Natural Awakening – Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess NY Edition September 2021

E E HEALTHY LIVING FR

HEALTHY

ART & CREATIVITY for HEALING

PLANET

SPECIAL LOCAL YOGA SECTION

HORSES are INTUITIVE HEALERS FABULOUS FUNGI

COOKING WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

INTEGRATIVE

Pain Management

YOGA for TRAUMA RECOVERY September 2021 | Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition | WakeUpNaturally.com 1 September 2021

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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September 2021

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from publishers Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.

WESTCHESTER/ PUTNAM/ DUTCHESS EDITION

Publishers Dana Boulanger Marilee Burrell

Editors Allison Gorman Dawne Clark Marilee Burrell Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Patrick Floresca Marilee Burrell

Sales & Marketing Dana Boulanger

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very September in honor of Yoga Month, we spotlight yoga and the local yoga community. Even though studios across the country have faced big Dana Boulanger Marilee Burrell obstacles this year, I’m happy to report that our yoga community is resilient. We’ve got all the details for you here.

Although my yoga practice isn’t consistent, the mornings that I do take the time to dive in, I wonder why it’s not. I get so much out of it, especially since I finally learned to “listen to my body”—something I heard a lot in yoga classes, but didn’t really get. Now, instead of rushing through a yoga practice, I move slowly and mindfully, linking my breath to the movements. Just starting the rhythmic breathing brings on bliss for me.

Honestly, that’s why I do it. I discovered this how-to-get-bliss-quickly phenomenon during a slow flow class, when the teacher had us repeat Standing Half Forward Bend over and over again. First it helped me link my breath with the movements, and then it helped me breathe deeper, filling and more completely emptying my lungs. As I tend to be a shallow breather, especially while I’m working at the computer, I’ve found that establishing this breathing pattern in the morning is another excellent reason to start my day with yoga. The big carrot, of course, is the feeling of peaceful bliss that lingers afterwards.

Another practice I love is restorative yoga—the one that looks like you’re napping, with blankets and props that allow you to stretch and unwind through passive postures.

It’s a super stress reliever. Simple, gentle-on-the-body yoga classes like this make it possible for anyone of any age to do yoga. I have my mat and all the props in my living room, so I can pull them out easily when I need some additional relaxation or stretching in the afternoon.

I’m grateful for all the teachers who have shared their love of yoga and open-hearted practices with me. I’ve collected so much wisdom from them that I’ve now incorporated into my own practice. One of the things I’ve learned about yoga over the years is the value of making it your own.

If you’re looking to start or to continue with a practice, dive into our special yoga section on pages 28 to 37, where you’ll “meet” our local community of yogis and studios.

Outside yoga is still booming this month, and there are new in-studio and online classes as well. You’ll find more info about yoga classes in our calendar section on pages 46 to 50.

And if you missed the July and August editions, you can find additional local yoga news and classes at WakeUpNaturally.com/archives— or just type “yoga” into our search bar.

This month we also discuss equine-assisted therapy, another healing modality that’s big in our area. It’s proven helpful for individuals with anger, anxiety, depression or PTSD. Please read “Horses as Healers: Equine Therapy Has Physical and Emotional Benefits,” on page 42. You’ll find local resources on pages 12, 13 and 43.

And if you’ve ever wanted to go on a mushroom walk and create something special with the finds, this is the month. To learn how, read “Forage for Mushrooms with the New York Mycological Society,” on page 18, followed by “Foraged Fungi Fare: Cooking with Wild Mushrooms,” on page 20.

As we head into fall, enjoy the beauty of the season and find your inner peace. From a calm center, everything is better.

Peace~

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

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— B.K.S. Iyengar

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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September 2021

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Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 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 20

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EXTEND YOUR EDUCATION

College and Graduate Degrees for Well-Being

18

FORAGE FOR MUSHROOMS

With the New York Mycological Society

20 FORAGED FUNGI FARE Cooking with Wild Mushrooms

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25 ART’S EMBRACE Healing Through Creativity

27 MARTHA BECK on Living with Integrity

28-37 YOGA HAPPENINGS Local yoga teachers and events

34 YOGA TO HEAL TRAUMA

Soothing Poses Calm the Nervous System

38 CONQUERING CHRONIC PAIN

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How the Body-Mind Connection Works

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42 HORSES AS HEALERS Equine Therapy has Physical and Emotional Benefits

44 THE POWER OF THE WRITTEN NOTE

DEPARTMENTS 8 news briefs 14 education

spotlight 16 health briefs 17 global briefs 18 local food 20 conscious

eating

27 wise words 34 fit body 38 healing ways 42 equine healing 44 inspiration 46 calendar 49 planet watch 50 classifieds September 2021

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news briefs

Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo Comes to Ulster County

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G-Fit Personal Training Studio Opens in Chappaqua

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new personal training studio, G-Fit Training and Health Solutions, is opening in Chappaqua in September.

All month, the first training session new clients complete will be free.

“Now more than ever it’s important to stay strong and healthy,” says owner Sam Gomes. “This is a clean, private, convenient facility where you can come work on your health and fitness while also being safe and under the tutelage of a multicertified personal trainer.”

Certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Gomes has more than eight years’ experience as a personal trainer. He specializes in sports-specific training such as boxing, soccer and tennis, as well as Corrective Exercise through NASM. He’s also certified through the Precision Nutrition PN1 accreditation.

“I train clients of all ages and abilities and have a special affinity for those with special needs, having helped clients diagnosed with Parkinson’s and autism with their fitness and health needs,” he says. “I make workouts fun yet effective. My training combines the latest findings in exercise science and research with time-tested methods.”

Raised in Mount Vernon and Yorktown, Gomes has a bachelor’s degree in media and communications from Pace University.

“I’ve participated in various fitness events, like Spartan Races, and helped raise money and awareness for charitable organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and ALS Association,” he says. “I’m also conversant in Portuguese and Spanish, so I can train people in three languages.”

Location: 75 North Greeley Ave, Chappaqua. Contact: 914.623.8684 or samgomesfitness@gmail.com. For more info visit: gfittraining.com.

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fter seeing strong turnout at its three similar expos in Dutchess County, organizer Ramon Pineiro, president of I Love Local Rewards, hopes to continue that trend with its first Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo in Ulster County. This one will take place September 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Highland Rail Trail Pavilion.

Beauty, Health & Wellness Expo at Dutchess Stadium “I would like to help bring our small business expo to the rest of the Hudson Valley one county at a time,” Pineiro explains. “We focus these free expos on beauty, health and wellness to allow more people find these niche businesses.

That way we don’t just help keep these businesses open, but we also enable customers to find new favorites.”

The expo is also a networking opportunity for Hudson Valley companies focused on beauty, health and wellness, Pineiro says. His ultimate goal is to cultivate that business community to “match the beauty of the Hudson Valley, the healthier lifestyles we can live here, and the tranquil places that give us better wellness overall.”

This is his company’s second event this year in the beauty, health and wellness sector, and he plans to host more next year.

“Especially during times like now, staying healthy is a huge focus,” he says. “But maintaining your personal appearance can help with overall wellness too.”

Cost: Free. Location: 101 New Paltz Rd., Highland, NY. For more info, call 845.742.2223, email Info@ilovelocalrewards.com or visit ILoveLocalRewards.com.

Day of Healing and Stress Relief in Tarrytown

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arbara Mayrsohn, founder of Joy and Success International, will host a day of healing and stress relief at the Tarrytown Sheraton Hotel, in White Plains, on September 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This live interactive event will feature a variety of healing practitioners.

“If you need to release stress and anxiety, we have great EFT, better known as ‘tapping,’ practitioners,” Mayrsohn says. “If you have blocks to love and other good things, there will be a presentation of the Body Code that will help to clear some of those blocks. And through the ancient healing practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu, you will learn how to do self-help healing. Are you a fan of the energy healer Donna Eden? Learn her five-minute energy routine that can help you start the day off right. There will be a few other surprise presenters too.”

There will be refreshments in the morning and there is also a Starbucks at the hotel.

Ticket holders can attend the event in person or remotely via livestream, or receive a video of the event to watch later.

Cost: $35. Location: Tarrytown Sheraton Hotel, 600 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY. For questions, email barbara@joyandsuccess.com. For registration and more info, visit JoyAndSuccess.com and click on Sept 2021 Event.

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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Your CBD Store in Wappingers Falls

Your CBD Store in Wappingers Falls Holds Grand Opening

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our CBD Store, now up and running in the Dutchess Shopping Plaza in Wappingers Falls, will celebrate its grand opening and ribbon-cutting from 4 to 7 p.m. on September 21. The public is invited to attend.

This is the 702nd opening of a Your CBD Store, which is now the world’s largest brick-and-mortar CBD retailer, with locations in 40 states. According to Jose Sanchez, who owns the Wappingers Falls store with his wife, Yvette, the business’s emphasis on education and community has helped dismiss misconceptions about its hemp-derived products.

“Everything we do is focused on improving the lives of our customers,” he says. “We are a high-quality learning environment, where customers can try products and leave knowing what is in their CBD product. We are not just another retail chain. We live in the community and genuinely care about educating CBD consumers, so they feel empowered to make a confident choice on the best cannabinoid formulation option for them.

Our high-quality products are backed by third-party laboratory testing as well as USDA Organic, so for us, transparent product information is key.”

According to Sanchez, CBD has broad therapeutic qualities and is backed by the World Health Organization and the medical, nursing and veterinary communities. Your CBD Store offers a variety of CBD-infused SunMed products that do not require a prescription or medical card to buy.

Location: Your CBD Store, 1582 Rte. 9, Wappingers Falls, NY. For more information, call 845.297.0302 or email CBD@ CBDWappingers.com. See ad, page 39.

September 2021

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Lorraine Hughes to Facilitate Qigong Workshop

Support-A-Walk Helps Those with Breast and Ovarian Cancer

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orraine Hughes, owner of Empowered By Nature, will facilitate a qigong workshop from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on September 18, at Dutchess Yoga Studio in Wappingers Falls. Hughes is a certified instructor of HoldenQiGong.

“Qigong is an essential therapeutic modality utilized by Chinese Medicine to assist bringing a person to a balance of mind-bodysoul, into a unity of one. It is the precursor to tai chi,” she says. “The practice of qigong empowers us by utilizing our own inherent energy, or life force, in order to shift imbalance, which in turn centers, calms and enhances vitality. This is achieved through the combination of mindful breathing and intentionally expressed movements which affect us on a physical, medicinal and meditative level. These movements are simple yet powerful and can be done by young and old alike.”

The workshop will provide an overview of this proactive self-care modality, followed by a minimum of three sets of qigong / tao yin exercises, including floor psoas exercises, Five Element, and Meditation in Motion (flow).

In addition to being a qigong instructor, Hughes is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a boardcertified reflexologist based in Wappingers Falls. Her herbal practice and therapeutic techniques are rooted in Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and western herbalism.

Cost: $40. Location: Dutchess Yoga Studio, New Hackensack Plaza, Wappingers Falls, NY. To register, call Dutchess Yoga at 845.827.3500 or 845.705.0657 or visit DutchessYoga.com. To contact Lorraine Hughes, call 845.416.4598, email lorrainehughes54@ gmail.com or visit EmpoweredByNature.net.

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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he Annual Support-AWalk, which brings help and hope to people fighting breast and ovarian cancer, will Support Connection walkers take place on October 3. The walk is presented by and helps fund the work of Support Connection, a Yorktown Heights-based not-for-profit organization that provides free year-round programs for people affected by these cancers.

Each year, thousands of people from across the Hudson Valley and beyond take part in the Support-A-Walk. Many walk in celebration of or in tribute to those affected by these diseases. This year’s theme is Walk With Us, Wherever You Are! Just as Support Connection helps local residents as well as people nationwide via their toll-free and web services, now people nationwide can participate in the Support-A-Walk by donating and raising funds, says Barbara Cervoni, director of services and communication for Support Connection.

“There are many ways you can help,” she says. “Walk in your town or neighborhood. Walk on your own or with family and friends. Form a walk team. Raise funds online by asking others to donate. Donate online or by mail. Spread the word to everyone you know. Whether you walk or not, you can donate and fundraise. Your participation will make a difference in many lives.”

To learn more or to make a donation, call 914.962.6402 or visit SupportConnection.org/support-a-walk. See ad, page 5.

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Connection to Nature Retreat at The World Peace Sanctuary

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he World Peace Santuary, in Wassaic, will host a Connection to Nature Retreat on September 11, led

by Michael ‘Pondhawk’ Gulbrandsen, of Nature’s Whispers.

“It is vital for our overall well-being to connect with nature and the earth,” says Ann Marie Robustelli, executive assistant of the World Peace Prayer Society.

The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a Morning Tranquility Walk. “This is a wellness walk,” Gulbrandsen says. “We’ll show you different techniques for receiving healing from nature and how to connect to the magic.”

The walk will be followed at noon by a community lunch at the picnic tables.

Participants should bring food for themselves plus anything they would like to share. There will be a world peace prayer ceremony at 1 p.m.; Dancing with Nature, with Gigi Oppenheimer of White Lotus Grace, at 2 p.m.; and Nature’s Sound Circle at 3:30 p.m. During this closing gathering, participants will join in “to reconnect with the land and the spirits of the grounds,” Gulbrandsen says. He will bring drums and rattles for participants to play. They can also sing, dance or howl like wolves.

Participants should wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers and bring plenty of water. Space is limited; reservations suggested. The retreat will be cancelled if rain is in the forecast.

Cost: $30. Location: The World Peace Sanctuary, 26 Benton Rd., Wassaic, NY. For reservations or information, email WalkingTheTrail16@gmail.com or annmarie@worldpeace.org, or visit WorldPeace.org/sanctuary/.

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Equine-Assisted Therapies at Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue

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Anne Bentzen at the Holmes Camp

Retreat to Focus on Reiki for Pain Management

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he Japanese healing modality known as Reiki can be an effective natural tool for pain management, says Anne Bentzen, a Westchester-based Jikiden Reiki Shihankaku teacher certified through the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto, Japan. Bentzen will host a Jikiden Reiki Shoden retreat at the Holmes (NY) Camp and Conference Center November 12-14.

“Reiki is used in hospitals worldwide as part of holistic alternative medicine approach for reducing pain and inflammation,” she says.

“It rebalances the energetic flow of life-force energy within the body, enabling the release of toxins, restoring the immune system and improving health and well-being. By inhibiting stress-hormone production, your autonomic nervous system can focus on healing. With regular use, Reiki assists in the reduction of dependency on pain medications.”

Published studies have shown that Reiki can ease both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis pain, improving joint mobility and quality of life, Bentzen says. Cancer patients given Reiki treatments have reported relief from the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as improved digestion. End-of-life patients experience greater peace as they transition when given Reiki.

Beginning and reviewing students at Bentzen’s retreat will practice how to intuitively feel energy for direct hands-healing of family and friends, she says. They will receive three activations (Reiju) for channeling energy, learn history, principles, integration techniques and perform supervised treatments.

“Everyone can learn Reiki,” she says.

For more info on the Reiki Shoden Certification Retreat, visit HolmesCamp.org. For more info on Reiki treatments, classes, or to schedule an appointment, visit Balancing4Life.com. See ad pg 44.

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

ucky Orphans Horse Rescue (LOHR), a nonprofit equine sanctuary located on Route 22 in Dover Plains, is home to 50 horses, two goats, a sheep and some barn cats. Its mission, “People Helping Horses Heal People,” is accomplished through equine-assisted psychotherapy and human-development programs.

The sanctuary is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to typical equine programs, like riding lessons and pony rides, LOHR also offers educational programs, like 4H and volunteering opportunities, as well as a variety of holistic and somatic programs.

Amanda taking care of Rosie According to Deanna Mancuso, LOHR’s founder and executive director, outside practitioners offer equine-assisted yoga, Reiki, Bowen technique and sound healing. These programs are booked one-on-one or with groups to assist in healing from trauma or to improve self-discovery.

LOHR also offers Eagala Natural Lifemanship and Equine Experiential Education programs for mental and emotional health. Through these programs, the horses partner with social workers to help human clients overcome trauma and develop resiliency. LOHR encourages the public to visit the sanctuary, learn about the horses and get involved with the organization.

Location: Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue, 2699 Rte. 22, Dover Plains, NY. For more info, call 845.877.0685 or visit LuckyOrphansHorseRescue.org.

Purple Lotus Zen, Now All Virtual, Expands Services

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ike many small businesses, Purple Lotus Zen temporarily suspended operations last year, reassessed, relaunched with an all-virtual format—and then liked the switch so much they made it permanent. Owner and founder Michelle B. Whitney says by offering her services virtually and remotely by phone, video and email, she can better accommodate her clients’ needs.

They no longer need to travel to access her services, and she can now make appointments after the standard business hours listed on her website.

With its new virtual format, Purple Lotus Zen has Michelle B. Whitney also updated and expanded its business, Whitney says.

“The pandemic brought services to a halt, but it gave me time to create a company website,” she says. “The downtime also allowed for me to train as a psychic medium. So services now include psychic mediumship, intuitive card readings, dream interpretation and energy healing.

She plans to resume her weekly programs: Reiki Circle, Tarot & Tea and Women’s Healing Circle. Previously recorded programs can be viewed on Purple Lotus Zen’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

For more info call 914.513.8398, email purplelotuszen@yahoo.com or visit PurpleLotusZen.com.

