Boulder Feb 2010 Issue

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET feel good live simply laugh more

FREE Special Issue:

LAUGH MORE! n Why

Humor Is Healthy n 7 Tools for Lighthearted Living n Yoga Laughter Exercises n Canine Humor n Foods That Make You Smile

WILD ATTRACTION How to Create Extraordinary Relationships

FEBRUARY 2010

Boulder & Broomfield Counties | NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

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Natural Awakenings Healthy Living/Healthy Planet free monthly magazine targets the dramatically expanding marketplace of goods and services focused on natural health, fitness, the environment, personal growth, creative expression and green/sustainable living.

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contents 11

5 newsbriefs

8 globalbriefs

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

10 healthbriefs 14 wisewords

20

15 inspiration

16 fitbody 24

13 I LAUGH THEREFORE I AM

by Blaine Greteman

14 WILD ATTRACTION A Conversation with Paul and Patty Richards

18 healingways

by S. Alison Chabonais

22 naturalpet

15 SEVEN LIFE TOOLS

24 consciouseating 26 eventscalendar

advertising & submissions

How to Stay Lighthearted in Challenging Times

14

by Kari Joys

16 YOGA LAUGHTER

18

EXERCISES

Catalyst for Laughing Alone

by Dr. Madan Kataria

how to advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 303-665-5202 or email publisher@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com.

Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

Editorial submissions Email articles, news items and ideas to: editor@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com.

Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month. calendar submissions Email Calendar Events to: calendar@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com.

Deadline for calendar: the 12th of the month. 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.

18 LIGHTEN UP! Humor is FUNdamental to Good Health

by Paul McGhee

20 LAUGH MORE Why Feeling Tickled is Good For Us

by Enda Junkins

22 CANINE HUMOR

22

by Stanley Coren

24 GOOD HUMOR Foods That Make Us Smile

by Judith Fertig

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com natural awakenings

February 2010

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letterfrompublisher In the wake of last month’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, it didn’t take long for nonprofits, corporations and individuals to coalesce their relief efforts. Among the media reports about all the aid sent to meet the physical needs of the survivors, one story tells of Haitians, gathered in makeshift camps at night, singing.

Indeed, the human spirit needs nourishment, too. Humans have long used song, dance, storytelling and laughter to celebrate life and to endure challenging times. This month’s timely editorial explores mirth and laughter and its benefits to our health and well-being.

“Laughter is the human gift for coping and survival,” says psychotherapist Enda Junkins, who encourages her clients to use laughter as a way to relieve stress, enrich relationships and resolve conflicts. Her article, “Laugh More” (page 20) is full of tips to bring more smiles and laughter into our daily lives.

Scientific evidence from a number of research arenas adds credence to our natural understanding that a sense of humor is good for us. In “Lighten Up!” (page 18), researcher Paul McGhee discusses how a sense of humor has been shown to improve our health in such areas as immunity, pain management, cardiac health, and even cancer.

Apparently our canine friends can flash a mischievous grin. In “Canine Humor” (page 22), read what current research says about dogs’ playful sense of humor and the breeds that particularly ham it up. I still chuckle at the little dog’s smile in the photo that accompanies this article (and feel a puzzling craving for Taco Bell).

Lest we forget that February is considered the month of love, “Wild Attraction” (page 14) discusses how to keep the flame alive year-round.

Perhaps loving an individual is ultimately no different from loving a nation of people. Our struggles to love compassionately, to fully accept the other, to give ourselves for the better of the whole, are opportunities for breaking open—open to joy. Adversity and tragedy remind us of what’s truly important and bring into sharp relief a brilliant blue sky, a friend’s smile, an outstretched hand.

This month, whether you are challenged by your circumstances or glorying in your successes, my wish for you is that you find something to laugh about each day.

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Helping you with home efficiency, advice on improvements and sustainability.

Dreams Sofia Lock

Real Estate Broker & Investor, GRI, EcoBroker

720.933.7185 Front Range Properties LLC

4

Publisher Sara Garden Editor Marj Hahne Assistant Editors S. Alison Chabonais Sharon Bruckman Magazine Layout Char Campbell Design & Production Courtney Ayers Stephen Blancett Robin King Advertising Sales Sara Garden Sherrie Glogosh To contact Natural Awakenings Boulder/Broomfield Counties Edition:

Phone: 303-665-5202 Fax: 303-665-5212 Email: publisher@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com © 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.

Live richly,

Now a Certified EcoBroker

contact us

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

sofialock@kw.com www.sofialock.com

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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.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are $24 and available by calling 303-665-5202 with your credit card information.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

newsbriefs Boulder Blind Café Benefit

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haddya get when you combine community awareness, a dinner, and a concert in the dark? Boulder Blind Café— the inspiration of musician Brian Rocheleau after an extraordinary experience in Reykjavik, Iceland, while traveling on a house-concert tour. Wandering into a pitch-dark café, Rosh, as he’s called, was given a walking stick and had to purchase a card with his coffee order printed in braille on it—for the waiters, all blind. Stumbling in the dark, he found a table and asked the other guests if there was an extra seat. “We don’t know!” they replied, and they all laughed.

Enjoying a concert and conversation over food with people he couldn’t see got Rosh to thinking about one of the main purposes of music: “Much like food, music is a glue that brings people together to relate.” He wondered if he could give this gift to Boulder.

The Boulder Blind Café debuts on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, at 8:00 PM, at the Wesley Chapel. Blind waiters will serve a delicious vegetarian meal, created by Chef Marcus McCauley, that enlivens the senses. Rosh and his band, One Eye Glass Broken, will play in the dark with a five-piece string section, along with performances by spoken-word artists from the blind community.

Co-producer Ruth Harrington, a blind former classmate whom Rosh met at Naropa University, says, “I’m delighted to support such a worthy and personally meaningful endeavor.

We’ve put together an event that not only has the potential to increase public awareness, but also will raise funds for a wonderful local organization”—Boulder Guide Dog Puppy Raisers, who spend a year voluntarily raising puppies to be trained as guide dogs.

Tickets ($25 general admission and $20 for students) are available at The Unseen Bean (2052 Broadway, Boulder) and online at BrownPaperTickets.com/event/91905. The Wesley Chapel is located at 1290 Folsom St., Boulder, across from CU’s Folsom Field. For more information, visit BoulderBlindCafe.com or RoshMusic.com.

Learn the Psychology Behind Physical Symptoms

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sychology of Symptoms is a ten-week, in-depth experiential training for practitioners, healers and professionals, offering a comprehensive mind-body approach to working with the underlying psycho-emotional and energetic causes of physical symptoms.

Participants will learn how to directly access repressed emotions, and, via the Voice Dialogue Process, how to work with the “aware ego” and “primary” and “disowned” selves— the latter the source of restricted energy that causes disease.

A personal-growth as well as a professional-development experience, this program will teach skills in somatic resourcing, tracking energy, releasing core patterns of energy constriction, and anchoring new states of being to facilitate sustainable changes in physiology. Using The Journey Work as a tool to access the subconscious, participants will bring awareness to the disowned shadow energies hidden within physical symptoms and transmute those energies into integrated states of beingness and creative expression.

A recent student and local holistic practitioner says, “Though I’ve studied many forms of mind-body work, this approach to the healing process has allowed me to discover aspects of myself longing for contact for years. It’s a new avenue for me to take clients where they may never have gone before, in a safe, effective, and profound way.”

This class will be held on ten consecutive Wednesdays, March 3 through May 5, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, in Boulder. For more information or to register, call 303-648-1110, email dbassistant@gmail.com or visit douglasbrady.com

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SYMPTOMS 10 Week Training Program

March 3-May 5 | Wednesdays from 9-12 A mind-body approach for working with the emotional and energetic causes of chronic pain and acute symptoms.

