immortality

Important Improve Infancy Infinite Infinity Inhabitant Inspiration Instinct Intensity Intercourse Intimate Invisible Irrigate Join Journey Joy Jubilation Kind Kiss L abyrinth Laugh Levitate Liberty Libido Life Light Link Live Love Lovely Lovemaking Lover Loving Lucid Magnify Martyrdom Massage Mate Meditate Mellow Mild Mind Miracle Modern Morality

Natural Nature Neighbor Nest Newborn Nude Nutrition Oasis Odyssey Omnipresence Oneness Optimism Organic Organize Orgasm Pacific Pacifism Paradise Parent Passion Path Patience Peace Perpetual Philosophy Pinnacle Planet Plant Pleasure Plowshare Population Precision Pregnant Preserve Pristine Procreate Production Progressive Quest Question Quiet Radiant Rational Reality Realm

Reason Rebirth Receive Recycle Refine Reincarnation Rejoice Research Resolution Reunion Revolve Rise Salvation Sanctify Satisfaction Seed Sensation Sensual Sentient Serene Sexuality Share Shelter Silence Simplicity Sister Smile Social Society Solar Soul Speech Spiritual Squeeze Star Stimulus Sun Sunshine Symbolism Synchronize Talk Teach Tear Thought Time Together Touch

Trade Tranquility Transform Transparent Tree Tropical True Trust Truth Unconscious Understand Unify Union Unique Unison Unite Unity Universal Universe Us Utopia Vegan Vegetable Vegetarian Vegetation Village Virtue Visionary Voice Volunteer Warm Wash Water We Wind Wisdom Womb Woodland World Yearning Yonder Zenith Zest Zoology

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEPTEMBER 9/6-9/8 — CONSCIOUS COUPLES RETREAT. Facilitated

by Rachel and Aaron Riverwood, Tracey Forest and Robert Leppzer. Held at Spirit Hollow in N. Bennington, VT. (802) 447-3895. www.spirithollow.org.

9/6-10/4 — DELIBERATE DATING PROGRAM: 5 WEEKS (FRIDAYS) TO SUCCESSFUL ONLINE ROMANCE. Facilitated by Kerri Morrison. Held at Awaken Holistic Counseling Services in Newburyport, MA. (978) 255-7893. www.awakenhcs.com 9/8 — PET ROCK FEST. New England’s largest animal welfare festival! 12-5pm at the fields of Wyman-Gordon, 244 Worcester St., North Grafton, MA. $12 adults, $5 kids 12 and under. Over 100 pet-related vendors, animal breed rescues and New England-based animal shelter. Live music, carnival rides, vegetarian food, doggie water park, amateur dog show and pet parade, awards, demos and more. Petrockfest.org.

9/11-11/6 — FEELING STRESSED? Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the Center for Mindfulness & Compassion. 8-week course teaches you to manage stress and enhance well-being. Learn skills to manage and build and emotional reserve for everyday stress and stressful events. No meditation experience is required. Wednesday evenings. cmc@challiance.org. (617) 591-6132. www.chacmc.org 9/14 — REIKI I CERTIFICATION. Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 38 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine author. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted. CEU's/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 9/15.

9/14-9/15 —SACRED RIVERS INSTITUTE FOR YOGA EDUCATION 300-HOUR TRAINING. The 500-hour certification is currently the highest level of education recognized by the Yoga Alliance. This program will deepen your teaching skills and/or your personal practice. You must be a certified 200-hour teacher in order to be considered for admission. For more visit: sacredriversyoga.com.

9/16 — 13-WEEK TRAUMA PROGRAM begins with Gail Epstein and Sherri Snyder. This program includes trauma-informed yoga classes, optional individual counseling, journal writing exercises, art therapy and specific techniques to support your journey through recovery. The focus is on empowerment and regaining balance. State of Grace Yoga and Wellness Center. (508) 278-2818. www.stateofgracewellness.com.

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9/19-9/22 — LEVEL I HAND ANALYSIS TRAINING, Burlington, VT. Study with Janet Savage, Master Hand Analyst.

Immerse yourself in modern palmistry and the science of fingerprints. Learn to be a hand analyst; incorporate this tool into your healing practice or study for personal growth. Visit https://www.handtales.com/study/ for details. Contact Janet, (802) 279-8554.

9/21 — REIKI I CERTIFICATION. Weston, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 38 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine author.

Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted.

CEU's/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 9/22.

9/21 — WOMEN OF WISDOM PSYCHIC AND HOLISTIC FAIRE. Psychics, mediums, angel readers, spirit art. Reiki, chair massage, IET, Gaiadon Heart, crystal healings, etc. Sign yourself up for a few appointments and bring your friends!

Appointments recommended/walk-ins welcome! Call to book! (508) 230-3680. www.womenofwisdominc.com 9/21-9/22 — MARCONICS TRAINING LEVEL 1. Join other like-minded seekers as we take a journey through the concepts of the new Earth paradigm, higher self and soul sovereignty, ascension mechanics, and spiritual alchemy.

Watertown, MA. Register at www.marconics.com or (617) 366-6014.

9/22 — HARNESSING THE LAW OF ATTRACTION WITH EFT. Join certified life coach Tina Marian, RN, whose expertise in the art and application of EFT and LOA helps her teach others how to set an intention and throw out the negative beliefs. 1-5pm. $40. Northboro, MA. (508) 523-7132 or tmarian@aol.com. Visit www.MedicineMyWay.us.

9/24-25 — WEB OF LIGHT FALL EQUINOX EXPO. One of the largest holistic/metaphysical expos north of Boston.

Courtyard Marriott, Nashua, NH. Featured speakers: Dr. Kevin, Rhys Thomas, The Way to Balance with Sue and Aaron Singleton. Vendor spots available. Email DrKevin@WebOfLight.com for info. www.WebOfLightExpo.com.

9/26-9/29 — MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) PROFESSIONAL TRAINING at the Center for Mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) uses mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy to break the cycle of depression. Through role-playing, simulated classroom, and patient-practitioner encounters, we learn to apply mindfulness practices in teaching MBCT to clients. 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each day. CHA Center for Mindfulness & Compassion, Community Space, 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 21A, Cambridge MA. 26 CE Credit Hours pending. Contact cmc@challiance.org. (617) 591-6132. www.chacmc.org

9/28 — BASIC LEVEL INTEGRATED ENERGY THERAPY with Laura Haley, IET Master Instructor Trainor. This class provides you with everything you need to conduct a powerful Integrated Energy Therapy session on yourself or others (either in person or absentee). IET safely supports you in releasing traumas, stress and limiting belief patterns. Held at Circles of Wisdom, Methuen, MA. 10am6pm. Info or registration: (978) 474-8010. www.circlesofwisdom.com 9/28 — REIKI LEVEL 1 PRACTITIONER TRAINING. Learn how to use gentle energy healing to take control of your health and moods and feel less anxious in life. Receive a manual, practitioner certificate and lots of guided in-class practice. (508) 808-5696 or northeastreikicenter.org.

9/28-9/29 — MARCONICS TRAINING LEVEL 1. Join other like-minded seekers as we take a journey through the concepts of the new Earth paradigm, higher self and soul sovereignty, ascension mechanics, and spiritual alchemy.

Coventry, RI. Register at www.marconics.com or (617) 366-6014.

9/28-/29 — SPINE AND PELVIS: FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF ORTHO-BIONOMY. Learn hands-on techniques for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, as well as the sacrum, psoas and ilium. Leave with tools you can use right away. Downeast School of Massage, Waldoboro, ME. Contact cwood.p@gmail.com. Coming in September 2020: Ortho-Bionomy residential in the White Mountains of NH! (617) 678-8920. www.ortho-bionomyne.com.

9/30 — ACUPUNCTURE 101 with Melissa Stein, Lic Ac. This class helps you understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ behind this ancient medicine. Learn what this 3000-yearold science is and how it relates to modern science and today’s medicine. Open Circle Acupuncture & Healing, 411 W. Main Street, Ste 2R, Northboro, MA. (508) 393-1212. info@opencirclehealing.com.

OCTOBER 10/2 — TOTAL LIFE GROUP CLEANSE BEGINS WITH JONATHAN GLASS, Ayurvedic practitioner. Concord, MA. Includes the following three Wednesdays. A 28-day program designed to initiate and maximize detoxification and nourishment of your body, mind and soul, inspiring results that can last a lifetime. For more information www.healingessencecenter.com or www.totallifecleanse.com

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CALENDAR Continued from page 63

10/3 — EVENING of CHANNELING AND SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION with ascended master Vywamus, channeled

by Andrea Seiver. (617) 332-1541, www.andreaseiver.com.

10/4 — MESSAGE GALLERY WITH SCOTTISH MEDIUM DOMINIC BOAG, 440 Post, Newton, MA. 7:30pm. Tickets on sale www.greaterbostonchurchofspiritualism.com 10/5 — STURBRIDGE HERBFEST. Classes, vendors, food!

Join us at the Sturbridge Senior Center, 480 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA. 9:30-4:30. For more info or vendor applications contact Salli Greene at Alternatives for Health. (508) 347-2111 or sargreene@gmail.com. www.alternatives-4health.com.

10/5 — ONE-DAY POST-DIVORCE RETREAT. Take time away from everyday stress while focusing solely on you in beautiful Bolton, MA. Gain new friendships while learning essential strategies for building your new life with confidence and peace of mind. 9am-5pm. Vesta: Redefining Divorce. (508) 333-3191. www.VestaDivorce.com 10/5 — WOMEN OF WISDOM SCHOOL OF MEDIUMSHIP. Imagine being able to feel the touch of a loved one passed, hear their voice or feel their personality. Via various exercises, we will establish a link to the spirit world, bring forth information describing the spirit communicator and let the sitter know that their loved one is not gone. With trust and divine love, this is accomplished. One Saturday/month. 11am-4pm. $1200. Women of Wisdom.

(508) 230-3680. womenofwisdominc.com.

10/5 — FAUST FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS PRESENTS THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH™ SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, facilitators. All issues with family lineage, career, relationship, illness and more are set up through the lens of this unique approach to Family Constellations.

Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience Ancestral Healing and Soul Agreements though your own Family Energy Field. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont. To register: www.faustfamilyconstellations.com/seminars.

10/9 — THE BIOMED CENTER IS TURNING 1! Celebrate with us on Wednesday, October 9 from 4:30–6:00pm at our monthly open house event. Take a tour, learn more about bioregulatory medicine, and speak with our newest team member, Dr. Hennie Fitzpatrick, MD, certified in European Biological Medicine, Functional Medicine and Integrative Oncology. Free.

RSVP to admin@biomedne.com. More information available on Facebook (@BioMedNE) or www.BiomedNE.com. 111 Chestnut Street, Providence, RI 02903. (833)-8BIOMED 10/10-10/13 — TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAM : LIVING IN THE LIGHT. 9am-3pm each day. Mother Mary brings you through 4 days in a powerful divine experience to expand your energy, release what you no longer need, flow in your spirit, and connect with your divine self for accelerated healing on all levels and illuminated spiritual growth. We can live a more peaceful, loving, and enlightened life through our divine perspective, living in a higher vibration. This program moves us more quickly into that higher vibration. Contact lovelightilluminations@gmail.com or (207) 468-1651. Visit Lovelightilluminations.com.

