Natural Awakenings Houston September 2021

E E HEALTHY LIVING FR

HEALTHY

PLANET

ART& CREATIVITY forHEALING Gratitude in Relationships INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT Yoga to Heal Trauma

September 2021 | Houston Metro-Edition | NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 11 Shedding Light on Light Bulbs

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13 Art’s Embrace: healing through creativity 15 Yoga to Heal Trauma: soothing poses calm the nervous system

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18 Gratitude in Relationships ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 713-927-6540 or email: mike@naturalawakenings-houston.com.

Deadline for ads: the 5th of the month.

21 Conquering Chronic Pain: how the mindbody connection works

25 25 Horses as Healers: equine therapy has physical and emotional benefits

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS

Email articles, news items and ideas to: mike@naturalawakenings-houston.com.

Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

Email Calendar Events to: Calendar@NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com.

Deadline for calendar: the 5th of the month.

If you have missed the deadline ask about our “Red-Eye Special” and our digital placements.

REGIONAL MARKETS

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

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AUGUST 2021

4 letter from the publisher

27 calendar of events

7 affirming naturally

28 healthy living guide

9 fitness tip

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

letter from publishers

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

Greetings!

Just a quick update from Cindy and I here at The Cabin. Cindy is recovering nicely from surgery to straighten her spine which will help her breathe better. We tried quite a few other approaches over the past few years and things just got worse.

We have the best spine surgeon in the Sate of Texas and have high hopes for her successful recovery and rehabilitation. Our new landlord is installing central heat and air in The Cabin and we look forward to a more comfortable summer and much more comfortable winter. The basenjis are enjoying the hot weather and I’m getting ready to plant the fall garden.

This month we have lots of interesting and informative articles, some exciting events and several new sponsors. Be sure to check them out and when you visit them be sure to let them know that you learned about them in Natural Awakenings.

As you go about your life this month, look out for little kindnesses you can do for the people you meet. For, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop.

Cindy & Mike Hart

HOUSTON EDITION PUBLISHERS

Cindy & Mike Hart

EDITOR & DESIGN Mike Hart CREATIVE

Cindy Hart

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Doyle Ward Joseph Nobile WEBSITE

Mike Hart

CONTACT US

446 West 19th Street, Suite 419 Houston, TX 77008 713-927-6540 NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

NATIONAL TEAM

EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS INTIMACY EXPERTS

Intimacy Retreats Richard & Diana Daffner IntimacyRetreats.com/video-NAHTX/ 941-349-6804

LIFE COACHING EXPERT Blissful Quests Doyle Ward blissfulquests.com 832-628-4113

CEO/Founder Sharon Bruckman COO/Franchise Sales Joe Dunne

Layout & Design Gabrielle W-Perillo

Financial Manager Yolanda Shebert

Asst. Director of Ops Heather Gibbs Digital Content Director Rachael Oppy

National Advertising Lisa Doyle-Mitchell Administrative Assistant Anne-Marie Ryan Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513

SHAMANISM EXPERT

NaturalAwakenings.com

Shaman Spirits Anthony Rios 409-752-6027 shamanspirits.net

NUTRITIONAL HEALTH EXPERT Whole Health Wellness and Nutrition Erin Thole erinthole.com thole.erin@gmail.com

PERSONAL FITNESS EXPERT JoeyDiego Personal Trainer JoeyDiego Nobile facebook.com/dancingdiego 917-402-8664

© 2021 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

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

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

PLANT-BASED WELLNESS EXPERT John Vastola Kreat Day Botanicals KreatDayBotanicals.com 713-369-0946

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

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

affirming naturally

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Visit our website for more information or to schedule an appointment

I believe in myself.

by Doyle Ward You have more than 55,000 thoughts each day. Many are the same thoughts over and over again. Every single one is an affirmation; this also includes everything that you say. By reducing your negative thoughts and words and increasing the positive ones, you can reshape your life. Expecting a better day helps to create a better life. The only place we have to take action or make changes is the present.

Now Offering Mobile Colonics Barbara J. Ellis, Retired RN, therapist & owner

I believe in myself.

Everything that is good and great starts with the belief in yourself and the belief that it is possible. Many of us have been conditioned to doubt ourselves. If that’s true for you, use affirmations to start retraining yourself to believe that you deserve all the greatness that the Universe has to offer. Being consistent is the key. Here’s my affirmation for this month: The only thing that you’re guaranteed in life is this moment. Working with positive affirmations can radically change your mindset. Say them and write them repeatedly with the feeling that they are your truth. You have the power to make great changes in yourself and the world. I know this is true because I have made huge changes in my life by changing my thoughts.

Urban Colonics

5042 Briscoe St. Houston, TX.77033 713-738-8199 urbancolonics.com

Reclaim Your Health Naturally!

Suffering from menopause symptoms?

Having trouble losing weight?

Experiencing food allergies?

Doyle Ward, Blissful Quests ® Doyle Ward is a successful life coach, workshop leader and lecturer in the field of personal development.

Call or visit our website for more information or to schedule an appointment.

See ad on page 24.

Dr. Gracie Chukwu, ND, CSN, CNC

Anthony Rios Shamanic Practitioner Traditional “Limpias” Energetic Cleansings

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JoeyDiego Nobile

917-402-8664

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Attention: Women over age 20

If you have had a mammogram, you should also consider breast thermography.

Penny Pincher

Electric Vehicles Demand Far Less Maintenance

No Radiation - Pain Free - Noncontact Call or visit our website for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Houston Thermography Center 6401 Southwest Freeway Suite 250 Houston, TX 77074 713-781-9991 houstonholistichealthclinic.com

The U.S. Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory reports that overall maintenance costs for a light-duty, battery-powered car are around 40 percent less per mile than for a gasoline-powered model. Not only do they not require motor oil, they also have no timing belts, oxygen sensors, fuel filters, spark plugs, multiple-speed transmissions and other parts. The difference is on average for gasoline-powered cars—10 cents per mile; hybrid cars—nine cents per mile; and electric cars (EV)—six cents per mile. EVs may have a higher initial investment cost, but their lower maintenance and increased mileage make them especially attractive to companies or government agencies with large fleets of vehicles. Motor Trend magazine estimates that an all-electric fleet of the federal government’s light-duty vehicles would be $78 million cheaper per year to maintain than if it were entirely gas-powered.

Get to the Root Cause of Your Health Conditions Specializing in: • Digestive Issues • Fatigue • Food Cravings • Mood Swings • Hormonal Imbalances • Fertility • Weight Issues • Auto Immune Conditions • Aches & Pains • and More Erin Thole,CNHP Reach Your TRUE Health Potential With: Food Sensitivity, Hormonal, Toxicity, and Nutritional Deficiency Panels Nutritional Programs & More Set up your FREE consultation by emailing: thole.erin@gmail.com To learn how Erin has helped others just like you visit: www.ErinThole.com

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

Breathe from your gut

by JoeyDiego Nobile

You only have this one life and the question is, how are you going to live it? Are you going to look young and healthy or sick and old? Are you going to let high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes take you before your time or are you going to do something about it? Regardless of whether you are interested in competitive bodybuilding or just getting fit so you can play with your children or grandchildren, it is never too late to start.

Breathe from your gut.