This training is for therapists, yoga teachers, body workers, and healers.

Douglas Brady, M.Ed is a somatic psychotherapist and visionary healer who specializes in the “Psychology of Symptoms”, a profound adjunct to western medical treatment, synthesized over 30 years of study and experience. He teaches nationally at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and Shambhala Mountain Center. Douglas offers private sessions for individuals, couples and families.

“This work is a beautiful synergy of mind, body, and spirit. It has

been deeply transformational and supportive. I would highly recommend this training with Douglas. He is a pleasure to work with, and a true master of his craft.” ~Kendra Current, Holistic Practitioner, Boulder, Colorado

douglasbrady.com | 303-648-1110 | dbassistant@gmail.com

natural awakenings

February 2010

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newsbriefs Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving for Beginners

Local Company Launches Cast Covers

ant to discover the full potential of your sexual energy?

How your eyes, words, emotions, and vulnerability can bring you to intimacy bliss? Advanced lovemaking techniques you will use forever?

Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving® is no touchy-feely course about sex; it’s a spiritual, yet practical, guide to being present and intimate with the most important person in your life. Sure, you’ll learn some great sexual techniques, but only in the context of celebrating yourself, your partner, your love, and life itself. Tantra Master Charles Muir and Leah Alchin use a down- to-­earth, humorous, and candid approach to teaching the sexual arts while creating a safe environment for singles and couples (no nudity).

A recent graduate of the program says, “You treated us as whole people, with a full spectrum of emotions. All the exercises were perfect and meaningful. It was honoring and respectful, and I could not believe how funny Charles was. Both of you made it so much fun. I definitely turned a corner, and I look forward to absorbing all I learned.”

UBS—Cool, Usable Belongings that are Sustainable—marry beauty to true sustainability while remaining responsive to real-world needs. It was only natural, then, that co-founder Alexis Baile noted the lack of attractive, stylish cast covers when she broke her ankle: “It was bad enough to break my ankle, but to have to wear an ugly tape-covered cast was almost as bad as the physical pain itself! We knew there had to be a simple and beautiful solution.”

CUBS has launched Cubs Cast Covers, made from the same designer fabrics used for its other lines. These soft and pliable covers slip on and off easily, allowing the wearer to change the “look” from, say, daytime denim to evening glitz. And the angle/leg cast design incorporates a toe cover for chilly weather.

This line is currently being marketed to doctors’ offices and ski resorts around the country.

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This class will be held Friday through Sunday, March 12–14, in Boulder. Payment plans are available. For more information or to register, visit SourceTantra.com or call 888-682-6872, x104.

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Awakening the Third Eye: Raising the Voltage of Consciousness

M

editating thirty minutes a day quiets the mind and improves focus. For the other 23 ½ hours, where does your consciousness rest? And what techniques do you have to cultivate this awareness?

On Saturday and Sunday, February 6–7, from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Rebecca Mehl, meditation instructor and Inner Space Techniques practitioner from the Clairvision School, will facilitate Awakening the Third Eye, a workshop designed for everyone—from students to busy parents to entrepreneurs— providing powerful techniques that lead to a quieter mind, inner clarity, greater self-knowledge, and the perception of spiritual realities.

Participants will learn a daily meditation practice, skills to help manage, restore and protect their energy, and interactive techniques to develop spiritual vision—all focused around the cultivation of the third eye, the subtle organ traditionally used to internalize consciousness.

The Clairvision School was founded in Australia in 1987

by Dr. Samuel Sagan. Courses are now taught around the world, testament to the effectiveness, simplicity and depth of the teaching.

Cost is $200; $150 for students or $300 for 2 if you register with a friend. To register, email info@rebeccamehl.com or call 415-373-7648.

1116-7 W. Dillon Rd, Louisville, CO 80027

6

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

The Yoga of Parenting: I Will Cherish You Forever

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ow can we take the lessons we learn on the mat—of deep peacefulness, living in the present moment, and striving for our highest potential—to our family’s experience? On Saturday, February 13, from 2:00–4:00 PM, Yo Mama Yoga Studio will host Nancy Candea, certified yoga therapist, director of Satellite Yoga, and mother of two young adults, as she leads a discussion on the Yoga of Parenting.

Candea will discuss how the philosophies of yoga can enrich our experience as parents and help teach our children to live a life based on nonviolence and truthfulness. Attend this free event to explore how we can empower our kids to develop self-discipline, loving kindness, and compassion.

Yo Mama Studio is located in the Treehouse Building, Suite 201, at 737 29th St., Boulder. For more information or to reserve a space, call 303-447-9642.

Yoga Teacher Training: Connecting Hearts in Underserved Populations

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n Friday, February 26, Satellite Yoga will offer its next yoga teacher training, Extending Metta, for special populations, covering sixty hours over two weekends two to three months apart, with an internship and research hours done between the weekends.

Certified yoga therapists Nancy Candea and Kourtney Nelson will train Registered Yoga Teachers in the practical use of Ayurvedic theory, nutrition, relaxation, asana, pranayama, meditation, and positive mental skills in challenging teaching settings. Course content includes research into the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and an in-depth study of the Yamas and Niyamas, to look at how yogic

spiritual doctrine supports this serviceoriented work.

For more information, call Nancy Candea at 303-447-9642 or visit http://SatelliteYoga.org.

What if a Doctor could give you a health plan based off how your body functions, instead of your symptoms?

Already Stumble on a New Year’s Resolution?

Y

ou’re not alone: 99% of people fail to keep their resolutions, no matter how strong their determination, due to the lack of a clear commitment, an effective plan, and external support. Ensure your success by partnering up with someone who is as invested in your success as you are and by crafting a plan that fits your reality—your starting point, your obstacles, your other responsibilities, and your weaknesses under stress. Move toward your vision in attainable, sustainable baby steps so that gradually, but certainly, the shifts become permanent, natural, and blissful.

That’s where Exquisite Wellness comes in. Ann Gibson, a sustainable living and functional nutrition coach, has launched her Jump Start 2010 System, a simple accountability plan to lose that extra weight, feel ten to twenty years younger, balance hormones, heal digestive woes, and increase energy—all in five mega-effective sessions.

In this program, participants will get clear about what they really want (e.g., to lose ten pounds in order to feel more comfortable in clothes and to have more energy versus to weigh a lower number on the scale). From this clear vision, participants will create a reverse timeline: where they’d like to be in six months, then where they’ll need to be in three months to indicate they’re moving in the right direction, then where they’d like to be one month from now, and finally what one or two things can be done this week to move in that direction.

A Doctor who based treatment off of healthy populations, instead of sick?

That would be the Doctor of the future.

That future is now and you can take charge and let your health soar with a functional medicine consultation!

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Both private and group options are available. Call today for a $150 New Year’s discount before it expires on Feb 15. For more information, call 303-993-4359 or visit ExquisiteWellness.com.

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3393 Iris Ave Ŗ Suite 105 Boulder, CO 80301

303.882.8447 WE CAN HELP:

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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that works for all. February 2 is World Wetlands Day.

Happiness Index

Social Progress a New Standard of National Wealth French President Nicolas Sarkozy is encouraging countries to join in a “great revolution” in the way growth is tracked. Two Nobel economists recently completed a report recommending a shift from measuring progress solely based on a nation’s gross domestic product to accounting for the society’s well-being and sustainability. In effect, Sarkozy thinks that any government’s primary objective should be the greatest happiness of its citizens.

According to a World Values Survey by the University of Michigan Institute of Social Research, between 1981 and 2007, happiness and general life satisfaction has risen substantially in 40 of 52 countries tracked. Democratization and rising social tolerance are primarily responsible, followed by economic growth. “The results clearly show that the happiest societies are those that allow people the freedom to choose how to live their lives,” says survey director Ronald Inglehart.