10/11-10/13 — GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT RETREAT IN FRAMINGHAM: Dominic Boag, Rev. Mary DiGiovanni, Rev. Kathleen Hoffman. Explore mediumship, psychic development, healing and spirit art. Edwards House Retreat Center, 1 Badger Rd, Framingham, MA. Join this dedicated spiritual team for an intimate weekend to let your spiritual gifts expand in this safe and beautiful hideaway. Each tutor will have a small group of students to ensure that each individual will receive one-to one advice and guidance. Register: www.greaterbostonchurchofspiritualism.com or (617) 861-1440.

10/12 — MASQUERADE BALL: “CREATURES OF THE NIGHT”. 2nd annual event. Costumes, DJ, dancing, buffet dinner, raffles, prizes, photos, cash bar and more! $40 per person includes dinner. Uxbridge, MA. www.atouchofmagick.com. (508) 779-7386.

10/19 — REIKI I CERTIFICATION. Concord, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 38 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine author.

Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted.

CEU's/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy. com. Reiki II: 10/20.

10/19 — ONE-DAY POST-DIVORCE RETREAT. Take time away from everyday stress while focusing solely on you!

Learn about legal and financial issues, real estate and mortgages, coping strategies, self-care and more. 9am5pm. Vesta: Redefining Divorce. (508) 333-3191. www.VestaDivorce.com 10/19 — UNWRAPPING THE GIFTS OF YOUR INTUITION WORKSHOP. Created to identify and strengthen psychic abilities. Student’s testimonial, “…I learned so much! It wasn’t just a class; it was an experience!” —Roxanne, Maine. For more details visit www.RayleneSousaMedium. com/events.

10/19 — SOUL HEALING INTENSIVE WITH DR. STEVEN FARMER. Here’s a great opportunity to not only clear out the psychic debris that has attached to your soul body as you journeyed through life but also retrieve and reintegrate those soul fragments that were lost along the way.

Methuen, MA www.circlesofwisdom.com.

(978) 474-8010.

10/20 — HONORING YOUR DIVINE SELF WITH KIMBERLEE AND ALLEN MOORE at State of Grace Yoga, Uxbridge, MA. An experiential combination of breath, heart centered meditations, sound immersion of gongs/singing bowls, and mantras to bring you into a deep state of peace. 2:004:00pm. www.stateofgracewellness.com 10/27 — TACHYON FIELD DAY. 1pm-4pm. “Bringing energy into matter.” Learn basics of Tachyon, zero point energy and quantum physics. Participate in a seeing is believing demonstration. Raffle and refreshments. Free.

The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment, W. Hartford, CT. (860) 798-6176. www.celestialempowerment.com.

10/23-10/30 — BANISH PHOBIAS, FEARS AND TRAUMA. You can heal phobias in minutes! Learn a natural bio-destressing technique to quickly and reliably activate your body’s natural calming reflex to integrate right and left brain function, permanently eliminating the phobic reaction. 7-9pm. Held at Newton Community Education. Register at http://www.newtoncommunityed. org. Instructor: Judith A. Swack, Ph.D., Needham, MA. www.hblu.org 10/26 — STATE OF GRACE YOGA PRESENTS SECULAR ETHICS FOR THE MODERN YOGI with Nicci Goot.

Uxbridge, MA. Build a foundation of essential virtues for developing altruism, compassion and loving kindness for living a life of harmony and joy. 4 session-program www.stateofgracewellness.com 10/28 — HILLSIDE HERBALS FULL MOON WORKSHOP. Held at Hillside Herbals in Jefferson, MA. Hunter’s Moon: The Herbal Kitchen Cupboard for Winter Wellness and Beyond. Discover which herbs that every kitchen should have on hand. Refreshments served. To RSVP contact herbalist Rachel Ross, RN CNM. Visit our FB page for the latest events. (508) 847-8615. Hillsideherbals.com

10/4 — Open House! Visit The BioMed Center in Providence, RI, to take a tour, speak with the team and learn more about bioregulatory medicine. See October listing for details or BiomedNE.com.

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10/31 — MESSAGES FROM BEYOND: AN EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP WITH DANIELLE DIONNE. 7-9pm.

Join us as Danielle delivers messages from your loved ones in the spirit world while the veils are thinnest! $30 Bedford, NH. www.MothandMoonStudio.com/messages-from-beyond

NOVEMBER 11/2 — FAUST FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS PRESENTS THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH™ SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, facilitators. All issues with family lineage, career, relationship, illness and more are set up through the lens of this unique approach to Family Constellations.

Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience Ancestral Healing and Soul Agreements though your own Family Energy Field. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont. To register: www.faustfamilyconstellations.com/seminars.

11/2-11/3 — MARCONICS TRAINING LEVEL 1. Join other like-minded seekers as we take a journey through the concepts of the new Earth paradigm, higher self and soul sovereignty, ascension mechanics, and spiritual alchemy.

North Andover, MA. Register at www.marconics.com or (617) 366-6014.

11/5 — TOTAL LIFE GROUP CLEANSE BEGINS WITH JONATHAN GLASS, Ayurvedic practitioner. Concord, MA. Includes the following three Tuesdays. A 28-day program designed to initiate and maximize detoxification and nourishment of your body, mind and soul, inspiring results that can last a lifetime. For more information www.healingessencecenter.com or www.totallifecleanse.com 11/7 — EVENING of CHANNELING AND SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION with ascended master Vywamus, channeled

by Andrea Seiver. (617) 332-1541, www.andreaseiver.com.

11/8-2/2 — ZEN TRIGGERPOINT ANATOMY® CERTIFICATION. A four-weekend training. Learn how to release trigger points from the tissues and reach new levels of awareness, function and energy. Establish a working relationship between the body, mind and spirit through Zen meditation. All levels welcome. Held in Burlington, MA. For info contact Charisse Nocera at (781) 910-8978, charisse.nocera@gmail.com. Zentherapy.org.

11/9 — REIKI I CERTIFICATION. Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 38 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine author. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted. CEU's/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 11/10.

11/9-11/10 — MARCONICS TRAINING LEVEL 1. Join other like-minded seekers as we take a journey through the concepts of the new Earth paradigm, higher self and soul sovereignty, ascension mechanics, and spiritual alchemy.

Watertown, MA. Register at www.marconics.com or (617) 366-6014.

11/9 — LEARN HOW TO EXPERIENCE AND INCREASE AFTER-DEATH COMMUNICATION. With author and speaker Rebecca Austill-Clausen. Rebecca had no psychic or spiritual skills, yet found she could communicate with her brother after his death. At the 13th annual Natural Living Expo in Marlboro, MA. www.rebeccaautillclausen.com.

11/10-11/11 — 13TH ANNUAL SPIRIT OF CHANGE MAGAZINE NATURAL LIVING EXPO. Royal Plaza Trade Center. 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlboro, MA. Saturday 9-6; Sunday 10-5. Featuring 275 exhibits, 90 workshops, readings, shopping and fun. Enjoy the spa-

www.spiritofchange.org

12/12 and 12/16 — Enjoy frosty winter moon gatherings with warm fires and welcoming hearts at A Touch of Magick in Uxbridge, MA and Hillside Herbals in Jefferson, MA. See December listings or atouchofmagick.com and hillsideherbals.com. cious Healthy Foods Tent for delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner meals throughout the weekend. Special “Qigong Experience” room all day on Saturday; meditation sessions available all weekend long. Too much to see and do in one weekend! Plan to attend both days! www.NaturalExpo.org.

in class and more. Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm Newton, MA. To register for the workshop or to schedule a psychic or past-life reading or healing session in person or over the phone, visit our website: www.TheMysticWay.com or call Ross J. Miller (617) 527-3583.

11/15-11/18 — SECRETS OF SUCCESS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR SUCCESSFUL HOLISTIC BUSINESS with Master Teresa Yeung, an internationally recognized generational master of qigong, dynamic teacher, healer and businesswoman.

Master Yeung raises consciousness and expands knowledge to accelerate integrative healing of physical, emotional and spiritual states. Learn how to send “Fa Chi” and earn practitioner certification. Includes Eye Chi Gong workshop.

4 days, 3 nights intensive training. Eastover Retreat, Lenox, MA. (866) 264-5139. www.eastover.com.

11/16 — LYME DISEASE CONFERENCE. Sponsored

by Central Mass Lyme Foundation, Inc. Learn the facts about Lyme disease! 9am-4:30pm. $30 advance; $40 door. Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Ctr., 366 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA. For information and registration (888) 511-LYME or www.CentralMassLymeConference.com

11/16 — REIKI I CERTIFICATION. Weston, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 38 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine author. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted. CEU's/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 11/17.

11/16 — WOMEN OF WISDOM PSYCHIC AND HOLISTIC FAIRE. Psychics, mediums, angel readers, spirit art. Reiki, chair massage, IET, Gaiadon Heart, crystal healings, etc. Sign yourself up for a few appointments and bring your friends!

Appointments recommended/walk-ins welcome! Call to book! (508) 230-3680. www.womenofwisdominc.com 11/16 — PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT, PAST LIVES & ANGEL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP with Ross J. Miller, psychic healer, medium, regression therapist. In this unique, experiential workshop you’ll learn how to identify your guardian angels and spirit guides by name and receive their guidance, healing and inspiration; discover your soul’s life purpose; experience two of your past lives and heal the residual karma from them; give psychic readings to others

11/17 — HILLSIDE HERBALS FULL MOON WORKSHOP. Held at Hillside Herbals in Jefferson, MA. Beaver Moon: Herbs for Aches and Pains Using Anti-Inflammatory Herbs.

Saturday. Refreshments served. To RSVP contact herbalist Rachel Ross, RN CNM. Visit our FB page for the latest events. (508) 847-8615. Hillsideherbals.com 11/17 — TACHYON FIELD DAY. 1pm-4pm. “Bringing energy into matter.” Learn basics of Tachyon, zero point energy and quantum physics. Participate in a seeing is believing demonstration. Raffle and refreshments. Free.

The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment, W. Hartford, CT. (860) 798-6176.www.celestialempowerment.com.

DECEMBER 12/1 — ANGEL FESTIVAL AND WELLNESS EXPO. Castleton Event Center, Windham, NH. 10:30am-5:00pm. Holiday shopping and enjoyment! Vendors of wellness tools, crystals, cards, candles, gifts. Plus talented readers, energy practitioners, and special workshops! See more details at www.heavenandearthstudio.com.

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12/1 — TACHYON FIELD DAY. 1pm-4pm. “Bringing energy into matter.” Learn basics of Tachyon, zero point energy and quantum physics. Participate in a seeing is believing demonstration. Raffle and refreshments. Free.

The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment, W. Hartford, CT. (860) 798-6176. www.celestialempowerment.com.

12/7 — FAUST FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS PRESENTS THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH™ SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, facilitators. All issues with family lineage, career, relationship, illness and more are set up through the lens of this unique approach to Family Constellations. Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience Ancestral Healing and Soul Agreements though your own Family Energy Field. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont.

To register: www.faustfamilyconstellations.com/seminars.

12/12 — DECEMBER FULL MOON RITUAL. As the year draws to a close, pause under the peaceful light of December’s full Cold Moon. This event is open to anyone interested in ritual or seeking community. By donation. 7-8pm.

A Touch of Magick, Uxbridge, MA. www.atouchofmagick. com. (508) 779-7386.

12/16 — HILLSIDE HERBALS WINTER SOLSTICE GATHERING. 4pm-8pm. Candle-lit walk through the woods to a bonfire where we will toss out the old and bring in the new.