Most people breathe rather shallowly, inflating their lungs using their chest and use only about 1/3 of their lung capacity in the process.

If you are going to exercise whether it is cardio or strength training, your body needs more oxygen to turn the food you eat and the fat your body has stored into useful energy. The way to do this is to breathe from your gut, using your diaphragm. Place your hand on your abdomen and inhale. You should feel your abdomen swell as your lungs fill with air and deflate as your exhale. Practice breathing like this until it becomes natural. Also, avoid the temptation to hold your breath during exercise. Ask your trainer or coach to help you synchronize your breathing with your exercise and you will find yourself becoming more powerful and stronger.

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised to any of us. I have been working out all my life and at 66, I still compete in and win bodybuilding competitions. Working out can erase 20 years from your body. Remember, muscle knows no age.

JoeyDiego, personal trainer 917-402-8664 JoeyDiego is a person trainer at Personal Trainer at Hardcore Gym in Galveston and a Personal Training Coach at CRUNCH Fitness in League City. Joey also does Mobile Personal Training and will come to your home or business to help you get in shape.

Fitter Fodder

Farm Waste Doubles as Construction Material Agricultural waste (agro-waste) such as manure, leaf litter and crop residues may not be thought of as likely raw materials for sustainable construction, but with traditional materials like concrete eliciting a negative environmental reputation, implementation of agro-waste is being explored around the world. Recycling, as an important part of agrowaste’s green potential, is making the use of construction materials more organic and sustainable, and helping reduce landfill issues.

A 2018 study, Agro-industrial wastes and their utilization using solid state fermentation: a review, notes agro-wastes are an eco-friendly means of manufacturing “biofuels, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, animal feed, antibiotics and other chemicals.” This same study observed, “Many agro-industrial wastes are untreated and underutilized, therefore disposed of either by burning, dumping or unplanned landfilling, which contributes to climate change by increasing greenhouse gases.” Another study found that integrating agro-wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husks and groundnut shells improved the construction materials by enhancing their sustainability properties, boosting their durability and reducing costs.

find your center

A FULL HARVEST MOON ALCHEMY CRYSTAL BOWL SOUND BATH Monday September 20th 8-9 PM Welcome to Houston’s dedicated Crystal Tones™ Alchemy soundspace, home to our Houston viewing gallery and expansive collection of the finest Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls from Crystal Tones™. We hold space for crystal sound bath and meditation experiences, healing and well-being, trainings in sound healing, creating community, celebrating beauty and intentionally shifting into higher frequencies and consciousness. Due to the pandemic, we are offering online full moon sound bath experiences with the alchemy crystal bowls guided by Gena Davis this fall, beginning September 20.

Please see our website for more information about our upcoming events at crystalbowlgallery.com/events.

See ad page XX

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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Urban Colonics Now Offers Mobile Services

Deluxe Edition of Autobiography of a Yogi Coming in October

YogaPOOLooza October 2nd

Barbara Ellis, owner of Urban Colonics, proudly announces the addition of Teresa “Tre’” Hutt to the staff. Tre is a native to Chicago but has resided in Houston since 2008.

She is a recent graduate of Urban Colonic’s colonics school and will be in charge of their new mobile colonics services. This will make Urban Colonics the first and only facility to offer mobile colonic hydrotherapy..

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, and to celebrate it, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), the spiritual organization founded by Yogananda, will issue a deluxe edition of the book in October.

YogaPOOLooza Festival. 11 am.

Join us for a day of Yoga on land and water under the sun at Balmoral Lagoon! What better way to be with your friends and meet new ones than in the beautiful outdoor space at Balmoral Lagoon. We will have plenty of space to physically distance and at the same time socially connect with others.

There are many benefits from colon hydrotherapy. For the normal healthy person it is a way to detox the system and feel more energetic. It is a preventative so that you don’t have serious problems later on. And for a person who is no longer mobile, it can be an important part of their health maintenance regime.

If you or someone you care for wishes to have a treatment but is unable or prefers not to travel, Tre will come to you, anywhere in the Houston metro. She uses the Clearwater Traveler which is a closed system which can be set up in your home.

Call today for more information or to schedule your appointment.

Urban Colonics 5042 Briscoe Street Houston, TX 77033 713-738-8199 UrbanColonics.com

With several million copies in print and having been translated into more than 50 languages, Autobiography made HarperCollins’ list of “100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century.”

Yogananda, who is widely recognized as playing a major, if not the primary role in introducing the science of yoga to the West, writes of his search for a guru, his ten years of training with his master Sri Yukteswar, and his 30 years in America where he established SRF on a stretch of Los Angeles beach. He shares stories of many encounters with spiritual masters including Mahatma Gandhi and the Catholic stigmatic Therese Neumann.

PreSell- $77 until 10/1/21 Door Price - $99.

Balmoral Lagoon 15808 Crystal Terrace Dr, Humble, TX 77346. shakapoweryoga.com/ yogapoolooza

Says Lauren Landress, SRF’s director of public affairs: “The book also provides clear, scientific explanation of the subtle but definite laws by which yogis perform miracles and attain self-mastery.”

According to Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs, Jobs first read Autobiography as a teenager, and at some point forward, then read the book every year. Autobiography was given to everyone who attended Jobs’ memorial service.

See ad page 7

Live for each second without hesitation. ~Elton John

Also, famously, the four gurus of kriya yoga, including Yogananda, are featured on the cover of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

For more information: www.yogananda.org See ad on page 26

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A variety of Yoga classes will be offered and taught by some of the most amazing local instructors we have in the Houston area; from a meditation class on the beach, a Vinyasa +DJ Flow class at Celebration Lawn, to slacklining over the white sand, and SUP Yoga on the water– there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the different Yoga classes that will be offered.

AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

Watch the video

LIGHTBULBS UNLIMITED LED Bulbs, Light Bulbs, Lamps & Repair Services

1203 Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77006 LightbulbsUnlimitedHouston.com 713-521-0330

coming in the october healthy planet issue

LIVING A SIMPLER LIFE

and

Breast Health plus: water scarcity talking to kids about climate change

eco tip

Shedding Light on Lightbulbs The Ins and Outs of Our Options

Don’t be left in the dark when choosing lightbulbs. Lighting accounts for up to 20 percent of a household’s energy bill, and untold numbers of bulbs end up in landfills. Let’s illuminate some bulb options to increase savings and reduce waste.

INCANDESCENT BULBS, the iconic symbol for a bright idea, were the only option until the early 2000s. They’re hot to the touch and no longer easy to find because governments worldwide have ordered them phased out to lower energy consumption.

Energy efficiency: Each bulb lasts one to two years, and 80 percent of the electricity is lost as heat.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $4.80 to $7.01 annual cost of operation.

Potential health risks: No toxic chemicals.

They can cause burns or fires if hot from use.

Proper disposal: Not recyclable. Throw away in garbage.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS (CFL) were a great answer to the incandescent bulbs that came before them as far as energy efficiency, but they have disadvantages, as well.

Energy efficiency: About 65 to 75 percent more efficient than incandescent.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $1.25 to $1.75 annual cost of operation.

Potential health risks: CFLs contain small traces of mercury and emit puffs of toxic powder when they break. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website epa.gov for safe clean-up instructions.

Proper disposal: Go to Earth911.com to search for nearby CFL disposal facilities.

