Spring/Summer 2016 Spirit of Change by Spirit of Change Magazine

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Wake Up Your Nature Awareness • A Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms First Aid For Cannabis Smokers • Is the GMO Experiment Already Too Big To Fail? Are You An Empath? • Katha Pollitt on The Struggle Over Abortion Rights

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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 Phone: 508-278-9640 x 1 E-mail: advertise@spiritofchange.org PUBLISHER & EDITOR Carol Bedrosian Phone: 508-278-9640 x 3 E-mail: carol@spiritofchange.org BUSINESS MANAGER Michella Brudner Phone: 508-278-9640 x 2 Email: Michella@spiritofchange.org WEB EDITOR Laurie Johnston Email: laurie@spiritofchange.org CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Editors of E/Environmental Magazine, Karen Feldman, Eric Linter, Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose BOOK REVIEWS Gail Lord E-mail: SOCBookReviewer@gmail.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION Barry Corbett, Janice Nadeau, Amber Routten-Mitchell, Steve Sedam PRINTING TCI Publications, Seekonk, MA

Departments Features

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 • Vol. 29, No. 134

Features

Departments

First Aid for Cannabis Smokers By Mark Mathew Braunstein.........................22

Musings

Labeling our Future By Beth Colon, M.S...................................................................28

Starspeak

Bringing Purity Back Into the Seafood Industry By Sean Wittenberg and Bryan Boches............................................................................34

Healthy Cooking

Awaken Your Nature Awareness By David Santillo..............................................40

Copyright ©2016 Spirit of Change. All Rights Reserved. Spirit of Change distributes 45,000 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.

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

Family Farming: Bucolic Myth vs. Economic Reality By Linley Dixon, PhD...............................................................................................................32

A History of Medicinal Mushrooms By Marie Cargill, LicAc.............................36

Online at: SpiritOfChange.org

by Eric Linter.......................................... 10 by Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose......... 14

Feng Shui for Everyday

Stopping the Age of Extinction By Robin Wall Kimmerer................................44

by Karen Feldman.................................18

The Gift of the Empath By Bety Comerford and Steve Wilson.........................46

EarthTalk

Slow Down By Leah Kalish, MA........................................................................................50

by E/Environmental Magazine........ 20

It’s Her Choice, An Interview with Katha Pollitt By Gillian Kendall...........52

Book Reviews

Free Your Mind Coloring Courtesy Tula Pink...........................................................75

by Gail Lord.............................................58

Directories

Calendar........................................... 60

Yoga Practitioners of New England ............................................................................23 Holistic Logo Directory .....................................................................................................64 Holistic Specialties Directory .........................................................................................76 Advertiser Index ...................................................................................................................78 Holistic Marketplace ...........................................................................................................79

Cover Art

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

“Mushrooms Beside A Rock” by Rachelle Dyer, RachellePaintings.com

Upcoming in Fall/Winter 2016

Revolutionary Healing AD DEADLINE: JULY 29, 2016

Advertisement. Abridged from the April 2003 ALPHABIOTICA! Newsletter / New England. Vol. 3, Issue 4. Reprinted with permission. The New England Alphabiotic Association 2007.

PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE IN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE

Advertisement. from the April 2003 Newsletter ALPHABIOTICA! Newsletter / New England. Vol. Issue 4. Reprinted with permission. New EnglandAlphabiotic Alphabiotic Association 2007. Advertisement.Abridged Abridgedfrom fromthe theApril AprilAbridged 2003ALPHABIOTICA! ALPHABIOTICA! Newsletter// New New England. 3, Issue 4. with The New England Association 2007. Advertisement. 2003 England. Vol. 4.3,Reprinted Reprinted with permission. permission. TheThe New England Alphabiotic Association 2007.

Neal Robert Smookler: Passionate Advocate for his Profession Neal Robert Smookler: Passionate Advocate his Profession Neal Robert Smookler: Passionate Advocate for his Profession Neal Robert Smookler: Passionate Advocate for his Profession Neal Robert Smookler: Passionate Advocate forfor his Profession tothe perform the ’It ‘reboot. “It’s not so much a more new therapy, it’s more totoperform proceeded ‘reboot. “It’s not sosomuch a anew therapy, it’s more proceeded performthe ‘reboot. “It’s not somuch much anew new therapy, it’s proceeded toproceeded perform the ‘reboot. ’It was was’It was “It’s not therapy, it’s more very brief, so brief in fact that I sure wasn’t sure like a new idea. In fact, the profession is very brief, so brief in fact that I wasn’t like a new idea. In fact, the profession is very like a new idea. verybrief, brief,so sobrief briefin in fact fact that that II wasn’t wasn’t sure sure like a new idea.InInfact, fact,the theprofession professionisis to make of it.” quite asysunique helping sys- to makewhat what of it.” evolving into quite aevolving unique into helping what whattotomake makeof ofit.” it.” evolving into quite evolving into quitea aunique uniquehelping helpingsyssystem”— says NealSmookler Smookler. What Smookler tem”— says Neal Smookler. What “I Igot up and I was, uh ... humming. “I got up and was, uh ... humming. I was I was tem”— says NealSmookler. Smookler. WhatSmookler Smookler gotup upand and was, uh... ...Ihumming. humming. was tem”— Neal “I“I got IIwas, uh was is so about is a seemingly simple is so says passionate about is passionate a What seemingly simple literally resonating in what I canII only literally resonating in what can only is so passionate about is a seemingly simple literally resonating in what I can only is somethod passionate about ismethod a seemingly simple that ‘reboots’ the brain much like resonating that ‘reboots’ the brain much like describe ‘an cocoon insulated cocoon of peace.’ It literally inaswhat I can only describe as ‘an insulated of peace.’ It method that ‘reboots’ the computer. brain much like describe as ‘an insulated cocoon of peace.’ It you’d reboot your“Its home computer. “Its eloyou’dthat reboot your home elowas as if the of heaviness ofof my life somehow was as ifas the heaviness my life somehow method ‘reboots’ the brain much like describe ‘an insulated cocoon peace.’ It you’d reboot computer. “Its elo- most was as Do if the heaviness life somehow quence lies in itsimportantly simplicity, importantly quence lies your in its home simplicity, most lifted. Do what youofknow what IImean? I seemed lifted. you know Imy mean? seemed you’d reboot your home computer. “Its elowas as if the heaviness of my life somehow quence liesthe in its simplicity, most importantly lifted. Do you know what I mean? it’s safe,” the Wellesley Alphabioticist replies. it’s safe,” Wellesley Alphabioticist replies. to ‘brown shift out out’, of ‘brown out’, Inoseemed longer waiting to shift out of no longer waiting quence lies what? in its simplicity, most importantly it’s safe,” the Wellesley Alphabioticist lifted. Doproverbial you know what Ishoe mean? I seemed to out offor ‘brown out’, no longer waiting what? ... was replies. mybut first response, but (Alpha, ... was(Alpha, my first response, the second proverbial second shoe toI drop. forshift the to drop. felt I felt (Alpha, what? ... was my first response, but the proverbial shoe to body drop. Ireset, felt it’s we’ll safe,”get thetoWellesley Alphabioticist get to that in replies. a moment.) that in a we’ll moment.) tofor shift oflike ‘brown out’, no longer waiting mysecond brain, my entire had been reset, like myout brain, my entire body had been we’ll get to that in a moment.) like my brain, my entire body had been reset, providing me with a clean slate. Have providing me with a clean slate. Have you This isresponse, just how open This is just howmy open and approachable (Alpha, what? ... was first but and approachable for the proverbial second shoe to drop. I felt you providing me with a clean slate. you This is just how open ever experienced something that Have rangthat so trueso true experienced something rang Smookler speaks. At 42,and he approachable has been Smookler speaks. At‘reboot42, he has been ‘rebootwe’ll get to that in a moment.) like my brain,ever myyou, entire body had been ever experienced something rang soreset, true for you, you just knew itthat was right? that you just knew it was right? Smookler speaks. At over 42, hasforbeen ing’ brains for well a decade — ‘rebootfrom ing’ he brains well over a his decade — from histhat for providing me with a clean slate. Have you This is just how open and approachable for you, that you just knew it was right? There was no intellectualizing, no analyzing There was no intellectualizing, no analyzing ing’ brains for well over a decade — from his Wellesley, MA and Back Bay MA Centers. Wellesley, and Back Bay Centers. ever experienced something that rang There wastonofigure no analyzing or trying it to out. Just gut feeling of orintellectualizing, trying figure it aout. Just aso guttrue feeling of Smookler speaks. At 42, heBay has been ‘rebootWellesley, MA and Back Centers. Smookler is serious about hisis work and others Smookler serious about his work and others Neal Robert Neal RobertSmookler Smookler perfection. couldn’t turn away from what perfection. I couldn’t away fromIof what I or trying to Ifigure it out. Just aturn gut feeling take himfor seriously, despite his smiling blue take him seriously, despite blue that Smookler is serious about his work and others for you, you just knew it was right? ing’ brains well over a decade — from hishis smiling Neal Robert Smookler had experienced. I knew with absolute cerhad experienced. I knew with absolute cerperfection. I couldn’t turn away from what I eyes and youthful looks. eyes and youthful looks. take him MA seriously, despite his smiling blue unique hashas been accessed therebootrebootunique been accessed through through the There was no intellectualizing, no analyzing Wellesley, and Back Bay Centers. tainty that I would doI this work. Two and one tainty Ithat would doabsolute this work. Two and oneing had experienced. knew with cereyesGrowing and youthful process. ing process. up inlooks. Framingham, 30 min- about Growing upabout in Framingham, 30 minunique has been accessed through the rebootortainty trying to Ifigure itIdo out. Just aingut feeling of Smookler is serious about his work and children others -half months latermonths was down Dallas, -half later I was down in Dallas, that would this work. Two and one utes west of he is one two 30 utes west of of Boston, he minis one of two children ingAsprocess. IAs satI sat with Neal, small scar Growing upBoston, in Framingham, about with Neal,I Inoticed noticed aasmall scar Neal Robert Smookler I couldn’t turn away from what I Texas taking my first class.” Texas taking my first in class.” take seriously, despite -half months later I was down Dallas, ofhim Edward Phyllis Smookler. “It’sblue funny, of Edward and Phyllis Smookler.perfection. “It’s funny, lineAs on left index and middle finger. lineIhis on his left index and middle finger. utes west of and Boston, he ishis onesmiling of two children sat with Neal, I noticed a small scar Well, now my Smookler really had my had attenexperienced. Ifirst knew with absolute cerWell, now Smookler really my atten- Thinking Texas taking class.” lot of people recognize last “It’s namefunny, eyes and youthful looks.a Smookler. lot ofthe people recognize the last had name this was related hiswork, work, this was related to his I I rebootunique been accessed through the ofa Edward and Phyllis line Thinking on has his left index and to middle finger. tion. What exactly was done on that Autumn tion. What exactly was done thatone Autumnasked. because it’s sorecognize unique and remember because it’s so name unique and many tainty remember thatnow I would do this work. Two and Well, Smookler really had myon attenLeaning back ininsurprise, “Oh those, asked. Leaning back surprise, “Oh those, aGrowing lot of people themany last Thinking this was related to his work, I I I ing process. up in Framingham, about 30 minweekend in 1991? He explains to me to me recently weekend backdone in 1991? He explains seeing that family name on myfamily Dad’s dental seeing that name on my Dad’s dental started studying Indian classical tion. Whatback exactly was on that Autumn recently started studying Indian classical because it’s so unique and many remember -half months later I was down in Dallas, asked. back inI surprise, those, I utesoffice west for of Boston, heoffice is one of twoplus children that the ‘reboot’ is a‘reboot’ colloquial metaphor thatinthe a colloquial As ILeaning sat Neal, noticed a“Oh small scar forty years”. years”. by taking sitar Pretty brutal on music bywith taking sitarlessons. lessons. Pretty brutal on weekend back 1991? Heisexplains to metaphor methat thatmusic seeing that familyplus name onfor myforty Dad’s dental recently started studying Indian classical Texas taking my first class.” refers to The Alphabiotic Method — which refers to The Alphabiotic Method — which ofoffice Edward Phyllis Smookler. “It’s funny, the fingers.” he he said. line onby histaking left index and middle finger. the fingers.” said. lessons. Upon receiving bachelors degree in that the Upon receiving his bachelors degree in ‘reboot’ is a colloquial metaphor that forand forty plushis years”. music sitar Pretty brutal on was developed into a comprehensive helping was developed into ahad comprehensive Well, now Smookler really my atten-helpingThinking from BC, heBiology went on to continue his a lotBiology of people recognize the last name refers to The Alphabiotic Method — which “Today, there are people from all backfrom BC, he went on to continue his “Today, there are people from all backthis was related to his work, I the fingers.” he said. Upon receiving his bachelors degree in system in the 1950’s. “It’s based upon the system ina the 1950’s. “It’s based upon the grounds at the training in Dallas, Texas.” He professional studiesand for amany number of years in tion. What exactly was done on that Autumn professional studies for a number of years in was developed into comprehensive helping grounds at the training in Dallas, Texas.” He because it’s so unique remember asked. Leaning in surprise, “Oh those, I Biology from BC, he went on to continue his “Today, there back are people from all backsame fundamental principle principle as rebooting a fundamental as rebooting a makes Los Angeles, CA. After moving CA. back home, it a itpoint ofofcommunicating that LosaAngeles, After back home,inback system thesame 1950’s. “It’s upon makes a point communicating that allall He weekend in 1991? Hebased explains tointhe meis in professional studies for number of dental yearsmoving in seeing that family name on my Dad’s computer”, explains Smookler. “It is grounds at the training in Dallas, Texas.” recently started studying Indian classical computer”, explains Smookler. “It Smookler set up shop in July set 1990 in The practitioners areare meticulously trainedand and Smookler up shop in July 1990 in The practitioners meticulously trained cer-cersame as metaphor rebooting that a that thefundamental ‘reboot’ is aprinciple Los Angeles, CA. moving backwhere home, essence a high level sensory makesby it the ataking point of communicating essence acolloquial high levelpattern sensory interrupt pattern interrupttified office forBay forty plus After years”. music by sitar lessons. Prettythat brutal Back neighborhood International Association andall on Back of BayBoston, neighborhood of Boston,computer”, where tified by the International Association and explains Smookler. “It is in that introduces very positive Smookler set up shop in July 1990 in The thataintroduces a very communication positive communication practitioners are meticulously trained and cerrefers The Alphabiotic Method — which until this winter’s Hopkinton, goes on to that “if evermastered mastered untilto this winter’s move Hopkinton, heto still the fingers.” he said. goes onsay to say that “ifyou you have have ever essence abrain. high level sensory pattern interrupt Upon receiving hismove bachelors degree inhetostill into the There are no machines or Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, where into the brain. There are no machines or tified by the International Association and resides as an Alphabioticist (Ianpromise you we was developed into a comprehensive helping a musical instrument, you thatafter after resides asto Alphabioticist (I promise you we a musical instrument, you know know that that introduces a very communication Biology from BC, heawent on continue his instruments used — It’spositive very low techlow and “Today, there are people from all backinstruments used — It’s very tech and until to Hopkinton, he still goes on to say that “if you have ever mastered willthis get winter’s to that inmove moment.) years of disciplined practice, a transition from will get to that in a moment.) system years of disciplined practice, a transition from the organic. 1950’s. “It’s based upon the into theinbrain. ThereThe are no machines or organic. The nature of this communication nature of this communication professional studies for as a “Everything number of years in resides as an Alphabioticist (I promise you we a musical instrument, you know that after He grounds at the training in Dallas, Texas.” rote mechanics to the the more subtle nuances “Everything went planned for a couple rote mechanics to the the more subtle nuances went as planned for a couple instruments used — It’s halves veryas low techbrain, and same fundamental principle rebooting a brain, years of disciplined practice, a transition from instantly balances both of the instantly balances both halves of the will get to that a moment.) Los Angeles, CA.inAfter back makes it ainstrument point of communicating that all of the seamlessly beginstotoreveal reveal of years”, proudly pointing a wallhome, mounted of instrument the seamlessly begins ofmoving years”,toproudly pointing to a wall mounted organic. The nature of this communication clears stress switches and resets the system clears stress switches and resets the system itself.” computer”, explains Smookler. “It is in rote itself.” mechanics tometiculously the the more subtle nuances “Everything went in as planned for aThe couple (A point that should keep Nealin in copy ofset The Street/Back Guide (A point that should keeptrained Neal Smookler upNewbury shop July 1990 inBay copy of The Newbury Street/Back Bay Guide practitioners are and cerinstantly balances both halves of the brain, back to it’s ‘original factory settings’, i.e. the to it’s ‘originalpattern factory interrupt settings’, i.e. thegood of the instrument seamlessly beginsthethe to reveal essence a highback level sensory ofthat years”, pointing to a wall mounted spirits as as heheattempts master didneighborhood aproudly rare cover story of his business good spirits attempts to master that a rare cover storyat of his business clears stress clear, switches and resets provided the Back Bay ofdid Boston, where clear, at healthy blueprint provided yousystem by you by tified by the International Association and healthy blueprint itself.” (A“This point thatisshould keep Neal inof of copy of The Newbury Street/Back Bayexplains Guide sitar.) “This method know the time. Rare, because as Smookler that introduces a veryfactory positivesettings’, communication sitar.) method isno no different. different. I Iknow the Rare, because as Smookler explains back to it’s ‘original i.e. the Mother Nature.” Mother Nature.” until this move to time. Hopkinton, he still goes on to say that “if you have ever mastered good spirits as he attempts to master the no one who has mastered it in less than 5 7to 7 that did winter’s a rare cover story of his business at “usually art galleries and hair salons were the no one who has mastered it in less than 5 to “usually art galleries and hair salons were the into thehealthy brain. There are no“It’s machines orbrain clear, blueprint you He continues, a provided catalyst theby He“It’s continues, a for catalyst for the brainyears resides as an Alphabioticist (I you a musical instrument, you know that after sitar.) method isand no different. I know of of“This focused effort commitment.” the time. Rare, because as Smookler explains only ones to ever make itones to promise the cover, not years of focused effort and commitment.” only to ever make itwe to the cover, not Mother Nature.” to do a Complete Now, withinstruments used It’s veryCheck. low tech and to do— aSystems Complete Systems Check. Now, withWorldwide, it’s estimated that the ‘reboot’ no one who has mastered it inthe less thanhas 5has to 7 professionals. in and aprofessionals. way I was truly “usually hair salons will get to art thatgalleries in So a moment.) Worldwide, it’s estimated that ‘reboot’ years of disciplined practice, a transition from So inwere atickled waythe I was truly tickled outHe a perceived and present danger, the thebeen provided safely over 2.5 million times continues, “It’s athis catalyst for the brain out aclear perceived clear and present danger, organic. The nature of communication years of focused effort and commitment.” and ones honored. It was fun back then, everything only to ever make it to the cover, not been provided safely over 2.5 million times honored. fun back then,to everything rote mechanics to the the more subtle nuances brain no need to no remain locked in the “Everything went as and planned forIt of awas couple do afinds Complete Systems Check. Now, withbrain finds need toof remain locked in the since the the 1930’s. Smookler has personally balances both halves the brain, was fresh andSo new. had no idea events Worldwide, it’s estimated the ‘reboot’ has since 1930’s. Smooklerthat has personally professionals. in aIwas wayfresh I was and truly new.the Itickled had no idea instantly ofdaily the events ‘hypervigilant’ fight or flight stress of the instrument seamlessly begins totimes reveal out a perceived clear and present danger, the daily ‘hypervigilant’ fight or flight stress done ofand years”, proudly pointing to awould wall mounted the same over 80,000 times inthe the last in the next few months that change been provided safely over 2.5 million done the same over 80,000 times in last honored. It was fun back then, everything in the next few months thatme would change me clears stress switches and resets the system response. As the brain shifts out of this defenresponse. As the brain shifts out of this defenbrain finds no need to remain locked in the itself.” (A1930’s. point that shouldhas keep Neal in eleven years. copy offresh The and Newbury BaytheGuide forever.” eleven years. since the Smookler personally forever.” was new. I Street/Back had no idea of events back it’s ‘original factory settings’, i.e. the sive,to‘hypervigilant’ fragmented, outer-reactive, ‘emergency sive, fragmented, outer-reactive, ‘emergency daily fight or flight stress Smookler’s work has been featured locally good spirits as he attempts to master thelast done the same over 80,000 times in the Smookler grins half-nostalgically, half that a rarefew cover story of his business at in did the next months that would change me Smookler’s work has been featured locally Smookler grins half-nostalgically, halfhealthy stand-by’ mode resources are are stand-by’ mode misappropriated clear, blueprint provided by resources response. As themisappropriated brain shifts out you of this defenon such media venues as WBZ, WZBC & seemingly still in awe of the synchronicity of eleven years. on such media venues as WBZ, WZBC & forever.” seemingly still in awe of the synchronicity of sitar.) “This method is no different. I know of freed up to attend to priorities which had the time. Rare, because as Smookler explains freed up to attend to priorities which had WATD. sive, fragmented, outer-reactive, ‘emergency Mother Nature.” itSmookler all, remembering a seminar he attended in WATD. it all, remembering a seminar he attended in Smookler’s work has been featured locally been ‘swept-under-the-rug’. When the body grins half-nostalgically, half beenmisappropriated ‘swept-under-the-rug’. When the body no one who has mastered it in less than 5 to 7 “usually art 1991. galleries and hair salons were the stand-by’ mode resources are October “Throughout the weekend the asked what enjoys most about He continues, “It’s a catalyst for thehad 1991. “Throughout the danger When asked whathe heas enjoys most about his onWhen such media venues WBZ, WZBC &his perceives — resources for healing, seemingly still in aweOctober ofto the synchronicity ofthe weekend perceives danger — resources forbrain healing, years freed up to attend to priorities which of focused effort and commitment.” only ones to ever make it the cover, not gentleman presenting the seminar kept menwork — Smookler hesitates for a moment, gentleman presenting the seminar kept menwork — Smookler hesitates for a moment, thinking, joy, sleep, creativity and tapping the WATD. it all, remembering a seminar he attended in tobeen do a‘swept-under-the-rug’. Complete Systems Check. Now, withthinking, joy, sleep, creativity tapping the When theand body Worldwide, it’s estimated thatall the ‘reboot’ has tioning this So I had no reboot’. idea what then as ifasthe answer was there all along professionals. in areboot’. way I was truly tickled tioning this I had noauthentic idea what expression then if the answer wasenjoys there along he he his of you —ofget placed on October 1991.‘brain “Throughout the‘brain weekend the authentic expression you — get placed on When asked what he most about out a perceived clear and present danger, the perceives danger — resources for healing, replies, “people often come with a sadness, the was talking about, let alone what it had to been provided safely over 2.5 million times replies, “people often come with a sadness, the was talking about, let alone what it had to the ‘back burner’ where they will remain until and honored.presenting It was funthe back then, everything ‘backto burner’ where will remain gentleman seminar kept menwork — Smookler hesitates for a moment, thinking, sleep, creativity andthey tapping the until findsjoy, nothe need remain locked in the an emptiness. Upon Integration —personally thelight light do with the seminar. do Atwith weekends end,Atheweekendsbrain emptiness. Upon Integration — the end, you he shift out of that survival pattern. since the Smookler has you shift out of that survival pattern. tioning this ‘brain reboot’. I the hadseminar. nothe idea what thenanas if 1930’s. thecan answer was there all along he was fresh and new. I had no idea of events authentic expression of you — get placed on returns, you see it in their eyes, that invited anyone who wanted a ‘reboot’ to lie daily ‘hypervigilant’ fight or flight stress returns, you canoften see it come in theirwith eyes, athat invited anyone whoitwanted a ‘reboot’ One to lie nice thing about this system is thatuntil replies, “people sadness, was talking about, let alone what had to One nice thing about this system is that done the same over 80,000 times in the last in the the next few months that would change me the ‘back burner’ where they will remain down. My first thought was down where? spark.” down. Mylie first thought was lie down where? response. As the brain shifts thisSmookler defenthere is no sprinkling of whatout Smookler calls callsspark.” an emptiness. Upon Integration — the light is nosurvival sprinkling ofof what doThere’s with the seminar. weekends hetableyou shift out there of that pattern. eleven years. nothing but At seminar tablesend, with forever.” Today, Smookler lives in Hopkinton, There’s nothing but seminar tables with tableToday, Smookler Hopkinton, magic ‘pixie dust’ or anything of the like. sive, fragmented, outer-reactive, ‘emergency magic ‘pixie dust’ or anything of the like. returns, you can see lives it in in their eyes, that invited anyone who wanted a ‘reboot’ to lie cloths, hard candy and pitchers of ice water.” One nice thing about this systemreliability is that spending his his professional time inWellesley, Wellesley, cloths, hard candy and pitchers of ice water.” Smookler’s work has been featured locally “This method has an inter-operator spending professional time in Smookler grins half-nostalgically, half “This method has an inter-operator reliability spark.” down. My first thought was lie down where? stand-by’ mode misappropriated resources are there is no sprinkling of what Smookler calls Massachusetts — The Center for The New “Oh well. I lay down“Oh while apprehensively approaching 100% and can be scientifically Massachusetts — The Center for The New well. I lay down while apprehensively on such media venues as WBZ, WZBC & approaching 100% and can be scientifically seemingly still in awe of the synchronicity of There’s nothing butall seminar tables withnot tableToday,Alphabiotic Smookler lives in Hopkinton, freed to attend toorpriorities magic ‘pixie dust’ anything of the had like. and England Andwho who awaiting my turn, the while trying to trying replicated with results thatresults arewhich predictable England AlphabioticAssociation. Association. And awaiting my of turn, allwater.” the while notupto replicated with that are predictable and cloths, hard candy and pitchers ice WATD. spending his professional time future. in Wellesley, it all, remembering a seminar he the attended in Then, knows, maybe India knock over the water pitchers. Then, “This method haspeople an inter-operator reliability been ‘swept-under-the-rug’. When the body universal.” Most within the first five knows, maybe Indiaininthe the near near future. knock over waterwithout pitchers. without universal.” Most people within the first five Massachusetts — Thehe Center formost The about New his well. lay down while so“Oh much as Ian explanation, the (508) 625-1170. approaching 100% and can be scientifically October 1991. “Throughout the weekend the the gentleman When asked what enjoys or six sessions know that something very so much asapprehensively angentleman explanation, (508) 625-1170. perceives danger resources or six—sessions knowfor thathealing, something very England Alphabiotic Association. And who awaiting my turn, all the while trying not to replicated with results that are predictable and gentleman presenting the seminar kept menwork — Smookler hesitates for a moment, thinking, joy,Most sleep, creativity and tapping the knows, maybe India in the near future. knock over the water pitchers. Then, without universal.” people within the first five tioning thisas‘brain reboot’. I had no idea what then if the answer was there all along he authentic expression yousomething — get placed so much an explanation, the gentleman (508)as625-1170. or six sessions knowof that very on www.spiritofchange.org SPRING/SUMMER 2016 with | Spirit of Change 7 replies, “people often come a sadness, the was talking about, let alone what it had to the ‘back burner’ where they will remain until an emptiness. Upon Integration — the light do with the seminar. At weekends end, he you shift out of that survival pattern. returns, you can see it in their eyes, that invited anyone who wanted a ‘reboot’ to lie One nice thing about this system is that

MUSINGS

BY CAROL BEDROSIAN

SOS–Save Our Soil!

f you want to learn more about nature, bring a child into your life. My 18-month-old granddaughter, Bella, loves nothing more than walking outside, exploring sticks, stones and plants, and sifting dirt through her fingers. A gardener myself, I was amused to discover how quickly I rushed to keep the dirt off her hands and clothes, until I realized what an asset her love for soil would be. So I taught her to brush off her hands and keep the dirt out of her mouth, then let her spend all the time she wanted in my fall garden, sitting down and playing in the earth, and walking circles around the bushy parsley plants and Brussels sprouts taller than she was. In winter, we bundled up and enjoyed even more time meandering outdoors as her walking skills increased. It was during these strolls that I finally noticed the difference between being and doing in nature. As an ambitious, goal-oriented person, accomplishment of the next task is never far from my mind. Yet, when walking with Bella, the goal is simply to be outside. I get to smell the air, see the plants, hear the birds and feel the mosaic of textures beneath my feet, all while watching this little being discover natural wonders for the first time over and over. Naturalist David Santillo describes this as waking up your nature awareness and writes this issue about ten simple ways to raise your outdoor attentiveness and appreciation. Start by slowing down and not rushing the time you spend outside. “Then make like a rock and do nothing. Successfully do nothing in nature and you will quickly realize that there is never nothing going on in nature.” Of course, much more than simply a source of wonderment, Earth is the living matrix we depend on for survival. All our food, water, air and life-sustaining sunshine arise from nature, as well as all the raw materials for our goods, housing and medicine. Without Earth to provide for us, we perish; yet somehow we live completely disconnected from this truth as we dump trash all over the planet and extract natural resources into oblivion, seemingly unaware of the damage and imbalance we inflict. A friend sent me cartoons about evolution. Two depicted our evolution as creatures crawling out of the ocean and morphing into humans dumping hazardous waste into the very same water we came from. What an ignorant legacy! For most of us, modernization has brought 95% of our living and working activities indoors, so we have lost our day-to-day touch with Earth as a living, breathing being who responds, feels, gives and takes. In the 1930’s, 25% of America’s population lived on 6 million small farms, working the land daily. That number has since dropped to about 2% of the population living on 2 million farms, the majority of which are large agribusinesses growing commodity crops. Except in cities, walking is no longer a common form of transportation, and even our children have stopped playing outside, spending their free time indoors instead, attached to electronic devices. We are seriously nature deprived.

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Getting down to earth is key to our survival on Earth. The very thing some mothers slapped our hands away from, refusing to let us get dirty or sit upon, actually sustains all life on the planet. Not only does most of our food grow in soil, but much of the massive workload of daily decomposition on the planet requires soil, without which, Earth would be overrun with carcasses in days! Soil also supports the amazing world of fungi, including mushrooms, those healing and detoxifying superpowers whose secrets we’ve only barely begun to tap, as acupuncturist Marie Cargill points out in “A History of Medicinal Mushrooms” this issue. The poisoning of our soil worldwide with heavy doses of GMO pesticides and nutrient-depleting but profitable mono-cropping practices is a risky gamble we take with a resource as vital as our soil. It could take generations or even centuries to reverse soil damage, or in the case of GMOs, permanent and irreversible changes could result from tinkering with intelligences far beyond our own understanding and ability to control. Protecting our soil with organic farming practices is more important now than ever. SOS — save our soil! Ironically, getting down and dirty is also the gateway for accessing the more etheric realms of vibrational medicine. The deeper your Earth connection, the healthier your natural vibration becomes. Throughout most of history, humans have had continuous contact with Earth through walking barefoot and sleeping on the ground. Grounding, also called earthing, involves putting your feet in direct contact with Earth through dirt, grass, stones, water, sand, trees, etc, where your body can harmonize with Earth’s negative electrical potential. Your immune system functions best with a healthy supply of electrons, which are absorbed by this barefoot contact. The more humans that are plugged into nature every second of the day, the more natural intelligence we are guided by, and the more likely to be evolving in a healthy way. Another writer once pointed out to me that using “the” before the word “Earth” or “earth” objectifies Earth, further numbing our awareness of Earth as a sovereign, living being, just like you and me. “The” is never used before Venus or Mars in a sentence, so why do we do this to Earth? Lower case earth refers to soil, ground, dirt. If you’re talking about the planet in any way, shape or form, it’s Earth. Language transmits powerful energy that shapes cultural attitudes and behavior. In “Stopping the Age of Extinction,” author Robin Wall Kimmerer proposes that we adopt new pronouns “ki” and “kin” to refer to all living beings of Earth. “When we speak of Sugar Maple, we say, ‘Oh that beautiful tree, ki is giving us sap again this spring.’ And for a plural pronoun, on a crisp October morning we can look up at the geese and say, “Look, kin are flying south for the winter.’” These simple but beautiful words remind us of our kinship in the family of life with these beings. They bring everything back down to the humble majesty of earth. Carol Bedrosian is the publisher of Spirit of Change holistic magazine. www.spiritofchange.org. SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 9

the 13th. The increasing number of daylight hours may shed little light on Monday’s daunting challenges but Jupiter’s powerful trine with Pluto brings penetrating clarity at midweek. A new zodiacal year begins as the Sun arrives in Aries just after midnight on Sunday the 20th. A conjunction of Venus and Neptune that same afternoon melts hearts and lightens spirits. It feels good to welcome the warmth of the new season. However, another eclipse is imminent and with Jupiter now testing Saturn, it is wise to think carefully before taking action. A sudden move could be for the wrong reasons and may not produce the desired results. The eclipsed full Moon in Libra is exact at 8:01AM EDT on Wednesday the 23rd. Question motives, your own, as well as those of others. Mercury and Venus face mixed influences through the end of the month. This, plus Saturn’s retrograde turn on the 25th, presents a challenging time. We’re back to an on again, off again scenario. Don’t play fast and loose with words or affections. The last three days of March require caution and poised self-control. Mercury harmonizes with Saturn on the 29th, is at odds with Pluto on the 30th and conjuncts Uranus on the 31st. Tuesday’s sensible agreement may need to be renegotiated on Wednesday and then entirely reworked on Thursday, or the entire deal could be off! Breathe deeply, be patient and ready to seize the opportunities that present themselves.

