Sept/Oct 2009 NATURAL AWAKENINGS

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

September/October 2009

FREE

feel good live simply laugh more

September: Yoga Month p. 9, 10, 16, 17

Kid Stuff

Horse Protection p. 18

Ultimate Success p. 14

Healthy Hot Peppers p. 24

p. 12, 21, 22

Increase Your Bone Density p. 16

Gainesville/Ocala | www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com September / October 2009

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Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. Our mission is to provide information designed to improve readers’ quality of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural healing, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression, and products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com

DEPARTMENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

legislativeupdate 5

September: National Yoga Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Children’s Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 A Special Key to Success in Life

newsbriefs 6

by Catherine Crawford

Inspiration: The Next Big Leap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Moving On to Ultimate Success

globalbriefs 8

by Gay Hendricks

Naturally Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

healthbriefs 9

Nurture Your Creativity

by Helen Kornblum

Fit Body: Boning Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

askthepractitioner 26

by Katy Santiago

Healthy Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 schoolbytes 21

Horse Protection Association of Florida (HPAF.org)

creativeways 29

Connecting Kids to Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

How to Properly Use Your A/C System . . . . . . . .

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by Helen Coronato

Spice of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

eventscalendar 30

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Sizzling Hot Healthy Peppers

Natural Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resourceguide 35

27

Reiki

by Sue Domfort

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise, please call 352-629-4000 or e-mail Ads@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for ads in the November 2009 issue is October 9th.

For your convenience, our media kit, including sizes and rates, is online at www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Design services available!

Advertisers are included online at no additional charge.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS For submission guidelines, please visit www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

E-mail articles/News Briefs to News@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for articles to be considered for the November 2009 issue is October 9th.

News Briefs deadline is October 9th.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS E-mail calendar listings to Calendar@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for calendar events in the November 2009 issue is October 9th.

September / October 2009

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publisherletter Hi, friends, Sometimes people say I have an overactive imagination. Usually the only reasonable response is to roll my eyes, but every once in a while …

Well, anyway, the most interesting image just popped into my mind: I was seated in a large stadium, sharing an event with tens of thousands of people.

Out of curiosity, I googled “stadium,” wondering just how many people could fit into a stadium. One of the closest places, the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, seats 48,000.

Then it became clear why that particular image came to mind just as this issue was going to press. Folks, that’s the reach of this magazine! It’s awesome and rather humbling to think that our magazine is read by that many people.

I’m really proud of how things are going here. With this issue, we’re going ALL COLOR on a brighter paper. It’s still recycled, so we’re still “walking the talk,” but it’s more attractive and will last longer too. Stay posted for more exciting changes coming soon!

Publisher Carolyn Rose Blakeslee Regional Editors Diane Childs Kim Marques, Calendar National Editors Sharon Bruckman S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Design + Production Stephen Gray-Blancett Carolyn Rose Blakeslee Advertising Carolyn Rose Blakeslee Corporate + Development Larry Levine John Voell II

Hugs,

Caro At Natural Awakenings, we offer you a powerful blend of advertising and editorial opportunities including News Briefs, Calendar listings, and more.

Media kit online at GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Contact Us Natural Awakenings P.O. Box 1140 Anthony, FL 32617 352-629-4000 Fax 352-351-5474 www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com Info@GoNaturalAwakenings.com Subscriptions One-year mailed subscriptions are available for $18.

Natural Awakenings Gainesville/Ocala is published every two months. 20,000 copies are distributed to health food stores, medical offices, fitness facilities, educational and spiritual centers, public libraries, restaurants and cafes throughout North Central Florida.

Natural Awakenings does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in its articles or advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products or services contained herein.

To determine whether a particular product or service is appropriate for you, consult your family physician.

Copyright ©2009 Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted if that permission has been obtained in writing.

Call today to see how flexible we can be!

352-629-4000 4

legislationwatch Pending “Food Safety Bill” Could Harm Organic Farmers

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national food safety bill called the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July and now goes to the Senate. It gives the Food and Drug Administration more power to deal with food safety problems, but it also imposes a costly one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme on small farms and local artisanal producers, the same as if they were multinational corporations.

As it now stands, the bill threatens to undermine organic farmers and others producing for local markets, advises the Organic Consumers Association (www.

OrganicConsumers.org), and could easily put many small farms out of business. OCA advocates: “H.R. 2749 needs to draw a clear line between small local growers and industrial/factory farms and processing plants, where foodborne pathogens incubate, flourish and spread.”

In a future issue, we will be publishing a follow-up article which will explain the food safety issue in more depth. This, however, is an emergency reader call-to-action as the Senate considers HR 2749. Find more information and take action at both the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website, http://ftcldf.org/petitions_new.htm, and http://capwiz.com/ grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=13799941.

Groundbreaking Film: Movie with a Message

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ood, Inc., a movie by filmmaker Robert Kenner, opened this summer and lifts the veil from our nation’s food industry. It exposes the highly mechanized underbelly hidden from consumers with our government’s consent.

“Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations,” the movie notes.

“We also have new strains of e-coli, widespread obesity particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”

Learn more at FoodIncMovie.com (includes online petition).

You can watch a 3-minute trailer there. The full film will be shown at The Hippodrome in Gainesville on Sept. 25 (visit TheHipp.org).

To read Roger Ebert’s review of this movie, visit http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/20090617/REVIEWS/906179985

September / October 2009

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newsbriefs Classes at Big Ron’s

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tiff Guys Yoga. This is the class for the average guy who always wanted to try yoga but was afraid of being twisted into a pretzel. Participants will use strength and power, build flexibility and balance, and realign the body for an edge in other activities—like the agility needed for rock climbing, or the open hips to perfect that golf swing. Being flexible is not a prerequisite, but being openminded is.

“Hot” Yoga. This class offers an exciting, challenging, hardworking, effective yoga class, designed to work every muscle, joint, ligament, tendon, gland and organ in your body. It develops balance, strength, flexibility and mental focus while detoxifying your body and promoting no-impact cardiovascular conditioning. New and experienced yoga students gain confidence while relieving stress with this total fitness program in a room heated to body temperature. All fitness levels welcome. This class is available at least twice a day 7 days a week.

Wise Women’s Yoga Series.

This class explores the benefits yoga can have on the health and spirit of women negotiating perimenopause and the years that follow. Classes will focus on flexibility, bone strength, energy building, heart health, pelvic health, hormone balance, and restfulness. Women will enjoy the benefits of a heated yoga studio during the 90-minute all-level classes.

Basic Hatha Yoga. This ongoing class is designed for those who want to try hot yoga, but at a slower and cooler pace. Get a great workout and

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enjoy the benefits of “Big Ron’s” traditional yoga. Classes are every Saturday at 12:00 noon.

Some classes are walk-in; some classes are six weeks long and start on a rolling basis. Call 352-367-8434 or visit www.BigRonsYoga.com for more information. Bring a towel or two, and a water bottle; mats provided.

Energy Auditor Training

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ainesville’s Community Weatherization Coalition is offering an autumn energy auditor training on Sept.

19, Sept. 26, and Oct. 3. New auditors must attend all three training dates.

“Our goal is to train 50 new auditors this time around. The CWC is looking for energetic and dedicated volunteers who would like to be trained to perform comprehensive energy surveys for households in need.

CWC auditors help shield some of our community’s most vulnerable residents from high utility costs. In the process, they strengthen our local economy and make our community more environmentally sustainable.”

CWC volunteer energy auditors are trained to provide comprehensive energy audits on a home, point out behavioral changes that can help residents save money, and complete some of the recommended energy saving measures on-site.

To register for the training, or for more details, contact the CWC at 352450-2100 or cwc@rebuildingtogetherncf.org. Learn more about the CWC by visiting http://rebuildgainesville. wordpress.com/cwc/.

Self Esteem Coaching

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arbara Barnett, MSW, and Martha Beck, Certified Life Coach, announce Self-Esteem Coaching for Ageless Women in the Gainesville area.

For information on individual, group, or telecourses, call 912-492-9156 or visit www.Self-Esteem-2-The-Core. com.

Vegetarian Cooking Two Class Series Offered

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ouise Link is kicking off her fall series of Vegetarian Cooking classes. Offered in a home setting in Gainesville, the five-week classes occur Tuesday evenings Sept. 8-Oct. 6, or Wednesday evenings Sept. 9-Oct. 7.

“We eat what we cook,” says Louise, “and we learn lots as we go along.

Sign up with friends and have a fun social experience with dinner.”

The five-week series costs $100 and may be paid weekly. Call 352378-9943 for directions and to make your reservation.

Massage CEUs Chinese Medicine Techniques

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amilton Rott, the Clinic Director of Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine, will teach massage practitioners to apply cupping and gua sha within the context of basic Chinese medical concepts.

Cupping and gua sha are methods of healing that have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to safely and effectively treat pain, acute colds, breathing disorders, and a wide variety of internal medical conditions.

Students will learn the functions of meridian and protective energy (qi) within the body to understand the model of ideal health. They will be able to analyze changes in energy circulation (blockages), in order to identify symptoms associated with these pathological changes. Students will

newsbriefs learn to apply suitable cupping and gua sha techniques to rebalance the meridian system. Hands-on practice will be emphasized so that the skills will be immediately applicable.

This workshop offers 7 CEUs and takes place on Saturday, October 24 from 9 am to 5 pm, at a cost of $145.

Call the Dragon Rises College in Gainesville, 352-371-2833, to reserve your space.