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Class of riders in the Therapeutic Riding Program

Giddy Up Gala Benefits Pegasus Therapeutic Riding

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egasus Farm, in Brewster, is hosting its first Giddy Up Gala Cocktail Party on October 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. The evening will begin with a sunset cocktail hour overlooking the farm and continue in the riding arena with live music, a farm-to-table barbeque meal and a live auction. All proceeds will fund the farm’s therapeutic riding programs, which support local veterans, first responders, and children and adults with special needs.

The gala’s honoree, Dr. William Bradley, has been with New England Equine Practice since 1976. Pegasus purchased its property from NEEP in 2007, and its first therapeutic riding group began taking lessons that fall. By owning its own facility, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding could run sessions six days a week, at various times of the day, and for more weeks each season. In addition, its hardworking horses benefited from an expanded pasture area and a more natural living environment.

“(NEEP) gave us a special place of healing by allowing us to call the farm home,” says Candice Sciarrillo, director of development for Pegasus Therapeutic Riding. “We’ve been able to change the lives of thousands of individuals.”

Fundraising events like the Giddy Up Gala have allowed Pegasus to keep its barn doors open and serve the most vulnerable populations, Sciarrillo says.

“Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, thousands of our neighbors have struggled—and are continuing to struggle—with social, economic, emotional and health issues related to the pandemic,” she says. “From anxiety and depression to the impact of isolation and financial concerns, we see a tremendous unmet need to help our community heal and emerge stronger on the other side of this pandemic.”

Pegasus has experienced a continuously increasing demand for its therapeutic riding programs, including from nurses, doctors and emergency room personnel, Sciarrillo says.

“Pegasus stands ready and eager to offer these programs and help the people who have served us all, from veterans to first responders to hospital staff,” she says.

Ticket sales are limited, so early registration is recommended.

Location: Pegasus Farm, 310 Peach Lake Rd., Brewster, NY. For tickets, visit Pegasustr.org. For more info, call 845.669.8235 or email events@pegasustr.org. See ad, page 43.

September 2021

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education spotlight

Bronxville: Sarah Lawrence College. The Master of Science in Dance/Movement Therapy is one of only seven of its kind in the United States. Students pursue clinical internships and field work throughout the program.

Blythewood Manor Italian Garden on the Bard College campus in Annandale-on-Hudson

Extend Your Education

College and Graduate Degrees for Well-Being

by Amy Estersohn

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his article is for anyone who has thought about earning a degree that will deepen their understanding of the world and further their career. While there are many paths to healing, the degrees and programs featured here embrace a holistic approach to wellness that integrates mind, body, spirit and environment.

Bachelor’s Degrees for Well-Being Annandale-on-Hudson: Bard College.

Bard’s Return to College Program is intended for students who are 24 years and older and have at least one semester of transfer credits but have not finished a bachelor’s degree. Bard’s environmental and urban studies major may interest students who want to consider the environment from a scientific, cultural and historical point of view; the college sources much of its dining hall food from its own farm.

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New Hyde Park: The Culinary Institute of America. The CIA’s Bachelor of Professional Studies in Applied Food Studies is perfect for any learner who is intense about sustainable practices in the food industry.

Students complete a paid internship as part of their course of study and can focus on farm-to-table dining through a semester at the Napa, California, campus.

Poughkeepsie: Vassar College. Vassar’s religion department puts a strong emphasis on spirituality and the interdisciplinary study of religion. Past courses offered include Inner Paths: Religion and Contemplative Consciousness; Six Systems of Meditation; and Asian Healing Traditions.

Purchase: SUNY at Purchase College.

Purchase offers an interdisciplinary contemplative studies minor that allows students to explore mindfulness with an arts emphasis. The program offers lectures, workshops and retreats.

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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Danbury: Western Connecticut State University. Students in the integrative biological diversity master’s degree program study climate change and biodiversity through a rigorous and expansive focus on biology.

Students also partner with local organizations to carry out environmental stewardship projects.

New Paltz: SUNY at New Paltz. New Paltz offers a Master of Science in Music Therapy. To qualify for admission, students must be able to sing, play guitar and piano, and have some relevant undergraduate coursework.

New York City: Columbia University. The Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University, offers a master’s degree for any student interested in the intersection of psychology, education and spirituality.

Valhalla: New York Medical College. One of the oldest and largest medical colleges in the nation, NYMC offers Master of Public Health degrees. Students can choose specializations in a variety of areas, including environmental health science and health behavior and community health.

Amy Estersohn is an educator and a writer who lives in Hartsdale, NY. She offers guidance for teens and parents on the college admissions process. To learn more about her work, visit LeadWithTalents.com.

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Graduate Degrees for Well-Being

September 2021

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health briefs

Plant-Based Meals Reduce Severe COVID-19 Risks

vegan liftz/Pexels.com

Eating more plants than meat is not only good for the planet, it might also be protective against COVID-19 severity, reports a new study in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. Researchers from Johns Hopkins and other universities analyzed web-based responses from almost 2,900 frontline doctors and nurses in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK that had been significantly exposed to COVID-19, 95 percent of which were doctors and 70 percent males. Those that ate a plant-based diet, described as high in vegetables, legumes and nuts, and low in poultry and meats, were 73 percent less likely to contract moderate to severe COVID-19. Those with pescatarian diets allowing fish were 59 percent less likely. However, those following low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets had 48 percent greater odds of moderate to severe COVID-19. “Our results suggest that a healthy diet rich in nutrient-dense foods may be considered for protection Eating two servings of fruit a day lowers the risk of against severe COVID-19,” researchers concluded. developing Type 2 diabetes by 36 percent in five years compared to eating less than half a serving, suggests research from Australia’s Edith Cowan University Institute for Nutrition Research. The study followed 7,676 people and found that higher total fruit intake of apples, bananas, oranges and other citrus fruits was linked to better measures of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. The same pattern did not hold for fruit juice. Previous U.S. cohort studies have found that eating three servings per week of certain fruits lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes by the following percentages: blueberries (26 percent), grapes and raisins (12 percent), apples and pears (7 percent) and bananas and grapefruits (5 percent). Three servings of cantaloupe, however, raises the risk by 10 percent.

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Healthy Choices Mitigate Cognitive Health Reduction

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

A Chinese study of 6,160 adults 80 or older found that a healthy lifestyle cuts the risk of cognitive impairment by half, even if a person carries the APOE ε4 gene that is linked to cognitive loss and Alzheimer’s. Researchers used data from the ongoing Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to determine the eating, exercising and smoking habits of subjects. They found that those with healthy lifestyles were 55 percent less likely to be cognitively impaired and those with intermediately healthy lifestyles lowered their risk 28 percent. This reduction was greater than the increased risk of cognitive impairment resulting from the APOE ε4 gene, which was 17 percent.

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Certain Fruits Can Protect Against Diabetes

global briefs

Happy Homes

Fitter Fodder

Wild Bees Thrive on Forest Deadwood ralph gnonlonfoun/Pexels.com

Scientists from the UniverFarm Waste Doubles as sity of Freiburg surveyed Construction Material the German Black Forest Agricultural waste (agro-waste) such as manure, leaf National Park to determine litter and crop residues may not be thought of as likely the number of tree species, raw materials for sustainable construction, but with how the trees are scattered, traditional materials like concrete eliciting a negative the heights of individual environmental reputation, implementation of agrotree crowns and if there waste is being explored around the world. Recycling, are fallen trees or hollowed-out tree trunks. They found as an important part of agro-waste’s green potential, is that creating deadwood in coniferous forests is a promismaking the use of construction materials more organic ing restoration measure to promote an abundance of and sustainable, and helping reduce landfill issues. aboveground nesting bees. Their findings, “Wild Bees A 2018 study, Agro-industrial wastes and their utiBenefit from Structural Complexity Enhancement in a Forlization using solid state fermentation: a review, notes est Restoration Experiment,” were published in the journal agro-wastes are an eco-friendly means of manuForest Ecology and Management. facturing “biofuels, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, As part of an experiment, structural richness was artianimal feed, antibiotics and other chemicals.” This ficially created in 2016 on several sample plots by felling same study observed, “Many agro-industrial wastes and uprooting 20 spruce trees per plot, creating deadare untreated and underutilized, therefore disposed wood and small gaps. Six other plots were left in their natof either by burning, dumping or unplanned landfillural state as a control group. The researchers compared ing, which contributes to climate change by increasing how many wild bees were in the different plots in June greenhouse gases.” Another study found that inte2018 and 2019. Results show that deadwood increases grating agro-wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, rice the abundance and biodiversity of wild bees. Professor Dr. husks and groundnut shells improved the construction Alexandra Klein, head of the Chair of Nature Conservation materials by enhancing their sustainability properties, and Landscape Ecology, says, “In the course of climate boosting their durability and reducing costs. change, forest areas will be increasingly characterized by deadwood and sparse areas caused by storms, droughts or bark beetles. As a result, Wealth Distribution Linked to Urban Canopies forest habitat will increase in It’s not surprising that more urban trees lower the levels of heat and pollution. Although importance for wild bees.” many cities maintain tree-planting programs, not all canopies have equivalent value.

Sweet Shade

mary taylor/Pexels.com

A new analysis from the American Forests conservation organization states that the U.S needs to plant more than half a billion trees across 500 metropolitan areas and 150,000 local communities. A new Tree Equity Score data tool (TreeEquityScore.org) allows users to see where urban trees exist and where they don’t. American Forests identified 20 large American cities that are lacking in canopies to protect their populations from hotter temperatures. Tree canopies are particularly effective in reducing health stress associated with urban heat “islands”.

It was also found that a pattern of inequitable distribution of trees has deprived many communities of the health and other benefits that sufficient tree cover can deliver.

Communities of color have 33 percent less tree canopy on average than majority white communities. Jad Daley, American Forests president and CEO, says, “We need to make sure the trees go where the people are, and more than 70 percent of the people live in cities or suburbs, so it’s a place-based problem with a place-based solution.”

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photo: Steven Bodzin

local food

NYMS Mushroom walk at Alley Pond Park last June.

T

Forage for Mushrooms with the New York Mycological Society

he New York Mycological Society (NYMS)—a club for any New Yorker with an interest in fungi— has several outdoor events coming up in September and October, including a picnic in Putnam County with the ConnecticutWestchester Mycological Society (COMA), and walks in Peekskill, Rockland County and Randall’s Island. A $20 annual membership fee is required to attend the walks.

NYMS was founded in 1962 by the avant-garde composer John Cage and a small group of other mushroom lovers, including illustrator Lois Long and botanist Guy Nearing. According to its current president, Sigrid Jakob, the club’s focus has always been on the serious study of fungi, along with the enjoyment of nature with a community of people from all walks of life.

They welcome anyone with an interest in fungi, and no prior knowledge is required to join one of their walks, identification sessions or lectures.

“We’re dedicated to increasing public 18

awareness, appreciation and knowledge of fungi,” Jakob says. “We believe that passionate, knowledgeable amateurs are important contributors to science and fungal conservation. We believe that the best way to learn about fungi is to walk the parks and woods with others—observing, touching, smelling and documenting the fungi we find. The club has documented well over a thousand species in New York City alone, and we continue to find more all the time.”

They generally go out on walks every weekend, year-round, rain or shine.

“Our walks are a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with local fungi and their distinctive characteristics, as well as their role in our ecosystems and their culinary potential,” Jakob says.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events and member walks include the COMA/NYMS picnic at Pelton Pond, in Fahnestock State Park in Putnam

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County, on September 12; Depew Park in Peekskill, on September 26; Tallman State Park in Rockland County, on October 9; and Randall’s Island in New York City, on October 30. Additional walks are being planned for Harriman State Park, New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, as well as various New York City parks in all five boroughs.

NYMS meets once a week, generally on Monday evenings, to share and identify members’ finds. Microscopes, guide books and experts are on hand. Currently these ID sessions are being held on Zoom until further notice. The club also regularly invites speakers to present to them on their area of expertise, whether it’s a specific genus of fungi or a broader topic.

For info on joining NYMS, visit NewYorkmyc.org/join.

For additional info on fungi and local mushroom walks, visit namyco.org, nemf.org and comaFungi.org.

Eat Well and Be Well with

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To place your listing here call 845-593-0065

Cucumber Rounds w/ Herb Cashew Cream Cheese and “Lox” Appetizers at Skinny Buddha September 2021

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conscious eating

FORAGED FUNGI FARE

Cooking with Wild Mushrooms

ivan kmitAdobeStock.com

by April Thompson

W

ild mushrooms can infuse exciting new flavors and textures into familiar dishes, along with a taste of the local terroir, the natural habitat, from woods to plate.

“I first encountered wild mushrooms through local foragers, then later from specialty food purveyors who would fly mushrooms from around the world into our kitchen. They were the most unique ingredients I could find, offering colors, flavors and textures I had never experienced … pure catnip for a chef,” says Alan Bergo, a Minnesota chef and author of The Forager Chef ’s Book of Flora. Recipes at ForagerChef.com feature more than 60 species of wild edible fungi, from common deer mushrooms to prized porcinis.

The intriguing flavors of wild mushrooms in part come from their diets, akin to the difference between grain- and grass-fed meats. “For fungi, their food is their habitat. Cul20

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tivated mushrooms have less variety of the micronutrients and secondary metabolites that can add flavor to a wild mushroom,” says Eugenia Bone, a New York City food journalist and editor of Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook.

Foraged fungi also offer a host of nutritional benefits surpassing commercially grown mushrooms. Wild mushrooms like chanterelles and morels can contain up to 1,200 international units (IU) of vitamin D

per serving, whereas commercial mushrooms, typically grown in dark conditions, contain less than 40 IU, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

While foraging is the most satisfying way to procure wild mushrooms, they are becoming increasingly available through farmers’ markets, online purveyors and gourmet stores. Some species that grow wild throughout North America such as oysters, maitake (hen of the woods) and lion’s mane are also grown commercially; these can be suitable for transitioning from buying to hunting.

Sam Fitz, owner of ANXO Cidery & Tasting Room, a neighborhood taproom in Washington, D.C., picked up mushrooming when COVID-19 hit, in part mentored by the restaurant’s wild food purveyor. Fitz started ANXO making hyperlocal ciders from crabapples foraged on bike rides through the nation’s capital, salvaging fruit that otherwise would go to waste. Today, the seasonally focused menu often features wild fungi and other foraged ingredients from savory tartelettes made with beech and hedgehog mushrooms to cocktails

made from bitter boletes.

One of ANXO’s signature dishes is a vegan “chicken of the woods” sandwich, served hot, Nashville-style. This orangecolored tree mushroom, also known as sulphur shelf, has a taste, texture and color that so closely resembles chicken that many recipes use it as a meat substitute. “People are so blown away by its meaty texture they can’t believe they are being served mushrooms,” says Fitz.

When preparing mushrooms, “Forget what you know about cooking vegetables,” says Bone. “Also forget the notion that mushrooms are too delicate to take washing or high heat. Mushrooms are extremely hardy because of the chitin in their cell walls, a compound that is more like fingernails than the cellulose of plants. You can cook mushrooms twice and they will still retain their integrity.”

Because the amino acids in mushrooms respond to heat more like meat than vegetables, Bone suggests searing mushrooms on the grill or under the broiler. “A slice of maitake will cook beautifully on the grill,” she says.

When cooking a particular species for the first time, Bone recommends ovenroasting the mushrooms wrapped in parchment paper. “When you open up the parchment, you can really smell the mushroom. It’s a wonderful way to pick up subtle flavor differences and see how the mushroom handles,” she says.

Since fungi take on all sorts of shapes and sizes, Bergo suggests letting a mushroom’s morphology inform how to cook it.

Lion’s mane, for example, has a texture that mimics crabmeat, so faux crab cakes make a fun dish that honors its form.

“Chefs tend to chop things up, but I prefer to cook many mushrooms whole, especially when they have interesting shapes,” says Bergo. One of the chef ’s go-to preparations of oyster mushrooms is to toss large pieces in seasoned flour or brush them with mustard, then bake until crispy. “They turn into cool-looking, crispy croutons you can put on a salad or eat as a snack,” he says.

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

Wild mushrooms are a culinary delight, but beginning foragers should harvest with caution. The forager’s rule of thumb is to be 100 percent sure of an identification 100 percent of the time given that toxic lookalikes can exist. It’s also important to try a small amount of a mushroom the first time around, as some individuals can respond adversely to a particular species despite its general edibility.

Hen of the Woods Steaks 4-oz pieces of hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms, broken into large clusters Kosher salt Cooking oil as needed, about ¼ cup Clean the hens by swishing them in cool water, gently peering inside the caps to make sure they are cleaned, trimming with a paring knife as needed, then allowing to drain on paper towels.

Heat the oil in a pan or on a griddle until hot, but not smoking. Add the mushroom clump and season with salt, placing a weight— like a rock, log, crumbly wood or cinder block wrapped in foil or a pan—on top, then cook until the underside is deeply caramelized, then flip and repeat.

akepong/AdobeStock.com

Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com

yield: 1 serving per 4 ounces mushrooms

If the pan gets dry, add a little more oil. When both sides of the mushrooms are deeply caramelized and browned, serve immediately, with extra finishing salt on the side.

Recipe from Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com.

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Sicilian Chicken of the Woods Here is a traditional Italian preparation for chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus or Laetiporus cincinnatus), flavored with wild monarda leaves and served with charred bread rubbed with garlic. yield: 4 to 6 servings

Heat the oil in a wide pan with high sides.

A cast iron skillet will work, but isn’t ideal as the sauce is acidic.