STARSPEAK

BY ERIC D. LINTER

April “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not into fighting the old but on building the new.” — Socrates

other Earth knows only too well the truth contained in the sage’s words. When spring comes and it’s time to wake up her Earth, she’s all in, and not giving a moment’s thought to the passing winter. The new zodiacal year starts with the Sun’s arrival in Aries, aka the vernal equinox, that short-lived time when daylight and nighttime hours are equal in length. It’s out with the old and on to new adventures! Here in New England the season of rebirth is triggered by warming days. As temperatures climb, returning songbirds and tender new plant growth appear. Every spring I search out and admire the first snow drops and crocuses gamely showing off their modest but charming blossoms. The graceful willows, among the first trees to green up, are another sure sign spring is under way. This year, the new season begins between a pair of eclipses. Our forecast period ends between another pair of eclipses. Eclipses only occur when the Earth, Sun and Moon are in close alignment. Given the continuing aftershocks of the destabilizing Uranus/Pluto squares, as well as a tricky T-square involving Saturn, Neptune and Jupiter, there are numerous reasons to proceed cautiously and minimize risks whenever possible. Before jumping into action, it’s best to calm down, tune 10 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

in and clearly define objectives. Carefully map out a strategy and, given the current astrological factors, also have contingency plans at the ready. Time and again, surprising developments are likely to see circumstances suddenly change, requiring quick thinking. Once you’ve decided on a course, follow your heart!

March The first days of the month can feel like an emotional roller coaster ride. Confusion and stresses on Tuesday the 1st, give way to more hopeful and socially engaging trends the very next day. Moods continue to be mostly optimistic until Friday afternoon when a change in plans or missed connection can be deflating. Other delays are likely over the weekend as the Pisces Sun tests Saturn. With the Moon now waning, slowing down is a good idea. At the new Moon on Tuesday the 8th, the Sun’s sextile to Pluto and opposition with Jupiter could point the way to a spiritual or moral renaissance. This new Moon in Pisces is also a solar eclipse, good reason to seek higher guidance and heed gut feelings. Wise words ring especially true this week as mental Mercury overtakes mystical Neptune on Friday. Act on humanitarian and creative impulses but watch out for scam artists and false prophets. Daylight Savings Time starts up again on Sunday

A waning Moon and several quiet days usher in the month of jests, rain showers and cheerful daffodils. April Fools’ Day pranks are for the most part tame. The Sun’s trine with Saturn on Tuesday the 5th assures that everything is in its rightful place but a solar square with Pluto the following afternoon could upset the world order. Close to inventive Uranus, the new Moon in Aries on the 7th trumpets a call for constructive changes. Build bridges between old and new worlds this week, as the Aries Sun becomes an intermediary between tradition-bound Saturn and evolutionary Uranus. As we all know, change is the only real constant. The Earth may shake on Saturday the 9th, when the Sun conjuncts Uranus. This conjunction is a call for personal liberation. In order to push ahead, some ideas, relationships and things will be left behind. The upside of progress seems clear from the 11th through the 14th but there are also risks. Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune are forming a confusing T-square. When Mars turns retrograde on the 17th and Pluto follows suit the next day, it could be time to rest and regroup. Spring fever reaches delectable heights on the 19th when the Sun arrives in earthy Taurus. The Scorpio full Moon of Friday the 19th, which fittingly also happens to be Earth Day, underscores the need to preserve and protect environmental and other resources. On Thursday the 28th, mental Mercury turns retrograde. Be prepared to deal with delays and misunderstandings. Deliberate deceptions by politicians and world leaders are likely to make news.

May Loving vibrations usher in the new month. On the 1st a sextile between the Taurus Sun and Neptune holds the Continued on page 12

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ASTROLOGY Continued from page 10

promise of a kinder, gentler world. It also adds intensity and wonder to May Day celebrations. Goodwill prevails as the Taurus Sun trines Jupiter on the 3rd. This is also a fine omen for business and travelers. Book now for summer vacations. That Friday, the 6th, the Moon is new in Taurus. A fabulously fertile grand trine in Earth signs sees the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus in Taurus harmonizing with Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn. Let planting begin! Make commitments with the backing of the cosmos. Through the 13th the astrological omens are notably bright and bode well for long term stability, fertility and success. Momentum builds as the Moon waxes. The Sun enters Gemini on Friday the 20th and late the following afternoon the full Moon in Sagittarius is exact. There may be rumblings at home as the Moon is conjunct fiery Mars. Opinions are voiced, loudly and clearly. Mercury resumes forward motion on Sunday the 22nd, but with the Sun still at odds with Mars, resist the impulse to act or speak abruptly. Remain vigilant during the coming week. Jupiter and Saturn form an exact square on Thursday the 26th. Fears can be magnified or the urge to right all wrongs, irresistible. Falsehoods and rumors may obscure the truth as once again, Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune are close to an exact T-square. Pursue facts and accurate information. Mercury’s trine to Pluto on the 30th shines a light that solves mysteries and exposes more than one nefarious plot.

June The Moon is waning and the Gemini Sun tests nebulous Neptune on the 1st. This is a perfect storm of epic astrological proportions, a mutable grand square, inflating imaginations but also leading some minds to accept the inconceivable as factual. Bubbles burst on Friday the 3rd when both the Sun and Venus form oppositions with sober Saturn. A dose of old school common sense brings naive daydreamers and escapists crashing back down to face reality. Late Saturday night the Moon is new in Gemini. Once again it’s time for fresh starts. Be sure to bring along the gear you’ll need to have a successful journey. The road ahead is full of detours and dangers. Reduce your speed as Mercury opposes Mars the afternoon of the 9th. An imagined desire may turn out to be more than you bargained for. The weekend of the 11th and 12th has good social potential. Socialize, network and make new acquaintances while Venus and Uranus harmonize. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, enters protective Cancer on Friday the 17th. That same day Saturn is at odds with Neptune. Water supplies and food sources are at risk. Be extra careful about what you put in your body. Food, water and drug safety continue to be concerns, as the Moon grows full over the weekend. On Father’s Day treat Dad to something new and different, even enlightening. Monday the 20th is hyper busy. During the early morning, the Moon is full in Sagittarius. It’s summer solstice, the Sun’s arrival in Cancer, and the longest day of the year. Mental Mercury opposes Saturn and squares Neptune. Judgment may be way off kilter. Almost everyone is vulnerable to elaborate ruses. Don’t be gullible or take risks. Get facts. Abide by the old carpenter’s rule; measure twice 12 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

and cut once. Check the weather report for your locale. Brighter and easier trends soon take hold. The travel bug is strong on the 22nd. Questions are answered and impasses resolved over the weekend of the 25th and 26th. Life regains its flow. Jupiter’s Sunday morning trine to Pluto provides answers to many questions. Sticky issues can at last be resolved. Negotiations are aided by mental Mercury sextile with progressive Uranus. Put your intuition to good use. Be attentive to loved ones on the 30th. Venus is opposed to Pluto and feelings veer towards extremes. Affection and intimacy can deepen or a separation could be permanent.

July On the 1st an uplifting sextile between Venus and Jupiter launches the month in style. Moods are upbeat and weekend travelers are eager to be on their way. The good vibes persist into Sunday morning when the Cancer Sun aligns with mystical Neptune, inspiring a great many vacationers, artists, nature lovers and spiritual adepts. Independence Day features a super powerful Cancer

Notably bright astrological omens plus a fabulously fertile grand trine in Earth signs May 6th through 13th bode well for long term stability, fertility and success. Make the commitments with the backing of the cosmos and let the planting begin!

new Moon conjunction of Mercury, the Sun, Moon and Venus. The four stars stand across the zodiac from Pluto, the planet of transformation. The alignment speaks to our fractured society as well as the potential for us to collectively reinvent our country. It’s a complicated birthday chart, with many undercurrents but great potential for healing. Let’s hope “We the People” get involved and elect a unifying new president this fall. Monday morning’s new Moon is also the moment when the cosmos encourages activity and new beginnings. Find supportive people to help you make your dreams come true. There are challenges. Thursday the 7th requires the skillful handling of difficult individuals. A wrong move can inflame tensions so be alert and show respect for differing opinions. Upbeat trends grace the weekend of the 9th and 10th. Summer fun is healing. Be careful if you’re out traveling late Sunday night. Reduce your speed. At mid-month the Sun is at odds with Uranus. Freakish events, outrageously bad behavior, and other disturbances serve as wake up calls. Be cautious on the roadways. We must cherish and protect loved ones, sacred places, and respected rights and institutions. There is room for im-

provement as evolutionary forces are in play. The waxing Capricorn Moon is exactly full during the evening of Tuesday the 19th. Effective leaders understand the public’s emotional needs and win the loyalty of their followers. The continuing T-square between Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune suggests that some authority figures are being less than forthcoming. Truth always has weight and resonance. Listen for it. Venus’ Wednesday morning trine to Saturn assures us that good people and enduring relationships stand strong through all tests. The Sun enters Leo the morning of the 22nd. A quiet week follows. Then, on Friday the 29th, the action picks up when Mercury tests Mars and Uranus retrogrades. Control your tongue and your emotions on this day of vagaries. Flexibility will help save time and energy, and keep the peace.

August On Monday the 1st, the winds may suddenly shift and try to blow us off course but Saturn has a steadying hand on the tiller. Use discipline and tenacity when tackling chores and responsibilities. Tuesday’s new Moon in Leo continues the taking care of business theme. Playtime arrives in a big way Friday night. The Moon is conjunct Jupiter in Virgo so go out and enjoy the lively social scene. Relationships may be volatile over the weekend. A series of challenging Mercury aspects can disrupt communications, causing regrets and confusion. Don’t rush to conclusions. Give partners a chance to explain their point of view. Negotiations may be protracted. The 10th brings pointed messages but new uncertainties can test partnerships, as Saturn turns direct on Saturday the 13th. A unifying rapprochement is likely around the 16th. The Moon is waxing full. The Sun is in trine to Uranus and then on Wednesday the 17th, Venus trines Pluto. Magic can happen under these influences. However, don’t count your chickens. The full Moon in Aquarius on the 18th is eclipsed. Plans made before an eclipse rarely play out the way we think they will. At this time a loss of control can be a good thing, if fear is replaced by faith. Be ready to tune inwards, trust and go with the flow. The Sun arrives in Virgo on Monday the 22nd. Positive thinking is both a powerful tool and good medicine, if you’re looking to help others in some way. Mars overtakes Saturn on the 24th as both planets test Neptune. Watch the skies for dangerous weather this week. Keep an eye out for flooding and other water-related dangers. Drinking supplies and food purity need to be carefully monitored. Happier trends come with the weekend. Venus joins forces with Jupiter during Saturday’s evening hours, a great omen for a dinner party or night on the town! Mercury is also close by. Words soothe, encourage and convey love and respect with style and panache. The winged messenger is stationing and turns retrograde Tuesday morning. Get ready for another round of mind-boggling, eye-opening and at times amusing happenings. 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 www.ericlinter.com. Read Eric’s daily forecast on the Spirit of Change homepage at spiritofchange.org.

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HEALTHY EATING

BY MIELLE CHÉNIER-COWAN ROSE

Arthur N. Gertler M.D.

Basic Techniques for

Cooking Success

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If you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.

— Kahlil Gibran

utrition is very personal. Each body is different from the next, with its own individual requirements for functioning at its prime. Even a single body will have changing needs at different stages throughout its lifetime. It’s wise to take note of nutritional recommendations and trends, but the best guide will probably be your own body’s messages, telling you what it needs and how your diet and lifestyle are faring. Explore different nutritional models and allow yourself to shift between them as needed. Most diseases can be improved or even healed with changes in diet, so take charge of your health and find out what’s necessary for you to thrive. Trust yourself to find the resources that you need, and remember the key factor of any healthy diet: a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed, naturally grown foods. Try the following basic cooking techniques to help you increase your cooking ease and success. Enjoy yourself. No other technique is more important! Your attitude affects the food you prepare as much as your ingredients, and so cooking presents an opportunity to nourish your friends and family with your loving, positive energy. Make an effort to feel good in the kitchen and put aside any anger or frustration unless you can effectively transmute it into spiciness! Trust your intuition. The more you can do this, the easier it will be to enjoy yourself. Eating is to cooking just as walking is to dancing, so relax. When something’s in the oven, heed the voice that tells you to check on it. If you have an idea to add something different to your stew, notice where the idea originated. The voice of intuition will 14 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

guide you and become stronger as you learn to perceive and trust it. Read the entire recipe before you begin to cook. It’s like looking at the map before beginning a trip. You will see what needs to be prepared ahead or how you can multitask along the way, making your journey through the recipe more efficient, easeful, and pleasant. You don’t want get stuck having to soak nuts overnight when you’re trying to make dinner in an hour. Mise en place is a French culinary phrase that literally means “putting in place.” It means measuring, washing, cutting, and otherwise preparing the ingredients for your recipe before you begin. This will also help you accomplish the previous technique, since you will need to read through the recipe in order to prepare your ingredients. Maximize energy—your own, and that of your stove. When the oven is hot, roast an extra squash, a few bulbs of garlic, some tomatoes, or toast a tray of seeds or nuts. When you prepare beans or grains, double or even triple the quantities, so you can freeze leftovers. Try to make a few batches of sauces or salad dressings once a week. You will find it easier to prepare quick weeknight meals that are more complex and interesting with these building blocks on hand. Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose has been a natural foods chef and advocate for natural living for over 15 years. Her latest book, Veganish: The Omnivore’s Guide to Plant-Based Cooking, can retrain any person to enjoy healthier cooking and eating. Visit pieceofmyheartkitchen.com.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART SOUP This is a general formula to learn how to make a full-bodied vegan soup out of any ingredients you have available. To make your soups more nutritious and flavorful, use broth rather than water. Beware of the ingredients of commercial broths and concentrated stock cubes. Broth is very easy to make from the trimmings of the vegetables you use for the soup and other recipes, but if you must use water this soup will still be delicious!

Place in a medium soup pot: 1 Tbsp oil 1 onion, diced 1/4 tsp salt

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Cook over medium-low heat 10–15 minutes, until onions are very soft and translucent. Add:

BMG DESiGnS & FEatuRES:

aromatics (suggest 1 celery, 1 carrot, 2 cloves garlic) 1/2–1 tsp salt This base for most soups is called a mirepoix. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use plenty of fat (oil, butter, etc.) to coat the onions and carry the flavors of the aromatics throughout the soup. While you could just boil all the ingredients at the same time, your soup will be much richer and more complex if you take the time to slowly cook the onions and other aromatics thoroughly first. Use salt as a tool to draw moisture from the onions or vegetables if they start to get dry. You want enough liquid to keep them from burning but not so much that they steam rather than caramelize. If the pan gets too dry, add a little salt, oil, or a tiny bit of water or broth.

Next, deglaze the pan by adding: 1/2 cup wine, tomatoes, fruit or vegetable juice, broth, beer, or water

Let simmer about 7 minutes until nearly dry, taking care to avoid scorching. Add:

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Omnivorous Variations • Use butter to sauté onion. • Use bone broth or milk in place of vegetable broth or water. • Finish with a little cream after removing from heat.

Continued on page 16

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Bring to a boil, then simmer (partially covered) until thoroughly cooked. Purée if desired, then taste and adjust salt. If the soup still needs something, try a little lemon or vinegar.

Additional Soup-Making Tips • If you need to pause, you can turn off the heat anywhere along the way at the end of a step, before adding the next ingredient. • If using mushrooms, I usually add them before the ½ cup deglazing liquid, after the mirepoix has had a few minutes to soften. • When using crushed red pepper or dried Italian seasonings, add them with the mirepoix to soften them and draw out their flavor. • When blending puréed soups, place a towel over the top of the blender to protect yourself from splattering. • If using miso, stir it in after removing the soup from heat.

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BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR COOKING SUCCESS Continued from page 15

FOLLOW YOUR HEART PILAF Yields 4–6 servings Pilafs are excellent served both warm and at room temperature. Use this recipe to make any variety of flavors with the ingredients you have on hand.

Prepare with water or vegetable broth: Are you interested in pursuing a rewarding career in a growing field of holistic health?

1 cup dry grains (barley, brown rice, wild rice, etc.) Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then allow to stand, covered, for about 5 minutes. Combine with the savories below while still warm.

While grains are cooking, combine in a medium pan: 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 1/4 tsp salt

about 1/2 cup wine, tomatoes, juice, broth or water

Simmer about 7 minutes until nearly dry again, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Remove to a large mixing bowl and toss with: warm rice (above) 2/3 cup nuts or seeds, toasted and chopped 1/4 cup dried fruit 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs drizzle of good olive oil

Adjust salt and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, until onions begin to color. Add: savory aromatics and assorted vegetable base, such as garlic, celery, fennel, carrot, mushroom, etc. No Prior Experience Required. New Courses Begin in October.

Continue to cook until vegetables are soft, then deglaze the pan by adding:

Omnivorous Variations • Use organic bone broth in place of water or vegetable broth, and butter in place of oil to sauté. • If you want animal protein in this vegan pilaf, add pieces of browned, organic pastured meats or chicken.

HAZELNUT MEYER LEMON JEWELS

MASSAGED KALE SALAD

Yields 12 cookies This wheat- and cane sugar– free variation on Meredith McCarty’s Linzertortes in Sweet and Natural is one of the best vegan cookies I’ve ever had. They are a sweet dream come true.

I love kale. I eat it every day and thank it for strengthening my bones. I usually chop it very fine, down to the tough bottom of the spine. If you’re new to kale, you may want to pull off the tender leaves and discard the spine until you can enjoy its hearty texture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large salad bowl, combine and allow to marinate 5–10 minutes:

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Place in a single layer in a baking dish: 1 cup raw hazelnuts

Toast until fragrant and crisped, about 10–15 minutes. Wrap in a towel to steam while they cool, then rub with towel to remove skins. Place in a food processor and chop finely.

Yields 2–4 servings

1 small clove garlic, finely grated 3/4 tsp salt 2–3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4 to 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, to taste

Add and allow to marinate a few minutes more: 1 beet, shredded

Combine in large bowl: hazelnuts 2 cups + 2 Tbsp barley flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine in another bowl: 1/2 cup light oil 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp Meyer lemon zest, chopped 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to make a dough. Roll into 2-inch balls and make an indentation in the middle of each for: 1 Tbsp raspberry jam

Bake jam-filled cookies on an oiled baking sheet until golden, 15–20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

16 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Add: 1 bunch kale, finely chopped drizzle of quality olive oil

Using your hands, firmly massage the salad for about 5 minutes until the kale is tenderized. Add:

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted or raw freshly ground black pepper to taste handful of cherry tomatoes or dried cranberries, cut in half (optional)

Toss and serve at once or refrigerate up to 8 hours. Variations • Any homemade dressing is great on raw massaged kale salads. • To make a really easy raw kale salad, simply massage chopped kale with some sauerkraut. Add avocado and toasted seeds for healthy fats and protein.

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FENG SHUI FOR EVERYDAY

AnimAl CommuniCAtor

BY KAREN FELDMAN

i’d like to invite you to communicate with your pets telepathically. • Increase the strength of your animal-human bonds • Effect positive changes in your companion’s health and behavior

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Feng Shui in the Classroom

O ur family will be moving out of state soon. Our 2 young children, who are in elementary school, will therefore be facing the challenges of adjusting to a new school environment. I’m aware of the benefits of using feng shui in our home, and I’d like to know how to apply this practice in a school environment. Are there some basic guidelines you could suggest?

I wish you and your family the best of luck during this major life transition! Yes, feng shui principles can be applied to all places of learning, from elementary school through college. Since this is a rather large topic, I will highlight some of the major points to consider when assessing a classroom space. As students are spending quite a few hours of their day inside a classroom, it certainly helps to be in a quality environment that is supportive of a positive learning experience as well as providing a healthy, non-toxic atmosphere. Feng shui is a practice that strives to create safe, healthy, comfortable, harmonious spaces that embrace and align with the natural world. An ideal feng shui spatial plan with all the right furniture and placement will amount to nothing if the atmosphere it’s situated in is toxic and removed from good quality light and air. Young children, with their more delicate immune systems, are susceptible in older buildings and classrooms that might be tainted with mold, harsh cleaning chemical residue, or indoor air pollution from years of poorly circulated air due to minimally maintained HVAC systems. Newly constructed or renovated schools can be toxic from outgassing of paint, flooring, and construction materials. My rule is: “If you smell something, say something.” The classroom should be free of moldy, chemical, cleaning, or construction odors. If you are detecting something, don’t be afraid to discuss this with school officials; it is to everyone’s benefit to be in a healthy environment. Observe your children’s classrooms and check to see if the air smells clean and if there are windows that can be easily opened. Utilize the feng shui principle of bringing nature indoors. The presence of daylight is hugely important as well. According to a 1999 study 18 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

conducted for the California Board for Energy Efficiency, which tracked 21,000 students in three school districts in three states, students in classrooms with the most daylight improved 26% faster on reading tests and 20% faster on math tests. In Colorado and Seattle, students in classrooms with more daylight had scores 7 to 18% higher than those in daylight deficient classrooms. Windowless classrooms equal stagnant energy and stagnant minds. Additionally, routine exposure to daylight and visual access to the outdoors supports children’s normal circadian cycles and enhances their ability to focus, study, and maintain healthy eating and sleeping patterns. With so much current exposure to screens in school, children need a good daily dose of nature to offset the harmful effects of excessive screen use during the school day. After you’ve been able to determine the above, consider the following as part of a basic feng shui classroom checklist:

Teacher and student desks ideally should be in the command position, facing the door entryway so as to properly absorb the chi entering the space. The desks should either be all facing in one direction, with enough space around them to allow freedom of movement, or arranged in an octagon shape. This configuration mirrors the bagua grid, and promotes classroom harmony. An open space at the bottom allows easy access for pupils and flow of chi as well. Observe if the entire space is uncluttered and easily supports student and teacher circulation. Also check for sharp corners, which are dangerous and contribute to negative spatial energy.

Comfort, a basic rule of feng shui, needs to be present. Uncomfortable children do not learn well, are often distressed and are mistakenly assumed to have hyperactivity attention disorders. Ask yourself if you would feel good sitting in this room for such a long period of time and maintain concentration and focus. It is every child’s right to enjoy their learning experience.

Notice if the five elements are used in a balanced manner. Most classrooms have an overabundance of metal and wood (from desks, bookcases, lighting fixtures). Look for water (glass, mirrors, an aquarium, water element, the colors black, navy blue, anything asymmetrical), fire (all natural and artificial lighting, red, anything triangular or star shaped), and earth (heavy, grounding objects, ceramic, square shapes, yellow, orange, brown).

Note the use of fluorescent lighting. A room flooded with this harsh, unhealthy light works against good feng shui and quickly depletes a child’s energy, much as overexposure to computers and lack of daylight. Are the wiser choices of full spectrum light bulbs and floor lamps being used to balance harsh overhead lighting? Is all lighting properly maintained with no evidence of dark spots, flickering, and distracting buzzing sounds?

Color is critical. Older elementary schools often relied upon the excessive use of the primary colors. Research has shown these bright, highly saturated colors of yellow, blue, and red actually work against creating an optimal feng shui and learning environment. Red promotes aggression, and should be used sparingly, only as an accent color. Soft, sophisticated, and subdued blues are more calming and increase a student’s drive when there is daily exposure to this color. Green, in all its variations, is an excellent feng shui color, symbolic of the wood element that represents mental growth, peace, and benevolence. This color is especially helpful in a classroom that is deficient in windows and a view of the natural world. Don’t be afraid to trust what you see and sense in a classroom. The way students and teachers interact and behave is a telling sign about the quality of feng shui that is present. Negative, unhelpful chi in a space creates corresponding human reactions such as hyperactivity, behavioral issues, lackluster participation and little emotional involvement, to name a few issues. Children are quite pure and unfiltered so they can reveal a lot about what they are experiencing. The body never lies. Karen Feldman is a certified feng shui practitioner and interior designer, and the owner since 1994 of Urban Eden, a full-service holistic interior design firm in Providence, RI. Karen helps her residential, commercial and corporate clients to co-create spaces that are beautiful, functional and in alignment with the best interests of their well being along with the planet’s. Visit www.karenfeldmanurbaneden.com. www.spiritofchange.org

ersonal loss of any kind is frequently traumatic. After the loss of a loved one to suicide, it often seems as though there’s no chance of ever laughing again—let alone actually achieving a sense of peace and closure. Gabrielle Doucet knows that it is possible, however, because she has gone through the overwhelming darkness to find hope and healing after suffering a great loss of her own. When her son Drew, took his own life, Doucet plunged into grief. However, with great determination, she managed to journey through the pain, confusion, anger, depression and despair to arrive at a place of love and good health. Throughout the process, Doucet relied on seven steps she had created for her clients prior to her son’s death. And now, she shares these positive life tools with fellow survivors of loss, especially survivors of suicide loss, in order to spread hope and understanding to anyone touched by emotional trauma.

Gabrielle Doucet is available for your organizational meetings as 1. A consultant/advisor on Survivor Healing 2. A presenter regarding loss 3. A 90 minute interactive workshop on Loss and Survivors of Suicide Loss You may contact Gabrielle directly through her website, www.survivorhealing.com or connect with her on Facebook, facebook.com/survivorhealing SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 19

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YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED Endocrine disrupters • Arctic ice Dear EarthTalk: What are endocrine disrupters, how do they make their way into my body and what can I do to avoid them? — Jo McGovern, Albany, NY

he endocrine system controls the various functions of cells, tissues and organs in our bodies through the secretion of hormones. The major glands that regulate the flow of these hormones include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands, as well as the pancreas and reproductive glands (ovaries in women, testicles in men). A properly functioning system ensures optimum mood, growth, development, metabolism, sexual function and reproduction. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic or block the action of natural hormones. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there is no end to the tricks that endocrine disruptors can play on our bodies. These chemicals can increase the production of certain hormones, decrease the production of others, turn one hormone into another, compete with essential nutrients and more. Some 80 million pounds of atrazine, an herbicide named on EWG’s Dirty Dozen List of Endocrine Disruptors, are applied in the U.S. each year. A 2010 University of California (UC) Berkeley study found that atrazine-

exposed male amphibians were feminized as a result. Ten percent of those exposed developed into females that copulated with unexposed males and produced viable eggs. “Given the overwhelming evidence of unacceptable risk, I’m quite frankly surprised that atrazine is even still in use,” said Dr. Tyrone Hayes, professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley and the study’s lead author. Monsanto’s Roundup, a trade name for glyphosate and the most widely used herbicide in the U.S. with 250 million pounds sprayed each year, was also recently found to have hormone disrupting capabilities. Studies released in 2015 determined that Roundup decreased levels of progesterone and corticosterone, a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands. An earlier study determined that even at lower, “non-toxic” exposure levels, Roundup reduced testosterone levels. Recently it was announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will analyze the impacts of atrazine and glyphosate on 1,500 endangered plants and animals under the terms of a settlement reached with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). “This settlement is the first step to reining in the widespread use of dangerous pesticides that are harming both wildlife and people,” said Brett Hartl, CBD’s endangered species policy director. Buying organic produce and drinking filtered water can reduce your exposure to hormone-disrupting herbicides and pesticides. Another good reason to install a water filter is to remove perchlorate, a chemical that is also named on

EWG’s Dirty Dozen list. A 2010 study found that, in pharmacologic doses, perchlorate inhibits iodine uptake, an element needed for the production of thyroid hormones. The findings were alarming as adequate iodine intake is essential for normal neurodevelopment in infancy and childhood. While further research is needed to determine the impacts of perchlorate in the environment, the American Thyroid Association recommends that women who are planning a pregnancy or who are pregnant ingest 150 mg of iodine daily to ensure adequate iodine nutrition and to overcome the potential adverse effects of perchlorate exposure. While it may be frightening to think about all the potential exposures to endocrine disruptors around us today, purchasing environmentally-conscious, natural-based products for you, your family and your home; eating organic, fresh, unpackaged foods and drinking filtered water from a glass container are simple ways to help keep your hormones and endocrine system in balance. CONTACTS: EWG, www.ewg.org; CBD, www.biologicaldiversity.org.

Dear EarthTalk: Why is the Arctic such a crucial area to focus on in efforts to stem global warming? — Joseph Constabile, Dedham, MA

he image of a polar bear standing on a shrinking iceberg has become one of the most iconic symbols of global warming, yet few of us realize just how important the Arctic’s ice is, wherever we may live on Earth. Researchers consider the Arctic to be an “indicator region” for the rest of the planet, given that even small differences in temperature there can have profound ecosystem impacts and can give us a better idea of the types of problems we can all expect down the road. Of course, the effects of global warming have been under scrutiny in the Arctic for decades already. Since 1979, the extent of the Arctic’s permanent ice cap has shrunk by upwards of 20 percent. Even worse, the remaining ice has thinned by as much as twothirds in some parts of the Arctic. Recent models suggest this ice loss will only accelerate in the next several years due to a global warming feedback loop called the “albedo effect,” whereby less ice means less reflection of the sun’s radiation back into space and thus more warming at the Earth’s surface. And not only is the ice shrinking, parts of the ice cap are also rupturing: The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, the largest block of ice in the Arctic and intact for some 3,000 years, finally cracked in 2000, and within two years split all the way through. These changes up north are already starting to have ripple effects elsewhere. For starters, the entire Arctic ecosystem is being forced to shift with the changing climate. Animals like polar bears, whales and seals are changing migration patterns, in turn impacting native people who depend on them for sustenance. Meanwhile, other organisms are overpopulating, given all the new habitat opening up. Rising temperatures have allowed the spruce bark beetle to add an extra reproduction cycle each year. As a result the pesky little beetles decimated 3.4 million acres of Alaska’s forests over just 10 years. And then there’s the issue of sea level rise. Thanks in large part to melting Arctic glaciers, sea level is expected to rise some three feet on average around the world in the next century, flooding over 22,000 square miles in the United States alone. This pressing issue threatens island nations especially. Countries like the Maldives, precariously perched just six feet above sea level, are as concerned as anyone about melting glaciers in the Arctic. And warming in the Arctic also affects weather patterns vital for food production all over the world. Cold water from the melting ice could also potentially halt the Gulf Stream, which brings warm weather to Europe. This would result in a steep drop in temperature for much of northwestern Europe and would affect weather patterns far beyond. While it may seem futile for us to try to stop Arctic ice melting, we do in fact have the power. We can all work to reduce our carbon footprints by flying and driving less, turning down (or off) the heat or air conditioning, speaking up to our elected officials, and even divesting from companies that support the continued development of fossil fuels. CONTACTS: NOAA Arctic Change website, http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/detect/climatestrat.shtml; EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator, http://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprintcalculator/. EarthTalk® is produced by Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer and is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network Inc. View past columns at: www.earthtalk.org. Or e-mail us your question at earthtalk@emagazine.com. www.spiritofchange.org

Sacred Song Reiki USUI-TIBETAN ENHANCED, KARUNA & SHAMBALLA REIKI

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 21

First Aid for Cannabis Smokers 10 ways to reduce the health risks of smoking marijuana BY MARK MATHEW BRAUNSTEIN

The War on Drugs is losing, and pot is winning. Here in New England, every state has legalized medical marijuana; every state but New Hampshire has decriminalized recreational pot; and Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts now are poised to fully legalize pot use by adults. With cannabis use growing, and its social acceptance growing, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high time for prohibitionists to stop fighting it and to learn to live with it. And time for us to learn how to reduce the health hazards of smoking pot. Smoke and Mirrors All drugs pose risks. Whether medicinal or recreational, whether herbal or pharmaceutical, whether legal or illicit, every drug produces undesirable side effects. Cannabis in itself may pose few risks, but inhaling its vape or its smoke can compromise your health. Smoke is the archetypal smoking gun. You might try fooling yourself, but no ploy of smoke and mirrors can fool your lungs. Even incense, which fools the nose, fouls the lungs. Due to the inherent dangers of breathing any sort of smoke, many alternative methods of delivering cannabinoids to licensed patients now are sold in state-supervised dispensaries. These include oral sprays, alcohol tinctures, topical cremes, transdermal patches, sublingual strips, oil extracts, vape oils, eye drops, lip balms, capsules, waxes, salves, crumbles, and a whole smorgasbord of medibles (medical edibles). Despite this cornucopia, half of all patients still choose cannabis in its natural form as buds (flowers). Nearly all recreational users imbibe in bud because they are banished from legal access to more healthful alternatives (whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong with this picture?). And both groups consume that bud by vaping or smoking. Continued on page 24 22 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Opening Lotus Studio, Holden, MA

RI Yoga Center, Kingston, RI

Maha Yoga Center, Bridgewater, MA

YOGA DIRECTORY

MASSACHUSETTS

Bridgewater Maha Yoga Center, 992 Bedford St. (Rt. 18), Bridgewater, MA 02324, 508-697-3273 www.mahayogacenter.com. Yoga all levels, Hatha, Ashtanga, meditation, massage. Yoga teacher training (YA). Framingham Open Spirit – A Place of Hope, Health & Harmony! Yoga, meditation and more in Framingham, MA. Classes, trainings, special events for enriching mind, body and spirit! www.openspiritcenter.org or 508-877-8162. Gardner Unity Yoga, 205 School Street, Gardner, MA. First class free. Kundalini, Hatha, Yoga For 12 Step Recovery, gong and crystal singing bowl meditations. Healing parlor. Innovative workshops. 978-410-5702 • www.unityyoga.us Holbrook Real Life Yoga Studio, 239 North Franklin St.(Rt 37). Traditional hatha, power flow, Kundalini with meditation, monthly restorative yoga, tai chi, gong meditation. 781-767-1827 • www.reallifeyoga.com. Holden Opening Lotus Yoga. An eco-green studio. Main Street, Holden, MA, 01520. Beginner-advanced. Gentle-vigorous. Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin. Vibrant health courses. Detoxing chronic stress. www.openinglotusyoga.com • 508-829-7435 456 Millis Yoga at the Ashram. 368 Village St. Kundalini, Vinyasa, Hatha, Qigong, Kids Yoga, Tai Chi. Gong meditations, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings. First class free. 508-376-4525. www.YogaAtTheAshram.org. www.spiritofchange.org

Millis (continued) 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 • www.theyogastudiomillis.com.

Westborough Sohum Yoga and Mediation Studio. 30 Lyman Street, Westboro. All styles of yoga, yoga therapy, yoga for beginners, small class size. Corporate wellness workshops. www.sohum.org.