Intuitive Touch Reiki & Massage Therapy Sue Domfort, Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki Master Teacher and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant announces the opening of her Intuitive Touch Reiki and Massage Therapy practice, located at 1328 SE 25th Loop, Suite 101, Ocala.

Mrs. Domfort specializes in a unique blend of using Reiki energy while performing an eclectic blend of skilled massage techniques so that her clients can heal and reconnect the body, mind and spirit. Along with this unique approach, Mrs. Domfort is also certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage.

To make an appointment, call 352-804-7617.

Lessen Stress

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atural Awakenings Programs [not affiliated with Natural Awakenings magazine] is offering, in addition to its Labor Day weekend workshop, a new four-week series of survival groups on Tuesday nights.

“These tough economic times are a perfect catalyst for refinement of our lives,” says artist Brenda Heim. “Life improvement programs recommend simplifying as the first step in reaching a stress-free life.” N A Programs will assist the transformation through awareness and grief work.

For more information, call Brenda at 352-357-4838.

PosiPalooza

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nity of Gainesville, 8801 NW 39th Avenue, will present their first PosiPalooza on Friday, September 25 at 7 pm. The concert, sponsored

by Empower Music and Arts, features Nashville’s Grammy Award-winning songstress, Karen Taylor Good (www. karentaylorgood.com) and the gospel music of Eddie Watkins Jr. (www. eddiewatkinsjr.com), along with Unity Association Music Directors Richard Mekdeci and Sue Kroupa Riley. PosiPaloozas are presented at Unity churches nationwide to share the powerful messages of positive music.

For more information or directions, call 352-373-1030.

High Springs Emporium Fifth Anniversary Party

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n Saturday, October 3, the High Springs Emporium will celebrate its 5th anniversary. Owner Sharron Britton says, “We want to thank all our friends and customers who have supported us and helped our business grow over the past five years, so we are having live jazz with Omialadora Ajamu’s Jazz Trio, great food, free

samplings of bodywork, and drawings every hour for special prizes from the store.”

The event is free and open to the public, 11 am to 6 pm at 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd in High Springs. Call 386-454-8657 for directions or more information.

Realms Beyond New Location

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ealms Beyond is open at its new location in Ocala at 500 SW 10th Street (352-857-9398). Co-owner Jackie Gibson says, “We will continue to offer all of your favorites such as stones and crystals, incense, candles, herbs, books, clothing, jewelry.” Artists are invited to display their work in the store, and other merchandise (jewelry, stones, New Age items) may be for sale on consignment.

Classes, holistic and psychic fairs will be offered. The next fair will occur September 26th from 11 am until 7 pm.

To sign up for the store’s free monthly e-newsletter, send an email to realms.beyond@yahoo.com.

Natural Awakenings Now in Full Color

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he use of full color increases reader response by as much as 100%.

Look for more exciting changes soon.

September / October 2009

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Coming in November

globalbriefs Online Swap Cashless Bartering Soars via Internet Matchups

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ebsites and businesses promoting cash-free transactions are booming from New Hampshire to New Zealand, as people find new ways to make ends meet through bartering and swapping just about any product or service. A spokesman for Craigslist. org, a classified advertising service, says that bartering on the site has doubled in the past year.

Ron Whitney, of the International Reciprocal Trade Association, reports that about $12 billion worth of business-to-business bartering is transacted each year around

GREEN LIVING Learn how to lead an eco-friendly life in Natural Awakenings’ November edition.

Special focus on green businesses

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

352-629-4000 8

the world and that more than 250,000 U.S. businesses participated last year.

Now, individuals are following suit via websites and community networks.

Vida Dulce Costa Rica Tops Happy Planet Index

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Home Rules America Accelerates Home Schooling

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2009 Department of Education report shows that the number of home-schooled students has surged by 74 percent over the past eight years, to 1.5 million. The National Home Education Research Institute puts the number higher, at just over 2 million.

Leading reasons for the move include concerns about religious or moral instruction, the school environment and the quality of academic instruction. The institute’s research indicates that home-schooled students score 15 to 30 percentile points above their public school peers on standardized tests.

osta Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world, enjoy the second-highest average life expectancy and are a hair’s-breadth from the goal of living in a country that consumes no more than its fair share of Earth’s natural resources.

The Central American winner led the 143 countries surveyed annually by Britain’s New Economics Foundation. Nine of the top 10 spots featured Latin American nations.

Results also showed that the U.S. populace was greener and happier 20 years ago than it is today.

The study covers 99 percent of the world’s population. “We desperately need a new compass to guide us,” says Nic Marks, founder of the foundation’s center for well-being.

healthbriefs Meditation and Yoga Change Genes’ Response to Stress

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esearch now suggests that mind-body techniques like yoga and meditation, which can put the body into a state of deep rest known as the relaxation response, are capable of changing how human genes behave in response to stress.

Many experts see the relaxation response, which is characterized by reduced oxygen intake, increased exhalation of nitric oxide and lowered psychological distress, as the counterpart to the flight-or-fight stress response. The authors say their study showed that the relaxation response further acted to change the expression of genes involved with inflammation, programmed cell death and the handling of free radicals. They noted that such deep relaxation practices have been used across cultures for millennia to help prevent and treat disease.

Dr. Jeffery Dusek, co-lead author of the study at the Benson-Henry Institute, and now with Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, remarks that, “The relaxationresponse-associated changes were the opposite of stress-associated changes,” and

were “much more pronounced” in longterm practitioners.

The researchers at Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Genomics Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center published their results in PLoS One. —Source: MedicalNewsToday.com

The ultimate creative act is to express what is most authentic and individual about you.

—Eileen M. Clegg

September / October 2009

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healingways

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL

YOGA MONTH T

his month, yoga studios and instructors around the world are hosting events to introduce people to yoga, the 5,000-year-old practice that is their passion. People can choose from many schools and yoga styles to find those best suited to their body type, personality and stage of life and fitness.

While instructional approaches to the yoga techniques and asanas, or postures, may vary, the ultimate goal for most is the yoking of the mind to body and spirit. From the physically challenging to the meditatively transcending, this ancient discipline from India demands respect and commitment from those who seek to receive its benefits. Practitioners attest that stepping onto the yoga mat can lead to extraordinary experiences, greater self-knowledge and better health.

10 Reasons to Try Yoga Stress Reduction ~ By encouraging relaxation, yoga practice can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Related reported benefits include lowered blood pressure and heart rate, and a reduction in the symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

Pain Relief ~ Yoga can ease pain.

Studies have demonstrated that practicing yogic asanas and meditation reduced pain among people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, arthritis and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.

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Better Breathing ~ By teaching people to take slower, deeper breaths, yoga can help to improve lung health and function, trigger the body’s relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.

Flexibility ~ Yoga routinely helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and even reducing joint aches and pains. While many people can’t touch their toes during their first yoga class, with practice they are able to do more poses as they stretch muscles and release tensions. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

Increased Strength ~ Asanas use big and small muscle groups in the body, helping to increase strength from head to toe. Yoga also helps build bone density through weight-bearing postures.

Weight Management ~ All styles of yoga can aid weight control efforts by reducing cortisol in the bloodstream, burning calories and creating muscle mass. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits through greater bodyawareness, and provides a heightened sense of well-being.

Improved Circulation ~ Combining asanas in a series or flow helps to improve circulation in the body and move oxygenated blood to the cells more efficiently. Moving through the postures also helps to flush internal organs and detoxify the body. Improved digestion and immune system function are other reported benefits of yoga.

Cardiovascular Conditioning ~ Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering the resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

Sharper Mind ~ Like meditation, yoga keeps practitioners focused on the present moment, which opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.

Research shows that such mindfulness practices can actually create new neural pathways in the brain.

Inner Peace ~ Yoga’s meditative aspects often help practitioners feel more calm and centered within themselves. Many who begin the practice for other reasons say that this sense of peace is what brings them back to the mat time and again.

Sources: YogaAlliance.org; MedicalNewsToday.com; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at http://nccam.nih.gov;and U.S. National Library of Medicine at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/.

YOGA CHOICES

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oga offers tremendous variety, and students at any level may find that they enjoy more than one style and teacher. Attending workshops and seminars allows individuals to sample what’s available and expand their practice.

Options include: • Vigorous practice that builds strength and stamina • Gentle, restorative, relaxing practice • Meditative styles • Yoga with a spiritual focus that may include chanting • Practicing in a heated room, or not • Yoga as part of a cross-training regimen • Therapeutic yoga for injuries, joint problems and other health conditions

This may include prenatal, senior or kids’ yoga. Teachers who focus on therapeutic yoga practice may belong to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT.org).

Can the teacher be available to address questions during and after practice?

Can prospective students observe a class before participating or enrolling?

Many teachers and studios offer drop-in classes or even a trial class, perhaps at a reduced rate. Health clubs also may include yoga classes in their membership fees.

—Source: Adapted from Yoga Alliance

Feel free to ask teachers the following questions: How often do they personally practice yoga; is it at least four times a week?

How long have they been practicing yoga?

A minimum of three years of regular practice prior to teaching is a reasonable expectation.

With whom did they train and for how long?

Is the teacher still studying yoga?

Professional associations like the Yoga Alliance require teachers to participate in continuing education in order to remain registered.

Is the instructor registered with a professional yoga teachers’ organization?

These associations often keep teachers abreast of new research and developments in the field.

Does the teacher have specialized skills suited to special needs or health conditions?

September / October 2009

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healthykids

Children’s Intuition A Special Key to Success in Life

by Catherine Crawford

A child’s intuition, or sixth sense, may be more important in the life of a child than many people realize. Intuition helps alert kids to danger, provides guidance in decision making and helps in problem solving, enabling youngsters to jump more quickly to a solution. Nurturing children’s intuition and keeping it alive helps them maintain a clear connection to this inner compass.

