Natural Awakenings DC May 2015

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A Mother’s Guide to

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BREAST HEALTH Making the Old New Again with

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Hormone Replacement Therapy May 2015 | Washington, D.C. Edition | NaturalAwakeningsDC.com natural awakenings

May 2015

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Your Path to Healing Starts Here a n i n t e g r at i v e a p p r o a c h t o yo u r h e a lt h GeorGe WashinGton Center for inteGrative MediCine offers you a unique health care program principled in science and tradition where the patient is treated as a whole person and respected as an individual. With your visit to the Center, a highly-trained practitioner—licensed, certified and credentialed in his or her specialty—will develop with you a care plan tailored to fit your needs and honors your personal healing process. natural & inteGrative health ChoiCes W e prov i de C a r e f o r …

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The Institute of Multidimensional Medicine PLLC www.TIMMED.com

TOTAL WELLNESS SUMMIT 2015 May 30th, 2015 THURGOOD MARSHALL CENTER FOR SERVICE & HERITAGE Historic Landmark Building Home of the 1st Full Service YMCA to Service African Americans 1816 12th Street, NW Washington DC 20009

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letterfrompublisher Dear friends, contact us Publisher, Editor in Chief Robin Fillmore Contributing Editors Grace Ogden Jessica Bradshaw Design & Production Irene Sankey Marketing Director Beverly Nickerson Sales Director Malika Hook Muhammad Outreach Director Samantha Hudgins Natural Awakenings of Washington, D.C. Phone: 202-505-4835 Fax: 202-827-7955 5230 Tuckerman Lane, #408 North Bethesda, MD 20852 Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com NaturalAwakeningsDC.com ©2015 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

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

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

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Natural Awakenings practices environmental sustainability by using post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based ink on uncoated stock, avoiding the toxic chemicals and huge energy costs of producing shiny, coated paper that is harder to recycle.

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Washington, D.C.

It was just about a month ago when I had the privilege to participate in the Holistic Holiday at Sea, a vegan-inspired cruise. It was a lifechanging event for both me and my husband, as we dined with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, attended classes with the “Healthy Hip Chick” Jessica Porter and danced under the stars with 1,700 committed vegans (and the vegan-curiRobin and her husband John ous), including four other Natural Awakenings publishers. Not only was the weather glorious and the time away from all cell phones and computers refreshing, we were encouraged to set aside a lifetime of inaccurate learning about the best foods for our health.

One of the most poignant parts of the cruise was the Recovery Panel, where ordinary people told extraordinary stories of how their shift to a whole-food, plant-based diet saved their lives from breast and pancreatic cancer. We learned how, without medications, blood pressure was lowered and Type 2 diabetes was overcome. Amazing stories and amazing people—I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Nelson Campbell, the son of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, about his new film, PlantPure Nation, which will be shown in a sneak preview and be the focus of a rally downtown on May 9. Not exactly a sequel to the highly successful film, Forks Over Knives, this new documentary reveals the attempts to bring the research to those who need it the most, to the people in the states with the highest rates of health concerns. It is a compelling story and I encourage everyone to come out to the rally at Upper Senate Park and then to the film at Union Market.

Other “rock stars” of the movement, including Dr. Michael Greger and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, will also be there as part of the day’s events.

Our May themes are women’s health and natural birth. We are blessed in the D.C. area to have so many options for natural childbirth and great support for mothers (and families). Long gone are the days when the laboring mother’s role was to be induced into a temporary medical coma while the business of childbirth happened to her. Now, after the babies are born, there are groups and services to which new (and not so new) mothers and families can engage—to learn and to share in the wonderful journey of raising children.

There is also a new vocabulary in the field of women’s health and better options for diagnosing and treating chronic conditions and illnesses. Dr. Chas Gant offers the latest thinking on the use of hormone replacement therapy, which is of keen interest to most women “of a certain age”.

Our goal each month is to provide our readers with knowledge so they are able to make informed choices for their own health and lifestyle. In so doing, we are hoping to build a community of wellness-seekers, so we can share this journey together. I hope from our pages, you learn and grow as we learn and grow alongside you.

Finally, to the mothers and all those who nurture their community, thank you. I was blessed to spend time with my mother and daughter over the past few weeks. I love being a mother as well as a daughter, and will take this month to give special thanks for those relationships.

Warmly,

Robin Fillmore, Publisher

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

contents 8 8 newsbriefs 1 2 event

spotlight 1 3 yogaspotlight 1 4 healthbriefs 1 8 globalbriefs 14 28 practitioner

spotlight 29 community

spotlight 33 greenfestival 40 business

spotlight 41 conscious

communication 42 calendar 18 48 resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 202-505-4835 or email Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com.

Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com. Deadline for editorial, news briefs and health briefs are due by the 10th.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events online: NaturalAwakeningsDC.com within the advertising section.

Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

20 RETHINKING

BREAST HEALTH

20

Natural Ways to Keep Breasts Smooth, Pain-Free and Firm, while Reducing the Risk of Cancer

by Lisa Marshall

24 GIVING BIRTH NATURALLY

Conscious Choices Lead to Less Intervention

by Meredith Montgomery

24

27 WHY NATURAL BIRTH? Allow Your Body to Perform its Magic

by Peggy Franklin

30 CAN HORMONES

BE USED SAFELY?

Six Ways to Lower Your Risk

by Chas Gant

32 IS YOUR BRAIN

36

BALANCED?

Functioning from Both Sides of Your Brain

by Sherry Dmytrewycz

34 IS YOUR

HOME HEALTHY?

A Building Biologist’s Perspective

by Christopher Buonocore

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

36 UPCYCLED DÉCOR

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by Clancy Cash Harrison

38

Old and Oh-So-Stylish

by Avery Mack

38 KIDS LOVE VEGGIES How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

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May 2015

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newsbriefs where healthy food comes naturally

Real Food Writer and Farmers’ Market Advocate Nina Planck to Speak to Holistic Moms

N Animal Nutrition Experts Since 2005

WE’RE DIFFERENT from national chain stores.

ALL of our foods and treats are natural and nutritious.

AND we are locally owned and operated.

utrition is an important topic for parents. What are the best foods to eat pre-conception and during pregnancy and nursing? How should we introduce solid foods to a baby for optimal digestion and health? Author Nina Planck will address these questions and more in a talk to the Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria chapter at 7 p.m. on May 21, in Arlington. The author of Real Food: What to Eat and Why and Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two and Baby’s First Foods and two traditional foods cookbooks has long been an advocate for small farms and sustainable agricultural practices.

Raised on a family farm in Virginia, Planck grew up selling food at farmers’ markets. She later moved to England and opened the first farmers’ market in London in 1999 and established London Farmers’ Markets, a company that now operates 18 markets in London. A mother of three, Planck now lives part time in the U.S. In a no-nonsense, witty style, Planck’s books promote the health benefits of full-fat and unprocessed foods. A book signing will follow her talk. For more information on Planck’s work and to see videos interviews, visit NinaPlanck.com.

Holistic Moms Network is a national nonprofit organization with 100 chapters around the country with details at HolisticMoms.org. The Arlington/Alexandria chapter meets the third Thursday of every month, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington and there are other local chapters in Loudoun and Fairfax, and Burke/Springfield.

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA. For more information, visit HolisticMomsArlAlex.blogspot.com or follow them on Facebook.

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Call to find out how a Naturopathic Physician can help you achieve optimal health!

Dr. Kai Parker, ND, CPM

Naturopathic Physician and Homebirth Midwife Vice President, DC Association of Naturopathic Physicians • Naturopathic Medicine • Women’s Healthcare • Homebirth Midwifery • Naturopathic Pediatrics

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Jump Start

Bronson Family Dentistry to Share Insights on Holistic Approaches to Orthodontics

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any parents think that braces are a necessary part of growing up. But what if a crowded palate is actually a cry out for other intervention that can optimize health and wellness? Dr. James Bronson and his son, Dr. Alex Bronson, have a whole-body approach to dental health. Both doctors will be addressing the Holistic Moms Network Arlington/ Alexandria chapter at a special daytime meeting at 10:30 a.m. on May 14, in Arlington.

They consider how parents’ diets pre-conception and during pregnancy have affected a child’s health, how nursing, bottlefeeding and early solids feeding impacted development of mouth muscles and palate and how food sensitivities affect breathing, which in turn affects dental health, especially if congestion leads to mouth-breathing.

The tool they use for expanding the space in a mouth of crowded teeth is the Advanced Light Force (ALF) or Advanced Light-wire Functional. The wire puts gentle force on the teeth to allow for more space. The appliance can help children and adults alike; although duration is shorter with younger patients. Alex had braces—and terrible headaches— for several years before his father discovered the ALF, which both doctors now wear. All are invited to join this special presentation.

Location: Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington. For more information, visit HolisticMoms ArlAlex.blogspot.com.

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newsbriefs A Day of Pampering for Mothers

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f you’re looking for something truly restorative and fun to do for Mother’s Day, or a fabulous gift for mom, look no further.

Gifted teachers, expert practitioners and esteemed chefs are gathering at a lakeside retreat center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 9, in nearby Keswick, Virginia, to honor women and refresh their energy.

The OM Mama Indulge Yourself Spa Excursion is a daylong healing escape, full of indulgent body-mind offerings and pampering for any mom. She gets to pick and choose from those offerings as to how to spend her day. Everything from silent meditation to a belly dance class are being offered—plus treats, gourmet food and handmade facials. Massage practitioners of Thai massage, Swedish massage and specialized massage therapies like craniosacral and trigger point are also in the line-up.

By the lake, women can enjoy a dip in the hot tub or laugh with friends in the gazebo. She can have a good sweat in the infrared sauna and refresh with a bath or even venture out to use the outdoor baths and shower.

“I want to provide an experience of serious play, healing, nourishment and camaraderie that comes from spending a full day focused on honoring and pampering mothers and women,” says Leigh Meredith, creator and organizer of the unique event. “Often women are under-rested and put the needs of others before their own. I hope they will be refreshed by the reverse of that pattern.”

Location: Bridge Between the Worlds Retreat Center, 2395 Paddock Woods Rd., Keswick, Virginia. For more information, contact Leigh@MamaSpaDay.com or visit MamaSpaDay.com.

Find Total Wellness at D.C. Gathering

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he Total Wellness Summit, sponsored by The Institute of Multidimensional Medicine (TIMM), is designed to be a life-changing event which will inform and empower the community, patients and health-care providers to achieve total wellness. Attendees can take away a blueprint for success to start a journey to achieve total health and happiness. It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 30, in the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage, in Washington, D.C.

The speakers at the summit will discuss a range of topics including: the benefits of the paradigm shift to integrative medicine; advanced and innovative assessments to unlock the root causes of chronic diseases; provide information on researched and established integrative protocols to reverse medical pathologies for autoimmune diseases, cancer and heart diseases; offer detoxification strategies to address the underlining and contributing cause of chronic diseases; and information on exclusive, uniquely formulated medication and supplementation to assist the human body to replace essential nutrients and to remove toxins contributing to illnesses.

A delicious breakfast and lunch are included and there will be opportunities to visit with local practitioners and other exhibitors throughout the day.

Cost: $125. Location: 1816 12th St., NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit TotalWellnessSummit.com. See ad, page 4.

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Washington, D.C.

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Health Continues to Improve

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any were saddened to hear of the health challenges facing Thich Nhat Hanh, after suffering a brain hemorrhage last November. After months of treatment and rehabilitation, there is good news to share.

The following is from a letter sent by the monks and nuns of Plum Village, Thay’s home in France.

“We are happy to report that Thay’s health has continued to improve at the specialist stroke rehabilitation clinic in Bordeaux, where he has been steadily recovering his strength.

Thay expressed his clear wish to return home, and arrived on Friday, April 3, in time to enjoy the beautiful magnolia blossoms and the first spring leaves as they unfurl.

We are all very glad that Thay can come back to his spiritual home, where his devoted team of monastic attendants are continuing to support him and care for him 24 hours a day, under the guidance of visiting doctors and nurses.”

Locally, a tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh will be offered at the closing night of this year’s BuddhaFest on June 14, in Arlington. They will explore the great impact Thay has had on the world, and look at some of the most important lessons that he has shared with us all.

For more information about BuddhaFest and the tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh, visit BuddhaFest.org.

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D.C. Yoga Week and Yoga on the Mall

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his year marks the 10th anniversary of Metro D.C. Yoga Week and Yoga on the Mall. The two events were born from the desire of several D.C. area teachers and studio owners to share the love and benefits of yoga with the greater community. Now, the D.C. Community of Yoga (DCCY) is proud to report that 50 studios from Maryland, Virginia and the District are coming together to offer reduced-cost classes and other special offerings throughout the week of May 3 to 9. On May 9, the studios and 100 volunteer teachers will come together at the Sylvan Theatre on the National Mall to share in a free all-levels yoga class.

The day will also include a children’s class and a 30-minute beginners’ class. They are equally excited to report that they expect record attendance of over 5,000 people at this year’s Yoga on the Mall. This will truly be a testament to the power of yoga and the support the yoga community has for one another.

“Practicing yoga together, breathing together and taking the time to stop and connect with our neighbors is what Metro D.C. Yoga Week is all about,” says Maggie Grant, one of the event organizers. “It is truly inspirational when so many people come together to share their practice.”

This milestone is an opportunity to give back as well. With kindness and support of the community, volunteers, the member studios and the generous corporate partner MOM’s, as well as sponsors like Yoga Alliance, Lululemon and Larabar, DCCY has raised over $5,000 this year to support two worthy organizations, Minds and One Common Unity, that support the metro D.C. community through yoga and meditation.

For more information on the offerings of the member studios, partners and sponsors and Yoga on the Mall, visit DCCY.org.

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eventspotlight

Rally and Film Screening with T. Colin Campbell, Neal Barnard and Michael Greger

by Robin Fillmore

T

here is a growing movement throughout the country to shift from unhealthy eating habits, inspired by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and others. Campbell will be joined by his son, Nelson Campbell and Drs. Neal Barnard and Michael Greger as they lead a noon rally in Upper Senate Park and then offer a 2 p.m. screening of the new film, PlantPure Nation, at the Angelika PopUp Theater on May 9,at Union Market. All are encouraged to be a part of the day’s events and the movement. The Washington, D.C. rally and screening are one stop in a 23-city tour.

For so many, the film Forks Over Knives, was a first step in understanding the science behind the evidence that a plant-based, whole-food diet not only prevents certain diseases but actually reverses conditions such as type-2 diabetes. In PlantPure Nation, directed and produced

by Dr. Campbell’s son, Nelson, along with the writer team behind Forks Over Knives, this message is taken into mainstream America. It follows the work of Nelson and a Kentucky legislator to bring substantive changes to the diets of the residents in 12

Washington, D.C.

rural Kentucky and North Carolina, and the political consequences of this work.

The full release of the film begins the week of July 4, nationwide.

A Kentucky state legislator, Tom Riner, invited Dr. Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, also featured in Forks Over Knives, to speak to the legislature from the floor of the Kentucky House of Representatives. In the days following, Nelson and Rep. Riner worked to bring historic legislation to the state in an attempt to counter some of the worst health statistics in the country. Despite widespread support among the legislators, the bill was killed behind closed doors.

According to Nelson Campbell, who documents the journey in the film, “They killed the bill but not the idea.”

Campbell then set his focus on a rural town in North Carolina, offering a whole food, plant-based dietary program with pre- and post-biometric testing. The results for the participants, as shown by the smiles on their faces in the film, were supportive of Hippocrates’ noble statement that “Food is medicine.” Many saw significant health improvement and some were able

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

to stop taking their prescribed medications altogether. The film gets even more exciting as Nelson then takes these results with him on a dramatic political journey.

The goal of the film, and the rally here in Washington, D.C., is to bring a bullhorn to the message that we, as a nation, need to rethink and recraft the way that we eat. Most importantly, this message needs to find resonance in all sectors of our society and not just reverberate among those who already mindfully watch their animal-based dietary intake.

As shown in the film, our national diet has been greatly influenced by the meat and dairy industries, even to the point of suppressing scientific information, including Dr. Campbell’s 300-plus research papers.

When asked, Nelson Campbell is quick to point out that even though this rally is coming to the most politically divided city, moving to a whole-food, plant-based diet is a nonpartisan issue. “This idea appeals to all—everyone has a mother, father, sibling, child, and/or grandchild who is affected by this. By working at the grassroots level to change how individuals shop, cook and eat, ordinary people are finding that they are part of something bigger than themselves—part of something good that makes a real difference.”

The events on May 9 will start with Drs. Campbell, Barnard, Greger and Nelson Campbell in Upper Senate Park, where each will speak. Those with tickets to the film, which can be purchased on the website, will head over to the 2 p.m. screening, where Nelson Campbell will join his father for a Q-and-A session following the showing.

Also associated with PurePlant Nation are plans to move the program even more deeply into local communities, with a national network of PurePlant Pod groups who will spread the message of plant-based nutrition within towns and cities across North America.

This strategy includes an innovative nonprofit component that will create a financial engine to power a new grassroots movement around the powerful idea of plant-based nutrition.

Locations: Upper Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave. NW and Angelica PopUp Theater, 550 Penn St. NE. For more information or to purchase tickets for the screening, visit PurePlantNation.com.

yogaspotlight

Peace Love Yoga Fest Comes to Washington, D.C.

by Robin Fillmore

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eace Love Yoga Fest is turning into something big. The daylong event will take place on May 16 at the Blind Whino, in Southwest Washington D.C. This is the first time this event has been held and is drawing the attention of musicians, artists and healthy food advocates from across the entire region.

There will be a full day of classes and workshops offered in a variety of styles and traditions, both in the main yoga room and in smaller classrooms

throughout the facility. There will also be instruction and activities for families in designated spaces. Attendees are encouraged to get their tickets soon, as there is a high probability that the event will sell out.