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LED) bulbs are here to stay and illuminate the majority of households. To compute old bulb wattage compared to LED wattage, divide roughly by five or six. For example, a 60-watt incandescent bulb is equivalent to a 10-watt LED. It’s not an exact equation, but it’s close.

Energy efficiency: Up to 83 percent more efficient than incandescent.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $1.19 annual cost of operation per bulb.

Potential health risks: Age-related macular degeneration is more likely with high exposure to low-intensity “blue light”; however, the warmer glow from LEDs typically used in home light fixtures is not the culprit. The “blue light” LEDs are typically glowing from computer screens, mobile phones and other devices or appliances.

Proper disposal: Big-box and local hardware stores often offer free or low-cost recycling, as do online recyclers and local facilities because there are no toxins or hard-to-recycle wires.

When setting out on a journey, do not seek advice from someone who has never left home. ~Rumi NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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HOUSTON METRO

Chiropractic Guide Innate Chiropractic Healing Arts Center Dr. Jackie St.Cyr, DC 8100 Washington Ave, #210 Houston, TX 77007 713-521-2104 n8chiro.com HealthPro Chiropractic & Acupuncture Dr. Alayna E. Pagnani-Gendron, DC 4101 Green Briar Dr. #135 Houston, TX 77098 281-506-0105 healthprochiro.com Franson Chiropractic Dr. Brett V. Franson, DC 1652 South Dairy Ashford Rd. Houston, TX 77077 281-701-1596 fransonchiropractor.com Nominate your chiropractor.

Email their contact info to: mike@naturalawakenings-houston.com

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

ART’S EMBRACE Healing Through Creativity

by Sandra Yeyati

A

rt can be a powerful force for healing.

Its potential manifests in a disabled man’s triumphant dance or cancer patient’s stirring self-portrait. Throughout America, art’s redemption takes center stage at hospitals, nursing homes, jails and homeless shelters.

Even an entire city can be transformed when its citizens embrace public art to add beauty, create community and heal its broken places.

Art in Medical Settings

According to Jill Sonke, director of the University of Florida (UF) Center for Arts in

Medicine, approximately half of U.S. hospitals have art programs that provide positive distraction, enjoyment and connection. To humanize otherwise intimidating environments, visual artists and musicians are employed to install appealing exhibits and play relaxing music. Artists also work at the bedside with patients as part of inter-professional care teams.

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

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

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

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

Art Therapy for Cancer Patients

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

When counseling a double mastectomy patient that has questions about who they are now that they’re missing a part of their identity, Montgomery might offer a printed body map so that they can pinpoint where they carry feelings of loss, pain or confusion. “By drawing or coloring in those areas, I’m asking them to show how they’re being affected physically, emotionally and spiritually, and to externalize the overwhelming, negative side of their problem,” she explains.

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

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

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

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

Redemption Songs in Skid Row

About 10 years ago, violinist and recording artist Vijay Gupta took a

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

To uplift and inspire people recovering from homelessness, addic-

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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tion and incarceration, Gupta founded Street Symphony in 2011 as a series of concert performances by world-class musicians. “One of our first venues was the Department of Mental Health,” he recalls. “After the second movement, the young violist I was performing with turned to the audience with tears in his eyes and said, ‘I’ve loved playing for you because I can feel your hearts.’ He shared that his mother had grappled with schizophrenia, his father was a prison guard and whenever he played for his family, he felt more connected to them.

That’s when I began to see him as a human being who was in deep need of this work himself.”

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

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

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

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

Creative Care for People with Dementia

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

Basting’s Creative Care changes this depleting dynamic. “In improvisational theater, you observe everything that’s happen-ing on stage and try to figure out how you can add to the performance positively,” she explains. “Applying that idea to a care situation, you observe the person’s facial expressions, what they’re saying, how they’re behaving and then invite them into expression out of that moment with what we call a ‘beautiful question’, one that has no right or wrong answers and draws on the person’s strengths.”

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

The final step in Creative Care is to accumulate these experiences over time and shape something larger and universally meaningful that can be shared with others—an artistic product. Basting founded the nonprofit TimeSlips to train artists and caregivers worldwide to do this visionary work. Their efforts have resulted in art exhibits, dance and theater productions, books and animations. “My dream is that meaning and beauty will be made every day in nursing homes, creating care settings so interesting that people want to visit them—a new kind of cultural center, integrating health and art,” she says.

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AUGUST 2021

Transforming a City with Public Art

More than 4,000 works of public art grace the city of Philadel-

phia, three-quarters of which are breathtaking murals that combine world-class paintings and images with provocative words and healing messages. Art permeates virtually every neighborhood on walls, billboards, sidewalks, rooftops, swimming pools and basketball courts, enriching people from all walks of life, even those that don’t have access to galleries and museums.

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

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

They start to believe in themselves again.”

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

Angelina Rodriguez, LPC, ATR-BC Board Certified Art Therapist - 20 Years Experience 4747 Bellaire Blvd., Ste. 545, Bellaire, Texas 77401 therapybyangelina.com 713-206-8429

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive. ~Maya Angelou

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

fit body

YOGA TO HEAL TRAUMA

Soothing Poses Calm the Nervous System

by Marlaina Donato

TraumaIntelligent Fitness

G

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

Founded on yoga, psychology and neurobiology principles, the approach is in harmony with the ancient yogic concept of samskaras, or memories imprinted on our cellular consciousness. People from many walks of life can benefit from trauma-sensitive yoga including bullied teens, women rebounding from abuse and anyone impacted by pandemic turmoil. Research published in the journal Military Medicine in 2018 reports that U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that participated in a one-hour vinyasa-style yoga session for six weeks showed significantly lowered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as less insomnia, depression and anxiety.

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

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

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

A trauma-informed yoga teacher knows the inner workings of the nervous system,” explains Mandy Eubanks, a trauma-trained yoga educator and certified yoga instructor in Tulsa. “We have respect for the variety of responses that our clients have to yoga, meditation and breathwork practices. For example, we understand deep breathing will be calming to one person and agitating to another.

We normalize clients’ responses and work with them to find an effective technique for that individual.” Teachers with specialized training and access to props can also support people on a yoga journey that are limited physically. Eubanks emphasizes, “Yoga truly is for everyone and every body.”

The Power of Choice and Individuality

Lisa Danylchuk, the Oakland-based author of Yoga for Trauma Recovery: Theory, Philosophy, and Practice, underscores that in a trauma-informed environment, everything a teacher instructs is an offering or invitation. “This is important because people who have endured trauma have often not had a say over what happens to their bodies. A good trauma-informed class cultivates somatic and psychological resources, and focuses, above all, on cultivating a sense of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual safety.” The founder of The Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery believes it’s important to be responsive to individual needs. “Trauma affects so many different individuals and groups of people and in such a variety of ways that it is impossible to give one prescription. Some people might benefit from a weekly, 60- to 90-minute vinyasa-style class. Others might benefit from a short, five-minute daily restorative practice.”

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

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

Marlaina Donato is a body-mind-spirit author and recording artist.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Trauma Informed Yoga (TIY) Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TSY), and Trauma Center-Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) What’s the Difference?

by Dallas Adam

TIY and TSY are often used interchangeably in the literature about psychological wellness or treatment. They are methods of facilitating yoga that assume everyone in the room has experienced trauma of some type in their life. This can be single event trauma such as train wrecks or include those who are suffering from complex or interpersonal trauma.