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ll children are intuitive, but some are more highly so and experience more intuitive messages, or perceptions, with greater frequency than others. They often are unusually aware of the needs and feelings of friends, parents, siblings and animals. These children may translate the unspoken needs of younger siblings and pets with striking accuracy and even pick up on the predominant feeling of a group of people as they enter a room. Others may tune into an unspoken family conflict or tell someone to be careful before stumbling into an unknown situation.

In my psychotherapy practice over the past 20 years, I’ve noticed that intuitive children who are raised with respect for their insights and taught to manage the stressors that can emerge with this trait generally grow up to be healthy, balanced, intuitive adults. On the other hand, when highly intuitive children learn to suppress their inner truth and stop respecting their own inner compass, they suffer undesirable consequences. Many manifest reduced self-esteem, self-doubt, confusion in decision making and difficulties with interpersonal boundaries as adults. They are more likely to defer to what other people want, even at the expense of their own health, boundaries and better judgment.

Children’s messages to us can be simple and direct. Here are ways we can help and support an especially intuitive child: • Stay open to her perceptions without judgment.

• Try not to inflate or deflate her intuitive experience when we respond to it.

• Help her see that her way of feeling and seeing life is an important part of who she is, just like any other gift or talent.

• Realize that she may need our help in learning how to manage the stressors associated with this innate lens through which she sees the world.

• Let him know that he is never alone and we are available to help him.

• If he has empathically taken on someone else’s mood, aches, pains, or worries, help him to practice asking, “Is this feeling mine?” Remind him that he’s not responsible for anyone else’s feelings.

• If a child is stuck in a pattern of being in tune with others’ pain or the pain of the world, help him learn to switch to being on the “self channel.” We can help him do this through exercise, by encouraging him to express his feelings in art, or even by taking a couple of slow deep breaths along with us.

How to Support an Intuitive Child

Perceptive children call for perceptive parenting. Parents can nurture intuition in their children and help solidify this gift for life by adopting these supportive behaviors.

In parenting and guiding, we can make a big difference in supporting children’s intuition and empathy. Three keys are to give kids positive feedback for these abilities, help them learn how to deal with associated stressors and teach them real-life skills designed with their individual abilities in mind.

Catherine Crawford is a licensed marriage and family therapist and registered art therapist, specializing in the needs of intuitive empaths. Her new book is The Highly Intuitive Child: A Guide to Understanding and Parenting Unusually Sensitive and Empathic Children. Learn more at LifePassage.com.

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Signs of a Highly Intuitive Child

by Catherine Crawford Intuition involves the ability to pick up on subtle information that is not perceived directly through any of the five senses, but rather is detected through an invisible sixth sense.

Empathy is the ability to tune in to how another person is feeling by registering those feelings through the body. Intuitive empaths experience these ways of perceiving the world through an extra-magnified lens.

Do you have a highly intuitive child?

Read the following 10 traits and check those that apply. My child: • Has a way of finishing my sentences and reading my thoughts.

• Has an ability to “see” things before they happen and is surprised that other people respond to her predictions with amazement.

• Frequently translates the needs of younger siblings and pets for me and is surprisingly perceptive.

• Is agitated by noisy, crowded events, and it takes him a long time to bounce back after such disruptions.

• ”Catches” others’ emotions or upset moods, almost like a cold.

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• Is prone to headaches and stomachaches related to other people’s stress.

• Feels tension during traumatic world events, maybe even drawing pictures of them or spontaneously talking about them, without any external information about the events.

• Is hard to keep a secret or surprise from; for example, she routinely guesses her birthday presents.

• Has a tendency to have insights about other people and the world that outpace developmental norms.

• Reports feeling different from his or her peers.

September / October 2009

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inspiration

The Next

Leap

BIG Moving On to Ultimate Success

by Gay Hendricks

Here’s a key to vanquishing that one problem that’s keeping us from ultimate success in love, financial abundance and creativity.

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which we routinely manufacture when we feel we have hether I’m coaching a billionaire CEO such as reached an upper allowable limit of positive feeling.

Michael Dell or a 12-year-old piano prodigy, I The good news is that if we can learn to spot and tranbase my approach on the following bottom-line scend our upper limit, we can make a rapid transition into insights. They’ve been gleaned from my 30 years of work our zone of genius. Asking ourselves four questions can in the field of relationship transformation and mind-body serve as our personal launching pad. Answering these questherapies. tions honestly begets telling new perspectives that just may First, it helps to understand that successful people operset us flying skyward into the big leap. The four questions: ate in one of several zones: what I call the zone of competence, the zone of excellence or the zone of genius. Most • What do I most love to do? people stall out in the zone of excellence. Those who make • What work do I do that doesn’t seem like work? it big and are the happiest go all the way into the zone of • In my work, what produces the highest ratio of abungenius. Achieving that transition is what I call “the Big Leap.” dance and satisfaction to the amount of time spent?

The reason most people don’t make it into the zone of • What is my unique ability? genius is because of “the Upper Limit Problem.” This problem is the one obstacle that prevents us from attaining sucAll of us deserve to experience wave after wave of cess and true happiness in all aspects of our life. It occurs greater love, creative energy and financial abundance, because we all have an inner thermostat that without the compulsion to sabotage ourdetermines the amount of love and success we selves. We start with the heartfelt desire to Whatever its allow ourselves. When we exceed our setting, eliminate our Upper Limit Problem—if we origin, we can we tend to sabotage the grander experience, in commit to clearing it out of our conscioustranscend our order to return to the old, familiar zone where ness, we’re more than halfway there. we feel secure.

Upper Limit Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., is the author of numerThe trouble is that the thermostat was set Problem in the ous bestsellers, including The Corporate Mysbefore we could think for ourselves, in early wink of an eye. tic. He taught at the University of Colorado childhood. Later in life, when we hit our upper for 21 years before founding The Hendricks limit, we often unthinkingly engage in self-deInstitute in Ojai, CA. For more information on The Big Leap: feating behaviors; we provoke arguments, get into accidents Conquer Your Fears and Take Life to the Next Level, visit or become sick, in order to bring ourselves back down.

Hendricks.com.

Catalysts appear as feelings of guilt, stress, doubt or worry,

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naturallyorganized

Nurture your creativity

by Helen Kornblum

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o you consider yourself a creative person? Our popular culture tends to present creative individuals in extremes such as geeky scientists, absent-minded professors or unstable artists. Brain researchers tell us that left-brain or right-brain preferences determine how linear or creative we are. What does being creative mean to you?

All of us have some kind of creativity within, although to different degrees and in varied ways.

Some of us may hinder our creative growth by blaming work schedules, household concerns, or family and community obligations. When we lack time, energy, or inspiration, we burn out, lose control, and overlook opportunities to develop ourselves.

In the absence of great natural gifts or independent wealth, how do we bring our lives back under our control so we can nurture our own creativity?

One solution is to look at your life from an organizer’s perspective.

Before you can make changes, you need to analyze what you have been doing until now. * What are your real priorities for your life? * How are you spending your time? * Who determines how you spend your time? * What have you been doing that you don’t really have to do? * Who can help you with tasks that must be done?

Sometimes we block our creative instincts by force of habit. And sometimes, others’ expectations cause us to lose sight of what we really want.

Instead of stifling creative urges, we can reorganize priorities and activities

to enhance our lives. We can be more creative once we understand how being organized enables us to use time differently.

Creative outlets vary. Do you want to take a class to develop a particular skill? Do you want to start a hands-on learning project?

Do you want to attend meetings of people engaged in a creative activity? Do you want to accomplish a specific goal? Or do you simply want down time to sort out where and how you want to begin?

Beware the myth that says being organized takes too much time and effort. If anything, the reverse is true. Disorganized people squander hours searching for lost items, rearranging schedules because of missed appointments, and redoing work.

They also demoralize themselves by overloading their schedules, which leaves no time for exploring a new idea or daydreaming, both creative activities.

Time management doesn’t mean scheduling more activity in the same amount of time. It means, first, knowing what’s worth doing to reflect your priorities. And it means not doing activities that are unnecessary or can be delegated.

The notion that organized people have no fun is also a myth. Time devoted to organizing pays off in time gained—an opportunity to have more fun and less stress. Being organized means you can function effectively and efficiently, not that you’re perfect.

Nurturing your creative growth is an “inside job” that begins when you decide to change the status quo of your life. Whether your creative goals are grand or modest, you can, if you choose to, make time for them.

Crafts / Sewing Area, BEFORE

Crafts / Sewing Area, AFTER

Helen Kornblum MA, is a professional organizer in Gainesville, FL and the owner of Natural Order Organizing (visit NaturalOrderOrganizing.com).

September / October 2009

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Using weights can mean any type of resistance exercise—from weight machines, circuit equipment and hand-held weights to body resistance exercise, like pushups or yogic armbalance poses. Because the skeleton’s job is to bear the entire weight of the body, lifting three-, five-, or even 20-pound weights is not as beneficial to bone health as being naturally strong enough to carry your own body mass.

Weight-bearing specifically refers to how much body weight we are holding up while exercising. Thus, walking is more weight-bearing than bicycling, while swimming is the least weight-bearing, because water’s natural buoyancy does most of the work.

fitbody

Boning Up Exercise Helps Maintain and Restore Bone Density

by Katy Santiago

Favor activities that get us on our feet to load up bones.

