December 2020 Natural Awakenings Volusia Flagler Edition

E R F

E

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

SIMPLIFY

THE SEASON

GIVE THE GIFT

OF FESTIVE EDIBLES

THE HEALING POWER OF

SINGING

HOMETOWN BENEFITS OF

THE BUY LOCAL MOVEMENT

WRITING A NEW

WORLD STORY

THAT HEALS US AND THE PLANET

December 2020 | Volusia / Flagler Edition | VoFLNatural.com

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50-plus healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 5 DEBBIE AND LEON

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CERANKOWSKI

Their Journey to Health and Service

12 THE NEW STORY FOR THE WORLD

Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet

16 PAY WHERE WE PLAY Boosting the Hometown Economy

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18 THE GIFT OF YUM

Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer

22 MIND-BODY FITNESS How Mindfulness Benefits Workouts

24 REINVENT THE HOLIDAYS

More Meaning, Less Stuff

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28 SING TO HEAL ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise in Natural Awakenings, please call 386-736-3838 or email Ads@VoFLNatural.com.

Using the Voice to Uplift Mind and Body

30 HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Homemade Recipes They Will Love

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email calendar events to: Calendar@VoFLNatural.com.

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DEPARTMENTS 5 community

spotlight 7 florida & fauna 8 health briefs 10 global briefs 11 eco tip 16 green living

18 conscious

eating 22 fit body 24 healthy kids 28 healing ways 30 natural pet 33 calendar 36 resource guide December 2020

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letter from publisher

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

December has always been one of my favorite months. It’s the

season of peace, joy and love. If you are in short supply of these virtues, you’re not alone. At the end of this unprecedented year tensions are high, budgets are tight, relationships are tense and bandwidths are maxed out in many homes. However flawed life was pre-covid, most would gladly swap past and present. We are hobbling along through a seemingly endless pandemic. Forget any past goals of getting rich and skinny. The goal for this new decade must be inner peace, the new definition of happiness and success.

Our mental health needs to be one of our top priorities. When you feel mentally healthy, happiness and productivity automatically increase. Consider following these suggestions to gain inner peace and purpose in your life.

VOLUSIA FLAGLER EDITION Publisher Rebecca Young Publisher@VoFLNatural.com

Writer Erin Floresca

Editor Sara Gurgen Calendar Editor Sara Peterson

Design & Production Melanie Rankin Graphic Design Wendy Wilson

CONTACT US Natural Awakenings Volusia Flagler

Get out of the house and explore the world, on foot or bicycle. There’s a big, beautiful world out there, and the weather is perfect most days.

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Remind those close to you how much you love them. When you express feelings, you’re not only opening your heart, you’re opening your loved one’s heart as well.

Take off the pressure. If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that we can still be productive at a slower pace. Speak kindly to yourself. You’re awesome, capable and worthy of abundance. Never forget that.

NATIONAL TEAM

CEO/Founder Sharon Bruckman COO/Franchise Sales Joe Dunne

Art Director Josh Pope

Layout & Design Gabrielle W-Perillo

Financial Manager Yolanda Shebert Asst. Director of Ops Heather Gibbs Digital Content Director Rachael Oppy

National Advertising Lisa Doyle-Mitchell Administrative Assistant Anne-Marie Ryan

Explore your creativity. It’s one of the purest forms of being mindful and living in the moment.

Be philanthropic. The giver always receives the most in return. Volunteer and give of your skills.

Practice gratitude. The ultimate path to happiness and inner peace is paved with a grateful heart. Carve out short gratitude breaks each day and simply bask in the love vibration of gratitude.

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakenings.com

Make time for people you care about. Make plans and keep them. Share meals, space, experiences. We are wired to be social. Enjoy the laughter of friends, it will always be the best medicine.

Relax and carve out time each day to shut down, even if just a few minutes. Close your eyes, take deep breaths and recharge your mental batteries.

© 2020 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although so me par ts of this public ation may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Focus on breathing. There is so much going on in the external. Focus on your breath and release tension with each exhalation. Visualize a golden ball of light encircling you with love and protection.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised.

Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

From our family to yours, may your December be filled with peace, joy and love.

Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

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community spotlight

Debbie and Leon Cerankowski Their Journey to Health and Service

by Rebecca Young

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ebbie and Leon Cerankowski, founders of Debbie’s Health Foods, are celebrating 33 years in business. Their journey into the health food industry started years before opening their first store. Debbie and Leon’s remarkable life story will inspire many for their tenacity during its twists and turns. They embody the quote, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”

Their story began when Debbie brought her car to Leon’s service station with a fuel line leak. Leon was quite taken

by Debbie’s wit and good looks, and wisely extended a simple repair into a two-hour visit with his gift of gab. Debbie would not accept his request for a date, however. Nine months later, they recognized each other at a garage sale, Debbie agreed to go out for coffee, and so it began.

Leon, a U.S. Air Force veteran, served in Germany and France, and played football and soccer for his company as well as fixing aircraft engines. This Pittsburgh native knew good things were worth fighting for, and he always achieved his goals.

Leon was quite smitten by the blue-eyed blonde, but Debbie pushed back because of poor health. After many abdominal surgeries for a variety of conditions, she believed she had little time left. At just 95 pounds, Debbie wasn’t able to hold down food. Leon was determined to find a fix for Debbie’s condition. Together, they visited several physicians, until they found one that earned their trust. With the extensive removal of scar tissue from prior surgeries, Debbie’s lease on life got a huge extension.

Years later, Debbie faced yet another health crisis as her frail body was racked with debilitating headaches, nausea and fainting. She was working for a neurologist at the time, and an X-ray revealed a large brain tumor. Too weak to go through

surgery, Debbie was admitted to the hospital to build her strength. Weeks later, surgeons removed the tumor completely.

But the ordeal took a toll on her health, and once again she was underweight and lacking vitality. Her doctor prescribed a liver cleanse, and the result was life changing.

Once again, Debbie’s health was restored, and with it a newfound enthusiasm for the power of natural medicine.

They traveled to Orlando several times a month to stock up on supplements, as the local choices were few. Debbie’s health greatly improved, and Leon also experienced the reduction of painful inflammation from bursitis. Both were convinced in the power of supplements and wanted to share their discovery with others. Leon picked up extra products and offered them to clients in his business, and their next career began to unfold.

Leon was selling insurance and securities at this time and was introduced to a client in the health food industry. Debbie and Leon were invited to the world’s largest health food industry conference in Anaheim, California. They were amazed at the variety of options for healthy living, and returned with a commitment to find a location and open the flagship Debbie’s Health Foods in Orange City. Over the next decade, they grew to five locations and intended to expand into Phoenix, Arizona; however, they realized two stores was the perfect number, as each could properly manage a store on a daily basis. Debbie leads the Orange City location, while Leon has the Port Orange store. On any given day, you may find them at either location, as their hands-on management keeps them highly engaged with every aspect of the business.

The Cerankowskis credit much of their success and business longevity to the quality of their team members. Each is passionate

about providing the highest-quality products and committed to continuing their education of health-related topics. Customers know they can count on Debbie, Leon and their staff. In this era of online shopping, the continued success of Debbie’s Health Foods is fueled by the personal relationships formed with their customers. Over these three decades, they have received many gifts of gratitude from customers, including Bella, one of their beloved dogs.

Their service and dedication extend beyond our local community. Debbie has served on the boards of national organizations that support and advocate for the natural products industry, including SOHO (Showing Others Healthy Options), and has lobbied in Washington, D.C., for healthier school lunches and protection of our rights to access natural products such as herbs and whole food extracts. Leon and Debbie travel extensively to view manufacturing facilities before adding new products to ensure the highest quality and value for their valued customers. Though both Debbie and Leon have endured recent health events, their strength and resilience have served them through what has been a challenging year.

Together, they’ve proven that no matter what life throws at you, tough times never last, but tough people do.

Debbie’s Health Foods is located at 3850 S. Nova Rd., in Port Orange, and 862 Saxon Blvd., in Orange City. For more information, visit DebbiesHealthFoods.com. See ads, page 2 and back cover.

December 2020

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Keeping Families Healthy for More Than 45 Years

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rank and Josephine D’Amelio, founders of Nature’s Answer, know the importance of keeping one’s immune system and overall health strong with the help of natural, plant-based solutions. More than four decades ago, the pair turned their passion for vibrant health into one of the largest family-owned and -operated manufacturers of nutritional supplements today.

Since 1972, Nature’s Answer has a proud tradition of providing the highest-quality ingredients in each of its products. “What that means to our customers is the purity of our products and uncompromising manufacturing practices are assured by a deep-rooted set of values that began more than 45 years ago and continue to be upheld by three generations.

For us, it’s more than company-wide commitment, it’s a promise made from our family to yours.”

Some of the quality measures that are the company’s hallmark include pharmaceutically licensed herbal manufacturing and quality control facilities that are kosher inspected, NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified and certified organic. To ensure the highest of standards, Nature’s Answer employs an expert team of natural product chemists, pharmacognosists, microbiologists, formulation chemists, and herbalists.

In addition, Nature’s Answer uses Bio-Chelation, a proprietary cold-extraction technique developed by Frank D’Amelio Sr. to help ensure that herbs maintain their vital minerals and other trace elements when extracted. “From plant to shelf, you can be assured that we know exactly what’s in the product in your hand, and we guarantee it is authentic, safe, effective and holistically balanced,” he says.

Nature’s Answer specializes in herbal extracts, essential oils and plant-based solutions that support increased energy, a healthier immune system, better oral care, the body’s nutritional needs, and men’s and women’s health.

Nature’s Answer products are available at a 20 percent discount during December at Debbie’s Health Foods, in Port Orange and Orange City.

See their ad on the back cover.

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Katie Tripp

florida and fauna

Calamint is a beautiful and tasty native landscape plant.

More of North Florida’s Edible Plants

by Katie Tripp

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ast month’s article reviewed some of the fruits native to our region. The flowers, leaves and/or roots of many of our native plants can also be eaten, with some providing healthy doses of antioxidants. It’s important only to eat plant material from areas that are free of herbicide and pesticide treatments.

Peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum) has edible leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, in addition to being a larval host for Checkered White and Cabbage White butterflies. Peppergrass is in the mustard family, being neither related to culinary pepper nor a true grass, and has a fragrance similar to horseradish when crushed. The upright peppergrass is several inches tall, resembling a bottle brush from a distance, and could mix in easily as part of a native landscape.

The vivid flowers and heart-shaped leaves of the common blue violet (Viola sororia) contain antioxidant vitamins A and C. The leaves can be eaten raw, sautéed or dried, and used as part of a tea mix. Flowers can be added into salads or dipped in sugar water and used to adorn pastries. Eat only small quantities to avoid nausea and enjoy the rest in your yard as a groundcover. The leaves and stems of spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) resemble asparagus in their flavor, and the beautiful purple flowers, like those of the common violet, can be dipped in sugar syrup and used as an edible adornment.

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) leaves are dried to make North America’s only native caffeinated tea. For decaffeinated tea, use the leaves of gallberry (Ilex glabra) or dahoon holly (Ilex cassine).