Multiple Massachusetts Locations Open Doors Yoga Studios. 15 Locations in MA. Hot power yoga and gentle yoga, all levels. 200 & 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training. www.OpenDoors.com. 781-843-8224.

Westborough Yoga for transformation, healing and spinal health. Offering Svaroopa yoga, meditation, private Yoga Therapy and Embodyment. www.westboroughyoga.com or contact Michelle (Kamala) Gross 508-341-6424.

Needham Pipal Leaf Yoga Studio, 945 Great Plain Avenue, Needham. pipalleafyoga.com. Yoga for everybody and every body. Kripalu, Viniyoga and hatha skillfully taught in a serene, sacred space. Reiki and wonderful, insightful events!

Worcester Worcester Yoga Center. Ann Bissanti. Over 30 years teaching experience. Trained in India by B.K.S. Iyengar. Ambq2@yahoo.com. 508-829-6300.

Pembroke Ageless Yoga. 206 Washington St. Pembroke, MA. Hot Yoga, Heated Vinyasa, Yin. All Levels. Rentable Space for Workshops or Yoga Teaching Position. agelessyoga206@gmail.com. (781) 826-9642 • www.ageless-yoga.com. Princeton FrogPond Yoga Centre. Classes in the tradition of Raja Yoga for all levels of practitioners. 200 and 500-hr classes are ongoing. www.frogpondyoga.org. Uxbridge State of Grace Yoga and Wellness Center. Yoga classes, meditation, massage, Reiki, reflexology, energy healing, Atlas Balancing, cranial sacral, readings and empowering workshops. 508-278-2818 www.StateofGraceWellness.com. Weymouth BodyStrongBoston, 14 Iron Hill Street, Weymouth, MA. Yoga, personal training, fitness, restorative yoga, barre, MELT, outdoor fitness, dance, children’s yoga. www.BodyStrongBoston.com 781-974-5757.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Exeter YogaLife Institute, 6 Chestnut Street, Suite A, Exeter, NH 03833. Teacher training workshops, classes in many styles and all levels, and mentoring sessions. 603-969-8968 • www.yogalifenh.com

RHODE ISLAND Kingston Rhode Island Yoga Center. Located at URI, 99 Fortin Road, Kingston, RI. Baptiste Style Power Vinyasa. Buti Yoga, Meditation. Yoga Teacher Training 200-hour. $14 drop-in. $5 Fridays. 401-284-0320. info@riyogacenter.com. riyogacenter.com.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Spirit of Change’s online Alternative Health Directory offers hundreds of practitioner and studio listings. Visit www.spiritofchange.org/directory. Include your studio. Next ad deadline is July 29, 2016. Call 508-278-9640 or email advertise@spiritofchange.org SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 23

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FIRST AID FOR CANNABIS SMOKERS Continued from page 22

Coughs and Colds Cannabinoids contain the psychoactive and medicinal components of cannabis. Except for the palliative cannabinoids in cannabis and the addictive nicotine in tobacco, the smoke of the two herbs is quite similar. As smoke, both contain ash, tar, carbon monoxide, and a host of lesser known noxious fumes. As smoke, both can irritate the entire respiratory tract and cause coughing, wheezing, and spitting. As smoke, both can narrow air passages and thereby reduce lung capacity. As smoke, both can cause cellular damage to your lungs, which lowers your resistance to respiratory illnesses such as colds, flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Studies link cannabis smoke to lung damage, but not to lung cancer. Statistical evidence indicates that Sixties hippies now in their sixties who continued lifelong casual smoking of pot, but never of tobacco, show no higher incidence of lung cancer than their peers who smoked neither. Preliminary evidence even indicates that cannabinoids can actually prevent or possibly reverse cancer. So among your average of 25,000 daily breaths of fresh air, do not worry about cancer from 25 tokes of cannabis smoke. Because worrying can cause more harm than smoking. Still, smoke of any kind can only impair, not improve, pulmonary function, so you should observe some precautions to minimize that risk. The ten safeguards addressed here include: 1) The Breath; 2) Ignition Systems; 3) Rolling Papers; 4) Pipes; 5) Water Pipes; 6) Vaporizers; 7) Seeking Purity; 8) Seeking Potency; 9) Preserving Potency; 10) Green Diet

1. Don’t hold your breath!

Inhale deeply if you wish, but do not hold in that inhale. Once the delicate membranes of the cilia of your lungs are coated by the smoke-filled air, no length of holding your breath will promote any further absorption of the cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are quickly absorbed through the lungs. Tars, however, are absorbed more slowly. So holding your breath only further irritates your lungs with greater intake of those gummy tars, as well as yummy carbon monoxide. So take it easy, breathe easily, and don’t hold that hit! Several scientific studies have proven the needlessness of the breathtaking experience of holding your breath. Ethnobotanic drug guru turned holistic health guru Andrew Weil, M.D., too, advocates not holding your breath. If you remain skeptical, perform some animals experiments, the animal being you. Guided by a stopwatch, go ahead and time yourself. A lifetime of smoking in your traditional manner might be a hard pattern to change. Yet the number one health safeguard you can apply to reduce lung damage is to not hold your breath.

2. Ignition system tune-up time.

No scientific study sheds any light upon the health hazards of incendiary devices, commonly called lighters and matches. Still, the foul odors of these ignition systems convince us that they are unsafe. So beware that first toke! LIGHTERS fueled by petroleum distillates do not belong in your face. Butane in itself is far more toxic than cannabis, so the fumes from its combustion surely are more harmful, too. Avoid lighter pollution. MATCHES are potentially safer if you patiently wait for the flaming sulfur-tip to burn out before you hold the match to your bud. In practice, however, you inhale the burning sulfur when you strike the match. If you are smelling it, then you are breathing it. Hot air rises, so ignite that match high above your head. PIPES can multiply the ignition problem. Smoked leisurely, especially during solo sessions, cannabis snuffs out easily, requiring several stokes per bowl. That’s toxic buildup. So here’s a hot tip about sulfur-tip matches and butane lighters. Use just one match or one flick, not to light your pipe, but to light a candle. CANDLES are true drug paraffin-alia! Light a candle, set the tip of a toothpick afire on its flame, and toke up your pipe with the burning toothpick, not matchstick or candlestick. No sulfur or butane fumes in your face nor in your lungs. Natural fiber wood to the rescue. Note that thin flat toothpicks burn truer than thicker round ones. SCREENS for the bowls of pipes should never be homemade from aluminum foil punctured with pinholes. After just one use, the foil disintegrates. Where did it go? Into your lungs! Use the round screens sold in smoke shops made of more durable metals. 24 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

But beware a thin coating of wax sometimes applied to assure a grip to the blade that cuts those circles. So first toast a new screen over your candle before inserting it into the bowl of your pipe. If asked what you are doing, just say you are screening for drugs.

3. Take an active role with rolling papers.

Rolling papers of joints (cannabis cigarettes) hold the cannabis, hold back its combustion, and aerate its smoke. The thinner the joint, the more the aeration. But offering no psychoactive nor medicinal effect, even paper-thin paper adds to the toxic load, especially of ash. So be frugal with rolling papers. Research shows that the cannabis in the roach (the butt) filters out tars streaming from the cannabis on the ember end, and does so more effectively than does a water pipe. But that helps only if you throw the roach out rather than smoke it down, which makes for a very expensive filter. So instead fill the butt end with some other herb, for instance oregano, and discard that. Whatever the herb, the burning ember dangles perilously close to fingertips and to lips, and numerous studies have proven that burns are not conducive to good health. To prevent such burns, use smoking tips, which are like filter tips without the filter. While smoking tips are marketed commercially, you can roll your own from strips of thin non-corrugated cardboard, such as used for packaging, guess what, rolling papers and matchbooks. Or cut a beverage straw into filter-tip lengths. Do not use the plastic straws sold in supermarkets, but rather paper straws sold only in health food stores. A sort of exterior smoking tip not discarded with each joint is the long, slender cigarette holder, similar to pipe stems. But then you might as well skip the paper and go straight to a pipe.

4. Pipes are more than just pipe dreams.

Smoke is hot and dry. Same as does the desiccated air of indoor heating, smoke dries out your mouth and throat which makes you more susceptible to colds and flu. A pipe, especially its stem, cools down the smoke. The longer the stem, the cooler. Armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length is long enough. That also keeps the burning match or lighter or toothpick far from your mouth. You inhale fewer of those fumes. And smoke never gets in your eyes. The long stem must be segmented for dismantling for efficient cleaning. The inside wooden walls of the bowl and stem are very efficient tar traps, yet another benefit of using a pipe. Even better, the sticky tar in turn traps relatively heavy ash. Usually only the first segment closest to the bowl ever needs cleaning, rarely the segment nearest you, an encouraging sign that your mouth is far from the tar . Pipes are made of glass, metal, corn cob, stone, ceramic, and wood. Glass is fragile and breakable and difficult to clean. Metal imparts an unpleasing metallic taste to the smoke and is heavy to lug. Corn cob with its varnished outer shell burns so easily that the entire bowl is flammable. The safest bowls are inert ceramic or stone dead stone. Smoke shops stock soapstone and sandstone pipes, but with virtually no stems. That leaves wood as the safest option for pipes. Wood as a natural fiber even imparts an agreeable aroma to the smoke. Despite a plethora of pipes sold in smoke shops, segmented long-stemmed wooden pipes are more likely found in Asian Indian import stores. For a demonstration of short tokes from a long-stemmed segmented wooden pipe lit with toothpicks, view this Wall Street Journal (yes, Wall Street Journal) two-minute instructional video at: https://youtu.be/2Zp1DoxodW0

5. Water pipes and the big bong theory.

Water pipes, also called bongs, are used in the belief that the water cools and moistens the otherwise hot and dry smoke. Just hearing their bubbling sound can be reassuring to your ears that you are doing a favor for your lungs. The power of suggestion is strong, but chemical analysis of the smoke proves that while water pipes do cool the smoke they really do not moisten it. Although smoke bubbles passing through the water gain no moisture, the water does trap some particulate matter (ash), some water-soluble toxins such as hydrogen cyanide and hydrocarbons, and some tar. Most smokers fill their water pipes with cold water. Cold water cools the smoke, yes. But research shows that hot water better traps the tar. So hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hot tip! Fill your water pipe with hot water, not cold. Studies conducted with cannabis found that water pipes filter out proportionately more cannabinoids than tar, more than anyone would have suspected. Thus to Continued on page 26 www.spiritofchange.org

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FIRST AID FOR CANNABIS SMOKERS Continued from page 25

compensate for the lost cannabinoids, bong users end up smoking more and therefore inhaling more, not fewer, tars. As this cancels out any potential benefit of using a bong, better to ban the bong.

6. Vaporizers don’t go up in smoke.

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So-called vaporizers do not create true vapor, but instead produce smolder, the semi-smoke that lingers from a snuffed out candle. The words smolder and smolderizer lack an appealing ring to them, so marketers coined the words vape and vaporizer. Cannabis burns and smokes at temperatures above 460 degrees F (238 degrees C), but volatizes and smolders between 266 and 446 degrees F (130 to 230 degrees C). Vaporizers volatize the herb, rather than burn it. While manufacturers promote their many vaporizers with much tripe and hype, vaping indeed is widely acknowledged to be less harmful than smoking. In our new millennium, the latest model vaporizers offer features such as adjustable temperature controls, automatic shutoffs, and battery-operated portability. Depending upon the brand of vaporizer, analysis shows that compared to cannabis smoke, cannabis smolder delivers far less carbon monoxide and none of the tar or noxious gases such as benzene, toluene, and naphthalene. But there’s a catch. THC is the crucial cannabinoid that produces cannabis’ psychoactive effects, but many models of vaporizers deliver low proportions of the available THC. Most models instead deliver high proportions of the available cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidiol (CBD), which provide many of cannabis’ medicinal effects. Thus most vaporizers are more useful to medical marijuana patients who then can vape less, but less appropriate for recreational potheads who then must vape more. Vaporizers still can make you cough, especially if you are a novice vaper. Nevertheless the right models potentially can spare your lungs. Much depends upon what brand of vaporizer you’re using and what sort of relief you’re seeking. While many cannabis users still voice a clear preference for the effects of smoke over smolder, advocates for vaporizers suggest that such diehard smokers simply have tried the wrong models. Among many variables, this much is certain. Neither smolder nor smoke benefits human lungs. So even the best (and most expensive) of vaporizers are not total panaceas.

7. Seek purity.

If given the choice, go organic. Compared to a melon or a mango fertilized with chemicals, sprayed with pesticides, and preserved with fungicides, an organically-grown fruit should taste better, and usually does. Ditto for organicallygrown cannabis. Chemical fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, which in its isolated form is the active ingredient in homemade bombs, can truly blow your mind. Be especially vigilant for pesticides. Cannabis is a costly crop to risk loss to insects, so some gardeners insure against losses with heavy doses of insecticides. That is as true for indoor cultivation as for outdoor. Is your cannabis on drugs? If you do not purchase yours at a state-licensed dispensary whose product is routinely analyzed for contaminants, conduct some crude drug testing at home. Crush a raw bud between your fingers. Its aroma should be pleasing and should stir your imagination with images of the verdant rainforests of Hawaii, not the petrochemical refineries of New Jersey. Still, the proof is in the puffing. The varying aromas of the smoke from different strains is subtle, and smoke from any source tends to numb nasal passages. So don’t expect to smell it while you’re smoking it. Instead, trust your throat, lungs, and brain. If just a little puff causes you to cough or gives you a headache, don’t blame the cannabis, blame the chemicals.

8. Seek potency.

Coughing while smoking? Then you’ve just smoked too much. Coughing after smoking? Then you’ve been smoking too often. And what you’ve been smoking may be of low potency. To reduce lung irritation, seek high power flower which medicates you or elevates you with less huffing and puffing. Sift out twigs and seeds, and save low potency leaves for modes of delivery other than vaping or smoking. The more potent your smoke, the less you will toke. Simple arithmetic. The new math of medicinal marijuana has opened new horizons. Over decades, cultivators hybridized strains with higher levels of THC but unwittingly bred out the cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). As the CBD and CBN provide relief of many 26 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

medical ailments, their low potency accounts for mixed results in human trials. With marijuana’s medicalization, dispensaries now provide patients with access to cannabis with higher levels of CBD and CBN. Stay tuned as research rapidly advances regarding the ABC’s of THC and CBD and CBN.

9. Preserve potency.

MARCONICS

To assure it retains its potency, you must properly store your herbal remedy or recreational therapy. If purchased illicitly, the herb probably came bundled in a plastic zipper-type food storage bag. Such bags are waterproof, but not airproof, else a sweet aroma would not seep out of the bag. If odor is leaking out, then air is leaking in. Place that bag inside an oven bag, marketed for roasting meat. Such bags indeed are airproof. But bags do not protect the delicate herb from being crushed, which exposes it to oxidation and therefore loss of potency. To keep the bud whole, stash it inside a rigid airtight container such as a glass jar. Next, store the jar in a cool, dark place. Refrigerators are fine, freezers even better. Kept frozen, herbs retain their potency for years, as though frozen in time.

10. Green Diet.

Cannabis is not the only green in town. Help yourself to some veggies. Include in your diet ample fresh fruits and raw vegetables rich in antioxidants that both prevent and reverse the cellular damage caused by free radicals released in smoke. From among fruits, berries are best. Among veggies, choose the brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards and kale. If you do not always eat a wholesome diet, then resort to nutritional supplements, though bitter pills to swallow. Two common combinations are especially helpful: a vitamin B-complex, and the ace vitamins A,C, and E. These are the skin vitamins, and the lungs are but skin turned outside-in. An undervalued nutrient is water. Drink it straight, not diluted as a beverage. When you are fully hydrated, your respiratory tract stays moist and your mucus thin. And drink especially after smoking, when moisture in mouth and throat need to be replenished. A dry mouth and parched throat increase susceptibility to tooth decay, gum disease, and respiratory infections. If water is not available, chew on a dark green leafy vegetable. A sprig of parsley, for instance, decorates a dinner plate, but its real function is to cleanse the palette. Its chlorophyll also freshens the breath. If you are outdoors, chew on a leaf or blade of grass.

The Gateway Theory And chew on this. The theory that cannabis is a gateway drug leading to addiction to cocaine and heroin has been resoundingly disproven, whereas in states still stuck in 20th century mentality the possession of cannabis still acts as a gateway to courtrooms and jail cells. The greatest harm of using cannabis lies in the threat of incarceration, not in any inherent health risks. Smoking cannabis gets the nod when compared to smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol or popping pills. But smoking cannabis leaves much to be desired when compared to breathing fresh air. Not smoking is better than smoking. But if light up you will, then follow some precautions to assure your good health, and you also will lighten up.

Mark Mathew Braunstein is a paraplegic whose cannabis use is medicinal for below the waist, and recreational above. He is the author of the books Radical Vegetarianism, Sprout Garden, and Microgreen Garden, and a frequent contributor to holistic health magazines. He wrote “Walking in the March of Time” in the Spring 2015 issue of Spirit of Change. You can read many of his previous articles, as well as a bibliography of citations with clickable links to the scientific studies researched for this article at www.MarkBraunstein.org

www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 27

Some soybean varieties have been genetically modified to tolerate herbicides

Is the GMO experiment already too big to fail? by Beth Colon, M.S. urrently, 64 countries around the world have labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods but the U.S is not one of them. According to The Center For Food Safety, 80% of the processed foods sold in the U.S. contain genetically engineered ingredients, and although scientists have warned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that genetically engineered foods may introduce risks to our food supply, warnings are being ignored. The FDA currently views genetically engineered foods the same as non-engineered foods based on outdated regulations and a material assessment stating that if foods taste and smell the same, they are the same.1 How is food genetically engineered? In short, the genetic engineering of a plant, animal, bacteria, virus or any living organism or microorganism involves using biotechnology to transfer DNA from one species to another to make new life forms. These new living things would never be found in nature. For example, corn DNA might be crossed with a virus or goat DNA crossed with a spider – these are actual examples. Food products produced in this way through biotechnology are referred to as GMOs (genetically modified organisms.) The term, popularized by the media, is now the default term used by most everyone even though it is scientifically incorrect in some cases. Labeling proponents point out that agribusinesses have gotten away with hiding GMOs in our food supply for decades. They hold that organic food and irradiated foods are labeled, and it follows that GMO foods should be labeled as well. Although polls and studies have shown that 90% of Americans want GMO foods labeled, industry continues to vehemently oppose such labeling.2 Historically, the first GMO plant — antibiotic resistant tobacco — was introduced in the U.S. in 1983.3 It is surprising how many crops are now GMOs, but these items cannot be identified by us at the market, i.e., corn, soybeans, cotton, potato, tomato, wheat, canola, rice, papaya, squash and melon. USDA statistics show that in 2014 over 90% 28 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

of corn and soy production was genetically engineered, and that in the U.S., farmers planted about half of the total land available with GMO crops. Large food and chemical corporations have invested heavily in biotechnology and the genetic engineering of food because this new science can increase profits in a number of ways. Proponents say that genetic engineering of crops can increase crop yields by controlling pests and diseases during food production, reduce the need for insecticides and herbicides, allow foods to be grown in unfavorable climates, hasten maturation of growing food and extend shelf life of a product. That is all well and good but what about errors that might contaminate or kill off a natural species? What about the effects of GMOs on people who are allergic or sensitive? From a nutrition and wellness point of view, it seems like it would be better for consumers to know where these GMOs are so we can have the option to avoid them. Large agribusinesses are marketing GMO foods without labeling, while the FDA makes no determination of safety. The FDA has guidelines but these do not include the compositional, nutritional, toxicological or metabolic effects of these products nor the differences between conventional foods and GMO foods. Corporations meet with the FDA only on a volunteer basis as each new engineered species is released.4 Shouldn’t a formal review be required to determine whether these experimental and largely untested foods are dangerous for consumption first? The pro-labeling movement tells us that scientific studies show there is a definite cause for concern around human and animal consumption of GMOs involving toxins, allergens, antibiotic resistance and immune suppression.5 Of great concern are animal studies showing low dose exposure over a long period causing tumors and organ damage as well as negative effects on gut microbiota.6,7 Why have companies been able to include GMO products in our food supply without labeling or formal tracking? The Continued on page 30

www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 29

LABELING OUR FUTURE Continued from page 28

short answer is that Congress and the FDA has allowed it even though many corporations and members of Congress do support GMO labeling. Since the FDA has failed to take action to require labeling at the federal level, states have taken the lead in promoting GMO labeling. In 2013, Connecticut and Maine passed labeling laws, and Vermont’s law will go into effect in 2016. According to JustLabelIt.org, as of December 2015, 54 bills have been introduced across 26 states. In response, large chemical corporations have teamed up with agricultural firms to pour millions of dollars into defeating federal efforts to pass labeling requirement laws. Lobbying and campaign spending in Washington by corporate anti-labeling groups have made pro-labeling efforts fail by narrow margins. The anti-labeling lobby, backed by industry, recently introduced a bill that would prevent states from crafting their own labeling requirement bills as well as prevent any future federal laws, but it was defeated in Congress in December 2015. It was being called the DARK (Deny Americans their Right to Know) Act by the pro-label movement. Labeling proponents expect more opposition from industry going forward. What can you do as a citizen and a consumer in regard to labeling of GMO foods? You can voice your opinion to your congressional representatives. If you believe that genetically engineered foods should be labeled, groups such as JustLabelIt.org, The Environmental Working Group and the Center for Food Safety have quick links on their websites to immediately send your views to your representatives. You can also choose to speak with your wallet and purchase only from local farmers and avoid items like farmed salmon that was approved as a new GMO species by the FDA in November 2015. Buying USDA certified organic products comes with a guarantee that your food won’t contain GMOs; this is the only certification, by law, that prohibits GMOs in products. Some products have been labeled “Non-GMO” by various food organizations but these designations are not guaranteed by law to be a standard of purity. Looking at the big picture, labeling GMOs seems worthy of attention because it is a global issue that affects us all. Seeds, seafood products, farmed crops and animals are imported and exported globally and any of these might be genetically engineered. In the U.S., the absence of labeling and formal traceability systems is worrisome since there is no method of tracking GMOs in case of contamination or error. Mark Spitznagel and N.M. Taleb of the New York Times point out in the article “Another Too Big To Fail System in GMOs” that, “The GMO experiment, carried out in real time and with our entire food and ecological system as its laboratory, is perhaps the greatest case of human hubris ever.” Labeling GMOs would at least be a starting point to give consumers more information and a choice about the food we are eating. In addition, agricultural firms, chemical corporations and food producers would be forced to abide by lawful accountability practices in regard to GMOs in our food supply.

Corporations meet with the FDA only on a volunteer basis as each new engineered species is released

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Notes 1. Center for Food Safety. http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/search/labeling-debate 2. JustLabelIt.org. http://www.justlabelit.org/right-to-know-center/why-labeling-makes-sense 3. Bawa, A.S., Anilakumar, K.R. “Geneticaly modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns – a review.” J Food Sci Technol. Nov-Dec. 2013. 50(6):1035-1046 4. Ref. 1 5. Ref. 2 6. Seralini et al., “Long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.” Environmental Sciences Europe, 2014. http://www.enveurope.com/ content/26/1/14 7. Ref. 3

Beth Colon, M.S., is a holistic nutrition and wellness counselor and owner of Holistic Nutrition Services LLC. She practices at The Healing and Wellness Center in Westborough, MA. Beth specializes in digestive health and is a certified GAPS practitioner. Contact Beth at (978) 340-0448 or visit www.HolisticNutritionServices.com.

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Why does superior food production generate inferior income? by Linley Dixon, PhD

ur diverse, small-acre vegetable farm was in its fourth year of production. Despite what appeared to be a successful venture — a thriving farmer’s market stand, 100 loyal CSA members, and established wholesale accounts — my husband and I could not make ends meet financially. We had a tough choice to make: either quit farming or find off-farm employment to supplement the family income, thus removing one of us from the farm. Though many small-scale local, organic farmers are highly revered and supported by their communities, the hard truth is that it is very difficult to make a living growing the kind of food everyone wants to eat. We personally know many highly skilled former farmers who quit due to financial reasons. How is the food system going to be revolutionized when even our best local farmers are quitting due to the economics of small-scale diversified farming? Yes, the good food movement has come a long way in the last 20 years. More people have come to understand that small-scale diversified farming strengthens local economies, enhances environmental stewardship, and contributes to human health. Consumers have come to demand pesticide-free, just-harvested, nutrient-dense food, and they want to know that environmental sustainability, human and animal welfare, and local prosperity come with it. In addition, many scientists now recognize that the majority of small-scale farmers carefully manage their lands to sustain remarkably high levels of productivity despite using fewer agricultural inputs. In fact, United Nations research shows an inverse relationship between land size and productivity.1 Small-scale farmers across the globe, with their intimate knowledge of local ecologies, utilize innovative land management techniques to be highly productive. However, despite the growth in the number of farmers markets, CSAs, and local food in the grocery stores, many small-scale farmers struggle financially. Like our farm, over 90 percent of small farms rely on a secondary income source to make ends meet. Despite working long, hard days and building a loyal customer base, many small farmers are earning wages well below the poverty line. Too many hardworking, highly skilled farmers quit simply because they can’t afford to pay

their bills. A love of the job and a passion for the cause and the quality of the food cannot sustain them for long. Lifestyle choices such as having children or owning and improving land are not viable options for many new farmers. Consider this: the number of farmers under the age of 45 dropped 14 percent between 2002 and 2007, and the number of farmers over the age of 65 increased by 22 percent in the same timeframe.2 Yet, if we want the majority of our food to come from diversified smallscale, local farms, we must increase the number of young farmers rather than watch them try out farming only to move on to more lucrative occupations. Improving the income of small-scale farmers amidst the prevailing cheap food mentality is a daunting task, but we can begin by addressing these underlying issues:

You are cordially invited to join us in chanting HU!

4 Shift government agricultural subsidies away from monoculture, large-scale operations to diversified small-scale farms. The top five crops subsidized in the United States are corn/feed, cotton, soybean, wheat, and tobacco. Since their inception in the 1920s, these subsidies have increasingly gone to larger farms. In the 1930s, 25 percent of the population lived on 6 million small farms across the country. But by the turn of the century, roughly only 150,000 farms accounted for 70 percent of the nation’s total farm sales, which are largely commodity crops.3 Diversified farms that produce high quality fresh vegetables and grass-fed meats and milk should be subsidized rather than commodities that end up in unhealthy processed foods.

4 Reduce competition from large-scale monoculture-style operations that attempt to capitalize on the demand for ethically produced food. In many cases, the USDA certified organic food in mainstream grocery stores comes from farms and businesses that do not provide the benefits to society that the term “organic” originally signified. What was once a movement led by small-scale, diverse, local, family farms has now become dominated by industrial-scale farms that simply substitute organic inputs into mono-cropping production systems or — even worse — cheap imports from potentially fraudulent sources. These operations are corporate entities, distributing food nationwide, sometimes globally; their production systems do not always incorporate ecological principles or benefit local communities. Today, the words “organic,” “local,” and “family farm” have all been co-opted by agribusinesses in an attempt to exploit the increased demand for quality food. Educating consumers to know their local farmers and, when locally produced foods are not available, to buy from ethical organic brands, is paramount to reclaiming original organic principles.

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4 Increase opportunities for farmers to own farmland close to their markets. Farmland close to cities is much more expensive than land further from town. Often, new farmers are forced to live far from their customer base, making marketing much more difficult and expensive. Landlords often do not understand the low income affiliated with farming and charge too much for rent. Thus, farmland changes hands frequently. When farmers are forced to buy land far from their customer base, consumers lose the opportunity to experience the farm. Programs that finance and support alternative ownership of farmland close to town need to increase. For example, Equity Trust is a nonprofit that actually pays the difference between the agricultural and market values so farmers can afford to buy farmland that is of interest to developers and the rural real estate market. USDA subsidies for low interest loans to farmers also should be expanded. Educating consumers on the ethics of food production needs to continue. The benefits from sustainable production to the environment, local economies, and human health are well studied but not reinforced in our culture. Unless we, as a society, begin to tackle these issues in earnest, with the goal of achieving a paradigm shift in our food supply system, nothing will change. Monoculture agriculture will continue to assail us with pollution and inferior nutrition if an honest effort isn’t made to support the people capable of producing superior food. Notes 1. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45076#.Vb7oEkJViko 2. http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/Demographics/farmer_age.pdf 3. http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/ usv1.pdf

Linley Dixon has a Master’s Degree in Plant Soil and Science and is a farmer at Adobe House Farm in Durango, Colorado. Learn more at adobehousefarm.com. This article was previously published in the fall issue of “The Cultivator,” The Cornucopia Institute’s quarterly newsletter. www.cornucopia.org www.spiritofchange.org

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(978) 987 6371 • andy@NavitasCoach.com 34 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

eafood is packed full of important nutrients, proteins, vitamins and omega-3s. But lurking in our oceans is a hidden poison that is corrupting the purity of the world’s seafood supply — mercury. While mercury has been in the environment since the planet was first formed, industrialization has caused the levels to rise. Inorganic mercury enters our environment both naturally through volcanic activity and forest fires and through industrial pollution. Emissions from coalfired power plants are the most significant contributor. And, the annual manmade mercury contribution grows each year with a compounding effect. Additionally, global warming increases the frequency and magnitude of forest fires, which in turn increases the mercury load on our planet. A Michigan University study revealed that mercury levels in Yellowfin tuna in the Pacific Ocean have increased by 3.8% per year between 1998 and 2008 and predicts that if the mercury pollution continues at current levels, the mercury levels will double in our oceans by 2050. Mercury in tuna is an issue for consumers because the toxic form of mercury, methylmercury, can be found at higher levels in tuna than other types of seafood. Mercury in its elemental or inorganic form (Hg) makes its way into our lakes and oceans and reacts to create methylmercury (MeHg or MMHg). This organic mercury compound is most commonly found in marine life, and it binds with plant life. Through bio-magnification, in which small fish eat the methylmercury laden planet life, bigger fish eat the smaller fish and so on, the methylmercury concentrations, on average, are higher the farther up the food chain one goes. So on average swordfish have higher mercury concentrations than tuna and tuna have higher concentrations than mussels. It is important to note that one’s body can process trace amounts of methylmercury, like other toxins, without adverse effects. However, chronic exposure to doses of methylmercury from seafood beyond the body’s ability to process it can cause serious problems. Chronic elevated mercury exposure in adults impacts the cognitive, motor, and sensory functions. Effects on infants and children can be more severe due to their developing nervous symptoms and their smaller body masses. According to the EPA, children exposed to methylmercury while they are in the womb can have irreversible impacts to their cognitive

thinking, memory, attention, language, fine-motor skills and visual spatial skills. As the issue of high methylmercury levels in seafood has become common knowledge over the years, many people’s instinct has been to eliminate larger fish, like tuna, from their diets altogether. The problem is that tuna is also a valuable source of nutrients such as vitamins, protein and omega-3s, so eliminating tuna completely from a diet is disadvantageous. Another obstacle is the variance of mercury levels between canned tuna brands and within the brands themselves. Brands like American Tuna and Wild Planet try to work around the methylmercury issue by targeting younger, smaller fish in their catches. But, tuna are a highly migratory, predatory species so their diets can vary due to differences in prey and geographic location. Since mercury accumulates in seafood due to bio-magnification, the age of a tuna can have an effect on the mercury content as well. But age is not a reliable factor in determining mercury levels because there is no way to accurately monitor what a specific tuna is eating. If a younger tuna continuously eats prey with higher mercury concentrations than an older tuna with a different diet, the younger, smaller tuna can have higher mercury concentrations than the larger tuna. There are standards for testing seafood, including tuna, for mercury, which are set by the FDA in the U.S. and by other regulatory bodies in other countries around world. The FDA sets a standard of 1.000 parts per million (ppm), which has been exceeded by canned tuna in multiple studies conducted by universities and regulatory bodies. Other countries such as Canada and most participating countries in the EU have a standard that is half of the FDA’s, at 0.500 ppm. However, these standards are rarely enforced because these regulatory bodies do not have the resources to check or verify every brand of tuna and there is no mandatory testing to ensure brands are meeting these standards. The only way to truly know the mercury level in a tuna is to test each and every tuna. Sean Wittenberg and Bryan Boches are co-founders of SafeCatch, the first and only canned tuna brand that tests every fish for mercury, and the only brand to meet Consumer Reports “Low Mercury” criteria and mercury levels of the Environmental Working Group’s “Best Choice” standard. Visit www.safecatch.com for more information.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 35

1: Shiitake; 2: Cordyceps sinensis; 3: Agaricus blazei; 4: Ganoderma lucidum; 5: Maitake; 6: Trametes veriscolor; 7: Hericium erinaceus; 8: Phellinus linteus

A History of

Medicinal Mushrooms W By Marie Cargill

hile nearly everyone is familiar with a plant or two, and some people admit to a love affair with flowers, only a selective clan professes their passion for mushrooms. While continental Europeans are lovers of various edible fungi and likely to take to the woods for weekend recreation, other cultures who live along the North Sea are toadstool haters. A nugget of folklore says there are 13 million people living in what used to be called Czechoslovakia, and 13 million of them are mushroom lovers. Mushrooms are most often prized for their enhancement of food but the serious study of mushrooms points up how essential mushrooms are in daily life; the world would be entirely different without them. Mushrooms serve as a primary source of unique nutrients that can protect lives and enhance health. Many natural healers regard mushrooms equally or of greater healing value than herbs. Historically, Europeans weren’t the exclusive users of mushrooms. The medicinal uses of mushrooms goes back to Neolithic man’s history. The oldest human mummy, dating back 4,000 years ago, was found with Piptoporus betulinus in his medicine kit, a mushroom used for its antibiotic properties and as a natural parasite killer, still in use today. 36 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Egyptian hieroglyphics show mushrooms as the plant of immortality, called the “sons of the gods” sent to Earth on lightning bolts and eaten only by nobles and pharaohs. The Aztecs also had sacred mushrooms called “the flesh of the gods,” which they consumed in holy rituals. In ancient China special mushrooms, particularly the reishi fungi, were valued as a tonic herb and forbidden to common people. Ancient Greece and Rome had their say about mushrooms treating illness with authors such as Pliny, Seneca and Dioscorides — author of De Materia Medica — arguing both for and against mushrooms as medicine. Kykeon, an ergot-barley and mint drink was the hallucinogenic potion used by Socrates, Plato and other elite of ancient Greece during the Eleusis festival celebrating birth, regeneration and the return of spring. LSD is a modern day version of this hallucinogenic. The Vikings are believed to have eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle, which would have produced the ferocious fighting state they are noted for. Buddhists monks traveling from monastery to monastery spread information about the curative effects of fungi, which they and Taoists priests used in rituals. It’s believed that the Buddha died from eating a poisonous mushroom! The poet Shelley reveals his prejudiced opinion of mushrooms, a prejudice quite common for his time, stemming from their use in folk medicine, which of course, was considered greatly inferior to their contemporary medicinal treatments. “Their mass rotted off them, flake by flake, Til the thick stalk like a murderer’s stake Where rags of loose flesh yet tremble on high Infecting the winds that wander by.” —from the poem The Sensitive Plant, 1816 Yet from these undervalued forms of life came some valuable gifts. Penicillin, for example, is produced from the fungus Penicillium notatum. Cyclosporin comes from two fungi Trichoderms polysporum and Cylindrocarpon lucidum and is relied on to depress the immune system and prevent rejection in organ transplant medicine. Krestin, extracted from Tramates versicolor, was the top selling anti-cancer therapy before the advent of Taxol. Continued on page 38

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 37

MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS Continued from page 36

The Secret Life of Mushrooms

About 100,000 species of mushrooms or fungi are members of a kingdom of living organisms that grow and fruit. In that respect they mimic plants but they lack root, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. They also lack chlorophyll and cannot manufacture simple sugars from water and carbon dioxide using the energy of sunlight. In their own right, however they are complex. Fungi are recyclers in their natural environment. To feed itself, a fungus breaks down organic matter and at the same time cleans the earth. It transforms dead organic matter; if there were no mushrooms Earth would be densely crowded with dead animals and plants. As it breaks down decay, a fungus provides complex compounds such as cellulose, carbohydrates and proteins for the nourishment of plants and trees. Fungi live in very hostile environments amongst decay in a harsh layer of the ecosystem where they encounter disease-causing pathogens far more frequently than other life forms. To live they must have very hardy immune systems, and what makes their immune system so hardy makes them valuable to the human immune system. Lacking chlorophyll, mushrooms obtain their food by absorption from the soil and decaying wood in their environment. They develop slender filaments, which penetrate underground sucking up nutrients. These microscopic cells serve in reproduction and initiate new organisms; they are agents of dispersal, which allow the fungus to spread. These cells or spores become dormant, enabling the fungus to withstand adverse conditions such as winter. But fungi are not just passive participants in the world of botany; indeed they exhibit intelligence. The fungus Cordyceps begins life by attaching its spore to an ant, germinates, and feeds on it and grows into a small mushroom. The ant lives its own life with the mushroom on its back until one day the ant is driven to climb a tree. The ant reaches a height sufficient for the release of the spores. It will remain there until it dies and all the spores are spread. All through this relationship the fungus could have eaten the ant but it displayed the intelligence to know that the ant was more important to its life and reproduction live than as a food source. The slime mold Physarum polycephalum is another example of an intelligent primitive. In experiments, pieces of the mold were placed in the middle of a five-square-inch maze with food sources placed at two exit points. Would the fungus abandon its normal method of foraging for food by spreading outward from its central point or would it grow directly toward the food source? The mold went straight for the food, stretching itself in a thin line along the contours of the maze until it reached the exit.