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en million Americans suffer with osteoporosis and another 34 million have low bone mass and high risk for osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

For anyone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia (low bone density for our age, but not low enough be a risk factor for fracture), it is important to know that most likely, the bones’ ability to develop has not been affected. We have simply stopped “loading” them.

The good news is that it’s unlikely that bone density is low throughout our body, and we can begin simple weight-bearing exercises at any time.

This signals the bone to start growing.

Ribs, wrists, hips and the spine are the most common places prone to bone loss. The main reason is simply underuse. Contemporary habits in our culture often don’t load these joints to their fullest potential.

Let’s take hips as an example of a potential trouble zone. Hips are designed to rotate and have a wide range of motion. If we sit more than six hours a day, they don’t get much movement.

This sends our body the message that it doesn’t have to maintain as much

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density as if the hips were moving in all the patterns in which they were designed to move.

Even if we have been exercising regularly, but are still troubled by low bone density, applying the following tips will help.

Find new ways and different directions to move.

Choose exercises that work the body in different directions than usual. If most workouts consist of walking, try a changeup.

Getting off a treadmill is one way to work new muscles. Dance classes introduce new steps that challenge joints in novel ways. Just walking sideways for one minute in each direction each day challenges hip muscles.

Know the difference between using weights and weight-bearing exercise.

Even some exercise professionals confuse these concepts.

While using weights can be part of any exercise program, it is weightbearing exercise that delivers healthier bones.

Ditch the exercise bike and go for a walk. Walk the golf course instead of getting a cart. If work requires sitting, take standing breaks, a nice change during long phone calls. Why not create a standing work center for a home or office computer?

A good way to test our weightbearing strength is see how long we can stand to stand. If we are looking for a chair by the 20-minute mark, our muscle mass is insufficient to hold up our body. Improve gradually by decreasing sitting time by 10 percent to start. For those who watch television two hours at a stretch, try getting up during commercials and standing on one leg at a time.

Think heel-toe to heal too.

It’s wise to opt for flats or negativeheeled footwear. Even one-inch high heels and cushioned sports shoes dampen the vibrations that naturally build bone density in the hips and spine.

How we walk also can signal problems that may be contributing to bone loss. Tight calf muscles, for example, change how a person’s heels strike the ground while walking; this decreases the vibrations moving up the leg, meant to keep the bones of the hip joints and femurs strong.

Design a truly wellbalanced program.

The most significant health risk for anyone with low bone density is the risk of a fracture. Falling is a common cause of fractures, so exercises that improve balance should top the list.

Balance or yoga classes are available at many community fitness centers as a ready-made solution to decreasing risks of a spill.

Katy Santiago, a biomechanics expert, has a master’s of science degree in kinesiology and is director of the Restorative Exercise Institute in Ventura, CA. Her Restorative Exercise DVD for Healthy Bones is available at RestorativeExercise. com.

Yoga Helps Breast Cancer Patients Feel Better

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omen undertaking a 10-week program of restorative yoga classes experienced a 50 percent reduction in depression and a 12 percent increase in feelings of peace and meaning after the yoga sessions, according to a recent study published in the journal Psycho-Oncology. —Source: PhysOrg.com.

September / October 2009

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healthycommunity

H

orse Protection Association of Florida is a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to the welfare of horses. Founded in 1990 in Miami, HPAF is in its nineteenth year of helping horses in need and in its ninth year in Marion County.

HPAF’s mission is to provide a safe haven for horses who are victims of starvation, neglect or abandonment.

Recently, this has come to include horses whose owners can no longer afford to feed them and need assistance in finding a new home for their horse. Generally the horses come from the area of North Central Florida, but sometimes horses in need come from throughout the state.

HPAF is unique in having worked with a number of holistic veterinarians for more than 10 years. Holistic health care is incorporated into the rehabilitation and health care for the horses. Horses who have suffered starvation, longterm malnutrition, or lack of adequate vitamins, minerals and forage in their diet often have weakened immune systems, poor hoof structure, ulcers and other problems that must be addressed.

Rehabilitation begins with nutrition—and nutrition begins with high quality forage. We are blessed to be in an area with excellent soil and grass. When grass is available, it makes up a large part of the horses’ diet. Horses are out in large pastures to allow for natural grazing, constant movement and a normal herd environment. Horses are designed to move and graze 18 to 20 hours a day. The constant moving, grazing and social interaction creates the necessary environment for restoring health, both physical and mental. Horses have often been locked up much of their Sasha, October 2006 lives in small spaces and barren enclosures with nothing to do but stand still or forage in the sand for something, anything, to eat. Being a grazing animal, a horse must graze constantly for proper gut function and Sasha, March 2007 mental well-being.

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Having an empty gut and not being able to graze creates ulcers in horses. This creates pain; pain begets more ulcers and more pain. Normalizing the digestive tract and allowing for constant intake of forage not only heals a horse internally but settles a horse’s mind, making them calmer and more contented. During winter, horses have access to free-choice hay. Easy keepers receive Florida-grown coastal Bermuda or Tifton hay, while those with greater nutritional needs receive orchard and alfalfa hay from the western states or Canada.

New guidelines for deworming horses came out in August of 2008 (www.theHorse.com “Will the Worms Win Part 1& 2”). Recommendations include doing fecal exams to check for the presence of parasites in the horse instead of routinely deworming by the calendar. These new guidelines follow holistic practices of deworming the animal as needed without introducing chemicals unnecessarily.

Vaccinations are given in single doses so as to not overload the immune system with multiple vaccines at one time. Titers to check for antibody levels, and homeopathic nosodes, are two other methods that are used. Homeopathic nosodes are similar to vaccines and are available from the Holistic Vet Clinic in Summerfield.

Detoxifying is the first step in most healing programs, along with specific nutrients to address deficiencies and areas of need in the body. Dr. Lynn Peck DVM of All Holistic Vet Care in Gainesville is currently providing the detoxification and nutritional programs for the horses with excellent results.

Many of the horses come with behavioral problems such as kicking when asked to pick up their hind feet. This symptom often belies a pinched nerve, misaligned pelvis or previous trauma. The unwanted behavior comes from the horse being in pain or a defensiveness trying to protect itself from anticipated pain. Every horse needs chiropractic adjustment for misalignments, chronic or old injuries. Dr. Marilyn Maler of Sun Spirit Farm and Veterinary Services provides chiropractic, acupuncture treatments for the horses as well as traditional Chinese medicine herbal supplements for the horses.

HPAF is fortunate to be located close to the worldrenowned Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine which teaches traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to veterinarians. Dr. Xie and Chi Institute conduct equine classes at HPAF from time to time to the benefit of the rescued horses and are a priceless resource for the animals.

Last but certainly not least, is training. Most horses that come to HPAF have had little or no training and often have serious fear issues from past interactions with humans. Not only must the horses be healed physically, but emotional healing is a large part of rehabilitation. For a horse to be adoptable it must have good manners and be easy to handle. The horses at HPAF receive daily handling utilizing grooming and Natural Horsemanship (the Parelli Seven

Games). These games teach the horses how to respond and enjoy, and to help them become calmer, braver and more willing partners.

Rarely does a rescued horse arrive fully trained. Horses left to starve are usually untrained horses who cannot even be given away due to their lack of training. Well-trained horses are less often found in situations of neglect, as they have value and are more easily sold or given away. With the rescued horses, it takes a commitment to providing the necessary training to get each horse to the point where they are rideable and far enough along in their training to move on to an adoptive home. Even companion horses that will not be ridden benefit from consistent handling and positive reinforcement. People who practice natural horsemanship end up having the most successful, long term relationships with their horses, as they understand the time and devotion that creates a successful partnership.

To learn more about Horse Protection Association of Florida, visit the web site www.hpaf.org. To volunteer or schedule a tour, call 352-466-4366 or email Morgan Silver, HPAF’s director, at hpaf@bellsouth.net.

Devo, age 2, July 2005

Devo, July 2008

September / October 2009

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greenliving

The Proper Use of Air Conditioning Systems

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onsidering that this piece of equipment is often responsible for nearly half of our homes’ energy consumption, learning how to use it properly is very important!

The Difference Between “Auto” and “On” Most central air conditioner thermostats are equipped with two fan settings—“on” and “auto.” When the setting is “on,” the fan runs continuously. The “auto” setting allows the fan to run only during cooling cycles (when the air conditioner compressor is operating). When the air conditioner is in use 24 hours a day, the cooling compressor only operates about 40 percent of the time, or 10 hours.

The additional fan operating time that occurs when the thermostat is set to “on” increases energy consumption.

Using the “auto” setting, on the other hand, saves energy and money because the fan operates fewer hours.

In addition to achieving energy and cost savings, the “auto” setting promotes more comfort in the home by providing better humidity control. Humidity is less controlled when the “on” setting is used, because moisture removed during the cooling cycle is recirculated back into the home while the compressor is off.

Some customers prefer the “on” setting because it provides continuous airflow. However, the air circulating when the compressor is not operating is not “cooled” air.

This airflow into the home will actually be warmer than current room temperature if the air has circulated through ductwork located in a hot area such as an attic. Continuous air circulation is better provided by the use of a ceiling fan or circulatory fan in each occupied room.

The “auto” fan setting on central air conditioner thermostats can offer more economical air conditioning

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and better humidity control. The same holds true for central heating systems—the “auto” setting provides more economical operation.

Closing Vents: Does It Save Energy?

People often ask, “Can I save energy by shutting off central-system air vents in unoccupied rooms of my home?”

This practice saves little energy and, in some cases, may actually raise operating costs.