Join afterward for mulled cider and wine with potluck supper. RSVP with dish/item you plan to bring. Hillside Herbals, Jefferson, MA. (508) 847-8615. www.hillsideherbals.com

UPCOMING 1/15/20 — FREE LECTURE: READ & PLAY MUSIC. World famous seminars (www.understandingofmusic.com) turns beginners into musicians, revitalizes and inspires even pro musicians. 7:30 pm, Sheraton 4 Points, Revere. (781) 599-1476. http://signup.understandingofmusic.com or sallee@dlorien.com 1/21 — TOTAL LIFE GROUP CLEANSE BEGINS WITH JONATHAN GLASS, Ayurvedic practitioner. Concord, MA. Includes the following three Tuesdays. A 28-day program designed to initiate and maximize detoxification and nourishment of your body, mind and soul, inspiring results that can last a lifetime. For more information www.healingessencecenter.com or www.totallifecleanse.com

3/19-3/31— Join an Egyptian pilgrimage and 5-day Nile cruise with Sandy Corcoran to visit the Sphinx, Karnak, Abu Simbel, Hatshepsut, Luxor and more! See Upcoming listing for details or starwalkervisions.com.

1/25 — HYPNOTIST CERTIFICATION TRAINING with certified instructor John Koenig starts for the 100-hour National Guild of Hypnotists approved certification course.

Learn how to hypnotize, how to use hypnosis to help clients make personal changes, and how to turn hypnosis into a profitable part-time or full-time business. (401) 3741890. www.GreaterRhodeIslandHypnosisTraining.com.

2/1-2/8 — 2020 MARCONICS ANNUAL TRAINING INTENSIVE. Levels I, II, III and IV takes places over 8 days and offers students the opportunity to become certified in Marconics “No Touch” Ascension Healing Protocols and Marconics Quantum Recalibration Protocol in an immersion style retreat. Take one certification course or all four levels.

Held in Falmouth, Cape Cod. Register at

1/31-2/2/20 — ECKANKAR PRESENTS SPIRITUAL KEYS TO A HAPPIER LIFE. Enjoy heart-opening talks, music, spiritual discussion, connect with like-minded people. Free and open to the public. Attend any or all sessions. Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel, Springfield MA. See ad in this issue, visit www.eckinmass.org or call (508) 754-9042.

www.marconics.com or (617) 366-6014.

66 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

2/27-2/29 — 14TH ANNUAL COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE CANCER THERAPIES CONFERENCE. Annie Appleseed Project: all-volunteer cancer nonprofit helps people make informed decisions on lifestyle issues, complementary

therapies and holistic treatments. Registration required.

Registration opens September, 2019 and closes February 10, 2020. www.annieappleseedproject.org.

3/6-3/8/20 — READ & PLAY MUSIC IN A WEEKEND! World famous seminars (www.understandingofmusic. com) turns beginners into musicians, revitalizes and inspires even pro musicians. 169 Mass Ave. Boston. (781) 599-1476. http://signup.understandingofmusic.com or sallee@dlorien.com 3/7-5/2 — FAUST FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS PRESENTS THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH™ IMMERSION PROGRAM. Join a like-minded community working toward personal

awakening in relation to family, ancestry and Soul agreements. Through the processes of family constellations, energy medicine and evolutionary Soul work, you will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of your life and heritage in a safe, healing and supportive environment.

Spring seminar dates are: March 7, April 4, May 2. Visit. www.faustfamilyconstellations.com/immersion.

3/19-3/31 — POLISHING THE MIRROR OF THE HEART: AN EGYPTIAN PILGRIMAGE. Sphinx, Karnak, Dendera, Abydos, Abu Simbel, Philae, Hatshepsut, Luxor and more. 5 day Nile sail. 4-star hotels. 12 participants. Contact Sandy Corcoran, sandy@starwalkervisions.com. Visit www.starwalkervisions. com for early registration discount and trip info.

4/24-4/26 — SOHUM ANNUAL YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT. Nurture yourself for a weekend in the Berkshires.

Pricing of $425 to $550 includes 2-night stay, healthy meals, yoga, meditation, hiking, campfire and more. Contact Ritu.

Kapur@sohum.org. (508) 329-3338.www.sohum.org.

4/24-4/26 — EVOLUTION 2020. A reality-shifting 3-day workshop for entrepreneurs, leaders, visionaries and influences. Ask the questions, learn the techniques, and implement the strategies that will help you show up every day as the version of you who can make your biggest dreams come true. Omni Hotel, Providence, RI. www. evolution2020event.com.

5/12-5/22 — SPRING IN HIDDEN IRELAND 2020. Join Spiral Journeys (1988) founder and Irish native Ann Quinlan for another small group (maximum 12) on a private land journey. Hidden Ireland refers to a fascinating collection of historic country homes where visitors stay as guests. Such homes bear no resemblance to modern hotels and are as far removed from them as one can possibly imagine. Welcome to Ireland! (207) 899-2606. www.SpiralJourneys.com.

ONGOING SPIRIT CAMP TEACHER TRAINING. Choose from 2 sessions. Oct/Nov/Dec or Jan/Feb/Mar. One weekend a month for 3 months. www.dancingjaguarinspirations. com/spirit-camp-training MONTHLY MINDFULNESS AND COMPASSION LECTURE SERIES. Monday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm, September 2019 through June 2020. Alternating locations: CHA Center for Mindfulness and Compassion and Harvard University, Mt. Auburn Room 2nd Floor, Smith Campus Center, 1350 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138. Open to all. Donation-based event. 2 Continuing Education Credit Hours available for each lecture for a cost. Visit www.chacmc.org.

FALL EVENTS AT SPIRIT HOLLOW. Conscious Couples Retreat, Sept 6-8. Seeing With The Heart Core Shamanic Practice, new class begins in October. Also new 2-year seeing With The Heart Teacher Training begins in September, 2019. Details and registration at www.spirithollow.org LAW OF ATTRACTION SKILLS PRACTICE. 2nd Wednesdays monthly, 6-7:30pm. $15. Beginners-Advanced level.

Open to all ages. Facilitated by Kerri Morrison. Held at Awaken Holistic Counseling Services in Newburyport, MA. (978) 255-7893. www.awakenhcs.com

www.spiritofchange.org

5/12-5/22 — Join your host Ann Quinlan for Spring in Hidden Ireland, an insider’s 10-day tour guided an Irish native, including a visit to magical Kylemore Abbey. See Upcoming listing or www.spiraljourneys.com.

REIKI PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION TRAININGS. Every month. Learn how you have the ability to heal with your hands, to feel healthier and less anxious in life.

Have confirmation — Reiki is flowing in your hands by the end of the class! (508) 808 5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org SUNDAY SERVICES AT THE SPIRITUALIST FELLOWSHIP CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND. 10:30 from September (after Labor Day) until the end of June. Come shine with us! Held at VFW Post 2597, 775 Boston Rd, Rt 3A., Billerica, MA. www.spiritualistfellowshipchurchofne.com.

DOWN TO EARTH CRYSTAL FAIRS. Held monthly: September 29th, October 27th, November 24th, December 15th, March 22nd, April 19th, May 17th. Held at Cape Cod Center for Whole Health, 116 State Road, Sagamore Beach, MA, 10am-3pm. (508) 680-6195, free admission, 10%-20% discounts! Quality crystals, minerals and jewelry! www.capecodcenterforwholehealth.com.

of class. Messages From Heaven Healing and Learning Center, 646 Central Street, Suite 3, Leominster, MA. www.bonniepagemedium.com YOGA WITH ANN BISSANTI. Mon, Multi-level, 6-7:30pm; Tues, Basic 6-7:30pm; Wed, Basic 2/Int 9-10:30am; Thur, Int/Exp 5:40-7:10pm; Fri, Basic 9:30-11am and Gentle Yoga 11:40-12:50; Sat, Basic 10-11:30am. Worcester Yoga Center, 21 West Street, Worcester, MA. (508) 829-6300.

Worcesteryogacenter.com.

CLASSES IN CHANNELING AND SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION with ascended master Vywamus, channeled by Andrea Seiver. Have a personal reading/Enjoy Evenings with Vywamus, September 12, October 3, November 7. (617) 332-1541, www.andreaseiver.com MEN’S CIRCLE. Quarterly at Spirit Hollow, Shaftsbury, VT. Open to men 18 to ancient. 12-4pm. For details and schedule visit www.spirithollow.org or (802) 447-3895.

MEDIUMSHIP DEVELOPMENT GROUPS. Second Monday evenings/First and third Thursday morning. Bedford, NH. Expand, enhance and practice connecting to the spirit world. Receive feedback, encouragement and direction in this fun, progressive practice group. www.MothandMoonStudio.com/calendar

EUROPEAN BASED AROMATHERAPY CERTIFICATIONS with Linda Patterson beginning in Arlington and Sturbridge this fall. Advanced blending of essential oils, goat’s milk soap workshop, and palmistry as a tool of diagnosis beginning in January. For more information visit www.aromatherapyandherbalstudies.com.

PSYCHIC MEDIUM MESSAGE CIRCLE. 2nd and 4th Monday of every month. This psychic message circle is for anyone wishing to raise their connection using their psychic centers known as the "clairs." Learn how to use your own intuition while receiving messages for yourself and others in a safe and loving environment. $20.00 payable the night

WELLNESS ROUNDTABLE HOLISTIC PRACTITIONERS NETWORKING GROUP. Please join us at our monthly meetings, second Wednesday each month Sept-June in Westboro, MA. A welcoming community working for the greater health and wellbeing of all. Contact Ritu.Kapur@sohum.com.

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NEW ENGLAND’S

HolisticDirectory FA L L / WI NTE R 2 0 1 9

Categories Acupuncture and Asian Medicine . . . . . . . . . 68

Counseling and Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-71

Natural Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Astrological Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Crystals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Healing and Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71-73

Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74-75

Classes, Certifications & Schools . . . . . . . . . . 69

Healing: Combined Modalities . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Skin Care, Salons and Spas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Herbal Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Spiritual Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Colon Hydrotherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Holistic Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Consciousness Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Homeopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Acupuncture & Asian Medicine ACUPUNCTURE OF WORCESTER Holistic Health since 1974

Dr. Yvonne Chen, Lic. Acupuncturist One of the first practicing acupuncturists in the United States, Dr. Yvonne Chen began her acupuncture practice in Washington, D.C. in 1973, moving to Worcester one year later. Trained in China as a medical doctor, Dr. Chen’s years of study and research included in-depth work with both traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Her approach to health incorporates keen knowledge on the nature of disease, use

of energy balancing, nut­ritional counseling and the promotion of spiritual well-being.

Acupuncture is especially effective in the treatment of: • Pain: migraine headaches, stress relief, tendonitis, arthritis, lower back pain, neuralgia, whiplash, accident and trauma injuries and TMJ syndrome • Improving bodily functions: respiratory ailments, insomnia and impotency • Nervous system disorders: Bell’s Palsy, paralysis, multiple sclerosis and stroke recovery • Behavioral changes: weight control and smoking cessation.

Located at 110 June Street, Worcester, MA 01602. For an appointment or for more information, please contact Dr. Yvonne Chen at 508-755-5557.

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Questions?

Astrologer Eric Linter has answers.

Changes in relationships, career, health, finances or spiritual practice are inevitable.

Eric’s clarity will help you stay on the right path. His insights help you better understand and appreciate life’s challenges. His clients say Eric Linter is “profound and enlightening” and “one of the best astrologers on the East Coast.”

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Esoteric Psychology Monique Pommier, M.A., Ph.DE

Astrology illuminates one’s psychological landscape and journey. It times life developments and reveals their designs for the soul.

I offer astrological services and ongoing psychospiritual counseling with astrology, Jungian and esoteric psychology as a comprehensive ground of exploration and guidance

on current issues and lifelong questionings.