Add the mushrooms and cook until they’ve given up their moisture, then push them to the side of the pan, add a little extra oil if the pan looks dry, or if the mushrooms were very juicy. Add the garlic to the clean spot of the pan, then arrange the pan off-center on the burner so that the heat is focused on the garlic.

Meanwhile, lightly oil the bread and char on a grill. It should have good black spots, but not be ashy. Rub a garlic clove gently into the toasted bread slices, press-

ing down so that it “melts” into the bread a bit—don’t go crazy, a little goes a long way.

Double check the seasoning of the mushrooms for salt and chili, adjust as needed, then serve the stewed mushrooms with the grilled garlic bread on the side.

Drizzle some oil over the top to give the dish an attractive sheen.

Spoon the mushrooms and their sauce on the bread and eat. Leftovers make killer mushroom hoagies a la cheesy meatball sub sandwiches.

Recipe from Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com.

charise/AdobeStock.com

Sweat the garlic in the oil slowly until it’s light golden and aromatic, then add the shallots and cook for 1 minute.

Add the crushed red pepper directly to the garlic and shallot, cook for a moment more, then deglaze the pan with the wine, tossing in the bay leaf. Reduce the sauce by one half, then add the tomato puree, water, capers or olives, bergamot or other herbs and cook until the mixture is thickened lightly and the mushrooms are coated with a rich sauce, about 15 minutes.

photo by Alan Bergo, ForagerChef.com

1 lb young tender chicken of the woods, sliced ¼- to ½-inch thick 1 large clove garlic ¼ cup mild or extra-virgin olive oil mixed with flavorless oil, like grapeseed (plus 1 or 2 Tbsp extra if the pan threatens to dry out), along with a drizzle at the end 1 large shallot or small yellow onion 1 Tbsp sliced Monarda fistulosa (also known as bee balm or wild bergamot) or fresh mint or oregano Crushed red pepper flakes or hot chili to taste 1 Tbsp capers or a small handful of Castelvetrano olives (or other green olives) 2 dried bay leaves ¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup water or stock 1½ cups seedless tomato puree or tomato sauce Grilled high-quality bread, preferably slightly charred, for serving 2 whole fresh garlic cloves as needed for rubbing into the bread

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zcy/AdobeStock.com

photo by Evan Sung

Warm Endive and Oyster Mushroom Salad

2 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup minced shallots 1 tsp sliced garlic 1 to 2 tsp grated ginger Freshly ground black pepper 6 oz oyster mushrooms 1 Tbsp white or black sesame seeds 2 marinated white anchovy fillets, chopped 2 Belgian endives, leaves separated and cut into 2-inch sections ½ Meyer or regular lemon Pinch of kosher salt ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley for garnish 2 whole scallions, chopped diagonally for garnish Drizzle of high-quality white truffle oil for garnish (optional) Grated Parmigiano cheese for garnish (optional) In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until golden, a few minutes. Stir in the ginger and pepper to taste. Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping the mushrooms over, until they release their liquid. Add the sesame seeds and toast them in a bald spot in the pan for a minute or so.

Turn the heat down to medium, add the anchovies and endives, and cook until the endives wilt, a few more minutes. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt.

Garnish with the cilantro and scallions, and optionally, white truffle oil and a sprinkle of the cheese.

Recipe by Annaliese Bischoff from Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook, edited by Eugenia Bone.

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and nonbromated ingredients whenever possible.

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ART’S EMBRACE Healing Through Creativity

by Sandra Yeyati

A

rt can be a powerful force for healing. Its potential manifests in a disabled man’s triumphant dance or cancer patient’s stirring self-portrait.

Throughout America, art’s redemption takes center stage at hospitals, nursing homes, jails and homeless shelters. Even an entire city can be transformed when its citizens embrace public art to add beauty, create community and heal its broken places.

Art in Medical Settings According to Jill Sonke, director of the University of Florida (UF) Center for Arts in Medicine, approximately half of U.S. hospitals have art programs that provide positive distraction, enjoyment and connection. To humanize otherwise intimidating environments, visual artists and musicians are employed to install appealing exhibits and play relaxing music. Artists also work at the bedside with patients as part of inter-professional care teams.

Serving as an artist-in-residence early in her career, Sonke remembers a young female patient with sickle cell disease whose bouts of extreme pain required hospitalization. Dance sessions eased her suffering and enabled doctors to reduce pain medications. “The way the patient described it was not that the pain was going away, but that she didn’t mind it as much because she was enjoying dancing,” she says.

While facilitating Dance for Life classes for Parkinson’s patients, Sonke encountered a man suffering limited mobility and an inability to form facial expressions. After two months of biweekly sessions, he could lift his arms over his head and, to his wife’s delight, smile again. “It’s that multimodal capacity of the arts,” Sonke explains. “All at the same time, he was engaging in music, movement and imagery.

He was moving with others and experiencing joy and laughter.”

According to Sonke, ongoing research seeks to pinpoint the public health benefits of art. In Britain, they have learned that people over 50 visiting museums or concerts once a month are almost half as likely to develop depression in older age. Other studies suggest that music can unlock memories and improve cognition. UF researchers are currently investigating whether live music in emergency and trauma care settings can reduce the need for opioids.

“When people engage in the arts, they often enter into a flow state, that experience of losing yourself in art where we lose track of time and what we’re doing is intrinsically motivated,” Sonke says. “A flow state can engage a relaxation response, helping to reduce stress and anxiety, which can enhance immune function.”

Art Therapy for Cancer Patients Board-certified art therapist Mallory Montgomery helps cancer patients in Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital work through symptoms of depression, anxiety or trauma. “Any person seeking a talk therapist or social worker could also consult with an art therapist,” she says. “We have the same training, but use art instead of just words. Evidence suggests that art therapy accesses healing faster because you’re forging a deep mind/body connection.”

When counseling a double mastectomy patient that has questions about who they are now that they’re missing a part of their identity, Montgomery might offer a printed body map so that they can pinpoint where they carry feelings of loss, pain or confusion.

“By drawing or coloring in those areas, I’m asking them to show how they������������������������������������������������������� ’������������������������������������������������������ re being affected physically, emotionally and spiritually, and to externalize the overwhelming, negative side of their problem,” she explains.

Using a second body map, Montgomery might invite the patient to draw or paint in those same areas to transform the pain into something more positive. “Is it going to blossom like a flower or be soothed with water? What imagery can you create that represents the opposite of your pain or an improvement of your concerns? We might also do a portrait to highlight other aspects of you and your personality that still exist, even though you no longer have a body part that was killing you,” she says.

Montgomery’s emphasis is never on the quality of the art. “I walk the fine line between allowing patients to problem-solve how to make something look like what’s in their head and providing them with comfort and intervention so they don’t get so frustrated that they want to give up,” she notes.

Montgomery keeps a visual journal for her own self-expression.

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“It helps me make sense of the world,” she says. “Art gives my voice and thoughts an outlet, something concrete and representational that reaches into the depth of what I’m experiencing.”

Redemption Songs in Skid Row About 10 years ago, violinist and recording artist Vijay Gupta took a wrong turn and ended up in Skid Row, a disadvantaged downtown Los Angeles neighborhood. “It felt like a gut punch,” he recalls. “I saw the gross inequality between Walt Disney Concert Hall where I performed for the LA Philharmonic and a community of 5,000 people less than two miles away sleeping in tents in extreme poverty.”

To uplift and inspire people recovering from homelessness, addiction and incarceration, Gupta founded Street Symphony in 2011 as a series of concert performances by world-class musicians.

“One of our first venues was the Department of Mental Health,” he recalls. “After the second movement, the young violist I was performing with turned to the audience with tears in his eyes and said, ‘I’ve loved playing for you because I can feel your hearts.’

He shared that his mother had grappled with schizophrenia, his father was a prison guard and whenever he played for his family, he felt more connected to them. That’s when I began to see him as a human being who was in deep need of this work himself.”

Gupta has learned firsthand that healing is a two-way street.

“When I come to Skid Row, I’m the one who feels lifted,” he says.

As a result, Street Symphony has morphed into a collection of workshops and conversations that also employs jazz, reggae, hip-hop and West African musicians and vocalists from the Skid Row community. “We might play 30 minutes of music and then ask the audience what images, thoughts or memories came up for them,” he explains.

In this community, art is neither entertainment nor a commodity, Gupta says. “It’s a lifeline; a way for people that have been devastated by poverty, addiction or trauma to add to their lives in a constructive way. We all have devastated places within ourselves that need healing and attention. Visiting Skid Row is a pilgrimage to the broken place within myself, and in that way, it’s a spiritual place; my temple where I go to worship.”

Creative Care for People with Dementia Drawing from her theater background, Anne Basting, author of Creative Care, has developed an innovative approach to dementia and elder care. “Our current caregiving model envisions one person that’s empty and has lots of needs and the other person that’s full and pours themself into the other person, which leads to burnout,” she says. “Dementia and aging are experiences of increasing separation. People isolate themselves and learn not to trust their own expressive capacities, because their relatives and friends no longer know how to relate with them and often ignore their words.”

Basting’s Creative Care changes this depleting dynamic. “In improvisational theater, you observe everything that’s happen-ing on stage and try to figure out how you can add to the performance positively,” she explains. “Applying that idea to a care situ26

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ation, you observe the person’s facial expressions, what they’re saying, how they’re behaving and then invite them into expression out of that moment with what we call a ‘beautiful question’, one that has no right or wrong answers and draws on the person’s strengths.”

A beautiful question might be, “If your feet could talk, what would they say?” This offers people with pain a poetic way to express it. “I invited a gentleman with dementia who had no language—no words left—to show me how water moves. His response was the most beautiful dance I’d ever experienced, performed in the kitchen of his duplex,” Basting recalls, adding that it’s important to acknowledge the person’s expression so they know they’ve been heard.

The final step in Creative Care is to accumulate these experiences over time and shape something larger and universally meaningful that can be shared with others—an artistic product.

Basting founded the nonprofit TimeSlips to train artists and caregivers worldwide to do this visionary work. Their efforts have resulted in art exhibits, dance and theater productions, books and animations. “My dream is that meaning and beauty will be made every day in nursing homes, creating care settings so interesting that people want to visit them—a new kind of cultural center, integrating health and art,” she says.

Transforming a City with Public Art More than 4,000 works of public art grace the city of Philadelphia, three-quarters of which are breathtaking murals that combine world-class paintings and images with provocative words and healing messages. Art permeates virtually every neighborhood on walls, billboards, sidewalks, rooftops, swimming pools and basketball courts, enriching people from all walks of life, even those that don’t have access to galleries and museums.

“Public art lifts our spirits, provides us with beauty and inspires us,” says Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia (MAP). “It can be evocative, challenging and educational, as well, serving as a barometer of our time—a system of checks and balances and a mirror that we hold up to people and say that your life counts and you matter.” In addition to sponsoring 75 to 100 new works every year, MAP’s $10 million budget funds programs related to criminal justice, art education, housing insecurity, behavioral health, community development and environmental justice.

According to Golden, the healing power of art is not just in the mural, but also in its collaborative creation. In addition to artists and educators, hundreds of people work on these projects, including individuals grappling with addiction or homelessness, veterans with PTSD and immigrants and refugees facing isolation and stigma. “The act of creating is a meditative and healing experience, and because you’re part of a larger effort, it connects you to your community,” Golden says. “People start to feel a sense of purpose and value. They start to believe in themselves again.”

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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wise words

Martha Beck on Living with Integrity

by Sandra Yeyati

A

monthly contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine, for the last 17 years, Martha Beck, Ph.D., is a Harvard-trained sociologist and New York Times bestselling author of nine nonfiction books, one novel and more than 200 magazine articles. Her most recent book is The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self.

of meaning in your life. Without a sense of purpose, our lives start to feel dull, and then we start to experience anger, sadness, grief, irritability, anxiety and depression. If we don’t pay attention, our bodies start to give out because we’re deeply biologically programmed to tell the truth. Our career and relationships start to fall apart, and often we end up being addicted to cope with the pain.

Why did you write this new book?

They say the truth will set you free, so 30 years ago, I decided I wouldn’t lie once for an entire calendar year, and it completely changed my life. Ever since, I’ve done integrity cleanses: If anything doesn’t feel like my real self, if it isn’t what I really want to do or what I truly believe, I just won’t do. I started my last integrity cleanse seven years ago, and I’m still in the middle of it because it’s so liberating, dramatically improving my health, business and relationships. After 30 years, I have a method, so I decided to share it with people.

How do you define integrity?

The word comes from the Latin integer, meaning whole or undivided. In engineering, if an airplane is in perfect structural integrity, it can do amazing things. But if its parts aren’t all working in harmony with each other, it may not take off, it may be impossible to steer, it may crash. Being in harmony with your true self enables you to do all the things that will most fulfill you and to realize your destiny if you believe you have one—and I believe we do.

Why, when and how do we lose sight of our true selves?

From the moment we’re born, we start

How do we regain our integrity?

getting messages from people about how they’d like us to behave. We try to do it to fit in, to belong. When someone tries to get us to do something that isn’t true for us, we abandon ourselves and decide to do what pleases them. Every person I’ve worked with, including psychopaths and murderers, has at some point said, “I need to please people. I need to be admired. I need to be liked. I need to be accepted.” It’s such a deep part of the psyche that we will abandon our own comfort to satisfy it, and we won’t even know that we’re out of integrity.

How does this inner conflict manifest itself?

When you stray from your integrity, it’s an abandonment of self. You’ll feel a deep but sometimes subtle unease. Most of us are trained not to notice, but if you’re not paying attention to your own truth and what you really want, you eventually develop symptoms. The most painful is loss

You feel what you’re feeling and notice any place you’re uncomfortable, which is information that’s always available to you.

Many of us are frightened to do that and maybe haven’t done it for many years, but once you find out you’re not comfortable, I advise making a series of one-degree turns away from the things that aren’t right for you, nudging yourself gently toward things that make you happy every day. As you edge your life in that direction with small changes, enormous things can happen.

What are the benefits of living with integrity?

Any time we yearn for something in a very deep, intense way, it’s always immediately given to us, but it’s sent to the place that is our real home, which is peace. It waits for you there. When you get into your integrity, you find incredible peace. And at that point, everything you’ve wanted in your whole life seems to be waiting for you.

Peace is your home. Integrity is the way to it, and everything you have ever longed for will meet you there.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@ gmail.com.

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yoga happenings

Yoga in the Adirondacks at The Divine Acres

Yoga in the Adirondacks

As a yoga shala, Yoga in the Adirondacks (YitA) is place for education, not just exercise

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here’s a distinction between a yoga studio, which for many people is a place for exercise, and a yoga shala, which is a place for education.

Rhodella Hughes—who along with her husband, Patrick, owns Yoga in the Adirondacks and its associated sustainable family farm, The Divine Acres—says they’ve redefined YitA as a yoga shala.

“Many of us go to yoga studios for exercise,” Rhodella says. “Physical movement is a tool for education about the self. A shala is a home where yoga is shared and experienced. It supports and increases our toolbox of knowledge. As our intention develops awareness of the internal self, we find ways to bring that knowledge with us everywhere we go.”

She says the ancient practice of yoga is best described in the Bhagavad Gita: “Yoga is a journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”

The self-practice is not about weight loss, muscle gain or cardio fitness—although all those can be byproducts of yoga, Hughes says. It is also not about competition or comparison.

“No one class is better than another,” she says. “The distinction is in the focus of the class intention. We might learn skills for exercise, but development of the internal self is the objective. That said, any reason to begin a yoga practice is a good one.”

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next retreat, Falling into As a yoga shala, YitA Winter, set for January 14 is about showing up to 16, 2022.) to find and become an With such breathtakimproved person through ing panoramas, it only the teachings, Hughes makes sense that pranasays. maya, or breath work, is “As a place of self-imessential to YitA’s educaprovement and reflection, tional mission. we do not indulge your “The first thing we individual needs. The do when we come into individual experience this human form is take belongs to you and to Rhodella Hughes a breath, and the last your journey of reform. It thing we will do is take a is a safe, sacred personal breath,” Hughes says. “At YitA, you’ll learn space for those showing up to learn. As a to sharpen your breath that carries you true yoga student, you have the ability to through life one inhale and exhale at a become the observer of your own behavtime, as involuntary flow of air exchange.” iors. The windows and doors open within The ultimate lesson to be learned is the self as you continue to show up in your that “there is nothing to fear in God’s creown practice—the practice of life, of selfation,” she says. “Believe in who you are empowerment. It doesn’t stop when you and you will find a healthier, more prosleave the space.” perous journey. You’ll find resolve, peace and calm and trust in what is meant to ‘Where Yoga Embraces Nature’ be. Everything is going as God intended.

YitA at The Divine Acres is located in The work is learning to get out of our own Bakers Mills, a historical valley of the Adway.” irondack State Park, a place where people coexist with wildlife. It has barn animals Yoga in the Adirondacks is located at 2 and more than 200 acres of private hiking Coulter Rd., Bakers Mills, NY. For more trails. The natural setting plays an imporinfo, call 518.251.3015, email rhodella@ tant role in YitA’s seasonal retreats. (While yogaintheadirondacks.com or visit September’s Autumn Transformation retreat is full, there’s still availability for the YogaInTheAdirondacks.com.

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Sacred Spirit Yoga

Kathleen Hinge to Teach Kripalu Yoga at Sacred Spirit

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athleen Hinge, who specializes in Kripalu-style yoga, will be teaching two Saturday classes at Sacred Spirit Yoga and Healing Arts Center, in Dobbs Ferry, starting in September. The studio’s fall schedule now offers four weekly classes, all available both in person at its South Church studio (for fully vaccinated students only) and livestreamed via Zoom for students who wish to attend remotely.