The focus for TIY and TSY classes is on yoga and how it is delivered. This means it could be Vinyasa or any of variety of types, but delivered in a way that is sensitive to or informed by the probability persons in the room have experienced trauma. This approach adjusts some or all of the five dimensions of a yoga class to respond to the probable presence of persons with trauma in the class. These dimensions are forms, language, environment, teacher characteristics, assists, and pacing exercises and breathing.

While TCTSY includes all of above dimensions, it includes concepts of choice, predictability, and safety among others that are specifically aimed at treating persons with interpersonal complex trauma. I have taught TCTSY at the Menninger Clinic in Houston since 2015. I received my training through the 300-hour course at Center for Embodiment and Trauma. Dave Emerson, YACEP and Jenn Turner LMHC developed TCTSY. Emerson described TCTSY in a 2014 issue of Social Work Today as “…a serious research based clinical intervention and adjunctive aspect of broader psychodynamic therapy. The focus of TCTSY is on helping survivors calm their minds, regulate their responses to physical sensations, and thus increase the sense of physical safety in their bodies. Facilitators invite class members in each form to express that form if they wish, to notice sensation in their body, to tolerate it as they are able, and to make choices as to what they wish to do with their body in response to those sensations. The practice uses yoga forms and philosophy such as not doing harm (ahimsa) and living in harmony with self and others (aparigraha).

Examples of results include, a participant noted after 7 or 8 sessions they noticed pleasant and unpleasant physical sensations more intensely. A participant noticed each sensation was not indication that something was wrong physically with them but rather information, which they could use as they wished.

Dallas Adams, LCSW-S, TCTSY-F. is a senior social worker at The Menninger Clinic in Houston. Since February 2015, he has taught Trauma-Sensitive Yoga at Menninger.

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AUGUST 2021

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Houston Metro Yoga Directory Alcove Yoga 637 Cortlandt Street Houston, TX 77007 832-942-8240 alcoveyoga.com Crystal Yoga Studio 4709 Lexington Blvd.

Missouri City, TX 77459 832-878-0214 /thecrystalyogi.com Heights School of Yoga 1547 Rutland Street Houston, TX 77008 713-301-9238 heightsschoolofyoga.com

Life Arts Missouri City, TX Online Only lifeartstx.com Yoga for Everyone with Chandra Yoga at NiaMoves 508 Pecore Street Houston, TX 77009 niamoves.com/yoga YogaMass Online Only yogamass.com

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wise words

Gratitude in Relationship

by Diana Daffner

When I invite gratitude into my life, there is an immediate and delicious softening around the edges of my ego. My heart opens. I breathe more fully. The muscles, tissues and cells of my body relax.

My mind lets go of its incessant occupation with what isn’t, and quietly eases into the reality of what is.

The experience of gratitude is always here-and-now. I can give thanks, and feel thankful, only in the present moment. Settling into the present moment, I reveal my authentic beingness. I shift from a limited narcissistic perspective into the eternal sacredness of connection with All That Is.

our appreciation for one another is perhaps more important than anything else we do together. When we do so on a regular basis, our relationship is strengthened and empowered. Relationships improve when there is purposeful recognition of the various contributions each person makes – the preparation of a dinner, the mowing of a lawn. To thank another for simply being in our lives is enough to make a difference. When an aura of gratitude pervades a relationship, both individuals are continually renewed in spirit.

The element of gratitude also transforms sexual relations. Sex with a loving partner allows us to experience gratitude in the very depths of our soul. When we expose our bodies to another, when we Gratitude seems at first to be very self-centered. I am grateful for uncover our hidden inner regions, when we permit another to touch what I have in my life, for the gifts and abundance that surround me, and caress us into a joyous explosion of our sexuality, the pleasure nourish and support me. Grateful for the friends I have, the work I of the release and the resulting glow is heightened by our grateful do, the opportunities the universe offers me. Grateful for my health sense of having been accepted, valued, loved. Not only women, but or, if I am in dis-ease, grateful for an improvement back toward men too, feel grateful when they open to their receptive yin nature. health. Like Pollyanna, I can find a We yearn to be cared for at this reason to be grateful regardless of level of intimacy, but are so often how bleak things may seem. Even afraid to ask for it or admit how the tiniest reason counts. important it is to us. Perhaps we fear that too much gratitude How can personal gratitude serve might consume or weaken us. as a springboard to spiritual But allowing ourselves to enjoy expansion? The act of gratitude being intimately treasured by itself, the physical, emotional and another will not take away the mental joining that takes place strength of our own self-valuaat the moment of giving thanks tion. A relationship that is rich releases a powerful energy in the and balanced in shared gratitude circuitry of our consciousness. This is one that allows us to transcend release takes place regardless the personal self and enter into of what we are being grateful for. the transcendent realm of sacred Coach Cass recommends Intimacy Retreats! union.

Even a single moment of gratitude can alter our inner dynamic from a linear vibration of separateness to a circular flow of wholeness and Every moment of gratitude brings us into a here-and-now presence belonging. From separate self to the One Self. and enriches our lives.

Significant amplification of this process takes place when we give thanks together. The shared energy of a group increases the transformation for each individual. This occurs whether we are giving thanks as a family before dinner, or in a formal ceremony of prayer in a spiritual community.

A love relationship can be a spiritual community of two. Gratitude plays a significant role in this elevation of relationship. Expressing

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Conquering Chronic Pain How the Body-Mind Connection Works

by Ronica O’Hara

After six months of intense inner work focused on his rage, Hanscom calmed his overwrought nervous system and his symptoms “essentially disappeared.” He began applying his experience to hundreds of spine patients, helping the great majority of them to avoid surgery altogether. In the book Back in Control, he describes his approach, which is designed for people with pain that is not caused by underlying structural or organ issues. He recommends these initial steps. n Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, which may require sleeping pills or natural methods.

F

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

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

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

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

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

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

n Doing expressive writing twice a day, which involves writing down in longhand whatever is on the mind using graphic and descriptive language for 10 to 30 minutes, and then promptly tearing it up. Neurological research shows that this simple practice rewires the brain. “Some people experience remarkable pain relief right away,” he says. n Practicing “active meditation” throughout the day by mindfully focusing each time on a sight, sound or sensation for five to 10 seconds.

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

Understanding the mind/body connection is key in pain management, concurs gastroenterologist David D. Clarke, M.D., author of They Can’t Find Anything Wrong! and president of the Portland, Oregon-based Psychophysiologic Disorders Association. “When medical evaluation shows no problems with organs or structures, then the pain is being generated by the brain, similar to what happens in phantom limb pain, where people feel pain in the location of an amputated arm or leg,” he says.

“Chronic pain generated by the brain generally occurs due to stress, an emotional/ psychological trauma or strong negative emotions (often toward people the patient cares

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

21

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

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

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

Learn More Direct Your Own Care Journey is a free, online course for healing chronic pain. Designed by David Hanscom, M.D., it includes an experiential app, group sessions, video tutorials and webinars at TheDocJourney.com.