By accessing the deeper order of your life, you gain transformative insights into the evolutionary meaning of particular challenges and new perspectives to direct your choices.

My background includes an MS and PhD in Esoteric Psychology and Philosophy. Jungian psychology, Eastern and Western Traditions are key foundations in my approach.

I have been in practice for 25 years.

U Astrological Consultations U U Psychospiritual Counseling U www.astrologicalpsychology.com 617-524-7072

68 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

stars@ericlinter.com X 508-541-4115 X “I learned more from one session than I did from 5 years of analysis.”

- J.G., Cambridge, MA

Centers SCHOOLS OF WISDOM

Astrological Consulting Astrology

Eric, a professional astrologer for 25 years, works with individuals, couples and businesses. Specialties include career moves, personal creativity and karmic relationships. Consultations are available in person, by telephone, or on cassette.

Eric also offers classes, lectures and appearances at parties and special events.

For more information and to schedule a private session, contact Eric by email or call:

ing Celebrat

20+

Years!

Women of Wisdom HOLISTIC HEALING CENTER

Usui, Holy Fire, Karuna Reiki Hypnotherapy G BARS G Massage Crystal Healing G Past Life Regression Integrated Energy Therapy Akisni G Inner Child Healing

Holistic Practitioner and Professional, Earth Medicine, Angel Alignment, Wicca Akashic Soul Mastery, Hypnotherapy, Mediumship, and Animal Communication; Training for Reiki, IET, Gaiadon Heart, etc., plus workshops daily GIFT SHOP

Unique Jewelry G Healing Tools G Statues Crystal Bowls G Ritual Items G Angels Mediums or Psychic Readings Hours: M-F 10 am-8 pm, S/S 10 am-6 pm 118 Washington Street, N. Easton, MA womenofwisdominc.com 508-230-3680

Classes, Certifications & Schools

ZEN Triggerpoint Anatomy Certification ®

A Four Weekend Training Developed by internationally recognized master body therapist, William “Dub” Leigh. Learn how to release trigger points from the tissues and reach new levels of awareness, function and energy. Establish a working relationship between the body, mind and spirit through Zen mediation.

Classes are led by Sean English, a Zen BodyTherapy® teacher, certified by IZII. All levels welcome Dates: Nov. 8 – 10, 16 – 17, 2019; Jan. 24 – 26; Feb.1 – 2, 2020.

New England Institute of Reflexology & Universal Studies ~ Now teaching throughout New England ~ www.walkinbalance.com v 508-317-3044 v

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Location: BeauMonde Ballroom, Burlington, MA.

AFFORDABLE HERBAL EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

CHARISSE NOCERA

781-910-8978 | charisse.nocera@gmail.com zentherapy.org

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CERTIFICATION TRAINING

NCBTMB provider

Costs: $1,500 | $375 deposit at registration; $375 due at the beginning of the first three weekends. Call for full payment discount.

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HYPNOTIST

Integrative techniques strengthen foundations and create a balanced treatment style

Our goal is to act as a bridge between complimentary and conventional medicine through the training of qualified holistic practitioners. Join us!

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GREATER RHODE ISLAND

Approved Continuing Education in Reflexology, Massage, and Reiki

NEXT CLASS STARTS SAT., JAN. 25, 2020

You will learn: 1 How to hypnotize

1 How to use hypnosis to help clients

make personal changes

1 How to turn hypnosis into a profitable

Intensive 7-Month Herbal Apprenticeships Advanced Training – Consultation Skills Mentoring/Supervision Group Aromatherapy Certification – Two Levels Lyme Disease Practitioner Training HERBAL CLASSES

Herbal Apprenticeships Advanced Training

Aromatherapy - Levels One and Two For more information on all of our classes: bostonherbalstudies.com Arlington, MA ❖ 781-646-6319

Sept. 28 – Aromatherapy Certification Training begins Oct. 7 – Lyme Disease Practitioner Training begins Oct. 30 – Stress, Mood and the Microbiome Online – Addressing Spectrum Disorders Ongoing – Consultation Skills for Herbalists

part-time or full-time business

Instructor John Koenig has practiced hypnosis in Rhode Island since 1998—his work featured on national television and author of The Hypnotic Coach.

Certified Instructor John.Koenig.Hypnotist@live.com GreaterRhodeIslandHypnosisTraining.com 401-374-1890

Massage | Aesthetics Polarity | RYSE Ipswich • Plymouth • Westboro You deserve an education that honors who you are and who you are becoming.

A great education is spiritually transforming: You overcome your limitations and realize your highest potential, at the same time you learn the foundation and skills to succeed.

Excellent education is not by chance; it comes from years of listening to employers, graduates and students to find the best way to teach the most valuable information to make you successful.

As a leader in energy medicine and

www.spiritofchange.org

100-Hour National Guild of Hypnotists Approved certification course Includes 1 year FREE NGH Certification upon graduation

energy based education since 1980, Nancy Risley recognizes that your education is a transformational healing process. As a successful therapist, author and teacher, her vision is to help you realize your dream of work that is creative and supports all aspects of who you are. Whether you work in a spa, clinic, or have your own business, you gain the required skills to create satisfaction as well as increased flexibility, control and income.

The next step to fulfilling your future is to call for a no obligation, information interview with our Admissions Representative. We look forward to meeting you and learning about your future.

Programs take from 4 to 12 months, depending on your schedule: Full-time, mother’s hours or part-time evenings.

Accredited. Licensed. Financial Aid available for qualified students.

800-262-8530 v www.spatech.edu

Eclectic Institute of Aromatherapy and Herbal Studies Instructor Linda Patterson offers over 20 years of experience in the science, art and principles of herbalism and aromatherapy.

Experience healing, loving, empowering life energy in your hands Take control of your health and moods with the healing and self-care benefits of Reiki

Northeast Reiki Center

61 Nicholas Road, Framingham, MA 01701

508-808-5696 • NortheastReikiCenter.org Relieve stress, pain and chronic conditions

Ongoing certification courses offered throughout the northeast including: ✴ 7-Month Herbal Certification ✴ 4-Month European-Based Aromatherapy Introduction ✴ 4-Month Advanced Aromatherapy Course ✴ 3-Month Conscious Nutrition Course ✴ Palmistry a tool of diagnoses www.aromatherapyandherbalstudies.com 978-297-4502

Learn how to use the natural, loving, renewing life energy of the Universe to feel less anxious and more content in life. Our one-day comprehensive, certification training provides the instruction and in-class practice you need to confidently bring Reiki’s healing to yourself, your loved ones and pets.

Receive training in the inspiring tradition in which it was meant to be taught, from a Reiki Master-Teacher with 15 years of experience. Receive a manual, your Reiki practitioner certificate, and ongoing afterclass instructor support. Plus, have the confirmation that Reiki’s energy is flowing through you by the end of the day.

Isn’t it time to express your full human potential?

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 69

Andrea Seiver, Ph.D.

Coaching

Carolyn McGee Soul Clarity Confidence Expert k Are old worn out patterns and thoughts

getting in the way of your bliss?

To reconnect with your Intuition, open the flow of your Divine Guidance to tap into your inner clarity for more confidence and abundance, I invite you to start with my “Soul Clarity System Bundle.”

Clear your energetic blocks to a joyful and abundant life, trust your intuition, take inspired action, and feel confident with every life and business decision.

k Do you sense your superpower of intuition

For more info, visit Carolyn McGee, Soul Clarity Confidence Expert, at

yet not take action on the messages?

k Are you spending precious energy second-

Master Coach LIFE Wisdom Psychic Law of Attraction Expert “My session with Ed was not what I expected.

It was exactly what I needed, and I feel so much better.”

Working with Ed is unique and powerful.

His psychic ability, coaching skills, and

Have you spoken with an ascended master recently? Vywamus, channeled by Andrea Seiver, is a master and teacher who is working to help all humans make the shift into the higher levels of consciousness.

Readings with Vywamus cover your life work, relationships, past lives, and other

Other Classes: Learn to Channel • Advanced Channeling For information, contact Andrea at 617-332-1541 • www.andreaseiver.com

Available Now! The Next Big Bang: The Explosion of Human Consciousness A Vywamus Book Read more at www.andreaseiver.com

CarolynMcGee.com

guessing your decisions?

ED LANGAN

Channeled Readings Classes

issues with his characteristic warmth, humor, and practical advice.

Channeled Classes and Spiritual Tutoring help you personally evolve and begin to live in a state of higher consciousness.

Evenings with Vywamus: Vywamus shares his energy and discusses your questions on topics of general interest. Donation $10.

calming manner have helped thousands of clients transform their lives. The Guides will answer questions about money, relationships, finding your soul mate, finding your life’s purpose, or any aspect of life.

Counseling and Therapy

Ed also teaches workshops. See website for details.

Coaching sessions are in-person or by phone.

EdwardLangan.com facebook.com/edlangan.byb

info@EdwardLangan.com v 508 316-4574

Colon Hydrotherapy Experience colon hydrotherapy in a safe, relaxed environment using state-of-the-art FDA registered equipment.

Stephanie Dumas

I-ACT Certified Colon Hydrotherapist, Owner

Holistic Counseling Services, LLC Kerri Morrison, LMHC, RP Kerri Morrison integrates mental health supports, holistic healing tools, and intuitive education for both private clients and the community into her practice.

She has helped hundreds of individuals improve the quality of their life, selfconfidence, and their relationships.

Kerri believes healing and growth are always possible, and when people are ready, they can “awaken” to their true potential.

Office is located in Newburyport, MA 978-255-7893 u awakenhcs.com

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Holistic Coach • Community Educator Certified Reiki Practitioner Trauma-Informed EFT “Tapping” Practitioner MA State Rep with the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)

Additional Non-Therapy Offerings:

• $25 - “Journey to Awakening” E-Course • Monthly community education workshops and trainings • Deliberate Dating education programs • Holistic Life-Alignment Coaching Specialty in working with Highly Sensitive People (HSP)/Empaths Non-medication-based approaches centered in mind-body-spirit alignment & energy psychology Services are for individuals, couples, and families. Free 15-minute phone consultations.

Lexington Medical Building 16 Clarke Street, Lexington, MA

Cleansing for the body, the mind, the spirit

stephanie@healthyspiritcleansing.com 781-860-5116

Consciousness Transformation THE FREE SPIRIT — NOT A RELIGION

• Recognize and Heal Yourself with the Power

of the Spirit NEW!

• The Soul on Its Path to Perfection • Live the Moment • Find the Primordial Light in You

A wide variety of books, eBooks,

DVDs and CDs are on our website.

The Free Universal Spirit is the Teaching of Love for God and Neighbor toward People, Nature, and Animals 70 Spirit of Change FALL/WINTER 2019

gabriele-publishing-house.com Toll-free number: 844-576-0937 ~ Visit us at booth #71 at the Natural Living Expo ~

Body-Centered Psychotherapy Listen to your body…follow your heart.

The heart is the first organ to form in the body, and is the organizing factor for physical formation, including brain formation. Trauma, deprivation or neglect creates heart wounds, which keep us from accessing our deepest selves.

Emotional-Kinesthetic Psychotherapy (EKP) facilitates an emotional, energetic rewiring, helping us activate and express

the power of the heart. Emotional safety, words, touch, meditation, movement, presence and silence facilitate verbal and non-verbal expression. Meaningful work, fulfilling relationships, self-esteem, purpose and passion, love, intimacy and sexuality follow. Straight, GLBT and poly-friendly.