With the new fall schedule, Chris Glover will be teaching two classes: Moderate Yoga on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Gentle/Moderate Yoga on Fridays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Hinge, who is the founder of Yoga Shivaya Studio, in Tarrytown, will be teaching Intermediate Yoga on Saturdays from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m., and Beginner Yoga on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Anne Day, a yoga student and board member at Sacred Spirit Yoga and Healing Arts Center, says the not-for-profit sangha offers contemplative yoga rather than “gym yoga.”

“We believe contemplative practices are essential for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, and contemplative, Kripalu-style yoga is the practice we love,” she says. “Our mission is to build a caring community and inspire peace and wellness. Our focus is on supporting embodied, compassionate self-observation. Students are allowed time to move into a pose, truly witness and find themselves in the pose, and experience the sensations and aftereffects of the pose.”

Sacred Spirit offers yoga for all levels, plus special, all-level community events with guest teachers. Unlike most privately owned yoga studios, Sacred Spirit is a 501(3)c nonprofit interfaith community, and largely volunteer operated—or “yoga for the people, by the people,” as Day calls it.

“Our goal is to create a sacred space for seekers yearning to deepen their connection to body, soul, spirit, life and the moment,” she says. “The vibe is warm, welcoming to all, contemplative, spacious and sacred.

Location: Sacred Spirit Yoga and Healing Arts Center, on the South Presbyterian Church campus, 343 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY. For more info, email info@sacredspirityogacenter.org. To read about the studio’s teachers and safety protocols, or to register for an in-person or Zoom class, visit SacredSpiritYogaCenter.org.

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O2 Living Sanctuary Expands Yoga Offerings

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Zen Garden Health Coaching & Yoga

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dit J. Babboni, a 200-hour registered yoga teacher and certified holistic health coach, and the owner of Zen Garden Health Coaching and Yoga, in Yorktown Heights, says her studio’s philosophy is to bring out the best in each client.

“We’re a holistic practice dedicated to helping everyone reach their best emotional, physical or spiritual self when they take a group or private yoga class, a Reiki session or a health-coaching session at Zen Garden,” she says. “We focus our attention on every individual who steps in the door.

Every student is different and has different needs, and because the number of Zen Garden students is limited, we can provide that personalized attention.”

The studio has a strong focus on alignment—both postural alignment and breathing alignment with movement, Babboni says. “A foundation of well-being and vitality is utilizing the oxygen that surrounds us. We teach students how to convert that oxygen to prana, our vital life force, by the simple act of breathing.”

In addition to Reiki energy healing, health coaching, and private and group yoga classes, Zen Garden is now offering far-infrared therapy. According to Babboni, a 15-minute daily session can yield benefits that include detoxification, relaxation, better sleep and joint pain relief. The studio will also host its annual 7-Day Raw Plant Food Challenge program in September.

Location: Zen Garden 61 Lakeview Dr., Yorktown Heights, NY. For more info, call 917.721.2529, email yoga.zengarden@ gmail.com or visit ZenGardenYoga.net.

2 Living Sanctuary, in Cross River, is expanding its yoga offerings this fall. In addition to its regular classes for all levels, the sanctuary will be hosting teacher-training programs, day retreats and special workshops and events.

But yoga is just one part of what O2 Living offers as “a holistic oasis,” says manager and owner Jennifer Pignone. O2 Living promotes a higher quality of life through optimal wellness, with the understanding that everything we do and every choice we make—from O2 Living Sanctuary what we think to what we eat—directly affects our health and well-being.

“The sanctuary is a one-stop shop for wellness,” she says. “With a yoga studio, spa, café and boutique, you’ll be sure to leave feeling like your best pampered self. You’ll fall in love with taking care of you.”

Location: O2 Living Sanctuary, 792 Cross River Rd., Cross River, NY. For more info, call 914.763.6320, email jen@o2living.com or visit O2LivingSanctuary.com.

Yoga at D.I.G. Farm Supports Its Community Mission

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n four consecutive Saturday mornings in September and October, Marie Calo, a 200-hour registered yoga teacher, will lead gentle, all-level flow classes at D.I.G. Farm, in North Salem. Part of the class fee will support the farm’s mission of donating healthy food to local families in need and connecting communities to their food source.

The classes will be held September 11, 18 and 25 and October 2, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Beginners and experienced yogis are D.I.G. Farm welcome. Students should bring their own mat, water and any props needed for their yoga practice.

Formerly a teacher with Quest Yoga Arts and Peaceful Warrior, Calo leads classes in vinyasa, yin yoga, children’s yoga and mindfulness, focusing on safe movement and alignment for all students.

“My personal practice and teaching is inspired by various yoga styles, including Iyengar, vinyasa flow and restorative,” she says.

D.I.G Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on increasing community awareness of locally produced sustainable food and how to make choices that help rather than harm the earth. It seeks to create jobs and a fun volunteer environment; to strengthen connections between existing nonprofits and the community through events that spread their messages; and to encourage “giving, helping, sharing and volunteerism.”

Participants in the Saturday yoga classes can learn about volunteer opportunities through D.I.G. Farm’s educational and community growing programs.

Cost: $20 per session. Walk-ins welcome. To register in advance, email digfarm@gmail.com.

Location: D.I.G. Farm, 115 June Rd., North Salem, NY. For more info, email digfarm@ gmail.com or visit digFarm.org.

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

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Amenia Yoga Announces Six-Week Bone Health Course

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arah Wallace, owner of Amenia Yoga: A Place for Wellness, which opened in June, recently earned her certification in Yoga for Osteoporosis and will offer a course on bone health on six consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning October 5.

“Taking care of bones is a lifelong battle, and it’s never too late to start,” Wallace says, noting that osteoporosis “sneaks up on people. They don’t know they have it until they fall and break their hip.”

While all exercise is better than inactivity, she says, yoga is preferable because it stimulates and strengthens bones and muscles and increases range of motion, Sarah Wallace, owner of Amenia Yoga flexibility, balance and coordination. It’s also low impact. Course participants will learn asanas for preventing and counteracting osteopenia and osteoporosis. Class size is limited to 10. All participants will need a doctor’s clearance to join.

With Wallace and Sara Regan as instructors, Amenia Yoga is rapidly expanding its schedule of classes, which now include a special senior class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings; an all-levels class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings; evening classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and a Sunday class at 11 a.m.

“We will be offering qigong in the near future, and starting in September we’ll offer prenatal yoga for future moms in all trimesters of pregnancy,” Wallace says.

Many people consider trying yoga but never seem to get around to it. They make excuses that they’re too old, they don’t have time, or they can’t touch their Sarah Wallace and Sara Regan toes. But “yoga meets you where you are,” Wallace says.

“There are benefits to beginning in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s. For those new to yoga, you might think it’s all about twisting your body into a pretzel. That’s not at all the true essence of yoga. Yoga brings inner peace and balance to your life. If you want to feel good physically, mentally and emotionally, you should try it. We are an all-inclusive studio—our doors are open. Every body is welcome here.”

2022

Location: Amena Yoga: A Place for Wellness, 18 Old North Rd., Amenia, NY. For more info, call 845.789.1156, email info@ameniayoga.com or visit AmeniaYoga.com.

Existence becomes futile if you cannot find happiness.

When wealth is lost, you have lost a little; when health is lost, you have lost something of more consequence; but when peace of mind is lost, you have lost the highest treasure. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL Call or email for details: 845-596-0065 Dana-NA@WakeUpNaturally.com September 2021

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With Streaming Classes, Yoga by Karen at Universal Healing Arts aren Shaw, a yoga instructor and YogaShine Pierces the fitness trainer and the owner of Virtual Veil BodySculpt by Karen, is teaching Yoga

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ogaShine is an institution in a Westchester’s yoga community, having offered in-person classes for more than 30 years before transitioning to Vitalah Simon online teaching, with an ongoing schedule that includes multi-level mat classes, super-gentle chair classes and individual yoga therapy sessions. Regardless of the format, the studio’s commitment to personalized instruction has never wavered, says main teacher and yoga therapist Vitalah Simon.

“Students are observed closely and given clear, specific verbal directions, slowly and succinctly,” she says. “Movements are demonstrated as necessary, and the teacher stays close to the computer screen, often seated, watching for subtle nonverbal cues from the students and giving verbal feedback concerning alignment and safety of the execution of the poses. Observing students closely and intuitively is even more important during online teaching because there is less direct kinesthetic communication through our bodies and breaths.”

Newcomers can attend their first group class free, and receive a free 10-minute technology consultation to set up their home yoga space before they join. The Zoom classroom always “opens” 15 minutes early to handle any tech problems and allow students to chat.

“Some verbal interaction helps create an experience of being together with others, which is good medicine for these times of increased isolation and physical distance,” Simon notes. “Teaching means lifting up others: questions are welcome, and praise and encouragement are offered.

By the end of a class, we are usually all feeling more at home with ourselves and the world we inhabit.”

For more info, contact Simon at 914.769.8745 or yogashine@verizon.net.

To register, visit YogaShine.com.

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by Karen Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. at Universal Healing Arts, in Cortlandt Manor.

Universal Healing Arts is a fullservice community that offers a broad spectrum of services. Founder Shima Chayvet says Shaw’s experience as a “multidimensional yoga instructor” fits well with the community’s mission of helping people achieve optimal wellness.

Karen Shaw “This is one place where you can leave stress behind, enlighten your mind, heal your body and feed your soul,” Chayvet says.

For the whole person to be healthy, the mind needs to be free of negative thoughts and the body free of unwanted stress, Shaw says.

“Your body has to be nurtured, strengthened and free of toxins. Your spiritual self has to be developed and aware. When any one of these personal aspects is not performing optimally, your ability to function optimally is affected,” she explains.

In her teaching practice, Shaw emphasizes awareness of mind and body, and letting go of thoughts and feelings that may bind and hamper. Using a variety of techniques, she encourages her students to work to their level of fitness while also challenging themselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Location: Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor, NY. For more info, call 914.737.4325 or visit UniversalHealingArts.com. See ad, page 11.

Putnam Yoga Offers Teacher Training, Flexible Classes

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utnam Yoga, in Baldwin Place, is now accepting applications for its 200-hour yoga teacher training (YTT), which begins September 26. “The yoga practice starts at 9 a.m., followed by the trainees staying for our first YTT discussion ending at 1:30 p.m.,” says owner and instructor Christine Dodge. “Putnam Yoga thrives on a community-shared passion for yoga. If you are interested in learning how to teach yoga and share your passion for yoga to others, the Christine Dodge teacher training is perfect for you.”

The studio also regularly offers both in-person and Zoom classes—flexibility designed to accommodate people who want the energy of a group class, those who are on vacation but still want to practice, and those who feel more comfortable staying at home to practice,” Dodge says.

“Putnam Yoga is proud to still be here and provide yoga for our community,” she says. “We have a great group of instructors who are very happy to be back to the studio and able to provide a safe and enjoyable practice. We are extremely grateful for our members who stuck with us through the Covid craziness, and we welcome the new members who joined our Putnam Yoga family.”

Location: Putnam Yoga, 30 Tomahawk St., Baldwin Place, NY. For more info, call 845.494.8118, email info@putnamyoga.com or visit PutnamYoga.com. See ad, page 31.

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Yoga Teachers Association Announces Workshop Lineup

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he Yoga Teachers Association of the Hudson Valley (YTA) will kick off its 2021-22 season on September 11 with the Zoom workshop Lifting Tias Little the Sails of the Lungs: Yoga, Pranayama and the Art of Breathing, which will cover how to make the lungs more responsive and expandable in order to increase circulation and the body’s natural defenses. The workshop will be led by Tias Little, the New Mexico-based cofounder of Prajna Yoga and creator of SATYA (Sensory Awareness Training for Yoga Attunement), a somatic practice that combines dance, yin yoga, Feldenkrais and myofascial release.

Stephen Cope, Jovinna Chan and Shraddha Hilda Oropeza are among the others who will be leading YTA workshops this season.

“We are hoping to return to holding workshops in person at Club Fit in Briarcliff Manor in October, with a Zoom option for those who prefer the virtual format,” says YTA president Lorraine Burton. “However, after a year of remote workshops, we realized that we were no longer limited by geography to bring the best instructors to our community, and some of this season’s workshops will be held only via Zoom because of the instructor’s location.”

YTA is an educational nonprofit run by volunteers. Membership is open to studio owners, yoga teachers and all students.

Workshops are usually held on the second Saturday of the month, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Continuing education credits are available for most workshops.

When life is foggy, the path is unclear and mind is dull, remember your breath. It has the power to give you the peace.

It has the power to resolve the unsolved equations of life. ~ Amit Ray

Cost: $45 members, $65 nonmembers in advance. For more info, visit YTAYoga.com or email yta_communications@ytayoga.com.

See ad, page 29.

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fit body

YOGA TO HEAL TRAUMA Soothing Poses Calm the Nervous System

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etting on the yoga mat can be a powerful stress-buster that lowers blood pressure and excessive cortisol, but yoga can offer an added boon for those living with the lasting effects of traumatic events. Trauma-informed yoga (also called trauma-sensitive yoga) is a promising therapeutic branch of the yogic system designed to quell the body’s programmed “fight-or-flight” responses.

Founded on yoga, psychology and neurobiology principles, the approach is in harmony with the ancient yogic concept of samskaras, or memories imprinted on our cellular consciousness. People from many walks of life can benefit from trauma-sensitive yoga including bullied teens, women rebounding from abuse 34

and anyone impacted by pandemic turmoil. Research published in the journal Military Medicine in 2018 reports that U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that participated in a one-hour vinyasa-style yoga session for six weeks showed significantly lowered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as less insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Trauma-Intelligent Fitness Yoga performed with trauma sensitivity can pick up where talk therapy leaves off, targeting the amygdala, the danger detector in the brain, and the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the abdomen, which plays a vital role in processing

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trauma. “Somatic processing and treatment methodologies like yoga are now being used to help repair and rebuild distressed nervous systems, which in turn helps the brain integrate and ‘file’ distressing memories,” says Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide, the largest yoga teacher training school in North America, and the author of Healing Trauma with Yoga: Go From Surviving to Thriving with MindBody Techniques. The Fort Lauderdalebased yoga therapist and entrepreneur highlights the body’s role in trauma and stress. “The brain rewires itself around the traumatic event and memories stored in the tissues throughout the body. Yoga can help to free those memories, alleviating troubling emotions and thought patterns, as well as chronic somatic tension and hypervigilance.” Shaw draws upon new psychological and neurological discoveries, including polyvagal theory, that help explain the full impact of trauma and most importantly, how and why yoga helps to lessen these impacts.

Trauma-informed yoga keeps the nervous system in mind, excluding poses and breathing techniques that might provoke a sense of vulnerability or overstimulation. Trained teachers adhere to non-touch assistance methods and often opt for well-lit studios to avoid a possible triggering atmosphere.

A trauma-informed yoga teacher knows the inner workings of the nervous system,” explains Mandy Eubanks, a trauma-trained yoga educator and certified yoga instructor in Tulsa. “We have respect for the variety of responses that our clients have to yoga, meditation and breathwork practices. For example,

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by Marlaina Donato

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we understand deep breathing will be calming to one person and agitating to another. We normalize clients’ responses and work with them to find an effective technique for that individual.” Teachers with specialized training and access to props can also support people on a yoga journey that are limited physically.

Eubanks emphasizes, “Yoga truly is for everyone and every body.”

The Power of Choice and Individuality Lisa Danylchuk, the Oakland-based author of Yoga for Trauma Recovery: Theory, Philosophy, and Practice, underscores that in a trauma-informed environment, everything a teacher instructs is an offering or invitation. “This is important because people who have endured trauma have often not had a say over what happens to their bodies. A good trauma-informed class cultivates somatic and psychological resources, and focuses, above all, on cultivating a sense of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual safety.” The founder of The Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery believes it’s important to be responsive to individual needs. “Trauma affects so many different individuals and groups of people and in such a variety of ways that it is impossible to give one prescription.

Some people might benefit from a weekly, 60- to 90-minute vinyasa-style class.

Others might benefit from a short, fiveminute daily restorative practice.”

Shaw also stresses a tailored approach.

“How one wishes to practice is up to the individual, but I suggest a combination of both one-on-one instruction and class format. If someone is in the throes of trauma, they will need a private session to start.”

Eubanks adds the importance of consistency. “In my experience, it is about finding which yoga practices work best for the client and then encouraging them to find time to practice every day. Yoga for PTSD is not a one-and-done deal. It takes time, effort and belief in oneself.”

Marlaina Donato is a body-mind-spirit author and recording artist. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Elisha Simpson Co-Leads Trauma-Informed Yoga Training

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lisha Fernandes Simpson, a licensed clinical social worker and trauma-informed yoga instructor, will co-lead an Evolution Yoga Teacher Training beginning October 26 and ending in April 2022. This dual-level holistic training brings together yoga, neurology, trauma-informed practices and psychiatry to address mood Elisha Simpson leading class disorders such as depression and anxiety; degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis; substance abuse; PTSD; and traumatic brain injuries.

Other leaders of the collaborative training are Michele Fleming, a yoga therapist and specialist in orthopedic yoga, and Nicole M. Absar, M.D., a behavioral neurologist and neuropsychiatrist. The course will be held both virtually and in person at Bella Maia Spa in Briarcliff, with limited live enrollment. The first level is a 200-hour Vinyasa-based yoga teacher training. The additional 100-hour yoga therapy training focuses on how yoga practices can assist with treating various disorders and conditions.