Rising happiness and well-being are most notable in India, Ireland, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South Korea, with recent spikes in ex-communist countries, as well as Nigeria and Turkey. In 2007, Denmark ranked as the happiest nation, with the United States 16th.

Family Solidarity

America Sees Decline in Divorce Rate “Many couples may be rediscovering the longstanding sociological truth that marriage is one of society’s best social insurance plans,” says W. Bradford Wilcox, a sociology professor and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the number of divorces among women, which had risen to 17.5 per 1,000 in 2007, fell 4 percent in 2008.

Some couples may be staying together only temporarily, due to tightened resources and the support provided by a spouse and extended family members; but others may be appreciating anew why they got married in the first place. The recession reminds them that marriage can be more than an emotional relationship, notes the report. It is also an economic partnership and social safety net.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor 8

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Starlight Traveler Dreams of Sailing Through Space

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced that the Planetary Society, founded by scientist and author Carl Sagan, is set to build and fly a series of solarsail spacecraft, dubbed LightSails, first in orbit around Earth and then into deeper space, in the next three years. The beauty of LightSails is that they are powered by sunshine, which carries both energy and momentum; unlike rocket fuel, this gentle force fires continuously.

Over time, a big enough sail, perhaps a mile on each side, could reach speeds of hundreds of thousands of miles an hour, fast enough to traverse the solar system in five years. Riding the beam from a powerful laser, a sail could even make the journey to another star system in 100 years, a human lifespan.

Dr. Louis Friedman, director of the Planetary Society, a worldwide organization of space enthusiasts, says eventual passengers will likely be robots or human genomes encoded on a chip, due to the need to keep the craft light, like a giant cosmic kite. In principle, it could tack like a sailboat. Japan is already testing solar sails deployed from satellites or rockets, although none are traveling anywhere yet.

These are visions for the long haul, advises Freeman Dyson of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He remarks: “Think centuries or millennia, not decades.”

Thrill Ride

Astrology

Virtual Theme Park Draws upon Schoolroom Skills Disney World’s “Sum of all Thrills” personalizes the Epcot experience by allowing kids to dream up their own theme park attraction. The do-it-yourself, interactive approach hands users a touch-screen computer tablet and gives them free reign to sketch a bobsled track, roller coaster ride or airplane journey, and then take a virtual spin on their creation. It’s the latest example of a next-generation trend in amusement park, zoo and museum attractions geared to youngsters adept at video games.

If a kid tries to build something physically impossible, they’re asked to retool their ideas. “Our aim is to show kids how math and engineering make the things they care about really come to life and happen,” explains Kristin Hilf, a spokesperson for Raytheon, the ride’s corporate sponsor.

For people seeking to know and embrace their life purpose, and themselves

for Beginners “Debra Silverman is a powerful and highly attuned guide. Her teaching style is brilliant, inspiring, engaging and really enjoyable.” ~ Laurie Adato, Executive Director, Hakomi Institute.

This class will teach you how to read your chart and further understand your personality and life purpose. It will also make you laugh hard.

February 13-14, 2010 303-665-0320 Debra-Silverman.com

Long Weekends

Four-Day Work Week Produces Multiple Bonuses Utah’s public sector is leading a change to a four-day work week, watched closely by other states interested in realizing comparable savings in energy costs for employers and gasoline costs for commuters. The first year’s 13 percent savings in government building energy use and associated 12,000-metric-ton reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions will help the state reach its goal of a 20 percent drop in energy usage by 2015. But that’s only half the story.

Managers report rises in productivity among Utah’s 18,000 state workers as a result of their new four, 10-hour days, to the tune of 9 percent less time off, according to Mike Hansen, strategic planning manager in the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget. The extended days generally make it easier for customers to access services in the evenings. At the Department of Motorized Vehicles, lines have disappeared, although they’ve determined that it’s best for the department to also keep Friday hours.

Approval ratings for the four-day work week are high, at 82 percent among state employees and 60 percent among the general public. El Paso, Texas, and Melbourne Beach, Florida, have already made the switch, as well. Permanent three-day weekends may not be far behind. natural awakenings

February 2010

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globalbriefs

healthbriefs

Tweet Tweet

Social Networking Trend Achieves Takeoff The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that 19 percent of Internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves or to see updates about others. That’s a significant increase over a year earlier, when only 11 percent said the same. Three groups are mainly responsible for driving the growth: social network website users, those who connect to the Internet via mobile devices and Internet users under age 44.

Children Playing Outside Laugh More

Source: PewInternet.org, 2009

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Digital Storytelling

Every Community Has a Memory of Itself A community is a collective identity woven of a thousand individual stories, a living history of value to its inhabitants. The Center for Digital Storytelling helps local people meet local needs and respond to local issues by teaching individuals how to digitally capture the essence of their own stories in words and images in a PowerPoint presentation, three-minute video or another digital format.

“Like it or not, screen language is what is being spoken today,” says Daniel Weinshenker, a regional director of the center, who encourages us all to, “Tell the story that only you can tell.” He always asks how a place, time or situation changed us as a person. “Without change,” he observes, “you don’t have a story.”

To date, the approach has helped groups in 45 states, five Canadian provinces and 33 countries. It has, among other signs of progress, increased dialog between foster children and social workers, shared empowering stories about coping with disability and difference, and built the Conquer your pain with Breakthrough ability for grassroots Body Healing. Expertise in pain activists to use techand injury rehabilitation, trauma nology in their work. therapy, nutritional counseling and

Suffering from pain or trauma? alternatives to physical therapy.

Teena Evert, CSIP, SRT, RYT, NCTMB Founder, Breakthrough Body Healing

Source: Tap into more results at StoryCenter.org

303-884-9642 www.breakthroughbodyhealing.com 2299 Pearl Street, Suite 310, Boulder, CO 80302

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hild of Our Time, a televised research project co-produced by the BBC and The Open University in the UK, is halfway through its ambitious 20-year mission of tracking the development of 25 children since birth. One of Executive Producer Tessa Livingstone’s studies has found that the more children played, the more they laughed, especially when outside. In fact, children who played the most laughed up to 20 times more than others.

As a child psychologist, Livingstone maintains that it is important to get the balance right between unstructured play and the high level of structured activity, such as music, drama and language classes, which take up so much of the modern child’s time.

Children who are allowed to play and explore outside are likely to be more adventurous, self-motivated and better able to understand risk when they grow up, according to Livingstone.

Her research team found the amount of time children are allowed to roam out of their parents’ sight has dropped by 90 percent over the past 20 years. “This is an extraordinary change and it says a lot about our fear of modern life, pedophilia, etc. Children learn two things from this: Strangers are fearsome and dangerous, and it’s dangerous to go outside,” she explains.

She also notes other research indicating that children are probably safer from stranger danger when playing outside with other children than when playing online alone.

healthbriefs

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Laughter Yoga Benefits Belly Muscles

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n experiment to assess the effect of laughter of yoga on back pain by sports science student Ulrich Rehm of Münster University, in Germany, turned up an encouraging conclusion. In conducting research for his Ph.D. thesis, he hooked up two healthy young men to an electromyograph (EMG), which measures strength, endurance and increases in muscle activity. Rehm monitored some of the abdominal and back muscles that are addressed by conventional strengthening exercises or even in sports physiotherapy.

First, his fellow students performed a series of conventional physiotherapy exercises on a mat for 30 minutes. Next, they performed another 30 minutes of laughter yoga exercises. The working conclusion was that, “Simulated laughter exercises engage as many abdominal muscles as conventional physiotherapy exercises, sometimes even more.” Initial findings are backed by overseeing professor Dr. Heiko Wagner, who teaches kinesiology at the university.

