The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • September - December 2012 • Page 20
What's New in the Community
Continued from page 19
An unscented product, Sweet Sweat can be used by men and women and won’t clash with other scents a user might wear. “You want to stand out, not your armpits,” says Metler. Sweet Sweat does not prevent sweating (commercial deodorants use aluminum to literally clog the sweat glands to achieve this goal, with some effectiveness), but Metler says she has noticed some decrease in sweat with use of the product. She notes that the body needs to sweat and interference with this natural process is likely harmful in itself. Metler says she now only applies a small amount of Sweet Sweat once daily and never has problems with odor any more. She also doesn’t have to worry about “slathering her armpits with toxic chemicals,” either. Sweet Sweat’s slogan is “Saving the world two armpits at a time,” and Metler is passionate about making her safe, effective, and needed product available to as many people as possible. Currently, Metler makes the deodorants herself at home. A few natural health stores in California, New York, and Kalamazoo carry it, and more are planned in the future. A recent breakthrough in the formula eliminated melting of the product at high temperatures, thus increasing its shelf life stability and shipping ability. Metler currently works as a substitute teacher, and looks forward to being able to make Sweet Sweat her full-time work. Sweet Sweat can be ordered online at sweetsweat.webs.com. Debra Metler can be contacted at debmetler@gmail.com. Laura McCurdy, local Reiki practitioner, started Ann Arbor Reiki in April 2012. McCurdy has been practicing Reiki for approximately 10 years. She became certified through Level 3 with the late Ray Golden of Ann Arbor. She then took Reiki Master training in April with Lisa Guyman, who resides in Colorado.
Laura McCurdy
McCurdy explains that she uses affirmations (positive statements) on various parts of the body during the Reiki session. “When someone has physical pain, I always go to my ‘second bible’: the Louise Hay book, You Can Heal Your Life.”
“The one thing I love about Reiki is that it helps clear our blocks that prevent us from moving forward in life. It’s like peeling the layer of an onion,” McCurdy states. “I’ve had adults cry on my table. This is why I work out of my home — to provide a safe, loving environment for my clients, to allow the healing in.” Laura McCurdy works with clients in her home in Ann Arbor and can be reached at lauramccurdy@yahoo.com or (734) 660-4200. Erin Stohl, LLMSW, launched her website and holistic psychotherapy and healing practice, The Illuminated Heart, in June 2012. Stohl’s approach to healing involves a combination of traditional psychotherapy with a variety of holistic, embodied, and mindfulness-based practices. She says, “I believe that healing happens when we shine the light of love on the darkest places within, revealing the truth that we are all whole, perfect, and complete just as we are.”
Stohl has had training in homeopathy and recognizes the connection of the physical body to the mind and spirit as part of a whole that must be addressed for healing to occur — which is why, in addition to psychotherapy, she uses body-based trauma release techniques.
Erin Stohl The Illuminated Heart incorporates psychodynamic, cognitive, transpersonal, somatic, mindfulness, and sound therapies. Stohl also offers energy work, nutrition information, and spiritual guidance for individuals interested in those forms of support. Stohl has had training in homeopathy and recognizes the connection of the physical body to the mind and spirit as part of a whole that must be addressed for healing to occur — which is why, in addition to psychotherapy, she uses body-based trauma release techniques. She is particularly interested in helping women to heal from trauma and abuse and to fully stand in their power.
McCurdy explains, “I was introduced to Reiki when I was pregnant with my second child. During the pregnancy, my hormones were way off and I was depressed. The doctors wanted to put me on an antidepressant, but I refused.”
Stohl has office spaces in Ann Arbor, Plymouth, Canton, and Royal Oak. Her website is at www.illuminatedheart.net and she can be reached at lovewithinall@gmail.com or (313) 942-5586.
A friend recommended Reiki. McCurdy knew nothing about it, but was “willing to try anything.” She says, “It was the only thing that got me through. I released so much during the pregnancy on an emotional level. I went a couple times a week and was happily surprised and impressed by the results.”
Angela Gorman, holistic health expert, recently opened Sacred Body, Ann Arbor’s first “Yoga-by-Donation” studio. Sacred Body offers multiple styles of yoga, dance, movement, and meditation classes, at various times throughout the day, seven days a week. There is a suggested donation of $10 to $20 per class, “remembering that one gets out of life what they put into it, but no one is turned away!”
After her child was born, McCurdy “immediately” started going to Golden’s Open Reiki Share nights and then took training over the years. McCurdy started by working on friends and family. They, and her other clients, have reported great healing results. “I’ve worked on my father recently, who said he could not only feel the energy, but the arthritis in his back is gone. My 13-year-old son has had some heart problems, as well as baseball and hockey injuries, to the point where he would not be able to play the next day. When I have worked on him, he was able to play every time,” McCurdy says. “I am currently working with a client to help him get off his antidepressants,” McCurdy shares. “So far, he has been successful with the help of Reiki, nutrition, exercise, and vitamins.” (She also sells Shaklee vitamins, if a client is interested.) “He would get terrible migraines that Reiki helped, as well as did working through the anger and emotional part of it.” McCurdy explains that she uses affirmations (positive statements) on various parts of the body during the Reiki session. “When someone has physical pain, I always go to my ‘second bible’: the Louise Hay book, You Can Heal Your Life. I incorporate her affirmations into the Reiki session, allowing the person to heal physically and emotionally.” She also asks to work with one’s angels and guides during the session, to bring in more healing energy. Sometimes McCurdy acquires intuitive information during the process as well, which she’ll share with the client. Before and after each session, McCurdy also offers clients the opportunity to choose an angel card for a short reading. “It usually speaks to them and can aid in the healing as well,” she says. McCurdy also has experience with helping people through divorce and abandonment, and will email the client to provide support when they are going through an emotional time.
Gorman explains, “Donation-based yoga cultivates profound self-awareness and a unity vibration that allows you to truly honor your teacher as an extension of yourself. In this way, we return to the original yogi traditions.” The teachers at Sacred Body range from serious to fun and fanciful. Many teachers also offer private sessions and their own form of bodywork or healing. There is also a “by-donation” community meeting room with various weekly or bimonthly classes in nutritional healing, cancer recovery, and more. Sacred Body holds workshops and retreats hosted by guest practitioners as well. Sacred Body’s favorite on-going monthly events are the Reiki and Beyond Gatherings hosted by Marianne Carduner and the Full Moon Kirtan Jam Party around the full moon, with Trevor Eller and many guest musicians from the Ann Arbor Kirtan band. Sacred Body Yoga & Healing Arts Community Center is located at 308-1/2 S. State Street, Suite 37 (top floor), Ann Arbor, MI 48104. More information is available at www.sacredbodyannarbor.com, by calling (734) 680-0984, or by emailing info@ sacredbodyannarbor.com.
Please note that the “What’s New” column is part of the editorial (not paid-for advertising) section of the journal, and the editors may or may not include what you submit. Whether the editors include material or not will depend on space considerations, as well as other editorial issues, such as the need for high resolution jpgs and the overall mix of stories included in the “What’s New in the Community” column in a given issue. If you would like to submit information to be considered for this column, please email communitynews@crazywisdom.net or drop off or mail to the store: What’s New in the Community, 114 South Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. The firm deadline for submissions for the next issue (January thru April 2013) is November 1, 2012.