“The benefits of trauma-informed yoga are especially relevant as we continue to navigate the global pandemic and people seek stability within a constantly changing world,” Simpson says. “There’s growing evidence that yoga practices help overcome the pervasive effects of trauma. Trauma-informed yoga has been recognized as an evidence-based adjunctive treatment for complex, developmental trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the United States. Emotional and/or physical trauma can impact our thoughts, emotions, relationships, sense of self, and view of the world.”

Building Resilience

Simpson has been an area pioneer in implementing trauma-informed practices. Since 2008, she’s worked with trauma survivors in Westchester through her former nonprofit organization, The Crossover Yoga Project.

CYP empowered more than 5,000 people involved within the criminal justice and mental health communities through trauma-conscious yoga, mindfulness and art expressions designed to build self-awareness, resilience and self-respect. She continues this work through her Elisha Simpson private practice, called Finding Peace Within, which offers trauma-informed training, therapy and yoga classes.

“I offer a compassionate, non-judging space that is healing, holistic and builds resilience,” she says. “When our emotional and relational needs are not met, they have a long-term effect on how we see ourselves and the world around us. But when we are ready, we can find the strength to overcome anything.”

She notes that stability was lost during the global pandemic, and people continue to be overwhelmed and struggle to find understanding, compassion and healing.

“Olympian Simone Biles and high school and college students are taking a stand in acknowledging that mental health comes first,” she says. “By implementing traumainformed practices, we can help society orient toward our well-being. Learn more by joining my upcoming virtual and in-person training beginning October 26.”

For information about the yoga training, visit EvolutionTrainings.com/hour-yoga-teachertraining. For a private appointment, call 914.281.2225, email elishastherapy@gmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/d96atbuw. See ad, page 33.

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natural awakenings

NETWORK

QIGONG In Balance Concepts Qigong. Tai Chi. Meditation 2505 Rt. 6, St. 108, Brewster 845.803.1992 Inbalancetaichi.com

Marie Calo. See page 30.

FITNESS Peak Life Holistics Holistic Wellness Coaching 13 Edgewood Dr., Somers, NY 914.301.3393 PeakLifeHolistics.com

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA Finding Peace Within 420 S. Riverside Ave. Box #223 914.281.2225 visit: tinyurl.com/d96atbuw

Patrick paddle boarding Sukhasana, Yoga in the Adirondacks

Zen Garden Heath Coaching & Yoga studio 36

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

YOGA ASSOCIATIONS

YOGA RETREATS

Yoga Society of New York Ananda Ashram Monroe, NY 845.782.5575 anandaashram.org

Yoga in the Adirondacks, LLC 2 Coulter Rd, Bakers Mills, NY 518.251.3015;914.556.8258 yogaintheadirondacks.com

Yoga Teachers Association Workshops 2nd Sat. 1:30 pm Club Fit, Briarcliff Manor, NY and via Zoom yta_communications@ytayoga.com ytayoga.com WakeUpNaturally.com

FIND YOGA CLASSES ON PAGES 46-50.

Sacred Spirit Yoga & Healing Arts Center

YOGA STUDIOS ARMONK YogaShine Kripalu, Mat, Chair, Therapy 914.769.8745, yogashine.com Via ZOOM until further notice

CORTLANDT MANOR

DOBBS FERRY Sacred Spirit Yoga & Healing Arts Center 343 Broadway (on campus of South Presbyterian Church) sacredspirityogacenter.org

MAHOPAC

YOGA by Karen NEW Universal Healing Arts 4 Crestview Ave. 914.737.4325 UniversalHealingArts.com

Putnam Yoga 30 Tomahawk Street Baldwin Place 845.494.8118 PutnamYoga.com

CROSS RIVER

SOMERS

O2 Living Sanctuary 792 Rt. 35 914.763.6320 O2livingsanctuary.com

Zen Garden Health Coaching & Yoga Edit Babboni; CHC, RYT 200 61 Lakeview Dr., Yorktown Heights, NY 917.721.2529 yoga.zengarden@gmail.com

Elisha Simpson, Finding Peace Within

Find more local yoga news and events: WakeUpNaturally.com September 2021

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healing ways

Conquering Chronic Pain How the Body-Mind Connection Works

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by Ronica O’Hara

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or three decades, David Hanscom was a top-ranked orthopedic surgeon in Seattle who daily put the scalpel to injured, deformed and twisted spines. Privately, he writhed in pain himself. He was beset over 15 years with burning feet, insomnia, tinnitus, anxiety, skin rashes, crushing chest pain, depression, sweats, heart palpitations and tension headaches, among other symptoms.

That put him among the estimated 50 million American adults afflicted with chronic pain for which relief is hard to come by and often short-lived. The standard medical approaches of surgery and injections often don’t work well or last long for many patients, research shows. Opioids, once a standby, are now prescribed sparingly after being implicated in half a million overdose deaths. Treatment is especially elusive for the one in six adults and 30 to 40 percent of primary care patients with pain or chronic conditions considered “medically unexplained”.

As a result, integrative pain management, which focuses on both mind and body and incorporates medical and holistic approaches, is growing in importance. Major medical centers such as the Mount Sinai Health System and Cleveland Clinic, as well as practitioners such as chiropractors and homeopaths, offer dozens of modalities to turn around 38

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painful conditions. Sometimes a single simple method works quickly for a patient with a straightforward symptom; more often, it takes a combination of approaches over time to reverse pain, especially if it is complex, sustained or recurring.

Launching on his own healing path, Hanscom came to a critical understanding: The abuse he had suffered as a child from a rage-filled mother, coupled with emotional repression and a fierce drive to excel as a surgeon, produced his high levels of anxiety. It turbocharged his central nervous system and set off a cascade of reactions that fed ever-rising levels of pain.

“Your mind and body function as a unit with no separation,” he says��������� . “Chron������� ic pain results when your body is exposed to sustained levels of stress hormones, excitatory neurotransmitters and inflammatory protein. Your brain is sensitized and the nerve conduction speed is faster, so you physically feel more pain. It’s not ‘all in your mind’—it’s a normal physiological process.”

After six months of intense inner work focused on his rage, Hanscom calmed his overwrought nervous system and his symptoms “essentially disappeared.” He began applying his experience to hundreds of spine patients, helping the great majority of them to avoid surgery altogether. In the book Back in Control, he describes his approach, which is designed for people

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PROMISING PAIN RELIEF THERAPIES In the offices of holistic practitioners and in some medical centers, a wide range of integrative modalities to treat chronic pain are healing the afflicted. Some commonly used options, which can be part of a multipronged approach or effective individually, include:

n CBD. Studies show this cannabis-derived substance,

the non-mind-altering form of marijuana, acts on multiple pain targets in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

It has demonstrated pain-relieving effects for neuropathy, some cancers, arthritis and irritable bowel disease, among other conditions. A University of Michigan study of 878 people with fibromyalgia that had used cannabidiol (CBD) products found that more than 70 percent had substituted it for opioids or other pain medications, with many stopping them altogether as a result. With research mounting, almost every state now allows CBD use in some form.

n TURMERIC/CURCUMIN. The Indian spice that makes curry yellow has potent anti-inflammatory properties, especially in formulations that combine it with piperine (black pepper) to enhance bioavailability. A meta-analysis in Oxford Pain Medicine of eight randomized controlled trials of curcumin involving 800 patients with muscle pain, osteoarthritis or postoperative pain found that it effectively lowered pain levels without adverse reactions, outperforming nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol (ibuprofen) for knee osteoarthritis pain.

n HYPNOSIS. By lowering the fear and anxiety that

aggravate pain sensations, hypnosis reduces pain as effectively as many other approaches at a relatively low cost. A meta-analysis of 18 studies found that 75 percent of people, including those with both acute and chronic pain, received substantial relief from hypnotic techniques without side effects. In a University of Washington study, patients kept practicing self-hypnosis after completing the study even if it had not relieved their pain, saying it gave them better sleep, lower stress and a greater sense of calm and well-being. Hypnotherapy treatment usually involves four to 10 sessions and is often covered in full or in part by insurance companies or Medicare.

n LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE. When taken at levels of

50 to 100 milligrams (mg) daily, this medication weans people off opioids and alcohol, but when used at low doses of less than 2 mg, research suggests it can ease the pain of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. Stanford School of Medicine researchers reported it significantly reduced pain for 32 percent of fibromyalgia patients and also improved mood and life satisfaction, noting, “The medication is widely available, inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated.”

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Learn More Direct Your Own Care Journey is a free, online course for healing chronic pain.

Designed by David Hanscom, M.D., it includes an experiential app, group sessions, video tutorials and webinars at TheDocJourney.com.

Stress-Disease Information, including videos, a webinar-based course, recent research and a list of practitioners, can be found at ppdassociation.org, the website of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, founded by stress-disease expert David Clarke, M.D. with pain that is not caused by underlying structural or organ issues. He recommends these initial steps.

n Getting at least seven hours of sleep a

night, which may require sleeping pills or natural methods.

n Doing expressive writing twice a day,

which involves writing down in longhand whatever is on the mind using graphic and descriptive language for 10 to 30 minutes, and then promptly tearing it up. Neurological research shows that this simple practice rewires the brain. “Some people experience remarkable pain relief right away,” he says.

no problems with organs or structures, then the pain is being generated by the brain, similar to what happens in phantom limb pain, where people feel pain in the location of an amputated arm or leg,” he says.

“Chronic pain generated by the brain generally occurs due to stress, an emotional/psychological trauma or strong negative emotions (often toward people the patient cares about) that are not fully recognized.

Often, these issues began due to adverse childhood experiences, which can be anything you would not want a child of your own to endure. I recommend people explore these possibilities on their own, with a loved one or with a therapist.”

American Chronic Pain Association, at theacpa.org, lists treatments, clinical trials, support groups and other resources.

That process might sound daunting, but so is suffering crippling pain. “The most important thing for people to know is that pain can be successfully treated, relieved and often cured with the right techniques,” says Clarke.

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

n Practicing “active meditation” throughout the day by mindfully focusing each time on a sight, sound or sensation for five to 10 seconds.

For deep, sustained healing, he stresses the importance of forgiveness, gratitude, self-discovery, exploring a spiritual path, relearning playfulness and connecting with others. Medication may be necessary initially, he says, and as pain levels recede, most people become ready to improve their diet and exercise more.

Understanding the mind/body connection is key in pain management, concurs gastroenterologist David D. Clarke, M.D., author of They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! and president of the Portland, Oregonbased Psychophysiologic Disorders Association. “When medical evaluation shows September 2021

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equine healing

Horses as Healers Equine Therapy has Physical and Emotional Benefits

by Julie Peterson

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establish routines, structure and a sense of responsibility—all skills that are transferable to daily life.

Equine Psychotherapists Equine-assisted psychotherapy involves counseling with a mental health professional and time riding or caring for a horse.

The horse is considered a co-therapist.

Forming a relationship with an animal that weighs 1,000 pounds or more may be intimidating, but the required vulnerability and trust is part of the process.

“Horses show us how to live together in harmony. They teach us about acceptance of others and of ourselves,” says Marcy Tocker, clinical mental health counselor and founder and executive director of Grey Muzzle Manor Sanctuary, in Mohrsville, Pennsylvania.

“In some cases, I see results more quickly using equine therapy than solely with office therapy. I also see more motivation from typically resistant clients because this can actually be fun, too,” says Meagan Good, a counselor and owner of Take Heart Counseling & Equine Assisted

sushytska/AdobeStock.com

orses are being increasingly used to help people work through emotional and physical challenges, and for good reason: Numerous studies have shown that equine-assisted therapy helps with anger, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative or other emotional problems. It works whether the therapy involves riding or simply feeding and grooming. Building the relationship increases people’s selfconfidence, social skills, trust, empathy and emotional regulation, and helps them

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Therapy, in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

“Horses are relationship-oriented and intuitively sense and honestly respond to the emotions of those around them, which makes the horse-human bond a powerful healing mechanism.”

“Horses have similar emotions to humans—they get stressed out, happy, impatient. That’s why equine-assisted services are so popular,” says Traci Leigh, equine manager and instructor at Dream Riders TLC, in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

not have any horse background.”

There are certifications and advanced courses that ensure appropriate training of the therapists and instructors, the safety of the people receiving services and the training and well-being of the horses. Reputable organizations include the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (eagala.org), the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (pathintl.org) and Natural Lifemanship (NaturalLifemanship.com).

“In addition to requiring that the horses Therapeutic Riding are quiet, gentle animals and physically and mentally sound, they are trained to be Beyond working as co-therapists for desensitized to noise, wheelchairs, walkers emotional issues, horses are excellent for and different types of therapeutic equipoccupational, speech and physical therapy. ment that riders may need for safety or “Riding a horse rhythmically moves the postural assistance,” says Leigh. Her horses rider’s body in a manner similar to a get four weeks off every year and work a human gait. Their pelvic movement is schedule that ensures ample time to rest the same as ours, so riders with physical and recharge durneeds often show ing the day. improvement in Horses are relationship“The horse is flexibility, balance, oriented and intuitively a co-therapist. muscle strength, sense and honestly respond They are doing a circulation and to the emotions of those job, and it’s a not breathing,” says an easy job,” says Pamela J. Rogan, around them, which makes Tocker. “To ensure founder, executive the horse-human bond a director and certipowerful healing mechanism. the well-being of our equine fied therapeutic therapists, they get riding instructor at ample time off and massages.

They’re takHarmony Farms, in Cocoa, Florida. “It will ing on a lot, so we want to make sure they also enhance a rider’s quality of life, build don’t burn out.” confidence, independence and self-esteem.

“I have horses that seem to step in and This is particularly true of riders with emo‘protect’ clients when they are feeling tional or behavioral disabilities.” vulnerable. I have horses who try to help Research shows that children and adults regulate the anxious client by breathing or with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other conditions that affect moyawning or nuzzling,” says Good. “For the tor control saw improvements in balance, most part, we trust the horses to just be gait, gross motor function and posture after themselves, and what they bring is always several weeks of equine-assisted treatment. helpful for the client.”

“Horses are able to be present and focus Horses at Work solely on what is going on around them.

They do not think about the future or the “I look for horses who are not afraid of past or judge people based on what they look new things, but curious about them … like or what experiences they may have had,” a horse that thinks through a new situsays Tocker. “I feel like I witness miracles ation, that expresses himself freely and every time I do a session at the barn.” that enjoys interacting with humans,” says Good. “From there, my professional team works on building a relationship with that Julie Peterson writes about health and wellhorse so that the horse feels safe to build ness from rural Wisconsin. Reach out at relationships with clients who may or may JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

Tickets: Pegasustr.org

Local Resources Equine Assisted Therapies Lucky Orphans Horse Resuce 2699 Route 22, Dover Plains, NY 12522 845.877.0685 LuckyOrphansHorseRescue.org Lucky Orphans is a nonprofit equine sanctuary in Dutchess County, NY, the largest horse populated county in the state of NY. Our mission is “People Helping Horses Heal People” through our equine assisted psychotherapy and human development programs. Learn more on pg 12.

Therapeutic Riding Pegasus Farm 310 Peach Lake Rd., Brewster, NY 845.669.8235; Pegasustr.org events@pegasustr.org Read more about Pegasus Farm on pg 13.

Pegasus Farm, in Brewster September 2021

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inspiration

The Power of the Written Note

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irthdays, weddings, holidays and other momentous occasions have long been celebrated with cards and letters. The rise of emailing, texting and social media has made writing letters a forgotten treasure as many of us have instead come to use quick but fleeting messages via technology. Perhaps it’s time to bring back the nostalgia, the handwriting and a box full of stationery for all occasions. A handwritten note ensures someone will know we took the time to think, write and send.

Here’s how to get started.

Stock Supplies

Nothing inspires writing notes more than a box or drawer full of inviting cards and paper.

Cards that are blank inside are multi-purpose. Stickers and beautiful postage stamps can make an envelope look like a gift. Get a few good pens in a variety of colors and start writing.

Be Thankful After receiving a gift or an act of kindness, send a thank-you card or letter. Do it soon after the event, so that the memory is fresh and the note will contain specifics. But even if it’s for something that took place farther in the past, “better late than never” certainly applies.

Talk-Write Don’t get stuck when pen hits paper, just imagine what would be said out loud and write those words. Our words won’t sound like the poem in a store-bought card, but words from the heart are better because they are personal and likely more meaningful to the recipient.

The reader will hear the writer’s voice in the note. Be honest and sincere.

Write and Repeat Make writing a habit by sending three notes each week. If nothing spurs a thank-you, then send a card just to say hello or give appreciation. Perhaps it’s a “remember when” or an “I miss you” note. Browse through contact lists to get inspiration. If nobody strikes a chord for a note, write a self-praise letter. Be sure to list your best and most lovable qualities and put it in the mail. It will be a nice warm-fuzzy surprise when it arrives. These kinds of letters and cards are like loving hugs. For some, a sweet note via mail or tucked somewhere to be discovered may be a much needed joyful spark.

Julie Peterson writes from Wisconsin. Reach her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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jacob lund/AdobeStock.com

by Julie Peterson

Intuitive & Healing Arts Cynthia Chase Offers Reiki Certification and Fusion Sessions

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ynthia Chase, who has been a psychospiritual therapist for more than 30 years and a Reiki master since 2004, is offering Reiki certification courses both in person and online. The courses are designed for “therapists, nurses, clinicians or anyone with a passion to become a healer,” she says.

