letterfrompublishers
T
his month’s theme is, appropriately, Awakening Consciousness. We are collectively coming to a crucial era on Earth when our quality of life, and yes, our very survival, demands that humanity wakes up to tackle the troubling changes happening in our world. Choosing to ignore an environmental or social justice issue because you don’t think it will affect you is no longer an option.
contact us Publishers Kyle & Amy Hass Editors S. Alison Chabonais Scott Gillis Linda Sechrist Design & Production Interactive Media Design Scott Carvey
Printer Newsweb Natural Awakenings 484 Sunmeadow Dr. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508 Phone: 616-656-9232 Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com
www.NaturalWestMichigan.com
Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2010 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call for a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.
Committed to Sustainability Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.
Recently, we attended the Bioneers Conference in Traverse City (glbconference. org), which proved to be a major turning point for us. It was the best conference we have ever attended, and we recommend that you mark your calendar to also attend next year’s conference, set for October 14 to 16, 2011. We’ll see you there. What we learned that conference weekend has made us hunger to do more for our planet. It also showed us how many people here in West Michigan are making a constructive difference and how much people want to educate themselves more about key actionable issues. A big thanks goes to the Bioneers for all that they do for Mother Earth and those who live here. As soon as we get the December issue into your hands, we are planning to take a much needed two-week vacation. It will be the first time since starting our Natural Awakenings journey that we will be able to totally get away. We feel like two kids preparing to visit Disney World for the first time. We are both so excited and blessed for this opportunity to relax and rejuvenate before returning to close out 2010 in high spirits. Please note that our office will be closed from November 25 through December 13. Holidays present special opportunities to exercise conscientious discretion as to what we are purchasing, the way we wrap gifts, the foods we plan to prepare and most importantly, the kindness, love and peace we offer to all mankind. For example, instead of mailing traditional greeting cards, we have decided to call loved ones with whom visits are too few and far between. We figure if we make one or two calls a day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, catching up should be easy to do. We realized that we have not spoken with some family members and friends in years, and hope that they find our visit meaningful. More, maybe they’ll in turn be prompted to reconnect with other special people in their lives. Who knows, maybe this will start a new tradition. Have a joyous holiday season,
Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% recycled newsprint with soy based ink.
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West Michigan Edition
Amy and Kyle
NaturalWestMichigan.com