Mediation for couples and families Coaching for soul-centered living Body psychotherapy groups Monthly Community as Healer Group meets on Sunday afternoons in Newton Linda is the author of Living with Vision and Healing the War Between the Genders.

Newton, MA www.healingheartpower.com lsmheart@aol.com 617-913-0683

Center of the Heart Whole Health Integration

Joan Holzman, Psy. D. Lic. Psychologist, Lic. Marriage and Family Therapist Dance/Movement Therapist From the time we are very young we take life’s experiences to heart. Over time we may forget our core, hurts and feelings, but they remain with us. Our heartfelt experiences help shape our sense of self and our interactions with others.

Holistic Psychotherapy Lori Miller-Freitas, LICSW Get to the core — Transform your life!

You are on this earth to be happy and realize your true potential.

EMDR

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I use a combination of traditional, body centered and energy therapies to increase the speed and deepen the level of holistic healing.

PATH TO THE PRESENT Diane Spindler, LMHC, LMFT Healing and teaching for over 25 years h Relief of PTSD and depression h Elimination of phobias h Reduction of anxiety, panic attacks,

unexplained body pain, nightmares, flashbacks, and dissociation

I offer a variety of modalities such as: EMDR, Sandtray Therapy, Relaxation Techniques, Therapeutic Movement & Psychotherapy to help heal our core issues and attain a more integrated sense of health and well being. I look forward to meeting you.

Client Comments: s Sandtray – “Sand tray therapy helped me see my life more clearly.” s EMDR – “I had insights I never had before.” s Therapeutic Movement – “It was great to feel the freedom in my body after working with you.”

42 Thoreau Street, Concord, MA 01742 978-369-6138

Author of “Why Me? Why Now? WHY NOT? Finding opportunity in your obstacles.”

Dr. Trish Whynot’s approach is a blending of personal growth and spiritual wisdom incorporating ASAT™ C.O.R.E. Counseling, meditative techniques, and wise guidance that comes through the Mineral Kingdom.

If you’re a veteran, a first responder, a victim of physical, mental, or sexual abuse, a victim of a disaster, a person with a traumatic background, a person who has anger issues, or a person who is afraid of public speaking, this process could be for you.

You can do this. You can find peace of mind. You can make positive changes permanent. You can heal your body, mind, and soul. You may not know how to connect to the part of you that knows the way, but that part of you is still in you.

Barbara will help you reconnect and guide you on your unique healing path.

Be at your creative potential now.

Pittsfield and Windham, NH trish@trishwhynot.com www.TrishWhynot.com G 978-314-4545

R Top Quality Selection R Weekly Classes

R Guest Presenters

R Available for Rental

R Meditations and Workshops

Crystals & Wellness Space Kyle Russell, Founder

617-771-5119 R PortalCrystalGallery.com

Healing and Bodywork Be Peace Positive

www.GentleReprocessing.com

Certified Master Hypnotist NLP Practitioner Energy Medicine Practitioner

Workshops and Sessions Available In Office, Phone or Skype

489 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA 12 – 5 pm daily Kyle@CrystalConcentrics.com

h 508-886-0007 h

– Sheryl C., Boston, MA

“What im­pres­sed me about Dr. Trish Whynot was her ability to see through the chaos of life’s web and identify the root cause of any problem.”

— Bob Olson, Afterlifetv.com

R Minerals and Jewelry

Portal Crystal Gallery

294 Pleasant St. R Ste. 103B R Stoughton, MA www.eaglespirittherapies.com 781-297-2003 Psychotherapy clients have reached a point where they know why they feel badly, but don’t know how to release these bad feelings that keep them attached to their old stories and in the past. Using Gentle Reprocessing and other leading edge therapies, I help clients let go of these old stories so they can move on to a happier future.

Get to the root of physical, social and financial problems.

G Learn approaches to living and loving that expect opportunities even during challenging times.

G Thrive on the wisdom, compassion and understanding gained from life experiences and open to an array of extraordinary futures.

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Crystals

Certifications: LICSW, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Visa/MC acccepted.

“Barbara has a unique gift. She really helped me find the person I was meant to be buried under the layers of what people wanted me to be.”

www.spiritofchange.org

Trish Whynot, D.C.Ed. Doctor of CORE Education

Brainspotting A neurobiological tool for releasing traumatic/emotionally-charged issues within the brain.

Holistic Psychotherapy Clinical Consultation Using extensive professional experience to resolve issues related to: Trauma, Grief, PTSD, Anxiety and Phobias.

Barbara Madden Johnson Barbara brings a rich blend of deep experience as a clinician, clinical supervisor, college administrator, and professor. She helps individuals resolve health issues, including learning disabilities, dyslexia, immune and auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and depression, as well as issues relating to career, identity, relationships, and more recently, gender identification.

Holistic Counseling Concepts

with Kehrey Anne Dean, LMT, CPMT CORE VALUES

g Always do the right thing... even if no one is looking. g Do/say to others what you would want done/said to you. g Remember PEACE comes from within yourself. g Value relationships above all. g As best you can, keep a bright, positive attitude... and have fun!

There’s nothing more satisfying… no feeling better in the world to me… than when someone comes out of my massage treatment room with that glossed-over, sleepy, messy hair, just-woke-up look and says to me with deep sincerity within their eyes, “OMG, that was simply amazing! You have healing hands. Thank you so much… I feel so much better!”

Knowing I helped some “body” feel 1,000 times better is why I love what I do.

You will love it too!

40% off New Client Special!

Kehrey Anne Dean, LMT, CPMT Peace Positive Massage 40 Mechanic St., Suite 102A, Foxboro, MA

PeacePositiveMassage.com g 401-651-6881

Barbara Madden Johnson, MA, CAGS, LPC 617-484-1716 u UcanEmerge@aol.com

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 71

©

Libby Barnett, MSW, RMT Awaken Your Healing Touch Libby is a gifted, knowledgeable Reiki Master with 38 years experience. Libby learned Reiki from John Harvey Gray in 1979, and is the longest practicing Reiki Master Teacher on the East Coast. Her book, Reiki Energy Medicine, Bringing Healing Touch into Home, Hospital, and Hospice has sold over 75,000 copies in five languages.

Use Reiki to create more joy, ease, and happiness. Let Libby’s warm, heart-centered approach help you take your next step toward self-love and inner peace. Reiki brings balance and harmony, supporting you doing the work you were born to do. Reiki facilitates transitions, promotes creativity and wisdom, and accelerates spiritual growth, helping you manifest your magnificence.

Libby has been teaching Reiki at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for 15 years. She has taught medical and nursing students at Harvard, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Brown, Tufts, and Yale, as well as staff at Mass General, Brigham and Women’s, Beth Israel, Mt. Auburn, Emerson, DartmouthHitchcock, Southern New Hampshire, New York Columbia Presbyterian hospitals, and social workers at the University of Maryland. Libby was featured in a Reiki segment for the PBS nationally televised series, Body and Soul.

“Libby has a beautiful way of teaching and creates a perfect atmosphere for healing and learning.”

enhanced, creating greater effectiveness in calming agitation, soothing pain and providing comfort.

In class, a powerful slide presentation captures the essence of Reiki and highlights the latest research. Reiki stories from Libby’s extensive experience will uplift and inspire you, showing how anyone can learn Reiki. You receive attunements and practice giving and receiving Reiki. You leave class with an illustrated notebook, certificate, and Reiki pin, fully trained and certified to do Reiki on yourself, family, friends, and animals. “Hands on, Reiki’s on.”

"My commitment to teach the Usui System of Reiki Healing in the authentic, traditional manner inspired me to visit Japan to retrace the roots of Reiki. I am dedicated to teaching this sacred healing art to promote health and conscious living on the planet. I invite you to give yourself the gift of Reiki. It is an easy, effective self-care tool to love, heal, and empower yourself. I look forward to meeting you and sharing Reiki.”

Take control of your health and moods with the healing and self-care benefits of Reiki

Northeast Reiki Center

61 Nicholas Road, Framingham, MA 01701

Reiki Jin Kei Do

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InternationallyExperienced

New Englands most InternationallyExperienced Reiki Master since 1989 Patricia has taught healing techniques of Buddhist, Sikhs and Christians for over 25 years. She is the appointed East Coast representative of Reiki Jin Kei Do ~ Buddho Healing, authentic and advanced teachings of Usui Reiki in the lineage of Buddhist Monk Seiji Takamori. Patricia was the first woman to teach Reiki in the former Soviet

Reiki Master, Wilton, NH Class: October 12 Graduates of other Reiki teachers welcome.

Reiki I, Reiki II, and Reiki Master classes offered at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health starting November 1.

Additional Reiki training dates can be found at: reikienergy.com All credit cards accepted.

Social Work, Nursing and Massage contact hours/CEU’s available. Reiki Master Teacher Training info available on request.

To register or for more information: reikienergy.com reiki@reikienergy.com • 603-654-2787

Learn how to use the natural, loving, renewing life energy of the Universe to feel less anxious and more content in life. Our one-day comprehensive, certification training provides the instruction and in-class practice you need to confidently bring Reiki’s healing to yourself, your loved ones and pets.

Receive training in the inspiring tradition in which it was meant to be taught, from a Reiki Master-Teacher with 15 years of experience. Receive a manual, your Reiki practitioner certificate, and ongoing afterclass instructor support. Plus, have the confirmation that Reiki’s energy is flowing through you by the end of the day.

508-808-5696 • NortheastReikiCenter.org Relieve stress, pain and chronic conditions

72 Spirit of Change FALL/WINTER 2019

Isn’t it time to express your full human potential?

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All Levels of Reiki Jin Kei Do Training Buddho Healing (advanced Reiki classes) “His Garments Hem” Christian Healing Touch Gung Fu Chinese Tea Ceremonies Past Life Regression Justice of the Peace Spiritual Director S

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Patricia Warren, Reiki Master Teacher 508-528-5888 ✦ warrenhealing@gmail.com www.patriciawarren.com

Deborah Strafuss is a dedicated practitioner committed to the health and wellness of her clients, and a devoted teacher gently guiding her students into their own experience of Reiki through attunement and training.

Reiki I, Wilton, NH Classes: September 14 or November 9 Reiki II Class: on day following Reiki I Class

Union, returning 13 times, as well as to thousands of people in medical, religious and educational settings throughout the Caribbean, Europe and Middle East since 1989. ✦

Reiki I, Boston Area Classes: Weston, MA: September 21 or November 16 Concord, MA: October 19

One of Libby’s passions is teaching hospice staff and volunteers. Fueled by Reiki energy, their healing touch is

Experience healing, loving, empowering life energy in your hands

Patricia Warren

WHAT HER CLIENTS SAY:

DEBORAH STRAFUSS

Reiki Master and Teacher, Usui Reiki Ryoho Creating a Personal Path to Inner Healing through Reiki Crystal Reiki offers traditional Usui Reiki, Crystal Chakra Balancing, Space Healing and Clearing and Reiki Training, Shares and Classes for those desiring to incorporate Reiki into their lives and work.

THE JOHN HARVEY GRAY CENTER FOR

Reiki Healing

Lourdes Gray, RMT, Director A charismatic and highly experienced Reiki Master Teacher, Lourdes Gray received her entire Reiki Training from her late-husband John Harvey Gray, who was considered the longest-practicing Reiki Master Teacher in the world before his passing in 2011. Lourdes has taught over 1,500 Usui Reiki classes and trained more than 15,000 Reiki students alone or with John Harvey Gray over the last 23 years.

This includes numerous doctors, nurses,

“Deborah is a caring professional who puts a - Brenda new client at ease.”