The event has been organized by WithLove DC, the group that has been popping up with yoga in public spaces for the past few years. The idea for the event came to one of the group’s organizers, Heather Markowitz, who was

The festival is an alternative to big (and expensive) yoga festivals held in other parts of the country looking for an alternative to big (and expensive) yoga festivals held in other parts of the country. She has worked with a small team, and a growing number of participating yoga studios, to shape this event into a unique event that promises to please all yoga lovers.

In addition to yoga, meditation classes will be taught by some of the area’s most beloved teachers, including: Awareness Creator, Adrian Heizmann-Checa; Dogra Nitin, creator of the Living Well Project; Mae Yan, who is the organizer for Wake Up DC and practices in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh; Jack Blackfelt, a teacher of Buddhism in the Theravada/Insight Meditation Community tradition; and Cullen Kowalski, founder of Samsara House 2023.

Kirtan, the meditative chanting and considered the soundtrack to yoga, will be sprinkled throughout the day by local and regional musicians, including DC Supersonic Kirtan and New Age and world beat musician/producer Wynne Paris and his group Groovananda. Other musicians will be performing, including: Lux Cadenza, a group that blends blues, pop and indie rock with a touch of jazz; Woven Green, providing contemporary folk and world music; Betsy and the Bicycles, known for their funky jams; and the Philly-based band, Southwork. There will be opportunities to participate in art projects and enjoy the works of local artists as well.

Between classes, there will be opportunities to enjoy tasty snacks from a variety of healthy food and drinks providers and innovators, many of whom are also fulfilling a social mission to help feed unserved areas of the city. Attendees will get to sample the wares of DC Vegan Catering, FruitCycle, Pure Chocolate by Jinji and Gouter.

Location: 700 Delaware Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. For more information and or to purchase tickets, visit

natural awakenings

May 2015

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healthbriefs

Meditation Improves Brain Health

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arvard Medical School researchers working at the Massachusetts General Hospital have determined that meditation can improve brain health. The researchers studied 16 volunteers that took part in an eight-week mindfulness meditation study at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness.

The participants conducted mindfulness meditation exercises for an average of 27 minutes a day. Before and after the trial, the subjects were given tests and magnetic resonance imaging of their brains.

The researchers found that the practice of mindfulness meditation resulted in increased gray matter density in the hippocampus of the brain, an area associated with increased memory and learning capacity, plus a greater sense of compassion and introspection.

HEART DISEASE DETECTED EARLY WITH BREATH TESTING

R

esearch published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that breath testing can reveal potential heart disease and artery problems quickly and efficiently. Testing 31 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) together with 34 healthy control subjects, the study found that concentrations of volatile gases such as propanol, ethanol and ammonia were significantly different among the heart disease patients.

It also found that the breath can reveal specific details about the heart’s condition. The breath test can be analyzed in fewer than 30 minutes.

Italian Court Links Boy’s Autism to a Vaccine

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ast September, a Milan court held in favor of plaintiffs that claimed that three doses of the hexavalent GlaxoSmithKline vaccine Infanrix Hexa that were administered to an infant beginning in 2006 caused autism later when he was a young boy. The vaccine is used for polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, whooping cough and haemophilus influenzae type B. After hearing from several medical experts, the court ruled that the child likely suffered autism and brain damage as a result of the vaccine’s content of mercury and aluminum, combined with a genetic mutation in the child rendering greater susceptibility. The ruling ordered damages to be paid by the Italian government’s national vaccine injury compensation program. The court’s decision was also based upon GlaxoSmithKline’s list of possible adverse events resulting from the vaccine, which included five cases of autism during clinical trials.

Today in the U.S., most vaccines routinely given to children under 6 years of age are free of thimerosal, a mercury-derived preservative.

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Weight Gain in Moms Lowers Toxins in Newborns

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any expectant mothers try to know about everything they put into and onto their bodies as multiple studies are finding that infants are exposed to toxins during pregnancy. A new study of 325 expectant mothers has determined that the baby’s exposure to toxins in the womb decreases when the mother’s weight gain during pregnancy approaches the guidelines recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2009. Women that are underweight at the start of pregnancy are advised to gain between 28 and 40 pounds, women of a healthy weight 25 to 35 pounds, overweight women 15 to 25 pounds and obese women 11 to 20 pounds.

The researchers found that expectant mothers with a gestational weight that meets or exceeds the IOM guidelines gave birth to infants with reduced toxin levels. In their analysis of the umbilical cord blood of mothers from Spain, the researchers tested for 14 pesticides and 21 other environmental toxins, including seven polychlorobiphenyls (PCB). Other influencers such as age, education and fish consumption may also be relevant.

To Get Healthy, Get a Healthy Partner

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aving a healthier partner may be one of the best things to do for our own health. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine finds that losing weight, stopping smoking or becoming more active is easier with a partner that has led the way in any or all healthy pursuits.

The study authors reviewed data collected by the UK Health Behavior Research Center at the University College London that followed 3,700 couples between 2002 and 2012—most of them ages 50 and older and married. Those that smoked at the beginning of the study were more likely to quit by the end of it if their partners quit smoking, and those that were physically inactive at the beginning of the study were more likely to become active if their partners did so first. About two-thirds of the men became newly active during the course of the study.

Men with wives that had lost weight were more likely to also shed pounds during the study, and women with husbands that didn’t lose weight were less likely to do so through the study period.

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healthbriefs

Dandelions for Health

by Laina Poulakos

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andelions are so much more than just a tiny yellow weed. They actually can benefit health in many different ways. Even though dandelions are often regarded as a garden nuisance, the many health benefits attributed to them may lead us to let them grow.

This flowering plant is rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, iron and B-complex vitamins just to name a few. It has been used for its medicinal properties for hundreds of years. It is a powerful diuretic, and has been used in regulating heart rhythms and aiding in treating high blood pressure. It is also useful in treating anemia due to its high iron content. Recent studies have found that its ability to regulate blood sugar may help in the treatment of diabetes. Dandelion can enhance liver and gall bladder functions, which makes it an excellent detoxifier due to its high content of lecithin.

All parts of the dandelion plant are edible. You can consume the leaf in a salad or sautéed in your favorite meal. Dandelion tea and coffee are a healthy substitute for your regular morning or afternoon pick me up.

Next time you think of these yellow, flowering plants as pesky, think again. They are actually quite good for you. Dandelions are the weed you should eat.

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Laina Poulakos is a mother of five children with certifications in aromatherapy and herbology. See ad, page 22.

Where Does Stress Actually Come From?

by Kristine Kim

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he most noticeable benefit people experience through meditation is stress reduction. The elimination of stress can be found by discarding the stresses from the mind. The pictures we accumulate in our minds dictate us to think, behave and talk in a certain way.

Although we do not wish to be controlled by this, we are programmed by our thoughts.

Also, our minds are overflowing with thoughts in our head; thinking back and forth about the past and future, rarely staying in the present moment. When something important is coming up in the near future, we may start to worry or get anxious about it, just as we do with the past. For example, an embarrassing moment may continue to replay in the mind and cause us to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. Having countless thoughts while never giving the mind a rest may cause heavy stress. In severe cases, one might suffer from physical or psychological symptoms of stress such as a loss or increase of appetite, obesity, insomnia or depression.

How can this meditation help one with dealing with such problems? Meditation can teach a method of subtracting the pictures. The pictures are just an accumulation of the false mind, in which we think exists. However, because they are not of the true nature, they can disappear in meditation, including the subtraction method, found in meditation.

Whether it is finding peace within oneself, within the family, workplace or community, when we become one with the world first, then the whole world can become one and coexistence can be accomplished.

Kristine Kim is the director of the Rockville Meditation Center. For more information, visit RockvilleMeditation.org.

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Is H. Pylori Causing Your Healing Through Stomach Discomfort?

Self Love

by Dr. Isabel Sharkar

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iscovered in 1982, Helicobacter pylori, commonly known as H. pylori, is bacteria found deeply burrowed in the mucus layer of the stomach lining or first part of the small intestine. H. pylori causes 80 percent of ulcers in the stomach, 90 percent of ulcers in the duodenum of the small intestine and is the main cause of gastric cancer.

The bacterium causes irritation and inflammation to the stomach, predisposing the tissues to become cancerous. It can block the immune responses by releasing the enzyme urease, which turns urea into ammonia and neutralizes the gastric juices around it, allowing it to thrive inside the stomach membrane.

Each year, H. pylori causes millions of cases of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. Symptoms of H. pylori include fatigue, nausea, loose stools, irritable bowels, stomachaches, gas, bloating, belching, burning pain or indigestion, headaches, back pain, anxiety, loss of appetite and skin disease. H. pylori can live in the mouth so you can get it from kissing your partner and sharing eating utensils. It can also be acquired from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates two-thirds of the world population is infected with H. pylori, making it a massive issue.

The standard treatment for H. pylori is a two-week course of three to four aggressive antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance and patient noncompliance are two major reasons for treatment failure.

There are many strains of H. pylori, some of which are antibiotic resistant and sometimes using antibiotics can make the H. pylori more severe. There are many natural treatments used in combination to inhibit H. pylori.

H. pylori, like most diseases, thrives on a poor diet of processed foods, high sugar and gluten-containing foods.

Isabel Sharkar, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician and co-owner of Indigo Integrative Health Clinic, in Georgetown.

For more information, call 202-298-9131 or visit IndigoHealth

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by Dr. Piamas Puatrakul

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e all have the power to heal from within through self-love. The most important relationship that we have is the one with ourselves. Throughout our busy lives, we tend to neglect ourselves and forget how important it is to take care of ourselves. Nourishing ourselves physically and emotionally is one way that we can practice self-love.

Make it a priority to find time each day to do something simple, enjoyable and relaxing. You can listen to music, take a long relaxing bath, read, journal, take a walk outside in nature or meditate.

During this self-nourishing time, silence your cellphone and mentally let go of all your worries and things that need to be done. Allow yourself to be in the moment. Be fully absorbed in your chosen activity.

Emotional self-care can be practiced through having awareness of thoughts and “self-talk”. How do you talk to yourself? Are your thoughts empowering and uplifting or do they weigh you down? Choose thoughts that are uplifting for your spirit over thoughts that make you feel inadequate or unworthy. In choosing positive thoughts, we practice self-love at the mental emotional level.

Positive thinking can transform your life in a powerful way. Through practicing self-love and self-care, we allow healing to occur from within. When we feel love from within, we are able to live from a place of joy and happiness.

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May 2015

17

globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

Corporate Climate

Companies Slowly Embrace Sustainability The 2015 State of Green Business report (Tinyurl. com/2015GreenBusinessReport), which assesses the environmental performances of companies worldwide, along with the trends to watch, is produced by GreenBiz, in partnership with Trucost.

Collectively, companies have been nibbling at the edges of challenges such as climate change, food security, ecosystems preservation and resource efficiency. One measure of corporate engagement going forward will be proactive involvement on political issues that could accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and more sustainable economy. It remains to be seen whether companies can afford to sit on the sidelines, letting the political process unfold, or worse, play defense against changes that might roil their status quo.

2015 will be an interesting year on multiple fronts, especially with the launch of the new sustainable development goals at the United Nations (UN) in New York this fall, along with UN climate talks in Paris in December. Both will be tests of corporate engagement and resolve in driving the kinds of change many of their CEOs publicly call for. The reports’ findings of companies’ progress in greenhouse gas and emissions, air pollutants, water use and solid waste production are all leveling off or even declining.

Animal Genocide

‘Lethal Control’ Trades Off Species Over the next four years, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers will shoot 16,000 double-crested cormorants nesting near the Columbia River, in Oregon, at a cost of $1.5 million a year and eliminate almost 100 sea lions because both feed on endangered salmon and steelhead trout. “If people knew how many animals are killed at taxpayer expense, they’d be horrified,” says Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit.

Termed “lethal control”, there’s a growing trend to kill one species to protect another, and not all methods used are humane. In 2012, Dennis Orthmeyer, acting director of California’s Wildlife Services, said, “We pride ourselves on our ability to get it done without many people knowing about it.”

Climate change, reduced habitat and food supplies, and the introduction of non-native species are the result of human interference. “With society’s growing footprint, lethal control can only increase,” observes Michael Scott, a University of Idaho ecologist.

A plan to poison 4,000 ravens will protect greater sage grouse. More mountain lions will be killed to save bighorn sheep. The human rampage goes on, and concerned citizens are advised to urge lawmakers to end lethal control and protect wildlife habitat sustainably.

Take action at Tinyurl.com/AnimalLiberationFrontCampaign.

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Dirty Dollars

Stores Filled with Toxic Products HealthyStuff, a project of the Michiganbased Ecology Center, in collaboration with the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS), has released a report, A Day Late and a Dollar Short: Discount Retailers are Falling Behind on Safer Chemicals, about toxic chemicals found in dollar store products.

It includes test results for 164 dollar store products such as toys, jewelry, school supplies and household items and found that 81 percent contained at least one hazardous chemical above a level that generates concern.

The campaign sent a letter to the CEOs of the four largest dollar store chains, including Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and 99 Cents Only, urging them to stop the sale of these unsafe products, especially to communities of low-income and ethnic families that already live in more polluted areas and food deserts, and adopt policies that will instead protect both customers and their own businesses. Combined, these discount chains have annual sales totaling more than $36 billion and operate more stores nationally than Walmart.

The CHS is asking for a comprehensive set of reforms; communities need to let dollar store chains know that they want safer products and join local and national efforts advocating for nontoxic products.

Scroll to Dollar Store Report at Healthy Stuff.org for the complete test results.

Take action at NontoxicDollarStores.org.

Tool Pool

Farmers Share Farm Machinery Instead of buying or renting expensive specialized machinery, farmers in Maine can now join a “lending library” of farm tools on short-term loan by using the Shared-Use Farm Equipment Pool, a partnership between the Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. There are already equipment co-ops and joint machinery ownerships around the country; now the sharing economy being established in urban areas seems to be catching on in rural America, too.

For a $100 annual fee, members can gain access to a seedbed cultivator, twoshank sub-soiler, plastic mulch layer, tine weeder, and strip and ridge tillers. The 1,200-pound mulch layer, for instance, retails for more than $2,000. Each piece is undeniably useful, but pricey, especially given the cost per use. Farmers have a three-day window to use the tools.

The pool came about when Mike Gold, an MFT staff member, saw the need to lower costs for both new and seasoned farmers. Currently, most of the tool pool members are newer vegetable farmers, but Gold says there’s appeal for established land stewards, too: “They see the opportunity to use that one piece of equipment that they may only need once a year or once every few years.”

Source: ModernFarmer.com

Eco-Eating

Town Eateries Embrace Sustainability The city of Maplewood, Missouri, outside St. Louis, has teamed up with the Green Dining Alliance to become the area’s first Green Dining District, with at least 25 percent of all of its independently owned businesses certified by the Green Dining Alliance (GDA).

The GDA helps businesses with sustainability and green business practices while also helping them save money.

So far, eight restaurants in downtown Maplewood are GDA-certified.

Green Dining Alliance’s Olivia Engel says, “It’s a win-win that makes sense for businesses and communities.” The city is also encouraging the program by subsidizing Green Dining Alliance membership fees.

View updates at GreenDiningAlliance.org.

Persistent Pacers

Women Marathoners Better at Maintaining Speed Danish researchers studying almost 2 million marathon results from 131 marathon races over a period of five years have concluded that women are 18.6 percent better than men at maintaining a consistent pace overall, compared to the first and the last parts of the distance. Among the population studied, 68.5 percent were men and 31.5 percent were women. The research further suggests that both men and women “burn out” en route and could improve their marathon results significantly simply by starting slower.

Source: Consumer.HealthDay.com

EPA Blooper

Bee-Toxic Pesticide Approved The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved cyantraniliprole, a new systemic pesticide that is toxic to bees, for agricultural use and has set allowable residue limits on almonds, berries, leafy vegetables and milk. The EPA also approved it as a seed treatment, so it may show up in GMO (genetically modified) seeds in the future.

Cyantraniliprole has been proven to cause liver toxicity, and the EPA notes that it also alters the stability of the thyroid as tested on laboratory rats. Although the agency maintains that the pesticide is not a direct thyroid toxicant, any indirect effects on this glandular function are likely to disrupt the endocrine system. As its current endocrine disruptor screening program is still in the process of validating tests, EPA registration of the new active ingredient is questionable.

Source: EcoWatch.com

Enflamed Water Home Flame Retardants Found in River

Scientists with the Washington Toxics Coalition tested household dust and laundry wastewater from 20 homes in the state’s cities of Longview and Vancouver and took samples of incoming and outgoing flow from two wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Columbia River, the Northwest’s biggest waterway. They detected flame retardants in all the tests.

The conclusion of the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, is that flame retardants are sloughing off household products such as couches and TVs and collecting on people’s clothing, washing out in the laundry and passing through wastewater treatment plants into local waterways.

Source: WaToxics.org natural awakenings

May 2015

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RETHINKING BREAST HEALTH Natural ways to keep breasts smooth, pain-free and firm, while reducing the risk of cancer.

by Lisa Marshall

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e’ve been conditioned to narrowly define breast health in terms of pink ribbon campaigns, cancer awareness marches and cold, steel mammography machines.

Nearly 30 years after anticancer drug maker Imperial Chemical Industries (now AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals) established the first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 1985, many women have come to equate healthy breasts with cancer-free breasts, and assume the most important thing they can do is undergo regular screening.

But amid this chorus, some women’s health advocates are striving to get a different message across: There are a host of steps women can take to not only fend off disease in the future, but keep their breasts in optimal condition today. “We need to change the conversation about our breasts from how to avoid breast cancer and detect it early to how to have healthy breasts and enjoy them,” says Dr. Christiane Northrup, an obstetrician and gynecologist from Yarmouth, Maine, and author of the new book Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-Being.

Healthy Breasts, Healthy Body

In adolescence, breast changes are the first to signal the arrival of womanhood.

When she’s aroused, a woman’s nipples harden and change color. When a woman gives birth, her breasts fill with life-giving milk. “In all these ways, your breasts are deeply connected to your femininity, compassion and sensuality,” says Hawaiian Naturopathic Doctor 20

Washington, D.C.