The Mushroom Immunity Connection

Why would we be interested in fungi beyond food value? When we eat plants or take herbal medicine, we are digesting polysaccharides (poly = many and saccharide = sugar). Mushrooms are a special type of polysaccharide called beta glucan, which refers to the specific way the sugar units are attached to one another in the polysaccharide chain. Each glucose molecule has six carbons and linkage between the carbons can occur at any combination of six positions. Beta glucan is 1-3 variety; plants are 1-4 beta glucan. Mushroom beta glucan is extraordinarily complex and gigantic in size, which, on one hand, gives them their immune system benefit but on the other hand makes them hard to digest. The group known as medicinal mushrooms has been particularly valuable to humans and researched over decades. Beta glucan in itself does not cure; its value lies in enhancing the immune system quickly and making it work better. The theory is that beta glucan molecules resemble the molecules found on bacterial cell walls. They mimic an invader. Macrophages in your cell — the first line of defense — believe they have encountered bacertium and attack. Now the whole system is on the alert, an immune cascade of cytokines and antibodies or immunoglobins is stimulated, increasing your overall immunity. In the second half of the 1990’s, 144 scientific studies of beta glucan molecules were completed demonstrating their effectiveness particularly as anti-cancer agents. The specific fungi in the studies included reishi, cordyceps, agaricus, maitake, phellinus, trametes, hericium and shiitake. Amazingly, each mushroom works on tumors as an anti-cancer agent in its own discrete way.  REISHI or the “mushroom of immortality” is also called Ganoderma lucidum. Chinese herbal medicine has several formulas featuring this mushroom. Some herbalists call reishi “the king of herbal medicines,” ranking it above ginseng as one of the most important medi38 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

cines from the Orient. It is bitter tasting because it contains terpenoids — an active ingredient with major anti-inflammatory action and a strong antioxidant effect. Resihi polysaccharides increase the production of three of the toxin-like substances that have been associated with controlling the growth and survival of malignant cancer cells: tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta and interleukin 6. Should we ever need it we might want to keep in mind that reishi is also called the “resurrection plant.” In the Chinese legend White Snake, Lady White travels far from home to obtain the plant and revive her dead husband. Through her demonstration of love she obtains the plant and wins back her husband.  CORDYCEPS SINENSIS is recognized in China as a medicinal treasure. It commonly grows out of the mummified body of a caterpillar, but it also grows on just about every category of insect such as crickets, cockroaches, beetles and ants to name a few, in the highest altitudes in the mountain ranges of Asia. There, cordyceps is famous as yak medicine. When the snow in the mountains melt, the yaks start heading uphill. At 14,000-16,000 feet they find the mushroom and feed on it in frenzy, then rut at fever pitch. It has an anti-aging and stamina-building effect and is especially useful as a post-recovery food.  AGARICUS BLAZEI shows great promise as an immunomodulator and defense against tumors. The “mushroom of life” is a South American species favoring a hot, humid environment. This mushroom contains the highest level of beta glucan and is low in molecular weight, making it more effective to consume and be absorbed. Asian practitioners suggest it to patients who have a predisposition for developing cancer. It selectively kills tumor cells without affecting normal cells through inducing apoptosis, or cell suicide. But its effects don’t stop there. The mushroom activates a complement cascade (a series of proteins) causing holes to be punched in the membrane of targeted cells and oozing out their content to be eaten by the immune system’s macrophage cells.  MAITAKE grows in clusters and because of its size is called the “king of mushrooms,” growing frequently to the size of a volleyball. This mushroom prefers moderate climates. Studies done to observe the effect of maitake on cancer cells describe its effect as inhibition of malignant cells through release of cytokines. Using the mushroom supplement in a diet also keeps macrophages hungry and active.  PHELLINUS LINTEUS is a rising superstar from Korea. In Asia the mushroom is used in conjunction with chemotherapy drugs such as Adriamycin, inhibiting tumor growth and reducing the frequency of metastases. Patients on this integration of drug and fungi had a statistically higher survival rate than patients on drugs alone. This mushroom works on T lymphocyte activity and cytotoxic T cells, the white blood cells that destroy viruses. It also increases B cells and antibodies.  TRAMETES VERISCOLOR, so named for its wide variety of colors, and also known as turkey tail, is one of the most common mushrooms in North American woods. It is the active extract in Krestin, whose sales topped $500 million in Japan as an anti-cancer drug. The chief ingredient of Krestin is PSK, or polysaccharide K, the anticancer agent most commonly prescribed to Japanese cancer patients who have had a tumor removed and are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. Although not approved yet as a cancer drug in the US, turkey tail products are available as supplements.  The polysaccarides from HERICIUM ERINACEUS (lion’s mane mushroom) in combination with polysaccarides from other substances made lymphocytes proliferate at two to three times the ordinary rate and reduce tumor weights by shrinking them or stopping their growth. An interesting side to this mushroom appears to be its ability to produce a protein called nerve growth factor; (this protein develops and maintains sensory neurons). The compounds in hericium help regenerate nerve tissue in the brain and are being researched in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  The health benefits of SHIITAKE were discovered in Japan in the 1960’s. The country undertook epidemiological studies to chart the incidences of disease and discovered two remote districts where cancer was nearly unheard of. Ultimately this was attributed to the mushrooms that the inhabitants grew and ate as a primary industry. Japan accounts for 80% of worldwide shiitake production. This flavorful mushroom delights the palate and is loaded with nutrients. In 1969, the pharmaceutical Lentinan was extracted from shiitake and is now the third most widely prescribed anticancer drug in the world. Mushrooms are a powerful strategy in a treatment protocol. Particularly in cancer work, whether in initiation, reproduction or proliferation of malignancies, they live up to the claims made of them. At the same time they are not toxic nor have adverse effects. With over 30 years experience, Marie Cargill, LicAc, is a Boston-based homeopath, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and holistic health expert for people and pets. Her newest book is Cancer and Your Pet: a Guide to Alternative and Integrated Treatment. Visit www.mariecargill.com.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 39

Awaken Your

Nature Awareness

by David Santillo

e live on a remarkable planet that manifests its brilliance through nature, yet modern life constantly creates barriers and distractions that numb us to this glory. Waking up one’s nature awareness is a process of sharpening all of our senses to perceive more of what’s going on around us. It means discovering a sense of individual belonging in a story that’s as big as Earth itself. Being aware in nature unlocks a simple secret to the meaning of life: follow your bliss. The very survival of a wild animal depends on its awareness. It needs to be alert to where food and water are located, feel changes in weather, and perceive danger. One needs only to watch a white-tailed deer in a natural state for a short period of time to begin to understand nature awareness. The eyes of a deer are still and intently focused even as it moves its head. Its nose glistens and twitches to detect every subtle scent and shift in wind direction. Ears rotate so freely they barely seem attached, determined not to let the slightest sound escape. Each purposeful step embodies mindfulness in a 40 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

focused task. Awareness for a deer is the key to staying alive; awareness for us is the key to truly being alive. The rewards from connecting with nature are too numerous to keep track of (plus, you’ll find that it’s far more fun to be in nature than to make lists, anyway.) The physical exercise that goes along with venturing outside makes you feel better and more alive, which in turn naturally improves your mood. Being in nature can create endless banks of positive outlook and peaceful well-being, setting the stage for the healing of whatever ails you. By shifting you out of your routines, nature brings more beauty into your life and can even energize your activism. Giving back to nature through green living or activism pushes your satisfaction levels to even greater heights. While practicing nature awareness is recreational and fun, it still takes time and commitment. Start by slowing down and not rushing the time you spend in nature as you try these practices that can help you sharpen your nature awareness. Continued on page 42

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 41

NATURE AWARENESS Continued from page 40

1. Focus on the big picture. In nature, the big picture is the land-

scape, and a landscape always has a story worth reading. Begin with your mind’s camera on the panorama setting and scan the horizon. Breathe it all in as you absorb colors, highlights, shadows, shapes, compositions and structure. Read a landscape by noticing hills and valleys, forests and clearings, rivers and lakes. Allow your imagination room to roam. Picture the landscape before human development. If you are near the ocean, picture what a shoreline would look like if sea level rises 10 feet. Imagine yourself as a powerful winter wind surging across the land; where would you run wild and where would you encounter resistance?

2. Focus on the small.

True awareness will only come with experiencing things up close and firsthand. It’s not hard to view an entire forest from a distance as a single entity. Next try to focus on individual trees. But it can be downright challenging to make the quantum leap to zoom in on individual leaves. With each successive magnification, you need to devote more of your attention span, put aside more of the clutter of your daily life.

3. Stare down nature. Busy eyes are aware

of very little in nature. Practice keeping your eyes still so they can see movement. Pick a spot and look at it for a while or scan as slowly as you possibly can. Movement, even at the edges of your field of vision, will jump out, then allow you to re-center your sightline. Master the nature stare down and you’ll certainly see more wildlife, but you’ll also begin to perceive all of nature’s processes in motion around you.

4. Calibrate your ears and nose.

Sight typically is the sense we engage the most on nature walks, just as we do in daily life. Sharpening all of your senses is a cornerstone of nature awareness. Collect a blindfold along with ear and nose plugs and go to a favorite outdoor place where you feel comfortable in the natural surroundings. Isolate one sense at a time by blocking the others for five minutes at a time. Try hearing by covering your eyes, plugging your nose, and keeping your hands at your sides. Once you hear something, acknowledge it, but then tune it out to develop greater acuity to other sounds. Keep peeling away the obvious layers to become aware of the hidden, quiet sounds. Do the same for your nose. Get up close and personal with your surroundings. Have you ever smelled tree bark? Does it smell differently when you scratch it? How about crushed leaves, moss-covered rocks or dirt? Don’t accept a lazy nose!

5. Make like a rock and do nothing. Try meditating in nature. Sit

quietly, breathe deeply, and let the pace and place of nature effortlessly relax you. It may not happen immediately, but when it does, your senses and awareness will be heightened to a stunning extent. Become an erratic boulder deposited on the land after the last ice-age glacier retreated. Witness the surroundings and happenings without judgment. In other words, just be. Physical and mental stillness will be the natural result of relaxing and witnessing. During this stillness, nature will reveal its deepest secrets and you will observe things you simply were not tuned in to. Successfully do nothing in nature and you will quickly realize that there is never nothing going on in nature.

6. Draw or sketch. Sketching requires more immersion than simply

snapping a photograph and you will be left with the memory of a state of mind in a wonderful place and time etched personally by your hand. 42 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

7. Weather a storm. A powerful way of awakening awareness is to assault

your senses by heading out into nature just as everyone else seeks shelter from the storm. Clouds swirl, trees bend to the onslaught of wind, thunder rumbles and waves tumble. Rain or snow slice through the air and the wind roars a lively tune. More effective than the most powerful energy drink, a storm is like a shock treatment to senses dulled by the numbness of everyday life. I find it impossible not to be ecstatic in storms where nature sings using its full lung capacity, but a simple walk during bad weather with your feet firmly planted on the ground will do quite nicely as well.

8. Tap latent energy. Feeling the energy of nature in a storm is one thing.

Sensing and feeding off the latent energy stored in nature expands this awareness even greater. Nature’s energy is stored everywhere — in the fibers of plants, the grains of rocks and the tissues of animals. The energy stored in a large tree may be apparent, but no less impressive is the energy of a hayfield just before mowing. A rewarding meditation is to walk slowly in nature, mindfully pausing just long enough to touch and feel the latent energy of a tree, that rock, the hillside, this waterbody along your path. Admire the peace and equilibrium that naturally exists alongside so much potent stored energy.

9. Follow a track in the winter. A

great way to gain insight into the functioning of nature is to follow a set of tracks. Animals active in the winter include deer and moose, foxes and coyotes, fishers and otters, and small animals like mice. Human trails and roads are usually in fairly straight lines to accommodate our predisposition to wanting to get to our destinations as quickly as possible. Almost never in a straight line, animal tracks embody the concept of being about the journey. An animal’s tracks convey how fast it was moving, what caught its attention, perhaps what it ate, and what kind of habitat it was using. It can be insightful and just plain fun to “become” the animal. Walk faster when the distance between prints increases, slow down when the tracks meander and the distance between prints is small, and stop when the prints are settled and concentrated. Look up from the tracks to see what the animal saw, listen to the same background noises, and smell to the extent the crisp winter air allows.

10. Take a walk in nature in the dark. Turn off your headlamp,

preferably on a moonless night. If you are like most people, this alone will make the hairs on your neck stand up at least a little, and with that you’ve immediately achieved involuntary heightened awareness. Noises in particular will seem amplified. This sensation fades as you get used to nighttime noise and settle down. Feel free to laugh a bit at your fears. This activity works in all settings, from a cold and stark northern winter night in a boreal forest to a humid and sultry rainy season night in a tropical jungle. More than a practice of sharpening senses, this activity reminds us what it means to focus and awakens the ability to achieve it. Practice nature awareness each time you venture outside, whether walking to your car or trekking into deep wilderness. Find what’s fun and works for you. Exercises can be practiced repeatedly without risk of boredom because you can choose to walk the same trail every day for weeks and be confident that the experience will be different every time. It will vary depending on the time and temperature, the birds you see, the amount of snow on hemlock boughs, or which animal left new tracks. You can never be sure what surprises are in store for you when you let nature be your guide, but you can be sure it will transform your life in countless positive ways. David Santillo, PhD, is a naturalist and registered Maine guide, who writes about nature, mindful travel and environmental activism. Dave is co-founder of Venture Outside, where he leads holistic adventures and retreats. Visit www.venture-outside.com or call (207) 749-0501.

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To Stop “The Age of Extinction,” Let’s Start by Ditching “It”

YOGA • REIKI • MEDITATION • CRYSTAL HEALING

Language can be a tool for cultural transformation. Make no mistake: “Ki” and “kin” are revolutionary pronouns. By Robin Wall Kimmerer

inging whales, talking trees, dancing bees, birds who make art, fish who navigate, plants who learn and remember. We are surrounded by intelligences other than our own, by feathered people and people with leaves. But we’ve forgotten. There are many forces arrayed to help us forget — even the language we speak. I’m a beginning student of my native Anishinaabe language, trying to reclaim what was washed from the mouths of children in the Indian boarding schools. Children like my grandfather. So I’m paying a lot of attention to grammar lately. Grammar is how we chart relationships through language, including our relationship with Earth. Imagine your grandmother standing at the stove in her apron and someone says, “Look, it is making soup. It has gray hair.” We might snicker at such a mistake; at the same time we recoil. In English, we never refer to a person as “it.” Such a grammatical error would be a profound act of disrespect. “It” robs a person of selfhood and kinship, reducing a person to a thing. And yet in English, we speak of our beloved Grandmother Earth in exactly that way: as “it.” The language allows no form of respect for the more-than-human beings with whom we share Earth. In English, a being is either a human or an “it.” Objectification of the natural world reinforces the 44 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

notion that our species is somehow more deserving of the gifts of the world than the other 8.7 million species with whom we share the planet. Using “it” absolves us of moral responsibility and opens the door to exploitation. When Sugar Maple is an “it” we give ourselves permission to pick up the saw. “It” means it doesn’t matter. But in Anishinaabe and many other indigenous languages, it’s impossible to speak of Sugar Maple as “it.” We use the same words to address all living beings as we do our family. Because they are our family. What would it feel like to be part of a family that includes birches and beavers and butterflies? We’d be less lonely. We’d feel like we belonged. We’d be smarter. In indigenous ways of knowing, other species are recognized not only as persons, but also as teachers who can inspire how we might live. We can learn a new solar economy from plants, medicines from mycelia, and architecture from the ants. By learning from other species, we might even learn humility. Colonization, we know, attempts to replace indigenous cultures with the culture of the settler. One of its tools is linguistic imperialism, or the overwriting of language and names. Among the many examples of linguistic imperialism, perhaps none is more pernicious than the replacement of the language of nature as subject with the language of nature as object. We can see the consequences all around us as we enter an age of extinction precipitated

by how we think and how we live. Let me make here a modest proposal for the transformation of the English language, a kind of reverse linguistic imperialism, a shift in worldview through the humble work of the pronoun. Might the path to sustainability be marked by grammar? Language has always been changeable and adaptive. We lose words we don’t need anymore and invent the ones we need. We don’t need a worldview of Earth beings as objects anymore. That thinking has led us to the precipice of climate chaos and mass extinction. We need a new language that reflects the life-affirming world we want. A new language, with its roots in an ancient way of thinking. If sharing is to happen, it has to be done right, with mutual respect. So, I talked to my elders. I was pointedly reminded that our language carries no responsibility to heal the society that systematically sought to exterminate it. At the same time, others counsel that “the reason we have held on to our traditional teachings is because one day, the whole world will need them.” I think that both are true. English is a secular language, to which words are added at will. But Anishinaabe is different. Fluent speaker and spiritual teacher Stewart King reminds us that the language is sacred, a gift to the People to care for one another and for the Creation. It grows and adapts too, but through a careful protocol that respects the sanctity of the language. He suggested that the proper Anishinaabe word for beings of our living Earth would be Bemaadiziiaaki. I wanted to run through the woods calling it out, so grateful that this word exists. But I also recognized that this beautiful word would not easily find its way to take the place of “it.” We need a simple new English word to carry the meaning offered by the indigenous one. Inspired by the grammar of animacy and with full recognition of its Anishinaabe roots, might we hear the new pronoun at the end of Bemaadiziiaaki, nestled in the part of the word that means land? “Ki” to signify a being of our living Earth. Not “he” or “she,” but “ki.” So that when we speak of Sugar Maple, we say, “Oh that beautiful tree, ki is giving us sap again this spring.” And we’ll need a plural pronoun, too, for those Earth beings. Let’s make that new pronoun “kin.” So we can now refer to birds and trees not as things, but as our Earthly relatives. On a crisp October morning we can look up at the geese and say, “Look, kin are flying south for the winter. Come back soon.” Language can be a tool for cultural transformation. Make no mistake: “Ki” and “kin” are revolutionary pronouns. Words have power to shape our thoughts and our actions. On behalf of the living world, let us learn the grammar of animacy. We can keep “it” to speak of bulldozers and paperclips, but every time we say “ki,” let our words reaffirm our respect and kinship with the morethan-human world. Let us speak of the beings of Earth as the “kin” they are. Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote this article for “Together, With Earth,” the Spring 2015 issue of YES! Magazine. Robin is the founding director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions) was published in October 2014. www.spiritofchange.org

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By Bety Comerford and Steve Wilson

ou’re in a crowd, surrounded by people. You’re starting to feel uneasy. You break out in a sweat. Your heartbeat increases. You’re feeling sad, happy, depressed, anxious – all at the same time. You suddenly feel as though you want to scream. You are an empath. To a certain degree, we are all empathic; it’s programmed into our DNA. As hunter/gatherers, we needed to know when wild animals were about, follow the changes in weather patterns, or where to find our next meal. Today, we get those gut feelings, or somehow per46 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

ceive through our senses when a person or a location just doesn’t feel right. For many of us, we go about our daily lives, acknowledging what we feel and move on. However, as with everything else, there are degrees to empathy. Some people are more sensitive than others and are known as empaths. Rather than feel the emotions and let them go, they are, in essence, human sponges who soak up so much of the world around them and physically feel the emotions of others around them. They become overwhelmed, losing their boundaries of where they begin and end. The energy they feel is so heavy, all they want to do is hide. Because of this, some consider their empathy a curse. Continued on page 48

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 47

THE GIFT OF THE EMPATH Continued from page 46

We know because we grew up this way. However, once you learn how empathy works, it actually becomes a wonderful gift, something inspiring, and yes, even magical. Instead of hiding away from the energy, you can actually change it. Albert Einstein explained how energy cannot be destroyed. But its vibration can be changed. To illustrate this, think about how you feel when you’re depressed or angry or sad. What do those emotions do to you physically? You probably feel heavy, as though you’re walking through muck. Time slows down and you find yourself carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Your stomach tightens and your chest may ache. Now, how do you feel when you’re in love, or something wonderful has just happened to you? You feel light, as though you could fly. Time speeds up. These two examples demonstrate the vibration of the energy you’re feeling. When you give into depression or sadness or anger, the energy has a lower vibration to it. It becomes heavier. As a feeling human being, you physically feel that heaviness. On the other hand, when you’re feeling happy, the vibration is higher. It doesn’t have the oppressive weight to it. You don’t feel as though you’re walking through mud.

Step one is to realize – it’s all just energy. You don’t need to own or take it on. You have the option to move it out of your energy field and into the earth beneath your feet.

Issue Theme: Revolutionary Healing

Issue Theme: Tapping the Spirit

48 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Everything is made up of energy and everything has an energetic vibration to it. Plants, animals, rocks, trees – all these have an energetic vibration. Why do you feel refreshed when you walk through the woods or sit with your back up against a tree? Or walk along the ocean? Because nature is happy being nature. Plants, animals, trees and rocks have no problem being what they are. They don’t strive to become something they’re not. It’s we humans who have a hard time being who we are. You try your best to negotiate the muddy waters of co-existing by being what people want you to be in order to fit in. Why? Because your gift of empathy allows you to feel deeply the emotions of love and acceptance. Knowing how wonderful those emotions are, you desperately seek to recapture that feeling. However, in the process, you begin to bargain yourself away, becoming whatever someone else wants you to be in order to feel that love and acceptance. Unlike nature, you start the process of losing who you truly are. Or you hide away, becoming a recluse because you can’t stand to feel all that you do. Unfortunately, even by hiding away, you will still feel, even if it’s just your own emotions you’re feeling. Relationships test you because you know if your partner or friend is lying to you. How do you know this? Because an untruth has a lower vibration to it. And if there’s one thing an empath is an expert at, it’s feeling the truth of energy in any given moment. So, how do you try and get a handle on what you feel on a daily basis? First is to understand that no matter what you feel, it’s just energy. You don’t need to get into an adversarial relationship with it. You don’t need to own it. You don’t need to plug into it. What you can do is change its vibration.

Of course there are many ways to learn about energy, but we’ve found the following two techniques to be the easiest to learn and use, and also quite effective. They can be used by anyone, no matter the degree of their empathic abilities.

Grounding Grounding allows you to remember you are made up of Earth and can connect back to it, allowing whatever energies you are feeling to move through you and out your feet. It’s very simple and effective, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed, whether by your own emotions or someone else’s. In fact, you will hear many times that you shouldn’t ground someone else’s energy. However, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, you’re still feeling it. You still need to deal with it. Step one is to realize – it’s all just energy. You don’t need to own or take it on. You have the option to move it out of your energy field and into the earth beneath your feet. As you do this, the energy around you starts to change. You are, in effect, lightening up the energy. You will feel the difference, and so will others around you. Close your eyes and picture a red ball about a foot beneath the soles of your feet. You may actually feel a tingling in your feet as you picture this red ball. Now slowly visualize yourself bringing that red ball up your legs and into your stomach. The stomach area is where many empaths feel discomfort and a tightness when they’re plugging into someone else’s energy and taking it on themselves. Let the red ball sit in your stomach and watch it spin as it gathers all the energies and emotions that are stuck there. You should start to feel a lightness as the red ball takes in all the emotions that have physically attached to you. It should only take a few moments. Now watch the ball slowly drop down past your stomach, down your legs and back out through the soles of your feet into the earth. The more you do this consciously, the more you are training your body to do this unconsciously. You’ll know you’re grounding when your feet start to tingle or grow warm and you physically feel lighter.

Mastery This is a little bit more difficult, but we can attest to how useful and successful it is. If you start to see emotions as simply energy, you can begin to get a handle on how to deal with them. For example, let’s say you have a friend named Mary. Mary has just said something that really upsets you. You’re so angry, your stomach is churning. Taking our theory that everything is energy, by reacting the way you’re reacting, you’ve just given that anger a job to do. You’ve plugged into the anger, given it a story (Mary made me angry) and the energy is now clinging to you. An easy rule to remember is that energy follows intention. If you, whether consciously or unconsciously intend to be angry, sad, depressed, or happy, the energy will always follow that intention. There is a way to deal with anger, or sadness or frustration. After all, who knows energy better than one who has to feel it all the time? In simple terms, don’t give the energy a job to do. Don’t attach a story to that energy. Allow yourself simply to feel the purity of the anger without thinking “Mary made me angry.” The thought process is more like, “Okay, I’m feeling angry. Let’s see where this goes.” Remember, it’s just energy. As humans, we’re born to feel. That’s how we learn and experience life. Think of it this way. By attaching a story to the anger, you’ve created a coat hook in your energy field. Now the anger has a place to attach itself to and it’s harder to get rid of. But if you just feel the anger without attaching a story or giving it a job, it has no place to attach to. You haven’t created that coat hook. And like a coat that has no hook to hang itself onto, it will fall to the floor, as will the emotion. Without that story, the anger will move right through you and ground itself out. A few moments later you’ll wonder just what you were angry about in the first place. This takes a bit of practice, but it does work. It just takes a little more awareness on your part to catch yourself before you become so immersed in the emotion that it becomes harder to pull out of. Regardless of how little or how much energy and emotion you feel, there is still a responsibility to what you put out on a daily basis, because whatever you put out, others are feeling it, whether they want to or not. Therefore, do you want to add more anger, more sadness, more fear to a world that is swimming in negativity? Or do you want to actually begin to change the energy around you, one person at a time, starting with yourself?

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Bety Comerford and Steve Wilson are shamanic healers with over thirty years experience teaching and assisting empaths to embrace their gifts. They are the authors of The Reluctant Empath, finalist in the 2015 Coalition of Visionary Resources awards for Best Contemporary Spirituality Book. Their latest book, The Empath’s Quest will be published by Schiffer Publishing in late 2016. Visit www.comerfordwilson.com. www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 49

Slow Down by Leah Kalish, MA

earning to notice that you are sped up and, in response, down-regulate, is a valuable life skill. It is a foundation upon which to build self-awareness, self-regulation, and well-being. Cultivating a slower inner speed is essential to being present and not missing your own life. When you slow down, there is the space to give, receive, connect and enjoy a satisfying life. Living in a chronic rev, as many of us do, is damaging to your health. Feeling like you are always racing and never have enough time is exhausting and yet, paradoxically, often challenging to shift. Try these steps as a practice to support you in authentically embodying a slower pace.

Step 1: Make Friends With Time Before you get out of bed, repeat to yourself several times: I have plenty of time. And I so appreciate the time that I have. Notice if some inner voice starts making objections. If so, address them. Have you planned too much? Have you not allotted enough time to get from A to B if there’s traffic? Whatever shows up, acknowledge it with a promise to look into it later and if need, make changes. Then, go back to repeating: I have plenty of time, until you actually appreciate Time as the gift that allows you to experience your life, express yourself in it, and share it with the people you love.

Step 2: Prioritize Well-Being And Let Your Body Be Your Guide Now that you and Time are friends, notice how you feel. Name the quality — open, present, relaxed, easy, available, happy, soft, alive. Set an intention to be that way throughout your day. Make sustaining that feeling in your body your top priority and move your to-do list down to secondary! Use this feeling/quality as your compass. Whenever you notice you don’t feel that way, shift yourself back. If you experience that you are unable to shift yourself to a state of ease or that you spend most of your day stressed, recognize that you are negatively impacting your health and it’s time to make some lifestyle changes.

Step 3: Cultivate A Daily Meditation Or Mindfulness Practice It’s vital to spend at least 15 minutes a day in a practice that calms your nervous system, clears your mind, and develops your self-awareness. To be able to slow down and be mindful throughout the day, you need to be able to easily and quickly drop into that 50 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

slowed down place in your body. There are many meditation, mindfulness, and self-care tools and techniques to choose from. My practice includes: Sending my energy and awareness down to connect/ground to the earth beneath my feet. I like to imagine being a tree or mountain and that the earth is holding me. Resting back into wherever I am — the chair, the bed, the floor. I release any tension to gravity and acknowledge the support I receive in return. Breathing fully and slowly in and out my nose and slowing my inner speed. If I’m going 60 mph inside but I’m sitting or standing still, my feet are on the brake and the gas at the same time! I am out of synch and ruining my engine. So, I very slowing exhale, sometimes making a hissing sound, like a balloon leaking air, to bring my system down to an appropriate speed such as 15-20 mph, alert and relaxed. Imagining my eyes widening apart, my forehead expanding like the horizon, and my mid-brain soft and fluid. Visualizing someone I love or something for which I am grateful in order to attune to the positive. Once I’m slowed down, I notice how my inner sensations have shifted and I acknowledge myself for choosing to make that shift and how much better it feels. I practice identifying with my awareness and sitting with what is. I allow what arises and observe with neutrality. Life happens in the now, moment by moment. If you want to successfully slow down, enjoy your life, be a mindful parent, write a book, get healthier, or create something new inside of a full life, you must value the moments of your life, designate how you want to spend your time, and fully show up for them. Be honest with others about what you want for yourself by identifying the intentions and goals that deeply matter to you, then attend to those first. Prioritize your time and you will become more aware of how much time you need for the things you really care about. Leah Kalish, MA, is a founder of the yoga in education movement. Through her company, Move with Me Yoga Adventures, she produces play, yoga, and mindfulness-based educational materials and trains teachers nationwide in how to more effectively engage the whole child, enhance social-emotional competence, and improve wellness. Visit www.move-with-me.com.