Georgia calamint (Calamintha georgiana) and wild pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida) leaves can be dried and used to add mint flavor to tea mixes. When flowering, calamint and pennyroyal are very popular nectar sources for bees. The flowers of trailing porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis), too, can be used in tea, and are wildly popular with pollinators. Porterweed flowers possess a mild mushroom flavor and have long been used in commercial teas and to make beer (a bitter porter) in certain parts of the world. If wine is more to your liking, ferment the flowers of Spanish needles (Bidens alba), or eat them raw along with tender leaves that can also be sautéed. To incorporate lemon flavor to your beverage, use the roots, leaves and/or flowers of woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata).

Young leaves and stems of dollarweed (Hydrocotyle spp.) (yes, THAT dollarweed) are edible, too. If you run out of oregano to season your kitchen creations, substitute the leaves or flowers of spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata) to mimic the flavor. As its name implies, bee balm is a magnet for nectaring bees, so don’t remove too many of the flowers. Meadow garlic or wild onion (Allium canadense) is another source of vitamins A and C, which can be obtained by consuming the flowers, leaves, bulbs and seeds.

It has grass-like leaves and a cluster of white-pink flowers atop a central stalk, making it an attractive garden wildflower. Florida betony (Stachys floridana) is a common wildflower whose roots are white and bulbous and have similar taste and texture to a very mild radish. They can be included fresh in salads or pickled.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn how many native edible flora there are in our region. Perhaps the only thing more exciting than learning to identify new plant species is being able to eat them, too! To find more edible natives, read Peggy Sias Lantz’s book, Florida’s Edible Wild Plants: A Guide to Collecting and Cooking, and visit EatTheWeeds.com.

Katie Tripp, Ph.D., is the owner of Natural Beauty Native Florida Landscapes, LLC. She created her business to educate Floridians about the importance of utilizing native plants and to help residents create wildlife habitat. Tripp is an active member of the Pawpaw chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and a member of the Florida Association of Native Nurseries. Connect with her at 727-504-4740 or NaturalBeautyFlorida@gmail.com. See ad, below.

Natural Beauty

Native Florida Landscapes, LLC  Design  Installation  Maintenance

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December 2020

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health briefs

Retain Muscle Mass with Vitamin C

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“Bulking up” evokes images of bodybuilders and possible steroid use, but new research shows that older people that simply eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables have greater skeletal muscle mass than those that don’t eat these foods. Researchers from the UK’s University of East Anglia collected data from more than 13,000 people between 42 and 82 years old and reported in The Journal of Nutrition that the highest amounts of vitamin C correlated with the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass—an important finding, as people older than 50 typically lose half a percent of muscle fat each year, leading to frailty and a lower quality of life. Sixty percent of men in the study and 50 percent of women were not getting enough vitamin C from food or supplements. “We’re not talking about people needing megadoses.

Eating a citrus fruit such as an orange each day and having a vegetable side to a meal will be sufficient for most people,” says study co-author Richard Hayhoe.

Pile on the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. In a study of 684 older Australian women published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found those that ate more than 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables a day—about one-quarter cup of steamed broccoli or one-half cup of raw cabbage—were 46 percent less likely to have calcium buildup in the aorta, the main vessel carrying blood from the heart into the body. Fatty calcium deposits in the aorta are a key marker of vascular disease linked to heart attacks and strokes. “One particular constituent found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables is vitamin K, which may be involved in inhibiting the calcification process that occurs in our blood vessels,” says lead author Lauren Blekkenhorst, of Edith Cowan University, in Perth.

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Eat Cruciferous Veggies for Cleaner Blood Vessels

Nap Less for Heart Health ketut subiyanto/Pexels.com

For normal nighttime sleepers, taking a midday snooze for more than one hour may hurt cardiovascular health, reports a surprising new study from Guangzhou Medical University, in China.

After analyzing 20 studies of 313,651 people, researchers found those people that napped longer than 60 minutes after sleeping more than six hours at night had a 30 percent greater risk of death from any cause and a 34 percent higher risk of heart disease. However, for people sleeping less than six hours at night, naps of 30 to 45 minutes “might improve heart health,� says study author Zhe Pan. Napping, long thought to be healthy, is under increasing scrutiny, with some research linking it to high blood pressure, diabetes and poor overall physical health. A 2019 Swiss study, published in Heart, of 3,500 people concluded that napping once or twice a week reduces heart disease risk by 48 percent, but benefits decline with more frequent naps, perhaps because ongoing sleepiness can point to underlying health disorders.

For a Healthy Baby, Take a Multivitamin, Exercise and Ditch the Devices

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The simple step of taking a daily multivitamin during pregnancy can reduce the risk of autism in newborns by 38 percent, report Chinese researchers that analyzed nine studies of 231,163 children, of which 4,459 were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Another study from Kings College, London, of 1,555 obese, pregnant women, concluded that when they improved their diet and exercised, their children three years later had an average resting pulse rate of five beats per minute lower than the other children, a better glycemic response and slightly less obesity. Israeli research, published in the online journal Sleep, involving 116 men ages 21 to 59, found those that used smartphones and tablets in the evening and after bed-time had lower sperm quality with reduced counts and motility. Watching TV, another lightemitting source, during the evening also correlated with lower sperm concentration.

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Buy Local December 2020

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global briefs

Tainted Taps

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WellExplorer App Can Warn of Toxic Drinking Water

The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has created WellExplorer, a new, interactive tool that allows residents and scientists to find out what toxins have been deposited in their drinking water as a result of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Exposure to fracking fluid in drinking water has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory problems, premature births, congenital heart defects and other health problems.

Different fracking sites use a diverse mix of chemical ingredients, and individuals and researchers are often uninformed about the exact health consequences of living near a particular well. People can view the closest fracking sites in their state, learn which chemicals are used at those sites and view their levels of toxicity by entering their zip code.

WellExplorer can be obtained for free at WellExplorer.org or downloaded on Apple’s App store.

A recent study published in the journal Database found that operators of wells in Alabama use a disproportionately high number of chemicals that target estrogen pathways, as do those in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania in impacting testosterone pathways. The information found through WellExplorer might be particularly relevant for those that use private water wells.

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eco tip

’TIS THE SEASON TO SAVE THE PLANET When the holiday classic Jingle Bells starts playing in department stores, Americans deck the landfills with extra trash. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), garbage increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day— or about 1 million extra tons each week—including 38,000 miles of ribbon, $11 billion worth of packing material and 15 million discarded Christmas trees.

As this waste decomposes, dangerous greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are emitted, adding to the climate crisis. This season, include Earth on the gift list by reducing holidayrelated waste.

To stop the uptick of mailed catalogs, call stores and request to be removed from mailing lists.

Reusable shopping bags are not just for groceries. Bring them to malls and boutiques to cut down on single-use store bags.

Wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are beautiful, but create waste. Consider eco-friendly alternatives like towels, tablecloths, scarves and even socks.

According to NEEF, an estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold in the U.S. every year. That’s enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. Be kind to the planet by switching to e-cards or making personal phone calls.

At the holiday table, use cloth napkins and tablecloths instead of paper. They’re festive, elegant and best of all, washable and reusable.

Forgo plastic cutlery, paper plates and single-use plastic cups, too. An extra dishwasher load is better than bags full of trash, plastic being the

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Eco-Friendly Holiday Ideas

worst non-biodegradable culprit.

Social-distancing Americans are expected to flock to the internet for gifts. Consider saving the shipping boxes and packing materials for later use or donating them to a mailing center that would be happy to reuse them.

The most environmentally friendly gifts eliminate wrapping and shipping altogether. Here are some favorite low-waste ideas: n Charitable donations n Cooking, music, craft or other lessons n Passes to museums or amusement parks n Gift cards for restaurants or bookstores n Music downloads or spa treatments Most towns recycle Christmas trees and process them into mulch for use in parks. Contact a local waste management agency for details.

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A New Story for the World

Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet

by Linda Sechrist

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he most familiar form of human activity and the most natural way to describe what happens in our lives is through telling stories. Toddlers listen to stories that have contained the same archetypal characters acting out similar plots for millennia. In literature, folktales and myths all over the world, stories serve the purpose of providing life instructions and answering humanity’s fundamental questions about the nature of existence, such as who we are, where we came from, the definition of our purpose and the nature of our reality.

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In the 1980s, author and cultural historian Thomas Berry declared that humanity needed a new story that is less destructive and dysfunctional. Berry filled lecture halls, telling attendees, “We are in trouble now because we don’t have a good story. The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, isn’t functioning properly. What once sustained us, shaped our emotional attitude, provided us with life purpose, energized action, consecrated suffering, integrated knowledge and guided education is no longer serving humanity.” As we are discovering globally through hard experience, the old stories of rugged individualism and conquering and dominating the natural world have run their course with grim results.

In the last four decades, fragments of a new story have been slowly emerging.

Because it isn’t deemed worthy of mainstream media, the public is left in the dark about new, life-instructing stories capable of altering human civilization in positive ways. Were these story fragments woven together in an anthology, chapters on climate, economy, religion, environment, science, politics, medicine, education, conscious evolution and community would constitute a useful account of ideas and concepts capable of bringing about a brighter future for humanity and the planet. These possibilities would surely capture readers’ imaginations.

New Climate Story

In Climate: A New Story, writer and activist Charles Eisenstein suggests that we need a new story that makes possible the

New Science Story

Evolution biologist Elisabet Sahtouris’ stories about science shine a light on the broader perspective of life and science gained from studying multiple worldviews.

A scholar of ancient sciences, Sahtouris reminds us that the original purpose of science was to find guidance for human affairs by studying nature. During a recent conversation with Ubiquity University founder Jim Garrison in the online Humanity Rising’s Global Solutions Summit, she says, “We have acted in opposition and made ecology subservient to our economy, using ecology as a set of resources for human economics. When we make our economy fit into nature’s economy, which we call ecology, we’ll have ecosophy, the ‘wisdom of the Earth itself ’ that occurs when a man knows how to listen with love.”

Sahtouris teaches corporations about ecosophy’s new view of a conscious universe and a living Earth in which we are co-creators. This, she believes, takes humans out of fatalistic victimhood so that we can become consciously active agents of our destiny. Lifting the fog of our

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more beautiful world our hearts know is achievable. The story, which he believes is attainable, calls for people, governments and organizations to embrace a partnership paradigm to protect, restore, regenerate and repair damages to our planet’s natural world, which we call the environment. Using indigenous wisdom, organizations such as the Pachamama Alliance and Bioneers are helping individuals worldwide to recognize that humanity is here to be in service to life. Creating the right conditions for revitalizing life is the opposite of our collective story that views the natural world only as a resource.

Eisenstein’s ideas for regenerative agriculture match those described in environmentalist Paul Hawken’s Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. In October, Drawdown Georgia became the first state-centered effort to crowd-solve for climate change, with solutions tailored to Georgia’s unique natural, economic and social resources.

self-image as consumers of stuff gives humans the rights and responsibilities to live out our full co-creative humanity.

A Global Commons Sharing Solutions

Through the daily sharing of stories with keynote speakers and panel discussions, Garrison increases the momentum of the Humanity Rising movement, which includes Ubiquity University students, program participants and more than 400 organizations that come together as a “global commons” to take counsel and share what they are developing for their own networks.