Laurie Steelsmith, co-author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health. Because breasts are extremely sensitive to hormonal fluctuations throughout the body, they can also serve as a barometer of overall health. “If you’re having chronic breast symptoms, it can be your body’s wisdom saying, ‘Help. Something’s wrong.’ Women need to listen.”

While some premenstrual swelling and tenderness is normal, exaggerated or persistent pain is often a sign of systemic estrogen dominance in relation to progesterone. It’s common in the years leading up to menopause, but can also hint at impaired thyroid function, because low levels of thyroid hormones have been shown to boost estrogen in breast tissue, advises Steelsmith.

Large, fluid-filled cysts or fibrous lumps, while non-cancerous, can also be a reflection of overexposure to harmful chemicals and toxin buildup, combined with poor lymph flow, notes Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan, an integrative physician in Greensboro, North Carolina. “If a woman has lumpy, bumpy breasts, they probably contain too many toxins, and those toxins are primarily estrogenic.” Addressing such symptoms is important not only to relieve discomfort, but also

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

because excess estrogen can fuel future cancer risk, says Vaughan.

Any new, suspicious lump should be evaluated by a professional. Also, severe breast tenderness combined with nipple discharge could be a sign of infection or a problem with the pituitary gland, so it should also be checked. But typically, subtle natural healthcare steps can go a long way toward restoring breast wellness.

For nipple tenderness, Steelsmith recommends chaste-tree berry (175 milligrams [mg] of powdered extract or 40 drops daily). The herbal supplement mimics naturally occurring progesterone in the body, helping to counter estrogen dominance. Vitamin E (400 to 800 international units [IU] per day) and evening primrose oil (1,500 mg twice a day) have also been shown to alleviate breast tenderness.

For fibrous or cyst-filled breasts, Vaughan advises supplementing with iodine (up to 12.5 mg per day via kelp, seaweed or oral tablets) or applying an iodine solution to the breasts at night.

A key constituent of thyroid hormones, iodine helps the liver convert unfriendly forms of estrogen into friendlier forms and flush toxins out of lymph nodes in the breast. Also, steer clear of chocolate and coffee, because caffeine is

believed to interact with enzymes in the breast, exaggerating pain and lumpiness.

Also consider ditching the bra, says Vaughan. Brassieres can constrict lymph nodes and hinder blood circulation in breasts, locking toxins in and aggravating fibrocystic symptoms. The link between bras and breast cancer risk remains hotly debated, with one 2014 U.S. National Cancer Institute study of 1,400 women concluding unequivocally that, “There’s no evidence that wearing a bra increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer,” while smaller studies from the United States, China, Venezuela, Scotland and Africa suggest a link.

Vaughan, the founder of BraFree.org, says the science is compelling enough that she has chosen to keep her own bra use to a minimum and advises her patients to do the same.

“Obviously, there are certain sports where you should wear a sports bra and there are certain dresses that only look right with a bra,” says Vaughan.

At a minimum, avoid wearing a bra to bed and steer clear of underwires and overly tight bras that leave red marks.

“This is not about guilt-tripping women into never wearing a bra. It’s about wearing a bra less.”

Beautiful Breasts Naturally Too small or too big, lopsided or riddled with stretch marks… it seems almost every woman has a complaint about the appearance of her breasts.

That’s a problem, says Northrup, because, “Healthy breasts are breasts that are loved. We have to stop beating them up.”

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of women getting breast implants for cosmetic reasons ballooned from 212,500 in 2000 to 286,254 in 2014.

Physicians—including Northrup— claim that modern implants don’t, in the majority of cases, promote disease like older silicone implants did. Yet even plastic surgeons warn that having implants should be fully thought out, and at some point they’ll probably have to come out. “They are manmade devices, and are not intended to be lifelong. At some point, you will probably have to have further surgery,” says Dr. Anureet Bajaj, an Oklahoma City plastic surgeon.

Bajaj notes that implants can rupture, forming scar tissue and lending irregular shape to the breast. Often, as a woman ages and her body changes, the larger breasts she chose in her 20s no longer look right and may cause back and shoulder pain. In some cases, implants can also lead to loss of nipple sensitivity. For these and other reasons, 23,774 women—including actress Melissa Gilbert and model Victoria Beckham—had their implants removed in 2014, often following up with a breast lift (using their own tissue) to restore their shape.

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natural awakenings

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Vaughan sees breast implant removal as a wise and courageous choice to restore optimal breast health. Better yet, don’t get implants in the first place.

“There are a lot of other things you can do to improve the appearance of your breasts,” she advises.

Vaughan recommends breastperking exercises like dumbbell bench presses and flys that tone the pectoral muscles beneath the breasts, making them more resilient and look larger. To prevent or reverse sagging, she again urges women to go bra-free. “We have ligaments in the upper outer quadrant of our breasts called Cooper’s ligaments, and they’re responsible for holding our breasts up. Just like your muscles atrophy when you put your arm in a sling, your Cooper’s ligaments atrophy if you wear a bra all the time.”

In one unpublished, yet highly publicized 2013 study, French Exercise Physiologist Jean-Denis Rouillon measured the busts of 330 women ages 18 to 35 over a period of 15 years and found those that regularly wore a bra had droopier breasts with lower nipples than those that didn’t. In another, smaller, Japanese study, researchers found that when women stopped wearing a bra for three months, their breasts perked up.

Those worried about stretch marks also have options. They can be a sign of inadequate copper, which promotes collagen integrity and helps skin stretch without injury, says Steelsmith. If rapid weight gain is occurring due to adolescence, pregnancy or for other reasons, try taking copper supplements or applying a topical copper spray on the breasts.

Remember to massage your breasts daily, not only as a “search and destroy mission” for early detection of cancerous lumps, says Northrup, but as a way to get waste products flowing out and loving energy flowing in.

“It concerns me that women feel pressured to think of their breasts as two potentially pre-malignant lesions sitting on their chests,” Northrup says.

“These are organs of nourishment and pleasure for both ourselves and others.

We need to remember that, too.”

Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer in Boulder, CO. Connect at LisaAnnMarshall.com.

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Bust Musts for Cancer Prevention

by Lisa Marshall

A

ccording to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 40,000 will die annually of the disease.

But at least 38 percent of those diagnoses could be prevented via diet and lifestyle changes, affirms the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

“For decades, the dominant public message about breast cancer has been about early detection,” says Medical Doctor Robert Pendergrast, an associate professor at the Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta, and author of Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Foods You Love. “Screening is important, but not nearly enough attention is being paid to prevention.” Here’s what we can do to keep cancer at bay or from recurring.

Eat more veggies: Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, are loaded with indole-3-carbinol, or I3C, a potent anticancer compound that helps break down excess estrogen and convert it into a more friendly, or benign form, says Steelsmith. One study in Alternative Medicine Review found that women that ate high amounts of cruciferous vegetables were 30 percent less likely to develop breast cancer over 30 years.

I3C can also be taken as a supplement (300 milligrams [mg] per day).

Eat more fiber, especially flax: Fiber, via whole grains, fruits and vegetables, helps flush out toxins including unfriendly estrogen. Flax contains cancer-fighting compounds called lignans, which block the effects of excess or unfriendly estrogen on cells.

Drink less alcohol: Alcohol boosts estrogen levels in women and is broken down in the liver to acetaldehyde, a known toxin that causes cancer in laboratory animals, notes Naturopath

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Laurie Steelsmith. According to the AICR, a woman that has five drinks per week boosts her risk by 5 percent. Two or more drinks per day boosts such risk by more than 40 percent.

Skip the barbecue: Charring meat produces carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines. A study of 42,000 women, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that those that routinely ate welldone hamburger, beef or bacon had four times the risk of those that opted for medium or medium-rare.

Keep weight in check: Excessive estrogen, which lives in fat cells, fuels cancer risk. According to the AICR, a woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 (obese) has a 13 percent higher risk of cancer than a woman with a BMI of 25 (slightly overweight).

Spice up life: Curcumin from the turmeric plant has been shown in many studies to have potent immune-boosting and anticancer properties, reactivating sleeping tumor-suppressor genes that can kill cancer cells.

De-stress: Growing evidence that includes studies from Ohio State University suggest that stress can boost the risk of breast cancer and recurrence, plus heighten its aggressiveness by altering hormones and impairing immunity.

One study from Finland’s University of Helsinki followed 10,808 Finnish women for 15 years and found as much as double the rate of breast cancer among those that had experienced a divorce or death of a spouse or family member.

Drink green tea: It’s loaded with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant believed to suppress new blood vessel growth in tumors and keep cancerous cells from invading healthy tissue.

Triumph Over The ‘Big C’

by Lisa Marshall

W

hen Sandy Messonnier was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced scary treatment decisions as doctors pressured her to consider all means available. “I was more afraid of the treatment than the cancer itself,” says Messonnier, 52, of Plano, Texas. “I kept feeling like I was being lumped into one big category of all women that got breast cancer, rather than treated as an individual.”

With the help of her holistic veterinarian husband Shawn Messonnier, Sandy took a more measured approach, blending conventional and complementary medicine in an individualized protocol the couple describes in their book, Breast Choices for the Best Chances: Your Breasts, Your Life, and How You Can Win the Battle!

After careful consideration, Sandy opted for two lumpectomies three weeks apart, instead of a mastectomy, to remove

the small tumor. The second one was done to clear up a few remaining cells indicated by a biopsy. Meanwhile, she took supplements including green tea and coriolus mushrooms to impede the spread of the cancer cells.

Several tests helped determine if she needed chemotherapy and the optimum dose for some of her supplements. The results prompted her to decline chemotherapy and opt for a brief stint of radiation while taking the supplements quercetin and curcumin to help combat the fatigue and other side effects. Afterward, she cleansed her body with homeopathic mistletoe, herbal milk thistle and other detoxifying supplements.

Then she began the work of keeping cancer at bay.

“A lot of doctors never talk to you about what you are going to do after the poisoning [chemo], the burning and

surgery,” she says. “Rather than taking a cancer-fighting drug, I chose to be more mindful of what I do with my body.”

Her regimen called for committing to keeping up with the healthy diet, plus regular walks, yoga and Pilates that she believes helped keep the cancer relatively mild to begin with. But she also made some life changes to address the one thing she believes may have driven the outbreak in the first place—stress.

She made peace with her mother, which reduced a lot of stress, began to cultivate a spiritual life and now takes time to meditate or walk when she feels even lightly stressed. She also vowed to keep the fear of recurrence from overwhelming her. “Many women never stop worrying about it,” she observes. “That is toxic energy you are putting back into your body.”

As of this October, Messonnier will be five years cancer-free. Her advice for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer: “Chemotherapy, radiation and mastectomy are not among the right choices for all women. There are other options, depending on the type of cancer. Don’t be so fearful that you make hasty decisions you don’t need to make.”

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May 2015

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healingways

Giving Birth Naturally Conscious Choices Lead to Less Intervention

by Meredith Montgomery

L

abor and delivery in a hospital was promotMost births is a natural process ed as a safer alternative. should be viewed By 1938, half of domesthat can be enjoyed.

“It’s not something as a natural life tic births took place in to be afraid of,” says hospitals, and by 1960 it process instead rose to 97 percent. CurMel Campbell, author of The Yoga of Pregnancy. rently, midwives attend of a potential “It’s a wonderful and less than 8 percent of beautiful experience. We medical emergency. births here, and fewer need to remember that than 1 percent occur ~Abby Epstein, The outside a hospital. the body is designed for Business of Being Born giving birth.”

Natural labor and

Natural childbirth delivery in a hospital uses few or no artificial medical interis possible, but, “It’s hard to have an ventions such as drugs, continuous unmedicated birth in many hospitals if fetal monitoring, forceps delivery or you don’t know your rights, understand episiotomies (cuts to enlarge the vaginal your physiology and have a doula by opening). According to the U.S. Centers your side helping you avoid unnecesfor Disease Control (CDC), 32.7 percent sary interventions,” says Ina May Gasof deliveries were by Cesarean section kin, a pioneering midwife and author in 2013—most performed in situations of Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. Key where a vaginal birth would have posed factors to discuss include fetal monitora relatively low risk to the health of ing, intravenous tubes and the option to mother and child. Entirely natural child- eat or drink during labor. birth is now rare here compared with other countries, but that wasn’t always Benefits of Home Births the case.

Women choose home births and

In 1900, 95 percent of all U.S. homey birthing centers because they births took place in the home; when labor there more comfortably, feel more more moved to hospitals here in the in control of the process and can more early 20th century, midwives still easily avoid interventions. Many moms typically handled the delivery in other seek out a midwife’s services because they don’t want to repeat the convencountries, sometimes without a doctor tional hospital experience that accompresent. In America, obstetrics became a profession and a doctor-attended birth panied their first baby’s arrival.

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NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

When actress Ricki Lake gave birth to her second child in her home bathtub with the assistance of a midwife, she felt empowered by doing it on her own terms. “Giving birth wasn’t an illness, something that needed to be numbed. It was something to be experienced,” she says.

When women let their bodies naturally lead, labor can last as little as 20 minutes or as long as two weeks, and the spectrum of pain intensity is equally broad. A healthy prenatal lifestyle that prepares a mom-to-be for a natural physical, emotional and spiritual experience of childbirth is highly beneficial.

Compassionate Self-Care

“Pregnancy’s not the time to overexert yourself; let go of the temptation to overachieve and instead practice breathing and mindfulness,” advises Campbell. “If you’re experiencing morning sickness, try to embrace it and how it serves you. By doing so, you’ll be more in tune with your body. These

lessons are gifts you can take with you into labor.”

She reminds women that the baby is always getting nourishment from all that mom eats and breathes in, and also feeds off of her feelings and emotions. “The more we can feel at peace with ourselves and incorporate the baby into our being, the more we feel a connection and union,” she says. “It’s vital that you let your body’s innate wisdom be your guide and respect any cues it may give.”

Campbell guides expectant mothers through a yoga practice that embraces the changes occurring each trimester. For example, a more physical practice in the second trimester utilizes the surge of energy to build stamina and strength, while opening the heart, hips and pelvis.

Complementary relaxation techniques for labor include breathing practices, visualization, meditation and massage. When a mother isn’t connected to monitors and tubes, she’s free to experiment with positions and props

Conscious Childbirth Resources The Yoga of Pregnancy Week by Week: Connect With Your Unborn Child through Mind, Body and Breath

by Mel Campbell Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds

by Cynthia Gabriel Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

by Ina May Gaskin Spiritual Midwifery

by Ina May Gaskin Your Best Birth

by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein The Business of Being Born a film by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein Mothering Magazine’s Having a Baby, Naturally

by Peggy O’Mara

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There is a great deal of fear and ignorance about allowing labor and birth to proceed without disturbance. Rates of routine intervention are so high, most nurses and physicians rarely see a fully natural birth. ~Ina May Gaskin such as balls, bars and pillows, plus a warm shower or bath. If a hospital birth is planned, Gaskin notes that labor often slows once a woman leaves the comfort of home, and recommends laboring at home as long as possible.

There is no way to predict the course of labor and delivery when women let nature take the lead. Campbell, a mother of three, says, “I tried to focus on the intention of what I wanted for my birthing experience, while also surrendering expectations, knowing that I would have whatever type of birth I was supposed to have.” She adds, “The breath is the most important thing—it keeps us in the moment, helps us to relax and supports us through labor.”

While the home birth option is important to America’s new generation of trailblazing women, it’s also significant on a macro level. Gaskin explains, “It’s hard for staff to change routine practices in hospitals but home births make innovation possible.” Home births demonstrated that women don’t require routine episiotomies and have shown how maternal mobility and position changes can help labor progress and free badly stuck babies (earlier methods often injured mother and child).

Gaskin has found, “Wherever and however you decide to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, mind, body and spirit for the rest of your life. No one should have a home birth who doesn’t want one, but it must be one of the choices.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Mobile/Baldwin, AL (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).

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A Mother’s Guide to Natural Childbirth

by Meredith Montgomery

D

etermining the best birth setting for a mother necessitates sound planning.

If an unmedicated birth is a goal, these insights may help in making decisions.

Home birth takes place in the comfort of home, typically with the assistance of a midwife, and is suitable for a healthy woman with a low-risk pregnancy. She is able to wear her own clothing and eat as she pleases. Because monitoring of mother and baby is done intermittently, she is free to move around.

Confirm the midwife’s training and experience; ask how many home births she’s attended and which obstetricians she consults. Discuss the signs and symptoms that might necessitate a move to the hospital and how quickly it can be done. While a midwife’s fee is often far less than the cost of a hospital birth, not all insurance companies cover home births.

A birth center provides personalized, family-centered care in a homelike environment for healthy women.

Practitioners follow principles of problem prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness. A midwife typically delivers the baby, but the collaborative practice team also includes obstetricians, pediatricians and other specialists.

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Mothers experience personal freedoms similar to a home birth, and tubs for water births are usually available, plus other birthing props such as squatting bars, stools and balls.

The center should be accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers. Inquire what the protocol for care will be if complications arise, learn what the center’s charges for care cover and confirm if the family’s insurance policy will pay for the services provided.

A hospital generally has access to the latest medical technology, making it a preferred option for medium-to-highrisk pregnancies. With proper preparations, an unmedicated birth is possible in this traditional setting. Investigate their rates of Cesarean births and episiotomies and the determining parameters.

To allow for an active labor, request intermittent fetal monitoring, avoid intravenous fluids and ask about the availability of birthing props. Become familiar with hospital policies, such as who can be in the delivery room and whether the baby will stay with mom after the birth. If a nurse midwife is not on staff, consider hiring a doula to assist in preparing for and carrying out the family’s birth plan.

Why Natural Birth?

Allow your body to perform its magic.

by Peggy Franklin

W

hy natural birth? That is a good question, then again, why not?

Natural birth is aligned with nature. It is the gold standard—it is physiological birth. It is what happens when birthing mothers are healthy and allow their body to perform its magic.