Stress-Disease Information, including videos, a webinar-based course, recent research and a list of practitioners, can be found at ppdassociation.org, the website of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, founded by stress-disease expert David Clarke, M.D. American Chronic Pain Association, at theacpa.org, lists treatments, clinical trials, support groups and other resources.

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PROMISING PAIN RELIEF THERAPIES In the offices of holistic practitioners and in some medical centers, a wide range of integrative modalities to treat chronic pain are healing the afflicted. Some commonly used options, which can be part of a multipronged approach or effective individually, include: n CBD. Studies show this cannabis-derived substance, the non-mind-altering form of marijuana, acts on multiple pain targets in the central and peripheral nervous systems. It has demonstrated pain-relieving effects for neuropathy, some cancers, arthritis and irritable bowel disease, among other conditions. A University of Michigan study of 878 people with fibromyalgia that had used cannabidiol (CBD) products found that more than 70 percent had substituted it for opioids or other pain medications, with many stopping them altogether as a result. With research mounting, almost every state now allows CBD use in some form. n TURMERIC/CURCUMIN. The Indian spice that makes curry yellow has potent anti-inflammatory properties, especially in formulations that combine it with piperine (black pepper) to enhance bioavailability. A meta-analysis in Oxford Pain Medicine of eight randomized controlled trials of curcumin involving 800 patients with muscle pain, osteoarthritis or postoperative pain found that it effectively lowered pain levels without adverse reactions, outperforming nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and paracetamol (ibuprofen) for knee osteoarthritis pain. n HYPNOSIS. By lowering the fear and anxiety that aggravate pain sensations, hypnosis reduces pain as effectively as many other approaches at a relatively low cost. A meta-analysis of 18 studies found that 75 percent of people, including those with both acute and chronic pain, received substantial relief from hypnotic techniques without side effects.

In a University of Washington study, patients kept practicing self-hypnosis after completing the study even if it had not relieved their pain, saying it gave them better sleep, lower stress and a greater sense of calm and well-being. Hypnotherapy treatment usually involves four to 10 sessions and is often covered in full or in part by insurance companies or Medicare. n LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE. When taken at levels of 50 to 100 milligrams (mg) daily, this medication weans people off opioids and alcohol, but when used at low doses of less than 2 mg, research suggests it can ease the pain of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia.

Stanford School of Medicine researchers reported it significantly reduced pain for 32 percent of fibromyalgia patients and also improved mood and life satisfaction, noting, “The medication is widely available, inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated.”

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Horses as Healers

Equine Therapy has Physical and Emotional Benefits

by Julie Peterson

H

orses are being increasingly used to help people work through emotional and physical challenges, and for good reason: Numerous studies have shown that equine-assisted therapy helps with anger, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociative or other emotional problems. It works whether the therapy involves riding or simply feeding and grooming. Building the relationship increases people’s self-confidence, social skills, trust, empathy and emotional regulation, and helps them establish routines, structure and a sense of responsibility—all skills that are transferable to daily life.

Equine Psychotherapists

Equine-assisted psychotherapy involves counseling with a mental health professional and time riding or caring for a horse. The horse is considered a co-therapist. Forming

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

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

“In some cases, I see results more quickly using equine therapy than solely with office therapy. I also see more motivation from typically resistant clients because this can actually be fun, too,” says Meagan Good, a counselor and owner of Take Heart Counseling & Equine Assisted Therapy, in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. “Horses are relationship-oriented and intuitively sense and honestly respond to the emotions of those around them, which makes the horse-human

bond a powerful healing mechanism.”

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

Therapeutic Riding

Beyond working as co-therapists for emotional issues, horses are excellent for occupational, speech and physical therapy. “Riding a horse rhythmically moves the rider’s body in a manner similar to a human gait.

Their pelvic movement is the same as ours, so riders with physical needs often show improvement in flexibility, balance, muscle strength, circulation and breathing,” says Pamela J. Rogan, founder, executive director and certified therapeutic riding instructor at

NaturalAwakenings-Houston.com

23

Harmony Farms, in Cocoa, Florida. “It will also enhance a rider’s quality of life, build confidence, independence and self-esteem. This is particularly true of riders with emotional or behavioral disabilities.”

Research shows that children and adults with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other conditions that affect motor control saw improvements in balance, gait, gross motor function and posture after several weeks of equine-assisted treatment.

Horses at Work

“I look for horses who are not afraid of new things, but curious about them … a horse that thinks through a new situation, that expresses himself freely and that enjoys interacting with humans,” says Good.

“From there, my professional team works on building a relationship with that horse so that the horse feels safe to build relationships with clients who may or may not have any horse background.”

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

“In addition to requiring that the horses are quiet, gentle animals and physically and mentally sound, they are trained to be desensitized to noise, wheelchairs, walkers and different types of therapeutic equipment that riders may need for safety or postural assistance,” says Leigh. Her horses get four weeks off every year and work a schedule that ensures ample time to rest and recharge during the day.

“The horse is a co-therapist. They are doing a job, and it’s a not an easy job,” says Tocker. “To ensure the well-being of our equine therapists, they get ample time off and massages. They’re taking on a lot, so we want to make sure they don’t burn out.”

“I have horses that seem to step in and ‘protect’ clients when they are feeling vulnerable. I have horses who try to help regulate the anxious client by breathing or yawning or nuzzling,” says Good. “For the most part, we trust the horses to just be themselves, and what they bring is always helpful for the client.”

“Horses are able to be present and focus solely on what is going on around them. They do not think about the future or the past or judge people based on what they look like or what experiences they may have had,” says Tocker. “I feel like I witness miracles every time I do a session at the barn.”

Local Equine Resources 16 Hands of Love

Seabrook, Texas 77586 281-948-0739 16handsoflove.org

16 Hands of Love is a local nonprofit and sancturary to heal with horses and animals via an energetic / spiritual exchange (no riding or therapy offered but a heart-centered healing approach is used).

Beverly Dolenz Walsh, PhD Pearland, TX 77581 ​713-540-1528 beverlywalshphd.com

Beverly Dolenz Walsh, PhD is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP). Since 2009, she has been partnering with equines to help people “get to their stuff” and “Experience a Stable Relationship”. She offices at Brookside Ranch, a ranch setting that offers a comfortable atmosphere where people feel supported toward personal growth.

JoyRide Center

Magnolia, TX 77355 281-356-5900 joyridecenter.org

The JoyRide Team is the engine behind “making the impossible possible” for our clients. The staff is a caring group invested in the success of the clients and horses, and they use the highest levels of professionalism in their work. Riding instructors are certified through PATH Intl. as Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI). Our day program instructors come from a variety of backgrounds, and provide high quality instruction to all their clients.

Julie Peterson writes about health and wellness from rural Wisconsin. Reach out at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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w w w. AYa n n i ve rs a r y. o rg AUGUST 2021 HOUSTON METRO EDITION

calendar of events September 2021 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6th

Back Yard BBQ Party 4 pm. It’s not Labor Day weekend without a good old fashioned backyard BBQ! Join us for lawn games, cold brews and delicious BBQ – from traditional to Korean and vegan, there will be plenty to choose from.