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OM LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU www.spiritofchange.org

MAY ALL BEINGS EVERYWHERE BE HAPPY

OM LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 51

An interview with Katha Pollitt on the struggle over abortion rights

It’s

her choice by Gillian Kendall

I Katha Pollitt is an American essayist and critic whose “Subject To Debate” column is frequently reprinted in newspapers across the country.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA PABST

52 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

n the late 1980s I taught composition classes to college students, introducing them to the art of the “persuasive essay.” I told my students they could write on any topic that interested them except one: abortion, I claimed, was “too emotional” a subject, and their arguments were liable to be based on feeling, not reason. The truth was that I couldn’t stand to read, let alone grade, any papers about abortion, because it made me too emotional. I was prochoice, but I’d been opposed to abortion when I was younger — before I’d known many women who’d had abortions, and before I’d realized that the abortion restrictions proposed by conservatives would also limit my access to birth control. And even when I didn’t support abortion in theory, I knew that if I got pregnant, I would end the pregnancy, because I certainly didn’t want a child. Political columnist Katha Pollitt might have identified me then as a member of the “muddled middle” — people who don’t like the idea of abortion and believe there should be some restrictions on it but who don’t want to ban it altogether. Such people are the audience for whom she wrote her latest book, Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights. Unlike my own early thinking, Pollitt’s arguments in support of a woman’s right to choose are cogent, rational, and clear. They are also timely, as efforts to limit abortion have been succeeding since the 2010 midterm elections, in which Ed — This adapted interview is printed with permission of the author and The Sun magazine, which originally published the interview in December, 2015. www.thesunmagazine.org

Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives and many state legislatures. From 2011 to 2013 thirty states adopted a total of 205 measures restricting abortion, and more have passed since then. Pollitt has been a contributor to The Nation since 1980, and for the past twenty years she has unapologetically attacked shoddy thinking and rhetoric in her bimonthly opinion column, “Subject to Debate.” Not surprisingly, her strong views have upset conservatives. (Nine days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, she wrote about her refusal to fly the U.S. flag at her home, saying, “The flag stands for jingoism and vengeance and war. . . . There are no symbolic representations right now for the things the world really needs — equality and justice and humanity and solidarity and intelligence.”) On the other hand, she has criticized some progressives’ knee-jerk support for sex work, in part, she says, because prostitution involves implicit male privilege. And when transgender activists called for replacing the word “women” with the term “pregnant persons” in discussions of abortion, Pollitt argued that abortion is not a gender-neutral issue and that opposition to it arises from a long history of women’s oppression. The Washington Post has called her column “the best place to go for original thinking on the Left.” Born in 1949 to a Protestant father and a Jewish mother, Pollitt was raised in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Her father was a lawyer, and both her parents were known for their radical left-wing politics. (The FBI kept thick files on them.) Pollitt earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard and received a master’s in fine arts from Columbia University. The author of two collections of poems and five nonfiction books on feminism and politics, Pollitt is also a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, and other publications. She has taught poetry at Princeton and women’s studies at the New School University, and she’s lectured at many more schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Cornell. She’s won numerous awards for her writing, including two National Magazine Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry, and a lifetime achievement award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Her essay “Why Do We Romanticize the Fetus?” won the Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. I still find it hard to discuss abortion calmly. I’ve given up trying to argue with the few people I know who oppose abortion rights, one of whom is the husband of a good friend: he thinks abortion is a sin, and our conversations never go very far — which makes me respect Pollitt all the more for her ability to talk sense on such a contentious issue. Despite an intense work schedule, Pollitt generously made time on several occasions to talk to me about her new book and the state of reproductive rights in the U.S. Though often tired when we began our conversations, she became animated and articulate in discussion, making me laugh as well as think. She answered my many questions directly and thoughtfully, taking breaks every hour or so to make more coffee. Gillian Kendall: Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that established abortion as a fundamental right, is now more than forty years old. What concerns you most about the present political climate in regard to abortion rights? Katha Pollitt: That Republicans control the U.S. Congress and all three branches of state government in twenty-four states. In 1992, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that no “undue burden” could be placed on the right to terminate a pregnancy. Ever since, there has been a struggle over what makes a burden undue. Plenty of judges will say it is not an undue burden to have to travel 150 miles, or wait seventy-two hours, or be forced to listen to providers read from scripts intended to change a woman’s mind. In Casey, the Supreme Court rejected a requirement that the woman notify her husband that she was seeking an abortion. Since then, I’m not aware that the courts have permanently turned down any restrictions. It’s all in flux. Roe v. Wade has been undermined in many ways. It is undermined when particular kinds of procedures are prohibited; by bans on abortions after twenty weeks, which have been passed in twelve states; when clinics are closed because of laws, such as those passed in Texas and other states, that require an abortion clinic to meet the standards of a small hospital. Roe is undermined when laws require a clinic doctor to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and none will grant them. And what about proposed state laws that say a doctor does not have to treat somebody who comes to the emergency room with abortion complications? Anti-choicers are always claiming abortion is dangerous and life threatening, yet they want the right of conscience to include the right to let someone suffer and even die. Roe is undermined when a teenager cannot get an abortion without telling her parents. Yes, a teen can get a judicial bypass, but some judges will not issue them. Recently a pregnant teenager in Kansas, which requires notification of both parents, didn’t want to ask hers for permission, and the judge in her small town was her father’s best friend. www.spiritofchange.org

What she eventually did was call various pro-choice resources, and with their assistance she arranged to take a bus to New Mexico and have her abortion there. Think of it: You are fifteen or sixteen years old, and you have to negotiate the court system, get to the courthouse, risk being seen by your neighbors, and deal with all sorts of invasive questions; and in the end, the judge can decide you’re not “mature” enough to decide to have an abortion — but you’re mature enough to have a baby! It’s an unfriendly system, and an incredibly sexist one. I think the restrictions being placed on health-insurance companies to try to prevent them from paying for abortions are a tremendous violation of Roe v. Wade. Abortion should be treated like any other medical procedure, but under the Affordable Care Act, state after state has refused to allow insurance plans that cover abortion. And of course the Hyde Amendment prevents Medicaid from paying for abortions. We are moving toward a situation in which more and more women have to pay out of pocket, even as restrictions drive up the cost. Gillian Kendall: Why did you write Pro? Katha Pollitt: The conversation about abortion has put the pro-choice movement on the defensive for too long. We always seem to be reacting to the claims of the anti-choice movement, putting out one fire after another, and that’s not a good way to persuade people. We need to make a positive case for abortion. We need to flip the conversation so that instead of just saying, “What about rape victims?” or, “What about fatal fetal abnormalities?”

“61 percent of women who have abortions are mothers. This statistic dispels the idea that the typical abortion seeker is living a wild single life or hates children. These are women who already have children and who have assessed the limits of what they can do.” we are talking about the much more typical situation of a pregnant woman who, for one reason or another, does not want to have a baby. One in three American women will have at least one abortion, most because they cannot afford to have a baby, or they don’t have a partner, or they’re in school, or they’re working, or they have already had enough children, or they’re too young, or they just don’t want to become a mother right now, or possibly ever. Gillian Kendall: At what age do most of those women have an abortion? Katha Pollitt: Somewhere in their twenties. Because women in their twenties tend to be sexually active and are at their most fertile, they account for more than 50 percent of abortions in the U.S. Gillian Kendall: What’s the most surprising statistic you’ve found about abortion? Katha Pollitt: The one that surprises everybody is that 61 percent of women who have abortions are mothers. I was on the radio in Minnesota with a Catholic law professor, a woman, who announced that the cause of abortion is that people lack the self-control to stay abstinent. I said, What about married people? They’re supposed to have sex. She replied that married women don’t have abortions. Two women immediately contacted the station to say that they’d had an abortion while married. The 61-percent statistic dispels the idea that the typical abortion seeker is living a wild single life or hates children. These are women who already have children and who have assessed the limits of what they can do. Many restrictions on abortion assume that women don’t know much about pregnancy. In some states, pregnant women are forced to have ultrasounds, whether or not they are medically necessary, and to look at the images. In some states doctors are forced to read women statements about fetal development that are written by state legislators and often contain inaccuracies and falsehoods. The idea behind these restrictions is that the women Continued on page 54 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 53

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do not know what they are about to do; they do not know “what’s in there.” Maybe they think it’s a cantaloupe! So the legislators think they have to show them. But a woman who’s had a baby knows. Really, it’s all about making the women feel bad. Gillian Kendall: Do you have any statistics on income level and abortion rates? Katha Pollitt: Yes, the Guttmacher Institute did a study called “Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions.” Among abortion patients from 1987 to 2000 about 30 percent were living in poverty. That’s about twice the poverty rate in the population as a whole, which tells you that a disproportionate percentage of women who have abortions are poor. I think this is probably even truer than it used to be, because middle-class women who go to private doctors are getting better birth control than ever, but poor women, who have to go to clinics and deal with a lot of financial difficulties, have less access to effective birth control. Gillian Kendall: You’ve called abortion access a “positive social good.” Please explain. Katha Pollitt: It’s good for society when women can finish their education and have the number of children that they feel is right for them, given how much love, attention, and money it takes to raise a child. It is good for society for men to become fathers when they can be a part of the child’s life. And it is good for society when children are wanted rather than unwanted, and when their parents are in a position to care for them well. Gillian Kendall: Your book mentions Caitlin Knowles Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College, who believes that abortion had an even stronger positive effect on women’s lives in the 1970s and 1980s than the birth-control pill did. Can you say more about that? Katha Pollitt: After the pill went on the market in 1960 — and especially after the government began to make birth control more widely available about ten years later — there was a huge uptick in the number of women who finished high school, college, and professional training. Women applied to med school and law school in unprecedented numbers, and, pressured by the women’s movement, schools lifted their quotas on the number of female students they would accept. Imagine: it had been around 5 percent! Once women could control their fertility, they began to think about their lives differently, more the way men do. They could make longer-range plans for school and career and not just get married at nineteen or twenty and start having babies soon after. Of course, I am mostly speaking of middle-class or potentially middle-class women here. For many women, not that much changed. Abortion, illegal and then legal, was an important part of that story. It allowed women who got pregnant to stay in school, keep that scholarship, go to grad school, and take a job that had a future. And the ability to control your fertility and have a baby only when you are ready is just as important to women today as it was then. Gillian Kendall: You have written that you can imagine a utopia in which there are fewer abortions because there’s less need for them. Do you think there are too many abortions now? Katha Pollitt: Everybody says there are too many abortions — in the 1990s the Clintons talked about making abortion “safe, legal, and rare” — but in my opinion this is the wrong way to think about abortion, because it puts the emphasis on the number of abortions, and not on what women want or need. The ideal number of abortions is whatever number lets women control their reproductive lives. We don’t know how many women would choose abortion if it were available and affordable for everyone, but one study of poor mothers in Michigan found that 20 percent of them said they would have had an abortion if they could have afforded one. That tells me that there are too few abortions among poor women in Michigan. Of course, women don’t have abortions only because they are poor. If that were true, then providing more assistance to low-income mothers would lower abortion rates, and it doesn’t necessarily do so. Look at Sweden, where there is a substantial welfare state, yet in 2009 one in four known pregnancies was terminated. I am in favor of food assistance and government-sponsored day care and other programs for poor families, but whether to have a baby is not just a financial decision; it’s a personal decision. It has to do with the man you’re with, or the man you’re trying to get away from, or the fact that you don’t have a man and don’t want to be a single mother. It might be that you’re too young or too old. There are women who get pregnant after they have grown children in college and don’t want to go through motherhood all over again. I think in our modern world most women want to have smaller families than they did back when we were an agricultural society. In those days a big family was often an advan54 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

tage, because it meant more labor on the farm. Also the infant mortality rate was high then, so people wanted to have more children in case not all of them survived. But even in eighteenth-century America, women had sex outside of marriage, and having a baby out of wedlock was social suicide. And some married women reached a point where they didn’t want to have any more children. So there were abortions. Abortion in the early years of the U.S. could have been done by midwives, or it might have been self-administered, or it might have been done by taking patent medicines sold for that purpose, which were sometimes fatal. So people who talk about abortion as if it were a new development are wrong. Gillian Kendall: Can you talk about the history of abortion? Katha Pollitt: Anthropologists tell us that abortion has existed in virtually every society for thousands of years. We know that in early tribal cultures women did not have ten children, because the tribe didn’t have the resources to feed that many, and anthropologists are pretty certain that abortion was one method of fertility control. Some abortions may have been performed with herbs. We don’t know what those herbs were, although John Riddle, who has written several books about abortion in ancient and medieval times, has identified various possibilities, all of which were probably dangerous and not always effective. Abortion, infanticide, and infant abandonment were so common in medieval Europe that the Catholic Church established a system of foundling hospitals in order to give unmarried pregnant women an alternative. Foundling hospitals allowed a woman or girl to have her baby in secret and return to society with her honor intact. There were several problems with this solution however. One was that almost all of the babies died of starvation or disease. And it was cruel toward the mothers as well: they were forced to remain in the foundling hospital and breast-feed for maybe a year — because this was before formula — but they could not breast-feed their own baby. Gillian Kendall: When and why was abortion criminalized? Katha Pollitt: Except in New York and Connecticut, abortion was legal in the U.S. until the late 1860s. A pregnancy could be aborted up until what was called the “quickening,” which is when the pregnant woman can feel the baby move — usually in the fourth or fifth month. Even in New York City, where abortion was technically illegal, there were perhaps two hundred practicing abortionists. Abortifacients [drugs that will induce an abortion] were advertised in the newspaper under euphemisms like “Female Monthly Pills” and “The Samaritan’s Gift for Females.” If you want proof that abortion was widespread in the nineteenth century, consider this: In 1800 the average woman had around seven or eight children. By 1900 the average was three or four. How did that happen? Birth control was primitive throughout the century, and yet there was a tremendous reduction in the fertility rate. Except for the baby boom of the 1950s, the fertility rate has been declining in the U.S. for more than two hundred years, in part because of abortion. Abortion became a politically charged issue only after it was connected to women’s independence. As long as abortion was about saving a daughter from shame or helping a woman who was exhausted from having too many children, it was accepted (though probably not talked about much), but when women began marrying later and postponing having children in order to become more politically and socially active, then it was considered a problem. Gillian Kendall: What do you say to the abortion opponents who claim that any woman who has an abortion will feel terrible anguish and regret? Katha Pollitt: Studies show that deep and lasting regret about an abortion is rare. More women feel relief, and if they do feel sadness, it’s usually transient. A three-year study of nearly a thousand women called “Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States” concluded that the “overwhelming majority” felt they had made the right decision for them. It’s OK in this culture for women who have abortions to express their regrets, but it’s hard for a woman to say, “Thank God I had an abortion,” because it stigmatizes her. There was about five minutes after the Roe decision when it was OK for a woman to say she was happy she’d had an abortion. It’s not that I believe women shouldn’t express regret. They should be able to speak all the feelings they have and get a respectful and sympathetic ear. But the anti-choice movement has organized a kind of phalanx of unhappy women who go to state legislatures and testify that abortion is terrible and that they regret theirs. This regret narrative has been quite effective. They present it as a universal experience, not the experience of an individual. The argument is that we must protect women from these feelings of guilt. We must protect them from themselves. Even if a woman wants an abortion at the time she has it, she might feel regret later.

“One in three American women will have at least one abortion, most because they cannot afford to have a baby, or they don’t have a partner, or they’re in school, or they’re working, or they already have enough children, or they’re too young, or they just don’t want to become a mother right now, or possibly ever.” Gillian Kendall: Law professor Michelle Oberman, who specializes in issues of pregnancy and motherhood, writes, “By reducing our abortion conversations to a simple referendum on criminalization, we’ve become distracted. . . . Nuanced, compassionate conversations . . . [have been reduced] to a statement of one’s position about the law.” Is there any merit to her suggestion that we stop arguing about the law and listen with more compassion to women who’ve had abortions? Katha Pollitt: If we stop talking about the law and stop fighting to keep clinics open, then they will all close, and we’ll be having compassionate conversations with women who’ve had illegal abortions. I do think we can do both: have compassionate conversations and fight to keep abortion legal. My position is that each woman can have her feelings about it, but those feelings should not determine what all women’s choices can be. Look at it this way: People have different reactions to divorce, but we would never say, “Here are ten women who regret their divorces, so we’d better make divorce illegal, or at least harder to get.” We would never require couples to receive mandatory counseling before getting a divorce. Gillian Kendall: The anti-choice movement promotes the idea of “post-abortion stress syndrome” and insists that information about it must be provided to women seeking abortion. Do you agree such a syndrome exists? Katha Pollitt: No, it is a completely made-up diagnosis. This syndrome has not been recognized by any reputable medical authority and is a concoction of the Elliot Institute, an anti-choice outfit. Their studies asked women who are anti-choice how they felt about abortions they’d had much earlier in life. If you think that abortion is murder and a violation of God’s law, you probably won’t feel good about the one you had ten years ago. But the authors of the study present that experience as practically universal. It’s ridiculous. Gillian Kendall: What do you think about mandatory counseling for women seeking abortions? Katha Pollitt: A lot of abortion clinics do provide counseling. There are clinics that partner with adoption agencies, and a reputable provider is going to tell you what the procedure involves, what to expect, and so on. She’ll ask you why you’re there, and if you seem unsure or conflicted, she will try to help you think it through and may even send you away to think some more and come back another day. But that’s different than the kind of counseling some state legislatures are now demanding. For example, some states require the doctor to tell you that the fetus is an individual human being from the moment of conception, describe the stages of fetal development, and remind you, if you’re worried about the cost of raising a child, that you can get child support — which in practice is quite an iffy proposition. All of this is an attempt to dissuade the woman from having an abortion, especially by making her feel ashamed and guilty, and I don’t think that’s the job of healthcare professionals. I don’t think it’s anybody’s job. Gillian Kendall: You mentioned that twelve states ban abortion after twenty weeks of pregnancy. How many abortions occur later than twenty weeks? Katha Pollitt: If you believe the anti-choice propaganda, you would think it’s most of them. Actually something like 1.5 percent of all abortions occur after twenty weeks, and even fewer after twenty-four weeks, which is usually considered the threshold of viability. Although abortions that late are actually quite rare, the campaign against so-called partial-birth abortion put into people’s minds the idea that abortions routinely occur after twenty-four weeks. The federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is not a limit on the number of weeks of pregnancy; it is a limit on a procedure used to perform later abortions. (Actually “partial- birth abortion” is not a medical term; it’s anti-abortion propaganda language, now smuggled into law.) That was an important victory for the anti-choice side. Now they’re going after abortions earlier in the second trimester, which begins around thirteen weeks, on the basis that dilation and evacuation — the method used in almost all second-trimester abortions — involves “fetal dismemberment.” The federal ban went to the Supreme Court in 2007, in Gonzales v. Carhart. The decidwww.spiritofchange.org

ing vote to uphold it was cast by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who said that the procedure was so horrible he feared a woman who’d had one might come to feel intense regret. In other words, because the woman — a woman — might regret it, and because Anthony Kennedy thinks she will regret it, then we have to ban it for everybody. It had nothing to do with medicine; it had to do with Justice Kennedy’s assumptions about women’s feelings, and it was a miscarriage of justice. Gillian Kendall: How many clinics have closed as a result of recent state restrictions? Katha Pollitt: I don’t have the numbers for every state, but in Texas, for example, there were forty-one clinics, and more than half have closed. It’s a similar story elsewhere. The clinics that remain are swamped. In Texas women are having to wait up to twenty days for an appointment. If you are running the only clinic in a state, you’re busy. Add in the three-day waiting period, and it means women in many states are having a hard time getting their procedures done promptly. In some instances doctors travel from other states to staff the one clinic, like Dr. Willie Parker, who travels from Chicago to Mississippi to perform abortions. Gillian Kendall: How many states currently have a strong commitment to abortion rights? Katha Pollitt: California now allows nurse-midwives and some other medical professionals to perform first-trimester abortions. That needs to happen everywhere, because not enough doctors are willing to perform the procedure: it’s stigmatized, it’s not a prestigious field of medicine, it’s not medically challenging, some hospitals and practices won’t take on doctors who do abortions — and let’s not forget, there’s a risk of arson and assassination. Oregon is the only state in the union that has not qualified the original Roe decision in any way. New York State and Indiana are opening up clinics and centers that will do both deliveries and abortions, bringing together those two normal parts of women’s reproductive lives. In New York State the proposed Women’s Equality Act would codify Roe in the state constitution. It was rejected in 2013 and again in 2014, but it’s important to try to pass pro-choice laws and not just fight anti-choice ones. Gillian Kendall: Why is the U.S. so conservative on abortion compared to most Westernized, non-Catholic countries? Katha Pollitt: The U.S. is different from other industrialized Western nations for several reasons. One is that Americans are much more religious than the citizens of most economically equivalent countries. The Catholic Church is strong in the U.S., and Protestant fundamentalists are a huge part of the Republican Party. It’s not just a matter of how many people are anti-choice but that the political system is organized in their favor. Every state gets two senators, which gives disproportionate power to the less-populated, more-conservative parts of the country. Wyoming and New York State each get two senators, even though Wyoming has just 3 percent of the population of New York. That’s an undemocratic feature of our Constitution. The parliamentary systems of Western Europe are organized differently. Gillian Kendall: Do you know what percentage of Americans are fervently opposed to abortion? Katha Pollitt: What is “fervently”? Depending on how the question is asked, polls suggest between 7 and 19 percent of Americans believe abortion should be completely banned. That’s not a lot of people, but the anti-choice movement makes up in passion and organization for what it lacks in numbers. It really is a grassroots movement. If you are anti-choice, you likely attend a church that is actively against abortion; you can get together after services and write letters to your representatives, plan demonstrations, organize clinic picketing, and so on. Pro-choicers don’t have a ready-made place to congregate. It would be great if some of the denominations that are officially pro-choice were more active on this issue. Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reform Judaism are all pro-choice faiths, but they do not have that same single-minded energy. This unfortunately gives people the idea that all religions are against abortion. Continued on page 56 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 55

IT’S HER CHOICE continued from page 55

Gillian Kendall: Getting back to the other Western nations, don’t many of them restrict abortion? Katha Pollitt: Yes, a lot of countries have even more restrictions on paper than the U.S. does. For example, in France abortion is legal for the first twelve weeks after conception. People have said to me, “Look at France, Katha! You’re a socialist. You love France. So what’s your problem?” But I say look at the other side of it. In France abortion is free, and you can get one at any hospital. They also have great government healthcare. And it’s not hard to get birth control. And they have realistic sex education. If you need an abortion after the first trimester in France, you can get one if two doctors agree that your mental or physical health is at risk, or if there are major fetal defects. I don’t agree with those restrictions, but they do allow for some flexibility. So you cannot make superficial comparisons between the laws in France and the U.S. Gillian Kendall: What do you mean by “realistic sex education”? Katha Pollitt: Realistic sex education discusses sex as a normal part of life and in a nonjudgmental way. “Abstinence-only” sex education says that if you have sex before marriage, you’re dirty and disgusting. They compare girls who’ve had sex to used chewing gum and candies that have been passed from hand to hand. It’s unbelievably sexist. Realistic sex education talks about birth control. In abstinence-only sex education, you can’t discuss birth control except with respect to its failure rate, which is greatly exaggerated. Kids are effectively taught that condoms don’t work. The abstinence-only programs in many public schools actively discourage the use of birth control and use falsehoods to do it. I think sex education should be tied to talk about relationships and feelings and what you want out of life. It should not just be dry and technical, free of emotions and values. Girls and boys should be taught how to negotiate sex with a partner. We know abstinence-only sex education doesn’t work — the kids still have sex, but they’re less likely to use birth control. In this country we are unable to speak frankly about sexual development. We push it into a dark corner, making it harder to develop a healthy sexuality. Look at the fuss about the HPV vaccine. This is a vaccine that helps prevent a girl from getting the human papillomavirus, which later in life can have serious consequences, including cancer. Doctors recommend that all girls be vaccinated around age eleven or twelve, well before they become sexually active, but some conservatives have objected that the girls will become promiscuous. As if teens will run wild because they feel assured they won’t get cancer when they’re fifty! Gillian Kendall: What’s the most important thing people who are pro-choice can do to maintain or increase access to abortion? Katha Pollitt: Activism is crucial at every level, and although I have criticized the pro-choice movement for being too defensive and apologetic, I think we are seeing a rebirth of activism. The National Network of Abortion Funds, for example, raises money to pay for abortions for poor women. We are seeing a resurgence of commitment to clinic defense — preventing protestors from blocking clinic entrances and harassing patients on their way in. There’s not just more activism but a new kind — unapologetic and bold and personal. For example, women are claiming their own abortions by tweeting under the hashtag #shoutyourabortion. Abortion counselor Emily Letts filmed her abortion and put it on YouTube to show that it is not a terrible, scary procedure. This new frankness is good, but we still need a more grassroots movement. There is not enough of a role for ordinary people to play, beyond donating money or helping to raise money. Gillian Kendall: In the early days of gay liberation, activists encouraged gay people to come out of the closet. Maybe everybody in this country who has benefitted from abortion should wear an armband for one day. Katha Pollitt: One of our big problems is that our side is silenced by stigma. I recognize that not every woman who has had an abortion is in a position to speak out publicly, but if more women would talk about their abortions to their friends and family, it would change hearts and minds. Sarah Cowan, a sociologist who studies secrets, compared how women talk about abortions and miscarriages. She found women were much more likely to disclose that they’d had a miscarriage than they were to talk about an abortion. She also found that women are very careful whom they tell about their abortions and try to choose people they feel will be empathetic and not judgmental. 56 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

All of us know people who have had abortions. If you’re anti-choice, you may think you don’t know anyone who has had an abortion, but chances are you do, and they’re just not telling you for fear of being judged. Because women don’t speak up, all those stereotypes about women who have abortions — the twenty-something slut and the hardhearted “career woman” — are allowed to persist. Gillian Kendall: After your mother died, you found out that she’d had an abortion when you were a child. How did you discover this? Katha Pollitt: My father made a Freedom of Information Act request for their FBI files — they were both communists — and there was a reference to her having been under the care of a gynecologist. It seemed like a strange thing for the FBI to note, so I asked my father about it, and he told me that she’d had an abortion. Gillian Kendall: How old were you when you found out, and did it influence your feelings about abortion? Katha Pollitt: I was in my early thirties by then and had always been pro-choice, so, no, it didn’t affect my position. But it made it more intense. A lot of women had illegal abortions in my mother’s day. We’re in danger of forgetting how common it was. When you consider that, until 1960, birth control was just diaphragms and condoms, it’s not surprising that there were so many. Gillian Kendall: How can women find the courage to share their experiences? Katha Pollitt: By talking to each other. Feminist poet Muriel Rukeyser wrote that if one woman spoke the truth about her life, the world would split open. Women can find the courage if they see that other women are in the same boat. Gillian Kendall: What are some of the reactions you’ve gotten to your writing on abortion? Katha Pollitt: Sometimes I get postcards with pictures of bloody fetuses, or people e-mail me saying they are going to pray for me, which is better than the bloody fetuses. I was expecting more criticism from the mainstream press about the book, such as critics saying that I go too far or don’t acknowledge the moral seriousness of abortion, but I did not get a single review like that. All the reviews were favorable except from the anti-choice press, and of course the National Review did not like it. What makes me think we are going to see a turnaround on the issue is that several of the reviews began with the reviewer talking about her own abortion. I don’t think we would have seen this ten years ago. Gillian Kendall: Sometimes in Pro, when you write about anti-choice activists and their ideas, your tone seems acerbic and sarcastic. Do you worry you might offend some readers who are still trying to make up their minds on the issue? Katha Pollitt: To a certain extent your writing style is like your fingerprint: you can’t really change it. I have to write the way I do, or else I just couldn’t do it. I leave it to others to write the book that says, “There’s much wisdom on both sides, and you’re all wonderful people.” Gillian Kendall: When I talk about abortion with people who oppose choice, I get judgmental, furious, and inarticulate. And people who oppose abortion are often just as hostile and unwilling to communicate with someone who holds my views. I wonder if there is any way the two groups can learn to talk to each other. Katha Pollitt: I know how you feel. It’s hard to have a reasonable conversation with people who not only hold the opposite view from yours on what’s moral, but want to force everyone to live according to their views. After the 2014 elections I wrote a column in which I invited anti-choice readers to answer some open-ended, non-snarky, non-rhetorical questions about abortion. I didn’t get a whole lot of responses, but the answers I did get were fascinating. One of the biggest differences between them and me was in how we view sex. For me sex is pleasure; sex is intimacy; sex is a part of life. It’s not just about reproduction, and therefore, when sex produces unwanted reproduction, you are allowed to fix it. The anti-choice position is that sex is always about reproduction, and each act of intercourse is a kind of contract to have a baby if conception occurs. If you are not prepared to have a baby, they say, then don’t have sex. Gillian Kendall: And don’t get raped? Katha Pollitt: Yes, don’t get raped. Basically it all comes down to sex. Gillian Kendall: Do you think the pro-choice movement should address choice opponents with some empathy — not the politicians, but the voters whose views might change? Katha Pollitt: I do think it’s important to talk to people who disagree with you, as difficult as it is. It’s difficult for them, too. But you and I are never going to

change the minds of people who think abortion should be illegal even when the mother’s life is in danger. The people who are reachable are those I call the “muddled middle.” They don’t really believe that the fetus is a person from the so-called moment of conception. They are fine with stem-cell research; they’re fine with abortion for rape or medical reasons. They just don’t like sex being so separated from reproduction. They feel the country is going to pot: people are doing whatever they want, no one is responsible anymore, nobody gets married — and what happened to the family? I think those people are reachable: the people who believe that there are good abortions and bad abortions, and that we can have laws that distinguish between the two. Perhaps they think that abortion should be legal for rape, for incest, for fatal fetal abnormalities, and to save the life of the mother, but they think all other abortions should be illegal. I try to show those people what it would mean in real life to make that compromise. Gillian Kendall: Why isn’t a compromise feasible? Katha Pollitt: Those exceptions — rape, incest, threat to the mother’s life, and catastrophic medical defects — together account for only about 8 percent of abortions in this country. The other 92 percent of women who are currently getting abortions would seek them illegally. In other words, we’d be right back to where we were before Roe. Is that what we want: for almost a million women a year to have illegal abortions? Because that’s what would happen. But this isn’t the picture people have when they imagine a compromise. They think those women would simply have those babies. Even the exceptions would be unworkable. If you want to allow abortion when the pregnancy is a result of rape, what criteria would you use? If the assault isn’t reported, is it still rape? If the woman was coerced but not physically forced, is it still rape? What if she was raped but the police don’t believe her? By the time we make a legal judgment about whether the person has been raped, the child could be three years old. If one in three women has had an abortion, you can’t really talk about it as some rare practice indulged in only by particularly evil women. If you really think abortion is murder, what do you do with that one-third of women? Put them in prison? Most anti-choice activists will answer no, but in fact we are seeing women go to prison. Purvi Patel, an Indiana woman, was sentenced to twenty years in jail this past March for feticide and neglect of a dependent. She is the first woman to be charged, convicted, and sentenced on feticide charges. Patel went to the emergency room saying that she’d had a miscarriage and had thrown the stillborn fetus into a dumpster — which was not a smart move. Prosecutors said she had taken an abortion drug she’d ordered online, and that the fetus had been born alive at just past the point of viability. The jury believed the prosecutor, and Patel is now in prison. Gillian Kendall: Please say more about the “so-called moment of conception.” Katha Pollitt: Most people have the idea that conception is immediate: wham-bam, there it is — the future baby. But actually it takes some hours, perhaps twenty-four, for the sperm and egg to get together. And then the embryo needs to become implanted in the uterus, which, medically speaking, is when pregnancy begins. Anti-choice activists focus on the mythical “moment” of conception for two reasons: one, because it’s Catholic doctrine, and two, because redefining the start of pregnancy as the moment of conception allows them to oppose birth control that supposedly works by preventing implantation. Their aim is to redefine the pill, emergency contraception, and the IUD as “abortifacients,” which would greatly limit access to the best forms of birth control. In 2009 a wealthy donor set up a pilot program in Colorado that provided low-income women with free IUDs. An IUD is pretty expensive — as much as a thousand dollars or so up front, though it pays for itself eventually — and a lot of insurance companies won’t cover it. This program gave women IUDs for free, and the teen birthrate went down by 40 percent, while the abortion rate among teenagers went down by 42 percent. After the wealthy donor moved on, the question became: Was the state of Colorado going to pay $5 million a year to continue the program? Five million is a rounding error, a tiny fraction of Colorado’s budget, but the state legislature decided not to. Why? Partly because some feared, against the evidence, that having reliable birth control would increase promiscuity and partly because of the bogus claim that the IUD is equivalent to abortion. Gillian Kendall: Do you think abortion opponents will ever succeed in classifying

the IUD and other forms of birth control as abortion? Katha Pollitt: If Republican legislators can pass amendments to state constitutions saying that the fertilized egg is a person from the moment of conception, that could, in effect, ban the IUD and the pill, but so far they’ve failed to do that, even in Mississippi. I do not think personhood amendments will pass — for one thing, they would end in vitro fertility treatments, which involve the destruction of many fertilized eggs — but I’ve been wrong before. We’ve seen how far governments can go in other parts of the world. Ireland has such harsh restrictions on abortion that women there have died because they could not get one. In Paraguay right now a ten-year-old girl who is pregnant from being raped by her stepfather is being denied an abortion. In El Salvador there are eighteen women in prison with long sentences because they are accused of having abortions that they say were actually miscarriages. That is where this is all heading, because ultimately I think you cannot say it’s murder and then not punish anyone. In fact, when the first President Bush was asked whether he would put women in jail if abortion were made illegal, he said there would have to be consequences. Gillian Kendall: Why has the religious Right forced its way into the courts and the legislatures on the issue of abortion but not on other matters? Katha Pollitt: They’ve been active on birth control and, to a lesser extent, end-oflife issues, and of course they’ve tried hard to thwart same-sex marriage. We don’t hear much from them, though, on many issues that ought to be of concern to Christians, such as the death penalty and helping the poor. The reason is that the religious Right is a reactionary social movement obsessed with controlling women. They want to turn back the clock to when women had fewer rights, were dependent on men, and were punished if they stepped out of line sexually. The Southern Baptist Convention officially states that women should be subservient to their husbands. The Catholic Church is one of the most patriarchal institutions in the country. It has no women who hold formal power, no women who make policy, and no women in the hierarchy. The Church says its followers should not have to obey Obamacare mandates about birth control being paid for by insurance. Abortion opponents like to talk about “life,” but at bottom the campaign against reproductive rights is all about women and sex. At the more extreme evangelical fundamentalist end, fathers are supposed to take responsibility for their daughters’ sexuality: purity balls, father-daughter balls, girls pledging to their fathers to remain virgins until they are married. Interestingly, we don’t see sons taking that pledge to their mothers. Gillian Kendall: Naomi Wolf wrote in New Statesman in 1995: “When we defend abortion rights by emptying the act of moral gravity, we find ourselves cultivating a hardness of heart.” She says that the pro-choice movement has “ceded the language of right and wrong to abortion foes” and “relies instead on a political rhetoric in which the fetus means nothing.” Katha Pollitt: I have read that article many times. I would dispute all of it. What Wolf wrote is just another way of saying women should feel ashamed of having an accidental pregnancy and guilty if they don’t want to have a baby. She accuses women of being irresponsible about sex and birth control, which is terribly unfair. It takes two to make a pregnancy, and no method of birth control is perfect. I think creating a society in which women can fulfill their hopes and dreams — along with raising kids, if that’s what they want — is a moral goal. To have children only when you are ready and able to take care of them is a moral decision. Gillian Kendall: What would you say to a woman who feels conflicted about having an abortion? Katha Pollitt: She has to look into her heart. It has to be her choice. No one should force her decision. If she wants to carry a child to term and become a mother, then we as a society should help her do that. It’s up to her, even in circumstances in which I personally think she might be making a choice that isn’t likely to turn out well. We need to keep in mind the bigger picture of reproductive justice. It’s about more than the choice whether to have a baby or not. Reproductive justice is about all the aspects of motherhood, of which abortion is only one. It’s about building a society in which mothers, families, and children all have what they need to grow and flourish.