Like winter becomes spring, the sun rises and seeds grow. Pregnancy and birth are what happens without our help. Natural birth avoids the dangers of unnecessary interventions, more cesareans, delayed breast-feeding and interruption of early bonding. Natural birth promotes delayed cord clamping, early breast-feeding and supports mother-baby skin to skin time.

Life is not like a notebook with dividers that separate our various roles or diagnosis—each separate and treated independently. Our lives are a blend of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual functions and needs.

Why natural birth? Because natural birth is the best way to begin a healthy life, it is holistic yet recognizes individual uniqueness and allows for variations of normal within its incredibly reliable structure and patterns.

Natural birth is simply the best choice for healthy women.

Peggy Franklin, CPM, is a licensed midwife and founder of the NOVA Natural Birth Center, located at 4200 A Technology Ct., Chantilly. For more information, visit NovaBirthCenter. com. See ad, page 34.

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May 2015

27

practitionerspotlight

D.C. Naturopath and Midwife

Dr. Kai Parker

A Woman Who is With Women

by Robin Fillmore

I

t was a surprise to Kai Parker in her first obstetrics class that midwives were still providing important assistance to pregnant women who desired to have their babies safely and naturally at home. Her instructor at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine showed a video of a home birth and by the end of the viewing, Parker knew that her life’s work would be devoted to helping families peacefully bring new life into the world.

This “beautiful surprise” has shaped the philosophy for this D.C. native, who returned home in 2012. From her practice in West End, between Dupont and Georgetown, Parker treats all members of the family, employing her advanced training in women’s health, pediatrics and midwifery. She notes, “I love working with happy, pregnant women— taking the journey of pregnancy and childbirth with them.”

Although she has the capacity to write prescriptions, giving a pill isn’t always the most natural (or effective) reme-

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dy. Like other naturopathic physicians, she works to discover the root cause of symptoms, thereby using the signs of illness as clues to a patient’s wellness. Parker notes, “So many times allopathic physicians want to quiet symptoms. I don’t want to take that headache away because it teaches me and the patient to act differently. Maybe the patient isn’t getting enough water or not enough sleep or not eating the right foods—or eating foods that might be bad for them. The person has the symptom for a reason. I want to know exactly what is causing that pain so the patient can learn to stop it before it starts.”

When dealing with mothers-to-be, Parker is usually contacted as soon as the mother discovers that she is pregnant. At this point, Parker offers a free meet-andgreet session, enabling the parents to come in and ask questions. According to Parker, “It is very important for a couple to feel comfortable with their midwife. I give them an opportunity to meet me first and make sure that I am the right midwife for them.” Once a decision has been made,

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

prenatal care begins at about 10 weeks.

Throughout the pregnancy, appointments are held at Parker’s office until 36 weeks of pregnancy, when Parker makes a home visit to prepare the mother and the rest of the family for the home birth. After the baby is born, she conducts the first two postpartum appointments at home, giving the mother and the new family the chance to rest, rather than rushing out of their home to an appointment.

Throughout this entire period—prenatal through postpartum until the baby is two months old—Parker is on-call for the families 24 hours a day. She notes that “new moms and dads have questions.

I want to make sure they feel very well held and very well cared for. I want to make sure they know they have someone to call who can answer their questions.”

Because of that commitment, she only attends the births of four pregnant families each month.

During the birth process, Parker helps to support the laboring process, putting the emphasis on the mom, the dad and the baby (and siblings, if present). Her goal is to stay out of the way as much a possible so they can experience their birth while guiding the father or partner in ways that can support the mother. The formality of Parker’s training and degree is set aside and she becomes “Kai” to the family.

Parker’s desire for excellence in her craft has led her to even more training.

She is finishing her masters in acupuncture from the Maryland University of Integrative Health and is now taking her education even further in their doctoral program in Oriental Medicine. Acupuncture was part of her original naturopathic training and is an important tool her diagnostic toolbox, so she has completed additional training in order to utilize this modality in her practice.

Parker is very passionate and committed to her vocation, as evidenced by the manner in which she devotes herself to her studies and her patients. But the sacrifice appears to be easy as she notes, “This is not a job that I chose. This job chose me.

This is something that I know I was born to do and I feel very privileged and honored to take part in the process of pregnancy and natural childbirth.”

To learn more about Dr. Kai Parker, visit her website at DCMidwife.com. See ad, page 8.

communityspotlight

Malika Hook Muhammad and her son

Malika Hook Muhammad

The DC Doula Helping Mothers Savor the Birthing Experience

by Robin Fillmore

M

alika Hook Muhammad is The DC Doula. To Muhammad, being a doula is more than just providing support to a mother in labor. Being a doula requires enough flexibility to become whatever the family needs. Sometimes that is to support the mother. Other times the support is needed by her partner, her parents or her other children. Then there are other times when it means helping the mother to advocate for herself, so that her voice is not lost in the flurry of activity around birth.

A Philadelphia native, Muhammad is a birth and postpartum doula and a social worker, who came to birth work long before she had children of her own. She was trained in

2008 and describes birth work as a calling. First introduced to birth work after learning about the Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support (PALS), she began her doula career by volunteering as the training and dispatch coordinator for PALS, in addition to attending births around the city.

Muhammad moved to the D.C. metro area in 2011 and has been working with families here ever since.

Her training in social work has taught her to meet people wherever they are starting and notes that there are generally three different types of births to which she attends.

Some women need a lot of physical support during labor. She helps to ease their discomfort and remind them

that their bodies are capable of doing the work required in labor. Some of the “tricks” in her bag include offer comforting touch, counter pressure, acupressure, Reiki, work with the rebozo (a traditional birthing tool), hot and cold packs, yoga and body positioning advice.

Some women need a witness—a quiet presence to stand alongside the birthing mother for when assistance is needed. They need someone who can support them (or their partners) as they move through labor without being intrusive or overbearing. Muhammad notes, “Sometimes people just want someone who has already been on the journey as reassurance that they can make the journey as well.”

Lastly, there are women who need someone that can shoulder the burden of labor with them. Muhammad suggests that these tend to be the most difficult births. “I help women to carry their emotional strain in addition to their physical strain. Many people don’t realize that birth has just as much to do with your mind as it does with your body.”

The motivating factor for Muhammad in her work is the opportunity is to help women protect the memory of their birth experience. “A woman can tell you the minute-by-minute events of her labor, no matter how old she is or what her mental state may be. Birth is an event that imprints on women in a way that is so impactful. It breaks my heart when women have difficult or traumatic experiences that could have been avoided with information and support.”

Muhammad believes that women can have whatever birth experience they want, despite whether they choose to birth in hospitals, birth centers or in their own homes. She most recently began the next leg of her journey as a women’s health practitioner. Since March, she has engaged in study to become a community-centered herbalist and will soon be offering an additional layer of support to the families she serves.

Malika Hook Muhammad is owner of The DC Doula and serves Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. To learn more about doulas or to contact her, visit TheDCDoula. com. See ad, page 34. natural awakenings

May 2015

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leadingedge

Can Hormones Be Used Safely?

Six Ways to Lower Your Risk

by Dr. Chas Gant

H

ormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can improve health and treat many unpleasant symptoms but it needs to be done safely. HRT is often used to treat hot flashes, osteoporosis, depression, fatigue and other conditions. Oral Contraceptives (OC), or birth control pills, is another form of HRT. How safe are these approaches?

Although outcome data in studies is still controversial, they generally suggest that both HRT and OC pose a risk of increased breast cancer and/or other hormone-related cancers (uterine and ovarian). Given that a significant risk is likely, can the benefits of HRT and OC be realized without the risks of cancer?

Is there any advantage to bio-identical HRT, which is the use of hormones that are identical to those produced in the

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body, as opposed to artificial hormones, which are chemicals that are not naturally produced in the body?

In conventional medicine, HRT is often prescribed as Estrogen-Progestin Therapy (EPT) because the addition of progestins may offset the risk of estrogen therapy alone in causing uterine cancer.

According to studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, however, EPT is likely to be a significant risk factor for breast cancer, and EPT probably increases the risk of breast cancer more than HRT using estrogen alone.

Naturopathic, holistic and integrative health care practitioners generally recommend bio-identical HRT such as the use of natural progesterone, which has the advantage of being a “mother

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Shifting estrogen metabolism to prevent and/or adjunctively treat chronic diseases like breast and other cancers as outlined here is safe, effective, inexpensive and relatively simple to do. hormone” that is made into testosterone and estrogens. Since oral contraceptives also contain artificial progestins which may increase the rates of breast cancer, other forms of contraception are generally recommended by naturopathic, holistic and integrative health care practitioners.

Even though estradiol is a bioidentical estrogen, studies also suggest it can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. However that risk may have more to do with certain metabolites of estradiol than with the estradiol itself. Biochemically speaking, a metabolite is a “downstream” molecule that “upstream” molecules or precursors like estradiol are turned into.

Estradiol is metabolized into estrone, which in turn can be metabolized into several kinds of “hydroxylated estrones”, and the type of hydroxylated estrones generated in a woman’s body can significantly predispose them to breast cancer and possibly uterine, ovarian and cervical cancers as well. Men are not off the hook. Hydroxylated estrones can predispose them to prostate cancer, so testosterone treatments should also be accompanied with an evaluation of the hydroxylated estrones.

Two main metabolites of estradiol are the 2-hydroxy and the 16-hydroxy estrone. The 16-hydroxy metabolite binds to estrogen receptors very strongly and, like any anabolic hormone, causes most cells with estrogen receptors to divide and reproduce more quickly. Cancer is outof-control cell growth, so the 16-hydroxy metabolite of estradiol may be a very significant reason that even bio-identical estrogen therapy poses a significant risk of breast cancer.

A simple, inexpensive, blood test called Hormonal Health is available from

commercial labs or from specialized labs such as Genova Diagnostics, to test the 2-hydroxy and the 16-hydroxy estrone metabolites. Anyone taking HRT (including men) or OC would benefit from getting this test. If these metabolites are out of balance one, is advised to implement dietary and lifestyle adjustments which can correct the imbalance, which then should translate to a significant reduction in risk for breast cancer and other hormonal-related cancers.

Changes in diet, lifestyle and medication which are intended to modify metabolism and gene expression to decrease risks or prognoses of diseases like breast cancer is called optimizing epigenetic expression. Below is a very effective protocol to optimize epigenetic expression and shift the metabolism of estradiol away from the cancer-related metabolite 16-hydroxy estrone toward the potentially much safer 2-hydroxy estrone.

Eat organic foods whenever possible.

Pesticides decidedly shift the balance of metabolites in the wrong direction, which in part explains how pesticides are factors in causing breast and other cancers.

Limit alcohol use. The average drinks per day that a woman consumes is directly proportional to breast cancer risk, in part because alcohol shifts the balance of estrogen metabolites in the wrong direction.

Consume soy isoflavones. Although it’s hard to recommend most soy products these days because of GMOs, some studies suggest that women in high soy-basedconsumption cultures do have lower rates of estrogen-related cancer risk. As an alternative to tofu therefore, one can get the best of both worlds and take the supplement soy isoflavones which gets you the good stuff in soy without the bad.

Exercise and get enough omega-3 fatty acids. Besides the omega-3 oils in flax which are generally always good for you, flax oil and ground seeds have lignans which also shift the estrogen metabolites in the right direction. A few tablespoonful of flax oil a day may keep the doctor away. Exercise and fish oil helps to make a positive epigenetic shift in estrogen metabolism in the right direction, as they do for so many other health conditions.

Choose more helpings of the mustard family of plants. These cruciferous vegetables are also known as brassica, which includes broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, cabbage and kale. This, in part, explains how these foods prevent breast cancer. If you wish to avoid these foods to prevent thyroid suppression or for some other reason, there are two supplements that supply the good stuff in the veggies and shifts estrogen metabolism in the right direction. They are I3C (Indole-3-carbinol) and/or DIM (Diindolylmethane). Take as directed on the supplement bottle.

Avoid certain drugs like some of the anti-acid variety (Cimetidine). These drugs send the estrogen metabolites in the wrong direction, so alternatives for heartburn should be sought if you take these drugs and want to prevent or adjunctively help treat breast cancer. However, Cimetidine can improve treatment outcomes for other non-estrogen-related cancers, so seek medical advice.

Occasionally patients will do all of the above and astonishingly, on retesting of the Hormonal Health, no benefits are realized. These patients invariably are found with additional lab testing to be toxic with DDT, DDE or other pesticides and/or plastics and/or other carcinogens, so they are prescribed intensive detoxification protocols.

Shifting estrogen metabolism to prevent and/or adjunctively treat chronic diseases like breast and other cancers as outlined here is safe, effective, inexpensive and relatively simple to do. Changing epigenetic expression to prevent and/or adjunctively treat chronic diseases like breast and other cancers is an idea whose time has come.

Dr. Chas Gant, M.D., Ph.D., is an author, physician and educator, specializing in functional medicine, molecular health and healing. For more information, call 202-237-7000, ext. 152 or visit DoctorChas.com. See ad, page 37.

To hear Dr. Chas speak on this topic, attend a free seminar/webinar at 2 p.m. on May 31 at Barre Tone, 370 Maple Ave., W., Vienna. See ad, page 35. natural awakenings

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healthymind

The brain-balanced person becomes more peaceful, creative, productive and joyful, and this state helps the individual to stay grounded.

Is Your Brain Balanced?

Functioning from Both Sides of Your Brain

by Sherry Dmytrewycz

A

s many healers know, those who are not brain balanced may be missing quite a lot.

When both sides of the brain work together, the ability to function at full capacity is enhanced and the individual is able to make better decisions.

People tend to be primarily either leftor right-brained, but brain-balanced people benefit when each side of the brain processes information.

If someone functions primarily from the left brain, they tend to make decisions by analyzing facts. They think more linearly, seeing all the details and form strategies. They are also able to keep themselves sequentially organized and on time.

Those are all good things, but look at what might be missing if you are not fully using the right side of the brain: A

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person is less able to access inner wisdom and feelings. The right side of the brain balances the left brain with its ability to think intuitively and holistically. Right-brained people are more in the “now�, see the whole picture, the possibilities and are more spontaneous and imaginative in their thinking.

Though left-brained people are good communicators, it is the right brain that can interpret nonverbal clues and therefore, gives a better understanding of a situation.

While brain balanced, an individual has access to more information for decision-making. The brain-balanced person becomes more peaceful, creative, productive and joyful and this state helps the individual to stay grounded. It prepares them to face challenges calmly with the

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

ability to see the whole and its parts.

It assists them in looking at things and situations more objectively and less emotionally, thus generating less stress.

Since the mind and body are intimately connected, the brain balanced individual will also have a better functioning immune system. He or she will develop better focus and organizational skills, thus helping them work to their full potential. They will be more open to change and more consistent in their actions to achieve your goals.

These benefits are hopefully all the motivation one would need to make the decision to take two minutes every morning and throughout your day, as needed, to balance the brain.

How to do Brain Balancing: n Place right hand above right eyebrow and left hand on back left side of the neck. n Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. n Reverse hands by placing left hand above left eyebrow and right hand on back right side of the neck. n Hold again for 30 seconds to a minute.

With these simple steps, one will find that having a fully functioning and balanced brain is helpful for decision-making and will lead to a healthier body, mind and spirit.

Sherry Dmytrewycz is an intuitive energy healer providing both hands-on and distance healing sessions. For more information and for additional instructions on brain balancing, visit Healing Gateway.com or call 877-534-5534.

See ad, page 35.

greenfestival

Green Fest Comes Back to D.C.

by Robin Fillmore

G

reen Festivals is the largest and longest running green living event in the United States. Green Festival Expo will be in Washington, D.C., for the 11th year, at the Convention Center. A three-day show this year, on June 5, 6 and 7, featuring a great B2B program on Friday.

The expo will feature more than 200 exhibitors showcasing their organic products, inspiring speakers, fun activities, a yoga pavilion and delicious vegan and vegetarian food. Since 2002, consumers with interests in the environment, health and well-being, have participated in Green Festival’s dynamic and vibrant marketplace to learn about the latest sus-

tainability, green products and fair trade.

The festival has been attended by the world’s most trusted companies, innovative brands, national and local businesses and pioneering thinkers who share a strong commitment to sustainability and green living.

Speakers at the D.C. Green Festival this year include: fashion designer and artist, Jeff Garner of Phophetik; Leslie Durso, a vegan chef and healthy living educator; filmmaker and producer Antonio Saillant; Charles Chen, healthy chef, TV host and eco-lifestyle expert; and Kate Black, the founder and editor-in-chief of Magnifeco. com, the digital source for eco-fashion and sustainable living as well as the founder of EcoSessions, a global platform bringing together designers, industry and consumers to discuss change.

More than 1 million consumers have participated in Green Festival events around the country since its founding. In addition to the D.C. Festival, this year Green Festival has taken place in New York City, and will be taking place in Los Angeles (September 25-27), San Francisco (November 13-15) and the newest addition Portland, Oregon (December 11-13). Please remember to get to the expo in the greenest way possible whether it is cycling, public transportation or ride-sharing.

Location: 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW, Washington, D.C. For information and tickets, visit GreenFestivals.org. See ad, page 3.

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We offer a variety of women’s wellness—from the first positive pregnancy test through the postpartum period and beyond.

We can create a package of services tailored to your family’s need, enabling your pregnancy with great confidence — fully supported.

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Is your Home Healthy?

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Beautiful, Intimate, Childbirth the way it was designed, Naturally!

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NOVA Natural Birth Center 4200 A Technology Court • Chantilly VA 20151

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C

hronic Illness, attention disorders and disease have escalated to a level where most people know someone intimately with a major health concern. Additionally, childhood illness is on the rise at an alarming rate with cognitive and behavioral problems. Often, the key approaches are the same: eat right, exercise, regular medical check-ups, holistic treatment and rest.

There is one more pivotal consideration: your indoor environment.

The term “healthy home” has been showing up more often in the media, but what does it mean?