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Cholesterol: A Love Story

By Dr. Ian Hollaman DC

D

o you cringe when asked about your cholesterol? The word alone strikes fear of atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke. All the studies, the diets, the doctors’ orders seem geared toward lowering cholesterol, eliminating the “bad” kind, and consuming low-fat, cholesterol-free foods. Interestingly, there is little scientific evidence showing that cholesterol is a cause of atherosclerosis, heart disease, or stroke. Rather, current research indicates that cholesterol actually protects against these diseases and many others.

That’s just one reason to love and appreciate cholesterol’s presence in the body.

Cholesterol is an integral part of a healthy, functioning body. The brain and nervous system depend on it to work properly—which is why mother’s milk is minimally 60% cholesterol, the proper nutrition for a developing baby. Cholesterol is also essential for the body’s production of hormones and vitamins that allow us to grow and adapt to stress. And it helps maintain the intestinal wall, allowing for proper digestion and reducing inflammation that can lead to many diseases.

Because there’s genetic variability in how a body processes fat no matter its source, how do you know if your cholesterol intake is appropriate for you? Many internal and external factors impact cholesterol level, so getting a comprehensive metabolic blood test is recommended. A healthy cholesterol level, determined by the ratio of HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels, falls within a pretty wide range. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, and LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, are both needed to maintain health and prevent disease. That is, they’re both good cholesterol, essential for your body. Of course, moderation and variety in your diet is always a good idea, but you can enjoy the foods you love—even eggs and animal fats!—as part of a healthy lifestyle that also includes regular exercise and sufficient sleep. Looking at all the relevant factors takes the fear out of consuming cholesterol and ensures that your body gets its healthy amount of dietary cholesterol.

Dr. Ian Hollaman

Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with Dr. Ian. Please call 303-882-8447 or visit redtailwellnesscenters.com natural awakenings

February 2010

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Why a Smile is More than a Smile

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The Mystery of Attraction

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urns out it’s true that when it comes to choosing a mate, women are as complicated as men claim they are, say psychologists who have tested how women evaluate a man’s facial attractiveness. They discovered specifics of masculine appeal on two levels—a sexual level based on individual features like jawbone, cheekbone and lips; and a nonsexual level based on overall attractiveness or aesthetics.

The Penn State psychologists showed 50 female college students images of a variety of male faces, some of which were split horizontally with upper and lower halves shifted in opposite directions, and then asked them to rate what they saw as both hypothetical dates and hypothetical lab partners.

Most women chose the whole faces as lab partners and the male split faces as dates.

It appears that seeing a man’s whole face enabled the women to evaluate him more on a nonsexual basis. When the face was split, their way of processing a male face was based on a purely sexual perspective.

The study concluded that, for women, while attractiveness appears to be perceived on the whole, they find sexiness can exist in parts of a potential mate’s face.

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Boulder & Broomfield Counties

omantics everywhere may be happy to hear why the adage, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you,” holds true—at least according to a psychological study which proved just seeing a smile activates the muscles in our face that make that expression, even if we’re unaware of it. The psychologists further discovered that positive emotion words, such as “laugh” or “funny,” also influence our facial muscle activity, as well as our judgement.

In the experiment, volunteers were subliminally shown emotion verbs and adjectives while watching cartoons. Half of the participants held a pen to their lips to prevent them from smiling, while the remaining group did not have their facial muscles blocked. The results revealed that volunteers found cartoons to be funnier when they were preceded by smiling-related verbs rather than frowning-related verbs. More, those who had been free to smile while watching the cartoons judged them more positively.

Source: Association for Psychological Science, 2009

A Crush on Garlic

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hen it comes to protecting heart health, freshly crushed garlic works better than garlic supplements or dried garlic. New research published by the American Chemical Society explains that the heart-healthy effects of raw, crushed garlic result from hydrogen sulfide, a chemical that forms when fresh garlic is cut or smashed; when eaten, the hydrogen sulfide relaxes blood vessels, allowing for better flowing of blood to the heart.

New Clue to Love at First Sight

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eave it to genetics (and pairs of fruit flies) to answer a question that has perplexed humanity since the dawn of science. An American and Australian research team has found that, before mating, female fruit flies experience a biochemical state that amounts to “genetic priming,” making them more likely to mate with certain males over others—research that sheds a bit more light on the complexities of mating and reproduction.

Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2009

Chocolate Calms Emotions

Chocolate can indeed assuage emotional stress, according to a new clinical trial. Researchers reporting to the American Chemical Society found that “highly stressed” volunteers, eating about an ounce-and-a-half (about 40 grams) of dark chocolate a day for two weeks, experienced reduced levels of stress hormones. The chocolate even partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances by modifying metabolism.

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

I Laugh

Therefore I Am

A body-mind experience that helps you understand your life purpose and deepen into your true nature.

by Blaine Greteman

Debra Silverman

L

aughter predates the development of language. Almost all mammals do it, and it’s one of the first things babies learn.

“One of the unique characteristics of mammals is that we play,� advises Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life. Nearly all social mammals tickle one another, and emit pleased, laugh-like pants, chirps or grunts when tumbling about in playful situations. He explains that, “As you get more complicated in the mammalian structure, you have a greater vocabulary of play, including laughter.�

When apes play, they roughhouse, tickle and laugh. Chimpanzees pant with delight in response to pratfalls.

Robert Provine, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, who is studying laughter for insights into the biology of social behavior, maintains that laughter is a kind of evolutionary link between all mammals. He remarks, “If you tickle a rat, it laughs; we just can’t hear it.� (Listen in at OdeMagazine.com/laughingrats.) On the other hand, no matter how much you tickle a lizard, it won’t guffaw, chuckle or purr.

Among Provine’s more startling findings is the fact that only 10 to 15 percent of laughter follows a humorous statement or situation. Most laughs

follow utterly banal comments, like, “See you later� or “I think I’m done.� As Provine and others observe, “The essential ingredient for laughter is not a joke, but another person,� making laughter primarily a social lubricant.

Laughter is 30 times more likely to occur in group situations than on solitary occasions, and Provine’s research reveals tantalizing insights into the way it structures our daily interactions: Speakers laugh more than listeners; women laugh more than men; laughter punctuates our phrases, but doesn’t interrupt them; and laughter is contagious.

During an episode of laughter, we can signal appreciation and understanding of others. Perhaps more importantly, says Provine, we share a mental and acoustic space.

“Laughter puts us into side-by-side existence in this playful realm,� says Keltner. “It signals a shared understanding of the world, so it’s foundational to interdependence and intimacy and like-mindedness.� In short, laughter is the glue that holds people together, a bridge between our self and others.

“Our relationships,� concludes Keltner, “are only as good as our histories of laughter together.�

Blaine Greteman is a freelance writer and professor of English at the University of Iowa. Connect at Blaine-Greteman@UIowa.edu.

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natural awakenings

February 2010

13

wisewords

How do welcoming eyes see others?

WILD ATTRACTION A Conversation with Paul and Patty Richards

by S. Alison Chabonais

H

ealthy energy habits, applied to gender awareness, result in extraordinary relationships, say Paul and Patty Richards, whose 59 “Energetic Facts of Life” emanate from their own experience. They teach these principles through the Senté Center they co-founded in the United States and New Zealand. Both are trained seers who formerly enjoyed dynamic careers in aerospace engineering and nursing.

They call for the intelligent harmonizing of masculine and feminine energies in intimate relationships as pivotal to humanity’s survival.

This month, in honor of Valentines everywhere, Natural Awakenings explores some of the key principles this lovingly aware pair practices, as articulated in their new book, Wild Attraction.

How do we ensure that we are attracted to and attracting a safe, available partner?

At heart, you must first have a confidently open, positive expectation that qualified candidates exist. It’s a complex process these days to find a healthy, well-suited individual. Knowing this helps you relax, rather than worry about the near misses, whose 14

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

Welcoming eyes have a ‘bring it on’ expression, projected in the upper half of the face, from the nose to the hairline.