“Abortion became a politically charged issue only after it was connected to women’s independence.”

www.spiritofchange.org

Gillian Kendall is a writer based in Holmes Beach, FL. Find her work at gilliankendall.org. SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 57

Annie-Marie Faiola

Pure Soapmaking: How to Create Nourishing Natural Skin Care Soaps Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA 2016

BOOK REVIEWS By Gail Lord

Jamy and Peter Faust

The Constellation Approach: Finding Peace Through Your Family Lineage / Regent Press, Berkley CA 2015 Clan, tribe, family — whatever you call it, we all come into this world following the footsteps of our ancestors. The energy of their joys and despairs linger in the family lineage long after the ancestors have moved on. Regardless of time and space, certain threads of consciousness connect family members, and family patterns and wounds are passed down from generation to generation. The Constellation Approach is a unique and creative therapeutic method that acknowledges both subtle energies and large familial energetic fields, and works with Soul consciousness to heal ancestral legacies. A constellation is the placement of members of a family extending through several generations. Each person, including you, represents a star in the constellation. You and your relationships are part of the unique patterns created among the various star family members, and this

Carole Guyett

Sacred Plant Initiations: Communicating with Plants for Healing and Higher Consciousness Bear and Company, Rochester, VT 2015

Our evolving planet is at a turning point, and herbalist wise woman Carole Guyett feels Earth herself is transforming from mother to grandmother. The realms of Grandmother Earth — mineral, animal, human and plant — are evolving at different rates. The plant world offers us the gift of its transforming powers, expanding our consciousness, raising our vibration and even adjusting our DNA. In Sacred Plant Initiations Guyett shares the shamanic practice of plant dieting, a sacred and ceremonial way to deeply connect with a plant and experience it as a conscious spiritual being. The plant diet includes spending time with the plant before harvesting, ingesting small amounts, and dreaming with it. As you come to ceremony with the plant you learn the only requirement is simply that you recognize the sacredness of the plant in a way that has meaning for you personally. Plants are 58 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

dynamic continues regardless of whether your family members are alive or deceased or whether you know them are not. Working with representatives, stand-ins for the family members, the constellation reveals bonds, often unspoken and unconscious, that you share with family members, both living and deceased. Unlike typical family therapy that tries to uncover these bonds and hidden feelings with a series of probing questions, The Constellation Approach incorporates “statements of empowerment” that an individual says to a family member or a stand-in representative. These statements come forth with such truth that individuals are released from unpleasant long-standing patterns of disconnection and negativity. Biologically we each have two parents, four grandparents and sixteen great-great grandparents. Follow your DNA back 10 generations and you’ll discover 2,046 people in your direct ancestral line! Our family lineage from both sides stretches out behind us like two great wings; our father and his parents, grandparents and great grandparents on one side, and our mother and her parents, grandparents and great grandparents on the other. With The Constellation Approach we can bring healing to these wings as we live in the stream of consciousness that travels from all our ancestors and ends with us, until we become the ancestors.

our elders; they have much to teach us. In the West, psychoactive visionary plants such as ayahausca, sacred mushroom and peyote are usually considered the master teachers, but Guyett works with more common plants; primrose, dog rose, elder and dandelion. These plants that live close to us are well known as medicinals, and as you come into relationship with them you find that they, too, have magnificent healing, even psychotropic, powers. Dandelions, for example, live just outside our doors. We are supposed to use them! As hard as our neighbors may try to eradicate the local dandelion population, they return every year with their sunny yellow faces. They teach us tenacity. Individual dandelion plants can have long lives, its fleshy taproot digging deeper down into the earth each year, reaching as far as fifteen feet down. As it reaches down it detoxifies the soil around it in the same way it expertly detoxes our livers. Dandelions share the wisdom of being on Earth a long time; dandelion fossils have been found dating back over a hundred thousand years. (How curious to think Monsanto’s weed eliminating Roundup would try to take on these prolific survivors!) If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the problems facing our planet, and wonder if there is actually anything to be done, take heart. Transformation is the answer and if we listen to the plants they will be our guides. “The plant world comes with a generous heart offering to dream with us and to help us find a new way forward.”

Trying to avoid GMOs, animal testing and reduce the amount of synthetic ingredients in your life? Leave the harsh ingredient filled commercial soaps on the shelf and try making your own! Pure Soapmaking shows you how to use chemistry to combine nourishing oils and healing fragrances to craft beautiful cold-processed soaps that lather and cleanse luxuriously. Thirty-two formulas are photographically displayed step-by-step, and since you’re the maker you can customize for your own skin’s needs. Gentle and moisturizing, the unscented, uncolored Oatmeal Soap for Babies made from olive oil and soothing chamomile is a good beginner recipe, as is the 100% Castile-Brine Cube. The Gardener’s Scrub is extra scrubby and exfoliating when made with large coffee grounds, and gentler when made with a finer grind. You control the additives in your soap, and while all-natural ingredients are healthiest for you, depending on how they’re sourced they might not be healthiest for the planet. For example, palm oil, used for lather and bar hardness, comes from huge plantations in South Asian and African countries that often clear surrounding rain forests. This massive deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra has destroyed nearly 90 percent of the orangutans’ habitat, leaving orangutans on the Endangered Species List. Sun bears, clouded leopards, Sumatra tigers, and proboscis monkeys are also affected by this illegal and unsustainable logging practice. While over half the recipes in Pure Soapmaking don’t include palm oil, if your preference is to work with the formulas that do, certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) is available. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil not only certifies that CSPO is sourced in a way that is non-destructive to primary forests or areas or biodiversity, but also advocates for fair worker treatment. Phosphates, linked to algae bloom in streams and rivers, are another ingredient you can avoid when making your own soaps. A creative consumable way to express yourself, handmade natural soapmaking brings forth your inner artist to nourish your skin in good conscience while being kind to be environment.

Dr. Mike Dow

The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks / Hay House, Carlsbad CA 2015 To feel great, keep your memory sharp, and keep yourself from joining the ever-growing overstressed brain fog nation, you need optimal brain health. Unfortunately, the hectic pace we try to maintain and the less-than-stellar food choices we sometimes make can muck up our brains. Do you have the blues? Are you forgetting things? Do you sometimes say, “I just don’t feel like myself ”? While it’s a great practice to pull yourself out of a slump with the power of positive thinking, if your brain chemistry is out of whack willpower and all the daily affirmations in the world won’t cure what ails you. The Brain Fog Fix is a threeweek step-by-step physical mental and spiritual program to reverse

Karen Salmansohn

Instant Happy Journal: 365 Days of Inspiration, Gratitude and Joy / Ten Speed Press, Emeryville CA 2015 Our day consists of 20,000 individual moments according to Nobel scientist Daniel Kahenman, and each of these moments last merely a few seconds. Research shows that people who focus daily on positive moments and experiences are happier and more optimistic about their future than people who focus on the hassles they encounter. The colorful Instant Happy Journal helps you reflect on and grow your awareness of those good moments. It creates a conversation with yourself that highlights a year’s worth of delight and gratitude. With happiness prompters and thought-provoking questions, working with the journal also inspires appreciation for events and situations that at first may seem

Sue Quinn

SuperFoods: 65 Recipes for Optimal Health Ten Speed Press, Emeryville, CA 2015

Mimicking the low fat and low carb trends, super foods now exist in every niche of the grocery industry. Walk the aisles and you see everything from super food caramel popcorn to neon wrapped super food breakfast bars targeted at children that contain a few blueberries along with artificial coloring and three types of sugar. If you want to be a health-conscious eater, how do you discern the healthy from the hype? Even though the term has been exploited by grocery marketers, exceptionally healthy food does exist, and home cooks and conscious eaters who shop primarily in the vegetable aisles reap the benefits. Super Foods Every Day shows you how to easily combine powerhouse ingredients to create 65 nutrient-dense tasty dishes. Unlike many food systems that rely on www.spiritofchange.org

brain fog through the support and rebalancing of your glorious brain. The 21-day program works by giving your brain what it needs, including proper nutrients, exercise, purpose and meaning, and removing obstacles that fog your brain, including too many inflammatory foods, an unbalance of omega six and omega-3 fats, and a bombardment of social media texting and tweeting. It rebalances your brain’s most vital hormones — serotonin that helps you feel calm, dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and cortisol that pumps you into high gear. The first week of the program improves your mood by cleaning up your diet and changing the way you think. If you think tuna is healthy eating, think again. “Premium” whole white albacore has three times more mercury than the much cheaper chunk light tuna (but neither of them are great for you). Week two is about energy, using sleep and neurogenesis to take you from scattered to sharp. Brain neurogenesis is all about “use it or lose it” and brain games are included to keep your brain active. The program finishes with moving from aimless to inspired as you reclaim your life’s purpose and recommit to something larger than yourself. less than ideal. It’s easy during our busy days to encounter technology glitches and, thus, so often write off technology as a hassle, but what if we consider how technology made our lives happier today? When we give daily attention to the good things happening around us, it’s reflected in the quality of our lives. UCLA researcher Matt Lieberman discovered you can calm your negative emotions by fifty percent simply by naming them. The act of consciously observing your emotional states such as anger, shame, disappointment and sadness halves your brain’s amygdala activation. If you’ve been feeling a negative emotion, name it, then replace that word with one that is more comforting, such as calm, forgiveness, surrender or acceptance. Contemplate the positive replacement word over and over. Use it as a mantra. Another way to up your happiness quotient is to start doing more things outside. A mere twenty minutes outside in good weather will broaden your thinking, improve your working memory and boost your mood. And while you’re out there you can silently send people your love love love; beam people with blessings! That will make you happy too! nutritional density (the measure of nutrients per calories) to determine the health value of a food, these approachable recipes are comprised of foods that have exceptionally high levels of vitamins, phytochemicals and other nutrients that promote good health and protect against a range of diseases. Each recipe features a two-page spread; the ingredients largely and colorfully displayed with their vitamins and key nutrients on one side, and the completed plated dish and health benefits on the other. This format lets you easily see at a glance if you have the ingredients in your fridge or pantry for a particular recipe, and also helps you tailor your menu to you and your family’s health goals. Four-ingredient Strawberry Superspread (strawberries, lemon, honey and chia seeds) takes just 15 minutes and a potato masher to prepare and contains vitamin C, magnesium and calcium plus a host of other important nutrients to protect against heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and support your immune system. You can help lower your cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and support bone and eye health with the Power Plate featuring acorn squash, Greek yogurt and beet greens. Whether you make one plate or decide to share, filling your diet with nutritious real super foods is energizing and tasty.

Laura T. Coffey, with Photographs by Lori Fusaro My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts New World Library, Novato, CA 2015

Have you ever adopted a rescue dog? If so, you know the unbelievable devotion and love of an animal friend who wants to thank you for a second turn at life, while vastly improving yours! My Old Dog is a celebration in photographs and stories of the hearts and lives of an endearing class of rescues, older senior dogs, and the lucky people who chose them as companions. Senior dogs, those mature pups age seven and older, tend to be housetrained, sweet, easy-going, and loveable, yet they’re regularly the most high-risk population at shelters (in the U.S. four million dogs and cats are put down each year). Once sprung, however, these worldly and wise creatures can be the most amazing family members, helping struggling veterans, widows, movie stars, nuns, children in hospitals, and just about anyone who needs a friend. And as singer-songwriter Neko Case points out, these masters at living in the moment deserve their own special category: The Most Grateful Dogs on Earth. Worried you can’t handle the needs of an older dog? Three New York women in their seventies and eighties with a collective 179 years serving as nuns strolled into a shelter and made what they thought was a perfectly reasonable request; show us a dog nobody wants. Gentle unadoptable nine-year-old pit bull Remy with the stiff left hip soon filled their small no-frills convent with happiness. Internet sensation Marnie, a 12-year-old shih tzu with a tilted head and lolling pink tongue, left behind her matted fur and her shelter name Stinky and now has a remarkable second act that includes posing for selfies with Tina Fey and Betty White. Marnie also has more than one million followers on Instagram. If a book can convey the power of hope and love in the golden years, My Old Dog has done the trick. Gail Lord is a freelance writer living in Massachusetts. Please send book review copies to 51 North Street, Grafton, MA 01519 or email socbookreviewer@gmail.com

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 59

SPRING/SUMMER

CALENDAR MARCH 3/5 — REIKI SHODEN LEVEL 1 TRAINING. Framingham, MA. Learn how to use Reiki to more fully express your human potential. (508) 808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org. Reiki Level II offered on 4/23-24. 3/5 — THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, healers and facilitators. Any issue with family lineage, career, illness, or relationship are set up through the lens of our approach to Family Constellations. Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience the family energy field, one’s soul nature and ancestral healing. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont/Waltham area. Registration/info: www.ConstellationApproach.com/ seminars.

Medicine author. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted. CEU’s/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 3/13 3/12 & 3/24 — RESTORE 1 WORKSHOP. Restore is an integrated holistic medicine technique. Light touch therapy workshops for beginners and professionals. CEU’s. Stratham, NH. April 2: Two-day Restore 2 Advanced Workshop. www.restoreforlife.com or call (603) 770-6177 3/17 — MEN’S SPIRITUAL SUPPORT GROUP BEGINS. Join other men willing to feel, share, and grow as part of the path to awakening more of themselves. 3rd Thursday each month at Circles of Wisdom, Andover MA. Beginning March 17. CirclesOfWisdom.com.

3/10 — COOKING WITH ANCIENT GRAINS AND HERBS. Learn cooking techniques using medicinal plants and discover the tastes and textures of some of the world’s popular ancient whole grains. Boston School of Herbal Studies, Arlington, MA. (781) 646-6319. bostonherbalstudies.com.

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3/19-3/20 — LIVING AS SOUL WITH LYRATAH AND MARESHA. 9:30-3pm. See through the eyes of the soul and strengthen soul contact. Learn to bring spirit into matter. Snow Dragon Sanctuary, Meredith, NH. (603) 630-1548. www.snowdragonsanctuary.com.

3/19 — LEARN GENE ANG’S ARCTURIAN HEALING METHOD. Gene Ang, PhD, has created this method in which you are attuned to a form of light, energy and information meant to accelerate a person’s evolution. Level 1 courses run March 19-20 or October 1-2 with higher levels directly following. www.circlesofwisdom.com. (978) 474-8010.

3/9 — FREE LECTURE: READ AND PLAY MUSIC. World famous seminars (www.understandingofmusic. com) turns beginners into musicians, revitalizes and inspires even pro musicians. 7:30pm. 169 Mass Ave. Boston. (781) 599-1476. Sallee@dlorien,com or http://signup.understandingofmusic.com.

3/12 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Concord, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 years experience. Reiki Energy

3/19-3/20 — ANCIENT WISDOM HEALING CIRCLES WITH DR. MARIA MICHAEL. Learn how to use light and sound to facilitate deep shifts in physical, emotional and spiritual health. Earthsong Herbals and Boston School of Herbal Studies, Arlington, MA. (781) 631-4312, earthsongherbals.com.

3/19 — ZUZU’S ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE. Saturday from 11-6pm. Come celebrate with us! Enjoy guest vendors, store specials, psychic readings, free raffles and more! 122 West Emerson St., Melrose, MA. www.zuzuzhealingarts.com.

3/6 — THE ECLECTIC INSTITUTE OF AROMATHERAPY AND HERBAL STUDIES offers a certification course in Palmistry As A Tool For Diagnosis beginning March 6th in Arlington. For details visit www.aromatherapyandherbalstudies.com.

3/10-3/14 — MARCONICS: THE EVOLUTION OF ENERGY HEALING. Spiritual Alchemy and Practitioner Seminars Spring and Summer. Boston, MA: March 10-14 & April 15-17. Long Island, NY: July 22-24. Chester, VT: August 19-21 & Sept 22-24. Visit: www.Marconics.com.

3/19 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 3/20

3/21 — UMASS 8th ANNUAL COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES EXPO AND LECTURE SERIES. 3:30-6pm, Expo. 6-8pm, Lectures. In the Albert Sherman Center. Free and open to the public. 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA. For more info contact Michael.Williams1@umassmed.edu

3/19-20 — Join Native American Elder Dr. Maria Michael for a deep intensive on ancient wisdom healing circles. See March listing or visit bostonherbalstudies.com.

3/26 — MEDITATION AND PERSONALITY TYPES ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOP with renown author Herb Pearce, hosted by Better World Meditation. 6:30pm. Location: Theosophical Institute Of Boston, 21 Maple Street, Arlington, MA. (617) 699-0636 or (781) 648-3737. steven@ betterworldmeditation.com. RSVP: www.meetup.com/ ennegrampersonalityworkshoptypesandmeditation

3/28 — GEMSTONE THERAPY STUDY GROUP. 4th Monday every month. 7-8:30pm. $20 per session. March 28: Gemstones for Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies. April 25: Gemstones for Karmic Pattern and Habit Holding. May 23: Gemstones for Mental Healing and Awareness. Gemstone Therapy Institute. www.LearnGem.com. (860) 646-3063. education@gemformulas.com. 3/29 — CHAKRA CLASS! 7:15-8:30pm. This is a fun and informative class. We will cover how you get, remove and prevent blocks in your chakras. Everyone gets a pouch with seven stones they choose. $18. Wisdom of the Ages, Simsbury, CT. (860) 651-1172. www.WisdomoftheAges.biz 3/29 — FREE INTRODUCTION TO “FORGIVE-TOLIVE.” A live, interactive web event with Shawna Pelton, metaphysical healer and life coach. Clear blocks, alchemize grief, upshift your life. A 5-part coaching program for healing and transformation. Free web events: March 29, May 31, July 12. Note: if you can’t make it live, register to gain access to the recording. Register at www.Forgive-to-LIVE.com.

APRIL 4/2 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Newton, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 4/3 4/2 — REIKI SHODEN LEVEL 1 TRAINING. Framingham, MA. Learn Reiki as an empowering path for everyday health and happiness. (508) 808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org. Reiki Level II offered on 4/23-24. 4/2-4/3 — BODY READING WORKSHOP. Learn body reading, and mapping for diagnosis and structural analysis, the role of the chakras and energy meridians in health, vitality and well-being, and how can yoga therapy can be used to realign the body by releasing trauma. Individuals and professionals, CEU available. Call Dr. Santi Meunier for more information: (401) 667-7399. 4/2-3 — USING FLOWER ESSENCES TO MANIFEST ABUNDANCE, HARMONY AND HAPPINESS WEBINAR. 10am-12pm each day. $425. Cost includes 2 flower essence sets (24 essences) mailed to you prior to the webinar, plus phone coaching session after the webinar, and an abundance amulet. For more information call (603) 601-6929 or visit www.deltagardens.com. 4/2-4/3 — WOMEN’S GETAWAY WEEKEND 2016. Ashworth by the Sea, Hampton Beach, NH. Relax, connect, laugh, learn, grow, light your spark, rediscover joy and fun! Hosted by The Joy Source. Register: http://thejoysource.com/womens-weekend-retreat-2016. www.spiritofchange.org

4/6-4/9 — HEALING FROM THE BODY LEVEL UP™ 1 TRAINING. Healing Trauma and Installing Boundaries. 9am-6pm each day. With Judith Swack, PhD. Special one-day add-on, 4/10: History Trauma. Learn how to heal PTSD. HBLU™ integrates the best of biomedical science, psychology, spirituality, applied kinesiology, NLP and energy psychology techniques along with original research to rapidly transform and heal your clients and yourself. (781) 444-6940. www.hblu.org. info@hblu.org 4/8-4/10 — READ AND PLAY MUSIC IN A WEEKEND! Any instrument, any style. 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

4/30 — AKASHIC JOURNEY TO SOUL CONNECTION. Learn to access the divine energy of the Akashic Records to increase creativity, heighten awareness and connect with your soul. Learn to read the Akashic Records for yourself and others with Nancy Smith. 10:30–4:30pm in North Andover, MA. (978) 835-0005. Nancy@angelscapes.net. 4/30 — HOLISTIC HEALTH AND PSYCHIC FAIR. 10-5. Free admission. At the Blue Hills, 1-3 Blue Hill River Road, Canton, MA. Sponsored by the Canton Spiritualist Church. Rain or shine. For more information (617) 469-2568.

4/14 — PAST LIFE REGRESSION WORKSHOP on Thursdays, April 14 and May 12, 7pm, in Hyannis area. Workshops monthly. Also online life purpose classes. Check website events for details. www.NancyCanning. com. ncanning@capecod.net. (508) 360-9346. 4/15-4/17 — MARCONICS: THE EVOLUTION OF ENERGY HEALING. Spiritual Alchemy and Practitioner Seminars Spring and Summer. Boston, MA: March 10-14 & April 15-17. Long Island, NY: July 22-24. Chester, VT: August 19-21 & Sept 22-24. Visit: www.Marconics.com. 4/16 — THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, healers and facilitators. Any issue with family lineage, career, illness, or relationship are set up through the lens of our approach to Family Constellations. Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience the family energy field, one’s soul nature and ancestral healing. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont/Waltham area. Registration/ info: www.ConstellationApproach.com/seminars. 4/16 — THE SCHOOL OF AKASHIC SOUL MASTERY AND PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION. A seven-month program with Nancy Smith. Open houses 2/2; 3/8, 4/4; Contact Women of Wisdom in North Easton, MA: 508) 230-3680 or Nancy Smith: nancy@angelscapes.net, (978) 835-0005. 4/17 — SOUL LIGHT EXPO. 58 vendors, workshops, raffle, and much more! Held at Holiday Inn, East Hartford, CT. Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Cost: $5 includes all workshops. Visit www.dooropenermagazine.com. 4/25 — GEMSTONE THERAPY STUDY GROUP. 4 Monday every month. 7-8:30pm. $20 per session. March 28: Gemstones for Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies. April 25: Gemstones for Karmic Pattern and Habit Holding. May 23: Gemstones for Mental Healing and Awareness. Gemstone Therapy Institute. www. LearnGem.com. (860) 646-3063. education@gemformulas.com. th

4/30 — WEST AFRICAN DJEMBE ENSEMBLE INTENSIVE DRUMMING RETREAT. Check Spirithollow. org for details and costs.

4/16 — Join a seven-month program at The School of Akashic Soul Mastery and Practitioner Certification with Nancy Smith. See April listing or email nancy@angelscapes.net.

MAY 5/1 — TEACHERS OF GOD 40-DAY ONLINE RETREAT BEGINS. Based on “A Course In Miracles”, the “at home” retreat is for those who want to experience consistent joy. For details or registration visit www.teachersofgod. org/40day/. Repeats August 1. 5/1 — NEW ENGLAND VEG FEST. Free admission. Family friendly. Speakers, free food, kids’ activities, 120+ exhibitors. At the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. 11am5pm. www.newenglandvegfest.com. Continued on page 46 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 61

CALENDAR Continued from page 61

5/2 — LINDA MARKS AND KAORUKO PILKINGTON sing the music of Carole King and Burt Bacharach. Join us for an evening of fabulous song at the Napoleon Room at Club Cafe, 209 Club Cafe, Boston. Call (617) 536-0966 for reservations. Dinner at 6:45 pm. Show at 7 pm. www.clubcafe.com 5/7 — REIKI SHODEN LEVEL 1 TRAINING. Framingham, MA. Learn how to use Reiki to more fully express your human potential. (508) 808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org. Reiki Level II offered on 6/25-26. 5/9-5/14 — LOMI LOMI NUI HEALING RETREAT WITH JODY MOUNTAIN, Brighton, Ontario. Regenerate vitality, well-being and radiance from the inside out. Learn to touch the ancient soul of the body. Contact Eva at www.LineageofLight.com, KahunaBodyworkCanada@gmail.com. 5/11-5/14 — A BEACH WALK. 3-day transformational spiritual retreat with personalized itinerary. Deeply heal or raise your vibration moving into your whole self. Be in your divine light. The LoveLight Center, Wells Maine. (207) 216-9584. www.lovelightillumintions.com

7:30pm. 222 Saint John Street, Suite 238, Portland, ME. (207) 774-4244. www.baylighthomeopathy.com. 5/27 — HYPNOTHERAPY CERTIFICATION. Become a professional certified hypnotist/hypnotherapist. Live demonstration, supervised practice and hands on experience. Includes: Two training manuals, scripts, over 220+ hours. All inclusive. Six weekends to complete program. Certification through IACT. (508) 230-3680. www.womenofwisdominc.com 5/28 — THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH SEMINAR with Jamy and Peter Faust, healers and facilitators. Any issue with family lineage, career, illness, or relationship are set up through the lens of our approach to Family Constellations. Seminar is experiential with multiple opportunities to participate and experience the family energy field, one’s soul nature and ancestral healing. Saturday 9:30-6 pm. Belmont/Waltham area. Registration/info: www.ConstellationApproach.com/ seminars. 5/28-6/2 — GROF HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK. The Cosmic Game with Stan Grof (first 2 days) and GTT staff. Guest House Retreat and Conference Center, Chester, CT. Registration materials available at holotropic.com or gtt@holotropic.com

5/12 — PAST LIFE REGRESSION WORKSHOP on Thursdays. May 12, 7pm, in Hyannis area. Workshops monthly. Also online life purpose classes. Check website events for details. www.NancyCanning. com. ncanning@capecod.net. (508) 360-9346. 5/20-5/28 — SUPERHEALTH YOGIC SCIENCE TO BREAK HABITS AND ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR. Drugs and alcohol, food, smoking, co-dependency, stress, depression, insomnia. For ourselves and to help others. With CEUS for nurses, MFTs, LCSWs. Millis, MA. YogaAtTheAshram.org. (508) 376-4525

6/4 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Newton, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 6/5 6/10-6/16 — RITUAL HEALING VILLAGE CAMP with Malidoma Somé. Cherry Plain, NY. Have you heard the call of the ancestors and nature spirits? Come experience this epic 7-day rite of passage journey to awaken your indigenous mind. eastcoastvillage.org 6/11 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Concord, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 6/12 6/12-6/17 — PATHWAYS TO MEDIUMSHIP. This 5-day mediumship workshop at Omega Institute is a rare opportunity to study with two of the most authentic spiritual mediums, John Holland and Lauren Rainbow. During this interactive week, they will show you how to develop a stronger and genuine connection with spirit. Details: www.johnholland.com/ newsletters/pathwaystomediumship

6/24-6/26 — QI-KAYAKING AND FLOATING MEDITATION, BEYOND FORM. De-stress on the water and go where the breeze takes you in the Berkshires, MA. Retreat to Eastover Estate for its views, healthy meals, outdoor hot tub and bonfire. June 24-26, August 12-14 and October 7-9. Workshop leader Greg DiLisio is featured on the DVD “Qigong and Tai Chi, Following Movement in Nature,” and Johnny Snyder in the PBS documentary “Paddling on the Roof of the World.” (866) 264-5139. www.eastover.com.

5/21 — THE SHAMAN’S JOURNEY: INTRO TO SHAMANIC JOURNEYING. Check Spirithollow.org for details and costs. 5/21-25 — GROF HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK. Music and Transcendence with Diana Medina. Guest House Retreat and Conference Center, Chester, CT. Registration materials available at holotropic.com or gtt@holotropic.com

62 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

6/4-6/5 — THOTH TAROT: LINEAGE OF THE MAJOR TRUMPS. Unique view of the 22 major arcana to uncover personal limitations and gain clarity. Roots & Wings Center, Natick, MA. Early discount. Limit 10. www.starwalkervisions.com.

6/17-6/18 — SINGING SEMINAR. Find your voice and become the singer you want to be in two days! World famous seminar (www.understandingofmusic.com) teaches beginners through professionals to reach new notes, increase confidence, range, strength and more. 169 Mass Ave., Boston. (781) 599-1476. Sign up online http://signup.understandingofmusic.com or sallee@dlorien.com.

5/21 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 5/22

5/25 — SPRING OPEN HOUSE. Join our faculty and staff of Baylight Center for Homeopathy for drinks and hors d’euvres. Bring your inquiry and curiosity about homeopathic care, our educational programs, or homeopathy in general. Hope to see you there! 5:30-

JUNE

JULY 6/10-6/16 — Experience an epic rite of passage to awaken your indigenous mind at a Ritual Healing Village Camp with Malidoma Somé. See June listing or visit eastcoastvillage.org.

7/15-7/17 — HERBAL WEEKEND RETREAT. Learn about medicinal herbs and how you can use them throughout the seasons. $295. Free camping, local B&B’s. Meals provided. So much more. Register at MarieFrohlich.com.

7/15-17 — MEDICINE FOR THE EARTH: HOW TO TRANSFORM PERSONAL AND PLANETARY TOXINS. With shamanic teachers Leontine Hartzell and Tony Allicino. At Shantigar Retreat Center, Rowe, MA. www.eyeofeagle.org 7/17 — ZUZU’S 11TH ANNUAL SUMMERTIME HOLISTIC EXPO. 10am-5pm. Doubletree Hilton, Danvers, MA. $5 admission. Enjoy energy healing, chair massage, aura photography, psychic or mediumship readings. Featured guest speaker: Christopher Penczak. Details: www.zuzushealingarts.com. (781) 665-8844. 7/23-7/24 — THE GLUTEN FREE & ALLERGEN FRIENDLY EXPO is coming to Worcester on July 23-24. Sample products, receive coupons, attend classes and more! Visit gfafexpo.com and save 30% on tickets with code SPIRIT30.

UPCOMING 8/26-28 — 29TH ANNUAL WOMEN’S HERBAL CONFERENCE. A special celebration honoring women, healing and herbs with over 70 workshops for all levels of interest and expertise. Help at Camp Wicosuta on Newfound Lake, NH. Registration is $275 and includes tuition, camping and all workshops. Meal package is $70 extra. www.womensherbalconference. com or (802) 479-9825. 9/5-9/12 — HATUN KARPAY CHAUPI, PERU. Initiatory journey involving Ayni Rimanakuy, an active state of evolving one’s higher consciousness. This is the middle path of the Andean mystical tradition, associated with munay, heart-centered energy. www.starwalkervisions.com 9/9-6/11— PATH OF THE HEALER APPRENTICESHIP WITH DEBORAH WILSON. This certification program in energy medicine concentrates in equal parts on deepening your inner journey and learning healing techniques. Largely experiential, the course provides a grounded understanding of the science of the human energy field, techniques to read and direct energy, and tools to address root blockages to healing. Whether you are a practicing healer or want to develop your healing skills, this training is for you. Deborah Wilson, founder of Wholeness EnergeticsTM, offers workshops and training programs internationally, drawing on more than 28 years of experience in the fields of holistic health and energy medicine. Nine weekends: September 9, 2016 – June 11, 2017. Shutesbury, MA. (413) 256-0999. pathofthehealer.com. 9/10 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Newton, MA. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 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: 9/11 9/17 — REIKI CERTIFICATION. Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 34 years experience. Reiki Energy www.spiritofchange.org

Medicine author. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Credit cards accepted. CEU’s/contact hours. Call (603) 654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. Reiki II: 9/18 9/28-10/8 — DAMANHUR, ITALY. Damanhur explores all forms of creative arts, spiritual research, sustainability and community. The Underground Temple of Humankind is awe inspiring. PDF details at www.starwalkervisions.com shows classes and pricing. Limit 12. 10/14-10/16 —THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH IMMERSION PROGRAM with Jamy and Peter Faust, healers and facilitators. Find inner peace through your family lineage. Participate in an in-depth course of study in ancestral healing featuring Family Constellations, energy medicine and the evolutionary journey of the soul. Join us for 6 life-changing 3-day weekends (Friday-Sunday). October 2016 to May 2017. Registration/info: www.ConstellationApproach.com/ ImmersionProgram. 11/12-13 — 10TH 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 225 exhibits, 90 workshops, readings, shopping and fun. New this year: Healthy Food Tent! www.NaturalExpo.org. See page 9.

ONGOING PRANIC HEALING WORKSHOPS. With Miriam Smith, certified MCKS Pranic healer/teacher. Level 1, Mar 12-13 and May 21-22. Level 2, Advanced, Apr 23-24. Level 4, Crystal Pranic Healing, Apr 22-24. Energetic Approach to Classic Aromatherapy, Apr 29-30. Achieving Oneness with Higher Self, May 1. (978) 807-1634. www.PranicHealingNE.com. DOWN TO EARTH CRYSTAL FAIRS. Held monthly: March 20, April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24, August 28. Cape Cod Center for Whole Health, 116 State Road, Sagamore Beach, MA. 10am-3pm, cell: (508) 680-6195. Free admission. 10%-20% discounts! Quality crystals, minerals and jewelry! www.downtoearthcrystals.com, www.capecodcenterforwholehealth.com. NORTHEAST REIKI CENTER. Framingham, MA. Learn how to activate your healing hands for using Reiki as an empowering path for everyday health and happiness. (508) 808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org. QI-KAYAKING AND FLOATING MEDITATION, BEYOND FORM. June 24-26, August 12-14 and October 7-9. De-stress on the water and go where the breeze takes you in the Berkshires, MA. Retreat to Eastover Estate for its views, healthy meals, outdoor hot tub and bonfire. Workshop leader Greg DiLisio is featured on the DVD “Qigong and Tai Chi, Following Movement in Nature,” and Johnny Snyder in the PBS documentary “Paddling on the Roof of the World.” (866) 264-5139. www.eastover.com.