The home environment can have a major effect on health. It can be an even bigger concern for the sensitive child as well as the chronically ill. Vaporized chemicals (VOCs), biological hazards (like mold) and electromagnetic radiation (EMF/EMR) from electronic devices, home wiring and cell towers, can have a negative biological effect on the body.

The one-time home inspection prior to the purchase of a home does not consider these components, or the

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interaction between them. What happens when home use and conditions change? For example: new furniture and carpets will release VOCs; growing families increase water use, moisture and temperature; wireless technology will emanate EMF affecting your biology. The good news: There are solutions to indoor environmental problems.

Building Biology is a German discipline that has been practiced for more than 45 years, addressing the holistic effects of buildings on human health.

The International Institute for BuildingBiology and Ecology (IBE) founded in the U.S. during the 1980s from translated principles of “BAU-biologie”, predated the Green movement. The Green movement promotes recycled materials and efficient mechanized systems, but not the occupant’s health. Building Biology is based on historical to modern building concepts to identify material safety, indoor air quality and electricity.

IBE’s discipline is based on the precautionary principle, an approach to risk assessment based on social respon-

sibility initially outlined globally by the World Charter for Nature adopted by the U.N. in 1982. In Europe, the principle has been made part of the legal system, although not in the U.S. Unfortunately, toxicity classes developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) do not consider potential harm from bioaccumulation, carcinogenicity, mutagenic effects and the effect on reproduction systems. Physicians are quick to detect allergies, but rarely consider testing for pesticides or chemicals. Homeowners are left to decide if symptoms are due to indoor exposures. Exposures can be confirmed with indoor testing and detection.

Scientific authorities have evaluated the negative biological effects of electromagnetic frequency. In cell biology, cell signaling is chemical and/ or electrical stimulating the movement of nutrients, hormones and the immune system. Electricity can move through the body in the form of an EMF causing a disruption of cell signaling. Magnetic field disturbances (another form of EMF) from home wiring have been known to cause an increase in childhood leukemia, as noted in a study reported in the journal Epidemiology.

A correlative research study recently published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine was performed regarding the negative effects of electromagnetic fields on calcium channels and disruption of the blood-brain barrier. When EMF is present, toxins have the potential to more readily enter the brain.

We live in a world of environmental exposures. The goal of Building Biology is to identify the source of a potential exposure, test to confirm and provide a solution to minimize or reduce the problem. Your home should be a sanctuary for you and your family’s health.

Together, we can make it a place of restoration, enabling you to handle the daily stressors of life in the 21st century.

You can get better.

Christopher Buonocore is a certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC), specializing in detection and resolution of indoor environmental pollutants. For more information, visit TheLife SourceSolution.com.

Functional Medicine Offers Solutions Individualized, state-of-the-art immunological, endocrine, allergic, metabolic, nutritional, functional and genetic testing to identify and correct the unique, root causes of your condition.

Dr. Chas Gant, MD, PhD has practiced functional, holistic and integrative medicine and psychotherapy for over 35 years. He has helped thousands of patients of all ages with science based treatments recover from many chronic disorders.

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Beth Lindley works with progressive companies that have escalating health care costs and unhealthy kitchens to transform their company kitchens into health conscious havens and increase their revenue.

Services: assessments • company kitchen makeovers • lunch & learns • coaching packages • and incentive programs to compliment your current wellness program + personalized kitchen makeovers for employees Results: disease prevention • fewer doctor’s visits • lower absenteeism • higher retention • and improved morale

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Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. ~Joseph Campbell natural awakenings

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greenliving

Benches created from a bookcase, shortened dresser or car parts can be padded or plain and incorporate storage capacity. A child’s bench may have been a skateboard in its former life. When buying reclaimed wood, ask about its origin; factory pieces might still retain unhealthy contaminants.

Upcycled Décor Old and Oh-So-Stylish

by Avery Mack

Storage

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Lighting

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Search the words recycled, repurposed and upcycled on Pinterest, Etsy or any search engine to picture results ranked from simple-to-do to how-in-the-world astonishment. Light fixtures can be made from almost anything. Cookie jars and books turn into lamps, wine bottles become a chandelier—go homespun or industrial, follow a theme or incorporate a hobby. Freshen lamp shades using old sewing patterns, vintage fabrics or ribbon applied as découpage. A coat

of paint transforms tacky, tarnished brass chandeliers into elegant décor.

At a flea market, look for boxes of stainless forks, knives and spoons—avoid costly sterling silver that can tarnish. A drill, frame, wiring and bulb later, we can have an intriguing hanging light or lamp.

Combining a chafing dish, silverware and assorted tea cups in a chandelier creates artful lighting.

photo courtesy of Jessica-Allyn.com

ld furniture used to go to college dorms and student apartments.

At graduation, it was moved to the curb to be picked up by incoming students or the trash man. Now, with the influx of TV shows like Flea Market Flip and American Pickers, the DIY Network, HGTV and complementary books and magazines, vintage and mid-century recyclables barely touch the curb before being reinvented. Lighting, storage and seating provide ample opportunities for one-of-a-kind creations of imagination, vision and innovation.

Seating

Chairs are plentiful in garage and whole-house sales, flea markets and on Craigslist. Sometimes all that’s needed is a coat of paint and fun fabric. New cushions, bought or made, are easy upgrades. Recovering a padded seat only requires the right amount of fabric and a sturdy staple gun. Mismatched chairs, painted a neutral color and redone with the same fabric, turn a mishmash of styles into a coordinated set. Chevron (zig zag) or checkerboard patterns in black and white are popular—understated, yet posh. Bright colors in a pop art style or 70s florals brighten any room and give the owner style points.

Old dressers and desks are frequent throwaway finds. Often big and bulky, scratched and ugly, it’s easier to set them out for pickup than list them for sale.

Paint can transform a desk that shows its age into a welcome addition to a home office. For added interest or to hide imperfections, découpage with maps, postcards, kid’s artwork, pages from beyond-repair cookbooks or old sheet music. Need a shelf above the desk? A pair of old shutters works well; cast iron brackets add flair. Matching or complementary paint colors will make the pieces look like they belong together.

Broken pieces of furniture can live on if cobbled together. A coffee table’s sturdy legs and frame, an old window and a little paint combine to furnish a unique table with built-in storage. To protect fragile glass and create an even surface, top with a sheet of Plexiglass or sturdy beveled-edge glass.

Look beyond what is there and imagine what it could be. Ideas are everywhere, especially with spring cleanouts, garage sales and flea markets. Expect upcycling to become an obsession, because everything will become a possibility.

Connect with freelance writer Avery Mack at AveryMack@mindspring.com.

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Keep it fun, so that your kids will try new things like vegetables. Remember, it takes 12 times before a baby actually prefers a new food, so don’t give up!

healthykids

~Veronika Van de Geer Buckley, Maine mother

KIDS ¤ VEGGIES How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

by Clancy Cash Harrison

Starting at conception, the early years of a child’s life are a perfect window of opportunity to establish a foundation of healthy eating.

W

ant a child to love veggies?

Here are simple tips parents can practice in the first three years to establish lifelong good eating habits.

Start early. We all know that eating healthy during pregnancy will help a baby grow, but many may not realize that an infant can taste flavors in utero and through breast milk. Eating a variety of fresh produce during pregnancy and breastfeeding helps shape a healthy diet later in life.

Treat weaning as a time for the infant to explore the texture, taste and aroma of an array of foods. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, food can be introduced, although breast milk is still the primary source of nutrients.

Small, repeated exposures to many foods during this stage will help minimize refusals to try or accept foods in the toddler years.

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Children’s foods should be exploding with nutrients. Offering a variety of organic produce ensures optimal nutrition and decreases chemical exposure.

Research reported by the Harvard Medical School and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, among others, shows that richly colored foods help build dense bones, powerful brains and tough immunity. Good candidates include butternut squash, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, berries and citrus. Also go for those naturally high in iron, such as peas, leafy greens, apricots, raisins and legumes. Avoid anything high in sugar and other sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, artificial colorings and other harmful additives.

Another important yet often overlooked foundation of healthy eating is encouraging a child to self-regulate his or her calorie intake. Self-regulation starts on the first day of breastfeeding and is

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carried through adulthood. Respecting a child’s decision to end a meal allows them to control their own food intake.

Common signals infants use to end a meal include turning their head away, arching back, throwing food on the floor and showing an interest in other activities. To encourage self-regulation, always serve meals and healthy snacks on a schedule and allow the child to feed himself when possible.

As early as 7 months of age, most healthy infants are developmentally ready to do this, which should optimize nutrient consumption, increase participation in family meals and contribute to a less stressful mealtime. Appropriate foods for self-feeding should easily melt in an infant’s mouth and be a safe size, such as soft fruits and cooked vegetables. To prevent choking, avoid round, hard and sticky foods such as whole grapes, peanuts, popcorn and nut or seed butters.

Don’t be afraid to add mild herbs and spices to a child’s food. An easy way to teach healthy flavor preferences, develop taste buds and reduce pickiness when they’re older is to expose children to many foods, textures and aromas. A dash of cumin in smashed avocado or freshly chopped mint mixed with diced strawberries introduces new perspective on a favorite food.

Food refusal is inevitable, normal behavior. Children will love a food one day and hate it the next. Rethinking the definition of variety empowers parents to reintroduce a not-so-favorite food many times. If children don’t like the way an item feels or looks, they may not taste it.

The refusal of a carrot doesn’t necessarily doom carrots. They can be coined, minced, mashed, puréed and diced to change the texture, plus they can be served cold, at room temperature or tepid.

A child’s early adventurous eating

increases the willingness to experiment with a wider range of less familiar foods as a young adult in a multicultural foodscape. Kids are not born reciting an alphabet; it takes time and practice to read and learn a new language. Similarly, it requires time and patient practice to establish a healthy foundation for eating. Have faith in the family’s ability to make eating together enjoyable for everyone.

Clancy Cash Harrison is a mother of two, pediatric feeding therapist, registered dietitian and author of Feeding Baby: Simple Approaches to Raising a Healthy Baby and Creating a Lifetime of Nutritious Eating. Connect at FieldsOfFlavor.com.

Kid Feeding Tips

by Clancy Cash Harrison n Holding off on fruits as a first food to prevent development of a sweet tooth is a myth. A sweet taste preference is engrained in an infant’s DNA (Annual Review of Nutrition; Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care).

Meditation Teacher Training (160 Hours) • Yoga Teaching Training (200 Hours) The Mindfulness Center • 4963 Elm St., Ste. 100 • Bethesda, MD 301-986-1090 • TheMindfulnessCenter.org The Mindfulness Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

n Restricting foods high in sugar and fat increases a child’s preference for them. Then, when sweets are made available, the child feels compelled to overeat them (Appetite; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Proceedings of the Nutrition Society). n Most children will refuse a new food and by age 2, become afraid of anything new. Therefore, introduce a large variety of foods early in life (Appetite; International Journal of Obesity). n Infants and children can regulate calorie needs based on current growth patterns and age. Some days an infant will eat large amounts of food, on others very little. n Pressuring a child to eat is a behavior associated with unhealthy eating habits. Not only does it set them up for long-term food aversions, it teaches them to distrust their internal feelings of hunger and fullness, often leading to a habit of overeating.

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businessspotlight

Personal Web Support with

VonHosting

by Sam Hudgins

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ebsites have become an integral part of how we connect to the world but many people are still unsure how best to utilize and benefit from them. This is where VonHosting, a webhosting and website development company, finds its purpose. Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Nicholas Smith, sums up the company’s mission statement as “[working] with clients to present their best to the virtual world, whether it is a personal website or a business website. We don’t succeed unless our clients do.”

VonHosting focuses on website hosting but offers the corresponding services of website development, WordPress firewall setup, WordPress 40

Washington, D.C.

website backups as well as search engine optimization (SEO). What makes VonHosting stand out as a webhosting company, however, is their focus on the client’s needs.

The company’s slogan is “Let’s make WebHosting personal,” and they mean it. For instance, understanding that innovative thinking and technology benefit everyone, VonHosting has website-hosting packages for a variety of users. According to VonHosting.com, these packages include “job seekers, students, personal and business.” In fact, they care so much about their clients they offer up to three months free webhosting for those seeking jobs to publish their portfolios.

Aside from giving their clients a

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personal connection, VonHosting gives clients peace of mind. Most clients are comforted by the security VonHosting can bring to their website through firewall setups. However, VonHosting also takes pride in the comfort they give customers by helping them overcome mental hurdles on how to market themselves or their brand. VonHosting knows that a website is a great marketing tool and shows their clients how to best show off their skills to the digital world.

Perhaps the most important thing the company does is to give their clients a sense of balance. When used correctly, technology can, as Smith notes, “free up time to pursue higher level cognitive tasks that are likely to bring a certain sense of meaning and well-being to an individual.”

VonHosting is a company that knows how to use the Internet correctly and should any problems arise they offer 24/7 email support with prompt responses. Additionally, their website offers the helpful features of blog posts answering questions on webhosting, a search engine for domain availability and a secured access client area.

Another way in which VonHosting offers balance to the world is their pursuit of closing the digital divide, which is the inequality or inability of some to access the Internet due to financial hardship. A portion of VonHosting’s profits are donated to organizations that work toward bridging the divide between those who have access to the Internet and technology in general and those who do not.

The Internet is an important tool for marketing oneself and one’s business. Also, using technology wisely can streamline work, leaving more time to better pursuits. VonHosting understands both these ideas and combines them to form a personalized webhosting company that can help create a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle and business.

To connect with VonHosting, visit their website at VonHosting.com or email them at Support@VonHosting.com. See ad, page 25.

Sam Hudgins is a writing enthusiast and outreach director for Natural Awakenings.

consciouscommunication

for a relationship, then you are looking for a commitment. The question is—what do you each want to commit to (dating, marriage, children, sex, companionship, passion, spiritual journey, romance, play)? Can you speak your commitment without shame or fear?

Having different relationship commitments may require negotiation or it may not work at all. For example: one may want children and the other does not. In such a case, both may be happier going for what is really wanted, with someone of similar values.

Can you agree on a shared vision for your future? Time to compare notes (hint, do this in writing separately first, then share what you each write). Talk about both the points of connection and the places where you differ.

Discuss your history, strengths, vulnerabilities and patterns. What will come easily and what will take extra effort from each of you? Will you need support? Can you ask for what you need?

Finally, let go and have fun, so you can live and love. All the steps you took to get here are now part of you—separately and together. See each other as a glorious gift that allows you to see yourself in the reflection of the other.

From Me to We

How Becoming Yourself Keeps Opening the Door to Intimacy

by Milagros Phillips and Paul Fogarty

T

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he path of transitioning from being single to being a loving couple can seem complex and intimidating. Here are a few questions to consider if you are ready to make that wonderful journey.

First things first: How well do you know yourself? How do you treat yourself? Are you critical and selfloathing, or are you supportive and

respectful of yourself and partner?

Are you life-affirming in your actions or self-diminishing? Be aware of your history and the role it plays in your needs and wants without holding your partner hostage to being the supplier of what you did or did not receive in your childhood, adolescence or past relationships.

Clarity helps: If you’re looking

Milagros Phillips and Paul Fogarty have a shared commitment to deepening bonds within families, friends and couples through seminars, play-shops and retreats. To learn more about their next event, contact them at Milagros@ InnerGems.com and PWFogarty@gmail. com or visit InnerGems.com.

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calendarofevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

FRIDAY, MAY 1 Flower Mart – 10am-6pm. Through May 2. Flower Mart, held on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral and reaches a wide cross section of the Washington region.

Washington’s premier springtime festival features vendors and entertainment daily. Free.

Washington National Cathedral, Washington and Massachusetts Aves, NW. Info: FlowerMart@ AllHallowsGuild.org.

Let Your Yoga Dance – 6-7:15pm. With Susana Echeverria. This practice takes yoga off the mat and allows you to explore playful, expressive movements that raise self-awareness and invoke joy. This workshop is for adult women only. $20. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown.

Register: Bit.ly/19MHip2. Info: LilOmm.com.

World Premiere: Fly By Light (Documentary Film) – 6:30pm doors open and 7pm show time. An award-winning documentary follows four District teenagers as they attempt to break the cycles of violence while participating in an ambitious peace education program. $20. One Common Unity at National Geographic Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St, NW. Register: OneCommonUnity.org. Info: OneCommonUnity@gmail.com.

Women’s Monthly Dance Party – 9:1510:30pm. Join Yoga District teacher Cara George for a monthly dance party for women. Just you and your friends dancing it out to fabulous tunes.

Donations accepted (all proceeds will be donated to YD’s sister outreach organization Yoga Activist).

Yoga District, 14th St Studio, 1910 14th St, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-8&sTG=11&sVT=6 0&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000176&Da te=05/01/15.

SATURDAY, MAY 2 Fun with the Fairies – 9-11am. Experience a joyfilled morning connecting with the fairies. $30.

Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-3929200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

Ashtanga Yoga for the Rest of Your Life: 4 Days, 5 Classes – 10am-12pm. With David Williams.

First series completed with less interruption by David’s commentary, except for postures not

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Washington, D.C.

Vinyasa Intensive Workshop – 1:30-3:30pm.

Deepen your practice in this two hour Vinyasa flow workshop with Eileen Reyna Schwartz. Through flowing movement create heat and calm the mind. $35. The Yoga Fusion Studio, 4609 Willow Ln, Chevy Chase, MD. Register: 301-656-8937 or TheYogaFusionStudio.com/WorkandPlay.

Herb Walk for Herb Day – 2-4pm. Join us for a relaxing and informative tour of the MUIH herb garden and surrounding property. Maryland University of Integrative Health, 7750 Montpelier Rd, Laurel, MD. Register: MUIH.edu. Info: Events@MUIH.edu.

Downward Doll Yoga – 2:30-3:30pm. With Pleasance Silicki. Drop off your kiddo and his/ her favorite doll or stuffed animal for a funfilled, spirited yoga class followed by tea and cookies. Ages 3-7. $25/child and $10/additional sibling. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown, Register: Bit.ly/1EqfwJd. Info: LilOmm.com.