Humanity Rising was launched to try to leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increase our resilience to future challenges. This new form of real-life competency education delivered in TED Talk-style presentations, moderated dialogues, working groups, blogs, ongoing conversations, group discussions and other interactions provides participants a wide scope of possibilities and activities for working together for global solutions.

Economics Story

If British economist Kate Raworth writes a follow-up to her bestselling book Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, she’ll certainly add a case study of her consulting work in Amsterdam, where her donut model is now embraced as the starting point for public policy decisions. Amsterdam is the world’s first city to make a commitment to Raworth’s concepts: “Out with the global attachment to economic growth and laws of supply and demand, and in with … what it means for countries, cities and people to thrive in balance with the planet,” as reported in The Guardian. The simple central premise of Raworth’s alternative to growth economics is that the goal of economic activity should be to meet the core needs of all within the means of the planet.

Interconnectedness

Author Robert Atkinson’s contribution to the new story is his understanding of the underlying unity in all religions and all humanity, expressed throughout his book The December 2020

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Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness. “Nature is an embodiment of the divine, and the whole Earth is sacred. Its vast resources are our common heritage entrusted to us,” he says. “Humanity is one family. Having passed through the stage of childhood, humanity is now struggling to leave behind its adolescent ways while taking on new patterns of thought and action in approaching its maturity. Accepting the oneness of humanity as a biological fact, a social necessity and a spiritual reality will lead us further along our journey toward lasting peace.”

Atkinson believes global harmony is inevitable when we exercise our obligation to independently investigate reality and stop blindly and uncritically following various traditions, movements and opinions. He says, “I consider this as one of the main sources of world conflict.”

Undivided Wholeness

In a world engulfed by fragmentation, the film Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm is a healing balm with the potential to overturn our ideas about the world and ourselves.

“The core work of David Bohm, considered one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, is our essential interconnectedness and undivided wholeness from which we get a sense of our own interconnectivity,” says producer and director Paul Howard. “This realization makes it logical to start taking better care of ourselves, each other and planet Earth.”

Howard notes, “David was interested in the nature of thought and consciousness. Realizing that he wanted to develop full expression of his interests, he explored wider domains and investigated different worldviews with sages, philosophers and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama, who called David his ‘science guru’. A lifelong concern with social and political change led him to develop the Bohm Dialogue, a form of communication aiming to break through our collective modes of habitual thought. He also spent time with indigenous people, searching for a new form of language in which to express his ideas in a more process-oriented way.”

Indigenous Wisdom

While the early church developed and grew in numbers by assimilating the wisdom of the world about it, including paganism, it neglected to assimilate the intuitive ways in that indigenous people knew the natural world, how it functioned and how intimately they were integrated with it.

Tribes around the globe have ancient extinction stories that foretold the crises we are collectively experiencing, as well as potential outcomes and possible solutions. In Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change, Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset) tells the story of the Mohawk Seventh Generation Prophecy. “The Onkwehonwe, or real people, rise up and demand their wisdom and way of life be respected and that the natural way of the Earth and way of life be fully restored. Teachings on the indigenous way of life are being sought after, and all that remains is that we work together to restore the Earth to a state of balance and good health,” she says.

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Medicine and Community

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Thousands of people are gathering in online intentional communities associated with personal growth, healing and spiritual awakening. Jennifer Phelps, M.D., owner and director of Phelps MD Integrative Medicine, in Redding, Connecticut, practices mind-body medicine and is a faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, in Washington, D.C. A trained facilitator of small groups, she has been teaching trauma and stress healing via Zoom calls during the pandemic.

Initially, Phelps was concerned about how the levels of intimacy, trust and vulnerability necessary for individuals to develop a sense of cohesiveness and bonding could be formed via computer screens. By using the center’s model of self-care, selfawareness and mutual support that has its roots in indigenous culture, she felt her concern dissipate as group members began to bond quickly. “Our guidelines call for no cross-talking and no interrupting. Confidentiality is sacred. I’m a facilitator and a participant, which most models don’t allow,” says Phelps. She speculates that the success of online bonding might be due to participants feeling safer in their homes with a little extra anonymity, noting, “Not being face-to-face seems to allow people to share more freely. These weird times are creating a commonality and a sense of community connection.”

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Conscious Choice

Leah Lamb, a sacred storyteller in Topanga, California, defines her role as a seer far beyond the present moment. In Lamb’s online classes with her storytelling community, she loves sharing quotes by other storytellers such as Rebecca Solnit, “We think we tell stories; but stories often tell us … Too often stories saddle us, and they ride us and whip us onward and tell us what to do and we do it without questioning. The task of learning to be free is to learn to hear them; to question them, to pause and hear silence, to name them and then become a storyteller of your own story.”

“In our role of storyteller, we can’t be without understanding that we tell stories about how we are in the world as much as stories tell us how to be in world. Identify and notice your stories, then understand how they are running you, so you can consciously choose your place in them,” advises Lamb, who encourages her students to discover the genius of their own calling.

These are only some chapters in the new story that calls for each of us to be aware of the stories we live by, as well as those we tell ourselves and others. It also begs us to ask what is our role in the new story.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

Connect at LindaSechrist.com.

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Image Courtesy of Josh Pridgen

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green living

PAY WHERE WE PLAY Boosting the Hometown Economy

by Sandra Yeyati

A I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one race–the human race–and that we are all members of it. ~Margaret Atwood 16

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message we hear throughout the year, but especially during the holidays, is, “Buy local.” The idea is to purchase from locally owned and operated businesses. Facing competition from big chains like Walmart or internet companies like Amazon, they need our support. But it’s not just a nice thing to do; consumers that buy local help build robust hometown economies with a long list of impressive benefits.

“About three dozen studies have found that two to four times more money stays in the economy for every dollar spent in a locally owned business rather than a nonlocal one,” says economist Michael Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution, Put Your Money Where Your Life Is and The Local Economy Solution. “What’s more, the community enjoys a multiplier effect, generating two to four times more job opportunities, two to four times more income and two to four times greater tax collections. If your interest is in reducing poverty and raising social equality, locally owned businesses are your ticket to doing so.”

According to Shuman, cities that rely on just one or two large companies to drive their economies are far less self-reliant and less resilient than towns that support a diversified base of smaller, locally owned businesses. “The more you have control over your economy, the less likely you’re going to be hurt if one big company splits for Mexico,” he explains.

Cities that have many thriving local businesses enjoy other benefits, too. “We know from political science studies that they have higher rates of voting participation and vol-

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unteering,” Shuman says. “Sociology studies show lower crime and greater degrees of social organization and civil society.

Health studies reveal that local business communities replace a lot of unhealthy, imported food with healthier, fresher, lesspackaged food that lowers rates of diabetes and obesity. Unique local businesses attract tourists. And because they shorten the lines of distribution and supply, we know they bring down carbon footprint.”

Phoenix business leader Kimber Lanning, who opened a record store in 1987 and an art gallery in 1999, has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of local commerce. “Doing business with people we know heightens our connection to place, and when we care about place, we’re more likely to vote, volunteer and give charitably.”

In 2003, Lanning founded the nonprofit Local First Arizona (LFA) to help local businesses thrive and eventually eliminate city, state and federal subsidies that multinational companies were receiving.

“Big chains move in, claiming they’re going to drive so much sales tax revenue that the city should pay them to be there,” she explains. “Cabela’s [the outfitter chain] got a $68 million subsidy from Glendale to open one retail location. These sweetheart deals extract money out of the community that could have been spent on parks, libraries and fire departments, but instead goes to shareholders living elsewhere.” Respond-

ing to political pressure by LFA and others, Arizona passed a law banning these subsidies five years ago—a major victory—leveling the playing field for smaller businesses, according to Lanning.

As the author of 13 destination guidebooks, Florida-based travel journalist

Karen T. Bartlett helps people discover the often-hidden flavors and experiences unique to their own region, meeting neighbors and supporting the local economy along the way. “From kayak adventures and foodie tours to community theater productions and galleries featuring local artists, fun and meaningful ways to enjoy the distinctive offerings of home abound,” she says.

“Think local first,” Lanning says. “Spend your money with people you know in your community—from haircuts to oil changes.

Use a local pharmacy. Go to the farmers’ market and move your money to community banks and credit unions.”

“For people to get excited about the purchase of a five-dollar hammer and not pay attention to where they have their mortgage is utterly irrational. Rank [in] order your business expenditures, which starts with your home, then probably goes to your car and then health care, and think about ways of localizing those things, rather than every grocery item,” Shuman advises.

“Usually, you find cheaper, better-quality goods and services, or at the very least, comparable options,” he says, adding that even if a purchase is slightly more expensive or a bit less convenient, favoring the neighborhood vendor is always going to benefit the local economy.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer.

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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conscious eating

The Gift of Yum Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer

by April Thompson

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ift-givers seeking memorable presents while avoiding holiday shopping stress need look no further than the kitchen. Edible homemade gifts make special, welcome treats, help slow down the shopping frenzy of the season and increase creativity in the kitchen. While 79 percent of recipients return some holiday gifts every year, food and handmade items rank in the top 10 treasured gifts, according to Survey Monkey research.

Mackenzie Burgess, a Fort Collins, Colorado, dietitian and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, encourages holiday gift-givers to think beyond the Christmas cookie. One of her go-to holiday gifts, a lentil and brown rice dry soup mix, features colorful dry ingredients layered in a Mason jar and the recipe attached with a pretty ribbon. “This shelf-stable dry soup mix is the perfect, plant-based meal to make on a chilly night, and makes for a unique, affordable and thoughtful gift,” says Burgess, adding that the Mason jars can be repurposed.

For a sweet but healthy treat, Burgess offers freezer-friendly energy bites, which can be made in large quantities in advance and frozen or refrigerated, then popped into jars at gift time. These gluten-free, vegan treats can be made with common pantry items, including a base of oats, nut butter and a sweetener like honey or agave, as well as “fixings” such as shredded coconut, dried cranberries or goji berries, chopped nuts, or chia or flax seeds to boost the flavor and nutrition. Natural food coloring can also be added to foster a more festive look.

To give a gift a “wow” factor, blogger Shelley Fulton, in Hudson, Ohio, recommends making a themed basket that may include a mix of homemade and purchased items.

“You can take your signature spice rub or that homemade soup mix everyone raves about and expand into a gift basket with other products that support the theme, like barbecue tools for the spice rub or a kettle with cute soup bowls and a new ladle for the soup mix,” says Fulton, the creator of Two Healthy Kitchens. For the dog lovers on a holiday list, Fulton suggests making homemade sweet potato dog biscuits, which can be bundled in a dog bed with other canine comforts.

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Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Creative Kitchen: Seasonal Plant Based Recipes for Meals, Drinks, Garden and Self Care, suggests handcrafted items like infused vinegars, herb salts, herbal tea blends or spice mixes for foodies on the holiday gift list.

Infused concoctions can be easily made by steeping a light vinegar like champagne or cider with rosemary, thyme or other perennial herbs, along with a spiraled citrus peel, for two weeks before gifting. “Infused vinegars look so lovely and go with so many winter dishes. They also have the advantage of being antiviral and having the shelf life of a few years,” says Hafferty.