“I felt so at peace last night. I slept through the night and am still at peace this morning.” - Steff WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY:

“I love your space, the location, the energy of it, how prepared you were. I think you are a very professional and comforting presence.” - Bonnie Find Crystal Reiki at The Gentle Place Wellness Center in Framingham, MA R 508-353-5136 R www.CrystalReikiEnergy.com

massage therapists, and bodyworkers, as well as the general public.

Together, John Harvey Gray and Lourdes Gray wrote their best selling book, Hand To Hand, a favorite among Reiki enthusiasts worldwide. In 2008, John Harvey Gray officially designated Lourdes Gray as his sole “Reiki Lineage Bearer.”

We offer a full range of Reiki classes, including Reiki 1, Reiki 2, Reiki 2 Advanced, Reiki Master, Reiki Crystal Healing, Past Life Regression, Walking the Dead (Reiki for End of Life and Hospice) and Learn to See Auras. (All classes include lessons on how to treat your pet with Reiki.)

Check out our reviews on Facebook.

9,000+ likes and 76 5-Star Reviews! facebook.com/johnharveygrayreikicenter The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing

9 Blake Street, Jaffrey, NH 03452 Visa/MC accepted See full class schedule: learnreiki.org ✴ 603-933-0943

Elements Hot Tub Spa is an independent, locally-owned spa founded in 2007 by Diana and Jeff Krauth, former proprietors of Beyond Words book shop. We are dedicated to health and wellness, use only the highest quality, natural ingredients in all products, and retain a highly dedicated and experienced team of fourteen healing practitioners.

Visit our website for information, coupons, and instant gift certificates.

ElementsHotTubSpa.com

Bodywork modalities include: Swedish Relaxation Massage Therapeutic Deep Tissue Massage Couples Massage r Hot Stones Pre-Natal Massage “Body and Soul” Session – Massage + Reiki Ayurvedic Bodywork Cranio-Sacral Therapy Myofascial Releae r Kinesiotaping Our Spa Services include: Professional Facials and Skin Consultation Relaxing Bio-active Face Treatments Sugar Scrubs r Herbal Wraps Foot Treatment with Reflexology Hot tub rooms include private, indoor and outdoor state-of-the-art hot tubs, Far Infrared saunas, and aromatherapy steam.

• A life where you can sleep without tossing and turning hoping to find a position without pain • A life where you can wake up in the morning and not be restricted by a stiff PHYSICAL THERAPY & FITNESS back or neck • A life where you can play with your kids/ “Last week my back hurt grandkids without worrying that your so bad I could barely walk!” back or neck will go out “I woke up this morning • A life where you can continue to do all the and I couldn’t move my things you love instead of staying on the neck. It hurt so bad I sidelines couldn’t even back out of A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN! the driveway!”

My name is Laura Turner. I am a Doctor LAURA TURNER , PT, DPT of Physical Therapy. In the last 30 years I have helped thousands of people with neck FREE REPORT: and back pain. My FREE report provides 5 Easy Ways to Manage Neck & Back Pain five easy tips to cure your neck or back If you or a loved one has had back pain pain for good (without pain medications or that stopped you from walking, or neck injections). pain that stopped you from being able to For your FREE report, call or email me: safely drive your car, this report may unlock the reason behind your pain and provide a Laura@MoveBetterLLC.com way to return to the life you desire.

MoveBetterLLC.com v 508-571-8239

Bringing complimentary and alternative care to our community...

We are a dedicated and professional group of practitioners providing compassionate care to assist our clients on their journey to wellness.

Acupuncture o Reflexology o Cupping

18 North Meadows Rd, Unit 12B, Medfield, MA holisticwellnesscenter.org | 508-359-7400 Now located in the Medfield Crossing Shopping Plaza on Route 27

www.spiritofchange.org

Massage (over 10 types, including prenatal!)

Gua Sha o TuiNa o Therapeutic Ultrasound Reiki o IET o Polarity Holistic Health Coaching and more!

…and if that isn’t enough, crystals & gifts too!

Healing: Combined Modalities Embrace Massage and Hypnosis

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Therapeutic Full Body Massage Deep Tissue h Swedish h Geriatric Pediatric h Lymphatic h Oncology Myofascial

Specializing in HYPNO-MASSAGESM

Silicone Cupping h Aromatherapy CBD Oil and Lotion h Reiki

HYPNO-MASSAGE is effective for:

Weight Loss h Smoking Cessation Ego Strengthening h Anxiety Reduction

Reiki certification all levels Call for a FREE consultation

HYPNO-MASSAGE SM is a unique combination of hypnosis and massage in one session for maximum restoration and transformation

intuitive HEALING

Wendy Marks

M.Ed, C.A.S., FAPA R Medical intuitive sessions, energy

healing and integrative therapy

R 30 years of experience in traditional and

complementary healthcare

v 413 325 7119 v

embrace.hypnomassage@gmail.com embrace-massage-hypnosis.abmp.com

R Improve your physical, mental, and

spiritual health

R Works with individuals to develop their

own intuitive skills “By healing ourselves we create changes that have a ripple effect on the world around us.”

Looking for practical guidance to create your own spiritual path? You’ll find it in Wendy’s book Your Soul’s Companion, available on her website and at amazon.com. www.wendymarks.com R 781-449-5368 wlm922@wendymarks.com

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Kehoe-Barbosa

TRUE QUANTUM HEALING ON ROOT CAUSE LEVELS Healing sessions via phone or skype. See our website for more information and youtube videos. info@nicolakb.com nicolakb.com V 857-526-1651

LIFE FORCE

REIKI &

AROMATHERAPY Mind Body Spirit Well-Being with Reiki and Essential Oils

V

Do you suffer with pain or anxiety? Are you feeling down or have no energy?

Do you want to heal the root cause of your problem?

Through True Quantum Healing, I use pendulum dowsing and a series of charts to identify where the problem is within your body and its root cause.

I use sacred geometry tools to amplify this healing to deeper levels.

Effective on mental, emotional, physical and spiritual levels.

PAULINE KOSOWAN

Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher Aromatherapist 67 Coddington St, LL2, Quincy, MA 02170 508-737-1384 G lifeforcereiki.com pauline@lifeforcereiki.com

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 73

Herbal Healing RACHEL ROSS, APRN, CNM Hillside Herbals & Holistic Women’s Health HOLISTIC WOMEN’S HEALTH A functional/integrative medicine approach to your health to find the root cause of illness.

Natural Products

HILLSIDE HERBALS offers healing through herbal care for the whole family.

No “one size fits all.” Plants are powerful when we find the right one that works for us. Often, just a tiny change to a wellcrafted mix, or finding the right single herb is all that is needed for heailng.

Teas, tinctures and skin care products from locally grown, certified organic herbs and mindfully harvested wild herbs are available at local farmer’s markets seasonally and at Hillside Herbals.

Gut Health k Bio Identical Hormones Auto-immunity Hormonal Balance Natural Supplements k Herbs & Nutrition

Consultations k Herb Walks Full Moon Workshops k Classes for Beginners and Health Care Professionals

130 Main St., Bldg. 2, Ste F, Northborough, MA

30 Wahlstrom Lane, Jefferson, MA 01522 508-847-8615 k hillsideherbals.com

508-827-2733 k holisticwomenshealth.com

Luxurious SEAT AND FEET CUSHIONING

SHEEPSKIN

MAMA

Ethically Sourced Sheepskins

Holistic Nutrition Services, LLC Nutrition and Wellness Counselor Certified GAPS Practitioner

Holistic Medical

F

Experience a holistic approach to wellness at the BioMed Center Our caring medical and dental experts use advanced technology to treat you, not your symptoms.

F

We focus on preventing, reversing, and correcting the deepest roots of chronic and degenerative disease by restoring your body’s systematic processes.

Specializing in digestive wellness and gut repair.

Come on a journey with me to improve your health with holistic nutrition.

We offer fast, painless, and nontoxic therapeutics that follow a noninvasive prevention and healing medical model committed to personalized care.

Mediumship | Psychic Soul Direction Reading

Learn more about our assessments, therapeutics, and integrated care packages.

Contact the BioMed Center New England today to get started.

Private Readings, in-person or by phone

Homeopathy Experience the Healing Energy of

Homeopathy ABBY BEALE, CCH RSHom(NA) Are you looking for a smarter way to heal your body from nagging chronic issues?

By appointment only: Online AND In-person (Northampton, MA)

Homeopathic care is holistic and individualized, taking into account all of who you are and how you experience life – mentally, emotionally, and physically.

ABBY BEALE, CCH RSHOM(NA) homeopathyhealings@gmail.com HomeopathyHealings.com k 413-426-1024

74 Spirit of Change FALL/WINTER 2019

S Digestive Wellness S GAPS

S Cancer Recovery Nutrition S Brain Health

S Detoxification

978-340-0448 www.HolisticNutritionServices.com

A Little Bit of Everything Reading

• Mediumship (reaching loved ones in Heaven) • Intuitive/Psychic (career, love,relationships) • Your Soul Life Purpose Ask questions and gain insight during this interactive hour-long reading.

American Center for Bioregulatory Medicine and Dentistry 111 Chestnut St., #1, Providence, RI 02903

Whether it’s depression, anxiety, women’s issues, digestive troubles, child behavior problems, or more, know that homeopathy works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore vitality, and improve your overall health.

Ask about Tea with a Homeopath events or beginner study groups.

PROGRAMS FOR: S Practical Nutrition

Readings

We took the best bioregulatory medical technologies from around the globe and brought them into one facility, seamlessly integrating medicine and dentistry to treat the whole patient.

BiomedNE.com 833-8BIOMED F 833-824-6633

SHEEPSKINMAMA.COM

Nutrition BETH COLON, M.S., HHP

F

• Kundalini Yoga • Meditation Room • Healing Reiki • Outdoor Fun • Motorcycles Seat Cushioning • Many Colors Available

by

Messages From Heaven Healing and Learning Center 646 Central St., Leominster 978-297-9790 | bonniepagemedium.com

Nancy guides you into a connection with spirit and your soul for guidance, healing, and direction. Connect with a loved one who has passed or simply ask questions in a session with Nancy.

Akashic Journey to Soul Mastery

…In the presence of loving Angelic energy Connecting to Spirit for inspiration, sustenance and support for your life’s journey READINGS AND SESSIONS IN F F F F

Spiritual mediumship Spirit portraits of loved ones in Spirit Akashic record life readings Group sessions and classes

ONLINE CERTIFICATION

4-month/6-session intensive program on Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST (with bimonthly check-ins Wed. evenings held via Zoom web conferencing). Session dates are six Saturdays: $860 or three payments of $366.Interested in this class? Contact Nancy for free discovery session.

North Andover F nancy@angelscapes.net F www.angelscapes.net F 978-835-0005

KELLE SUTLIFF

Kelle is often a guest on television and radio programs talking about her work and will do live readings on the air. She is featured locally on programs and on national circuits.

Spiritual Practices

q

PSYCHIC MEDIUM | NEW AGE AUTHOR PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR Call for Readings:

Z 978-420-8213 Z psychicmediumkelle.com Kelle Sutliff’s work has been seen on ABC, CBS, and FOX News Networks, and in The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe, and Working Women.

Kelle’s yearly predictions have been covered in over 170 media markets.

Her credits include predicting the 45th President of the United States 18 months before President Trump was elected, as documented in The Boston Herald newspaper.

Kelle’s psychic predictions for 2016 were #1 on Google out of 1.5 million psychic predictions for the new year.