Baby Food Making Party at Pleasance’s – 10:30am-12pm. Come learn with Rebecca and Pleasance about the joy and ease that you can experience when making your own baby food. $40.

Lil Omm Yoga, 4515 44th St, NW, Tenleytown.

Register: Bit.ly/1M3cxrF. Info: LilOmm.com.

Ashtanga Yoga for the Rest of Your Life: 4 Days, 5 Classes – 5:30-8pm. With David Williams. Talk and practice. Continuation of first in-depth series led by David with thorough explanations of every step. $300/entire course or $70/individual class.

Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

swap. $22.69. Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW. Info: Clients.MindbodyOnline.com/Classic/ws?

Studioid=2070&Stype=-8&sTG=11&sVT=60 &sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000522&Da te=05/02/15.

covered the day before. $300/entire course or $70/ individual class. Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

Hands On, Respectful, Chemical Free Beekeeping – 10am-12pm. Combine, condense or create a nuc. All ages welcome. Our bees are gentle, but stings are a possibility. Bring your own veil, if you want. $50. Azure B LLC, 4730 Bicknell Rd, Marbury, MD. Register: Info@AzureBLLC. com or AzureBLLC.com.

specialevent Art of Wellness Wholistic Health Fair

Come to sample holistic wellness practitioners and engaging presentations.

Attendees can register online or at the door.

Calling all Spiritually based Holistic Healers, Speakers and Body Workers.

Tables Available - See Exhibitor Registration on website for table availability and pricing.

May 2, 1-5pm $15. Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, VA. Register: UnityOfFairfax.org/ WellnessFair or Contact Jean Walker-Wiley at HandsWithHeart.Jean@gmail.com..

De-clutter your Mind and Home: Detox Spring Cleansing All Levels Flow Yoga Workshop and Clothing Swap – 1:30-4pm. We will begin with open discussion on decluttering your environment and the effects this can have on self-care in your life. We’ll then go over some breathing techniques ideal for spring time and transition to a cleansing vinyasa flow class with a focus on twists core work and inversions. After savasana we’ll open the floor to your clothing offerings for a clothing

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Ashtanga Yoga for the Rest of Your Life: 4 Days, 5 Classes – 4-7pm. With David Williams. History of Yoga, description and the history of Ashtanga Yoga. Introduction and practice of the Ashtanga yoga pranayama, as taught by Pattabhi Jois, led by David. $300/entire course or $70/individual class.

Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

Interweaving Threads of Yoga: The Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita – 4-8pm. With Hari-Kirtana das. In this workshop we’ll explore the key elements and intersections shared by the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, including the concept of karma and samasara. Yoga Alliance Continuing Education (CE) credits for Philosophy, Ethics and Lifestyle are available for yoga teachers. $35/student. Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

Practical Steps to Make Your Life Joyful Workshop – 4:15-6:15pm. Join Marci for a practical workshop to discover steps you can take in your everyday life to be more present and joyful. $22.69. Yoga District, 1635 Connecticut Ave, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-8&sTG=11&sVT=6 0&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000498&Da te=05/02/15.

Full Moon Practice – 5:30-7pm. With Olimpia Lee. Through a combination of centering flows, chandra namaskaras (lunar salutations), guided visualizations and desire mapping, this class will prepare you to receive the positive energy of the full moon. $20. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown. Register: Bit.ly/1B5bKn3.

Info: LilOmm.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 3 Sri Dharma Mittra in Washington, D.C. – 9am6pm. Community Kirtan 9-9:45am, Master Class 10am-12pm, Yoga Nidra 12-1pm and All Levels Practice 3-6pm. Join Sri Dharma Mittra, founder of Dharma Yoga and internationally renowned yoga teacher, for a day of workshops. $20-$40/class.

Yoga District at Walter E. Washington Convention

Center, East Salon A/B/C, 801 Mt Vernon Pl, NW. Register: Bit.ly/1NDW1EF. Info: YogaDC@ YogaDistrict.com.

Road, MD. Register: CentroAshe.org/MarylandPermaculture-Design-Course.html. Info: Info@ CentroAshe.org.

Bach Flower Essences Workshop – 9:30am5:30pm. Join Barbara Binney, Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner, to learn the many benefits and simple application of Bach Flower essences. $175. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with The Mindfulness Center – 6-9pm. Through May 9.

This program is perfect for the avid yoga student who wants to become a yoga teacher or anyone that wants to deepen their personal practice. Scholarships available. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St, Ste 100, Bethesda, MD. Register: 301-986-1090 or Jessie@TheMindfulnessCenter.org.

Spring Clearing for the Body and Mind: Detoxification for Health and Happiness – 11am12:30pm. Learn about various foods that naturally cleanse your body. Understand the liver’s role in detoxification and disease prevention. Learn the importance of clearing and releasing unhealthy thoughts and mental clutter for emotional health. $35. Lotus Health and Healing, P.C., 10503 Brunswick Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Register: EmpoweredHealth@LotusHealthandHealing.org.

Info: 301-760-6924.

Blossom into Spring with Compassion, Clarity and Intentionality – 1:30-3:30pm. With Jen Campbell Munn and Alexandra Hughes. A workshop for moms who suffer from a strong inner critic, self-judgment, or self-doubt. Learn how to grow and nurture conscious and compassionate support systems. $50. Simon Says Yoga, 4611 F Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD. Register: SimonSaysoga.com. Info: InEssenceCoaching. com/News-Events.

Ashtanga Yoga for the Rest of Your Life: 4 Days, 5 Classes – 4-7pm. With David Williams.

An introduction to second series in a way that everyone at all levels can try and enjoy. Second session of the Ashtanga yoga pranayama led by David. $300/entire course or $70/individual class.

Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Experience Mind-Body Therapy to Alleviate Pain – 6-7pm. Learn how to deal with pain which can drain your emotional energy and halt many of life’s simple pleasures. Seating limited.

Rose Wellness Center, 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA. RSVP: 571-529-6699. Info: RoseWellness.com.

Natural Ways of Dealing with Hypothyroidism – 6-7pm. Learn about the causes, diagnosis, and natural treatment options for hypothyroidism.

Seating limited. Rose Wellness Center, 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA. RSVP: 571529-6699. Info: RoseWellness.com.

Mindfulness Meditation for Well-Being and Happiness – 7-8:30pm. Six-week class meets Mondays, May 6 – June 10. Learn to cultivate and deepen your mindfulness practice under the guidance of a highly experienced instructor. $225.

Maryland University of Integrative Health, 7750 Montpelier Rd, Laurel, MD. Register: MUIH.edu.

Info: Continuinged@amuih.edu.

FRIDAY, MAY 8 Mind-Body for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain – 6:30-9:30pm. Through May 9. Join health expert and scientist Dr. Deborah Norris in this workshop on recovery from fibromyalgia. Learn the science and the best practices that prove successful in treatment, and the mechanism of action for success. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St, Ste 100, Bethesda, MD. Register: 301-986-1090 or Info@TheMindfulnessCenter.org.

Understanding the Astrological North Node as a Guide to Your Life Purpose – 7-8:30pm. In this one-hour class, you will learn about the North and South Node and what they mean for you in your own personal chart. $20. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

Vocal Toning - Vibration Meditation – 7:308:30pm. Amazing simple, yet peacefully powerful.

Close eyes and resonate vowel sounds with crystal bowl to release stress and rejuvenate body and spirit. $5 donation. Unity of Gaithersburg, 111 Central Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Info: UnityofGaithersburg.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 9

specialevent OM Mama Indulge Yourself Spa Excursion A day filled with many indulgent offerings for any Mom. Local esteemed teachers, practitioners and chefs gather to honor women with a focus on refreshing body and mind.

May 9, 9am-5pm Bridge Between the Worlds Retreat Center, Keswick, VA. Info: MamaSpaDay.com or Leigh@MamaSpaDay.com

THURSDAY, MAY 7

Healing With Crystals – 9-11:30am. Crystals in and of themselves are beautiful, but being able to use them in your daily life for healing on all levels makes them exquisite. $50. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

Maryland Permaculture Design Certification Course – 10am-4:30pm. Through May 10. Also Aug 27-30 and Oct 1-4. A 12-day certification course in permaculture design with Eric Kelly of Charm City Farms. $550. Centro Ashé Farm, Centro Ashé Farm - 1620 Chester Ave, Bryans

Anatomy and Alignment in Asana ThreeSession Workshop – 10am-6pm. Join Bernie for a workshop-style experiential lecture consisting of three sessions to delve deeper into alignment based yoga. We will focus on: Stretching Myths and Tips, Applications and Adaptations,

and Advancing Techniques. $22.69 (plus tax)/ individual workshop or $60 (plus tax)/for the entire day. Yoga District, 1922 I St, 2nd fl, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-101&sTG=44&sVT= 188&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000004&da te=05/09/15.

Hands-on Harmonium Workshop – 2-4:30pm.

With Christy Freer. In this hands-on harmonium workshop, you’ll learn some harmonium basics, how to find your voice, a few traditional melodies and a couple of secret tips that will help you make it all look easy. Please bring your own harmonium is you have one. $30. Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

Children’s Angel Circle – 4-5pm. This is an afternoon event for children ages 4-9 to enjoy the beautiful energy of the angels who support and watch over them. $5. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

An Introduction to Mudras Workshop – 4:15-6:15pm. In this workshop, we’ll explore and discuss a variety of Mudras and use short meditations to experience each of them. $22.69.

Yoga District, 1635 Connecticut Ave, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-101&sTG=44&sVT= 188&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000176&D ate=05/09/15.

DC Supersonic Kirtan All-Stars Band – 6-9pm.

With DC Supersonic All-Stars. Kirtan is call-andresponse chanting of sacred sound accompanies by the playing of musical instruments. This enlivening spiritual practice is an integral part of the tradition of devolional yoga called Bhakti yoga. $10-15.

Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 10 Yoga District Gives Back: All Levels Flow Yoga to Benefit Amara Legal Center – 2-3:30pm. Join us for an all levels flow yoga class to benefit Amara Legal Center, the only organization providing free state-level legal services to domestic survivors of sex trafficking in the D.C. metropolitan area. All proceeds to benefit Amara Legal Center. $22.69. Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/ Classic/ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-101&sTG=44& sVT=188&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000222 &Date=05/10/15.

MONDAY, MAY 11 Jivamukti Happy Hour Satsang – 7:15-8:30pm.

With Lisa Pettinati. Join Jivamukti teachers and students in satsang to discuss the Focus of the Month as presented by Jivamukti co-founders, Sharon Gannon and David Life. Free. Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 14 Holistic Approaches Dentistry and Orthodontics – 10:30am-12pm. Bronson Family Dentistry will discuss holistic oral health care and approaches to orthodontics including use of the ALF appliance and nutrition for optimal whole-body health. Holistic Moms Network Arlington/Alexandria chapter at Arlington Central Library, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. Info: HolisticMomsArlAlex@gmail. com or HolisticMomsArlAlex.BlogSpot.com.

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Freedom from Chronic Stress – 7pm. Webinar Series. A Professional woman’s journey to peace, contentment, and laughter. This journey is not about a better you. It’s about being who you really are. $47. Angela Savitri, Freedom from Chronic Stress Coach. Register: FreedomFromChronicStress2015.

EventBrite.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 15 Breath-Centered Yoga and Yoga Anatomy – 6-8pm. Three workshops through May 16. With Leslie Kaminoff. Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. His approach to teaching combine’s intellectual rigor, spontaneity and humor and is always evolving.

May 15 An Introduction to Breath Centered Yoga, May 16 Warrior Series 9am-12pm and May 16 Stretching the Breath: Better Backbends Through Breathing 1:30-4:30pm. $209 (plus tax). Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com.

Introduction to Pendulum Work – 7-8:30pm.

In this class we will explore why the pendulum works and multiple practical ways we can use it in our everyday lives. $40. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

Spring into Action Dance for Women – 7-8:15pm.

With Jessica Lusty. Join us as we dance a flow that explores this spirit of spring as we prepare for another blooming season. $20. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown. Register: Bit.ly/1AvkQXE. Info: LilOmm.com.

Boxes, the Play – 8pm. Through May 16. This play looks at the lives of several characters who are forced to face their fears. Each character must make a difficult decision. $25/general admission, $20/students/seniors/military. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mt Rainier, MD. Register: BrownPaperTickets.com/ Event/1353462.

SATURDAY, MAY 16 Wysong Natural Pet Food – 11am-3pm.

Wysong will give a demonstration on their assorted lines of natural pet food including, Uncanny, a nutritious blend of ingredients designed to augment, balance, and increase the palatability of a raw meat diet. Free. Whole Pet Central, 1306 East Gude Dr, Rockville, MD. Info: WholePetCentral.com.

Move and Breathe – 12-3pm. Combining Dr. Debbie Norris’ incredible talent in yoga and meditation with the power of breath work facilitated by Lauren Chelec Cafritz, this workshop bring you into balance and flow. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St, Ste 100, Bethesda, MD. Register: 301-986-1090 or Info@ TheMindfulnessCenter.org.

Qigong and Mindfulness Meditation Clinic – 12-4pm. Learn the ancient art of Qigong and develop your own mindfulness meditation practice to find peace within yourself. Taught

by Nathalie Depastas and Dr. Allan Tomson. $45. Neck, Back and Beyond, 10560 Main St, PH- 1, Fairfax, VA. Register: 703-965-5690 5690 or NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com.

Info: NeckBackandBeyond.com.

The Shariras: Cleaning House this Spring – 1:30-3:30pm. April Puciata deepens your practice while teaching the energetic bodies of our Sharira (body): the physical, subtle and casual. $35. The Yoga Fusion Studio, 4609 Willow Ln, Chevy Chase, MD. Info: Info@TheYogaFusionStudio. com or TheYogaFusionStudio.com.

Walking Between Two Worlds – 7-9pm. With Melody Krafft. Psychic medium, Melody Krafft, will be receiving messages from Spirit Guides during this special presentation that will be filmed for an upcoming TV broadcast. $20. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 17 Three Keys to Natural Healing – 12-1:30pm.

Learn how to heal naturally from within through emotional harmony, self-awareness and healthy eating. Lotus Health and Healing at Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Info: LotusHealthAndHealing.org.

Journey Through the Chakras: Meditation, Movement and More – 1-4pm. Instead of simply trusting what you’ve been told about the chakras or learning about these energy centers intellectually, this workshop is your invitation to experience. $40.

Blue Heron Wellness, 10723-B Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD. Self-Care for Busy Professionals – 2:304:30pm. This highly-interactive workshop will help you take care of the hardest working person you know: yourself. No yoga experience necessary. Please bring a journal to record insights. $22.69. Yoga District, 1830 1st St, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-101&sTG=44&sVT= 188&sView=Day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000086&D ate=05/17/15.

Away: An Aerial Odyssey – 4pm and 7pm. Follow UpSpring’s intrepid aerialists as they embark on a journey of discovery and transformation on aerial fabrics, trapeze, and invented apparatus. $25/ adults, $15/seniors, $10/children. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mt Rainier, MD. Info: JoesMovement.Secure.Force.com/ Ticket#Details_a0OF000000HYLDfMA. Introductory Ayurveda Workshop – 6:30-8pm. In this workshop, Kat will offer a background of ayurveda, an explanation of elemental and doshic theory, a quiz to discover your dosha and a perspective on how we can work with the elements to adjust our daily living as

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the seasons change. $22.69. Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW. Info: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com/Classic/ ws?Studioid=2070&Stype=-101&sTG=44&sVT= 188&sView=day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000085&da te=05/17/15.

MONDAY, MAY 18 Laughter Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm. Please join us for a playful and fun practice that has been proven to reduce stress and strengthen the immune system. The session ends with a silent meditation. Free. Arlington Central Library auditorium, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. Info: ArlingtonLaughterYoga@yahoo.com.

TUESDAY, MAY 19 Free Writing/Journaling Workshop – 2-3:30pm.

Participate in a writing and journaling workshop focused on how the places where we are from affect who we are today. We will do some group exercises and will have plenty of time to write in response to provided prompts. Chevy Chase Public Library Community Room, 8005 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD. Register: Pam McFarland at PamMcfarland.01@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Spring Health and Harmony: A Chinese Medical Perspective – 6-7pm. Learn about effective ways to deal with spring allergies using Chinese medicine principles. Seating limited.

Rose Wellness Center, 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA. RSVP: 571-529-6699. Info: RoseWellness.com.

Open House – 7-9pm. Explore Maryland University of Integrative Health’s academic offerings in health and wellness and learn how our programs can advance and inspire your career.

Maryland University of Integrative Health, 7750 Montpelier Rd, Laurel, MD. Register: MUIH.edu.

Info: Admissions@MUIH.edu.

THURSDAY, MAY 21 200-Hour Teacher Training Spring Intensive Session – 7am-9pm. Through June 1. Join Yoga District this winter for a 200-hour training to learn set sequences from major yoga traditions. $2500. Yoga District, 1910 14th St, NW. Register: YogaDistrict.com.

Nonviolent Communication Bazaar – 9am6:30pm. Nonviolent Communication (NVC), or Collaborative Communication, is a powerful tool for resolving and mediating interpersonal,

MD. Info: Info@TheYogaFusionStudio.com or TheYogaFusionStudio.com.

Register: ShiraOzSinai.com/Classes. Info: 240839-1661 or Shira@AwakenMyHeartNow.com.

Curvy Yoga Lab: Building Strength – 2:303:30pm. With Annie Carlin. Explore different ways to strengthen the arms, legs and core that work for your curvy body. $20. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown. Register: Bit.ly/1PcliUH. Info: LilOmm.com.

Intro to Partner Yoga and Thai Massage – 2:303:30pm. With Rhiannon Landesberg.This class will incorporate yoga play, therapeutic partner yoga, massage and relaxation. You will feel lifted and supported in this nurturing and loving space.

Come alone or with a partner. (For children 6+). $40/pair or $20/individual. Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown. Register: Bit. ly/1PcliUH. Info: LilOmm.com.