“When you learn how to heal yourself and others by becoming certified in Usui/Tibetan Reiki Healing, you’ll activate your latent powers and find your life’s purpose,” she Cynthia Chase says. “Through Reiki, you’ll become attuned to a higher vibration for powerful healing.”

First-, second- and master-level Reiki classes are available, and Chase tailors each one to the individual student’s needs.

The first level is the initiation phase. The second is the practitioner phase, where students begin practicing Reiki on family, friends and pets. The master level focuses on how to attune others and how to teach Reiki, she says.

In addition to leading Reiki trainings, Chase also provides individual and group Reiki Fusion sessions, as well as retreats.

She is a member of the Westchester Holistic Network.

“I combine energy healing, Reiki, movement and journeying for balance, grounding and rejuvenation,” she says. “This transformative integrative practice assists you in accessing the wisdom within and helps you transcend limiting beliefs to embrace your greater potential. Healing life-force energy clears blockages, opening the way to growth and empowerment. If you’re a healer, you will become an even more powerful healer for yourself, your loved ones and others.”

For registration and more info, visit CynthiaMChase.com.

ASTROLOGY

ENERGY MEDICINE

Pam Cucinell Phone, online & in person 917.796.6026; InsightOasis.com

Bernadette Bloom, MI Energy Healing & Teacher 239.289.3744 theesotericbloom.com

ENERGY HEALING Elizabeth Pasquale, CST, NLP Bemer, Cranial, Lymph, NLP At home, office or remotely WellOnTheWay.org; 607.351.7024

INTUITIVE ENERGY HEALING The Temperance Center Merrill Black, LCSW Reiki Master/Instructor Light Body Quantum Healings 914.793.2600 TheTemperanceCenter.com

INTUITIVE HEALING White Lotus Grace Intuitive Healing, Readings & Dance Millbrook + Virtual Sanctuary 845.677.3517 whitelotusgrace.com

NATURE & FOREST THERAPY Nature’s Whispers Guided Meditative Walks thru Nature Dutchess/Putnam/Westchester 845.489.7250 MeditativeWalks.com

NEW AGE STORES Persephone’s Pearl Spiritual Development Center Candles, Books, Tarot, Jewelry Psychics, Crystals, Classes, etc.

1014B Main St., Peekskill @persephonespearlpeekskill 914.737.3460 PersephonesPearl.com The Soul Connection Crystals. Jewelry. Books. More 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor, NY 914.737.HEAL soulconnectionshop.com Synchronicity Psychics/Crystals Candles/Tarot/Sage 1511 Route 22 Brewster @synchronicityny 845.363.1765 SynchronicityNY.com

To market your business call 845-593-0065

PSYCHIC MEDIUM Angel Aura Spiritual Boutique 12 West Main St, Pawling, NY 845.493.0432 AngelAuraBoutique.com Celestial Touch Laura Schek, Psychic Medium, Reiki Master 7 Arch St, Pawling, NY 845.244.1767 celestialtouchllc.com

QIGONG In Balance Concepts Qigong. Tai Chi. Meditation 2505 Rt. 6, St. 108, Brewster 845.803.1992 Inbalancetaichi.com

REIKI Anne H. Bentzen, MSOT Jikiden Reiki Teacher/ Practitioner West Harrison, NY 914.588.4079 balancing4life.com Edit Babboni, CHC, RYT 200 Reiki Healing.

Health Coaching. Yoga.

61 Lakeview Drive, Yorktown Heights, NY 917.721.2529 yoga.zengarden@gmail.com Laura DeToia In person and Long-Distance Reiki 914.645.7704 MerkabaPeace.com

TAROT CARD READINGS Purple Lotus Zen NEW Michelle B Whitney Tarot & Oracle Readings, Medium, Energ Healing.

By phone appt.

914.513.8398; Purplelotuszen.com

WELLNESS BOUTIQUE The Healing Collective NY 267A Central Ave. White Plains Shop & Heal: 914.236.HEAL thehealingcollectiveny.com September 2021 September 2021

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calendar of events Please call ahead to confirm times and dates. Pre-register early to insure events will have a minimum number to take place. To place a calendar listing, email us before September 12 (for the September issue) and adhere to our guidelines. Email marilee@wakeupnaturally.com for guidelines on how to submit listings. No phone calls or faxes, please.

markyourcalendar

markyourcalendar

1st Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo in Ulster County September 12, 2021 11 am-4 pm

Bring help & hope to people fighting breast and ovarian cancer!

ANNUAL SUPPORT-A-WALK

Support Hudson Valley Businesses Free Admission * Family Friendly

CALENDAR

101 New Paltz Rd, Highland, NY Highland Rail Trail Pavilion

Find and post events at WakeUpNaturally.com

Presented by I Love Local Rewards For more info, call: 845.742.2223 or visit ILoveLocalRewards.com

Volunteer ~ Make a Difference!

Sunday, October 3, Presented by Support Connection, Inc. Walk With Us, Wherever you Are!

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HELP! SUPPORTCONNECTION.ORG ~ 914.962.6402 Donate ~ Raise Funds Form a Team ~ Spread the Word

sugar, overeating, weight loss. Free. Details: 914.473.2015; quitwithquinn.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Yoga with the Balloons – 6am. Practice yoga while watching the sunrise and hot-air balloons take flight!

All Levels welcome. Bring a yoga mat, a towel, and water. $12-$15 plus admission $7 admission to Balloon Festival: balloonfesthv.com. Info/register: 845.233.5672; pellegrinohealingcenter.com.

Yoga on the Farm: D.I.G Farm – 9:30-10:30am.

Gentle all level flow class overlooking the growing fields of this tranquil farm. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Bring mat. $20. 115 June Road, North Salem. Info: digfarm.org.

Yoga on the Farm – 6-7pm. With Lauren Magarelli from beBhakti Yoga Center.Class takes place in the lawn by the Verplanck Memorial Garden. Bring mat. Rain moves indoors. $10 pay on arrival.

Stony Kill Farm, Route 9D, Wappingers Falls. Info: stonykill.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Quit with Quinn, Addiction-Free Naturally – 6pm, lasts 30-45 minutes. Quit with Quinn addiction cessation treatments bring remarkable, fast and sustainable results for overcoming all sorts of addictions. Q & A regarding smoking, alcohol,

markyourcalendar GIDDY UP GALA October 2, 4-8 pm at Pegasus Farm 310 Peach Lake Rd, Brewster NY 10509 Join us for an exciting evening of Boots, Bourbon and BBQ as well celebrate 45 years of changing lives through the power of the horse.

pegasustr.org for complete details 46

Exploring LGBTQ+ Spirituality –12-2pm.

Discussion group to share spiritual experience in being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Bring a notebook. Safe place, open to all who want to be educated on this subject. Persephone’s Pearl, 1014B Main Street Peekskill. Info: 914.737.3460.

Lifting the Sails of the Lungs – 1:30-4:30pm. With Tias Little. Learn how to expand the lungs using yoga and breathing to improve circulation and build defense. $45 members/$65 nonmembers in advance.

Via Zoom. Info: Lorraine Burton: 914.391.3389. ytayoga.com.

Heal Your Soul - Classical Concert – 5:30-7pm.

Classical music concert under the tent with a beautiful view. For all who need healing. Wainwright House, 260 Stuyvesant Ave. Rye. Tickets/info: wainwright.org.

Yoga on the Farm: Stony Kill Farm – 6-7pm.

With Lauren Magarelli from beBhakti Yoga Center.Class takes place in the lawn by the Verplanck Memorial Garden. Bring mat. Rain moves indoors. $10 pay on arrival. Stony Kill Farm, Route 9D, Wappingers Falls. Info: stonykill.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 COMA/NYMS Picnic – Annual picnic for The New York Mycological Society and the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Society members.

Must become member for $20 to attend. Pelton Pond, Fahnestock State Park, Putnam County. Info: NewYorkmvc.org.

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

WakeUpNaturally.com

Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo in Ulster County – 11am-4pm. Family-friendly expo that supports Hudson Valley businesses. Presented by I Love Local Rewards. Free admission. Highland Rail Trail Pavilion, 101 New Paltz Rd., Highland. Info: 845.742.2223. ILoveLocalRewards.com.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Addictions: Recovering with Ayurveda – 7-8pm.

Online lecture with Dr. Somesh N. Kaushik, an Ayurvedic and Naturopathic physician, through the Desmond-Fish Public Library, Garrison, using Crowdcast. Free. Registration required through library: 845.424.3020 or desmondfishlibrary.org.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 914 TLC Monthly Networking Breakfast for Holistic Practitioners – 8:30-10am. For holistic health and wellness practitioners and healthy living entrepreneurs offering services, products or classes. O2 Living Sanctuary 792 Cross River Road, Cross river.

First meeting free. RSVP to Beth: 203.856.9566.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Quit with Quinn, Addiction-Free Naturally – 6pm, lasts 30-45 minutes. Quit with Quinn addiction cessation treatments bring remarkable, fast and sustainable results for overcoming all sorts of addictions. Q & A regarding smoking, alcohol, sugar, overeating, weight loss. Free. Details: 914.473.2015; quitwithquinn.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Yoga on the Farm: D.I.G Farm – 9:30-10:30am.

Gentle all level flow class overlooking the growing fields of this tranquil farm. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Bring mat. $20. 115 June Road, North Salem. Info: digfarm.org.

Hiking Yoga – 10:30am-12pm. With Traci Webber.

Guided in-person hike and yoga class at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Contact: O2 Living Sanctuary for more information and pricing: 914.763.6320; o2livingsanctuary.com.

Explorings Mens Spirituality –12-2pm. Discussion group to talk about the different ways men develop spiritually, the different paths, methods, and challenges. Persephone’s Pearl, 1014B Main Street Peekskill. Info: 914.737.3460.

Monthly Manifestation, Prayer & Intuitive Insights Group – 10:30am-11:45am. Virtually with Merrill Black and guest co-host Joan Kaylor. $22.

Info: contact Merrill merrill@healyourlife2day.com.

Qi Gong Workshop – 1-2:30pm. With Lorraine Hughes, Certified Qi Gong Instructor – HoldenQiGong. $40. Dutchess Yoga Studio, New Hackensack Plaza, Wappingers Falls.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Making Your own Love Baths and Money Baths – 12-2pm. Hands on workshop. Learn different techniques and how to work the magic to manifest what is truly desired. $40. Persephone’s Pearl, 1014B Main Street Peekskill. Info: 914.737.3460.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Community Green Read – 7pm. Virtual discussion with The Soil Will Save Us, author and journalist Kristin Ohlson and to kick off Climate Week 2021.

Grab a copy of Kristin Ohlson’s book to learn all about how the soil can be an important tool in addressing climate change. Info: bedford2030.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 WHN: Self Care Techniques in Five Minutes or Less – With Cathy Lipsky, RN. Westchester Holistic Network, 7-8:30pm. Networking begins 6:30pm. WHN members and first-timers free/$10 repeat non-members. Register for Zoom: WestchesterHolisticNetwork.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 Full Moon Ecstatic Dance – 6:30-8pm. With Jessica Offerman. Free form, intentional dance experience. 2 Lakeside Dr. Pawling. Pre-Registration Required: pawlingyogawellness.org.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 Full Moon Ceremony – 8pm. Join with others under the stars with guided meditation to release what no longer serves. Mats and chairs provided. Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor.

Info: 914.737.4325. UniversalHealingArts.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 Yoga on the Farm: D.I.G Farm – 9:30-10:30am.

Gentle all level flow class overlooking the growing fields of this tranquil farm. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Bring mat. $20. 115 June Road, North Salem. Info: digfarm.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 NYMS Mushroom Walk – 5-6 hour mushroom walk. Leader may cancel walk in case of rain or dry conditions. Bring lunch, water, a knife, a whistle and a basket for mushrooms. Peekskill. Must become member for $20 to attend. Info: NewYorkmvc.org.

markyourcalendar

coming in october

Awaken Wellness Fair LIVE!

…Awaken to Your Best Self…

So excited to be back in person! with appropriate safety measures Visit our unique Vendors, expert Speakers, intuitive Readers and gifted Healers for a day of education and inspiration!

November 21, 2021 10am to 5pm Sleepy Hollow Hotel + Conference Center 455 So. Broadway – Rte. 9 Tarrytown NY 10591 35 min. from GCT on Metro North

Tickets & Exhibitor info AwakenFair.com

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training – 9am-1:30pm.

Begins 9/26. Learn how to teach yoga and share a passion for yoga to others. Putnam Yoga, 30 Tomahawk St., Baldwin Place. Info: 845.494.8118; PutnamYoga.com.

Greenburg Nature Center Run Wild Kids Forest Run & Obstacle Course – 10am-2pm. Ages 5-15. Enjoy Vendors and food trucks out on the lawn after finishing the course. Greenburgh Nature Center 99 Dromore Rd, Scarsdale. Info/register: 914.723.3470; greenburghnaturecenter.org.

Bedford2030’s Clean Ride & Drive Expo – 123pm. Expo and celebration of clean and sustainable transportation, with the latest EV car models, fully electric school bus, learn from community EV owners, live music and food. Free. Bedford Hills Train Station. Info: bedford2030.org.

Pendulum Workshop – 12-2pm. Learn all the ins and outs, do’s and don’ts of working with pendulums. $40. Persephone’s Pearl, 1014B Main Street Peekskill. Info: 914.737.3460.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Ayurveda and Skin Disorders: Psoriasis, Eczema, Hives, Acne, Rash, Itch, and more – 7-8pm.

Online lecture with Dr. Somesh N. Kaushik, an Ayurvedic and Naturopathic physician, through the Pawling Free Library. Free. Registration required through library: 845.855.3444 or register on their website: pawlingfreelibrary.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Quit with Quinn, Addiction-Free Naturally – 6pm, lasts 30-45 minutes. Quit with Quinn addiction cessation treatments bring remarkable, fast and sustainable results for overcoming all sorts of addictions. Q & A regarding smoking, alcohol, sugar, overeating, weight loss. Free. Details: 914.473.2015; quitwithquinn.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 Concert to Benefit Riverkeeper – 8pm. Stella Blue’s- A Tribute to The Grateful Dead-A Benefit

Breast Health plus:

Living a Simpler Life

for Riverkeeper. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Hudson River. Paramount Theater Hudson Valley. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3Az1kj8.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2 Yoga on the Farm: D.I.G Farm – 9:30-10:30am.

Gentle all level flow class overlooking the growing fields of this tranquil farm. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Bring mat. $20. 115 June Road, North Salem. Info: digfarm.org.

Giddy Up Gala at Pegasus Farm – 4-8pm. An exciting evening that celebrates 45 years of changing lives through the power of the horse. Pegasus Farm, 310 Peach Lake Rd, Brewster. Iickets: pegasustr.org.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 Bone Health Course – Six consecutive Tuesday evenings. With Sarah Wallace, owner of Amenia Yoga, certified in Yoga for Osteoporosis. Learn asanas for preventing and counteracting osteopenia and osteoporosis. Amena Yoga: A Place for Wellness, 18 Old North Rd., Amenia, Info: 845.789.1156.

markyourcalendar Finding Peace Within and Evolution Training present 200 hr and 300 hr yoga teacher training Level 1: 200hr Vinyasa based yoga Level 2: 100hr Understand and learn healing techniques for neurological symptoms Tuesdays, October 26-April 26 6:30-8:30pm Offered Virtually and In-person with limited enrollment!

Bella Maia Spa, 1326 Pleasantville Rd, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 Register: evolutiontrainings.com/ hour-yoga-teacher-training

Elisha Fernandes Simpson, LMSW, ERYT, YACEP FINDING PEACE WITHIN Call for more info: 914.281.2225 Email: elishastherapy@gmail.com or visit: tinyurl.com/d96atbuw September 2021

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on going events

attention. First class free. Vitalah Simon. Zoom invitation: 914.769.8745, yogashine.com.

NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 12th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email WPCcalendar@naturalawakeningsmag.com for guidelines and to submit entries. No phone calls or faxes, please.

Ongoing Calendar listings must be resent quarterly for our January, April, July & October editions.

Virtual YogaShine for Pre-Teens and Teens – 5-6pm. Gentle and strengthening, calming the nervous system, heart-centered, Kripalubased, developing consciousness, curiosity, strength, and compassion. Individual attention. First class free. Vitalah Simon. Zoom invitation: 914.769.8745, yogashine.com.

markyourcalendar The Market on the River!

Sundays through October 10am-2pm

77 Riverview Ave. Verplanck, NY 10596 Outdoor Yoga at 10 AM Produce, Honey, Farm Fresh Eggs!

LetItShineOnLine.com “gathering love and giving it away”

sunday Rye 2021 Down to Earth Farmers Market – 8:30am-2pm. 5/9-12/5. In the parking lot off Theodore Fremd Avenue, behind the Purchase Street stores. Info: DownToEarthMarkets.com.

The Market on the River – 10am-2pm. Sundays through October. Growers, makers, artists and vintage collectors will be set up along the water’s edge.Parking and admission are free. 77 Riverview Ave., Verplanck. Vendor info: GatheringLove.org.

Beacon Farmers Market – 10am-3pm. May through Nov. 21. DMV parking lot, 223 Main Street, Beacon. Info: beaconfarmersmarket.org.

Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market – 10am-2pm. Runs through Dec. Located outside at the municipal parking lot. Info: Rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com Hudson Valley Farmers Market- 10am-3pm. Year round. A one stop shop farmers market with fresh Hudson Valley products. 227 Pitcher Lane, Red Hook. Info: GreigFarm.com; 845.758.1234.

Sundays at 11 – 11am. Weekly Zoom call for women to share healthy ideas. Free, donations accepted.

Info: Gatheringlove.org/the-pantryinglove.org.

Afternoon Tea & Meditation – 1pm. With Diane.

Tea, conversation, guided Meditation followed by messages from tarot or oracle decks, good conversation and fun. Walk-ins welcome or by Zoom. $20.

Angel Aura Spiritual Boutique, 12 W Main St, Pawling. 845.493.0432. AngelAuraBoutique.com.

Sunset Tai Chi at Zfarms – 7:30-8:30pm. All levels class with Christopher Kiely, a tai chi and martial arts master with 25 years of experience.

Free. Drop-in. Zfarms, 355 Poplar Hill Rd, Dover Plains. Info: 845.625.4798; ZFarmsOrganic.com; FallingWaterTaiChi.com.

CBD Talk Show – 8pm. CBD Live Natural, in Bedford Hills, hosts a live talk show on Facebook and Instagram weekly to offer CBD info and details on the store’s products and their benefits. Info: 914.705.1111, CBDLiveNatural.com.

Irvington Farmers Market – 9:30am-1pm. May 9 & 23. Main Street School parking lot, 101 Main St, Irvington. Info: irvmkt.org.

Village of Tuckahoe Farmers Market – 10am4pm. Through end of November. Depot Square, 65 Main St, Tuckahoe. Info: tuckahoe.com.

Bicycle Sundays – 10am–2pm. 9/12, 19 & 26; 10/3, 17, 24 & 31. The Bronx River Parkway is open exclusively for bicyclists, walkers and joggers. Info: rivertownsguide.com/bicycle-sundays.

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monday Virtual YogaShine for Adults – 9:15-10:45am.

Kripalu-based, gentle and strengthening, calming the nervous system, heart-centered, developing consciousness, curiosity, and compassion. Individual

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

WakeUpNaturally.com

Sound Bath & Breathwork – 7pm. In-person and virtual. With Marissa “Breathe’. Soak up the healing vibrations while deepening meditation with breathwork. $75/5 classes. $20/Drop in. Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor.

Info: 914.737.4325. UniversalHealingArts.com.

tuesday Green Street Radio Conversations on Healthy & Sustainable Living – 10am. With Patti and Doug Wood, produced by Grassroots Environmental Education on WBAI-FM in New York and streaming live around the world at WBAI.org.

GreenStreetRadio.com.

Rocks with Rhi – 6:30pm. Join Rhianna Mirabello for a half hour lecture on Crystals. The study will change for each week. Free. Facebook Live @dreaminggoddess. Info: 845.473.2206; DreamingGoddess.com.

Tai Chi with Sifu Gary Renza – 7pm. Ultimate balance and harmony. Cultivate ‘life-force’ energy and improve overall health. $75/5 classes. $20/Drop in.��������������������������������� �������������������������������� Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor. Info: 914.737.4325.

UniversalHealingArts.com.

wednesday Yoga with Karen Shaw – 9am. Increase blood flow, warm muscles, build strength through pose holds. Increase flexibility, manage stress. $100/10 class or $15/Drop in. Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor. Info: 914.737.4325. UniversalHealingArts.com

Virtual YogaShine for Adults, – 9-10:30am.

Kripalu-based, gentle and strengthening, calming the nervous system, heart-centered, developing consciousness, curiosity, and compassion. Individual attention. First class free. Vitalah Simon. Zoom invitation: 914.769.8745, yogashine.com.

planetwatch

Midweek Rhi-View – Noon. Live on Facebook. Weekly check-in with Rhianna Mirabello.

Topics range from Manifestation How-To’s, SelfCare Check In’s, or current Astrology to personal musings and current events. Dreaming Goddess.

Info: DreamingGoddess.com.

Wellness Wednesdays at Brooklyn Organic Kitchen – 5-8pm. Meet like-minded individuals and local holistic healthcare providers in an informal setting. A healthy happy hour with delicious mocktails, vegan healthy small plates. 890 South Lake Blvd., Mahopac. Info: BOKMahopac.com, 914.384.4104.

Stretch & Tone with Debbie Martin – 6pm. Increase flexibility, release muscle tension, improve balance and tone. $50/5 class, $15/Drop in. Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor.

Info: 914.737.4325. UniversalHealingArts.com.

thursday Yoga with Karen Shaw – 6pm. Increase blood flow, warm muscles, build strength through pose holds.

Increase flexibility, manage stress. $100/10 class or $15/Drop in. Universal Healing Arts, 4 Crestview Ave., Cortlandt Manor. Info: 914.737.4325. UniversalHealingArts.com.

Virtual YogaShine for Adults – 7-8:30pm.

Kripalu-based, gentle and strengthening, calming the nervous system, heart-centered, developing consciousness, curiosity, and compassion. Lots of individual attention. First class free. Vitalah Simon.

Zoom invitation: 914.769.8745, yogashine.com.

friday New Rochelle 2021 Down to Earth Farmers Market – 9am-2pm (thru 11/19). Thomas Paine Cottage Museum, North Avenue and Broadview, New Rochelle. Info: DownToEarthMarkets.com.

Gentle/Moderate Kripalu-based Yoga – 9:3011am. With Chris Glover. In-person and virtual.

Gentle, nurturing, yet strengthening. Develops a calm nervous system and embodied awareness thru compassionate self-observation. Info/register: SacredSpiritYogaCenter.org.

Virtual Chair YogaShine, Super Gentle, for Senior Adults and Adults with Special Needs/Health and Recovery concerns – 10-11am. Gentle and strengthening, calming the nervous system, heartcentered, Kripalu-based, developing curiosity, flexibility, and compassion. First class free. Vitalah Simon. Zoom info: 914.769.8745, yogashine.com.

Gentle Accessible Yoga – 10am. Zoom. Class is geared towards seniors or anyone dealing with limitations or injuries but still want to practice and improve strength. $16/drop in. Hudson River Yoga.

Info: 845.797.0640; hudsonriveryoga.com.

September 2021 Astrology with Pamela Cucinell Emotional Balance

Allow appropriate outlets for emotions September 1 or they’ll escalate. Clarity on difficult situations September 2 increases in the evening. Creative playfulness returns September 3. Decide if a new development September 4 merits a detour. Recreation restores on September 5; a mindfulness meditation provides much-needed release.

Sacred Contracts

Rosh Hashanah and the Virgo moon begin this Labor Day; slow-cook ideas that aren’t ready to launch and initiate those that are.

Morning reflection September 7 allows clear assertion later in the day. Don’t be deterred September 9; blocks will erode by late afternoon, so engage with fresh starts and opportunities. Move past stubborn resistance on September 10 and be prepared for sudden alternatives. A keen eye September 11 unearths potential problems, but delving into your great passion in the evening ignites inspiration.

Nature Connects

Enjoy the out-of-doors and big dreams September 12. The means through which to achieve a goal can thwart on September 13; patience is required—don’t get stuck. Productivity hums on September 14.

Profound focus sets the tone for September 15 and Yom Kippur. Understand if what attracts you is at odds with what you really need September 16; satisfaction for both is possible. Opportunities explode if flex-

ibility is your friend September 17. Stay on course September 18, and later in the day possibilities float.

Long View

Serendipity surprises on September 19.

A powerhouse of options come with the September 20 Pisces full moon. Warrior energy stimulates this International Day of Peace, September 21—meditate on Archangel Michael to deliver the right message. The September 22 autumn equinox carries a mandate to speak truth to power.

Release whatever can’t hold to build a strong foundation September 23; invite the right support. Reconsider long-term projects September 24.

Mercury Retrograde

Avoid distractions September 25. Buzz is fun September 26; it excites, but verify before you confirm. Mercury retrograde September 27 means a few weeks of careful communication. Relax while the scenery changes. If possible, succumb to a yen for home and coziness September 28. Bright ideas September 29 lead to misunderstandings. Conversations September 30 can be radioactive; listen with care!

Pamela Cucinell offers a spiritual astrological perspective for the massive changes of our time, as well as guidance through private sessions and podcasts. Contact her at 917.796.6026 or pamela@insightoasis.com.

For more info, visit InsightOasis.com and ActiveSpirituality.Life. See ad page 44.

September 2021

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classifieds

markyourcalendar YOGA ON THE FARM Saturdays 9:30-10:30 am

September 11, 18, 25 and October 2.

Connect with nature in this all - level gentle flow series $20 per person, please bring a mat and any props you need.

A portion supports D.I.G. Farm’s mission reconnecting people with their natural source of food.

D.I.G. Farm in North Salem, 115 June Rd, North Salem.

Info: digfarm@gmail.com

The Pantry at The Museum – 12-4 pm. Free food for all, shoppers choose their selections. Everyone is welcome. Operated by Let It Shine Inc. 137 Seventh Street, Verplanck. Info: Gatheringlove.org.

saturday Cold Spring Farmers’ Market – 8:30-1pm. Outdoors in the Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 NY-9D, Garrison Info: csfarmmarket.org.

Chappaqua farmers market – 8:30am-1pm.

Opens May 8. Located at the South Lot, Chappaqua train station. Info: chappaquafarmersmarket.org.

Larchmont 2021 Down to Earth Farmers Market – 8:30am-1pm (04/24 - 12/18). At the front of the Metro-North upper lot, Chatsworth Ave/Myrtle Blvd.

Larchmont. Info/updates: DownToEarthMarkets.com.

Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month, $25 minimum. To place a listing, email content to Dana-NA@WakeUpNaturally.com.

Deadline is the 12th of the month.

DONATIONS

Savasana at the end of a Sacred Spirit yoga class

Intermediate Kripalu-based Yoga – 9:1510:30am. With Kathleen Hinge. In-person and virtual. For more experienced practitioners who desire more of a challenge. Be guided through more advanced postures, and invited to hold poses longer and explore personal variations. Info/register: SacredSpiritYogaCenter.org.

Hastings Farmer’s Market – 9:30am-1pm. 1st & 3rd Saturdays. Zinsser Commuter Lot, 131 Southside Ave. Information: hastingsfarmersmarket.org.

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market, The TaSH – 9:30am-12:30am. May 8. Tarrytown Commuter Lot F (near Losee Field and the Tarrytown Marina. The TaSH returns weekly to Patriots Park on May 29. Info: tashfarmersmarket.org.

Millerton Farmers Market – 10am-2pm. Located at Millerton Methodist Church, at the corner of Dutchess Ave and Main Street. Info: neccmillerton. org/farmers-market.

Ossining Farmers Market – 8:30am-1pm. YearRound. Near the corner of Spring and Main Streets.

Info/updates: downtoearthmarkets.com.

The LISA Boutique – Fridays 12-4pm, Saturdays & Sundays 11am-2pm. Beautiful and useful treasures for the home in excellent condition. Donations of clean, vintage and “like new” items in excellent condition accepted only by appointment. Upstairs, 137 Seventh Street Verplanck. Info: Gatheringlove. org/l-i-s-a-boutique.

Pleasantville Farmers Market – 8:30am-1pm.

Through Nov. Metro-North Parking Lot, 10 Memorial Plaza, Pleasantville. Information: pleasantvillefarmersmarket.org.

Hudson Valley Farmers Market- 10am-3pm. Year round. A one stop shop farmers market with fresh Hudson Valley products. 227 Pitcher Lane, Red Hook. Info: GreigFarm.com; 845.758.1234.

Pawling Farmers Market – 9am-1pm. Market season officially starts June 12. In the village but now in the green north of the Chamber of Commerce. Information: pawlingfarmersmarket.org.

Beginner Kripalu-based Yoga – 11-12:15pm.

With Kathleen Hinge. In-person and virtual. Learn gentle pose sequences, and embodied awareness.

Suitable for new students and those with physical limitations or recovering from injury. Info/register: SacredSpiritYogaCenter.org.

Peekskill Farmers Market – 9am-2pm. Opening day is June 5. One Bank Street, Peekskill. Info: 914.734.5192.

John Jay Homestead Farmer Market – 9am2pm. Returning May 1. Location: 400 Jay St, Katonah. Info: johnjayhomestead.org.

Yoga Teachers Association Workshops – 2nd Sat. Open to teachers and students, members and nonmembers.Club Fit, Briarcliff Manor, and via Zoom. Info: ytayoga.com. 914.582.7816.

Kingston Farmers Market – 9am-2pm. County Courthouse parking lot, entrances on John St and Wall St. Info: Kingstonfarmersmarket.org.

Find more classes and events at WakeUpNaturally.com/calendar 50

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

WakeUpNaturally.com

YOUR DONATIONS STOCK OUR PANTRY. Supermarket gift cards are most appreciated. Please mail to: Let It Shine, PO Box 818 Verplanck, NY 10596. Thank you. The Pantry at the Museum, Verplank, NY. GatheringLove.org/the-pantry.

HELP WANTED ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – Infinite Possibilities Holistic Weight Loss Center is a fastpaced office seeking a reliable admin. assistant to the COO. Primarily for the Bronx and Cortlandt Manor locations, so the ability to commute is a must. This position is fully in-person. Send resume or letter of interest to eileenconnolly@emconnolly. com AND shima@universalhealingarts.com or call Eileen Connolly at 908.410.1419.

VENDORS EXHIBITORS for Westchester’s premier wellness event, the Awaken Fair on November 21, 2021. Register at AwakenFair.com and get massive exposure online, in print, emails etc. Info: AwakenUSA@aol.com.

VENDORS for Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo in Highland, NY. September 12, 2021, Presented by I Love Local Rewards; supporting local Hudson Valley Businesses. For more info, Call: 845.742.2223 or visit: ILoveLocalRewards.com.

VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS – Be part of the amazing Awaken Wellness Fair on Nov. 21, 2021. Four hours of volunteer time gets free admission and a treasured Awaken tee. Info: AwakenUSA@aol.com.

VOLUNTEERS needed for Fantastic Finds upscale, resale shop in Chappaqua, NY to benefit Support Connection. For information, call: 914.962.6402.

VOLUNTEERS are integral to Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue and help meet the mission of People Helping Horses Heal People. Become a volunteer visit: luckyorphanshorserescue.org/newvolunteers or email nina@luckyorphans.org.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Stray HELP, a 501c3 cat rescue, needs your skillset: humane trapping, adoption events and marketing among others.

Contact ann@strayhelp.org or call 845.488.5211 for more information.

community resource directory

BEHAVIORAL OPTOMETRY

Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email Dana-NA@WakeUpNaturally.com to request our media kit.

ACCOUNTING/TAX SERVICES STERNBACH & ROSE, CPAS 115 E. Stevens Ave, Suite 100 Valhalla, NY 10595 914.940.4449; sandrcpa.com

Our goal is to help people have less anxiety about managing their finances, to maximize their income and run their businesses better. Giving people a stronger financial foundation can absolutely contribute to a better quality of life.

ACUPUNCTURE LAURIE R. MALLIS, MD, LAC

SearchLight Medical 2424 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, NY 845.592.4310; SearchLightMedical.com Frustrated with not feeling or looking your best? Let me guide you on your path to better health and well-being. Utilizing: Medical Acupuncture, ONDAMED Biofeedback Therapy, Reiki, Mei Zen Acupuncture for facial rejuvenation, weight loss and fertility. See ad pg 6.

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE KARLA BOOTH DIAMOND, MAMSAT

Move with ease! The Alexander Technique is an educational method for learning to release patterns of tension that may be causing stress, pain, or poor body usage. Feel lighter and learn to undo compression of the spine and joints.

ASTROLOGY ASTROLOGY INSIGHT

Pamela Cucinell NCGR PAA 917.796.6026; InsightOasis.com Astrology & Tarot with spiritual perspective and a practical twist.

Find your way to flow instead of fight; economy of action leads to a beautiful life. Skype, Zoom and phone. See ad pg 44.

DR. KAUSHIK’S AYURVEDIC AND NATUROPATHIC CLINIC

QUIT WITH QUINN

Yellow Monkey Village 792 Rte 35 Cross River, NY, and NYC Office: 914.875.9088; Cell: 646.670.6725 Drkaushik.com; drkaushik@drkaushik.com

Quit with Quinn helps people overcome daily addictions and unwanted habits ranging from sugar, smoking, alcohol, weight loss, to overeating and other compulsive habits. All natural, painless, no medications, needles, or hypnosis. 85% success rate. See ad pg 23.

Combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health.

Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may includesupplements, diet/ nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma. Clinic days: M-F. See ad pg 23.

Briarcliff Manor and Midtown Manhattan Steve.healingny@gmail.com 914.473.2015; QuitWithQuinn.com

495 Central Park Ave, Suite 301, Scarsdale 914.874.1177; DrSlotnick.com A whole-person, holistic approach to vision care, for all ages.

Specializing in vision therapy and rehabilitation for vision problems which interfere with reading, learning, attention, performance and efficiency. Please visit website for details.

Member: Westchester Holistic Network 153 Main St, Suite J, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 914.649.9565; Awareness-in-Action.com

AYURVEDA ADDICTION CESSATION

SAMANTHA SLOTNICK, OD, FAAO, FCOVD

CBD AAA WELLNESS CBD, LLC

Scarsdale, NY 10583 914.320.9506; liz@AAAWellnessCBD.com aaawellnesscbd.com Take back control of your body, center your mind and lift your spirits today. Adopt alternative approaches to wellness with the most luxurious assortment of CBD infused, clean, cruelty free, non-GMO, beauty, wellness, pain management, and clean vaping merchandise on the market today.