Stick around for live music by Danny Ray & the Acoustic Production. Come with your A-game and compete in a watermelon eating contest, where the winner will leave with a trophy and be dubbed Downtown champion. Market Square Park 301 Milam Street Houston, Texas 77002. marketsquarepark.com/

gliding on this path to inner awareness, deep connection and oneness with the universe. Gongsia Sacred Sound Sessions will provide a healing sound bath with crystal singing bowls and gongs during the yoga flow. $30 Galveston Beach. location details will be sent when you register. chandrayoga4life.com/mandala-earth-flow.html

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20th

Find Your Center: an Online Full Moon Crystal Bowl Sound Bathing Experience with Gena Davis 7-8 pm. Welcome to Houston’s dedicated Crystal Tones™ Alchemy soundspace, home to our Houston viewing gallery and expansive collection of the finest Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls from Crystal Tones™. We hold space for crystal sound bath and meditation experiences, healing and well-being, trainings in sound healing, creating community, celebrating beauty and intentionally shifting into higher frequencies and consciousness. Due to the pandemic, we are offering online full moon sound bath experiences with the alchemy crystal bowls guided by Gena Davis this fall, beginning September 20. Please see our website for more information about our upcoming events at crystalbowlgallery.com/events.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16th

2021 Houston Jazz Festival! 8 pm. The Houston Jazz collective is proud to present Chris Dave and Mike Moreno headlining the 2021 Houston Jazz Festival! Featuring the artwork of Jack Whitten.

The union of these three Master Artists, form a powerful tribute to the American Experience.

FREE. Miller Outdoor Theatre 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 milleroutdoortheatre.com

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18th SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26th Shen Yun Festival (check website for times) Travel back to the magical world of ancient China.

Experience a lost culture through the incredible art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. Purchase tickets online, prices vary. Wortham Center Brown Theater 501 Texas Avenue, Houston, Texas 77002. shenyun.com/ houston

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25th

Mandela Earth Flow 8-11 am. This event will weave the Sacred Labyrinth, the Traditional Practice of Yoga and a beautiful Sound Bath.

The labyrinth, an ancient pathway to meditation, has a single circuitous path that winds its way into the center. The mandala is a geometric form representing the eternal expansion of the universe. Reginald creatively joins these two ancient archetypes together to create a communal sacred space on the beach. Jessica will then guide you gently through an Earth Flow that will keep you

plan ahead SATURDAY OCTOBER 2nd

YogaPOOLooza Festival. 11 am. Join us for a day of Yoga on land and water under the sun at Balmoral Lagoon! What better way to be with your friends and meet new ones than in the beautiful outdoor space at Balmoral Lagoon. We will have plenty of space to physically distance and at the same time socially connect with others. A variety of Yoga classes will be offered and taught by some of the most amazing local instructors we have in the Houston area; from a meditation class on the beach, a Vinyasa +DJ Flow class at Celebration Lawn, to slacklining over the white sand, and SUP Yoga on the water– there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the different Yoga classes that will be offered. PreSell- $77 until 10/1/21 Door Price - $99. Balmoral Lagoon 15808 Crystal Terrace Dr, Humble, TX 77346. shakapoweryoga.com/yogapoolooza

MONDAY OCTOBER 4th

Phoenix School of Massage Day & Night Classes Start arn the career you will come to Love.Enroll in our live online classes. Visit our website themassageschool.com Call 713-9745976.

wednesday Blissful Quests® with Doyle Ward-The Pocast.

1:00pm.Are you looking for answers? Have you ever had a “hunch” or a “gut feeling” that came true? Are you wondering if you are intuitive? Maybe the real question to explore is not IF you are intuitive, but HOW you are intuitive. Doyle Ward is an experienced intuitive medium, teacher, grief recovery specialist, and life coach. Call in during the show at: 1-760-456-7277, access on-demand episodes or listen live! blissfulquests.com/podcast/ Healing Meditation at First Spiritualist Church of Houston.

7:30 pm Livestream on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FirstSpiritualistChurchofHouston/

thursday Living the Change Weekly Online Discussion Group 6 pmThis 12-week program focuses on making personal lifestyle changes in three areas: transportation; energy; and food. The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to join us on this journey, via a weekly online discussion group. . Please register for this event on www.eventbrite.com. For more information, please contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail. com.

saturday Sound Healing Meditation in the Cistern 10 am. Find your center and practice mediation in the spacious and tranquil Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. Offered in collaboration with Union is Creation and Youniversoul fest, this meditation series will feature the use of singing bowls and wind chimes to encourage mindfulness and connectivity. Cost $15. Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern 105b Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007. https://fareharbor. com/embeds/book/buffalobayou/items/246138/ calendar/2021/09/?full-items=yes&flow=404814

sunday Houston Zen Center 8”20 am Sunday Sangha. https://houstonzen.org/cloud-zendo Grace Episcopal Church & School.

10 am. Sunday Worship Livestream. https://www.facebook.com/GraceinHouston/ Unity Spiritual Center of Greater Houston 10:15 am Sunday Service. Facebook Live https://unityspiritualcenterhouston.org First Spiritualist Church of Houston 10:30 am Sunday Healing & Spirit Greetings Facebook Live First Unitarian Universalist Church 10:30 am Sunday Morning Worship Livestream. https:// firstuu.org/ Unity of Houston. 11 am Sunday Morning Service Livestreaming. https://unityhouston.org/ Creative Life Spiritual Center 11 am Sunday Celebration. Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/creativelife.org/ Unitarian Fellowship of Houston 11 am. Sunday Program. Click on Sunday Program to access the Zoom link. https://ufoh.org/ Dawn Mountain Center for Tibetan Buddhism 12 noon. Sunday Meditation & Dharma Talk. https://www.youtube.com/user/dawnmountain ISKCON 5 pm Sunday Feast Class Livestream https://www.mayapur.tv/

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healthy living guide ACUPUNCTURE APRIL BUI HOLISTIC ACUPUNCTURE 9039 Katy Freeway, Suite 504 Houston, Texas 77024 713-922-3474 abui-acupunctureclinic.com

April Bui, LAC, MAOM specializes in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and energy medicine for pain, stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure but she is also able to treat many other health conditions. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the field of alternative holistic health and has practice acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine since 2008. Visit her website for more information or to schedule a FREE Consultation.

APPS FREEING ME Apps freeing.me Imagine having revolutionary quantum wellness energy always at hand. Now it’s here in three apps that can help revive ENERGY, release STRESS and recreate REST. Visit our website to download a FREE 3-day trial.

BIOLOGICAL DENTISTRY MARILYN K. JONES, DDS Houston Dental Health Center 800 Bering Dr. Houston, TX 77057 713-497-1355 houstonbiologicaldentist.com

Natural Dentistry supports the body and the mind by finding the cause of dental problems. The dental examination includes noticing systemic and habitual influences.

If you have dental issues or currently have silver amalgam fillings, call me today to schedule an appointment.

COACHING BLISSFUL QUESTS

BRAIN BALANCING CERESET™

Galveston, Texas cereset.com 409-599-7268 The Cereset™ Gavston location is part of a national network of client centers focused on next-generation brain wellness - helping you relax your brain to manage restful sleep through patented BrainEcho™ technology, which empowers the brain to reset itself as it hears and “sees” its own reflection. To schedule an appointment call: 409-599-7268.

See ad on pages 6, 8 & 12

Positive change starts now!