Pleasure Medicine Series – 5:30-8:30pm. Also June 20, Aug 15, Sept 12. Join us one Saturday evening per month to explore the arts and pleasure of plants. Natural Dyes, Intro to Knitting, Incense Making, Soap making, and the Art of Coffee Roasting. $45/class or $200 for entire series. Centro Ashé Farm, 1620 Chester Ave, Bryans Road, MD. Register: CentroAshe.org/Pleasure-MedicineSeries.html. Info: Info@CentroAshe.org. intra-personal, organizational, and inter-group conflicts. This day-long public event will bring together DC-area NVC trainers to offer a variety of interactive sessions. Free. Capital NVC at Ward Hall, American University. Info: Maassive@ gmail.com.

Real Food– 7-9pm. With Nina Planck. Join us for a presentation by the pioneer in the farmer’s market movement and the author of Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods. Book signing to follow.

Holistic Moms Network: Arlington-Alexandria Chapter at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA. Info: HolisticMomsArlAlex@gmail.com.

Preposition: A Circus Between the Times – 7pm.

Step into another space and time and join us on an adventure you’ll never forget. The worlds of dance, aerial performance, and clown collide as we weave over and under. $25. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mt Rainier, MD. Register: Tix.smarttix.com/Modules/Sales/ SalesMainTabsPage.aspx?ControlState=1&Disco untCode=&SalesEventId=3768&DC. Tropical Terrariums – 7-8:30pm. Join Michele Weymouth, from Mi Wey Terrariums, and create your own Tropical Terrarium (supplies included). $85. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 22

THURSDAY, MAY 28

Vocal Toning - Vibration Meditation – 7:308:30pm. See Fri May 8 for details. $5 donation.

Unity of Gaithersburg, 111 Central Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Info: UnityOfGaithersburg.org.

Movie Night – 7-9pm. We will be screening the documentary Bought. This incredible film exposes the greed and corruption behind the food and pharmaceutical industries. $5. Neck, Back and Beyond, 10560 Main St, PH- 1, Fairfax, VA. Register: 703-965-5690 5690 or NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com.

Info: NeckBackAndBeyond.com.

SATURDAY MAY 23 Oceanfront Yoga Vacation and Teacher Training in Belize – 7am-9pm. Through June 4.

13-day, 12-night vacation at Belizean Yoga Retreat and Eco-Resort, Ak’Bol. Single, double or triple accommodations, two daily yoga classes in private studio, and vegan meals. $1500. Yoga District, San Pedro Town, Belize. Register: YogaDistrict.com/ Yoga-Vacation-and-Teacher-Training-in-Belize.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue – 12-2pm. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue will hold an adoption event at our Ashburn store for those looking to meet an adoptable dog to add to the family. Free. Whole Pet Central, 43330 Junction Plaza, Ste 176, Ashburn, VA. Info: WholePetCentral.com or LuckyDogAnimalRescue.org.

Tibetan Yoga Empowerment: Vajra Body Transformation – 12:30-3:30pm. With Lama Norbu. Tibetan yoga is an ancient and powerful purification practice which takes one beyond limitations and beliefs, helping to break through perceived barriers with deep love and compassion. $40. Buddha B Yoga Center, 1115 U St, Ste 202, NW. Info: BuddhaBYoga.com. iPATH: Integral Posture Alignment Workshop – 1:30-3:30pm. Denese Cavanaugh will help loosen and release tight muscles in her specially designed workshop. Increase your flexibility, range of motion, and improve posture. $25. The Yoga Fusion Studio, 4609 Willow Ln, Chevy Chase,

FRIDAY, MAY 29 Spring into Summer (Unplug, Inspire and Rejuvenate Retreat) – 2pm. Through May 31 at 5pm. Combined, your two guides, Mimi and Hawah, have over 25 years of teaching experience.

During the retreat, you’ll experience uplifting asana classes, unforgettable pranayama sessions, deep meditation, and enlightening discussion circles. $325 - 450 (depending on accommodations). Yogaville and One Common Unity, Yogaville (Buckingham, VA).

Register: MimiRiegerYoga.com/Workshops.asp.

Info: John.l.Thurman@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 30 Feng Shui for Beginners – 9:30-11am. Explore the beautiful facets of Feng Shui, which reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune. $25. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

The Root Chakra Workshop – 1-4:45pm.

With Shira Oz-Sinai. This workshop combines meditation, gentle movement, and more to explore the first chakra, or energy center, for cultivating a resilient sense of safety and stability. $95.

Crossings A Center For The Healing Traditions, 8505 Fenton St, Ste 202, Silver Spring, MD.

Dance with Daughters (7+): Spring into Action – 6-7:15pm. With Jessica Lusty In this JourneyDance, weaving simple guided movement sequences with free exploration, we will draw on dance, yoga and ritual to create a practice that fosters an empowering journey to fuller blossoming of our creative light. $30 (families with 1 adult and up to 2 kids) or $40 (families of 4 or more). Lil Omm Yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Tenleytown. Register: Bit. ly/1AvkQXE. Info: LilOmm.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 31 Yoga Detox – 1-3pm. Join Sarah Thomas Gulden for a yoga detox workshop, building heat and twisting through vigorous asanas and breathing techniques to sweat out toxins and direct energy up and out. She will discuss other ways to detox at home, and provide specific energetic practices to cleanse the chakras. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St, Ste 100, Bethesda, MD. Register: 301-9861090 or Info@TheMindfulnessCenter.org.

plan ahead specialevent Sacred Intimacy Workshop (For Men)

All aspects of Sacred Intimacy are covered: Sacred Sexuality, Dating, Finding Soulmates, Tantric Techniques, Setting Sacred Space, Q and A. Drop in any or all nights.

June 29 through July 11

Cost $15/session.

Get Clear Counseling, 905 Falls Bridge Ln, Great Falls, VA. Info: 571-386-6825 or Envision2100@yahoo.com or GetClearCounseling.com.

specialevent Healing Tour to John of God

Visit John of God at his spiritual hospital in Brazil for two weeks with well-respected and known Official Guide, Kathy South

June 29 through July 11 Cost $1,750.

Register: 703-924-3768 or KathySouthHealing@gmail.com or KathySouth.com.

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ongoingevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

sunday Sunday Morning Meditation Class – 10:30am12:30pm. With Hugh Byrne. An oasis in a busy week, including 30-minute guided meditations, a 10-minute walking meditation, and 30-minute discussion. A mini-retreat. Drop-ins welcome.

The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: LivingMindfully.org.

Introduction to Transcendental Meditation – 121:30pm. What you’ll learn: Why TM is so effective for stress and anxiety. How TM improves brain function and memory. What happens during TM. Why TM is easy to practice. Why TM works from the start. How to learn TM in Bethesda. Transcendental Meditation Center of Bethesda, 11300 Rockville Pike, Ste 408, Rockville, MD. Register: 301 770-5690 or Bethesda@ TM.org or TM.org/Bethesda.

Grow Sprouts and Micro Greens in Your Home Year Round – 2:30-5:30pm. 5th Sun. Indoor growing: wheatgrass, sunflower, broccoli and more. $50 (includes handouts and kit). Raw Living D’Light, Fairfax, VA. Register: Luzy@ RawLivingDLight.com. .

monday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. A beautiful way to start your day, with a 30-minute meditation and optional 15-minute discussion following. Drop-ins welcome. A project of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW).

The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: LivingMindfully.org.

Yoga for Backs and Hips – 9-10:30am. Tight hips and weak back muscles lead to poor body posture and back pain. Yoga teacher Doerthe Braun will work with students to improve hip mobility and back strength, allowing the spine to extend with freedom. $15/class or $60/full series. Casey Health Institute, 800 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Info: 301-355-2030 or CaseyHealth.org.

Introduction to Transcendental Meditation – 12-1:30pm. See Sun for details. Transcendental Meditation Center of Bethesda, 11300 Rockville Pike, Ste 408, Rockville, MD. Register: 301 770-5690 or Bethesda@TM.org or TM.org/ Bethesda.

tuesday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown.

Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Advanced Mindfulness Meditation – 5:307pm. Dr. Amanda Skowron will teach you how to expand your mindfulness toolbox with walking meditations in the Casey Health labyrinth, Pranayama breath work, Metta meditation, and silent sitting. $159 for 4 week series. Casey Health Institute, 800 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Register: 301-355-2030 or CaseyHealth.org.

Physicians’ Kitchen – 5:30-7pm. Taught by Carrie Runde, ND and Nicole Farmer, MD, this series teaches you about healthy eating and the powerful effects food has on the body.

Each workshop starts off in the classroom and moves into the kitchen for demonstrations and tastings. $20/class or $100/full series.

Casey Health Institute, 800 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Info: 301-355-2030 or CaseyHealth.org.

I Meditate DC: Introduction to the Art of Living – 7-8pm. Refresh and rejuvenate with a free community service initiative to introduce people to breathing and meditation techniques that have a calming effect on the mind and reduce stress. In this 60-minute interactive session, participants develop insight on how to reduce negative emotions that eat up our energy and time. The Art of Living Foundation, 2401 15th St, NW. Register: Secure.ArtofLiving. org/Events.aspx.

Introduction to Palmistry – 7-9pm. This 3-week course is for those interested in uncovering personal gifts that lie hidden in the hands. $165. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Register: 703-392-9200.

Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

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wednesday

Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown.

Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

The Chakra Balancing Class – 1-2:15pm. 2nd and 4th Wed. Lean into your inner wisdom and allow it to guide you towards optimal health, enlightenment, and joy using movement, self-applied healing touch, meditation, and conversation. $30. The Spectrum Center for Natural Medicine, 8555 16th St, Ste 402, Silver Spring, MD. Register: ShiraOzSinai.com/Classes. Info: 240-839-1661 or Shira@AwakenMyHeartNow.com. aCHIeve Weight Loss 4 Life – 5:30-6:30pm.

Our Naturopathic Doctor, Nutritionist, and Health Coaches will educate, guide, and support you to ensure long-lasting weight loss is maintained through lifestyle change. Casey Health Institute, 800 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Register: 301-355-2030 or CaseyHealth.org.

Introduction to Transcendental Meditation – 6:30-8pm. See Sun for details. Transcendental Meditation Center of Bethesda, 11300 Rockville Pike, Ste 408, Rockville, MD. Register: 301 770-5690 or Bethesda@TM.org or TM.org/Bethesda. .

thursday

Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown.

Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

4 Weeks to Better Sleep – 10-11:30am. Sleep is not just something that happens. It is a powerful process that affects our health and overall wellbeing. Even people with years of insomnia, often see improvement in about 4 weeks of applying sleep principles. Learn to sleep restfully. $15/class. Info: 301-355-2030 or CaseyHealth.org.

Astrology Insights Weekly Forecast – 10-11am.

Join Candice in this one hour fun and informative

DC, 1710 Connecticut Ave, NW. Register: TheStudioDC.com/WorkshopsEvents.htm. Info: PeaceCircleCenter.org.

friday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown.

Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Strength and Balance with Gyrotonic Exercise – 11am-12pm. This group class avoids movements not suitable for those with osteoporosis/osteopenia. $37.10 single or $26.50 with a 10 pack. Elements Center, 2233 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 217, NW. Register: FrontDesk@ElementsCenter.com. Info: ElementsCenter.com. class about the week ahead in astrology. Rising Phoenix Holistic Center, 9028 D Prince William St, Manassas, VA. Info: RisingPhoenixHC.com.

Yoga Level 1 – 11am. Work slowly and deeply with classic poses in well-rounded sequences, with an emphasis on healthy alignment.

Appropriate for all levels. Cost: $20/drop in.

The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St, Ste 100, Bethesda, MD. Info: 301-986-1090 or Info@ TheMindfulnessCenter.org.

Meditation Info Session – 5:30-7pm. Learn about the guided meditation. Rockville Meditation is located just a block away from the White Flint metro station located in the flint hill plaza on Nebel St. Rockville Meditation, 11601 Nebel St, Rockville, MD. Register: 301-7707778. Info: RockvilleMeditation@gmail.com or RockvilleMeditation.org.

Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) Meeting – 7-8:30pm. 1st Thurs. Open to anyone with an interest in living gluten-free. Meet with other like-minded individuals to share ideas and recipes.

Held by Babette Lamarre, certified nutritional therapist. Free. Neck, Back and Beyond, 10560 Main St, Ste 204, Fairfax, VA. RSVP: 703-8655690 or NeckBackandBeyond@gmail.com.

I Meditate DC: Introduction to the Art of Living – 7-8pm. See Tues for details. The Art of Living Foundation, 2401 15th St, NW. Register: Secure.

ArtofLiving.org/Events.aspx.

The Calm Mom Coaching Circle – 7:30-9pm. A coaching circle designed for busy Moms who suffer from overwhelm and stress, and are ready to learn and practice simple tools that will help manage these challenges from a mindful and heart-centered place.

This circle is for all Moms: working Moms, stay-athome Moms, Single Moms and Moms with children of all ages. $199. Simon Says Yoga, 4611 F Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD. Register: SimonSaysYoga.com.

Info: InEssenceCoaching.com/News-Events.

Practicing Ahimsa: Foundation Series on Nonviolence in Our Communication – 7:459:30pm. Through June 28. Learn how to connect with greater clarity and awareness to what motivates you and others behind words and actions, enhance your capacity to voice your true self and empathically guess what may be precious to all, strengthen connection and trust. $320. The Peace Circle Center at The Studio

FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE In Life and Business

saturday Grow Sprouts and Micro Greens in Your Home Year Round – 9:30am-12:30pm. 5th Sat. See Sun for details. $50 (includes handouts and kit). Raw Living D’Light, Fairfax, VA. Register: Luzy@RawLivingDLight.com.

Pilates Mat – 9:30-10:30am. Join Mary McCarthy for a Pilates mat workout--all levels welcome. $19.

Elements Center, 2233 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 217, NW. Register: FrontDesk@ElementsCenter.com.

Info: ElementsCenter.com.

Gyrokinesis – 11am-12:30pm. Gyrokinesis helps to build strength and flexibility through a progression from seated stretches to standing movements to floor work. $25. Elements Center, 2233 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 217, NW. Register: FrontDesk@ElementsCenter. com. Info: ElementsCenter.com.

Introduction to Transcendental Meditation – 12:30-2pm. See Sun for details. Transcendental Meditation Center of Bethesda, 11300 Rockville Pike, Ste 408, Rockville, MD. Register: 301 7705690 or Bethesda@TM.org or TM.org/Bethesda.

I Meditate DC: Introduction to the Art of Living – 4-5pm. See Tues for details. The Art of Living Foundation, 2401 15th St, NW. Register: Secure.

ArtofLiving.org/Events.aspx.

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Natural Awakenings’ Healing Addiction and Balanced Man June Issue To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

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May 2015

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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE CITY ACUPUNCTURE CIRCLE

1221 Connecticut Ave, Ste 5B, NW, DC 202-300-8428 • CityAcupunctureCircle.com Safe, affordable acupuncture care. Pay what you can, $20-$50 per treatment. Join the Community Acupuncture movement.

NECK, BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

10560 Main St, Ste PH-1, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com NeckBackAndBeyond.com Neck Back & Beyond offers chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage, colon hydrotherapy (colonics), reflexology, lymphatic drainage and more. lasting change to heal the mind, body and soul. Fitness, educational consultant and hypnotist. See ad, page 19.

ROTELLA CHIROPRACTIC & ACUPUNCTURE CENTER

15891 Kruhm Rd, Burtonsville, MD 301-421-4248 DrRotella@DrRotella.com • DrRotella.com Rotella Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center is a family practice designed to provide the best of both Eastern and Western holistic health care. Dr. Rotella prides herself on her many years of study of numerous diagnostic and treatment techniques.

SHAWNA SNYDER Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA Info@RoseWellness.com RoseWellness.com 571-529-6699 Shawna Snyder is a licensed acupuncturist specializing in pain management. She effectively relieves pain by custom tailoring a comprehensive treatment plan to achieve optimal results. See ad, page 11.

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ALLERGY MANAGEMENT DEBRITT EALEY

Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 Info@RoseWellness.com RoseWellness.com DeBritt Ealey specializes in the treatment of all forms of symptoms associated with allergies and sensitivities with the Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT) therapy. See ad, page 11.

BEDROOM FURNITURE SAVVY REST NATURAL BEDROOM

258 Maple Ave East, Vienna and 12242 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 703-255-7040 (VA) or 301-770-7040 (MD) Maddie@SavvyRest.com • SRNB.com

Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom is the premier retailer of Savvy Rest organic mattresses and bedding, a Virginia manufacturer, and retailer of fine bedroom furniture. See ad, page 23.

BIRTH CENTER NOVA NATURAL BIRTH CENTER 4200 A Technology Ct, Chantilly, VA 703-357-3808 PeggyFran@gmail.com NovaBirthCenter.com

Beautiful, Intimate, Childbirth the way it was designed, Naturally. See ad, page 34.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE NOVA CENTER FOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

4635 Chain Bridge Rd, Ste 100, McLean, VA 703-229-3106 NOVAAlternativeMed.com

Our holistic approach gets to the nexus of your pain and treats your pain’s cause, not just your symptoms. Dr Sanford’s approach and treatment will greatly improve your quality of life. Specializing i n P e r i p h e r a l N e u r o p a t h y, Chiropractic Care, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Physical Therapy and Functional Medicine. See ad, page 33.

AUTISM CONSULTING ANNE MAITREPIERRE-MOSS 301-461-2135 AMaitrepierreMoss@comcast.net

Autism consultation and holistic wellness coaching from a veteran autism mom. Provides support for parents of children with autism, including those who have been newly-diagnosed. See ad, page 15.

BARRE BARRE TONE

370 Maple Avenue West Unit 1, Vienna 703-242-TONE (8663) Barre-Tone.com Jazz up your routine and experience the latest trend in full body workout. Barre Tone is ideal for those who want to sculpt, strengthen, and increase flexibility, while enjoying the infusion of dance, aerobics with the benefits of the ballet barre at its core. Leave with renewed energy, a calmer spirit and a new passion for life.