YOUR CBD OF MT. KISCO

222 E. Main St., Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 914.276.5409; YourCBDstoreMtKisco.com

YOUR CBD OF WAPPINGERS FALLS

1582 U.S. 9 #5, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 845.297.0302; CBDWappingers.com Your CBD Store® is the largest hemp retailer in the US. All of our products are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO and ThirdParty Lab Tested. We offer the highest quality hemp products including CBD Tinctures, Topicals and Water Solubles for people and pets.

See ad pg 39.

CHIROPRACTIC DR. LEIGH DAMKOHLER, CCSP, LMT 8 Bacon Place, Yonkers, NY 10710 914.523.7947 Chiropractor-WestchesterNY.com

PERSONALIZED treatments designed for YOU by Westchester’s only dually licensed practicing Sports Chiropractor and Massage Therapist. Receive a unique combination of muscle work and adjustments not provided elsewhere. Dr. Leigh can help you move and feel better. Get back to the life you love!

September 2021

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COACHING – EMPOWERMENT JANET CATALINA, MSW

Certified life coach Member WHN 914.548.8372: pulsemanifestation.com Empower yourself and create what you want in your life. Janet will coach you through this process as well as teach you a powerful technique to help you become a Master Manifester. Please call her to learn more.

DOWSER JEANIE PASQUALE PROFESSIONAL DOWSER

MEMBER: Westchester Holistic Network 845.709.5245 dowsing@househarmony.org HouseHarmony.org Protect yourself from EMFs and other negative energies! A professional dowser can block the negative effects of cell phones, satellite dishes, high-tension wires and more. Moved into a new home?

Want to sell? Have unexplained health issues? Call now!

COACH – EUTAPTICS CROWLEY WELLNESS

Lourdes Crowley Certified Eutaptics Practitioner lourdescrowley.com; 845.500.5178 Learn how to heal yourself. Anxiety - Stress - Relationships - Addiction – Abuse – Chronic Pain – Trauma - Anger. Find and release the emotional and psychological behaviors keeping you stuck.

You owe it to yourself. Remote sessions only. First session free.

COACH- MIND, BODY, EATING SHARON CAHR, EATING PSYCHOLOGY

Certified Mind Body Health Coach Plant Based Nutrition Certification 914.309.3452; cahrma12@gmail.com

ENERGY HEALING ANNE H. BENTZEN

Certified Jikiden Reiki Shihankaku Jikiden Reiki Teacher/Practitioner Custom BACH Flower Essence formulas, Energetic Counseling Locations: West Harrison, Scarsdale balancing4life.com; 914.588.4079 Health requires energetic balance.

Reiki clears stress, reduces pain, inflammation and restores energy flow. Strengthen your immunity.

Relieve anxiety. Depression and insomnia. Learn the original Reiki teachings with Jikiden. Private sessions and small classes. See ad pg 44.

BERNADETTE BLOOM

Energy Medicine Practitioner, Teacher, Medical Intuitive, Physical Therapist 239.289.3744; theesotericbloom.com

Mind Body Nutrition is a life changing approach to address our eating challenges. We will work together in a way in which eating and health issues become a place of exploration. I look forward to working with you to offer practical results oriented strategies.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you exhausted from pain, stress or PTSD? Balance your body’s energies for optimal physical health and emotional well-being with Esoteric Healing, a high vibrational technique from Tibet.

FACIALS

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY JOY MATALON LMT, CST

100 Executive Blvd Suite 203 Ossining, NY 914.519.8138; Joymatalon.com CranioSacral Therapy with a specialty in Somato Emotional Release and Process Acupressure allows chronic physical, emotional, and spiritual issues to be intimately explored bringing relief from pain and activating a healing process which continues after the session is over.

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NINA’S ELEMENTS TO BEAUTY

Stormville, NY (By Appointment Only) Nina Melahn, Esthetician/Reiki Master 845.857.0185; ElementsToBeauty.com Custom Facials, Beauty and Wellness Services. Offering Exclusive, Natural, Holistic Skincare, Beauty and Wellness Services, Exceptional Product Lines, Light Therapies, Lymphatic Drainage, Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, Lash Lifts and Tints, Reiki Healing and more. Call or email for appointment: EstyNina24@ gmail.com. $10 off first facial to new clients.

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

WakeUpNaturally.com

FLOATATION THERAPY RISE ABOVE FLOATATION 111 East Main Street Mount Kisco, NY 10549 914.241.1900

A Center For Awareness and Relaxation through Floatation Therapy. Create the ultimate Relaxation Response by removing all stimulation from light, sound, and gravity. Choose from three different float environments to find your perfect experience. Appointments available from 10am to 10pm daily. Free Parking.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE SUSANNE SALTZMAN, MD

250 E. Hartsdale Ave. St. 22, Hartsdale, NY 914.472.0666; HartsdaleHomeopathy.com Looking for a physician with 25 years of clinical practice using natural remedies? Expertise in treating acute and chronic illness in children and adults. Emphasis on homeopathic and functional medicine to decrease dependency on pharmaceutical drugs. If you want experienced, competent, compassionate, and exceptional care.

HAIR SALON FRESH ORGANIC SALON SOLUTIONS Hair care, Skincare & Make up 190 Rt 117 By Pass, Bedford, NY 914.242.1928; FreshOrganicSalon.com

A healthy approach to beauty and wellness led by Maureen Toohey, Regional Educator for Organic Salon Systems. The fresh team is committed to making your experience fully complete and satisfying, organically. Receive a gift valued at $75 with your 1st color appointment, when you mention Natural Awakenings. See ad pg 9.

HERBAL MEDICINE LORRAINE HUGHES

Registered Herbalist (AHG) 263 New Hackensack Road, 2nd Floor Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 lorrainehughes54@gmail.com EmpoweredbyNature.net; 845.416.4598 Lorraine offers Individual Wellness Consultations based on the Chinese Herbal Medicine Paradigm which provides a preventative and individual approach to balanced health. Each “unique” individual protocol will include Chinese, Western, Ayurvedic Herbal remedies and Nutritional planning.

INCONTINENCE ADVANCED REJUVENATION CENTERS Liviu B. Saimovici, MD 3020 Westchester Ave., Ste. 306 Purchase, NY; 914.500.9594 AdvancedRejuvenationCenters.com

Emsella is a revolutionary non-surgical treatment that improves incontinence.

Patients sit, fully clothed, on the Emsella chair, nicknamed “Kegel-throne” can stimulate the pelvic floor with electromagnetic energy. One treatment can stimulate the equivalent of 11,000 Kegels. The Kegels can strengthen the muscles that control urinary retention.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA LYNN PARODNECK M.D.

Certified Medical Marijuana Practitioner 914.525.6536; DrParodneck@gmail.com DrLynnParodneck.com Evaluations and Consultations; D r. P a r o d n e c k w o r k s i n compliance with the New York State Compassionate Care Act. She is one of the leading medical marijuana clinicians in New York, with numerous referring specialists and an extensive professional network in the cannabis industry. See ad pg 41.

NATURE & FOREST THERAPY HOLISTIC DENTIST DAVID L LERNER, DDS, CAC, FIND Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 914.214.9678; holisticdentist.com

We offer a unique approach to the health care of the mouth based on a holistic understanding of the whole body. I invite you to explore our web site to learn how we can serve your needs.

See ad pg 3.

MASSAGE & BODYWORK SOULAURAS WELLNESS CENTER

Laura Giacovas,LMT, MS Ed., 4th Dan Master Instructor Taekwondo Briarcliff NY 914.941.2400, soulauras.com Our mission is to enhance wellness and quality of life through Therapeutic Massage and Integrated Holistic Healing.

We are committed to providing an inspired, nurturing environment from which wellness and harmony can be realized.

HOMEOPATHY SUSANNE SALTZMAN, MD

250 E. Hartsdale Ave. St. 22, Hartsdale, NY 914.472.0666; HartsdaleHomeopathy.com Looking for a physician with 25 years of clinical practice using natural remedies? Expertise in treating acute and chronic illness in children and adults. Emphasis on homeopathic and functional medicine to decrease dependency on pharmaceutical drugs. If you want experienced, competent, compassionate, and exceptional care.

NATURE’S WHISPERS

Guided Meditative Walks thru Nature Dutchess/Putnam/Westchester 845.489.7250; MeditativeWalks.com Teaching people how to connect with nature through Walking the Trail Workshops – Wisdom Walks and Forest Bathing. Once a person becomes one with nature; plants, animals and magical creatures respond by giving answers to one’s questions and by providing healing.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR MATTRESSES DAVIS FURNITURE

Open Mon-Sat. 10-6 2264 South Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY 845.204.9090; DavisFurnitureOnline.com Do you want a healthier night’s sleep? Visit locally owned Davis Furniture and see their full line of all natural American-made mattresses. For over 90 years they have been giving their customers more, and charging them less. And they’ve once again been voted the best furniture store in the Hudson Valley. See ad pg 6.

DR. KAUSHIK’S AYURVEDIC AND NATUROPATHIC CLINIC

Yellow Monkey Village 792 Rte 35 Cross River, NY, and NYC Office: 914.875.9088; Cell: 646.670.6725 Drkaushik.com; drkaushik@drkaushik.com Combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health. Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may include supplements, diet/nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma. Clinic days: Monday-Friday. See ad pg 23.

HYPNOTHERAPY LISA BLEASDALE, C.HT

Certified Hypnotherapist Somers, Ny 914.400.9508; lisableasdale.com Willpower often falls short.

Hypnotherapy taps into the power of the subconscious mind to transform your life by creating positive changes. Lisa helps individuals with stress reduction, addiction, weight loss, smoking cessation, procrastination, overcoming fears, phobias, anxiety, grief, and divorce.

coming in the october healthy planet issue

Living a Simpler Life plus Breast Health

September 2021

53

NUTRITION NUSPECIES

Nuspecies.com 866.624.4117 Westchester. Long Island.

Brooklyn. Jamaica, Caribbean NuSpecies Health Centers provide free health consultations with certified nutritionists/life coaches. We make custom recommendations of our Raw, Organic, Liquid, Natural nutritional formulas and then work with our clients until they achieve their health goals. See ad pg 2.

REFLEXOLOGY LORRAINE HUGHES

ARCB Certified Reflexologist 263 New Hackensack Road, 2nd Floor Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 lorrainehughes54@gmail.com EmpoweredbyNature.net; 845.416.4598 Foot and/or Hand Reflexology sessions are offered with the use of Essential Oils applied to acupuncture points based upon each individual’s presenting pattern. Please refer to Services page on web site for the many benefits of this ancient modality.

SLEEP DISORDER DAVID L LERNER, DDS, CAC, FIND Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 914.214.9678 holisticdentist.com

We offer a unique approach to the health care of the mouth based on a holistic understanding of the whole body. I invite you to explore our web site to learn how we can serve your needs.

See ad pg 3.

SPA BALANCE DAY SPA

ORGANIC FARM CENTER SPACE ON RYDER FARM

406 Starr Ridge Rd Brewster, NY 10509 spaceonryderfarm.org; 646.833.8159 Roadside Farmstand open 24/7

REIKI REIKI CLASSES

Cynthia M Chase, LCSW, Reiki Master 860.395.0284; cynthiachase.com cynthiamchase@gmail.com

SPACE on Ryder Farm is a nonprofit artists residency and certified organic farm founded in 1795 which produces 100% certified organic vegetables, flowers and herbs. Our roadside farmstand is open 24/7 through Thanksgiving. Cash, check and credit accepted.

Manifest yourself as a healer; fulfill your life’s purpose! Cynthia offers personalized classes leading to Reiki levels I, II and Master level. Go to cynthiamchase.com for details.

RETREATS PET RESCUE/ADOPTION STRAY HELP

PO Box 245, Fishkill, NY 12524 845.232.0336, strayhelp.org Stray HELP: a registered not-forprofit managed by volunteers.

Our mission: rescue and care for stray and homeless animals while providing humane education to the community. Our vital community programs: Trap/ Neuter/Return, Spay clinics, adoption and working cat program, colony caretaker support.

PODIATRY KATONAH PODIATRY, PC

Pamela Hoffman, DPM Glenn B. Weiss, DPM 200 Katonah Ave., Katonah, NY 914.232.8880; Katonahpodiatry.com

YOGA IN THE ADIRONDACKS

2 Coulter Road, Bakers Mills, NY 12811 518.251.3015; 914.556.8258 yogaintheadirondacks.com Yoga in the Adirondacks is nestled in the valley of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, where yoga embraces nature. Connect your mind, body and spirit and explore your retreat with likeminded people to build a happier and healthier life.

Studio available for your yoga/wellness private group as well.

SEXUAL WELLNESS MJB WELLNESS

Michael J Berkowitz Hypnosis/ Sexological Bodywork/ Reiki Kingston, NY; 845.481.3250 michaelberkowitz.com/mjbwellness/

Foot care for people of all ages.

Board certified holistic podiatrists who use a comprehensive, integrative approach. Customized treatments utilizing the best of today’s technology combined with nutrition and 30 years of experience.

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Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

Utilize the incredible power of the unconscious mind to make lasting positive changes in your life. Specializing in all sexual dysfunctions, plus shame, guilt, lack of desire. Working with both the mind and body to achieve your most fulfilling life.

WakeUpNaturally.com

Westchester’s ONLY Certified Green Spa 280 Mamaroneck Ave., Suite 310, White Plains, NY 914.358.9898; balance-dayspa.com As Westchester County’s ONLY certified green spa, Balance Day Spa has been in business since 2010. We specialize in all aspects of esthetics, including: facials, peels, waxing, tinting, bronzing, aromatherapy, energy healing and makeup. All organic, all the time.

SPIRITUAL CENTER CHAPEL AT CROTON FALLS Rev. June Tompkins, Pastor 609 Rt. 22, Croton Falls, NY chapelatcrotonfalls.org

Join a unique monthly Interfaith Sunday at the Chapel at Croton Falls at 10:30am – Enjoy prayer, music, movement and dialogue. Check our FB page for information on upcoming programs or e-mail Rev. June Tompkins at jtgleneidashore1@verizon.net.

SUPPORT GROUP SUPPORT CONNECTION

Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Services 914.962.6402; 800.532.4290 Supportconnection.org Support Connection provides free support services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Services include: One-onone counseling (counselors are also cancer survivors); Support groups; Educational and wellness programs; Webinars; Social gatherings; Referrals; A national toll-free information and support hotline.

See ad pg 5.

TMJ DISORDER

EDITORIAL CALENDAR & MARKETING PLANNER

DAVID L LERNER, DDS, CAC, FIND Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 914.214.9678 holisticdentist.com

We offer a unique approach to the health care of the mouth based on a holistic understanding of the whole body. I invite you to explore our web site to learn how we can serve your needs.

See ad pg 3.

OCTOBER

healthy planet

LIVING A SIMPLER LIFE Breast Health

VETERINARY HOSPITAL EARTH ANGELS VETERINARY HOSPITAL

plus: water scarcity talking to kids about climate change

44 Saint Nicholas Rd., Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 845.227.P-A-W-S (7297) Earthangelsvet.com

Where East meets West with compassionate care for a holistic approach to your pet’s health.

Offering a wide range of services/ products including wellness exams, nutritional support, alternative cancer therapies, surgery, dentals, acupuncture, CBD products, pet boarding and more on our beautiful 9-acre facility.

NOVEMBER

mental health

CONSCIOUS DYING Brain Health

WEIGHT LOSS plus: healthy thanksgiving recipes choosing eco-furniture

QUIT WITH QUINN

Addiction-Free Naturally Briarcliff Manor and Midtown Manhattan Steve.healingny@gmail.com 914.473.2015; QuitWithQuinn.com Quit with Quinn helps people lose weight by overcoming addiction to sugar and white flour, and compulsive overeating. After treatment, most people experience indifference towards refined sugar, sweets and treats, leading to easy weight loss.

30 years experience. 85% success rate. See ad pg 23.

WELLNESS CENTER SOULAURAS HOLISTIC WISDOM & WELLNESS CENTER 510 N. State Rd., Briarcliff, NY Soulauras.com

The practitioners of Soulauras are committed to providing an inspired, nurturing environment from which wellness and harmony can be realized. Services: Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork, Auricular Acupressure and Integrated Holistic Healing Services, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology and Chakra Balancing.

DECEMBER holiday

UPLIFTING HUMANITY Boosting Immunity plus: health risks of eating sugar holiday recipes

learn about marketing opportunities at:

845-593-0065 | WakeUpNaturally.com September 2021

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Dr. Tom O'Bryan Chief Health Off icer, KnoWEwell

"WE ARE TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE" Personalized. Diverse. Inclusive. Regenerative Whole-Health and Well-Being Benefits.

It’s how KnoWEwell is transforming the future of healthcare. Award-winning. One global online destination for today’s trusted Regenerative Whole Health knowledge, resources, and ecosystem collaborating to inspire and empower individuals to prevent harm, address chronic diseases and achieve WELLthier Living – Happy. Healthy. Abundant. PurposeFilled. Join the movement as we share knowledge and healing success stories, access to evidence-based resources, immersive learning opportunities from the experts, and help create meaningful connections..

Take control and optimize your health and well-being by visiting: KnoWEwell.com As a Natural Awakenings reader, receive 50% off your first year of membership.

Individuals apply:

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NANY20221

Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition

Practitioners apply:

WakeUpNaturally.com

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