Herb-infused olive oils make another gorgeous foodie gift, but Hafferty warns of botulism risk if the herbs are not completely dried beforehand and fully submerged in the oil. “Make this one closer to the time you plan to give it and include instructions to use within a few weeks,” recommends the Somerset, England, author.

Unusual spice mixes are another favorite gift of Hafferty’s, which can encourage home cooks to get creative. “Ras el Hanout is a versatile Moroccan spice blend that elevates dishes to another dimension. You can upcycle an old tin and decorate it with images of Moroccan tiles and add a homemade booklet with recipe ideas,” she says.

For a hostess gift that will be eaten immediately, Fulton loves making fruit kabob bouquets, made festive by using red and green fruits like strawberries and kiwi cut into holiday-themed shapes like stars and bells. “This is a fun one to make with kiddos,” adds the blogger.

If concerned about preparing food items for someone due to COVID-19, Fulton suggests assembling a countertop herb garden or a handmade book of favorite recipes, with a promise to cook together soon.

The spirit that goes into holiday gift-making matters as much as the end product. Making thoughtful presents for loved ones is a great time to reflect upon our blessings, especially those that have blessed our lives this year.

Connect with Washington, D.C., freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

Holiday Gift-Giving Recipes Lentil Brown Rice Soup

Christmas Cocoa Crunch Bark

yield: 6 servings

yield: 30 pieces

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

If presenting the soup mix as a gift, layer dry ingredients in a Mason jar and print recipe to attach to the jar.

Add dry soup ingredients and 8 cups of water to the same large stock pot (unless starting with this step). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, covered with a lid.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve with crusty bread and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Optional: 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 Tbsp canola oil 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Optional: Sauté onion in oil in a large stock pot over high heat for 3 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes.

Ras el Hanout Spice Mix This is lovely sprinkled onto roasting vegetables or added to falafel mixes, soups, stews and tagines.

1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp fennel seeds

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.

2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick, ground 1 tsp smoked paprika or red pepper flakes 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cayenne (optional for spicier version) 5 star anise ½ tsp ground cloves Seeds from 10 cardamom pods 1 tsp dried rose petals

Toast raw quinoa over medium-high heat until slightly browned and nutty aroma.

In a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder and melted coconut oil. Stir in toasted quinoa, maple syrup and stevia.

Pour mixture onto a plate or sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

Sprinkle pistachios, dried cranberries, candied oranges and salt over the melted chocolate mixture. Drizzle white chocolate over the top and use a toothpick to create swirl effect if desired.

Freeze for 1 hour. Break into pieces and enjoy. Store leftovers in freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.

Dry roast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, fennel and star anise in a cast-iron skillet until lightly toasted. This takes a minute or two and smells gorgeous. Cool and mix with the other ingredients, grinding in a pestle and mortar or spice blender until the mixture resembles a fine powder.

Store in a glass-lidded container. This spicy mix is good for up to six months.

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

1 cup green or brown lentils ½ cup uncooked brown rice ½ cup green split peas 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 1 Tbsp dried parsley 1 Tbsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 large vegetable bouillon cubes (1 cube should be equivalent to 1 Tbsp of granulated bouillon) 8 cups water

½ cup 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened ½ cup coconut oil, melted 2 Tbsp raw quinoa 2 Tbsp maple syrup ¼ tsp stevia ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp candied orange, diced in small pieces ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt 2 Tbsp white chocolate, melted (optional)

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Energy Bites yield: 12 large bites or 24 small bites

1 cup rolled oats or quick oats ½ cup add-ins (dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, chopped nuts or a mixture) ½ cup nut or seed butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sun butter) 1 Tbsp liquid (plant-based milk, dairy milk, water, coconut oil) 2-3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup Add oats, add-ins, nut or seed butter, and liquid to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Mixture should be slightly sticky, but still crumbly.

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Add in honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired sweetness. Stir until mixture starts to come together in a sticky ball. If the mixture is still too dry, add in 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid.

Place bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill, then roll mixture into balls using hands.

Store in the fridge until ready to eat or pack into a jar for a gift. Store any leftovers in fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

These energy bites are the perfect snack to grab and go. They’re completely customizable and take 5 minutes or less to make. It’s easy to create festive, colored bites for the holidays. Simply add one-quarter cup of oats into a bowl with 15-30 drops of food coloring and give it a stir. Then, simply roll your finished balls in the food-colored oats.

Rosemary-Infused Vinegar This fragrant, versatile vinegar makes a delightful holiday gift that can be enjoyed for months. Rosemary vinegar is delicious in salad dressings, sprinkled on vegetables (it is especially good on Brussels sprouts, cabbage and other brassicas) or added to sauces and homemade mayonnaise. It is also an excellent natural cleaner.

Fresh sprigs rosemary Light vinegar (organic apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar) Clean bottles Labels Wash the bottles and lids until they sparkle and then dry them thoroughly. Shake the rosemary sprigs to dislodge any dirt or insects if taken from the garden, then rinse and air dry.

Cut the rosemary so that it is two inches shorter than the bottle. This is so that all of the herb will be submerged in the vinegar.

Place two sprigs of rosemary into each bottle. Cover with vinegar until the bottle is almost full and replace the lid.

Label creatively; a small sprig of dried rosemary tied to the outside of the bottle is a nice touch.

The vinegar will store for a long time in the refrigerator. When using in the kitchen, the level of vinegar will fall below the sprigs. When this happens, remove the rosemary—the vinegar will still taste of the herb. Use up any vinegar past its best as a bathroom cleaner.

Recipes courtesy of Stephanie Hafferty.

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Open Monday - Saturday

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fit body

The Portland-based co-author of The Nia Technique points to the fun factor. “I believe that when you stop exercising and start moving, anything you do can bring you enjoyment. Do things that leave you feeling successful and motivated to do them again.”

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Breath as a Compass

Mind-Body Fitness How Mindfulness Benefits Workouts

W

by Marlaina Donato

hen mindfulness approaches are applied to fitness training—which can be as simple as breathing consciously and tuning into subtle body sensations— the results can be fewer injuries, improved immunity, a lowered stress response, a brighter mood and a deeper commitment to staying fit. Being in the present moment can also spark enjoyment.

Research shows that mindfulness training can also significantly raise self-esteem, and women that cultivate meditative self-compassion experience a boost in acceptance of and satisfaction with their bodies.

“In nature, the bigger the eye of the storm, the more powerful the winds, suggesting that our workout potential and enjoyment is dependent not on how hard we push, but how calm and self-aware we can be,” says John Douillard, DC, author of Body, Mind, and Sport and the founder of LifeSpa, in Boulder, Colorado. “Slowing down and being aware of the body allows the mind to attend to muscles, which can increase blood supply, lymph drainage and replace a potentially damaging fight-or-flight response during a workout with a rejuvenating parasympathetic response.”

Tapping into Contentment Mindful fitness instructor Ellen Barrett, in Washington Depot, Connecticut, offers clients a full-body experience with a fusion of movement forms and weight training. “We think mindfulness is some sort of yoga thing, but everything can become mindful. Jumping jacks and biceps curls can be mindful. It’s not the movement, but the awareness behind the movement. Mindfulness is about being present.”

Adding in balance training, tai chi and Pilates, and swapping a bit less time on the treadmill for a few moments of meditation or visualizing positive results can go a long way, say fitness experts. Debbie Rosas, founder and co-creator of Nia—a body-mind conditioning program anchored in martial arts and modern dance—underscores the importance of listening to cues. “Notice any areas that feel tight, blocked, rigid and bound.

This wisdom through felt sense and awareness will immediately alert you to stop, adjust and slow down.”

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Practicing conscious breathing fortifies the positive impact of exercise and can prevent injuries like hernias that can arise when the breath is held during heavy lifting. “One of the most powerful tools for mindfulness during a workout is following your breath.

Mindfulness is the key, but it’s hard to be mindful when you’re breathing 26,000 times a day into the upper chest, activating a fight-or-flight response,” says Douillard.

Breathing through the nose instead of the mouth during exercise bolsters mindfulness, and as Douillard has demonstrated in studies, causes brain waves to shift from stressed beta waves to a meditative alpha state. “It takes longer to fully inhale and exhale during nose breathing, which creates a baseline of calm,” she says. “Don’t rush. Be aware of the body breathing and feel each muscle contracting and relaxing with each rep and stretch.”

Chicago-based fitness expert Stephanie Mansour, host of the PBS weekly Step it Up with Steph show, concurs. “Sync your breath with your movement. Mindfully transition from exercise to exercise.” Mansour also suggests working out next to a mirror to improve alignment and avoiding the distraction that can come with having a workout buddy. “Another trick to improve form is to put on headphones and zone out by listening to white noise so that you have no distraction,” she says.

Exercising with deep body-presence is something we do for ourselves. “If you’re really paying attention, you can steer yourself towards invigoration and away from irritation. The body is always providing feedback, but we’re often too ‘out of body’ to notice. Giving full attention to your body is a big gift of self-love,” says Barrett.

“Breathe. Move. Be free,” adds Mansour.

“This is your dedicated ‘me’ time and you can use it to feel good about yourself.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

More Helpful Tips Body scan from Ellen Barrett:

Breathing tip from Stephanie Mansour:

Establish a body scan ritual before working out. Either sitting or standing, close your eyes and take a second or two to focus on each part of the body with your mind’s eye. Start with the feet and then move up to the ankles, legs, spine, etc.

Inhale on the easier movement and exhale on the more challenging movement. For example, inhale as you bend down into a squat and exhale as you press up to standing.

Pull your belly button in toward your spine in all workouts.

Engage your core whether you’re working your legs, arms, back or chest.

Nasal breathing from John Douillard: Establish a comfortable, slow, nasal breathing rhythm in the beginning of your workout and try to maintain that throughout your practice. Give it time. It will take about three weeks of nose breathing practice to begin to run at the same pace or lift the same weight as you did before as a fight-or-flight mouth breather.

To begin: Breathe deeply in and out through the nose with each rep on the weight machine and lengthen your nasal breathing during cardio [workouts]. As soon as your nasal breath rhythm begins to speed up or you have to open your mouth to breathe, slow down and reestablish a comfortable rhythm of nasal breathing again. Once the mindful calm has been reset, begin to increase your intensity, letting the nose breathing set the pace.

Workout advice from Debbie Rosas: Do some research if you are new to working out.

Go online and look for a teacher you feel aligned with in philosophy and workout approach.

Build slowly. Exercise teachers are trained to inspire you. Their inspiration can push you.

Always do less than what you see and build when your body says, “I am ready for more. Let’s move faster and in a larger range of motion.”

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healthy kids

REINVENT THE HOLIDAYS

This pandemic season offers “a chance to reset expectations if festive gift-giving has become excessive in recent years,” says Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy. “Perhaps most important is to have a conversation with children about buying less stuff and avoiding waste,” she adds.

“They may have their own ideas about how to reduce waste and relish the challenge of thinking about what they really want.”