By design, central air conditioning and heating systems are sized and constructed to distribute a specific quantity of air throughout a home. Consequently, closed vents may alter the amount of air moved (airflow), and disturb the balance and operation of the system. This, in turn, may result in reduced operating efficiency and increased operating costs. Unless your home and system are specially designed to maintain different temperature zones, we do not recommend closing air vents as an energy-saving practice.

Drops & Watts offers energy and water efficiency services to Gainesville and the surrounding area. For more information, visit dropsandwatts.com.

schoolbytes Green Lunchrooms University Cafeterias Show How to Cut Waste

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ozens of universities are doing away with lunch trays as a keystone in cutting cafeteria waste. A recent survey of 25 schools by Aramark, a food-service provider for some 600 institutions of higher education, found that trayless dining reduced food waste by an average of 25 to 30 percent per person. Seventy-five percent of the 92,000 students surveyed at 300 colleges said they were in favor of the change. Accompanying changes typically include the recycling and composting of food waste and using eco-friendly serviceware.

A separate study by the University of Illinois, which serves 1,300 students a day, noticed a 40 percent reduction in food waste. Kristen Ruby, an assistant director, explains that because students couldn’t carry as much, they didn’t take more than they could eat. “Not having trays [also] saves 516 gallons of water a day,” says Ruby, who counts the consequent dishwashing detergent saved in an academic year at 473 pounds less.

The same principles apply to food operations in businesses, convention centers, sports arenas, entertainment venues, government agencies, correctional institutions and assisted living facilities.

—Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Safe Kids Saliva Test Detects Lead Levels in Children

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onfirm BioSciences recently released the first non-invasive test, a saliva screening kit, that parents can use to discover if their kids have been exposed to excessive levels of toxic lead. Industrial areas, with older housing incorporating lead pipes and old paint, are of special concern. Children often get lead poisoning by eating lead-based paint chips or breathing in lead paint dust, but a range of consumer goods have produced lead recalls in recent years, as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that lead poisoning is the leading environmentally induced illness in children, yet one of the most preventable. Nearly a million children under the age of five now have lead levels that experts consider dangerous. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, slowed growth and developmental delays.

Also, Occupational Safety and Health Administration statistics report that at least a million U.S. adults, in some 100 different jobs, are exposed to lead daily.

For more information, kit availability and related articles, visit LeadTestConfirm.com.

Sexting Survey National Campaign Alerts Parents to Harmful Trend A survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has found that one in five teens and one in three young adults aged 20 to 26 have sent nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves via phone or posted them online. The practice is known as “sexting.” Campaign spokesman Bill Albert says he believes those numbers are low because they were self-reported. A separate survey by WiredSafety.org, an Internet educational nonprofit, reported that 44 percent of teen boys said they have seen at least one naked picture of a female classmate.

“A lot of the kids feel anonymous online, so they feel more comfortable doing inappropriate things because they think they won’t be linked back to them,” observes one 11th-grader who has advocated cyber-safety since the eighth grade.

The campaign’s survey also found that the majority—66 percent of girls and 60 percent of boys—say they thought of sexting as “fun” or “flirtatious.” Yet, 70 percent recognized it could have serious, long-term consequences for their careers or social standing.

Albert notes that despite a rising number of pornography court cases stemming from the phenomenon, “Legal consequences were low on their list of concerns.”

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

September / October 2009

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CONNECTING KIDS TO

COMMUNITY

by Helen Coronato

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his September, before scheduling after-school soccer practice or cheerleading, why not consider committing to a different kind of extracurricular activity: community outreach. Every community has specific needs, and stepping in to help fill those needs as a family brings extended benefits. From strengthening family bonds and making memories to being a role model for friends and neighbors, connecting kids with their own community proves a winning combination.

By giving back to community, local organizations get the assistance they need, while children benefit personally and scholastically from a family team-building experience. Research from the Harvard Family Research Project shows a direct link between such parental involvement and a student’s success in school.

Community outreach can be a formal affair, thanks to the efforts and organization of national programs, or it can be a hometown, do-it-yourself project, based on experience and ingenuity. Whichever route we choose, our efforts and energy are a precious and appreciated resource.

Established Organizations Coming up with ideas for how to enhance our local community can be daunting for some. Fortunately, many local and national organizations have programs in place that we can

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readily join. These are great places to start: 1-800-Volunteer – 1-800-Volunteer.org Search the nation’s largest database of volunteer opportunities, events and organizations by location or interest.

More than 117,000 volunteers are registered with the service nationwide.

Special Olympics – SpecialOlympics.org Help people with intellectual disabilities. More than 30 recognized athletes and 750,000 volunteers participate in the 227 Special Olympics programs worldwide.

Habitat for Humanity – HabitatFor Humanity.org Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses around the world, providing safe housing for 1.5 million people. Builders must be older than 16. Other youngsters can contribute by making “Welcome Home” cards or toolboxes for the new homeowners.

Red Cross – RedCross.org Each year, the Red Cross responds to more than 70,000 disasters, including as many as 150 home fires, every day.

Project Smile – ProjectSmile.org This nonprofit organization collects like-new stuffed animals for firefighters and police to distribute to children experiencing a traumatic time in their lives.

Meals on Wheels – MOWaa.org This national network provides homedelivered meal services across the country. According to the organization, one out of nine seniors in America faces the threat of hunger, and at least four out of 10 local Meals on Wheels programs have seniors on a waiting list for the service.

Do-It-Yourself Projects Also consider giving some common group activities a community-minded twist.

Here’s a new kind of book club. – Book club members can open up enrollment to invite mothers, daughters and grandmothers to join. Or, organize a community book club at a local senior center and bring together different generations of readers to share stories and companionship.

Time to clean out the closet and toy chest? – Gather up outgrown toys and clothes and donate items to a local women’s shelter. Many mothers are forced to leave everything behind, arriving at shelters with only the clothes on their back. Donations can provide a welcome and comforting item or a change of clothes.

Repurpose old beach towels. – Collect worn beach towels and bedding and deliver them to veterinarians and animal shelters, where they are needed to comfort and care for pets.

Ideas for do-it-yourself community projects are infinite. Many more than what are listed here are outlined at GreenGuideForKids.blogspot.com. Just because something good hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done right now. When our intention is to help others, there really is no wrong choice. Each of us, when we keep our eyes open for opportunity, can become the change we want to see.

Helen Coronato is a mother, author, speaker and consultant. Her latest book, Eco-Friendly Families, is packed with concrete advice, useful tips and fun strategies. Visit HelenCoronato.com.

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consciouseating SPICE OF LIFE

Sizzling Hot Healthy Peppers H

abanero, banana wax, jalapeno One fresh, medium-sized with University of California, Los Angeand other members of the chile les, demonstrated that the pepper extract green chile pod has pepper family have added a not only killed approximately 80 percent kick of flavor to otherwise bland food for as much Vitamin C of the cancer cells, but also dramatically hundreds of years. These spicy dynamos curbed the growth of remaining tumors, as six oranges. not only make our tongues sizzle and our which were only one-fifth the size of faces sweat, they also deliver an array of One teaspoon of those in untreated mice. health benefits.

Capsaicin triggered a similar effect in dried red chile powder The hot, hotter and scorching sensahuman lung and pancreatic cancer cells tion of capsaicin, found primarily in the delivers the daily in a study conducted at the University of seeds and ribs of cayenne peppers, has Nottingham in the UK. requirement of its own heat scale. While the amount of this chemical component varies among Vitamin A. Manage Pain pepper varieties, the rule is, the more Over-the-counter topical capsaicin ointments, such as Zostrix capsaicin, the more fire in the belly and mouth. Bell pepand Capzasin-P, currently provide thousands of individuals pers are at the bottom of the Scoville Heat Scale, with zero with relief from the pain associated with osteoarthritis, sports units, while fiery habaneros score around 300,000 units, injuries and psoriasis.

These peppery creams work by depletand pure capsaicin, at the top of the list, measures a scorching the amount of a neurotransmitter called substance P, ing 16 million units. which is believed to send pain messages to the brain. Many In recent years, researchers who have studied capsaiindividuals experience a localized burning sensation when cin have surfaced some promising results. Evidently, eating capsaicin cream is applied to the skin, but this discomfort these spicy treats can help prevent and treat certain types of subsides with repeated use, and pain relief usually follows. cancer, decrease and alleviate pain and help control weight.

Fight Cancer

Offset Obesity

In India, Mexico and other countries where hot peppers are commonly used in traditional cuisine, cancer rates are relatively low, according to the Globocan 2002 database.

This correlates with the results of a study conducted on mice genetically modified with human prostate cancer cells.

Research by the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in collaboration

Capsaicin is found in various weight loss supplements because it increases metabolic activity, which helps to burn calories and fat. In 1999, the British Journal of Nutrition published a study revealing that women participants who added two teaspoons of dried red pepper to their food consumed fewer calories and less fat at their next meal, so capsaicin may reduce appetite.

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Spice Up a Diet To make the most of the diverse health benefits associated with eating hot peppers, we must add them to our everyday diet. Any Mexican or Thai restaurant can easily satiate a hankering for heat. At home, adding hot peppers to meals is easy and adds intriguing color and flavor to foods.

Note that regular consumption of hot peppers increases one’s tolerance to capsaicin, and thus access to its benefits. So experts recommend that we begin at the base of the Scoville Heat Scale, with milder peppers, and gradually work our way up to the tongue scorchers.

Start, for example, with pepperoncinis, which add zing to salads and soups and then, step up to hotter varieties, like poblanos and jalapenos, perfect in pasta dishes, rices and omelets. Maybe top a pizza with sliced wax peppers.