832-628-4113 blissfulquests.com Are you looking for answers? Have you ever had a “hunch” or a “gut feeling” that came true?

Are you wondering if you are intuitive?

Doyle Ward is an experienced intuitive, teacher, grief recovery specialist, and life coach. Tune in to his weekly PodCast, Wednesdays at 1 pm on inflowradio.com See ad on page 24

COLONICS

CBD SMOKE ENVY/BETTER DAYS CBD

2425 Yale Street, #2, Houston, TX 77008 852-744-9944 18123 Egret Bay Blvd, Houston, TX, 77053 smokenvy.com/ CBD vape pens, gummies, tintures, flower,oils, apparel and accessories.

We stock Better Days CBD and Honey Hills Delta 8 & CBD products.

HYDROSHACK HYDROPONICS

1138 W 20th Street, Houston, TX 77008 Open 7 days a week 713-292-1921 Hydroshack.com Hydroshack proudly carries some of the most beautiful high-CBD hemp flower and Delta 8 products in Houston! We also sell the highest quality 1.5 gram pre-rolls packed with actual bud and never trim.

Our bud-tenders will be more than happy to let you experience true legal Hemp Flower from our open sample jars.While you are in check out our complete line of hydroponic growing products.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~C.S. Lewis

See ad on page 20

JOYCE LONG’S WELLNESS INSTITUTE 1308 James Street Rosenberg, TX 77471 281-232-7336 joycelongwellness.com

Established 1989. Call to schedule any of the following services: massage therapies, lymphatic drainage massage and facials, reflexology, infra-red sauna, ion cleanse foot or hand baths, Chinese cupping or colon hydrotherapy (prescriptions only- yours or ours).

By appointment only. Be well-Stay well. CALL TODAY!

URBAN COLONICS

Barbara Ellis, Retired RN 5042 Briscoe St. Houston, TX.77033 713-738-8199 urbancolonics.com Serving Houston and the surrounding area since 1979.

We now offer the first and ONLY mobile colonic service in Houston.

We continue to irrigate with State Of The Art Equipment (closed colonic systems cleared by the FDA). We utilize totally disposable colonic set-ups and sterile water. A prescription is required for this procedure. Our Medical Director at a different location will make an assessment and write a prescription for OUR clients only. Visit our website to learn more details. Please call us to schedule an appointment.

See ad page 7

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

GROW YOUR BUSINESS Secure this ad spot!

Contact us for special ad rates.

713-927-6540

ERIN THOLE, CNHP ErinThole.com Thole.erin@gmail.com

HOLISTIC HEALTH PRIMARY CARE HOUSTON HOLISTIC HEALTH CLINIC & MEDICAL THERMOGRAPHY CENTER

Get to the Root Cause of your Health Conditions.

Erin has been working in the health and nutrition field for over 11 years specializing and working extensively with those suffering from: autoimmune, digestive, hormonal and inflammatory disorders. She works with each client’s unique biochemistry to determine what dietary, supplementation and lifestyle changes will work best for them as an individual. There is NO one-size-fitsall program. All appointments are conducted via phone! This makes it very easy and convenient to receive care from any location. If you want to reach your true health potential, Email Erin today to schedule your FREE 45 minute initial phone consultation. Hours until 5 pm Fridays.

See Ad page 8

“Better Health Naturally” Dr. Gracie G. Chukwu, ND, CTN 6401 Southwest Freeway, Suite 250 Houston, TX 77074 713-781-9991 HoustonHolisticHealthClinic.com

Have you spent years in hope for finding answers to your symptoms or illnesses? We offer people an alternative solution to conventional medicine by determining the specific nutritional needs of your body so that it can to heal itself.

We now also offer medical thermography useful in early diagnosis of cancer and chronic inflamatory pain.Call today to schedule an appointment.

See ad on page 7

HYPNOSIS HAIR DESIGN VENUS HAIR DESIGN

361 West 19th Street Houston, TX 77008 713-868-4725 venushairhouston.com Venus and her staff can do any age with any style, from a trim to a Mohawk. She is a wizard at color! If you are in The Heights, drop by, check out her art car, The Hairse, and say Hi! Now OPEN by appointment only. Call me!

CLAUDIA AUTRY, HYPNOTIST (by appointment only) 281-849-4610 ca@claudiaautry.com claudiaautry.com

Want to stop smoking or lose weight? Looking for ways to relax, find balance and increase the joy in your life? Hypnosis can help you. Call SOON to book your appointment.

Let’s work together to create the life you want!

INDIVIDUAL NUTRITIONAL PROTOCOLS LINDA ISAACS, MD 2500 W. William Cannon Dr., Suite 603 Austin, TX 78745 737-208-0831 DrLindaI.com/NAHTX

coming in october

Breast Health plus:

Living a Simpler Life

For more than 20 years, Dr. Linda Isaacs and the late Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez offered individualized protocols involving diet, nutritional supplementation, and detoxification for cancer and other degenerative diseases.

They published multiple articles in peer-reviewed medical journals about their results. The work is based on that of the Texas orthodontist Dr. William Donald Kelley. Dr. Isaacs is currently seeing new patients.

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KRATOM KREAT DAY BOTANICALS

1973 W Gray, Suite 23 Houston, TX 77019 713-369-0946 KreatDayBotanicals.com info@KreatDayBotanicals.com Kratom - Instagram @Kreat_Day Whole Herbs Instagram @Kreat.Day.Botanicals A BBB Accredited Business We provide the choicest healthy Botanicals garnered from some of the most exotic corners of the world. Only The BEST! We ensure quality by going to the source, checking our international vendors 1st hand, and using USDA Certified Organic vendors when applicable. We stand by our products and our services! If you are unsatisfied with your order we will return, exchange and or refund your money.

We got you covered!

Our aim is to make you have a KREAT experience as well as a Kreat Day!

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE JOYCE LONG’S WELLNESS INSTITUTE

ODYSSEY EMPORIUM 123 Midway St, Bldg C Spring, Texas 77373 888-492-3584 odysseyemporium.com

We are a retail shop and also have an online store. We can also custom-make many of our product lines.

Our products include a range of metaphysical items, clothing, books, stones, jewelry, candles, soaps, teas, incenses, herbs, blades, and accessories for spiritual work. We also have some unique renaissance festival and gothic clothing and accessories. We carry some wonderful and unusual products some of which are artisan made. Check out our gaming and sci-fi themed products as well. We offer daily in-house Tarot reading and conduct private Old Town Spring Ghost tours. Open 7 days a week.

NATURAL HORMONES DR. FISHER ROAD 2 WELLNESS

Dr. LaTronica Fisher, DNP, ANP, GNP, RN 4544 Post Oak Place Dr. STE #254 Houston, Texas 77027 DrFisherRoad2Wellness.com 713 520-8188

1308 James Street Rosenberg, TX 77471 281-232-7336 joycelongwellness. com/ Health conditions can interrupt the normal flow of lymph, causing lymph fluid to build up in a particular area of the body, often in the arms or legs, where it can causing swelling.

Lymphatic massage can reduce swelling and improve circulation throughout the lymphatic system. By appointment only. Be well-Stay well.

CALL TODAY!