More Meaning, Less Stuff

by Ronica O’Hara

dglimages/AdobeStock.com

Getting Creative

L

ike many parents, Alicia Hough, a corporate wellness expert in New York, used to go overboard plying her kids with gifts at Christmas. “I was always busy with work, which is why I thought that buying my children the latest or most trending toy in the market will make up for the time I’ve lost,” she recalls. “As kids, they indeed get excited with material gifts, but that joy is just temporary, and that’s what I realized throughout this pandemic. In the end, it’s the relationship with people you value that matters, and not these material things or celebrations.”

Hough, who considers the pandemic a turning point, is not alone. In this turbulent year, holiday celebrations will likely be smaller, quieter and less opulent for many families. Yet the crisis has also set the stage for families “to create a holiday that is more in keeping with their values, finding deeper connection and meaning with less rushing around and spending less money,” says Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist and author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids.

Besides passing up traveling and parties for cozy pajama times, many families are seriously rethinking their gift-giving habits. Although presents are a beloved part of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations, many families have come to wonder how the shopping and spending has gotten so out of hand. According to Investopedia, in 2019, the average American spent $942 on holiday gifts, a figure that has steadily mounted in the last decade to total $1 trillion. An estimated $16 billion worth of those gifts are unappreciated and tossed aside, reports Moneyish.

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For Evan Porter, of Milton, Georgia, a parenting writer at DadFixesEverything.com, “Less clutter and fewer gifts are something we’ve been working toward anyway.” This year, he and his wife plan to drastically pare down their kids’ gifts, possibly using this formula: “Something to read, something to wear, something you want and something you need.” Instead of presents under a tree, Dawna Campbell, of Bigfork, Montana, founder of ThetaHeartHealing. com, will give her kids an unplugged (and coronavirus-compliant) nature retreat where they can investigate the natural environment, work with animals and journal about how to make the world a better place.

For parents that want to embrace creativity, low costs and sustainability this holiday season, Kempton suggests the following gift-giving ideas: n Build anticipation with a treasure hunt or by opening presents over a period of time. n Incorporate a sense of wonderment with a wooden magic set or a storybook written by either or both parents that stars the child. n Surprise the children by transforming a room in the house into a winter wonderland or turning the garden shed into Santa’s grotto. n Offer a parent’s time, skills and attention in the form of promissory notes or a small token that indicates a future shared experience, such as a jar of

homemade marshmallows tied with a label promising a family camping trip. n Give children items that they can use or eat that are handmade by the parents. n Invoke a sense of nostalgia that prompts family storytelling, such as a jigsaw that summons memories of putting together a puzzle with a grandfather 50 years ago. n Celebrate environmental stewardship by planting and growing a Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush.

Even gift wrapping can become a fun and eco-smart family game by challenging everyone to creatively repurpose everything from old maps and fabrics to magazines and paper bags, perhaps decorated with artwork and nature finds. If every American family wrapped just three presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However they are wrapped, gifts demonstrate in these unprecedented times that deep joy comes not from acquiring new stuff, but from caring for and giving to each other—especially our children. “In the end, the most precious gift parents can give their children this holiday is their attention, infused with a little bit of festive magic,” says Kempton.

I

Gentle Self-Care for Parents

t’s been a long, hard year for many parents, and working to make the holidays special for the children may add another layer of stress and anxiety. That’s why it’s key to acknowledge any sadness one is experiencing.

“Feelings of melancholy are a reality for many people over the holidays, and this year it is likely to affect more of us than usual, given how so many of us have lost someone or something this year,” says Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy. “It is vital to acknowledge these feelings and accommodate them, whilst also making space for joy. This comes down to talking about it, letting people know what you need or asking what they need and being prepared for the emotions to rise to the surface in the middle of things.” She suggests “putting some slack in your schedule, taking extra care of your health, reaching out for support and giving yourself permission to do things differently this year.”

Ronica O’Hara, a Denver-based health writer, can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

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Instilling the Giving Spirit in Kids

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hildren love getting gifts, but they also love the feeling of giving them, and the holidays are an optimal time to encourage this natural human impulse. Giving helps build their empathy and compassion muscles, which in turn makes for happier, more fulfilled lives, studies show.

Care for the community. “So many families have been devastated by COVID-19 and fires this year. And many of us have become aware of the cost of institutional racism to families of color,” says psychologist Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids. “Why not discuss and decide on a family gift to make the world a better place? You could decide how much you would normally have spent on presents and give some portion of that away to help people who are struggling or support a cause that is important to you.”

Simple steps like giving neighbors homemade cookies or candies tied with ribbons can also do much to lift holiday spirits.

With her kids, Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy, makes up a batch of mince pie to share. “We might be wearing masks, along with Santa hats, and leaving the holiday treats on doorsteps instead of going in our neighbors’ homes this year, but we can still share holiday cheer,” she says. Alexandra Fung, CEO of the parent networking site UpParent.com, says her family in Chicago will provide gift boxes for families in need through their church or a local nonprofit and may work together to make blankets

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Bridging the hug gap. With grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends less likely to be sitting around the table this year, having kids open those presents when the loved ones are on the other side of the Zoom or FaceTime screen can help ease the pain of the time apart. Or children can put together a love package for them that includes drawings and notes to be opened on the other end of a livestream virtual gathering.

for traumatized and ill children using patterns supplied by the nonprofit Project Linus.

We are the world. Another approach is to give children a small sum to donate, perhaps $10 or $20, and encourage them to find a cause they care about in town or by researching online—from putting money in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle to saving rainforest animals. Or encourage them to find a humanitarian or environmental project to focus on over the holidays. At UpParent.com, kids can find 11 ways to help others around the world without leaving the house, like turning old jeans into shoes to help Ugandan children fight parasites or helping to track animals in the wild. The National Environmental Education Foundation at NeefUSA.org lists dozens of at-home projects for kids, such as doing a home-energy audit, creating a compost pile and helping to identify wildlife caught on camera for a digital database.

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healing ways

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Breathing into Self-Expression

SING TO HEAL

Using the Voice to Uplift Mind and Body

by Marlaina Donato

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ccording to growing research, singing along to a favorite musical or joining a local choir can be good for our health. From college students to patients with Parkinson’s disease, everyone can benefit, regardless of talent. Singing naturally fosters endorphins, amps up immunity levels and lowers the stress hormone cortisol.

A study by the UK University of East Anglia published in 2017 in The BMJ’s Medical Humanities shows that group singing—along with the positivity of social interaction— supports and improves mental health in people with depression and anxiety. Singing for the Brain, a program created by The Alzheimer’s Society, has been shown to improve memory, mood and the ability to socialize for people with dementia.

“I feel singing can be significant to mental well-being and healing from an injury or cancer, while in recovery from substance abuse, or to help cope with trauma. Additional benefits may include pain management,” says Tamera Anderson-Hanna, a licensed mental health counselor and the owner of Wellness, Therapy & Yoga, in Miami.

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“When we sing, we dive straight into a conscious bodily experience that brings us into immediate connection with our bodies. Singing, especially repetitive singing where we can start to regulate a breath cycle and elongate it, gets us deeply oxygenated,” says Daisy Press, a professional singer and vocal teacher in New York City.

There’s no right or wrong way to reap the benefits of music. A few years into her professional career, Press took a group lesson with a North Indian raga teacher and experienced a deep inner shift. “I was allowed to enjoy the feeling of singing that one note and my mind turned off. I felt the intonation itself in my body—in waves, shapes and colors. Intonation itself became a real living energy that felt essentially good, restorative and healing.”

Lea Longo, a Montreal-based meditation mindfulness coach and musician, concurs.

“Singing has been my way to relax, not only my mind, but my body, as well. It uses the breath, a vital tool for health. It’s my go-to place to feel better. I just sing when I need a boost, and it works for me.”

Resonance, Mantra and Humming “The voice can be considered a healing tool for the fact that it is directly related to resonance in the body,” explains Longo.

“We can think of our voice as a tuning fork to ‘tune’ ourselves and use it as a way to heal internally through the vibrations and sounds we produce.” Using sound is a subtle energy therapy that can help heal emotional or physical distress, he says.

Mantra, the recitation of specific words or traditionally sacred chants, is not a religion, but simply a method to quell mental chatter. “Mantras are vibrational tools that can be practiced by any faith or spiritual practice.”

In her work, Anderson-Hanna makes the mantra personal. “I often teach individuals how to create their own mantra and how to challenge their thinking using positive affirmations. The mantra I teach

is most often a personal reflection of ‘I am’ statements they can aspire to, versus negative or defeating thoughts.”

Humming, another way to open the voice for healing, is the least intimidating for many people, but packs a powerful punch. “Out of all the many healing sounds I’ve worked with, I find that humming is the most effective because it is so inclusive—everyone can hum. Physiologically, humming reduces heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. Many different beneficial hormones and chemicals are released, including endorphins, oxytocin, melatonin and nitric oxide,” says Jonathan Goldman, co-author of The Humming Effect and director of the Sound Healers Association, in Boulder, Colorado. “The importance of nitric oxide is coming more into light since it is a vasodilator and has anti-viral qualities.” In addition, humming stimulates the vagus nerve, which reduces inflammation and enhances immunity.

Whether we sing children to sleep at night or learn to sing jazz, using our voices can be good medicine. Goldman reminds us, “There are so many different ways that sound can positively shift and change us.”

Marlaina Donato is a recording artist and author. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Starting Off Singing

Humming and Singing Tips to Try From Tamera Anderson-Hanna, an Uplifting Playlist: “I encourage my clients if they need to boost their mood to create a happy and uplifting playlist to sing or listen to—the same advice I used for myself when healing from breast cancer and experiencing setbacks.”

From Jonathan Goldman, Conscious Humming: “Find a place where you will not be disturbed. Begin by taking some nice deep breaths in and out.

Choose a purpose or intention. Do you want to assist with a headache? Do you want to reduce your stress? Do you want to send this sound to a specific part of your body?

Hum a tone on one note that is comfortable. Do this at least five times so that you can become aware of how the hum is resonating in your head or body, and then hum for five minutes, if possible.

Be in a place of silence for at least a minute or more after you have created the hum and be aware of what you experience. Note: Because the hum has so many powerful effects, people often become lightheaded (and very relaxed) when they practice conscious humming.”

From Lea Longo, Mantra Tips: “If you have never used or chanted a mantra before, I would recommend starting with the universal mantra Aum or Om. It is simple and easy to pronounce. Start with five minutes a day for 30 days and increase the time as you feel fit. As you get more comfortable with the sound of your voice, you will develop a practice and habit. The shower is a great place to start to overcome self-consciousness.”

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natural pet

HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Homemade Recipes They Will Love

C

leah kelleyPexels.com

by Tonya Wilhelm

ooking for our pets is a great way to ensure they are eating wholesome, nutritional foods. It’s also a fun way to customize a pet treat recipe to meet specific dietary needs. These three festive holiday treats will have a dog woofing for more and a cat purring for seconds. Choose organic, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Pumpkins and apples are always at the top of the culinary list for holiday treats. Not only are these two foods safe for pets, they offer health benefits. Both are packed with fiber, which helps dogs feel fuller. It’s also good for digestive and colon health and can yield firmer stool. For the kitty friends, that fiber also helps move hairballs along. In addition, apples contain phytonutrients and flavonoids like quercetin, which are helpful in treating allergies.