They exude confidence in their own power to move forward and to connect in mutual joy with another, with no need to prove anything. Elijah Wood’s visage in the final leaving Middle Earth scene of The Lord of the Rings embodies welcome. Babies’ and dogs’ faces evidence such love in motion.

In contrast, the sorting eyes we use in the workplace, constantly evaluating good versus bad, are on guard against the unknown, warily seeking to squelch unpredictability. These are not helpful in setting up a relationship of a lifetime.

A welcoming, yes-based life embraces new people and experiences. It loves and accepts the mystery in us more than what is known and enjoys the inevitable surprise.

Why is it essential to constantly assure your mate that he or she is your first choice? roles are to teach us about fatal flaws and help us make better choices.

Two things lead to a successful selection process: time and community.

Getting to know a potential partner over time, in many environments and circumstances, draws you close as you see into their world, become a part of their community and erase ‘knowledge gaps’ about their life that can make you feel unsure. Look for a compassionate view of both genders, one not tangled in self. How do they treat people over whom they have power?

Tune out their words and witness their actions.

Ask the most glorious couple you know for help in discerning the qualities that would make an ideal mate for you. Women best evaluate women. A good man has the eyes to see another good man. In today’s highly mobile communities, we’re operating blind when it comes to an individual’s roots and reputation. Ask around. www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Feeling chosen changes a person’s energy. Something compressed inside lets go when you register that someone has selected you as the center of their universe. If you are fortunate, you first experienced this from a parent, as a child. Women, in particular, want to feel cherished and claimed. When you declare your primary choice, all other choices line up around it. Getting behind your choice is transformational; it facilitates the formation of a stunning relationship. A mate, lover, best friend and life companion needs to have uncontested access in a heart-space not filled with children, work, hobbies or a pet.

What can lovers do to consciously keep the fire alive and the embers glowing?

The hallmark of Cary Grant’s appeal for women is that he was constantly paying attention to them, not out of

need, but in sophisticated appreciation of the feminine. Men bring the energy of attention that women thrive on. Even simple rituals, like arriving each day declaring, “I love seeing you when I get home,” communicates that you value her presence in your life. Asking what she needs and responding chivalrously, with a natural spring in your step, acknowledges that you find her interesting. Men are relieved to understand that their service is needed and appreciated and thrive on hearing what a “Good job!” they are doing.

Rather than ask “What attracts me?” ask “What changes me?” Avoiding change and continuing to do things your own way dulls an already tame attraction, but doing the work to connect with what delights your lover keeps the relationship charged and fires the wild attraction that answers your heart’s desire far beyond your imaginings.

Paul and Patty Richards apply their extraordinary powers of awareness to see beyond the ordinary fabric of physical reality in order to help individuals perceive and cultivate their own greatness.

Learn more about Wild Attraction at SenteCenter.com.

Awakening the Third Eye Meditation Workshop: Raising the Voltage of Consciousness

February 6-7 If you want to awaken and train your third eye, learn a profound meditation to inner worlds, and cultivate your body of energy, this workshop is for you.

Info or Register

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inspiration

Seven Life Tools How to Stay Lighthearted in Challenging Times

by Kari Joys

I

n today’s tough economic times, many people are facing very difficult life situations. Mounting uncertainties seem to permeate the atmosphere of thought because so many have already lost their jobs and their homes. It’s not easy to stay cool, calm and collected when you don’t know what to expect tomorrow.

You may feel that staying lighthearted is impossible in today’s world. But in working as a psychotherapist for 30 years, I have found that, again and again, employing these seven simple tools enables individuals to come through the darkness to a more lighthearted way of living.

1

Cry the tears that need to be cried—tears clean the windows of your soul. If there’s no one to talk to, write your feelings in a journal until your body relaxes and you feel a sense of relief.

2

See every challenge as an opportunity to grow. Ask for divine help to face challenges in the best way possible and to find a positive solution that feels good to you.

3

Choose a new reality. Affirm to yourself “I’m choosing a new reality.” Then change your negative thoughts and beliefs about your challenges to positive thoughts and beliefs.

4

Imagine in living color what it would be like if a total miracle happened in your life. What you would see, hear, feel, smell and taste if, by some miracle, your life took a definite turn for the better?

5

Brainstorm possible solutions until you find one that feels good to you. Take some positive action today towards changing your life for the better.

6 7

Practice showing love to every person you come in contact with.

Remember that when you give love, love also comes back to you.

Look at the funny side of life and find things to laugh about. Share your sense of humor with everyone around you, so that they can laugh and have fun, too.

Repeat this process every day until things get better. Once you get started, you may want to continue doing it for the rest of your life.

Spokane psychotherapist Kari Joys is director of the Center for Creative Change and the author of Choosing Light-Heartedness. A lighthearted seminar leader, she is a member of the American Counseling Association and a certified Yuen Wellness practitioner.

Learn more at Kari-Joys.com.

natural awakenings

February 2010

15

fitbody

Yoga LAUGHTER Exercises Catalyst for Laughing Alone

by Dr. Madan Kataria

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he slogan of all laughter clubs is, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” This is based on a scientific fact that even if you are faking it, the body cannot differentiate between real and make-believe emotions. This is how laughter exercises convert artificial laughter into bouts of real laughter. It hinges on coming to genuinely laugh at hearing the absurd, silly sounds of your own voice.

The fun starts with ha-ha-ha, he-he-he, ho-ho-ho, as you play with laughter exercises to discover what amuses you. Initially, faking laughter may seem awkward, but with practice, your body will become conditioned, and the moment you start faking, it will quickly turn into the real thing.

Laughter yoga employs a voice reinforceFake it ‘til you ment technique based on the natural sounds of make it. laughter. As children, we shout and scream to express ourselves fully, but as adults we have been conditioned to control the pitch and tone of our voice to the point where we are unable to express our feelings to the fullest. The freedom and expression of the voice affects the freedom of emotions in the mind, and vice versa.

Everyone has a distinct signature of laughter that continually changes, according to our state of our mind and personality type. Given the natural feedback between body and mind, by opening up your voice to the sounds of laughter, you can bring about a change in your overall emotional expression.

It helps to keep the following points in mind while doing laughter yoga exercises:

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Boulder & Broomfield Counties

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

• The purpose is to prolong the exhalation, in order to empty the lungs completely. This will help you to inhale deeply and get more oxygen flowing into the body. While doing laughter exercises, try to keep laughing until you run out of breath, removing residual air from the lungs.

• Keep your chin up; it becomes much easier to laugh if you are looking upwards. It also makes the respiratory tract straight and facilitates the flow of air.

• Spreading your arms out and looking up creates happy body language.

Because of the body-mind link, a happy posture facilitates the release of happy chemicals in the brain.

Voice Reinforcement

Voice reinforcement techniques help to bring laughter more easily.

Start by taking a long breath and start saying haaaa-haaaa-haaaa-haaaaahaaaa five to seven times. Then, try to laugh and keep laughing until you completely run out of breath. Another approach is to use the vowel sound Aeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, and prolong it while raising your arms over your head.

With your chin up, laugh ha-ha-ha-ha.

Repeat the technique, using Aaaaaaaaa and Oooooooo. Do each five to six times and take a few deep breaths inbetween.

Voice reinforcement techniques are best performed while standing, but you can also do them while lying down. Some people find that bringing their knees towards their chest helps to expel the residual air more easily.

Breath Holding Technique The way to employ the breathholding technique is to take a long breath, raise your arms over your head and hold your breath, while stretching the spine backwards. As you try to continue to hold the breath a little longer, you will burst out laughing. The position builds up pressure inside the lungs and facilitates laughter; gradually, the

brain develops a new connection between breathing, stretching and holding the breath and laughter, and it becomes a conditioned reflex.