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

BIRTH SUPPORT PEACEFUL EARTH, GRACEFUL BIRTH

202-297-2722 PeacefulEarthGracefulBirth@gmail.com PeacefulEarthGracefulBirth.com

our office or your home.

We offer birth and postpartum labor support services. Personal and group childbirth education classes as well as vaginal steaming in

BOTANICAL GARDENS MEADOWLARK BOTANICAL GARDENS 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, Vienna, VA 703-255-3631 KTomlinson@Nvrpa.org • Nvrpa.org

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, a public garden for all the senses, a place of peace and reflection.

Near Wolf Trap in Vienna.

CHIROPRACTOR NECK, BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

10560 Main St, Ste PH-1, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com NeckBackAndBeyond.com Neck Back & Beyond offers chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage, colon hydrotherapy (colonics), reflexology, lymphatic drainage and more. lasting change to heal the mind, body and soul. Fitness, educational consultant and hypnotist. See ad, page 19.

CLEANING MAID BRIGADE CAPITAL REGION

4813-A Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 800-515-6243 Marketing@Maid-Brigade.com MaidBrigade.com

We are Green Clean Certified so you can have peace of mind that your home will be healthier for you, your pets, and the environment. See ad, page 9.

CONCIERGE MUSE CONCIERGE, LLC

PO Box 212, Washington Grove, MD 301-337-0988 • Muse-Concierge.com Michele.Muise@gmail.com Services that give people time for more important things in their lives. The services offered are property care including “green” cleaning, errands, in home/office food services, elder care and training. All services have sustainability in mind and use only natural, no chemical and organic options. See ad, page 13.

CONSULTING GRACE PRODUCTIONS

Grace Ogden, Principal 301-445-6771 • GraceProductions.co Grace Ogden leads this consulting and event production firm that supports progressive social change with an awareness of why spiritual principles and practices matter.

See ad, page 13.

COUNSELING MARY KENDELL, MS, NP

Individual and Couples Therapy GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • GWICM.com YourSexualHealthMatters@gmail.com Evaluation, treatment, counseling, and education for all sexual health concerns. See ad, page 2.

NATALIE X. KORYTNYK, PHD

Individual & Couples Therapy GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • Gwcim.com With over 20 years of experience, D r. N a t a l i e K o r y t n y k i s a psychologist with an expertise in relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, work stress, eating disorders and self-esteem. See ad, page 2.

DOULA THE DC DOULA

202-630-HOOK (4665) TheDCDoula@gmail.com • TheDCDoula.com Picture Plan for your future.

Birth and Postpartum Doula offering a variety of women’s wellness services.

We support birth with great confidence and help you welcome your new baby. See ad, page 34.

EDUCATION WASHINGTON WALDORF SCHOOL

HEALING GATEWAY 877-534-5534 HealingGateway.com

Sherry Lynn Dmytrewycz invites you to enter into a healthier, unlimited life with an energy clearing for you, your space or your animals. Handson or distance sessions. See ad, page 35.

HEALTH COACH BETH LINDLEY CONSULTANCY 202-285-8191 Beth@BethLindley.com BethLindley.com

Corporate Wellness Consultant Beth Lindley is fiercely committed to working with forward-thinking companies that are looking to make a big impact but that have escalating health care costs and unhealthy kitchens to transform their company kitchens into health conscious havens and increase their revenue and the impact they can create with their business. She offers personalized kitchen makeovers for COOs, CFOs and employees as well. See ad, page 37.

4800 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD 301-229-6107 SSmith@WashingtonWaldorf.com WashingtonWaldorf.org

LOTUS HEALTH AND HEALING

Washington Waldorf offers a holistic education that blends arts, movement, and practical skills with academics at every step. PreK-12. Imagine a better way to learn.

See ad, page 37.

Piamas Puatrakul is a Health Empowerment Coach and Pharmacist. She believes in the body’s ability to heal through self-awareness, diet change, emotional healing, meditation, and spiritual practice. Combining her background in both Eastern and Western healing practices, Pia helps clients suffering from chronic illness, stress and anxiety to reduce prescription medication and reawaken their natural ability to heal. See ad, page 22.

ENERGY HEALING LIZETTE AYALA Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 Info@RoseWellness.com • RoseWellness.co Lizette Ayala, Energy Health Coach, specializes in teaching the art of self-healing and mind-body health, breaking energy draining patterns and reducing unproductive stress. See ad, page 11.

ETHEREAL HEALING

Angel Barkley 312-618-4881 Love-LetGo-Live@hotmail.com The highest creation of man is to UNCONDITIONALLY LOVE everyone as his divine loves him.

Follow, believe, hold faith and journey with me to healing. See ad, page 15.

301-760-6924 EmpoweredHealth@LotusHealthAndHealing.org LotusHealthAndHealing.org

HEALTH EVENT PLANNING PAM SNYDER EVENTS, LLC 703-402-7223 PamSnyderEvents@gmail.com PamSnyderEvents.com

With over 25 years experience event planning, our concentration is in the area of Health and Wellness.

Whether you are interested in a high-energy full-scale conference or a small meeting/workshop, let us help plan your next health and wellness event.

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HOME ENVIRONMENT

HEALTHY PETS WHOLE PET CENTRAL

MIKHAIL SOGONOV, PH.D.

Info@WholePetCentral.com WholePetCentral.com We are your one-stop destination for all things natural regarding your pet’s nutritional and grooming needs. Shop online or visit one of our stores locations in Rockville, MD, Herndon, VA or Ashburn, VA. See ad, page 8.

InSitu EcoTesting LLC GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • Sogonov@InSitu-ET.com Consulting company inspecting indoor environment for biological agents negatively affecting human health. Mainly focused on mold, also includes sewage contamination and pet and pest allergens.

See ad, page 2.

GREEN COMFORT SCHOOL OF HERBAL MEDICINE 540-937-4283 Green.Comfort@gmail.com

Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine offers a variety of learning opportunities for the beginning and more advanced student of holistic life practice.

HOLISTIC PARENTING HOLISTIC MOMS NETWORK ARLINGTON/ALEXANDRIA CHAPTER 571-451-8273 HolisticMomsArlAlex@gmail.com HolisticMomsArlAlex.blogspot.com

A nonprofit resource for parents seeking support in their natural lifestyle choices. All chapters hold monthly meetings and most offer supplemental activities.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE CASEY HEALTH INSTITUTE

800 South Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg 301-664-6464 KGill@CaseyHealth.org CaseyHealth.org

Casey Health offers primary care, acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga therapy, massage, behavioral health, wellness classes, and health coaching all aimed at getting people healthy. See ad, page 21.

ANGELA GABRIEL, MSOM, LAC, CH GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055, 202-300-4981 Gwcim.com

Classical Chinese medicine, Japanese-style acupuncture, pain and stress management, chronic issues, family care, women’s health, pregnancy, children, Kiiko Matsumoto-style acupuncture, moxibustion, integrative medicine.

See ad, page 2.

HOLISTIC PROMOTIONS EARTHLIGHT PROMOTIONS 703-401-9663 BeverlyNickerson@comcast.net EarthLightPromotions.com

CHAS GANT, MD, PHD

Bringing back the indigenous wisdom to our modern world. Organizing sacred retreat, reconnect with nature and sacred sites travel. Promoting holistic healers, traditional ancient medicine and wellness workshops. See ad, page 23.

National Integrative Health Associates 5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW, DC 202-237-7000 ext 152 DoctorChas.com Dr. Gant, an internationally known author and integrative/functional medicine physician, addresses the root causes of chronic medical and psychiatric disorders, unique to each patient in all age ranges. See ad, page 37.

I’m interested in women’s health because I’m a woman.

I’d be a darn fool not to be on my own side. ~Maya Angelou Washington, D.C.

908 New Hampshire Ave, NW, DC 202-833-5055 • Gwcim.com

A clinic that effectively combines use of traditional and conventional evidence-based medical practices through a variety of complementary and alternative therapies and has many years of close collaboration with George Washington University Medical Center and a variety of physicians in most subspecialties. See ad, page 2.

SUSHMA HIRANI, MD

HERBS

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GW CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 Info@RoseWellness.com RoseWellness.com Sushma Hirani, MD specializes in functional and integrative medicine to treat chronic diseases.

She has a special interest in women’s health care, natural hormone balancing, and detoxification. See ad, page 11.

INDIGO INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CLINIC 1010 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 660, DC 202-298-9131 IndigoHealthClinic.com

The body has an innate ability to heal itself and achieve balance from everyday stressors through non-toxic, non-aggressive and highly effective modalities. See ad, page 5.

MIKHAIL KOGAN, MD

GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • Gwcim.com

Dr. Kogan is Medical Director of GW Center for Integrative Medicine where he provides integrative consultations and primary care. In addition, he does geriatric consultations at GW University Hospital and makes home visits to frail patients. See ad, page 2.

NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES

5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 ext 118 NIHADC.com

Leaders in Integrative Medicine and Biological Dentistry At National Integrated Health Associates, NIHA, our team of Integrative doctors blends the best of western medicine and safe, proven complementary and alternative therapies to help the body heal. See ad, page 19.

ROSE WELLNESS CENTER

2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 Info@RoseWellness.com RoseWellness.com At Rose Wellness Center, we practice an integrative approach to medicine by combining the best of conventional and alternative medicine. Services include hormone balancing, acupuncture, allergy management (AAT), energy healing, specialty testing, and detoxification. See ad, page 11. .

MIDWIVES DR. KAI PARKER

The Institute of Multidimensional Medicine 202-429-3783 DrParker@timmed.com DCMidwife.com

As a licensed Homebirth Midwife, Kai Parker provides loving support and personalized care in all stages of pregnancy to women in the DC Metropolitan area. See ad, page 8

Adult & Pediatric Naturopathic Medicine GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • Gwcim.com Dr. Ledenac is a Naturopathic Physician in family medicine caring for adults and children. She has a special focus in weight management (body composition improvement), nutritional assessments, pediatrics and women’s health including fertility care. See ad, page 2.

NUTRITION

MASSAGE

AT EASE: TRAGER AND MASSAGE Lisa Bregman 202-686-7202 LisaBregman@yahoo.com

Deep bodywork that uses rhythmic, wavelike movement to ease pain, joint and muscle tension, and release long-held uncomfortable movement and postural patterns. See ad, page 2.

NOVA NATURAL BIRTH CENTER 4200 A Technology Ct, Chantilly, VA 703-357-3808 PeggyFran@gmail.com NovaBirthCenter.com

Beautiful, Intimate, Childbirth the way it was designed, Naturally.See ad, page 37.

MEDITATION HUGH BYRNE, PHD

RAW LIVING D-LIGHT

571-471-2891 • Luzy@RawLivingDLight RawLivingDLight.com Alkaline foods to restore your health and nourish your body.

Microgreens and sprouts, foods for superior health. Classes, workshops and private consultation. Available for lectures and home growing consultations.

See ad, page 9.

NUTRITION EDUCATION

Hugh-Byrne.com

Mindfulness-based counseling and meditation instruction. Dr. Byrne teaches classes, retreats, and workshops on Buddhism and meditation in the Washington, D.C. area and nationwide and provides individual counseling.

ROCKVILLE MEDITATION

11601 Nebel St, Rockville, MD 301-770-7778 RockvilleMeditation@gmail.com RockvilleMeditation.org The Rockville Meditation center offers unlimited ROCKVILLE MEDITATION guided meditation www.rockvillemeditation.org s e s s i o n s d a i l y. T h e Tel: 301-770-7778 meditation focuses on a 11601 Nebel St. Rockville, MD 20852 method of subtraction.

This logical and revolutionary method is about removing the problem of emotional pain and discomfort completely. There is also an END to the meditation. The method reaches to 340 centers worldwide and is causing a sensation in different corners of the world. Make an appointment for your free consultation today. See ad, page 11..

Stop thinking. Start becoming.

MARIANNA LEDENAC, ND

MIND-BODY THERAPY THE MINDFULNESS CENTER

301-986-1090 TheMindfulnessCenter@gmail.com TheMindfulnessCenter.org Empowering people to heal.

Embracing optimal wellness.

Mindfulness classes and services offered: yoga, meditation, tai chi, Nia, acupuncture, massage, Reiki, qigong, cranial sacral, hypnosis and more. See ad, page 39.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIANS DR. KAI PARKER

The Institute of Multidimensional Medicine 202-429-3783 DrParker@timmed.com DCMidwife.com

With advanced training in Eastern and Western Medicine, Dr. Parker combines scientific knowledge with ancient wisdom to provide comprehensive care for all of her patients. See ad, page 8.

JULIE WENDT

JWendt@GWCIM.com GWCIM.com

My work as a Nutrition Educator is focused on working in partnership with individuals who want or need to implement changes to their diet and lifestyle in order to achieve optimal health See ad, page 2.

NUTRITIONAL THERAPY ASK BABETTE AT NECK, BACK AND BEYOND

10560 Main St, Ste PH-1, Fairfax, VA 703-862-4612 • Info@AskBabette.com NeckBackandBeyond.com Babette Lamarre, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, offers individualized recommendations for what to eat/how to live for maximum health and happiness given your particular life situation.

See ad, page 19.

REIKI LUANN JACOBS, SLP/RMT

Reiki-Biofeedback Practitioner GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • Gwcim.com

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.

Most people never listen. ~Ernest Hemingway

Luann provides treatments and trainings in the use of Reiki hands-on and biofeedback for self-care, and Reiki care of others. See ad, page 2.

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SPIRITUAL LIVING UNITY OF FAIRFAX

2854 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, VA 703-281-1767 • Admin@UnityOfFairfax.org UnityOfFairfax.org

Start your Career in Holistic Health!

Herbalism Nutritional Therapy Online Courses

Unity of Fairfax offers a welcoming, environment to explore one’s own relationship with God in a community of like-minded individuals.

STEAM MEDICINE

LIVE ONLINE LECTURES NOW AT 2 PM PST AND 5:30 PM PST climbhealth@pcc.edu www.pcc.edu/climb/health

We offer integrative compassionate veterinary c a r e . We v i e w y o u r animal as a whole focusing on the root cause of dis-harmony for long term healing. See ad, page 19.

The Womb Sauna is empowering women worldwide through their unique method of vaginal steaming, allnatural products and online university. Step into your power today.

A holisticveterinary clinic focused on keeping your pet healthy by promoting quality of life while providing excellent integrative medical care in an exceptional environment. See ad, page 39.

STORYTELLING I HEAR VOICES

Susan Coti 703-966-5207 S_Coti@hotmail.com • IHearVoices.biz Specializing in wisdom, folk, myths and personal tales. Suitable for adults and families with older children. See ad, page 25.

4820 Moorland Ln, Bethesda, MD 301-656-2882 Info@VHCdoc.com • VHCdoc.com

YOGA BUDDHA B YOGA

1115 U St NW, DC, Ste 202 202-588-5885 • BuddhaBYoga.com Experience a place of refuge and a spiritual center where all are welcome! A Vegan Vinyasa yoga studio and JivaMukti™ Yoga Center Affiliate. Open 7 days a week and offering over 55 classes a week, including 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. See ad, page 11.

YOGA WITH NYA

THERAPEUTIC YOGA LINDA LANG

GW Center for Integrative Medicine 202-833-5055 • TherapeuticYogaDC.com A highly experienced practitioner, certified in the medical, therapeutic arena of Cardiac Yoga. Specializing in chronic conditions and degenerative disease. Therapeutic yoga for special conditions and m e d i t a t i o n a r e o ff e r e d b y appointment with GW Center for Integrative Medicine. See ad, page 2.

THERMOGRAPHY 10560 Main St, Ste PH-1, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com

Neck Back & Beyond in Fairfax, VA, offers chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage, colon hydrotherapy (colonics), reflexology, lymphatic drainage, and thermography clinics. See ad, page 19..

Washington, D.C.

Pema Choepel Mallu, DVM, CVA, M.Ac, L.Ac 12627 Wisteria Dr, Ste C & D, Germantown 240-715-6570 HolisticVeterinaryHealing.com

VETERINARY HOLISTIC CARE

888-576-WOMB Info@TheWombSauna.com TheWombSauna.com

NECK, BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

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HOLISTIC VETERINARY HEALING

THE WOMB SAUNA

Prepare for a career in the alternative health field with online Nutritional Therapy and Herbalism Programs from CLIMB Institute for Health Professionals.

Led by renowned herbalist and nutritional therapy authority KP Khalsa, the IHP instructors offer the very best in holistic education.

VETERINARIAN - HOLISTIC

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Nya@YogaWithNya.com YogaWithNya.com Nya Alemayhu is a yoga instructor in Washington, D.C., dedicated to building community through sharing the practice of yoga. Nya offers private instruction and workplace yoga. See ad, page 39.

Y’S ELEMENTS

202-246-9592 YaelFlusberg@gmail.com • YaelFlusberg.com Experienced yoga therapist/coach available for group and individual sessions drawing from a deep well of creative, somatic and reflective methods to help you flourish. See ad, page 2.

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Natural Awakenings recently won the prestigious FBR50 Franchise Satisfaction Award from Franchise Business Review. To learn more visit: franchisebusinessreview.com

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Washington, D.C.

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Natural Awakenings publishes in over 95 markets across the U.S. and Puerto Rico • • • • • • • • • • •

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For more information visit our website NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/mymagazine or call 239-530-1377

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Visit muih.edu to register for free upcoming events and webinars

Degrees with Meaning for Careers with Purpose Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Programs Enrolling for September 2015 and January 2016 Maryland University of Integrative Health is one of the nation’s only accredited graduate schools with an academic and clinical focus on health and wellness. Here, the ability to be self-reflective and cultivate a healing presence is as critical to your academic success as competence in your chosen field.

MUIH offers graduate programs in: Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine | Herbal Medicine Health & Wellness Coaching | Health Promotion Nutrition and Integrative Health | Yoga Therapy

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Washington, D.C.

Online, on campus, and weekend options available No GREs required muih.edu 800-735-2968 NaturalAwakeningsDC.com