Her website, psychicmediumkelle.com, features her blog which was awarded “Top 100 Psychic Blogs” for her writings.

“I am a psychic medium, author and psychic investigator who has been practicing for over eighteen years. I love to read for others and enjoy being the conduit for my clients. I consult, as a medium and psychic, so my clients get a lot out of my readings.

“It truly is a gift to be able to do this work and by that I am honored daily with the work I do.”

Look for Kelle’s new mini book, Your Spirit With IN You out Summer 2019. It’s a small book with a powerful message.

Her last book, Listen Up, The Other Side IS Talking, won two awards­— “Readers’ Favorite” and “Mom’s Choice Award” in 2014. Her books are available on Amazon and psychicmediumkelle.com.

Her North Andover, MA office is located at 800 Turnpike Street, Suite 300 for in-person appointments. She also reads via Skype and phone at 978-420-8213 for national and international clients.

Sessions are $225 per hour and $160 per half hour. At least 24-hour booking advancement is required.

I look forward to having the opportunity to read for you. ~

Much blessings, Kelle

Connecting you with your Angelic Dream Team, creating your Happily Ever After Angel Readings S Past Life Regression Angel Therapy® S Reiki S Hypnotherapy

at Angeltouche

Psychic Intuitive S Angel Therapy Practitioner ®

Private sessions in person or distance by phone and e-mail.

Classes and workshops ~ Franklin, MA

The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism ARLINGTON MASONIC TEMPLE 19 Academy St., Arlington, MA (off Mass Ave., easy access by T via Harvard Sq.) The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism embraces a religious and spiritual belief blending ancient wisdom with contemporary thought. Services are held at 10:30 am every Sunday, with mediumship, live music, inspirational talks, and healing by laying on of hands.

When we change... the world changes.

Methods of achieving stability and clarity of mind become more and more essential as our social, political, and economic structures change dramatically. Raja Yoga is a simple but powerful form of meditation that can help you to develop peace of mind, resilience, and inner strength.

The Brahma Kumaris is a worldwide spiritual organization, affiliated with the UN and recipient of seven Peace Messenger awards. Classes include meditation and a range of other practical tools for self-transformation. Workshops, group meditations, and retreats are held regularly.

All activities are offered free of charge, as a community service.

Nancy@Angeltouche.com www.Angeltouche.com S 508-577-4552

As an evolving spiritual community, The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism offers weekday evening classes in mediumship, healing, and meditation; mediums days are the last Sunday of the month; and seminars and workshops through the year.

For a brochure with upcoming events, or to speak with the Pastor, call us. Visit our website for current events or more information.

An affiliate of the Spiritualists United Network

(SUN) and the International Spiritualist Federation

Our mailing address: 40-44 Spring St., Watertown, MA 02472 617-923-4334 GreaterBostonChurchofSpiritualism.com

Please contact us or visit one of these New England locations: b Brahma Kumaris Learning Center for Peace

75 Common St, Watertown, MA 617-926-1230 • bknewengland.org boston@us.brahmakumaris.org

b Inner Space Meditation Center & Gallery

1110 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 617-547-1110 • innerspaceharvardsq.org info@innerspaceharvardsq.org

b Shrewsbury @ ATFS Center

433 South St, Shrewsbury, MA 617-926-1230 shrewsbury@bknewengland.org

b Providence

123 North Main St, Providence, RI 401-354-2693 providence@bknewengland.org

b Manchester

575 W. Willow St, Ste 209, Manchester, NH 603-622-5500 manchester@bknewengland.org

Yoga

Skin Care, Salons and Spas

k Continuing education units for licensed

healthcare professionals and registered yoga yeachers

k Free yoga therapy classes for those

Holistic Skin Care Body and Soul A warm amethyst bed awaits you, along with transporting scents, hot stones and healing hands in this total relaxation session, that rejuvenates your skin and nurtures your whole being.

www.spiritofchange.org

“I feel I’ve been blending products and potions for centuries. I love meeting your skin and wellness needs from season to season. Healing with oils and essences is always a life-giving blessing to me, as is sharing the gift of health with all I teach about personality and self care.*” – Nikki Davis MA, Holistic Therapist

* FREE uplifting astrological insight graces each session For an appointment with Nikki, call 617-332-0890 or visit HolisticOasis.com

Yoga for Every Body Sacred Rivers Yoga & Allied Health Therapies k Yoga classes for EVERY body in three

yoga studios, with heart-centered, experienced, certified teachers

k Therapeutic massage, bodywork, and

traditional Thailand massage

k Nutritional workshops and consultations k Bria Skincare with Joanna Chevrette

k 200 and 300 Hour Yoga Alliance

k Counseling and Wellness Coaching

Teacher Training

k Holistic Yoga Therapy Teacher Training k Member School with IAYT International

Association of Yoga Therapy

k Workshops by local and national

presenters

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, thanks to a grant from the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation

k Private lessons or yoga therapy by appt.

with Rebecca Turgeon, MS, LPC

Yoga Alliance 200/500 Hour Registered Schools Sacred Rivers Yoga for Every Body 28 Main Street | East Hartford, CT 06118 (on the Glastonbury line) sacredriversyoga.com k 860-657-9545

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 75

Directory of Holistic Specialties ANGELS

DEPRESSION & ANXIETY TREATMENT

PAST LIFE THERAPY

Ross J. Miller, psychic. Meet your angels

Healed in 2 Hours. Ross J. Miller, psychic healer. 617527-3583. www.TheMysticWay.com

Ross J. Miller. Relive past lives and release blocked

EMF PROTECTION

QIGONG

The Rejuvenizer®, protection from EMFs and other

Eastover Retreat and Eco-Village. Classes, retreats,

and spirit guides. 617-527-3583.

Visit www.The MysticWay.com

ANIMAL SERVICES MASH Integrative Veterinary Care, since 1982.

Dr. Margo Roman & Associates. 508-435-4077.

MashVet.com

damaging frequencies. www.lighthealing.com. 512-301-2999.

FENG SHUI Feng Shui Services of New England. Julie Pelletier-

ASTROLOGY Eric Linter, over 25 years experience. Readings,

classes, daily forecast. stars@ericlinter.com. 508-541-4115.

CERTIFICATIONS Hypnotherapy, NLP, Reiki, IET and Crystal Healing.

508-539-2885. Classes, Clinics, Crystal Fairs. www.capecodcenterforwholehealth.com

CHILDREN’S HEALTH Touchstone Community School. Education for ages

4-14. Grafton, MA. 508-839-0038. www.touchstoneschool.com.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY Genesis Alternative Health. 34 years of experience.

I-ACT certified instructor. NBCHT certified.

603-347-1861. detoxgenesis.com

New Life Services. Lynn Munroe, Licensed Colon

Hydrotherapist. Safe and gentle, performed by a nurse. Pembroke, MA. www.NLServices.org.

COUNSELING & THERAPY Joel Perlmutter, PhD. Licensed 35 years. Stress,

anxiety, relationships. Stow, MA and Putnam, CT. 978-897-9797

CRYSTALS

Elemental Energies With Chris Ann and Jeff. Over

1,000 varieties of crystals from around the world. www.chrisann-jeff.com Portal Crystal Gallery, Arlington Center.

489 Mass. Ave. (open 7 days, 12-5pm).

Kyle@PortalCrystalGallery.com. 617-771-5119

energy. 617-527-3583. www.The MysticWay.com

energy healing with authentic qi masters. 430 East St., Lenox, MA. 866-264-5139. www.eastover.com

READINGS

Rutkowski, MS, RN. Consulting and education. www.FSSone.com.

Nancy Smith, spiritual medium and Akashic life readings. 978-835-0005. www.angelscapes.net

GHOSTS REMOVED

REIKI

From Your Home/Aura. Ross J. Miller, psychic

Libby Barnett, MSW, MSW, Reiki Master Teacher and author. 38 years Reiki experience. 603-654-2787 www.reikienergy.com. CEU’s.

HEALTH FREEDOM INFORMATION

Patricia Warren, Reiki Master Teacher. All levels of

medium, healer. Call 617-527-3583. www.The MysticWay.com

Health Freedom Action Massachusetts is dedicated

Reiki Jin Kei Do training plus Buddho Healing.

508-528-5888. PatriciaWarren.com

to passing health freedom legislation in the Bay State. www.hfama.org

The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing.

HERBS

Sacred Song Reiki and Sound Healing. Priscilla

Hillside Herbals. Rachel Ross, RN, CNM. Classes,

603-899-3288. www.learnreiki.org

Gale, Reiki Master/Teacher. SacredSongReiki.com.

workshops, herb walks, and consultations. www.hillsideherbals.com

Northeast Reiki Center. All levels of traditional Reiki training. 508-808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org

HOT TUB SPA

RETREAT CENTERS

Elements Hot Tub Spa. Private indoor and outdoor

tubs, saunas and aromatherapy steam. Amherst, MA. ElementsHotTubSpa.com

MEDICAL INTUITIVE Sue Singleton, over 28 years, 8,500+ readings.

Identifies and heals Root Cause, eliminates pain/illness to regain health. 978-834-0341.

TheWayToBalance.com/medical-intuitive-readings

Intuitive Healing with Wendy Marks.

Over 25 years of experience. 781-449-5368. www.wendymarks.com

PAIN RELIEF Pat Lebau, MA, ERYT-500, Kripalu Yoga teacher, offers Integrated Positional Therapy sessions. Discover how to relieve your pain. PatLebau.com

Wild Dolphin Swims. Yoga, healthy food, Atlantean legends. www.wildquest.com. 800-326-1816 Brahma Kumaris Peace Village Retreat Center.

Haines Falls, NY. 518-589-5000. www.peacevillageretreat.org

TACHYON The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment. Tachyon

healing and anti-aging sessions, and Tachyon energy products. www.celestialempowerment.com.

YOGA Worcester Yoga Center. Ann Bissanti, CYT. Over 30 years experience Iyengar yoga. 508-829-6300. worcesteryogacenter.com

Add your listing! Next deadline: January 31, 2020. Email advertise@spiritofchange.org.

76 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

ASTROLOGY

MASSAGE

SPIRITUAL GOODS

Experience astrology’s amazing lens on life!

Janet Booth, consulting for 40 years. In-person, phone and online readings. Specializing in relationships and finding auspicious times for your important actions (marriage, surgery, home sale, business launch). Seize the RIGHT day! Gift certificates available. West Hartford, CT, 860-232-4670, AstrologyBooth.com.

Stressed? Let me help you relax. In pain? Let me help soothe your pain. Pediatric and adolescent clients welcome. PeacePositiveMassage.com located in Foxboro, MA. (401) 651-6881, Kehrey Anne Dean, LMT, CPMT. New client special = 40% off 60 or 90 minutes.

Mystical Banners. Hand painted wall hangings and altar cloths. Sacred symbols, angels, mantras and mandalas.

Divine designs with a magickal twist!

Please visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/ MysticalBanners. MysticalBanners.

YOUR DAILY READING.

Visit spiritofchange.org for astrologer Eric Linter's daily word.

CLASSES 44th annual edition of “The Lunar Calendar: Dedicated to the Goddess in her Many Guises.”

Features complete and accurate moon data for 2020 plus the art and poetry of 24 luminaries! $24. Discounts for 2 or more. www.thelunapress.com

CLASSES Upper Cape Tech in Bourne, MA, near Cape Cod Canal is a leading provider of career and wellness training offering Culinary Arts, Health Careers, Nurse’s Aide, Real Estate, Computers, Technical/ Trade, HVAC, Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Releasing Stress, Weight Loss and Smoking with NLP. 600+ online courses and more.