Finally, add a dash of cayenne pepper to spice salsas, sauces and meat marinades.

Researchers and dieticians around the world are excited about the proven and potential health benefits of hot peppers. People everywhere are proving why, indeed, some like it hot.

Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer in Adairsville, GA. Connect at AmberNagle.com.

Source: New Mexico State University; for more, visit ChilePepperInstitute.org and search Chile Information.

Scoville Heat Scale The Scoville Heat Scale measures the hotness of peppers.

The units represent the average amount of capsaicin present in the pepper.

Pure Capsaicin

16 million

Naga Jolokia

855,000 +

Red Savina Habanero

350,000 – 580,000

Habanero, Scotch Bonnet

100,000 – 350,000

Rocoto, Jamaican Hot, African Birdseye

100,000 – 200,000

Thai

50,000 – 100,000

Cayenne, Tabasco

30,000 – 50,000

Serrano

10,000 – 23,000

Wax

5,000 – 10,000

Jalapeño, Guajillo

2,500 – 8,000

Rocotillo

1,500 – 2,500

Poblano

1,000 – 1,500

Pepperoncini Bell

100 – 500 0

828-649-3804 September / October 2009

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askthepractitioner

Q A

What are floaters? Anything I can do to prevent them?

The term “floaters� refers to small deposits or strands of tissue that move within the jelly material inside the eye.

As we age, this material begins to liquefy, causing floaters. Floaters are sometimes described as dust, black spots, spider webs, or insects in your vision. Most of the time they will move with your eyes. Floaters can happen at any age but are usually first noticed in our 20s. About 65% of the population has large floaters by age 65. People more at risk are older, female, nearsighted, chromium deficient, or have a history of head/eye trauma, eye surgery, or inflammation within the eye. Chromium deficiency can increase your chances eightfold of having floaters. A very large percentage of Americans are chromium deficient, with some studies estimating as high as 80%.

As we get older, we can suddenly develop a new, large floater called a PVD or posterior vitreous detachment. This causes you to feel like something moved in your peripheral vision and may cause flashes of light in your side vision. About 8 to 10% of the time a PVD can cause a retinal break. A retinal break can lead to a retinal detachment. Signs of a retinal detachment can include a dark shade or curtain in your vision, a paprika haze, and/or onset of many new floaters. If you have signs of a new PVD or detached retina you should see an eye doctor immediately for a dilated eye examination. There are no eye drops that help floaters. Incisional surgery is only rarely

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perfomed to remove very large floaters. Most floaters are benign and after initial presentation your brain will slowly begin to ignore them, especially as they settle due to gravity.

Avoid aspartame (often found in diet soda), it may weaken the retina. Nutrients that may strengthen the retina include lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberry, and resveratrol, to name a few. Some foods that are good for your eyes include green leafy vegetables, blueberries, green tea, and red wine (in moderation).

Dr. Nathan Schramm, O.D., C.N.S. is an Optometric Physician and a Certified Nutrition Specialist. He practices in Gainesville, Ocala, Summerfield, The Villages, Williston, and Inverness.

Dr. Schramm is currently accepting new patients and can be reached at 888-781-2020 or via email: gr8eyedoc@gmail.com.

This article is not intended to replace a full eye examination by a qualified medical professional. A special thanks to Dr. Elias C. Mavrofrides, M.D., a vitreoretinal specialist, and Dr. Julie Abraham, O.D., for editorial support.

naturalhealing Can Reiki help you?

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o you have pain or stress? Are you tired all the time?

Maybe you have carpal tunnel, arthritis, high blood pressure, cancer, depression, recent or past surgeries/injuries or have immunity issues. If you do, then Reiki can help. More than 100 hospitals nationwide offer Reiki, and many doctors recommend this technique as a complementary treatment to their medical approach.

Many studies have proved that Reiki is very effective post-operative. Fewer patients required intubations, ventilation, antibiotics, and diuretics. There were also fewer infections. Patients developed pneumonia less frequently, and had fewer heart complications.

Other studies have been done on Reiki’s positive effects on back pain, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, illness during cancer chemotherapy, depression, and chronic diseases to name a few.

So what is Reiki? It is a gentle, but extremely effective, hands-on alternative therapeutic technique, which is about 3,000 years old and is believed to have originated in ancient Tibet. It was rediscovered in Japan in 1922 by a Japanese doctor named Mikado Usui. Reiki is a Japanese word meaning universal life force energy. Eastern medicine philosophy believes that not only do we have a cardiovascular and lymphatic system, but we also have an energy system. When this system becomes unbalanced, depleted or blocked, the body becomes sick. Reiki practitioners are attuned to this energy and are able to tap into it and channel it to promote energetic balancing and healing.

What can you expect during a Reiki session? A session is given to the client while they are lying down on a comfortable massage table, relaxing for about one hour while the therapist applies their hands very gently in several positions on both sides of the body. If this position is not comfortable, Reiki can also be done in a seated position.

Usually relaxing music is played during a session. Sessions are done fully clothed. The person receiving the Reiki may feel a physical sensation, such as warmth or spreading heat accompanied be deep relaxation. This deep relaxation strengthens the immune system, relieves anxiety and emotional stress, helps lower blood pressure, and reduces and/ or eliminates physical pain. Reiki is a very pleasurable and relaxing experience to give and receive.

Learning Reiki involves instruction, receiving attunements, and practice. All levels are taught by a Reiki master.

Reiki is taught in three levels. Each level offers progressively greater abilities and further mastery of working with and directing the energy. Generally there is a period of time between each level in which one accommodates and practices this new ability. Reiki practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they prescribe substances or perform medical treatment, nor interfere with the treatment of a licensed medical professional. Reiki is a system of empowerment to heal oneself and others. It is not a religion and no belief

system is involved. Anyone can benefit from Reiki sessions and once a person has been taught, anyone can do Reiki, regardless of age, health, or background.

Sue Domfort is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher and owner of Intuitive Touch Reiki and Massage Therapy (MA#53889/ MM#22664). Ms. Domfort has 25 years’ experience in the medical field and has been a Reiki Master for the last nine years. Her office is located at Oakhurst Professional Park, 1328 SE 25th Loop, Suite 101, Ocala (352-804-7617). Sue is now forming Reiki 1 and 2 classes for January 2010. For further information on Reiki, visit www.reiki.org, or www. nccam.nih.gov/health/reiki/.

September / October 2009

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Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.

- Marianne Williamson

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The music that can deepest reach, and cure all ill, is cordial speech.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

creativeways

Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up and do them.

—Roger von Oech

Music Harmonizes the Brain and Heals the Heart

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hen two guitarists play together, more than their instruments play in time; their brainwaves match up, too, according to new research from Germany. When the German scientists analyzed electrical activity in the brains of eight pairs of guitarists as they played a short jazz-fusion melody together up

to 60 times, they discovered that brain wave similarities within and between the musicians’ brains increased as they listened to the beat of a metronome while preparing to play. The brains’ synchronization then continued when they began making music.

Another U.S. study monitored the steady pulse of a recovering heart surgery patient as it charted the progress of his mending heart, while a quiet symphony filled the room. For nine days, the patient soaked up the tranquil, wordless strumming of a Brazilian guitarist.

Music became his medicine, as his heart literally fell into rhythm with the tunes.

Increasingly, doctors are studying and employing music as a healing tool; in measuring the brain’s response to musical notes, they are discovering music’s harmonizing route from head to heart.

Sources: msnbc.msn.com, BBC News, 2009.

Alternative Wholistic Health Care

Doodling Aids Memory

“To Achieve Optimal Health using Alternative Complementary Medicine with State of the Art Technology”

D

oodling might imply a wandering mind, but according to a study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, the contrary is true; doodling can actually help people remember details.

Study participants who were directed to doodle while listening to a dull phone message demonstrated a 29 percent improved recall compared with their non-doodling counterparts.

“If someone is doing a boring task, they may start to daydream. Daydreaming distracts them from the task, resulting in poorer performance,” explains study co-author Jackie Andrade, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Plymouth, in England. “A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task.” It turns

Michael Badanek, Chiropractic Physician, Board Certified in Clinical Nutrition and Promoter of Alternative Complementary Medicine.

28 Years of Clinical Practice in Marion County Florida FREE SEMINARS on Alternative Health Care. See Web-sites for dates, times and locations of Seminars Same day emergency appointments Courtesy consultations available out that in everyday life, doodling may be something we do because it helps us stay on track.

Source: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009

(352) 622-1151 3391 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite B Ocala, FL 34470 www.alternativewholistichealth.com www.ocalaalternativemedicine.com

September / October 2009

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calendarofevents Monday, August 31 Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine Clinic re-opens w/Fall clinic hrs Mon-Fri. Call 352-371-2833 for appointment. www.dragonrises.edu.

Wednesday, September 2 The Healer Within w/Michael Thomas, DC & Janet Slimak, LMT, 7:15 pm, love offering, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. 352-629-3897.

September 4-6 Ecotherapy Weekend Retreat: Labor of Love; Self-transformation through precarious times w/Michael Rebel, LMHC #MH3532 & artist Brenda Heim. Horseshoe Lake Park, Ocala. 352-357-4838, NaturalAwakeningsPrograms.com.

Saturday, September 5 One Heart Energy Balancing w/Nena Elantra Roberts, 1-6 pm. High Springs Emporium, 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs. 386-454-8657.

Wednesday, September 9 Meridian Tapping Techniques, 6-8 pm, $20. Limited to first ten registrants. To register 352-454-8959.