Another variation is to keep your eyes closed and take a long breath. Hold it as long as possible, avoiding the urge to laugh. The anticipation of laughter is what prompts real outbursts of laughing. In the beginning, do it deliberately or pretend to laugh; soon, you will experience the real feelings and laughter will be spontaneous.

Holding Your Knees Laughter

This last exercise helps facilitate the upward movement of the diaphragm by pressing in on the abdominal muscles.

It, too, helps improve circulation and stimulates blood flow to the brain. It involves simple steps of pulling in the knees and releasing them as you exhale and inhale.

• Lie on your back, hold your knees together with both your hands and slowly bring them closer to your chest.

• While doing this, push your chin upwards and keep your mouth a little open and exhale. This straightens the respiratory tract and allows a freer flow of air.

• Now, release your knees and inhale while taking in deep breaths.

As you bring Need help your knees closer getting and push your chin started? upwards, use the Call the free sound reinforceLaugh Line ment techniques at the top of of laughter. Say a the hour from 4 a.m. to 10a.m., prolonged haaaaaaa as well as 1, 6 and 7 p.m. and in a crescendo and 11 p.m.

(MDT), 712-432-3900, then start laughing. pin 6071292# to connect with Take a few deep a certified laughter leader. For breaths in-between pre-recorded sessions, call spells of laughter.

While laughing, you 712-432-3903 with the same pin. can open or close your eyes, dependSource: FollowTheLaughter.com ing on what makes you comfortable and helps keep you laughing.

Childlike giggling is another great way of breaking into truly tickled laughter.

Dr. Madan Kataria is the founder of Laughter Yoga Clubs; connect at LaughterYoga.org.

natural awakenings

February 2010

17

healingways

Lighten Up! Humor is FUNdamental to Good Health

by Paul McGhee

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e all have a natural health and healing system attacks were randomly assigned to either a standard cardiac within our body that is our biological inheritance, rehab program or the program plus the viewing of a comedy but which too many of us have forgotten how to video, three times a week for a year at the rehab site. During use. It is our innate sense of humor. the year, the comedy video group had suffered fewer addi Strong scientific evidence in multiple fields of research tional heart attacks and fewer episodes of cardiac arrhythmia. now supports the view that humor plays a significant role in They also had significantly lower blood pressure than the sustaining health. Humor’s many benefits to a great extent control group. hinge on its ability to generate in us positive emotions, even

Another recent study in the peer review journal, Heart, substituting a positive for a negative state in the presence of may provide an explanation for humor’s reported boost to stress. A general agreement in the broad field of psychoneucardiac health. Here, researchers found that watching a roimmunology (studying the interaction between psychologicomedy video significantly increased the diameter of a major cal processes and the body’s nervous and immune systems) artery in the arm (vasodilation), while watching a stress-inis that emotion, and its underlying physical changes in the ducing film reduced the diameter of the artery (vasoconstricbody, is the key to understanding the link tion). This constrictive effect in response to between mind and body when it comes to stress is well established, and is known to health. result in increased blood pressure.

Your sense of humor

The earliest modern research on humor This relaxation effect at the arterial is one of the most and health, from the 1980s and 90s, first level, in response to humor, is consistent powerful tools you showed that a good dose of humor works to with the muscle relaxation effect that strengthen the immune system and reduce mounting evidence also associates with huhave to make certain pain. Results of 30 to 40 studies consistently mor. Muscle relaxation is the key goal of all that your daily mood demonstrate such benefits. stress management techniques, because it

A common claim for the reduced pain generally leads to the easing of psychologiand emotional state associated with humor and laughter attrical tensions. Concurrently, several studies, support good health. butes it to the production of endorphins (one published in such journals as The Journal of of the body’s built-in pain reducers), yet only Rheumatology and The American Journal of one study in the past 25 years supports this the Medical Sciences, now also have docunotion. The noted reduction in pain may rather be due to the mented a reduced level of stress hormones circulating in the known muscle relaxation effect that results from humor and blood of study participants in response to humor. laughter, or to humor’s power to mentally distract us from the The latest research on the relationship of humor to source of pain. health, underway in Japan, is now extending humor’s benefits

One exciting new finding is how humor contributes to relief of specific diseases. While less well-established than to good cardiac health. More than a decade ago, a study the findings relative to pain and the immune system, several published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology showed that humor-related studies published in The Journal of Rheumatolhumor is heart-healthy, even if one has already experienced ogy, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Psychosomata heart attack. In the study, patients who had suffered heart ic Research and The Journal of the American Medical Asso18

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

ciation have demonstrated significant contributions to health or well-being in cases of diabetes, certain skin sensitivities, arthritis, asthma and even chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (one European study to date).

Many cancer patients claim that their sense of humor has helped keep them alive, while plenty of evidence points to humor as a powerful tool in helping cancer patients and others cope with serious illness and other highly stressful life circumstances. In one large Norwegian study of individuals diagnosed with cancer, those with a stronger sense of humor

Humor shifts perspective, allowing us to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help us avoid feeling overwhelmed. (as measured by a standardized sense-of-humor test) also had a 70 percent higher survival rate than others over the following seven years.

Finally, it’s interesting to note that in healthy individuals, watching a one-hour humorous video also increases the number and activity of the natural killer cells that seek out and destroy tumor cells and also help fight off the latest cold and flu viruses and other foreign organisms.

While humor and laughter are not a substitute for a physician’s or practitioner’s care, findings show that they do help.

A developed sense of humor, let loose to play, assures that our body and mind, supported by positive emotions, are at work on our behalf, helping to sustain good health and wellness.

Paul McGhee, Ph.D., president of The Laughter Remedy, in Wilmington, DE, is internationally known for his own humor research; for supporting references and detailed discussion of humor/health issues, see Humor: The Lighter Path to Resilience and Health, released this month via AuthorHouse.com.

Also visit LaughterRemedy.com.

Just for Grins Baby BeyoncĂŠ at YouTube.com/watch?v=xSdZ6akE02I Dog Leg Stealing Bone at YouTube.com/ watch?v=JSToLWAwebA Best Cat Tricks at YouTube.com/watch?v=Wvo-g_ JvURI&NR=1 JK Wedding Dance at YouTube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Mrs. Green Jeans Give Your Sweetie a Living Gift for Valentine’s Day We all know how flowers fade – why not give your sweetheart the gift of flowers all year long! A hydroponic system will allow him or her to grow anything, anytime, anywhere.

Come visit us at Denver or Boulder Hydroponic and Organic Center and we can show you how to grow fresh flowers, herbs Christine Hubbard or veggies. Our friendly staff can General Manager help you pick out the perfect gift that will meet any of your growing desires. We have complete systems or all the required parts for those who want to build it themselves. We also carry a full array of lighting, pumps, timers, trays, soils, organic nutrients and hydroponic nutrients. Our progressive gardening methods will allow you to enjoy healthy happy live foods all year round.

If you have a true gardener in the house, a hydroponic system will allow them to start their garden early for planting in the spring while still having the ability to grow produce in the cold winter months. If your honey is a gourmet cook then this is a perfect gift that will give back to both of you – yummmmm.

Don’t hesitate to do your Valentine’s Day shopping at either one of our locations.

Our knowledgeable staff will help you select the right gift for the right person in your life.

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February 2010

19

by Enda Junkins

Laugh More WHY FEELING TICKLED IS GOOD FOR US Be aware. When the corners of our mouth turn up involuntarily and we must swallow unsolicited giggles, we may be giving way to laughter addiction.

T

he high that we gain when we laugh until we hold our sides, roll about on the floor and feel the tears streaming down our cheeks is addicting. So, what protects us from such loosey-goosey, nonsensical fun? Only our own serious, controlled approach to life, from sex to the family vacation.