The chia seeds in this pet pie not only help firm up the pie, but are packed with nutrients that naturally boost energy. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a great source of antioxidants. They also contain minerals, fiber, calcium, protein and vitamins A, B, D and E. Cinnamon and ginger are wonderful spices to use in pet holiday treats. Both of these warming spices improve digestion and soothe the stomach lining. Select Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia cinnamon, because the latter contains higher amounts of coumarin, which can harm the liver and increase the risk of cancer. Ginger may act as a blood thinner, so don’t use it if a dog is going to have surgery or is pregnant. It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, so if a dog has heart issues or diabetes, talk to a vet. When in doubt, leave it out.

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VoFLNatural.com

Pumpkin Apple Pie yield: depends on size of molds

Beware of These Troublemakers n Caffeinated products. Gary Richter, a holistic veterinarian in Oakland, California, and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, suggests keeping caffeinated drinks and food away from pets.

Caffeine contains stimulants called methylxanthines, and pets are much more sensitive to the effects of these substances than humans are. Ingesting even a small amount can make dogs vulnerable to caffeine poisoning, which can cause hyperactivity, panting, elevated heart rate, tremors, seizures and collapse. Seek immediate veterinary care for treatment if these symptoms develop in a dog.Â

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin 2 apples 5 eggs 1 cup goat’s milk 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 1 tsp ginger Remove and discard the apple core and seeds. Place all ingredients in a mixer and blend.

Then set it aside for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to begin to expand.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into preferred baking dishes, either for a large pie or small, bite-sized muffins.

Bake approximately 15 minutes for small muffins or 40-60 minutes for a full-sized pie.

Allow the pie to fully cool and set up before slicing and serving. Serve as a special treat to pets. Portion the remaining pie into serving sizes and freeze for later.

n Artificial sweeteners. San Diego veterinarian Madison Rose says artificial sweeteners such as xylitol can cause a massive insulin release, leading to acute and profound hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar, and hypokalemia, or low potassium levels. Marked by lethargy, ataxia, collapse, twitching or seizures, ingestion requires immediate veterinary care. n Raw, yeasty bread dough. This will expand when ingested, potentially causing a deadly twisting of the stomach. n Raisins and grapes. Common in holiday recipes, in large quantities, these can cause kidney failure in dogs. n Nutmeg. A toxin for pets.

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. ~Ethiopian Proverb

smitty/Unsplash.com

n Cooked bones. Not only are these choking hazards, they can pose a serious threat to the digestive tract.

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Turkey Meatballs

Eggnog for Pets Raw eggs can be a healthy addition to any fresh pet diet, assuming the animal doesn’t have an egg allergy. Cow’s milk isn’t the healthiest option for dogs and cats because they don’t tolerate its high level of alpha-s1-casein protein.

Goat’s milk is a healthier option because it contains extremely low to no amounts of this protein, allowing better absorption of the nutrients.

4 eggs 2 cups goat’s milk 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon Blend all the ingredients. Either place a few tablespoons in the pet’s dish as a special treat or drizzle over the food.

Alternatively, place a silicone ice cube mold on a cookie sheet for support. The smaller the cavities, the better. Take the remaining eggnog, pour into the molds and place in the freezer. Once frozen, pop out the treats and store them in a glass container in the freezer.

Try serving one frozen treat to each pet every few days.

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Making treats for cats can be tricky. The best bet is to head to the meat department.

Even the most finicky of kitties will gobble up this healthy treat.

1 lb ground turkey 2 eggs ½ Tbsp dried peppermint Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Form into tablespoon balls using your hand or scooper and place on a lined or ceramic cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes until meatballs are set (they will be extra eggy).

Carefully remove and place on a cooling rack. Serve as a special treat. Place treats in a glass container and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze until ready to serve. Thaw completely before serving.

Tonya Wilhelm is a professional dog trainer, spreading the word about positive methods of preventing and managing behavioral issues with a holistic approach. For more information, visit RaisingYourPetsNaturally.com.

calendar of events

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10

Rainbow Tuesday – Stock up and save 20% on all regular priced items. Debbie’s Health Foods Port Orange, 3850 S Nova Rd. 386-763-7046; and Debbie’s Health Foods Orange City, 862 Saxon Blvd.

386-775-7002.

Transcendental Meditation – Noon. Introductory talk by video teleconference. The TM technique is a uniquely simple, natural, effortless procedure that is scientifically proven to reduce stress, maximize mental clarity and improve health. This video conference gives all the information needed to make an informed decision about learning the TM technique.

Register: 904-375-9517 or Jacksonville@TM.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 Transcendental Meditation – 6:30pm. Introductory talk by video teleconference. The TM technique is a uniquely simple, natural, effortless procedure that is scientifically proven to reduce stress, maximize mental clarity and improve health. This video conference gives all the information needed to make an informed decision about learning the TM technique.

Register: 904-375-9517 or Jacksonville@TM.org.

Knee Pain Workshop – 5:30-6:30pm. What is your knee pain stopping you from doing? Learn about treatments for knee pain, good and bad stresses for the knee and injury prevention. Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Bch. RSVP: 386-257-2672.

ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12

Customer Appreciation Party – 4-6pm. Join for sandwiches, refreshments and door prizes in gratitude for your continued support this past year.

Refreshments and door prizes. Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Bch. RSVP: by Dec 1 to 386-257-2672.

Opening Your Spiritual Gifts – 9am. Explore the various types of spiritual gifts to get a better understanding of what you may be experiencing. Then utilize specific practice techniques as a group and individuals to focus your energy and exercise your natural gifts and talents. This workshop is offering you a deeper discovery of yourself and allows for personal psychic development for your highest intent. $25. Holistic House of Holly Hill, 1126 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill. Info: 386-503-4930. SpiritualServices.online. Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 Special Holiday Greetings from Loved Ones in Spirit – 3-5:30pm. Online class. $36. Hosted by International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge.

407-247-7823. ifsk.org.

Talking Stick Circle – 5pm. Join for a Native American gathering to share ancient teachings as channeled from our Elders. Follow the tradition of cleansing and synchronize our souls through the sacred practice of drumming. Bring your instruments, family, friends; children welcome. Handmade gift exchange (bring two). Andrew Jackson Davis Bld, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-503-4930.

Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 Virtual Death Café of NE Florida – Community gathering hosted by Nada Frazier, Founder of The Sacred Servant. Join people from across the nation and talk about life/death. See Death Café of NE Florida’s Facebook page, Deathcafe.com, MeetUP, and TheSacredServant.com for more info. Register: Nada@TheSacredServant.com for Zoom meeting.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 Heal for Real – Harmonize, Elevate, Awaken, and Liberate – 7-8pm. Join resident tutor, Shannon MacDonald, on a guided journey within through the ancient practice of Kundalini yoga and meditation.

When challenges come, the practice of yoga and meditation gives you the tools to help you unite with deeper peace, higher awareness, and greater joy. Prepaid tickets only. $22. Online and in person at The Karma Castle. Tickets/info: TheKarmaCastle.com.

Transcendental Meditation – 1pm. Introductory talk by video teleconference. The TM technique is a uniquely simple, natural, effortless procedure that is scientifically proven to reduce stress, maximize mental clarity and improve health. This video conference gives all the information needed to make an informed decision about learning the TM technique.

Register: 904-375-9517 or Jacksonville@TM.org.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 Yoga Nidra – 7-8pm. In person or online with Shannon MacDonald, Transformational Life Coach. Relaxing yogic sleep and guided meditation intended to help release stress and tension in your body and calm your mind. $15. $15/prepaid online. No walk-ins.

The Karma Castle, 1437 N US Highway 1, Ste C8, Ormond Bch. Tickets/info: TheKarmaCastle.com

connection, and renewal within ourselves and the world. This will be a time to honor the rhythm of the season, nurture your spirit, and feed your soul. $11. Info/tickets: TheKarmaCastle.com.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 Qigong Afternoon – 1-5:00pm. Intuitive healer and gifted teacher Ryan Fair. Open to beginning and advanced practioners. Vegetarian meal included. Love offering. RSVP required for Lake Helen location address. Text or Call Bill: 386-956-2250.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 New Year New You – 9am. Join to identify what is transpiring, how it is affecting you, learn tips and tools to understand the messages along with techniques and guidance to integrate the energies, thereby offering you a deeper discovery of self. $25.

Holistic House of Holly Hill, 1126 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill. 386-503-4930. Info: SpiritualServices. online. Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

plan ahead THURSDAY, JANUARY 7 Transcendental Meditation – Noon. Introductory talk by video teleconference. The TM technique is a uniquely simple, natural, effortless procedure that is scientifically proven to reduce stress, maximize mental clarity and improve health. This video conference gives all the information needed to make an informed decision about learning the TM technique.

Register: 904-375-9517 or Jacksonville@TM.org.

Knee Pain Workshop – 5:30-6:30pm. Does your knee lock up or give way; hurt after sitting or stairs; prevent activity? Learn about treatments for knee pain, good and bad stresses for the knee and injury prevention. Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Bch. RSVP: 386-257-2672. ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Special Holiday Greetings from Loved Ones in Spirit – 10:30am-1pm. Online class. $36. Hosted by International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge.

407-247-7823. ifsk.org.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 Winter Solstice Meditation and Celebration – 2:30pm. In person and online to celebrate the Winter Solstice and return of the light. With heart-opening meditation and mantra, join together in a sacred celebration to honor and reflect upon peace, gratitude,

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ongoing events Please visit the location’s website or Facebook page for up-to-date information.

sunday Yin Yoga – 9-10:30am. Begin your Sunday with this gentle yin class. Energetic, yet calming. All levels.

BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices, gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch. Cassadaga Spiritualist Lyceum – 9:30-10:15am.

Learn more about the science, philosophy and religion of spiritualism at Lyceum (Adult Sunday School). A different teacher each week instructs on the truths of spiritualism and other related subjects.

Free. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Cassadaga Sunday Church Service – 10:3011:45am. Following the church service, a free All-Message Service from noon-1pm. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Unity Community Church – 11am. Join for a weekly spiritual celebration. 1001 S Ridgewood Ave (US 1), Edgewater. 386-481-0890.

Discovery (Kripalu Tradition) – 11am-12:30pm.

Connect breath with movement allowing you to be centered in the present moment. Move gracefully through postures and connected movements. Feel energized and relaxed. All levels. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

LVCY Chair Yoga – 11-12:30am. Learn how to make your chair your best friend. BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Shimmy Chic – 7-8pm. Shimmy into shape with this fun dance class. Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733. Info: PadmaYogaOnline.com.

Mediumship Development and Practice Circle – 7-8:30pm. This practice circle is open to mediums that are able to exhibit prior mediumistic training or instruction. Email to confirm requirements. $20. Attend online. Contact for info: Carl@CarlSeaver.com.

See schedule at TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

tuesday Gentle Hatha Yoga – 9am. $12. All levels. Mind Body Soul, 821 Canal St, New Smyrna Bch. 386410-2175.