REIKI HEALING, MEDITATION AND YOGA CLASSES offered through out the spring every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at Reiki of Greater Boston. Try Bye-Bye Blues Yoga, Calm the Hell Down Yoga, Elementary My Dear Yogi, Happy Hour Yoga or schedule a healing Reiki session. (508) 335-3814. reikiofgreaterboston.com. reikiofgreaterboston@gmail.com. 160 School Street, Waltham, MA. See you soon! GEMSTONE THERAPY STUDY GROUP. 4th Monday every month. 7-8:30pm. $20 per session. March 28: Gemstones for Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies. April 25: Gemstones for Karmic Pattern and Habit Holding. May 23: Gemstones for Mental Healing and Awareness. Gemstone Therapy Institute. www. LearnGem.com. (860) 646-3063. education@gemformulas.com. OPEN HOUSE EVENINGS at Women of Wisdom’s School of Wisdom for Professional Development and Spiritual Enrichment. March 8. April 13, May 10 at 7pm. 118 Washington Street, North Easton, MA. (508) 230-3680 www.womenofwisdominc.com. MEN’S SPIRITUAL SUPPORT GROUP. Join other men willing to feel, share, and grow as part of the path to awakening more of themselves. 3rd Thursday each month at Circles of Wisdom, Andover MA. Beginning March 17. CirclesOfWisdom.com. OPEN MEDITATION. Advaita Meditation Center, every Wednesday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Please join us for meditation, discussion, and refreshments. Newcomers and experienced meditators both welcome. Instruction provided. 28 Worcester Lane, Waltham, MA. Go to www.advaitameditation.org for more details. SHAMANIC DRUMMING CIRCLE founded 1993. Usually second and fourth Fridays of every month. 7pm. Quaker Meetinghouse, Cambridge, MA. Open to all, instruction available on website: http://www. friendsjourneycircle.org/. Emily (781) 641-3980 or Christian (781) 424-0510. GREATER BOSTON CHURCH OF SPIRITUALISM EVENTS. Mediums Days and Evenings, please see our directory ad in the Spiritual Practices category for dates and times. March 26: Spring Fair. April 16: Music and Mediumship. April 30: Healing Arts Festival. May 7: Mediumship Seminar with Brenda Lawrence. Details at greaterbostonchurchofspiritualism.com. WELLNESS ROUNDTABLE HOLISTIC PRACTITIONERS NETWORKING GROUP. Please join us at our monthly meetings, second Wednesday each month in Northboro, MA. Stay inspired and create collaborative professional relationships. A welcoming community working for the greater health of all. Contact marilyn@confident-directions.com. SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 63

NEW ENGLAND’S

HolisticDirectory SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Categories

Coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Healing: Combined Modalities . . . . . . . . . 72-73

Acupuncture and Asian Medicine . . . . . . . . . 64

Colon Hydrotherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Homeopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Astrological Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65

Consciousness Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-74

Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Counseling and Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-70

Retreats and Retreat Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Children's Health & Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Crystals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Salons and Spas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Classes, Certifications & Schools . . . . . . . 66-67

Healing and Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-72

Spiritual Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Acupuncture & Asian Medicine Acupuncture Plus Yoga

Treatments and classes for healing all stress-related ailments, sports injuries, women’s health issues and more Specialties include: anxiety, mild to moderate depression, back pain, migraines, and infertility, as well as other health issues. We also specialize in facial rejuvenation (micro-current facial) and offer non-needle options. Bryn has over 22 years experience. Available weekdays and weekends by appointment. 481 Great Road #6, Acton, MA 01720 info@acupunctureplusyoga.com www.acupunctureplusyoga.com S 978-266-9889 S

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

more powerful individual treatments. Young children and infants are treated individually in our designated pediatric room.

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.

Pricing for acupuncture treatments are: $40 New patients $25 Follow-up treatment $25 Herbal consult We are proud to offer affordable acupuncture to children and adults in a comfortable, community setting. Patients benefit in many ways from the group setting. One benefit includes sharing a restful experience, which creates

South Shore Community Acupuncture 21 Totman Street, Quincy, MA Please call to book your appointment or book online via the link on our website: 617-845-0544 R www.sscacu.com

Astrological Consulting

Sometimes knowing your astrology chart just isn’t enough. Its only one piece from a very complicated cosmic pie. When it comes to making important decisions regarding health, family, love, business, travel, etc., it is very important to take many factors into consideration. Integrating all our cosmic information into a metaphysical “summary” has been the stumbling block for many soul searchers and practitioners through the evolution of metaphysical information.

With science and technology lending a hand, we can now get as close as ever to a complete understanding of the “one” principle. I’ve spent 30 years examining this theory incorporating social factors, genetics, consulting with true authorities in specialty fields such as quantum psychicians and writers to develop a branch of this synthesis I call “Integral Metaphysics.” I’m excited to share these insights with the world, so lets start — with you!! Integrated Metaphysics — Its Integral! Bi-lingual ~ Friendly ~ Affordable Contact Flavio: 9 401-388-0115 9

integralmetaphysics@aol.com www.integral-metaphysics.com Astrological Consulting, continued

64 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Astrological Consulting, continued

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.”

Astrology

& 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

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: 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

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

Essential Energy Healing Alchemical Healing Integrative Energy Therapy Essential Oil Healing Techniques CLASSES AND CERTIFICATIONS IN :

Heal e Learn e Teach Join us as we create a healing community dedicated to creating change one life at a time... beginning with you. SERVICES OFFERED:

Transformational Coaching Mystical Energy Healing Multi-Vibrational Healing Transformational Reiki

ting

Women of Wisdom HOLISTIC HEALING CENTER

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

Holistic Practitioner and Professional, Earth Medicine, Angel Alignment, Akashic Soul Mastery, Hypnotherapy, 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

www.spiritofchange.org

18 North Farms Rd, Haydenville MA 413-268-3181

Crystals, Gems and Minerals G Jewelry Candles G Oils and Mists G Sage G Incense Fairy, Goddess and Angel Gifts, and More! Psychic and Mediumship Readings Classes, Workshop and Events METAPHYSICAL HEALING CENTER

122 West Emerson St., Melrose, MA www.zuzushealingarts.com G 781-665-8844

relate effectively with others and foster their natural enthusiasm for learning. S Child-centered preschool program S Nurturing, small group setting

S Developmentally appropriate, standards-

based curriculum

limited openings available At Small Miracles Preschool the unique spirit of each child is acknowledged and cherished. Our mission is to provide a loving, supportive environment where children thrive in an atmosphere of security and mutual respect. We strive to nurture children’s self-esteem, guide them in learning to

www.womenofwisdominc.com 508-230-3680

We are a nonprofit Center devoted to teaching meditation and exploring Advaita, the spiritual tradition of self-realization. To learn more about us, go to our website or visit us at our lovely, historic house in Waltham. Wednesday Evening Open Meditation Introductory Classes Reading Groups and other Activities

Located in the lovely hills of Western MA, just outside of Northampton

Offering a wide selection of

SCHOOLS OF WISDOM

Celebra

Home of Trinity School of Mystical Energy Healing classes now forming!

Children's Health & Services

Centers

Years!

Transformational Reiki Mystical Energy Healing AromaTouch Technique e IET Psychic and Intuitive Development Meditation

Ample parking and wheelchair accessibility. 28 Worcester Lane, Waltham, MA 02451 info@advaitameditation.org www.advaitameditation.org G 781-647-0020

S Ages 2.9 to 5 S Two or three days, 9 am - 1 p m (5-day

option available)

Ellen Kerstein, M.S. in Ed S Holliston, MA ellenkerstein@gmail.com ellenkerstein.com S 508-429-5764

Touchstone offers:

Touchstone Community School offers a progressive, child-centered approach to education. For more than 30 years, we have nurtured and inspired children to be creative, independent partners in their learning.

Small, mixed-age classes Thematic studies that integrate subjects Dedicated, expert teachers A diverse community and highly positive culture Parent-teacher-child partnership in educational development To learn more about our holistic approach to education for children ages 4 to 14: www.touchstoneschool.com 508-839-0038

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 65

and sometimes even with their darkest concerns, fears, and tears.

Classes, Certifications & Schools

The Synthesis Center Professional Training in Psychosynthesis The Synthesis Center offers professional training in psychosynthesis, a holistic, transpersonal model of human development integrating psychology and spirituality in the healing arts. The Center offers programs inperson and via teleconference for all helping professionals, students and those pursuing their own transformation and healing. The Will to Grow: Transformational Life Coaching is a nationally certified, coach training program, with start dates in the summer and fall of 2016. This program trains people in psychosynthesis coaching and leads to a Psychosynthesis Life Coach (PLC) certification through the Center and to the prestigious and nationally accredited Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential. The program is offered via teleconference and independent study formats and prepares people to work in the expanding field of life and business coaching and its many variations. The training process is deep and rich, supporting the coach trainee in stepping fully into the field, through personal and shared processes, didactic training and co-coaching practice. For more about our training and our trained psychosynthesis coaches, visit www.psychosynthesiscoach.org.

The in-person Psychosynthesis Professional Training Program teaches psychosynthesis theory, the principles of holistic psychology and the process of psychological and spiritual development. It provides in-depth theoretical and practical training as well as intensive personal, professional and spiritual growth in a face-to-face setting, in Amherst, Massachusetts. This is a comprehensive two-level program that leads to certification as a Psychosynthesis Life Coach (PLC) and national BCC certification, as well as being applicable to all helping professionals and those interested in their own personal and spiritual growth. CEU’s for social work and LMHC are available. The next Level I training starts in July of 2016, as a summer intensive, over 3 long weekends in July, August and September. Participants will be eligible to join the Level 2 weekend program in the fall of 2016, thus completing the entire training in less than one year. Full program information is available on our web site. Synthesis Center Teaching Staff are available to meet in person (or by phone) to answer questions and explore program options.

In this 12-module program, you will: 3 Get in touch with and ignite your purpose and passion to help others 3 Connect soulfully with other coaches and learn how to motivate your clients

Have you always wanted to make a BIG difference in other people’s lives at a deep, soulful level? If so, you’ll be thrilled to discover the

ICCA Spiritual Coaching Certification Program Do you ever find yourself wondering: • “Who am I in this world?”

• “What are my gifts, and how can I share them with others?”

While at the same time you realize you’re exactly the kind of person others gravitate to with their problems, hurts, and questions about life!?

You find people naturally trust you with their deepest thoughts and feelings…

Free Self-Coaching Exercises: For a copy of “Got Self? 4 Great Self-Coaching Exercises,” send us your email! Information on the program can be sent as well.

The Synthesis Center e Amherst, MA www.psychosynthesiscoach.org admin@synthesiscenter.org www.synthesiscenter.org e 413-256-0772

Training Programs to complement all medical and holistic modalities AARON & SUE SINGLETON, FOUNDERS

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

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 Career Advisor. 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

Internationally renowned Medical Intuitives, Authors, Visionaries, Inventors and Founders of The Energy of Life® (EOL) Integrative and Intuitive Healing Process, Sue and Aaron Singleton offer a diverse variety of Training Programs to complement all medical and holistic modalities, and to empower practitioners and laypersons. EOL I.D.E.A.L. Process for Creating a Life You Love! Workshop Series A totally unique intuitive development and healing process that transforms lives for healers, doctors, executives, and fulltime parents. Apply the EOL Process alone, or to enhance Reiki, Pranic Healing, etc. The EOL Process for Discernment is prerequisite for medical intuitive training with Sue Singleton. EOL Visionary Acupressure System

Workshop Series This fusion of ancient and modern techniques makes a quantum leap to address

3 Learn specific spiritual coaching theory and tools from two brilliant and enlightened coaches—Reb Esther Gendelman and Rev Peter Lanzillotta 3 Understand the foundations of spiritual thinking across cultures and belief systems 3 Learn how to lead and coach people to their own inner peace, serenity and enlightenment through honing and developing spiritual insight, intuition and sensitivity. 3 You will be equipped with key tools to help you gently, but powerfully, illuminate and spark the best qualities and intentions of your clients’ souls and spirits. www.CoachCertificationAlliance.com/ SpiritualCoachCertification.php Or, call Dr. Sharon Livingston G 603-505-5000 G Spread the light, love, and peace… as you’ve been called to do.

trauma and illness, without relying solely on linear meridian techniques. Learn powerful protocols for deeper, more rapid release of the Root Cause. Our easy to learn 60-point number system includes detailed diagrams; no prior acupressure experience or knowledge required. EOL Rings of Oden™ Net-Neutral Ionic

Technology for Quantum Healing: Revolutionary technology imbedded in The Rings of Oden accelerates light resonance and provides modulating energy frequencies for healing. Users resport rapid resolution of chronic pain, injuries, glaucoma, chronic emotional patterns and illnesses. The Rings combine Crop Circles, and DNA Holographic Re-Patterning to create specific vortices and frequencies for various conditions and spiritual transformation. Powerful for self-healing, as well as helping others. Other Workshops and Programs Radical Hands-On Healing™ F Introduction to Medical Intuition F BioMorphic Geometry™ F Stone Play™ Crystal Matrix Technology F EOL

Classes as online webinars, DVDs/CDs, home-study manuals, and in-person in MA/CT. 21 Water Street, Amesbury, MA 01913 www.TheWayToBalance.com 978-834-0341

66 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Classes, Certifications and Schools continued

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.

Workshops are offered in Stratham,

RESTORE 1 - Light Touch Therapy RESTORE 2 - Advanced Light Touch Therapy

For Beginners & Professionals* RESTORE is an Integrated Holistic Medicine Technique. It was designed by Susan Burdick to support children and young adults with special needs or disabilities, and can also be used as preventive care. Positive results may include a reduction in negative emotions, anxiety, depression and hundreds of other pathologies.

* Contact hours for nurses and massage therapists. This Continuing Nurses Educational Activity was approved by the Northeast MultiState Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

603-770-6177

restoreforlife.com

AFFORDABLE HERBAL EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Herbal Apprenticeships Advanced Training Ongoing Classes, Medicinal Plant Walks

❖

For more information on all of our classes: www.bostonherbalstudies.com Arlington, MA ❖ 781.646.6319

❖

Aromatherapy Certification

❖

Weekend Intensives and Evening Classes

v Professional Reflexology Certification and Approved Continuing Education in Reflexology, Massage, and Reiki v Integrative techniques give students a strong foundation and create a balanced treatment style v Students qualify as professional therapists upon completion

www.spiritofchange.org

MASTER OF ARTS DEGREES:

a a a a a

Our Mission is to create an environment for learners to pursue their passions and affect changes in their lives and work. All of the programs are experientially based and designed to facilitate both professional growth and personal development. “This school has brought me to a new level. Simply put, it is the place where I realized my dreams and where I was encouraged, taught, and supported to pursue a creative life. I have made life-long relationships at this institution.” ~ Pierre Sorey, High School English Teacher Master of Arts in Oral Traditions, Class of 2012

Integrative Health and Healing Consciousness Studies Learning and Thinking Writing and Oral Traditions Organizational Leadership

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS IN: a Positive Psychology, Emotional WellBeing and Happiness a Integrative Health and Healing a Health Coaching and Patient Navigation a Ecotherapy and Cultural Sustainability a Story Telling COACH TRAINING:

a Transformative Coach Training a Health Coaching and Patient Navigation Contact us to learn more about programs and financial aid options. 171 Amity Road, Bethany, CT 06524 203-874-4252 | info@learn.edu

For workshop dates and other information, call us or visit our website.

UPCOMING HERBAL CLASSES Awakening the Spiritual Heart: Mar. 3 Cooking with Ancient Grains & Herbs: Mar. 10 Ancient Wisdom Healing Circles: Mar. 19, 20 Stress, Immunity, Mood & Sleep: Mar. 24 Fertility Awareness: Apr. 7

New England Institute of Reflexology & Universal Studies

Certificate and Coach Training Programs in Emerging Fields of Inquiry

www.aromatherapyandherbalstudies.com 978-297-4502

NH and throughout New England:

LIGHT TOUCH THERAPY WORKSHOPS

ACCREDITED HOLISTIC DEGREES

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

❖

Intensive 7 Month Herbal Apprenticeships

Advanced Training with Facial, Tongue, and Pulse Diagnosis

v Courses meet state and national standards; CE’s approved from ARCB and NCBTMB. School is licensed by Commonwealth of MA, Dept. of Education Our goal is to act as a bridge between complimentary and conventional medicine through the training of qualified holistic practitioners. Join us! ~ Now teaching Reflexology at ~ Hyannis, MA Cortiva Massage School in Watertown, MA www.walkinbalance.com v 508-317-3044 v

Coaching John Howe The Transformation Rocket Scientist Transformational Coaching and Counseling John brings wholeness to sensitive people looking for deeper fulfillment. He guides you in celebrating your unique gifts, getting unstuck and living the life you yearn for. Inner Peace, awesome relationships, a career that fits you perfectly, a life that reignites your passion! You no longer have to suffer or do it alone. Using specialized tools for your transformation, clear communications,

find “us” again with Come Back to Love Coach™

Private Coaching, Intimate Puja Circles, Workshops

connecting with Higher Guidance or finding your Life Purpose, John helps you make the shifts that count! “John is like chelated vitamins for the soul!” – Past client A former “rocket scientist” with NASA, he is a leader in men’s circles, a model of New Paradigm Masculinity, guiding men to being the kind of men this world needs. He is also a trained Oneness Blessing Giver and gifter of the 9 rites of the MunayKi, the energy transmissions of the Peruvian Inca shamans. Since 1995, a gentle guide you can trust. Call John at 978-443-3460 for a chat. PossibilityCoach@HoweToTransform.com http://tinyurl.com/JohnHowe-linkedin-2

Rediscover the true connection that ignited your passion for each other when you met. Tantric intimacy coaching and psychotherapy tools will help you find the “us” again in your relationship. www.RobynVogel.com phone/text: 508-380-9254

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 67

Colon Hydrotherapy Constance Jones

Colon Hydrotherapy Center for Progressive Therapies 192 Hartford Road Manchester, CT 06040

Lead Senior Colon Hydrotherapist in New England, 35 years, over 55,000 sessions. I-ACT Colon Hydrotherapist of the Year 2014 I-ACT Instructor and NBCHT Certified connie@cleanmycolon.com www.cleanmycolon.com G 860-287-4558

DEBRA GRAHAM, ND, CT I-ACT Certified (Advanced) NBCHT Certified 2 Narrows Road Suite 104 Westminster, MA 01473 * Reasonable Rates * Flexible Hours

COLON HYDROTHERAPY

Call Today

Experience the Angel of Water, the premier colon hydrotherapy system.

413-522-0061 q deb@drdebma.com www.drdebma.com

Andrea Seiver, Ph.D. Channeled Readings Classes 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

Hypnosis for Change Change your Mind – Change your Life: Fast, Simple, Powerful Love the Way you Look V Stop Smoking Sleep Well V Relieve Stress and Tension Build Confidence

Lexington Medical Building 16 Clarke Street, Lexington, MA

Karin Chesley, M.A. Body/Mind/Spirit Counselor

healthyspirit@verizon.net 781-860-5116

PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

Knowledge of oneself at a Soul level is the key to freedom & happiness. Since 1992, the guiding light of Galacticta Institute has been the pursuit of human healing and transformation. Within each one of us is a spark of genius and humanity that calls to be discovered, liberated and channeled into a useful and fulfilling life. When we heal the wounds of

Dr. Santi Meunier is an author, gifted healer, yoga therapist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and inspirational speaker recognized for her unique style of practical spirituality and groundbreaking strategies for personal growth. Call today for a private session or information on upcoming workshops, certification trainings and classes. (CEU available.) 401-667-7399 www.GalacticaInst.com www.SantiMeunier.com

Available Now! The Next Big Bang: The Explosion of Human Consciousness A Vywamus Book Read more at www.andreaseiver.com Free Consultation plus 50% off 6-Session Package (mention Spirit of Change for Discount) Meet Sharon at the Natural Living Expo, Booth #714 NGH Certified Hypnosis Consultant NGH Certified Hypnosis Trainer 603-505-5000 DrSharonLivingston@gmail.com

that connection, so that you can reach your highest potential. Karin also helps you bring in healing light to empower your true, authentic Self!

Stephanie Dumas

the past at a core level, our true self emerges and our lives take on a whole new meaning and purpose.

For information, contact Andrea at 617-332-1541 • www.andreaseiver.com

Counseling and Therapy

I-ACT Certified Colon Hydrotherapist, Owner

Consciousness Transformation

Other Classes: Learn to Channel • Advanced Channeling

SHARON LIVINGSTON, PHD

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

Cleansing for the body, the mind, the spirit

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.

Karin helps you to connect more deeply to your wise voice within. She assists you in moving out the inner obstacles (such as trauma, painful memories, suffering, crippling belief systems, etc.) that are blocking

LIGHTWORKS HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY Sharon Hunter Mathews, LMHC

Counseling for teens, adults and couples Depression q Anxiety q Grief/Loss Trauma q PTSD q GLBT Friendly I work from a spiritual perspective, but am trained in and offer traditional modalities as well, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. As director of Lightworks, I provide private, corporate and public wellness pro-

Multi-Faith Journeys to Sacred Sites June 6-11, 2016: Journey to Lourdes, France Lourdes is one of those rare, powerful places to receive very strong healing light! Come join us this spring for a lifetransforming experience! consults@innerlightrising.com www.innerlightrising.com grams, including groups for Mindfulness Meditation. I have been a certified yoga teacher since 1995, and offer classes for yoga. I bring this unique experience into my work as a therapist. My approach is one of compassion, guiding individuals to explore their lives in a safe, nurturing setting empowering them to move to a resolution of problems and forward on the path to healing and a sense well-being. I work to promote self esteem and positive body image, and the session often concludes with a relaxation meditation. Most insurances accepted. 774-287-0844 q lightworks123@charter.net www.LightworksYoga.com Counseling and Therapy, continued

68 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Counseling and Therapy, continued S E RV I C E S

Dianna Drew, CH

HypnoBirthing® (private or group settings)

Smoking cessation

Weight management

Building self-confidence

Habit-breaking

Call Dianna to schedule your no-obligation consultation. By appointment only.

Dianna Drew is a Certified Consulting Hypnotist who helps clients make life-changing improvements. Confidential sessions include audio recordings for home listening.

110 Haverhill Rd, Suite 512 Amesbury, MA 978-270-8042 www.diannadrew.com diannadrewhypnosis@gmail.com

Holistic Counseling Concepts

Learn perspectives for living and loving that expect opportunities even during challenging times. You can’t thrive on problems but you can thrive on the wisdom, understanding and compassion gained from them.

Trish Whynot, D.C.Ed. Doctor of C.O.R.E. Education Dr. Trish Whynot’s way incorporates

ASAT™ C.O.R.E. Counseling, meditative

techniques and wise guidance that comes through the Mineral Kingdom.

Eliminate the root of physical, social, and financial problems: Discover, address, and release issues blocking health and wealth. G View relationship discord and illness as opportunities for growth and change. G Open to an array of extraordinary futures. G

Dr. Trish Whynot is a holistic counselor, speaker and author of “Why Me? Why Now? WHY NOT? Finding Opportunity in Your Obstacles.” Paperback and electronic versions available. “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, Editor, OfSpirit.com

Barbara Madden Johnson M.A., C.A.G.S., L.R.C., L.P.C. Do you have a belief that, inside of you, you have the potential that yearns to be released? For most, a fleeting glimpse is all they’ll ever have. For others, there is a way. Just imagine…releasing your true potential. Working together, one-on-one, you can over-

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,

Workshops and Sessions Available In Office, Phone or Skype Pittsfield, NH G trish@trishwhynot.com www.TrishWhynot.com G 978-314-4545

Holistic Psychotherapy Lori Miller-Freitas, LICSW

Experienced and Compassionate Care DEBBIE SCHWARTZ, LICSW

Psychotherapist

Are you looking for change? Whether you are seeking help with a major transition or ways to manage the problems of everyday life, choosing the right therapist is a very important decision. Debbie provides high quality, compassionate, and confidential care. Areas of expertise include: Depression G Anxiety G Life Challenges Trauma G Loss and Grief Issues of Aging G Caregiver Issues Chronic Medical Conditions

Multiple modalities incorporated including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Treatment, EMDR, Mindfulness including guided imagery and yoga, somatic awareness, and many others. Debbie has a Master of Social Work from Boston College and is licensed by the state of Massachusetts as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She has advanced clinical certification in treatment of trauma from Simmons College and has also completed training in the use EMDR. Debbie has been helping individuals and families for over 20 years. Debbie is available for consultation, short-term, and longer-term treatment. She offers caring, confidential care in her office in Wellesley Square. Home visits may be arranged. 592A Washington Street, Wellesley, MA debbie@schwartzlicsw.com www.schwartzlicsw.com G 508-783-2661

Get to the core — Transform your life! You are on this earth to be happy and realize your true potential. EMDR R TAT R Hypnosis R Reiki

come problems that have kept you from achieving your goals and desires. Unlock your potential! Restore inner balance! Come alive! Barbara Madden Johnson, M.A., C.A.G.S., L.R.C., L.P.C., a certified master practitioner and licensed trainer in Neuro Linguistic Programming, has over 25 years experience helping individuals with: u Career and identity issues u Immune and autoimmune illnesses u Chronic fatigue syndrome u Depression u Learning disabilities and ADD u Relationships u NLP Certification Training Program u Belmont, MA. Some insurance accepted. For an appointment, call 617-484-1716.

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. Coaching for soul-centered living. Body psychotherapy groups Sunday nights in Newton. Apprenticeship training. Books: Living with Vision, and Healing the War Between the Genders Blog: www.heartspacecafe.com/blog Mediation for couples and families. Coaching for soul-centered living. Body psychotherapy groups. Apprenticeship training. Newton, MA www.healingheartpower.com LSMHEART@aol.com 617-965-7846

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. Certifications: LICSW, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. Visa/MC acccepted.

I use a combination of traditional, body centered and energy therapies to increase the speed and deepen the level of holistic healing.

294 Pleasant St. R Ste. 103B R Stoughton, MA www.eaglespirittherapies.com 781-297-2003

HELPING PEOPLE

Glenn Bigonet brings a rare level of compassion, acceptance and hope to his work. As a relationship specialist, his clients report increased connection, intimacy, better communication, and more joy. In addition, he is skilled at helping clients with trauma, abuse, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, self-esteem, anger, and co-dependency.

live better lives

GLENN BIGONET, M.A.

Mental Health Counselor Clinical Hypnotherapist Initial consultations are free.

Counseling Individuals, Couples & Families Weekly Group G Workshops Offered

Conveniently located in Wellesley. Just a short drive from Rte. 128/I-95.

www.CompassionateAcceptance.com 617-462-6642

COMPASSIONATE ACCEPTANCE

Counseling and Therapy, continued

www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 69

Counseling and Therapy, continued

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.

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.

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

Raise your Vibration and Expand Consciousness www.Andarawakening.com www.Andaraoraclecards.com G Automatically expands your state of awareness

Crystal Concentrics

G Increases access to universal knowledge G Activates channeling abilities

G Accelerates the spiritual development process G Creates a bridge between ethereal and physical dimensions

G Manifests and creates by inserting your intention into the Andara Energy Field G Clears and balances chakras

G Raises your frequency of energy, raising your overall vibration

Free consultations Huge variety of crystals available

Learn Reiki techniques that bring a smile to the Soul. As humans we are capable of much more than the mind believes. Beyond today’s popular hands-on healing use of Reiki, traditional Reiki training taught by it’s founder, Mikao Usui, empowered his students to use Reiki for their own self-care and spiritual self-realization. Northeast Reiki Center embraces this “care of the soul” side of Reiki in addition to teaching you how to confidently offer the gift of Reiki healing sessions to your family members, friends, clients, and beloved pets. Reiki Certification Training

Four levels of training focus on helping you learn Reiki to express your full human potential and help make the world a better place. In an inspiring, sacred learning setting, a variety of traditional Reiki techniques are learned and practiced. You learn: 1. protocol for providing Reiki healing sessions for others while developing your intuitive abilities; 2. techniques to rejuvenate your own mind, body and spirit (including energetically clearing unhealthy energies taken on from other people and situations); 3. how to use Reiki for situations to co-create with the

Working with crystals for 25 years

Reiki Sessions with Lou Orsan, RMT

Lou holds a sacred space for his clients that honors their magnificence as Spiritual Beings of Light in human form. As so, he trusts that the higher dimension energy and intelligence of Reiki will guide the healing for their highest good in conjunction with the body’s own natural ability to heal itself. Lou also offers Free Reiki MiniSessions each month for those who have never experienced Reiki’s life-affirming energy. As a member of the International Association of Reiki Practitioners (IARP), Lou practices and teaches Reiki based on their code of ethics. NORTHEAST REIKI CENTER 61 Nicholas Rd, Suite B2, Framingham, MA 508-808-5696 • lou@northeastreikicenter.org www.northeastreikicenter.org

Kyle@CrystalConcentrics.com Arlington, MA b 617-771-5119 www.PowerStoneCrystals.com

Divine Intervention is “Where the Impossible Becomes Possible.”

Divine Intervention

Spontaneous Remission

Healing and Bodywork YOGA R REIKI R MEDITATION CRYSTAL HEALING LISA HASSETT Reiki Therapist, CYT

HEALING F O R B O D Y, M I N D & S P I R I T

• One-day Reiki Shoden Level I Class (All you need to confidently provide Reiki sessions for yourself and others.) • Two-day Reiki Okuden Level II Training • Three-month Reiki Shinpiden Level III (Master-Practitioner) Training • One-year Reiki Shihan Level IV (MasterTeacher Apprenticeship • Free Monthly Community Reiki Circle – Open to all!

Monthly meditations and workshops Individual sessions, including long distance

KYLE RUSSELL

Universe in manifesting what you want in your life — from relationships, career, and material items, to more everyday clarity, peace, safety, health, self-love and happiness. Reiki trainings are based on the teachings of Usui, Hayashi and Takata. Each level provides you with an attunement to unlock the healing wisdom of Reiki within, an illustrated training manual, attractive practitioner certificate, and opportunities for practice.

Client Comments: s Sandtray – “Sand tray therapy helped me see my life more clearly.”

Crystals Andara Crystals

Northeast Reiki Center

160 School St., Suite 1-1, Waltham, MA reikiofgreaterboston@gmail.com www.reikiofgreaterboston.com 508-335-3814

Rev. Claire Luft is a Master Healer and Master Teacher of Divine Intervention Healing. This healing technique is sacred, powerful, and produces Physical Plane Results.

Advanced Energetic Hands on Healing from the Mayan Lineage. Miraculous Healing for all issues that require attention.

Heart’s Singing Healing Center Woburn, MA 781-281-2888 u www.claireluft.com

Reiki Satellite, LLC

Altering disruptive short circuits so that energy may flow more easily throughout the body.

Kimberly Pacek, RMT

8 years experience

Life Coach Facilitating Death and Dying Horse and Pet Therapy Traditional U.H.T. Methods

Create a balance for a healthier habit of everyday living. By Appointment Only In person or long distance healings by phone: 603-897-5979 R Nashua, NH www.reikisatellite.com Healing and Bodywork, continued

70 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Healing and Bodywork, continued ALISON DA SILVA Psychologist

Deborah 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. 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.

“Deborah is a caring professional who puts a new client at ease.” - Brenda “I felt so at peace last night. I slept through the night and am still at peace this morning.” - Steff

Yoga Teacher: Elderly and Adult Thai Yoga Massage 15 Sherman Street, Everett, MA 617-719-3110 alisonstar31@hotmail.com

“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 Group in Framingham, MA R 508-353-5136 R

www.CrystalReikiEnergy.com

One of Libby’s passions is teaching hospice staff and volunteers. Fueled by Reiki energy, their healing touch is enhanced, creating greater effectiveness in calming agitation, soothing pain and providing comfort.

Libby Barnett, MSW, RMT Awaken Your Healing Touch Libby is a gifted, knowledgeable Reiki Master with 37 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.”

Reiki Practitioner and Teacher Offering Workshop on Mental Health

WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY:

Integrated Healing Massage Jennifer Grant, LMT Deep Tissue * Swedish * Hot Stone

Certified Stress Reduction Meditation Therapist

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.” Reiki I, Boston Area Classes: Newton, MA: April 2, June 4, or Sept. 10 Concord, MA: Mar. 12, June 11, or Oct. 15 Reiki I, Wilton, NH Classes: March 19, May 21, or Sept. 17

Aromatherapy * Pre-natal * Reiki

Authentic Healing with John F. Barnes Myofascial Release 2 First Avenue, Suite 111, Peabody, MA www.NorthShoreMFR.com G 978-548-6475

781-248-0814 366 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA www.integratedhealingtouch.com

We treat a variety of conditions:

Back Pain G Neck Pain G Trauma Carpal Tunnel G Pelvic Pain Sports Injuries G Myofascial Pain Headaches G Scars and much more

Phoenix Boulay, LMT

Utilizing Deep Tissue, Muscular Therapy, Swedish, Aromatherapy and Bodywork modalities.

18 years experience

By Appointment Only h Jamaica Plain, MA BOOK ONLINE

“Healing the world, one body at a time.” Effective, customized, integrative massage treatment for pain, injury, stress, optimal function.

www.bodycentremassage.net For more information, also visit www.foreverunlimited.net

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.