Human beings are not born serious. We begin life fully equipped with an innate playfulness and the ability to laugh freely. Sadly, most of us curb our playfulness and laughter as a sacrifice to the serious business of adulthood. In order to keep laughing, we need to be in a partial state of playfulness, either consciously or unconsciously. Laughter therapy is one way to help us ease our adult seriousness and retrieve that lost sensation of play.

Laughter is not only fun; it is also good for us. At last, something good for us that is also enjoyable. There is no need for yucky-tasting diet concoctions, profuse sweating in concentrated exercise or tough changes for this particular pursuit of health. All that’s required is pure, unrestrained, old-fashioned laughter.

Laughter heals the body and eases painful emotions like anger and fear (see this month’s Healing Ways de-

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Boulder & Broomfield Counties

partment). It helps us cope with daily survival in a pleasant and effective way.

Contrary to common perceptions, in my 20 years as a laughter therapist I have found that laughter is born of tension, stress and pain, so most people need not worry about being able to laugh.

Stress has been called the number one health problem today; we’ve all got it.

Laughter therapy is about learning to laugh freely again at the many things we deal with that aren’t otherwise funny. Children will play with almost anything except direct pain. Adults were intended to do the same. When we can play with our pain, we laugh. When we laugh, we shift our perspective and problems shrink to a manageable size.

We don’t diminish their importance,

LAUGH TO:

Relieve stress Resolve conflict Enhance communications Enrich relationships Have fun but we feel less overwhelmed.

Laughter is warm, bonding and contagious. It connects with those we love and with our fellow human beings. www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

We need to feel good. We need to feel connected. We need to feel safe. We need to laugh more.

Anyone can join the laughter movement. All it takes is a willingness to risk some loss of control. The timid may start with a few shy giggles. The courageous may jump in with deep belly laughs. A sense of humor is not required. There’s more than enough stress to go around, and absurdity abounds in our daily lives. All we have to do is believe, let go and clap our hands, and laughter will live again.

So will we. When we laugh, we feel deeply, which allows us to live fully.

We can encourage everyday laughter at home by being playful with our families. Wear a clown nose when putting children to bed. Break up chores by indulging in a pillow fight. Ease conflict by saying something light and unexpected. Let hand puppets help with family communication or say it with a humorous hat. Life at home doesn’t have to be serious; it’s far too important for that.

We can slip laughter into the workplace with a few lighthearted windup toys. Play with frustrations by writing them on shoe soles and walking on them. Wear a temporary tattoo that expresses our mood for the day. No

Laughter is the human gift for coping and for survival; ringing, pealing, roaring, bubbling laughter. Chuckling. Giggling.

Snickering. Snorting. These are the sounds of soul-saving laughter that springs from our emotional core and helps us feel better, see things more clearly and creatively weigh and use our options. Laughter helps us roll with the punches that inevitably come our way.

We unleash the power of laughter every time we laugh.

Tips for More Laughter in Life 1.

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Practice laughing five minutes a day; fake it ‘til you make it.

Look for humor around you—on signs, in people’s behavior, on TV, in newspapers, things others say and the crazy things that happen to you.

Keep a journal.

Share your embarrassing moments with others.

Learn to play with things that are serious, like work, social issues and money. You might use word play, silly songs or develop a comical view of the issue to help you cope.

Laugh with others when they laugh.

Wear a smile; it puts you closer to laughing.

Seek out entertainment that makes you laugh.

Amuse yourself with your own sense of humor.

Buy and listen daily to a tape of laughter, a laugh box or a laughing toy.

Play around with games and mindless toys that make you laugh.

Wear hats that make you laugh.

Cultivate your innate playfulness.

Be creative with fun.

Do at least one silly, nonconforming thing each day.

Give yourself permission to laugh at anything you need to.

Make sure you have fun.

Source: Enda Junkins one need see it. Find ways to celebrate stress; we might as well enjoy it. We can practice laughing, so that we can laugh when we need it most.

Mother Nature laughs. She created people playful and funny. She also created laughter. Why, in pursuit of serious things, have we short-circuited both our play and our laughter? In our frenzy to succeed and to have it all, we have shortened everything. We have fast food, fast banking, fast fun, fast shopping, even fast sex. Today, life is a longer process on a shorter schedule, and for that, we need lots of laughter.

Our natural laughter is neither fastpaced nor high-tech. It’s not expensive and it can’t be bought. Others can’t do it for us. All of us can do it ourselves, however, because we’re born with it, and it’s our right to reap all its benefits.

On the off chance that we occasionally find ourselves headed off to “smell the roses” from a drive-in window, at least we can laugh at our own folly.

Enda Junkins, known as “The Laughing Psychotherapist,” is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. For information on her keynote talks, seminars and workshops, visit LaughterTherapy.com.

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February 2010

21

naturalpet

Canine Humor

U

by Stanley Coren

niversally known and appreciated for their playful, uninhibited nature, dogs’ penchant for play generally reflects these creatures’ more or less juvenile minds; they have been bred to remain much like their wolf puppy forebears for all of their lives. It’s part of what makes them unconditionally loving companions that like to frolic and do silly things that make us laugh. Humans tend to equate such play with a sense of humor.

Charles Darwin may have been the first scientist to suggest that dogs have a sense of humor. As part of his renowned evolutionary studies, Darwin considered the emotions of animals and humans, looking for parallels and similarities. It appeared to him that dogs do have a sense of humor, which appears best when they are playing a sort of emotional add-on to their games. In the 1872 edition of The Descent of Man, Darwin writes:

“Dogs show what may be fairly called a sense of humor, as distinct from mere play; if a bit of stick or other such object be thrown to one, he will often carry it away for a short distance; and then squatting down with it on the ground close before him, will wait until his master comes quite close to take it away. The dog will then seize it and 22

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

rush away in triumph, repeating the same maneuver, and evidently enjoying the practical joke.”

The Nobel Prize-winning ethnologist, Konrad Lorenz, says that it is during play that dogs actually appear to laugh. In his book, Man Meets Dog, Lorenz describes it this way:

“… an invitation to play always follows; here the slightly opened jaws which reveal the tongue, and the tilted angle of the mouth which stretches almost from ear to ear give a still stronger impression of laughing. This ‘laughing’ is most often seen in dogs playing with an adored master and which become so excited that they soon start panting.”

While we cannot enter the mind of a dog to examine the mischievous machinations of its mental state, it is possible to determine how playful a dog is comparatively speaking. Not all breeds are created equally; some are definitively more playful than others.

Some seem to have a sense of play that they cannot suppress, while others seem to shun play.

Two animal behaviorists from the University of California-Davis, Dr. Benjamin Hart, a veterinarian, and Lynnette Hart, a zoologist, had a group of experts rank 56 different breeds of dogs in terms of playfulness. By playfulness, www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

they mean things like a willingness to chase balls or Frisbees and to engage in games like hide-and-seek. Those that ranked highest included the Irish setter, English springer spaniel, Airedale, golden retriever and poodle. The bloodhound, bulldog and basset hound ranked low. Following are the results of the Harts’ research.

The most playful breeds: Irish setter, English springer spaniel, miniature schnauzer, cairn terrier, Airedale terrier, standard poodle, Shetland sheepdog, golden retriever, Australian shepherd, miniature poodle and German shorthaired pointer.

Above average playfulness: Vizsla, fox terrier, Labrador retriever, Boston terrier, Yorkshire terrier, West Highland white terrier, toy poodle, German shepherd, silky terrier, Welsh corgi and Shih-Tzu.

Average playfulness: dachshund, Weimaraner, bichon frise, cocker spaniel, Scottish terrier, Dalmatian, boxer, pug, Maltese, beagle, collie and Brittany spaniel.