Slow Vin – 9:30-11am. Linking posture to posture with pausing to feel the energy allowing the body to speak to its needs. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Meditations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Tai Chi – 10-10:45am. With Lee Walker Shi Fu. $10/drop-in or $40/monthly unlimited. Silva Dance Studio, 2355 S Ridgewood Ave, S Daytona. 386405-4489.

Senior Discount Day – Noon-6pm. Seniors save 10% off all regularly priced items. Two locations: Debbie’s Health Foods, 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City. 386-775-7002; and 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange. 386-763-7046.

Psychic Development Circle – 7-9pm. An ongoing circle with fun and exciting, yet challenging exercises offered each week. No experience necessary; all levels of development are welcome. $20. Attend online. Contact for info: Carl@CarlSeaver.com. See schedule at TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

monday

wednesday

Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Mediations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC.

Yin Yoga – 9-10:30am. Begin your Sunday with this gentle yin class. Energetic, yet calming. All levels.

BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Monday Madness – 8am-6pm. 1st Mon. Save 25% on supplements and food items. Family Nutrition at Healing Zone, 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Bch. 386-402-7825.

Hatha Movement – 9:30-11am. Challenge yourself with this upbeat, fun and energizing class. BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

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Meet Up Group – 6-8pm. 3rd Wed. Wanted likeminded people for open discussion and questions.

Love donation. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. RSVPs appreciated: 386274-0038. Facebook: @MysticalExpressionsLLC. Meditation and Energy Healing – 6:30-8pm. Twin Hearts Meditation and instruction; pranic healing offered to all; effective for any problem. Donation (free gift for newcomers). Online via Zoom. Email for link. Presented by New Smyrna Meditation and Healing Center, 516 S Orange St, New Smyrna Bch. Kathy: 386-566-5677. PranicHealingnsb@gmail. com. PranicHealingnsb.com.

Cassadaga Message Service – 7-9pm. Mediums give Spirit Greetings. $5 donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

thursday Senior Discount Day – 9am-7pm. Seniors save 10% off all regularly priced items. Two locations: Debbie’s Health Foods, 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City.

386-775-7002; and 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange.

386-763-7046.

Hatha Flow – 9:30-11am. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; attend your second class free.

Limited six per live class; preregistration required.

Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Cassadaga Healing Meditation Circle – 11amnoon. Join in circle to send healing energy to those on our healing lists and the planet. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Book Study Group – 10-11:30am. Led by Rev. Nancy Saputro. Unity Community Church, 1001 S Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater. Info: 386-481-0890.

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation – 6-7:30pm.

Offered in-person and livestream. Calm your racing mind, ease stress and feel more hopeful. Join Shannon MacDonald, Transformation Coach and reconnect to your peace with the heart-opening practice of Kundalini yoga and meditation. All levels and abilities. All poses can be modified to suit you no matter where you are on the fitness scale. $15 prepaid online. No walk in’s. The Karma Castle 1437 N US Hwy 1, Ste C8, Ormond Bch. Info: TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

Kundalini Yoga Class – 5-6:30pm. Pranayama, movement, mantras, meditation. Balance and strengthen glandular, nervous and muscular systems; expand lung capacity, purify blood, balance body, mind and soul. Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. PadmaYogaOnline.com.

Know Thee as The Self: Ancient Wisdom Teachings – 7-9pm. Sacred music and enlightening videos will be included in this ongoing class; notebook suggested. Rev. Dr. Don Zanghi. Donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

VoFLNatural.com

friday

Organic Lifestyle Store, Café & Juice Bar

Great selection of vegan, gluten-free baked goods

Compost and Honey Special – All day. Compost $5/bag and 10% off local honey. 142 W Int’l Speedway Blvd, Daytona Bch. 386-341-5068.

NaturalConceptsRevisited.com.

Readings – Psychic, medium, psychometry (reading of objects). Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038. Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices, gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch.

CAFE’ SPECIALS TUE: Soup & Salad FRI: Organic Enchiladas Your Healthy Living Journey Starts Here!

Curbside Pickup Available

 Nutrient-rich, non-GMO and pesticide-free food and grocery items  Organic and local products including local honey, fresh nut milks, gardening supplies, vitamins, baked goods, juices & smoothies & more  DIY Classes and local art

December Special Bring in this ad and get 10% OFF all gardening products 386-341-5068  NaturalConceptsRevisited.com 142 W Int’l Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach (Between Beach and US1)

Come Feel the Spirit –7-9pm. 1st Fri. Old fashioned Spiritualist Message Service presented by Rev. Dr. Louis Gates. $5 donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

saturday Discovery (Kripalu Tradition) – 9-10:30am.

Connect breath with movement allowing you to be centered in the present moment. Move gracefully through postures and connected movements. Feel energized and relaxed. All levels. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Classic Car Cruise-In – 9am-1pm. 1st Sat. The market welcomes more than 300 classic and collector cars. Enjoy the music of DJ Frank in the west parking lot during the Cruise-In. It’s free to show your car and free to browse rows of classic automobiles. Daytona Flea & Farmers Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd. 386-253-3330. DaytonaFleaMarket.com.

Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch. Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Meditations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Tea Charm Readings, Butterfly Readings, Meet Your Power Animal Sessions – Noon-4pm. By appointment. Spice of Life Herbs, 214 W Beresford Ave, DeLand. 386-734-0035.

Cassadaga Encounter the Spirits Night Tour – 7:30-9:30pm. Bring digital camera for pictures of spirit orbs during tour. $25/adult, $15/children 7-12.

Bring exact change cash after store hours, or pay ahead with credit card at Cassadaga.org. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St., Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Got Events? Get Noticed!

Advertise in our calendar!

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community resource guide ACUPUNCTURE PHYSICIANS ACUPUNCTURE & PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER

You Chang Hu, DOM, AP Kunning Li, DOM, AP • 2135 S Ridgewood Ave, Daytona Beach 386-760-2112 • 50 Leanni Way, Palm Coast 386-445-0098 AcupuncturePainMgmt.com Dr. Hu and Dr. Li are graduates of Traditional Chinese Medical Universities in China.

They have practiced acupuncture and Chinese medicine for a combined 45+ years.

See ad, page 35.

ACUPUNCTURE & SKIN CARE CLINIC

Lorenzo Phan, DOM, AP 725 W Granada Blvd Ste. 15, Ormond Beach 386-615-1203 • AcuBeautyTherapy.com Dr. Phan has great success in promoting fertility with acupuncture and herbal supplements. Nonsurgical modalities for natural pain relief include acupuncture, trigger point therapy, Chinese herbal remedies, cupping, neuromuscular therapy, and cold laser for neck injuries, chronic lower back pain, sciatica, hip/knee arthritis and migraines and more.

MM20928. See ad, page 17.

Rosa Panos, AP, DOM, PT AP3945 397 Palm Coast Parkway SW #5 386-283-4655 • RPAcupunctureFL.com 28 years of medical experience combining Eastern & Western medicine. Acupuncture Physician, Physical Therapist and Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. Studies include China Medical University, Ta i w a n . I n t e g r a t i v e p a i n management, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupoint Injections and Zyto Elite Scanning. See ad, page 6.

ANGEL LIFE COACH PATRICIA ALTON

1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga 386-228-2880 Cassadaga.org

Open Monday-Saturday, 10am6pm and Sunday, 11:30am-5pm.

We’re so much more than a bookstore with: books, CDs, DVDs, rocks, crystals, gems, jewelry, figurines, lamps, oils/ aromatherapy, incense, sage and Native American items. Personal readings, historical tours, Saturday night orb tours and gift certificates.

See ad, page 15.

MYSTICAL EXPRESSIONS OF PARADISE, LLC

1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona 386-274-0038 MysticalExpressionsOfParadise.com Facebook: @MysticalExpressionsLLC YouTube: @MysticalExpressionsLLC Open Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am4pm; Closed Thu & Sun. Appts. available. A unique experience of natural stones and crystals, organites, pendulums, runes, jewelry, sages, incense, candles, books, tapestries, tarot cards, singing bowls & unique items.

Services Include: Readings, Healings, Meditations, Painting & other events. Appointments appreciated.

Walk-ins welcomed. For schedules/times, see: Instore, Instagram or Facebook.

SUPERFOODS CAFÉ & JUICE BAR 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-7825 TheFamilyNutritionStore.com

Daily lunch specials include vegan and gluten-free soups made daily from all organic ingredients. Coldpress juices, 3-, 5- and 10-day cleanse. Doctor-formulated protein smoothies, and create-your-own smoothies with a variety of fruit bases and supplements. Call for daily specials. Café Hours M-F 8am-4pm Sat 8-5; Soup 11am-3pm M-Sat. Two daily soups–one vegan, always gluten-free. See ad, page 23.

CBD PRODUCTS YOUR CBD STORE

• 117 W Howry Ave, DeLand • 386-627-6715 DeLandFL.CBDrx4u.com • 160 Cypress Point Pkwy, Ste A105 Palm Coast • 386-627-5271 PalmCoast.CBDrx4u.com Offering Certified Organic CBD products exclusive to Your CBD stores. Products are formulated using other cannabinoids and t e r p e n e s , c r e a tin g u n iq u e synergies that increase efficacy, target specific ailments and increase the binding of CBD. Stop in and try a free sample. See ad, page 35.

CHIROPRACTIC BE WELL CHIROPRACTIC

@Healing Zone 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-8997 • BeWellNSB.Com Drs. Wendy and Christian Edwards are dedicated to providing holistic patient-centered care. In addition to chiropractic, they offer Class IV laser, Frequency Specific Microcurrent, functional medicine, pregnancy care and pediatrics.

Through specific testing they locate imbalances and recommend natural approaches. See ad, page 23.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY BEACHSIDE COLONICS

Lidia Nash 18 Bovard Ave Ste A, Ormond Beach 1655 Restarrick Ave, South Daytona 386-760-0035 Lidia@BeachsideColonics.com Gentle rinsing of the colon removes toxic waste that can contribute to pain, inflammation and disease. Relaxing and effective. Lidia also offers ionic foot cleanse, infrared detox wraps and healthy food preparation classes. MA46199.

DENTIST HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH CARE

Angel Therapy Practitioner® Spiritual Life Coach 386-873-2517 Angel-Pathways.com Channeled angel messages to heal and transform relationships, life purpose and health. Angelic mediumship, past life regressions, wise women gatherings, ordained minister. House blessings. Gift certificates available.

Volusia / Flagler

CASSADAGA BOOKSTORE

CAFÉ – JUICE BAR

RP ACUPUNCTURE

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BOOKS • CREATIVE ARTS • GIFTS & MORE

VoFLNatural.com

George W Edwards, DMD David W Edwards, DMD 541 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford 407-322-6143 • HolisticDentalHealth.com Holistic dentistry focuses on whole-body wellness that starts with the mouth. We are dentists who perform dentistry that is good for the body, as well as the teeth and gums.

See ad, page 20.

DERMATOLOGY – HOLISTIC VALERIE G DAVIS, MD

504 S Orange St, New Smyrna Beach 386-423-2218 • DavisDerm.com Valerie G Davis, MD, integrates holistic dermatology in the forms of homeopathy, herbal medicine and energy medicine. Her latest fields of study are ozone therapy and stem cell medicine. Davis also practices and teaches Twin Hearts meditation and Pranic healing at New Smyrna Meditation and Healing Center, next door to her office.