September 9-10 Unity World Day of Prayer, Unity Church of Citrus County, 2628 W. Woodview Lane, Lecanto, free events open to the public: Wed, Sept 9, 6:30 pm – Opening Session & Meditation Trail; Thu, Sept 10, 9 am – Morning Meditation & Labyrinth Walk; 6:30 pm – Closing Session & Drumming; 24 Hour Prayer Vigil. www.unityofcitrus.org, 352-746-1270.

Friday, September 11 Dances of Universal Peace (Sufi Dancing), 7:30 pm, United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5 Ave, FLRetreats@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 12 FREE MOVIE about EFT: “Try It On Everything” at the Prosperous Living Center. 6:30 pm. Carla Burkle, 352-283-3909.

Imagineering: Pathway to Personal Success Workshop, 10-12 pm, $10, Family Wellness Center, 4817 NE 2 Loop, Ocala. 352-484-8550.

Sunday, September 13 Meridian Tapping Techniques, 6-8 pm, $20. Limited to first ten registrants. 352-454-8959.

Monday, September 14 Absolute last day to enroll in the Class of 2012 to receive the Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Dragon Rises College.

352-371-2833. www.dragonrises.edu.

Tuesday, September 15 Infertility and Reflexology, 7 pm, A Place to Heal, 2631 NW 41 St, Suite E4, Gainesville. 352-871-0134, info@kristentoth.com.

Friday, September 18 Satsang with Gurudev Yogi Amrit Desai, the staff of the Amrit Yoga Institute & 2009 Yoga Teacher Trainees, 6:30-8:30 pm, donation, Amrit Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd 314, Salt Springs, info@amrityoga. org, 352-685-3001.

September 18-19 Equinox of Dreams Women’s Retreat w/Antoinette Johns, 7:15 pm Fri, 9–8 pm Sat, $30, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. 352-629-3897.

Saturday, September 19 Open to Divine Balance: Red, Green & Gold Stellar Beams w/

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calendarofevents Sharron Britton, 1-4 pm, $20. High Springs Emporium 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs, 386-454-8657.

Usui Reiki I Certification w/Rev. Kim Marques, 10-3:30 pm, $63$73, The Villages Lifelong Learning College, 275 Buffalo Trl, The Villages.

Call to register 352-753-3035.

Tuesday, September 22 Wake up to the Meaning of Your Dreams w/Rev. Kim Marques, 6-9 pm, The Villages Lifelong Learning College, 275 Buffalo Trl, The Villages.

Call to register 352-753-3035.

Friday, September 25 Unity presents its first PosiPalooza Concert, 7 pm, Unity of Gainesville, 8801 NW 39 Ave, Gainesville. 352-373-1030.

September 26-27 Quantum-Touch Energy Healing Workshop w/Patricia Wagner, 10-5 pm, $295 prepaid, $147.50 to repeat, Lemire Natural Medicine Clinic, 9401 SW Hwy 200, Bldg 90, Ocala, contact Patricia Wagner at 352-369-3029 or patricia@graceunlimited.com. www.GraceUnlimited. com.

Sunday, September 27 Organic Meal and Open House, Magnolia Farms, 12886 87 Rd, Live Oak. 386-364-6450.

October 1-4 Silent Meditation: The Practice of Body, Mind and Beyond w/Yogi Amrit Desai & Chandrakant, $595 includes program, meals and lodging, Amrit Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd 314, Salt Springs. www.amrityoga.org, call or email to register- info@amrityoga.org, 352-685-3001.

October 2-4 Ecotherapy Weekend Retreat, Transformation Through Color; learn to embrace change as temperatures drop and leaves fall w/Michael Rebel LMHC #MH3532 & Artist, Brenda Heim. Horseshoe Lake Park, Ocala. 352-357-4838, NaturalAwakeningsPrograms.com.

Saturday, October 3 Arnette House Indian Summer event, 4-7 pm, downtown Ocala on the square; a family-friendly block party. Free admission. 352-622-4432 x 229.

Enchanted Walkabout w/John Springer, 10 am, Love Offering, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. 352-6293897.

High Springs Emporium Fifth Anniversary Party: Free music, food, gifts, sales, 11-6 pm. High Springs Emporium 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs. 386-454-8657.

Tuesday, October 6 Pregnancy and Reflexology, 7 pm. A Place to Heal, 2631 NW 41 St, Suite E4, Gainesville. 352-871-0134, info@kristentoth.com.

Wednesday, October 7 Experience The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com) w/Certified Facilitator Celia Chapman, 7-9 pm, love offering, United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5 Ave, Gainesville. 352-505-5651 or ccthework@ netzero.com to register.

Meridian Tapping Techniques for Improving Self Esteem. 6-8 pm, $20. Limited to first ten registrants. Call to register 352-454-8959.

Friday, October 9 Screening and discussion of the film “2012: Science or Superstition?� 7 pm, Unity of Gainesville, 8801 NW 39 Ave, Gainesville. 352373-1030.

Spaghetti Dinner, Entertainment, and Silent Auction, 6:30 pm, $10, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. 352-629-3897.

September / October 2009

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calendarofevents October 9-11 Traditional Usui Reiki Master Degree in the Amrit Method w/Yogi Amrit Desai, Devdasi and Mohan (Audrey & James Pearson), $495 includes program, meals and lodging, Amrit Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd 314, Salt Springs. www.amrityoga.org, info@amrityoga. org, 352-685-3001.

Saturday, October 10 Usui Reiki II Certification w/Rev. Kim Marques, 10-3:30 pm, $63-$73, The Villages Lifelong Learning College, 275 Buffalo Trl, The Villages. Call to register 352-753-3035.

Women’s Dance Extravaganza, 8 pmmidnight. Women only. $12/adv & $15/door.

Pride Center, 3131 NW 13 St, Gainesville. www.kindredsisters.org.

Tuesday, October 13 Nature, Power Animals and You w/Rev. Kim Marques, 6-9 pm, The Villages Lifelong Learning College, 275 Buffalo Trl, The Villages.

Call to register 352-753-3035.

Saturday, October 17 The Amrit Yoga Connection & Satsang w/ Gurudev w/Yogi Amrit Desai, Chandrakant, Senior Staff, Amrit Yoga, Amrit Yoga Nidra, Meditation, free evening satsang at 6:30, 10am8:30pm, $35 for day, $60 overnight, Amrit Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd. 314, Salt Springs. Register www.amrityoga.org, info@ amrityoga.org, 352-685-3001.

Sunday, October 18 From Recovery to Self Discovery, Amrit Yoga Senior Staff, donation, open to all. Amrit Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd 314, Salt Springs, www.amrityoga.org, info@amrityoga. org, 352-685-3001.

Wednesday, October 21 Meridian Tapping Techniques for Improving Self Esteem, 6-8 pm, $20. Limited to first ten registrants. Call to register 352-454-8959.

Thursday, October 22 Stress Reduction/Integrative Relaxation w/ John Ernest Hiester(Chandrakant), 7-8:30 pm, Free, dress warmly, bring light blanket, Downtown Public Library, 401 E University Ave, Gainesville. jehiester@amrityoga.org.

Friday, October 23 Open house at Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine, 5-8 pm, demonstrations, info, snacks, 1000 NE 16 Ave, Bldg F, Gainesville. 352-371-2833, www.dragonrises.edu.

October 23-28 RECLAIM YOUR INNER HEALER w/Yogi Amrit Desai, Ayurvedic physician Dr. Vijay Jain & Institute Staff for a seminar of rejuvenation and health education, $995 includes program, meals and lodging (combine with Silent Meditation program for total of $1200), Amrit

Yoga Institute, 23859 NE County Rd 314, Salt Springs. www.amrityoga.org, info@amrityoga. org, 352-685-3001.

Saturday, October 24 Cupping and Gua Sha for Massage Therapists w/Hamilton Rott, AP, $145, 9–5 pm, 7 CEUs. Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine, 1000 NE 16 Ave, Bldg F, Gainesville.

352-371-2833, www.dragonrises.edu.

Fantastic* Family Fall Festival, all-day event includes arts/crafts, entertainment, children’s events. Interested vendors contact Althea Wright 352-281-3095, Unity of Gainesville, 8801 NW 39 Ave, Gainesville. 352-373-1030.

Reiki I w/Vickie Haren, 9-5 pm, $85, All About Art/ Artful Living Center, 5162 SE Abshier Blvd. (Hwy 441), Belleview. Pre-reg required, 352-502-3898.

Through the Gateway of the New Shamanism: Stones for Psychic Protection w/Sharron Britton, 1-4 pm, $20. High Springs Emporium 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs, 386-454-8657.

Saturday, October 31 Parapsychology Expo at The Villages, 9-4 pm, Free admission, Lake Miona Recreation Center, 1526 Buena Vista Blvd, The Villages.

352-205-6055.

Spiritual Connections to the Other Side w/ Omialadora Ajamu, 1-6 pm, High Springs Emporium, 660 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs.

386-454-8657.

Ongoing Events Sunday Celebrating Community and Inspiring Message – Science of Mind and Spirit, Meditation 9:45 am, Celebration /Message 10:30 am, Youth and Children’s Celebration 10:30 am, Love Offering, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. www.olec.org.

Guided Meditation and Spiritual Lesson, 10 am, Love Offering. Nursery & Child Care available during the service. Unity of Ocala, 101 Cedar Rd, Ocala. 352-687-2113.

Second Sunday, Spiritual Living – Studying the Science of Mind and Spirit, 2 pm, Love Offering, Gainesville. Call for location 352336-9783.