NATUROPATH

METAPHYSICAL SHOP

Services: nHormone Rejuvenation nVaginal Dryness nUrinary Incontinence nLow Libido nErectile Dysfution nLow Stamina nWeight-Loss nSexual Dysfunction(men & women) nHair Restoration nNatural Face Lift Call today to schedule a consultation

coming in the october healthy planet issue

Living a Simpler Life plus Breast Health

HOUSTON HOLISTIC HEALTH CLINIC “Better Health Naturally” Dr. Gracie G. Chukwu, ND, CTN 6401 Southwest Freeway, Suite 250 Houston, TX 77074 713-781-9991 HoustonHolisticHealthClinic.com

Dr. Gracie Chukwu is a Doctor of Naturopathy and a Certified Nutrition Counselor. She has been assisting people for over five years with holistic medicine, diet, nutrition and supplement support to enhance her client’s health and overall well-being. If you cannot find relief, give Dr. Gracie a call.

See ad on page 7

OPTICIAN FACTORY EYEGLASS OUTLET 7921 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024 713-468-5665 factoryeyeglassoutlet.com

Factory Eyeglass Outlet provides the ultimate services for all your eyecare needs.

Whether you’re looking for premium or standard eyewear, we have something for you. As part of our superior services we offer complimentary consulting and frame styling. Next time you need you need new eyeglasses or need a repair choose Factory Eyeglass Outlet.

Better sight- Better Life.

See ad on page 20

PERSONAL TRAINER JOEY DIEGO, PERSONAL TRAINER 917-402-8664

Build your BEST body, now! Erase 20 years from your body and quit looking sick and old.

Prevent or reverse high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Lose weight. Live longer and better so you can enjoy your children and grandchildren. Remember, muscle knows no age.

What are you waiting for?

Call JoeyDiego TODAY for a FREE initial session See ad page 7

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AUGUST 2021

HOUSTON METRO EDITION

PET FOOD BOBCAT RAW FOOD

Made locally. Delivered to your door. bobcatrawfood.com Our raw cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of obligate carnivores. We use only the highest quality Grade A, USDA certified USsourced meats. All our meals are 100% natural and grain-free and are pre-portioned to for your convenience. Our top priority is to make feeding raw convenient and affordable. We deliver inside Houston for a flat fee of only $5. Visit our website today and let your cat experience the difference a raw food diet makes.

PLANT-BASED SUPPLEMENTS

TERRA POWER GREENS 954-459-1134 terralifestore.com

Feeling Tired and Need More Energy? Try Terra Power Greens. Get your “greens” in easily every day! Terra Power Greens is an amazing and great-tasting superfood drink. Our unique formula combines 45+ organic and high quality wildcrafted vegetables, grasses, leaves, sprouts and herbs. In the “greens” business since 2001. At our store, Get Greens, Chlorophyll, Oil Blends, Electrolytes, Cleansers, Herbal Teas & More. All organic. See Special Offer for Free Samples. Visit our website TODAY and start bringing your body back into balance!

SELF-HEALING Ching Chi Institute

Life energy education and research Kun Wu, Ph. D. Integral chi healer Chi H Wu, L. Acupuncturist 832-654-2885 chingchiinstitute.com Do you want to learn how CHING to use your body’s own CHI chi energy to decrease your chance of becoming ill, increase your chance of recovering more quickINSTITUTE ly from illness, prevent a minor illness from becoming a major one, and improve your overall health? We have live and prerecorded classes online to teach you the principles and techniques of self-healing. We will be resuming in-person classes this month. Look for our new offering on the Corona Virus. Visit our website for more information.

SHAMANISM Shaman Spirits

Galveston, TX 4 0 9-7 6 2 - 6 0 2 7 anthony@shamanspirits.net ShamanSpirits.net “Shamanism provides personal and spiritual healing with ancient, elegant and time tested methods. Shamanic healing opens new pathways for personal growth and spiritual awareness. If you’re looking for a way to connect with spirit without dogma, shamanism offers methods to access your healing spirits for transformation, guidance and teachings for a better way of living filled with love and compassion. Contact me at 409-762-6027 for more information.”

See ad page 7

SPIRITUALITY GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH 4040 West Bellfort Street Houston, TX 77025 713-666-1408 GraceInHouston.org

We are a welcoming, inclusive and affirming Christian community, committed to abundant, holistic living in the way of Jesus of Nazareth. Guided in our life together by the Episcopal Church tradition, we are committed a way of love. Come walk on our Tree of Life Labyrinth by appointment anytime. Grace: you are welcome here.

FIRST SPIRITUALIST CHURCH OF HOUSTON 2115 Turner Dr. Houston, Texas 77093 713-695-2550 firstspiritualistchurchofhouston.org

Spiritualism is a common sense religion, one of knowing and living. We accept all truths and endeavor to prove their validity.

Truths are found in nature, in other religions, in writings, in science, in philosophy, in Natural Law and are received through spirit communication. We are a growing family and would love for you to visit us

SURFING SCHOOL C-Sick Surfin’ 43rd Street Lifeguard Stand-Seawall Blvd.

Galveston, Texas 409-770-9455 c-sicksurfin.com Galveston’s oldest professional Surf School. Teaching at the 43rd Street Lifeguard Stand since 1999. C-Sick offers a basic 2 hour beginner lesson for $50. We provide everyone with the right size soft top surfboard and wetsuits when needed. C-Sick does Private Parties for groups up to ten people. We Teach On The Beach

By Appointment ONLY. OPEN ALL YEAR!

THERMOGRAPHY MEDICAL THERMOGRAPHY CENTER “Better Health Naturally” Dr. Gracie G. Chukwu, ND, CTN 6401 Southwest Freeway, Suite 250 Houston, TX 77074 713-781-9991 HoustonHolisticHealthClinic.com Breast thermography has the ability to warn woman up to 10 years before any other procedure that a cancer may be forming; thus, allowing for prompt and timely treatment.

Thermography uses no radiation and poses absolutely NO health risks to the patient. Consequently, scans may be performed at any frequency necessary. call Dr. Gracie TODAY. See ad on page 8

coming in october

Breast Health plus:

Living a Simpler Life

LIVESTREAMING ON FACEBOOK Sunday Healing & Spirit Greetings 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Open Healing Service 7:30 p.m.

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WE GROW WHAT WE SELL ... organically and sustainably!

This is the only way that we can be sure of the quality that goes into the products we sell and you should insist on nothing less.

Family owned and operated-fully licensed hemp farm Regenerative Farming-Completely Organic Just outside of College Station, Texas Hemp Flower -Vape Products - Isolates -Tinctures HoneyHills TX products are available at the following area locations: Houston, TX: Smoke Envy-Yale St, Smoke Envy-Nasa Rd 1, Amsterdam Coffee-W. 19th, Segundo Coffee Lab-Eado Galveston, TX: Hazy Daze-Seawall Blvd, Hazy Daze -The Strand, Hazy Daze - 3802 Cove View Blvd , Smokee’s Vape & Smoke Shop-Seawall Blvd Bryan/College Station, TX: Smoken Joe’s-South Texas Ave. Caldwell, TX: Cotten’s Care CBD - 203 Hwy. 21 W Hutto, TX: Hippo Vapo-Hwy 79 E

Honey Hills TX

Est. 2019 - Caldwell, Texas 832.868.9452 honeyhillstx.com