ENERGY HEALING NEW SMYRNA MEDITATION AND HEALING CENTER 516 S Orange St, New Smyrna Beach 386-689-6868 PranicHealingNSB.com

Learn simple techniques to live a happy and healthy life with a sharper mind. Pranic Healing often brings instant relief for acute and chronic conditions.

Free meditation and energy healing session every We d n e s d a y a t 6 : 3 0 p m . D r Valerie Davis teaches Twin Hearts meditation and Pranic healing. See ad, page 29.

Bob Lewandowski, LNC 122 E Rich Ave, DeLand 386-734-2343

Open Monday-Saturday, 10am5pm. Bob has been in business more than 39 years with specialties including: nonallergenic foods, energizing weight reduction, organic skin care, herbs and vitamins. Licensed Nutritional Counselor. #0000177.

HEATH’S NATURAL FOODS

600 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach 386-423-5126 HeathsNaturalFoods.com Wide selection of natural supplements and herbs. Bulk herbs and spices, gluten-free products, organic beer/wine, pet products, grass-fed organic meats. Deli/juice bar. Store open 8am-6pm daily. Deli open 8am-5pm daily.

LOVE WHOLE FOODS CAFÉ & MARKET

• 275 Williamson Blvd, Ormond Beach 386-677-5236 • 1633 Taylor Rd, Port Orange 386-767-6543 LoveWholeFoods.com Open Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm; Saturday, 9am-6pm and Sunday, 11 a m - 5 p m w i t h f r i e n d l y, k n o w l e d g e a b l e s t a ff . G e t involved in your community, shop local and support organics.

Save more with our “Get Healthy, Get Rewarded” program.

HEALTH FOODS DEBBIE’S HEALTH FOODS

• 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City 386-775-7002 • 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange 386-763-7046 DebbiesHealthFoods.com High quality supplements, CBD, grocery items, organic produce, special needs diets. Area’s most knowledgeable and friendly advice for over 30 years. See ads, page 2 and back cover.

FAMILY NUTRITION/HEALING ZONE 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-7825 TheFamilyNutritionStore.com

Organic produce, natural foods, healthy snacks, personal care, pet products and more. Practitioneronly brands including Standard Process. Save 20% every day. See ad, page 23.

HERBS – HOLISTIC

HEALTH FOODS FOR LIFE

NATURE’S GARDEN NATURAL HEALTH FOODS 2405 Enterprise Rd, Orange City 386-774-1222

Open MondayFriday, 10am–6pm; Saturday, 10am5pm. Quality vitamins, minerals, herbs, body building and dietary supplements, personal care, children and pet products, essential oils, books and mail-order available. 20% discounts every day.

SPICE OF LIFE HERBS

214 Beresford Ave, DeLand 386-734-0035 SpiceOfLifeHerbs.net Open WednesdayFriday, 11am-5pm; Saturday, 11am-7pm.

Herb and vegetable plants, dried herbs, organic teas, Tea Forte, essential oils, skin care products, gemstones, jewelry, incense, oracle and tarot cards, books, CDs, dragons, fairies, reiki sessions and holistic classes.

Read our newsletter and calendar at SpiceOfHerbs. net. Like us on Facebook.

INSURANCE GREAT FLORIDA INSURANCE Cal Seibert, Agent 415 Dunlawton Ave, Ste 108 Port Orange • 386-256-4812

*Each location is independently owned and operated.

Say goodbye to high insurance rates.

Contact us for quotes on auto, home, condo, renters, boat, motorcycle, dwelling and flood insurance. Experience personalized service. SR22 and FR44 policies available.

IV THERAPY LIFE IS KETAFUL

William L Self, DNP 495 S Nova Rd, Ste 101-A, Ormond Beach 851 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange 386-487-4673 • Ketaful.com Improve mental and physical health with ketamine therapy and IV nutrition. Ketamine helps difficultto-treat depression, PTSD, CRPS and migraines. IV nutrition formulas target specific nutritional needs.

See ad, page 15.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA WALK-IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLINICS 100 S Spring Garden Ave, DeLand 386-232-5599 631 Beville Rd, Daytona Beach 386-222-1667

Certified marijuana doctors. Get your medical marijuana card. Medical marijuana treats more than 250 medical conditions such as: chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, seizures, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, MS, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s, IBS, glaucoma, fibromyalgia, lupus and more. No appointment required. See ad, page 39.

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other? ~George Eliot December 2020

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MASSAGE THERAPIST CLAIRE JEFFRIES, LMT

929 N Spring Garden Ave, Ste 163 386-690-4302 • MA 52384 VAGARO.com/ClaireJeffriesLMT Licensed Massage Therapist for 13 years. Certified in Ashiatsu, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Cupping, Stone Massage and Myofascial Release.

MEDIUM

PEST CONTROL NATURAL NATURALLY GREEN PEST SOLUTIONS PO Box 354591, Palm Coast, FL, 32135 386-237-9663 NaturallyGreenPest.com Info@NaturallyGreenPest.com

Offering pest solutions for your home and lawn with a natural focus. Unwanted pests in your home can negatively affect your family’s health and your peace of mind. Eliminate them with a program you can feel good about.

PET SUPPLIES

CARL SEAVER

BULL RUN FARM SUPPLY

Carl@CarlSeaver.com CarlSeaver.com Carl Seaver is an international psychic medium. His calling to become a medium has led him on an inspired journey to be the voice for our departed loved ones, as they lovingly remind us of their continuation of life after death, that they are not alone or suffering and that they are still very much a part of our lives, even after they are gone from our sight. Services include 1:1 private mediumship session, psychic readings, mediumship demonstration events (with audiences), private house parties and psychic/ mediumship development classes. All sessions are by appointment and are as effectively done over the phone as in person.

METAPHYSICAL CENTER

1020 N US Hwy 1, Ormond Beach 386-672-2735 BullRunFarmSupply.com Full-service pet store. Large selection of holistic treats and certified organic pet products, toys, beds, flea control products and natural flea control for home and yard. Great selection of livestock feed for horses, cattle, poultry and more, also carrying several varieties of hay. See ad, page 31.

PHYSICAL THERAPY THOMAS ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Beach 386-257-2672 ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com

We are the movement experts, offering expert care for individuals seeking treatment, knowledge and guidance for a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Take an active role in your healing today. See ad, page 10.

THE KARMA CASTLE

1437 N US Hwy 1, Ste C8, Ormond Beach TheKarmaCastle.com Psychic & Mediumship Development classes and workshops, Kundalini Yoga classes for all levels.

Mediumship Demonstrations, Group Meditations, and Spiritually oriented events. Private Psychic and Mediumship Readings with International Psychic & Medium, Carl Seaver. Healing Sessions and Meditation Instruction with Spiritual Healer, Shannon MacDonald. Hours by appointment. See website to schedule appointments, and view the Calendar for events. See ad, page 16.

PSYCHIC CHANNEL REV JUDI WEAVER

Heart 4 Souls Inc, Ormond Beach Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com 386-503-4930 • Heart4Souls.com

energy distance.

Channeled spirit messages, crystal light healer, divine personal guidance, shamanic practitioner, spiritual counseling, guided meditations, home/property blessings, vision quest journeys.

For individuals or groups—in person, virtual/on-line, phone or

SOLAR ENERGY SOLAR-FIT

1523 Ridgewood Ave, Holly Hill Volusia • 386-441-2299 Flagler • 386-445-7606 Solar-Fit.com Relax and let the sun do the work for you. Solar-fitting your home or business is a smart, economical and environmentally sound investment. We offer a wide range of options to make your home more energy efficient.

We are making America energy-independent one home at a time.

SPAS BEACHFRONT INN & HOLISTIC SPA RETREAT

1104 S Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach 386-439-4944 Connecting you holistically to nature’s bounty of minerals and exquisitely scented plant extracts. Spa services include reflexology, body treatments, wraps, facials, hands & feet.

Massage services include Swedish, deep tissue, Japanese hot stone, couples, Lomi Lomi, Ayurvedic treatments and more. Packages may include spa cuisine lunch and use of our heated mineral pool.

Follow our Facebook page for current events. See ad, page 11.

SPIRITUAL CENTERS UNITY COMMUNITY CHURCH

1001 S Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater 386-481-0890 • UnityCommunityChurch.com Sunday service is at 11am.

Offering prayer services, book study groups, classes, spiritual counseling, weddings, christenings, memorial services, home blessings, home/hospital visitations. See ad, page 11.

SPIRITUAL RESPONSE THERAPY LOURDES ALVARADO

786-261-5936 SpiritualResponseHealing@gmail.com SpiritualResponseHealing.com Clear soul blocks and heal your life with Spiritual Response Therapy (SRT). Have the life you always wanted! I incorporate astrology, reiki, crystals, herbs and other modalities while doing SRT, if applicable and necessary.

Remote phone or online sessions.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!

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Volusia / Flagler

VoFLNatural.com

WELLNESS

FLORIDA VETERINARY REHABILITATION

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION LAUREE MORETTO

AMETHYST WELLNESS

Dr Lisa Mason DVM, CCRT, CVA 441 S Woodland Blvd, DeLand 386-337-7106 • FLVetRehab.com

Soft Tissue Specialist 321-271-1678 Jacksonville, Flagler & Ormond Bch LaureeMoretto.com 90% of pain is linked to structural misalignment. Your pain is really just a symptom. My work addresses the cause to give you lasting relief. Get your life back now. MA20965.

If your pet has difficulty moving, is recovering from surgery or has suffered an injury, we can help by providing a customized treatment plan, including home exercise program, to restore your pet to full function.

Treatments offered include laser, shockwave, acupuncture, chiropractic, aqua therapy and more.

Amy Coopersmith, ARNP 50 Cypress Point Pkwy, B-1 Palm Coast 386-283-4180 • AmethystWellness.com Preventative healthcare, IV nutrition, hormone optimization and sexual health treatments for men and women, body contouring, aesthetic treatments, laser hair removal, weight loss and more. See ad, page 26.

GENTLE PET PASSINGS

Dr Gayle Burrell Volusia / Flagler 386-279-8525 • GentlePetPassings.com

VETERINARIAN FLORIDAWILD VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Saying goodbye to your beloved friend is a loving, but difficult decision. Spend those final precious moments with your pet in the comfort of their home surrounded by all that they love.

See ad, page 31.

115 E Euclid Ave, DeLand 386-734-9899 • FloridaWildVetHospital.com FloridaWild provides compassionate and outstanding care for dogs, cats, birds and exotics. We are an integrative veterinary practice that offers acupuncture, ozone therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

See ad, page 30.

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YOGA PADMA YOGA

Micki Higgins, E-RYT 500 YACEP 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast 386-225-4733 • PadmaYogaOnline.com Evening Classes, Sky Styx and Chair Sky Styx offered. Experience improvement in flexibility and strength in your body and a calming of the mind and spirit reducing stress and anxiety in your daily life. Yoga for all body types and all ages. We are the only yoga studio in Palm Coast that is not hot. See website for schedule. See ad, page 9.

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