Monday Amrit Yoga w/Senior Staff, 7-8:30 pm, donation, The Amrit Yoga Institute, Salt Springs. www.amrityoga.org, 352-685-3001, info@ amrityoga.org.

Crystal Healing and Tarot Readings w/ Catherine, 1-5 pm, Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10 St, Ocala. 352-857-9398.

Yoga w/Joanna – Mon 6-7 pm, $8. Yoga, Ayurveda & Meditation w/Richard, 8-9:15 am, $8. Ayurveda Health Retreat & Spa. 14616 NW 140 St, Alachua, 352-870-7645.

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calendarofevents Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Hatha Yoga Classes w/Marilyn, Chair Class & Regular Yoga, OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. Call for times and prices 352-369-0055.

Hot yoga, Mon 6:30 & 8:30 am, 5:30 pm, Tue 5:30 pm, Thu 5:30 & 6:45 pm. YogaByJenKing.com, 352-361-3619.

Tuesday Amrit Yoga & Yoga Nidra w/Shivani, 9-10 am (Yoga), 10-10:30 (Yoga Nidra), Turkey Creek, 441N, Alachua. 386-462-4960, feryle.wright@sfc. edu.

Astrology w/Sarah, 5-7 pm, Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10 St, Ocala.

352-857-9398.

Beginners Yoga w/Richard, 6-7 pm, $8. Ayurveda Health Retreat, 14616 NW 140 St Alachua, www.AyurvedaHealthRetreat.com.

Self-Healing Classes w/Catherine, 6-7:30 pm, Free, Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10 St, Ocala. 352-857-9398.

Vegetarian Cooking Classes (5), Sept 8 – Oct 6, 6-8:30 pm, $100 for the series & can be paid weekly, space limited, $20 dep req’d to register, held at private residence in SW Gainesville off 34 St & Archer Rd. 352378-9943.

Wednesday Asian Food Therapy, Oct 28 – Dec 9, 6-8 pm, 6 classes w/Mary Jo Hayes, AP Dragon Rises College, $15 materials fee Santa Fe College Community Ed, 1000 NE 16 Ave, Bldg F, Gainesville. Register http://dept. sfcollege.edu/ce/.

Intuitive Development 4 Week Series w/Rev. Kim Marques, Oct 7 – Oct 28, 6-8 pm, $63-$73, The Villages Lifelong Learning College, 275 Buffalo Trl, The Villages. Call to register 352-753-3035.

Silent Unity Meditation Service – Meditation Session, Noon -12: 30 pm, Free. Unity of Ocala, 101 Cedar Rd, Ocala. 352-687-2113.

Yoga w/Ania, certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor, 6-7 pm, $8. Ayurveda Health Retreat. 14616 NW 140 St Alachua. 352-870-7645.

Vegetarian Cooking Classes (5), Sept 9 – Oct 7, 6-8:30 pm, $100 for the series & can be paid weekly, space limited, $20 dep req’d to register, held at private residence in SW Gainesville off 34 St & Archer Rd. 352378-9943.

First Thursday Reiki circle, Reiki Practitioners only, Free. Intuitive Touch Reiki and Massage Therapy, Oakhurst Professional Park, 1328 SE 25 Lp, Suite 101, Ocala. RSVP 352-804-7617.

Thursday Amrit Approach to The Course in Miracles w/Charlotte Spicer, 6-7 pm, donation, Amrit Yoga Institute, Salt Springs. www.amrityoga.org, 352685-3001, charlotte@amrityoga.org.

Amrit Yoga & Yoga Nidra w/Shivani, 9-10 am (Yoga),10-10:30 (Yoga Nidra), free, Turkey Creek, 441N., Alachua, 386-462-4960, feryle. wright@sfc.edu.

Amrit Yoga w/Veda, 5:30-6:30, free, Downtown Public Library, 401 E University Ave, Gainesville, vedalewis@aol.com, 352-692-3922.

Amrit Yoga Nidra w/Charlotte Spicer, 7:45-8:30 pm, donation, Amrit Yoga Institute, Salt Springs, www.amrityoga.org. 352-685-3001, charlotte@amrityoga.org.

Sivananda Yoga w/Hita, 6-7 pm, $8, Ayurveda Health Retreat & Spa. 14616 NW 140 St Alachua. www.AyurvedaHealthRetreat.com.

Healing with Essential Oils Classes, 6:30 pm, visit www.essentialoilbliss.com for Ocala location and class schedule. Call Val to register 877-762-4535.

Self-Realization Fellowship Silent Meditation, 7:15 pm, Silent group meditation based on SRF practices of Paramahansa Yogananda, Love Offering. Unity of Ocala, 101 Cedar Rd, Ocala. 352-687-2113.

YOGA, 6 pm w/Maryann Holden, instructor, $5 p/p. Unity of Ocala, 101 Cedar Rd, Ocala. 352-687-2113.

September / October 2009

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calendarofevents Friday Amrit Yoga/Yoga Nidra w/Veda, 2:30-3 pm (Yoga Nidra), 3-4 pm (gentle Yoga), free to residents, Oak Hammock, Williston Rd, Gainesville. vedalewis@aol.com, 692-3922.

First Friday, Ocala IONS Community Group for the Institute of Noetic Sciences, 6:30-8:30 pm, donation. OakBrook Life Enrichment Center, 1009 NE 28 Ave, Ocala. 352-732-8527.

Gentle Amrit Yoga w/Veda, 11-12 pm, Turkey Creek Forest Clubhouse, 441 N, Gainesville. vedalewis@aol.com, 352-692-3922.

Guided Meditations w/Cree, Jaya, Kristine, Joe & Scotty, 8-9 pm, donation, Soul Essentials of Ocala. Call Jennifer 352-236-7000.

Kirtan – Devotional Singing, 8-9 pm, Free. Ayurveda Health Retreat, 14616 NW 140 St Alachua, 352-870-7645.

Massage at the Market w/Val, 8-1:30 weather permitting. North Magnolia Farmers Market, 834 N Magnolia Ave, Ocala. www.flyinghorsehealingarts.com MA54723.

Psychic Readings and Spiritual Cleansings w/Kayla, 1-5 pm, Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10 St, Ocala. 352-857-9398.

Saturday Amrit Yoga w/Veda, 10-11 pm, $10-$12/class, Haile Plantation Community Club, 5400 SW 88 Ct, Gainesville. 352-335-1481 to register, info vedalewis@aol.com, 352-692-3922.

Amrit Yoga & Yoga Nidra w/Veda, 12-1 pm (Yoga), 1-1:30 pm (Yoga Nidra), free to members, guest fee, Gainesville Health & Fitness Women’s Center, Thornebrook, info vedalewis@aol.com, 352-692-3922.

Law of Attraction Workshops, limited to 8 people, optional days/ times. $100/5 weeks. Info 352-256-1042 or Barbara@LoA-Coach.com.

Open House with free food samples, 9-3. Cooking classes in the evenings. Rosas Farms, 13450 N. Hwy. 301, Citra (just north of “the split”), 352-620-2737, www.RosasFarms.com.

Readings w/Rev. Carol, 1-5 pm, Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10 St, Ocala. 352-857-9398.

Upcoming Events Wednesday, November 4 The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com) w/Certified Facilitator Celia Chapman, 7-9 pm, love offering, United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5 Ave. 352-505-5651 or ccthework@netzero.com to register.

November 6-8 Ecotherapy Weekend Retreat, Coming Together; preparing for family gatherings, social interactions and “me” time w/Michael Rebel LMHC #MH3532 and Artist, Brenda Heim. Horseshoe Lake Park, Ocala. Contact Brenda 352-357-4838, NaturalAwakeningsPrograms.com.

November 20-22 A Women’s Spiritual Retreat, Life Enrichment Center, Fruitland Park.

352-502-3898 www.ESJourneys.com.

Wednesday, December 2 Experience The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com) w/Certified Facilitator Celia Chapman, 7-9 pm, love offering, United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5 Ave, Gainesville. 352-505-5651 or ccthework@ netzero.com to register.

Calendar listings are FREE (up to 5) for display advertisers and for CRG (up to 2) advertisers; $15/ each additional. Non-sponsors may advertise listings of events for $15/each; visit http://www. naturalawakeningsncfl.com/news.htm and click on “Buy Now” to do this easily and instantly online. Nonprofits offering free events are occasionally offered free listings on a space-available basis.

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communityresourceguide ... Connecting readers to leaders in holistic health care and green living services in our community.

To be included in the Community Resource Guide, visit www.NaturalAwakeningsNCFL.com to view the media kit online, or call 352-629-4000, or email info@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

acupuncture

chef/cooking classes

craniosacral therapy

eft

colonics

life coaches

holistic medicine

September / October 2009

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massage

reflexology

rolfing

scio/epfx

personal fitness

the work/byron katie publishing/editing

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Couples Retreats Romantic Vacation/Workshops: Florida, Mexico. Create Magic in Your Relationship. Deepen Intimacy, Discover Tantra. Brochure.

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Health Products Learn how you can feel great again with Xango’s new product— X-51. A synergetic blend of all natural botanicals. Information at Realms Beyond, 500 SE 10th Street, #107, Ocala. Contact Valerie Hazelden, 352-425-5588, www.CatchTheSynergy.com.

Intimacy Products Topical ointment guaranteed to increase a woman’s sexual responsiveness and sensation. Woman-invented and womanmade. All natural, safe, and it smells wonderful, too! $29.95+$5 shipping. Call 352-286-1779 or visit www.JoyOil.com.

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