Reiki Master, Wilton, NH Class: May 14 or Oct. 8 Graduates of other Reiki teachers welcome.

To register or for more information: www.reikienergy.com reiki@reikienergy.com • 603-654-2787

Offering the highest quality therapeutic bodywork in a comfortable and safe space.

The John Barnes’ Myofascial Release approach is considered to be the ultimate mind/body therapy that is safe, gentle and consistently effective in producing results that last.

Reiki II Class: on day following Reiki I Class

Additional Reiki training dates can be found at: www.reikienergy.com All credit cards accepted. Social Work, Nursing and Massage contact hours/CEU’s available. Reiki Master Teacher Training info available on request.

Achieve a renewed sense of well-being, freedom from muscle and joint pain, reduce stress and improve mood and sleep patterns.

38C Park Street, Medfield, MA 02052 www.holisticwellnesscenter.org 508-359-7400

Our offerings include Acupuncture and Cupping, Ear Candling, Facial Rejuvination, Holistic Health Coaching, Mayan Abdominal Massage, Massage Therapy, Reflexology Reiki, Polarity, Eden Energy Healing, Wardrobe Consulting/Coaching and Holistic Life Counseling. And if all that wasn’t enough... crystals and gifts too! Healing and Bodywork, continued

www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 71

Healing and Bodywork, continued

THE JOHN HARVEY GRAY CENTER FOR

Reiki Healing

Lourdes Gray, Ph.D. Awaken your healing skills immediately and be a powerful channel for Reiki energy! The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing was established by John Harvey Gray and Dr. Lourdes Gray in 1996 to empower and develop a student’s capacity for healing. The Center offers the most thorough Reiki healing training available, ‘with no cut corners’, as it was taught by Mrs. Hawayo Takata. John Harvey Gray received his entire Reiki training from Hawayo Takata. He was one of the original 22 Reiki Master Teachers trained by her. He was also the longest-practicing Reiki Master Teacher in the Western Hemisphere until his passing into spirit on January 12, 2011.

22-Strand DNA Activation

Bring your Divine Blueprint into Physical Plane Manifestation and experience greater empowerment, improved health (mental, emotional physical and spiritual), increased utilization of your brains potential, greater creativity, and increased energy and clarity.

Patricia Warren Reiki Jin Kei Do

Lourdes was initiated by John Harvey Gray as a Reiki Master Teacher in 1996 after intensive one-on-one training by John Harvey Gray. As a Reiki Master Teacher, Lourdes has taught over 700 Reiki workshops and trained more than 8,000 Reiki students to date and serves as the director of the John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing. Each workshop consists of two full days of learning and hands-on practice. You will immediately be able to effectively channel Reiki healing energy for yourself, others and pets. In Reiki First Degree you will:

✴ Quickly and easily develop your natural,

intuitive powers. Within minutes, be able to scan and feel a person’s aura and chakras for analysis. ✴ Effectively treat any condition with Reiki energy— physical, emotional or spiritual, chronic or acute. ✴ Immediately be an effective Reiki healer, confidently bringing comfort and calm to family, friends, clients and pets ✴ Receive a training manual & certificate. The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing P.O. Box 696, Rindge, NH 03461 Visa/MC Accepted

Also, bring forth your greatest talents and abilities, clear many karmic and genetic patterns, hold greater amounts of light in your physical body, and much more. Great for those who feel ready to shift out of those “stuck” areas into tremendous empowerment, improved health on all levels, and living your higher destiny agreements and highest potentials. Rev. Claire Luft Master Teacher/Master Healer Ancient Mystery School Guide & Ritual Master Heart's Singing Healing Center, Woburn, MA 781-281-2888 v www.claireluft.com

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

for an appointment

JAY

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ S

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

S Reiki Jin Kei Do Level 1 CD S

Reiki Jin Kei Do CD $16

Patricia Warren, Reiki Master Teacher 508-528-5888 ✦ warrenhealing@gmail.com www.patriciawarren.com

$60 per one-hour session

Jaguar Path Healer

Received Altomesayoc Rites from Q’ero Paqo Don Sebastian in Peru

healingshamanic@gmail.com

Chakra Illumination G Soul Retrieval Entity Extraction G Object Extraction Cord Cutting

Vibrational Transformation

G 617-340-9593 G healingshamanic.com

By increasing your Vibrational Frequency, you’ll transform the denser, heavier energies within your system allowing you to: G

CHERYL WRIGHT

Your Vibrational Frequency informs your entire reality. Vibrational Transformation is a process whereby vibrations are introduced into the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic bodies for transformation.

LIGHT & LOVE

HEALING

Reconnective Healing® The Reconnection® and Reconnective Healing® with Animals

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. ✦

New Englands most InternationallyExperienced Reiki Master since 1989

Please call or e-mail Jay

We are vibrational beings.

See Full Class Schedule: www.learnreiki.org ✴ 603-899-3288

✦

InternationallyExperienced

Healing: Combined Modalities

Eye of the Eagle CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIGHT

Leontine Hartzell is a trained shamanic practitioner and counselor, Usui and Karuna Reiki Master, certified therapeutic energy healer, crystal and sound therapist, plant spirit medicine practitioner, psychic channeler, and legally ordained minister. With the help of her spirit guides,

Embody and reveal who you truly are Unleash your innate gifts, talents and abilities

G Come back into harmony with your true

desires in all areas of your life

Offices in Watertown, MA and Cumberland, RI Available in-person or by phone Cheryl@WrightHereNow.com 617-448-8749 G www.WrightHereNow.com

Give yourself, a loved one, or beloved animal a Reconnective Healing,® uniquely customized by the intelligence of the universe, whereby you or they will receive what is needed — emotional, spiritual or physical healing, not merely just what you think you should have. The objective of The Reconnection® is to return the body to balance, while tapping into the universal healing intelligence. www.lightandlovehealing.com RUSSELL RICCIO r 603-935-9106

Leontine uses soul retrieval, removal and healing of energy blocks, chakra balancing, intuitive counseling, guided imagery, and energy healing methods to heal posttraumatic stress and related disorders, depression, chronic pain and illness, anxiety, grief, and addictive behaviors. Past life issues and current life traumas that affect the client’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health are healed to allow the client to move into a life of joy and fulfillment. Private Sessions Long-distance Healing r Phone Readings Workshops and Classes Andover, MA r info@eyeofeagle.org www.eyeofeagle.org r 978-475-1268 Healing: Combined Modalities, continued

72 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Healing: Combined Modalities, continued

intuitive HEALING

Wendy Marks

M.Ed, C.A.S., FAPA R Medical intuitive sessions, energy heal-

ing and integrative therapy

R 30 years of experience in traditional and

complementary healthcare

R Improve your physical, mental, and

Colleen White

R Works with individuals to develop their

Psychic Medium Spiritual Advisor Life Coach

spiritual health

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

Colleen White is a professional Psychic Medium, Spiritual Advisor and Life Coach.

JOELLE ROSE SZLOSEK

Homeopathy

Master of Intuitive Numerology, Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, and Certified Angel Card Reader

Safe, effective, non-toxic, no side effects Does not interact with other medicines

VERA VOLFSON, CCH Classical Homeopathy Homotoxicology (FCT CEASE) Pranic Healing

Brings rapid, gentle balance of the immune system Holistic approach to healing and wellness www.behealthyhomeopathy.com veravolfson@gmail.com T 508.397.6098

Joelle combines her studies of the ancient wisdom of numerology with Divinely-guided insight to decode the mystical messages, meanings, and energies embedded within meaningful dates, names, numbers, words, and locations. You will find her sessions enlightening,

Readings Julianna Kallas, M.Ed.

Intuitive, Psychic, Medium Julianna is an internationally known psychic and medium who has been practicing for over thirty years. She has appeared nationally on WBZ radio and FOX TV and has been a guest on many radio

KELLE SUTLIFF

stations. She has also been interviewed for the TV show “Psychic Detectives” and has helped the Boston Police Department solve a quadruple murder. She’s featured in the book Spiritual Prescriptions for Turbulent Times. She also has several of her relaxation tapes on iTunes. Her gifts include her psychic abilities, channeling her guide, mediumship, reading the aura and tarot.

$185 for an hour appointment.Call for Readings: Z 978-420-8213 Z psychicmediumkelle.com

RN, CCH, RMT

at Angeltouche

Psychic Intuitive S Angel Therapy Practitioner ®

UPCOMING EVENTS

Z Join Weekly Spirit Circle Sundays Z Mediumship Development Classes

Phone Readings h Private Parties In-person Readings in Salem, NH To schedule an appointment: 800-465-1093 h tp1773@yahoo.com

uplifting, and healing for the mind, body, and spirit alike.

Joelle’s easy to follow manner will help guide you through the numerology experience and unlock the hidden powers that your personal set of numbers contain to enhance your overall well-being. Intuitive Numerology Readings for: Individuals v Relationships v Pets Businesses v Addresses v Health Name Changes v Past Lives

Discover Your Inner Number Magic Auburn, MA v 508-735-0005 www.joelleroseszlosek.com

Connecting you with your Angelic Dream Team, creating your Happily Ever After

…In the presence of loving Angelic energy READINGS AND SESSIONS IN

F F F F F F

Private sessions in person or distance by phone and e-mail. Classes and workshops ~ North Attleboro, MA Nancy@Angeltouche.com www.Angeltouche.com S 508-577-4552

guidance, healing and direction. Whether you want to connect with a loved one who has passed, or you have questions and challenges you want to work with, allow spirit to inspire you in a reading session with Nancy.

Her book Listen Up! The Other Side is Talking has now won TWO international awards— ”Mom’s Choice” and “Readers’ Favorite.” Get your signed copy through her website (also available on every book source in the Universe!): psychicmediumkelle.com

Kelle’s 2016 predictions were #1 on Google out of 1.5 MILLION psychics making predictions for the New Year.

Colleen can help…

Angel Readings S Past Life Regression Angel Therapy® S Reiki S Hypnotherapy

Contact Julianna at: 978-468-1478 g Jkallas27@gmail.com www.JuliannaKallas.com

“Kelle is a wonderful evidential medium and radio personality. Her new book is enlightening and entertaining and will open you up to the reality of spirit contact.” – Mark Anthony, the Psychic Lawyer

PSYCHIC MEDIUM | NEW AGE AUTHOR

Nancy Johansen

Questions about your love, life, or career? Need help starting a new path? Wish to connect with lost loved ones?

Spiritual mediumship Spirit portraits of loved ones in Spirit Akashic record life readings Session packages available Group sessions and classes Free inspirational “Wing Tips” at angelscapes.net

Connecting to Spirit for inspiration, sustenance and support for your life’s journey. Nancy gently guides you into a connection with spirit and your soul for

Sign up for Nancy’s 7-month series, School of Akashic Soul Mastery. Next session starting Apr. 16. Open house: Mar. 1, Mar. 4, and Mar. 29. Contact: Women of Wisdom in North Easton, 508-230-3680. Classes in North Andover: F Ongoing Mediumship development classes on Thursdays F Apr. 30: Learn to read your Akashic Records, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. F May 14: Wisdom and Healing from Past Lives in your Akashic Records, 10:30 – 4:30 F June 4: Understanding Soul Contracts and your Life Path in the Akashic Records, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. NANCY SMITH | ANGELSCAPES

North Andover F nancy@angelscapes.net www.angelscape.net F 978-835-0005 Readings, continued

www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 73

Readings, continued

Combined

Jocelyn

Intuitive Guidance for Your Life

Internationally known for her work with people via phone, in person, and radio, Jocelyn has been helping and guiding others for over 24 yrs. Known for her ability to “cut to the quick” Jocelyn gives you information you can use for all aspects of your life.

If you are ready to take a journey into yourself and hear your story with fresh ears, you will come out with options, tools, and choices you may not have seen on your own. All sessions are recorded on audio cassette. ~ $25 off your first session. ~ For more information, call or email Jocelyn, Intuitive Consultant jocelynintuitive@hotmail.com 978-694-8946

Creative Strands HAIR

&BODYWORKS

Chill Out, Ease Stress & Restore Balance Treat yourself to the ultimate in relaxation!

FOR THE BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT

Venture Outside combines physical and holistic activities in nature at amazing and beautiful places in Maine and around the world to provide a restorative experience that is purely and simply exceptional. Yoga, music, nature, holistic health, raw foods, multiple sports and activities, and more. Venture Outside...and into nature! R www.venture-outside.com R

We can supply guests with certified Yoga instructors, intuitive massage therapists and a carefree atmosphere in the beautiful Green Mountains. Bring a special friend, grab the girls (or bride-to-be) for a long weekend, join us solo to meet new people or enjoy your own quiet space. Or bring your own retreat—up to twelve individuals! Minutes walking from Stratton Mountain Village where restaurants and shopping await! Your retreat awaits at Yogabnb! Hiking a Biking a Kayaking Dining a Shopping Snowshoeing a Skiing a Tubing

15% off weekday and 10% off weekend stays, mention code Spirit16D, expires 9/12/16. Excludes Wanderlust. Plan a visit soon. Namaste!

Ellen O’Donnell

Licensed Aesthetician & Reiki Master 20% off first-time clients Reiki Facial a Perfect Pumpkin Phyto Facial Seasonal Phyto 5 Facial a Anti-Age Phyto Facial a Decadent Chocolate Phyto Facial

71 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA www.studiomood.biz a 774-452-9531

An integrated and holistic approach to awaken and nourish both your inner and outer beauty, achieving sustainable results. What we offer goes beyond the surface, taking into consideration that your beauty is far more than skin deep.

74 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

To schedule your appointment: 978-457-1431 a ellen.design16@comcast.net 110 Haverhill Road, Amesbury, MA www.healinghands-ellen.com

Spiritual Practices The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism embraces a religious and spiritual belief blending ancient wisdom with contemporary thought. Conveniently located off Watertown Square at the Masonic Center, 32 Church St, services are held at 10:30 am every Sunday, with mediumship, live music, inspirational talks, and healing by the laying on of hands.

As an evolving spiritual community, The Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism offers weekday evening classes in mediumship, healing and meditation; Mediums Days 2/28 from 1 – 4 p.m., 3/26 and 4/30 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., 5/31, 6/28, 7/26 and 8/30 from 7 – 9 p.m.; plus seminars and workshops throughout the year. For a brochure including upcoming events, or to speak with the Pastor, call 617-923-4334, or visit our website at www. GreaterBostonChurchofSpiritualism.com.

An affiliate of the Spiritualists United Network (SUN) and the International Spiritualist Federation.

The Oneness Blessing frees the senses from the constant chatter of the mind, bringing clarity and spontaneous feelings of love, joy, peace and inner silence. It dissolves negative patterns, releases traumas stored at the cellular and energetic levels, and facilitates deep emotional physical healing. Eventually the process brings a permanent end to personal suffering and full Awakening to the very highest states of consciousness.

Salons and Spas

skin health beauty & wellbeing

3 Boston Road, Sutton, MA www.creativestrandsllc.com i 508-865-1141

This is a deeply relaxing experience and a perfect time to start caring for your skin. Facials are preventative wellness for the skin…you are worth it! No parabens, sulphates or chemicals.

a yogabnbVT@gmail.com a Yogabnb.com a facebook.com/yogabnb

At MOOD we believe that all of us express our beauty differently. Why should your beauty experiences be one-size-fitsall? Expert, effective, individual, skincare, haircare and styling all in our private, exclusive, studio.

Skin care and hair care products for all skin types and hair care needs. Our whole team continues to keep up with the latest trends and state of the art techniques.

You will LOVE your glowing, smooth, healthier looking skin after a gentle and nourishing Holistic Facial with Ellen at ‘Love Your Face!’

Retreats and Retreat Centers RESTORATIVE HOLISTIC RETREATS

Enjoy a Thai Yoga Massage or enjoy a softer touch with a Swedish Massage. We also have Deep Tissue Massages and many more. Facials to fit every season.

Start your Neurobiological Shift www.onenessma.org/awaken The Oneness Blessing is a direct transfer of intelligent sacred energy, which causes the heart to flower and the mind to quiet. It initiates a neurobiological change in the brain.

We have regular large group events and smaller blessing circles within the Oneness Massachusetts group – check our website: OnenessMA.org for details and locations. Sign up for our newsletter and get email invitations to our large events. Meet us at the Natural Living Expo, Nov. 12-13. Visit Booth #16

Free Your Mind Coloring Coloring pattern courtesy of The Tula Pink Coloring Book (Fons & Porter, 2015)

DIRECTORY OF

Holistic Specialties ANGELS Ross J. Miller, psychic. Meet your angels and spirit guides. 617-527-3583. Visit www.The MysticWay.com

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY TREATMENT Healed in 2 Hours. Ross J. Miller, psychic healer. 617-527-3583. www.TheMysticWay.com

REFLEXOLOGY Marian C. Kelly. Comfortable and relaxing. 617-733-7409. Natick, MA. marianreflexology.abmp.com.

ANIMAL SERVICES Sharon R. Doolittle, DVM, Inc. Holistic. Smithfield, RI. 401-349-2668. www.holisticanimalvet.com MASH Integrative Veterinary Care, est 1982. Margo Roman, DVM. 508-435-4077. www.mashvet.com

EMF PROTECTION The Rejuvenizer®, protection from EMFs and other damaging frequencies. www.lighthealing.com. 512-301-2999.

REIKI Libby Barnett, MSW, Reiki Master Teacher. 603-654-2787. www.reikienergy.com. CEU’s.

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. Clinics and fairs. www.capecodcenterforwholehealth.com Schools of Wisdom for Professional Development & Spiritual Enrichment. WomenofWisdominc.com.

FENG SHUI Urban Eden. Transform and empower your home/work spaces. 401-351-5632. karenfeldmanurbaneden.com Feng Shui Services of New England. Julie PelletierRutkowski, MS, RN. Consulting and education. www.FSSone.com. GHOSTS REMOVED From Your Home/Aura. Ross J. Miller, psychic medium, healer. Call 617-527-3583. www. The MysticWay.com

CHILDREN’S HEALTH Touchstone Community School. Education for ages 4-14. Grafton, MA. 508-839-0038. www.touchstoneschool.com.

HYPNOSIS Cliff Aguirre, certified hypnotherapist. 339-214-8194 www. mindbalancehypnotherapy.com

COLON HYDROTHERAPY Genesis Alternative Health. 31 years of experience. I-ACT certified instructor. NBCHT certified. 603-347-1861. detoxgenesis.com Debra Graham, CT, ND. I-ACT and NBCHT certified. Westminster, MA. 413-522-0061. DrDebMA.com

Sue Singleton. 20+ years accurately finding Root Cause. 978-834-0341. TheWayToBalance.com

Body Balancing Center. I-ACT and National Board certified. 508-868-3624. www.bodybalancingcenter.com

COUNSELING AND THERAPY Joel Perlmutter, Ph.D. Licensed 35 yrs. Stress, anxiety, relationships. Stow & Shrewsbury, MA. Putnam, CT. 978-897-9797. CRYSTAL ENERGY WORK CrystalConcentrics.com. Workshops, meditations, oneon-one, distance work. Wide selection of crystals. 617-771-5119.

76 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

MEDICAL INTUITIVE

Intuitive Healing with Wendy Marks. Over 25 years of experience. 781-449-5368. www.wendymarks.com Elizabeth Thorson, RN. Certified by Carolyn Myss and

Norman Shealy, MD. elizabeththorson.com. 207-712-9495.

NUMEROLOGY Kathy Bernstein. 35 years of experience. 401-338-1317. www.numerologypro.com Joelle, Master of Intuitive Numerology. 508-735-0005. www.joelleroseszlosek.com PAST LIFE THERAPY Ross J. Miller. Relive past lives and release blocked energy. 617-527-3583. www.The MysticWay.com READINGS Rachel Perry, Psychic Medium. (508) 681-0320. www.RachelPerryMedium.com.

The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing. 603-899-3288. www.learnreiki.org Sacred Song Reiki and Sound Healing. Priscilla Gale, Reiki Master/Teacher. SacredSongReiki.com.

Northeast Reiki Center. Free circle. 508-808-5696. www.northeastreikicenter.org.

RETREAT CENTERS 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

ROLFING Eric Jacobson, PhD. In practice since 1974. Arlington, MA. ericjacobsonbodywork.com. 781-643-6874 VISION IMPROVEMENT Rosemary Gaddum Gordon, MA. Cambridge, MA and Portsmouth, NH. www.visioneducators.com Ree Coleman, Better Vision Guru. Personalized programs, online classes. www.BetterVision.Guru. YOGA Worcester Yoga Center. Ann Bissanti, CYT. 30 years experience Iyengar yoga. 508-829-6300.

Add your listing! Next deadline: January 29, 2016. Email advertise@spiritofchange.org.

COLLEGE PLANNING

Your HS Student Is More Than A Test Score! AKASHIC RECORDS

Holistic College Counseling and Prep Beginning 9th-12th Start planning now, avoid senior stress

Lisa Paige, PhD BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY We reject the notion that masking symptoms is health care. We believe the future of health care is Stress Melting. We invite like-minded people to participate in creating this future! Our priority goal is to wisely recruit, inspire, train, and employ 100 more Certified Stress Melters. Call Stress Melting Academy at (781) 217-4233 or visit StressMelting.org.

ASTROLOGY Eric D. Linter, Spirit of Change astrologer, available for readings, www.ericlinter.com

BUSINESS SERVICES DeVoe Accounting and Bookkeeping. Services structured for your business at reasonable rates. Call Brian or Linda. (781) 599-8275.

CLASSES Upper Cape Tech in Bourne, MA near Cape Cod Canal is a leading provider of career training offering Culinary Arts, Technical, Trade, Nurse’s Aide, Health Careers, Drivers Ed, Computers, Wellness/Healing, Art, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Professional Aromatherapy, Decorating and Design, Weight Loss and Professional Reflexology. 600+ online and more. Visit www.uppercapetech.cc or call (508) 759-7711, ext. 211 for details.

CLEANING

The Organic Maid

®TM

Affordable Rates; Sliding Scales (774)571-1761 • lastpaige111@gmail.com

www.lastpaige.com DOWSING

All About Dowsing. Through dowsing discover more about yourself and your health. Self-instructional DVD’s, books, instruments. www.dowsing.com. (805) 649-5721. Catalog: PO Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.

FENG SHUI Boston Feng Shui with Lynn Taylor. After decades of studying many different feng shui traditions, as well as teaching and consulting both nationally and internationally, I have blended what I believe to be the best of many approaches. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact me at (617) 924-4205, or e-mail lynntaylor@bostonfengshui. com. www.BostonFengShui.com. Residential, business and staging services.

FOR SALE Union Hospital in Lynn, Mass., for sale. Extensive renovations needed. We are seeking substantial alternative therapy participation after renovation. Fax/call Neil Barry (781) 598-0602.

HERBAL TRAINING Herbal Apprentice Program! Moore Farm, Alton, NH. Starts April 2016. Fun, exciting, hands-on program! Visit our website: www.moorefarmherbs.com. (603) 859-0464

HOLISTIC HEALTH PRODUCTS Distill the Water. Quality, USA made water distillers. Remove contaminants, chemicals, fluoride, arsenic, lead, and bacteria from water. Approx. 25¢ per gallon. www.distillthewater.com. (207) 536-9007.

HYPNOSIS Kathryn McGlynn Hypnosis. Past life regression and metaphysical hypnosis. Schedule your private session today or gather your group together for an illuminating experience. (781) 340-2146. http://www.hypnosis.ws

PSYCHIC READINGS A Creative Insight provides psychic readings $35 per session. Hypnotherapist $70 per session. Spiritual minister for guidance/marriages. Contact Linda (781) 599-8275.

PYRAMIDS All About Pyramids. Wellness, meditation/experimental tabletop models. Worldwide research. (805) 649-5721. www.dowsing.com. Catalog: P.O. Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.

REFLEXOLOGY Rosalie Cryan, Reflexology, Advanced Certification. Reiki Master. Promoting balance and stress relief for 15 years. Experience bodywork for the first time or change your current routine. Only the feet are exposed. Quincy, MA. (617) 471-4190. Mention this ad: $60. Quincymassage.com

Beautiful space for rent in the center of Shrewsbury for practitioners of body and energy work, consultations, classes, meetings, etc. Full, part-time and hourly rates available. Please contact Becky at Bhavna’s Wellness Group: (508) 970-5620.

SPIRITUAL GOODS Low prices on all spiritual goods! Incense, candles, crystals and so much more. Spend $100 and get a free 20-minute tarot/picture reading! Visit www.healingsonthego.com. Beautiful hand painted angelic and spiritual wall hangings, banners and altar cloths. Divine designs and mandalas with a magickal twist! Email Marsha: reikimsdm@gmail.com.Visit www.etsy.com/shop/MysticalBanners

VOLUNTEER

SPACE FOR RENT Treatment Rooms Available in West Concord, MA. $1100/month for a spacious, great treatment room with access to receptionist, storage and the multipurpose room. The Healing Essence and Revolutionary Health Spa is an alternative health clinic in a brand new building! Close to foot traffic of downtown and the post office. 25 minutes to downtown Boston. Jonathan Glass has twenty years experience working in W. Concord as an acupuncturist and Ayurvedic practitioner. Van Nadler has 5 years experience using the Photon Genius energy sauna, detox modalities and Chakra balancing. Jonathan and Van have conceived a place for care and nurturing of the clients, so as to create optimum health results! Part of the concept for our collective is to share clients and cross-pollinate each other’s practice. This brand new space has a multipurpose lecture/yoga/meditation room, a receptionist area with seating, storage room and 8 treatment rooms. All windows facing the river and trees. We are seeking to have an osteopath, chiropractor, psychologist, massage therapists and aestheticians. We’re anticipating a very busy practice in this wonderful new setting. Namaste’. Contact Van Nadler (415) 307-1998 or vannadler@gmail.com.

Make a Difference and Become an Ascend Hospice Volunteer in Massachusetts

Contact one of our Volunteer Supervisors for more information Jami-Lynn Lamy: Ann Brum: Visit our website to learn more about our specialized hospice care and services AscendHospice.com

WILD DOLPHIN SWIMS Swimming with Wild Dolphins. The ultimate human-dolphin connection. Meditative, healing Caribbean Island retreats. Yoga, healthy food, Atlantean legends. www.wildquest.com. (800) 326-1618.

YOGA RETREATS

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-counseling-services.com, chris.gruener@comcast.net.

SUBMIT YOUR CLASSIFIED AD! Deadline for Fall issue: July 29, 2016. Email advertise@spiritofchange.org www.spiritofchange.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | Spirit of Change 77

Index of Advertisers Spring/Summer 2016 A Abra Therapeutics.............................................. 43 Acupuncture of Worcester................................ 64 Acupuncture Plus Yoga...................................... 64 Advaita Meditation Center................................ 65 Ageless Yoga...................................................23,79 Alternatives for Health....................................... 47 Amethyst Point................................................... 23 Amma.................................................................. 51 Andara Crystals.................................................. 70 Angelscapes......................................................... 73 Angeltouche........................................................ 73 Arvigo Massage................................................... 26 Ascend Hospice.................................................. 77 ASEA.................................................................... 79 B Libby Barnett....................................................... 71 Basic Earth Essentials........................................ 43 Baylight Homeopathy........................................ 16 Beadniks.............................................................. 79 Bhavna’s Wellness Group................................... 34 Glenn Bigonet..................................................... 69 Biofield Tuning................................................... 47 BlackBox Cosmetics........................................... 20 Body Balancing Center...................................... 49 BodyStrongBoston............................................. 23 Boston School of Herbal Studies, The.............. 67 Bnourished.......................................................... 17 Phoenix Boulay................................................... 71 Mark Braunstein................................................. 24 Kelly Buckowski.................................................. 46 Susan Burdick..................................................... 67 C Nancy Canning................................................... 49 Canton Spiritualist Church............................... 46 Circles of Wisdom.............................................. 25 Claudia Fine Art................................................. 13 Cold Spring Wellness......................................... 79 Complete Health Solution................................... 3 Constellation Approach..................................... 13 Creative Strands Hair & Bodywork.................. 74 Crystal Reiki........................................................ 71 D Nicholas D’Alessandro....................................... 37 Delta Gardens..................................................... 39 Developmental Alphabiotics............................... 7 Dr. Sharon Doolittle........................................... 20 E Eclectic Institute of Aromatherapy and Herbal Studies, The...................................................... 67 Enchanted Fox.................................................... 37 Epiphany Hypnosis............................................. 69 F Dr. Fontaine’s Holistic Healing Center............ 11 The Fourwinds Society...................................... 35 FrogPond Yoga Centre....................................... 23

G Gemstone Therapy Institute.............................. 37 Geoffrey Warner Studio..................................... 14 Arthur Gertler..................................................... 14 Gluten Free Allergy Free Expo......................... 21 Jesse Goldman..................................................... 13 Graduate Institute, The...................................... 67 Deborah Graham................................................ 68 Andy Grant.......................................................... 34 Jennifer Grant..................................................... 71 Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism........... 74 Grof Transpersonal Training............................. 44 Groton Wellness Center..................................... 41 H Loentine Hartzell...........................................44,72 Healing from the Body Level Up........................ 2 Healthy Spirit...................................................... 68 Holistic Wellness Center...............................43,71 John Holland....................................................... 11 Joan Holzman..................................................... 70 John Howe........................................................... 67 I Inner Light Rising............................................... 68 Inner Traditions.................................................. 17 Integral Metaphysics.......................................... 64 International Coach Certification Alliance..... 66 J Jocelyn.................................................................. 74 John Harvey Gray Center.................................. 72 Barbara Johnson................................................. 69 Johnson Compounding and Wellness............. 17 Constance Jones.................................................. 68 Just Bee and Me.................................................. 79 K Julianna Kallas.................................................... 73 L Light and Love Healing...................................... 72 Light Unlimited.................................................. 31 Lightworks Holistic Psychotherapy.................. 68 Eric Linter............................................................ 65 Little Frog Healing.............................................. 30 Living Earth, The................................................ 30 Sharon Livingston.............................................. 68 Lotus Flower Living............................................ 46 Love Your Face Holistic Skin Care................... 74 LoveLight Illuminations.................................... 33 Claire Luft.......................................................70,72 M Marconic Recallibration.................................... 27 M.A.S.H............................................................... 35 Massachusetts Satsang Society, Inc.................. 33 Judith Mabel........................................................ 24 Maha Yoga Center.............................................. 23 Tina Marian......................................................... 18 Linda Marks........................................................ 69

78 Spirit of Change | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Wendy Marks...................................................... 73 Metrowest Thermal Imaging............................. 16 Santi Meunier...................................................... 68 Ross Miller.................................................15,30,49 Lori Miller-Freitas.............................................. 69 Misty Meadows Herbal Center......................... 43 Moonstruck Matilda’s......................................... 49 N Native Earth........................................................ 47 Natural Living Expo............................................. 8 NE Institute of Reflexology............................... 67 New England Forever Aloe............................... 79 New England Veg Fes..........................................t4 North Shore Myofascial Release....................... 71 Northeast Reiki Center...................................... 70 O Oneness................................................................ 74 Open Doors Yoga Studios................................. 23 Open Spirit.......................................................... 23 Opening Lotus Yoga........................................... 23 Organic Living Superfoods............................... 29 The Organic Maid............................................... 77 P Lisa Paige............................................................. 77 Bonnie Page......................................................... 32 Shawna Pelton..................................................... 13 Rachel Perry........................................................ 45 Peter Stone Jewelry............................................... 5 Pets and Spirits.................................................... 18 Pipal Leaf Yoga Studio....................................... 23 Monique Pommier............................................. 65 Pyramid Books................................................... 32 R Real Life Yoga Studio....................................23,77 Reiki Satellite....................................................... 70 Reiki of Greater Boston................................44,70 Rhys Thomas Institute....................................... 80 RI Yoga Center.................................................... 23 Kyle Russell.......................................................... 70 S Sacred Song Reiki............................................... 21 Salve Regina University..................................... 45 Debbie Schwartz................................................. 69 Science of Spirituality......................................... 47 Todd Segal........................................................... 20

Andrea Seiver...................................................... 68 Shamanic Healing............................................... 72 Small Miracles Preschool................................... 65 Miriam Smith...................................................... 32 Snow Dragon Mountain Sanctuary.................. 19 Sohum Yoga and Meditation Studio................ 23 South Shore Community Acupuncture........... 64 Spa Tech............................................................... 66 Spirit Hollow....................................................... 25 State of Grace Yoga and Wellness Center........ 23 Studio MOOD..................................................... 74 Survivor Healing................................................. 19 Kelle Sutliff.......................................................... 73 Synthesis Center, The......................................... 66 Joelle Rose Szlosek.............................................. 73 T Taproot Herbals.................................................. 39 Tea of Life............................................................ 79 Teachers of God Foundation............................. 11 Thought Alchemy’s Transformational Hypnosis Center............................................................... 26 Touchstone School............................................. 65 Tree of Life Yoga Dance..................................... 71 Trinity Healing Sanctuary................................. 65 U-V-W UMASS Medical School.................................... 47 Unity Yoga........................................................... 23 Venture Outside.............................................21,74 Tina Vesely.......................................................... 46 Robyn Vogel........................................................ 67 Vera Volfson........................................................ 73 Pat Warren........................................................... 72 Way to Balance, The......................................15,66 Wellness Roundtable, The................................. 35 Westborough Yoga.............................................. 23 Colleen White..................................................... 73 Trish Whynot...................................................... 69 Wisdom of the Ages........................................... 43 Women of Wisdom.......................................37,65 Women’s Herbal Conference............................. 39 Worcester Yoga Center...................................... 23 Cheryl Wright..................................................... 72 X-Y-Z Yoga at the Ashram.......................................23,41 YogaLife Institute................................................ 23 The Yoga Studio.................................................. 23 Yogabnb..........................................................41,74 Zuzu’s Healing Arts.......................................29,65

Fall/Winter Issue Advertising Deadline Friday, July 29, 2016 Contact Us: (508) 278-9640 • advertise@spiritofchange.org

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