Visit www.uppercapetech.cc or call (508) 759-7711, ext. 211 for details.

DOWSING All About Dowsing. Discover the science of dowsing. Self-instructional DVD's, books, Original Cameron Aurameter. www.dowsing. com. (805) 649-5721. Catalog: PO Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.

GUIDANCE Intuitive advisor available to counsel and guide your direction. Over 30 years experience.

Contact Linda at A Creative Insight.

(781) 599-8274.

HYPNOSIS Kathryn McGlynn, Certified Hypnotist. Past Life Regression and metaphysical hypnosis.

Schedule your private or group session today for a transformative experience. (781) 3402146. ybglum@juno.com. www.hypnosis.ws SUBMIT YOUR AD Spring issue deadline: January 31, 2020 Questions? Email advertise@spiritofchange.org or call (508) 278-9640. www.spiritofchange.org

PYRAMIDS

SPIRITUAL SINGLES All About Pyramids. Meditation/experimental tabletop models. Worldwide research. (805) Ready for a conscious, evolved relationship?

649-5721. www.dowsing.com. Catalog: P.O. Box Our amazing members value spiritual growth, 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93130. yoga, meditation and sustainable living. 19 years online! Join now — Meet your soulmate. www.SpiritualSingles.com.

SPACE AVAILABLE Newton Center Office Space For Rent.

Full-time/part-time availability. Inviting, furnished psychotherapy suite includes private office, waiting room, clerical space and bathroom. Contact Chris Gruener (617) 965-6552, crossroads-counselingservices.com, chris.gruener@comcast.net.

Stoughton, MA.

Seeking experienced alternative and holistic licensed health care professionals at Pleasant Health Center for the Healing Arts.

Established in 1994, PHCHA professionals encourage clients to partner with their health services to promote well-being of personal body, mind, spirit and emotions.

Two spacious renovated office suites for lease in our well maintained historic 109-year-old two story administration building of the former Upham Bros.Shoe Co. 2nd floor: 2-Office Suite, 411 sq. ft. with private bathroom, skylight, storage closet.

Utilities included. 1st floor: 3-Office Suite, 650 sq. ft. Heat included.

Bathrooms, kitchen, and conference room directly across hallway. Join our growing compassionate, caring and accessible community resource for clients and practitioners.

Pleasant Health Center for the Healing Arts, 294 Pleasant Street (Route 139), just minutes from Routes 24, 128, 138 and 27.

Visitors always welcome.

Contact John P. Ando, Sr. at Eggrock Realty Corporation,

294 Pleasant Street, PO Box 745, Stoughton, MA 02072. (617) 909-0150 Email jpa294@aol.com.

Please visit us at www.facebook.com/ PHCHAStoughton.

VOLUNTEER

New England’s largest animal welfare festival!

Sunday September 8 12pm - 5pm

Make a Difference and Become an Ascend Hospice Volunteer in Massachusetts

At the fields of Wyman-Gordon 244 Worcester St. North Grafton, MA $12 for adults $5 for kids 12 and under

Contact our Volunteer Supervisor Jenn Fenuccio for more information at Jennifer.Fenuccio@ascendhealth.com

• Amateur Dog Show & Shelter Pet Parade

Visit our website to learn more about our specialized hospice care and services AscendHospice.com

• More than 100 pet

related vendors, animal breed rescues and New England based animal shelters

YOGA

• Live music by

Certified Yoga teacher and therapist Ann Bissanti, trained in India by B.KS. Iyengar, has studied Yoga and meditation for the past 30 years. She has taught Yoga at Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick, at various fitness centers and adult education programs, and privately. Call for more information.

Worcester Yoga Center 21 West Street, Worcester, MA 01609 WorcesterYogaCenter.com (508)829-6300

Niki Luparelli and the Honey Badgers, Bêlit, Hit the Bus and Gov’t Surplus, frisbee dog team, carnival rides, vegetarian food, doggie water park, agility course, demos, awards and a whole lot more!

For the benefit of all animals

Petrockfest.org FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 77

A

O

A Touch of Magick.......................................... 52 Access Bars Therapy........................................ 60 Alternatives for Health................................... 57 Alternative Health Inc.................................... 49 Anastasia’s Health Happenings...................... 55 Angels Teach.................................................... 55 Angelscapes.................................................55,74 Angeltouche..................................................... 75 Annie Appleseed Project................................ 19 Arvigo Massage................................................ 52 Ascend Hospice............................................... 77 Rebecca Austill Clausen................................. 27 Awake to Your Dreams................................... 53 Awakening Self................................................ 58 Ayur Services LLC........................................... 58

Open Circle Acupuncture & Healing........... 53 Opening Lotus Yoga........................................ 23 Optimism Plus................................................. 44 Our Sight Your Light....................................... 15

Index of Advertisers Fall/Winter 2019

B Balance Within................................................ 56 Libby Barnett.................................................... 72 Beadniks........................................................... 59 Abby Beale........................................................ 74 Bethany Jewell Yoga........................................ 23 Bhavna's Wellness Group............................... 15 Biomed Center of New England, The........... 74 Bliss Through Yoga.......................................... 23 Boston School of Herbal Studies, The........... 69 Brahma Kumaris.............................................. 75

Cambridge Health Alliance............................ 23 Central Mass Lyme Foundation.................... 56 Yvonne Chen.................................................... 68 Choose Your Evolution..................................... 3 Circles of Wisdom........................................... 41 City Compost................................................... 51 Cloud 9 Float and Wellness............................ 40 Kevin Conklin............................................58, 61 Core Connection, The..................................... 23 Cosmic Cat....................................................... 59 Crystal Reiki..................................................... 73

(508) 278-9640 • advertise@spiritofchange.org

Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent.

D Dancing Jaguar Inspirations.......................... 27 Kehrey Anne Dean.......................................... 71 Dinno Health................................................... 17 Ellen Douglas................................................... 61 E Easton Yoga Center......................................... 23 Eastover Estate and Retreat.............................. 9 Eclectic Institute of Aromatherapy and Herbal Studies, The.................................. 69 Elements Hot Tub Spa.................................... 72 Elemental Energies.......................................... 33 Embrace Massage and Hypnotherapy.....51,73 Enchanted Fox................................................. 42 F First Church of Christ Science....................... 58 The Fourwinds Society................................... 21 Franklin Rose................................................... 33 FrogPond Yoga Centre.................................... 23 G Gabrielle Publishing House........................... 70 Gina Genest...................................................... 51 Arthur Gertler.................................................. 28

— Marilyn vos Savant

G

L

Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism........ 75 Groton Wellness Center................................. 17

Pat LeBau.......................................................... 25 Light Unlimited............................................... 11 Eric Linter......................................................... 68 Living Well Life Coaching.............................. 41 Lotus Flower Living........................................ 56 LoveLight Illuminations................................. 27 Andrew Lutts.................................................... 39

H HandTales......................................................... 15 Melissa Harris.................................................. 37 Healing Essence Center.................................. 42 Healing from the Body Level Up................... 35 Healthy Spirit................................................... 70 Heart and Soul Holistic Healing.................... 57 Heaven and Earth Studio...........................30,31 David Helfand.................................................. 39 Hillside Herbals............................................... 74 Holistic Counseling Services, LLC................ 70 Holistic Nutrition Services............................. 74 Holistic Oasis................................................... 75 Holistic Wellness Center...........................47,73 Joan Holzman.................................................. 71

Bonnie Page...................................................7,74 Path to the Present.......................................... 71 Pet Rock Festival........................................55, 77 Pets and Spirits................................................. 49 PHI, Inc............................................................. 39 Phoenix Rising Healing.................................. 43 Monique Pommier.......................................... 68 Portal Crystal Gallery..................................... 71 Pyramid Books................................................ 48 R

Spring/Summer 2020 deadline: January 31, 2020

C

P

Raylene Sousa Medium.................................. 47 Rhys Thomas Institute.................................... 80 Maryann Roefaro.............................................. 7 Penny Rosenzweig........................................... 44 S Sacred Rivers Yoga.....................................23,75 Sacred Song Reiki.......................................30,46 Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment, The.................................... 21 Scalar Energy Healing....................................... 9 Science of Spirituality..................................... 47 Andrea Seiver................................................... 70 Sheepskin Mama............................................. 74 Sohum Yoga...................................................... 23 Spa Tech............................................................ 69 Spiral Journeys................................................. 36 Spirit Hollow.................................................... 53 Spiritualist Fellowship Church of Billerica...................................... 44 Maureen St. Germain...................................... 31 State of Grace Yoga.....................................23,27 Kelle Sutliff....................................................... 75

M

V

M.A.S.H............................................................ 46 Maha Yoga Center........................................... 23 Marconic Recalibration.................................. 19 Tina Marian...................................................... 49 Linda Marks..................................................... 70 Wendy Marks................................................... 73 Massachusetts Satsang Society, Inc.......7,13,45 Massage Envy..................................................... 2 Mari McCarthy................................................ 21 Carolyn McGee...........................................59,70 Meditate in Yoga.............................................. 48 Metrowest Thermal Imaging.......................... 36 Ross Miller..............................................13,39,45 Lori Miller-Freitas........................................... 71 Moth and Moon Studio.............................42,48 Move Better, LLC............................................. 73

Vesta.................................................................. 40

N

Y

Nicole Kehoe-Barbosa.................................... 73 John Koenig...................................................... 69 Pauline Kosowan............................................... 7

Natural Living Expo....................................... 4,5 Nature’s Mysteries............................................ 45 NE Institute of Reflexology............................ 69 New Life Services............................................ 28 Northeast Reiki Center..............................69,72

Yoga Anita........................................................ 23 Yoga at the Ashram....................................23,25 Yoga Studio, The.............................................. 23 YogaLife Institute............................................. 46 Your Health Matters........................................ 19

L

O

Z

Ed Langan......................................................... 70

Olson Media Group.......................................... 3

Zen Therapy..................................................... 69

I Inner Traditions............................................... 37 J John Harvey Gray Center............................... 72 Barbara Johnson.............................................. 71 Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center................................... 28 K

78 Spirit of Change | FALL/WINTER 2019

W Pat Warren........................................................ 72 Way to Balance,The......................................... 29 Web of Light Expo........................................... 43 Wellness Codes, The........................................ 56 Wellness Roundtable, The.............................. 17 Austyn Wells.................................................... 19 Westborough Yoga.......................................... 23 Whole Spectrum Healing............................... 57 Trish Whynot................................................... 71 Women of Wisdom....................................15,68 Cynthia Wood.................................................. 51 Worcester Yoga Center................................... 77 Wu Healing Center.......................................... 79

Dear Friends, We have some good news for you if you’re into herbal medicine and natural healing. generation herbalist he can quickly determine what imbalances are present in your body using the well-known TCM technique of tongue diagnosis.

You can also tell him everything that’s going on and what you are experiencing. He then condition(s). He’ll also connect you to his trusted herbal supplier in Los Angeles, who he has been working with for 12+ years, to source your herbs.

His clients across the world have found tremendous relief from their problems with this service, and often one session is all that is needed. You get all this for only $50. is the best way for him to respond to you quickly. Simply send him a picture of your tongue phone call afterwards.

Many thanks and wishes of good health, Wu Healing Center

Visit us

at the

Booth #

1012

WuHealing.com | Email: center@wuhealing.com 45 S Main St, Suite 100, West Hartford, CT 76 Nason St, Maynard, MA - 978-790-8888

www.spiritofchange.org

FALL/WINTER 2019 | Spirit of Change 79

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