Below average playfulness: Norwegian elkhound, Doberman pinscher, Chesapeake Bay retriever, Siberian husky, keeshond, Afghan hound, Pomeranian, Lhasa Apso, Newfoundland, English sheepdog and great Dane.

Least playful breeds: Samoyed, Chihuahua, Rottweiler, Pekingese, akita, Alaskan Malamute, Saint Bernard, basset hound, chow chow, bulldog and bloodhound.

As many human companions may attest, playful dogs are sometimes a mixed blessing. While they are a joy to people who can handle the occasional bout of chaos, they may exasperate those who cannot. For a person who values peace and quiet, a Pekingese that is happy to snuggle up, but shuns play, may suit better than an Irish setter that will try everything to get his human up and responding to his overwhelming need to play and exercise his sense of fun.

Stanley Coren, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of several books on dogs, including The Intelligence of Dogs, How Dogs Think and The Modern Dog. His website is StanleyCoren.com.

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natural awakenings

February 2010

23

consciouseating

Good Humor Foods That Make Us Smile

by Judith Fertig

“L

ife is uncertain.

Eat dessert first,” counseled writer Ernestine Ulmer in her now famous bon mot.

What is it about desserts that can bring a smile to even the grumpiest adult?

Woody Allen has even compared comedy to dessert, commenting that it is “a bit like meringue.”

Desserts are meant to be lighthearted. The very word, after all, is the exact reverse of stressed.

More than any other part of the meal, a “Research tells us favorite dessert instantly that 14 out of any takes us back to treasured moments in our 10 individuals childhood—to a more like chocolate.” uncomplicated time in our lives—if only ~ Sandra Boynton, author of momentarily. “Oreo Chocolate: The Consuming Passion cookies make me very happy,” confesses columnist Craig Wilson of USA Today. “I can eat a sleeve of them so quickly it even embarrasses me. Add a glass of milk, and I’m giddy.”

Dessert encourages us to engage our playful side, especially true if we are indulging in a familiar confection with a new twist: a carrot cake cupcake; miniature ice cream sodas; a flight of tiny snow cones, each drizzled with homemade syrup; or a chocolate chip cookie you break apart like peanut brittle. (See accompanying recipes.)

Maybe what brings out our inner smile is the story associated with a treat. Perhaps it’s a baked apple Grandma used to make when you and your cousins visited her and managed to get into all kinds of scrapes. Most of us admit to

24

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

having a sweet tooth; chocolate is such a universal craving that it’s a laughable legend.

As the late humorist Erma Bombeck reminds us, “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”

Chocolate Crostini

So simple, yet so good.

The final sprinkle of salt makes all the difference.

Makes 16 crostini.

One 10-inch baguette 6 to 8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, in bar or block form, cut into 16 pieces Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing Coarse kosher or sea salt for sprinkling 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. 2. Slice off the ends of the bread and then slice the bread on the diagonal, ½-inch thick, to get 16 slices. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully place a piece of chocolate on each slice of bread. Return to the oven and warm for two minutes or until the chocolate begins to melt. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and devour while warm.

Cookie Brittle

Like a chocolate chip cookie, but without any leavening, this dough, mixed with desired flavorings, just presses into the pan. After it bakes, break off the pieces. A shorter baking time produces a chewier cookie; a longer baking time delivers a crisper cookie.

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Makes about 3 dozen pieces.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted organic butter, softened 1 cup natural or turbinado sugar 1 tsp salt 1½ tsp vanilla extract 2 cups organic white whole wheat flour 1 cup flaked almonds, dried cherries, snipped dried apricots or desiccated coconut 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla, beat until creamy. Stir in flour gradually, beating until blended. Fold in the almonds and chocolate chips, then press the dough into a large jelly roll pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Break the baked cookie apart like peanut brittle.

3. Store in an airtight container.

Baked Lemon Spice Pears

The house will fill with the aromas of pear, vanilla and lemon with this dish in the oven. Serve with a favorite spice cookie.

Makes 4 servings.

4 firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in half lengthwise ¼ cup natural or turbinado sugar 1 vanilla bean One 2- to 3-inch curling strip of fresh lemon peel ¼-inch-long cinnamon stick 1 cup water 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Oil the inside of a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. Place the pears cut-side down in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the sugar. Place the vanilla bean, lemon peel and cinnamon stick around the pears. Pour the water over all. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

3. Bake for 1½ hours, or until the pears are soft and fragrant. Serve garnished with the curling strip of lemon peel from the baking dish.

natural awakenings

February 2010

25

calendarofevents NOTE: All Calendar events must be received by February 12th (for the March issue) and adhere to our guidelines. Email Calendar@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

Educate!s Annual Gala For the Future of Uganda – 5:30-11pm. Dancing, live music by FACE, silent auction, wine, beer and appetizers. Benefits youth of Uganda. $50/$40 Student/$90 Couple. Rembrandt Yard. Boulder. experienceeducate.org/annualball 29th Annual Chocolate Lovers Fling – 6-11pm.

Enjoy champagne, hors d’ oeuvres, a candlelight dinner, music, dancing, and all the delectable chocolate you can imagine! $135. Benefits Safehouse Progressive Alliance. Info 303-449-8623. safehousealliance.org/ Bluegrass at the Audi – 7pm. $14, $12 Seniors / CBMS Members. Broomfield Auditorium. Tickets www.coloradobluegrass.org or at the door.

Tuesday, February 2 Opening to Channel – 10am-5pm. brings Pleiadian-Sirian guidance to awaken the human Earth tribe! Her gift, through meditations & channeling, is to awaken you to your gifts! Boulder. details/ cost- www.Solara.org.uk/Courses.htm

Wednesday, February 3 BGBG Commercial Brown Bag Series – 11:30am1:30pm. Beyond “It’s the right thing to do” What you need to sell green. Green Building education and networking event. Members Free/$20 NonMembers. REI 1789 28th St Boulder. bgbg.org.

Basic Meditation: 8 Week Course – 11:30am-12:30pm. Wed Feb 3-Mar24. Learn self awareness and how to work with your unique information and energy. $250 plus initial consult/ reading. Schedule online or call 303-247-9932. Sensorielle Natural Wellness Center & Spa, 1801 13th Street, Suite 150, Boulder - SensorielleSpa.com Keys to Extraordinary Health – 6-7:30pm. New York Times bestselling author and nutritional expert, Jordan Rubin, shares keys to unlock your extraordinary health potential. Free. No RSVP needed; Lafayette Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com Introduction to Pathwork – 7-9pm. Pathwork is a body of practical spiritual wisdom that lays out the journey of personal transformation. A process leading through our defenses, denial and fear to our Real Self. Meadows Branch Library 4800 Baseline Road, Boulder. 303-993-8947.

Thursday, February 4 When Pigs Flu – 6-7:30pm. Dr. Alexis Smith, ND discusses homeopathic and naturopathic remedies and treatments proven effective and safe for the whole family. Free; no RSVP needed; Northglenn Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com Relieve Stress and Diminish Pain with Laughter Yoga – 6-7:30pm. Learn simple exercises you can do every day to experience more joy in your life.

Compassionate Pain Management, Louisville. Info or RSVP 720-206-9517.

Healing Meditation: Your Energy Body – 7-8:30pm. A guided meditation, deepening into the experience of you as an energetic being. $10 suggested donation. 1800 30th

26

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

St. Suite 307, Boulder. 303-545-5562. wholebeingexplorations.com/spirit/groups.html

Boulder Blind Café – 8pm. A community awareness concert and dinner in the dark to benefit the Boulder Guide Dog Puppy Raisers. Wesley Chapel, 1290 Folsom St., Boulder. $25/$20 students. Tickets at The Unseen Bean, 2052 Broadway or www. brownpapertickets.com/event/91905.

Sunday, February 7 Friday, February 5 Backcountry Skills Yurt Trip – Feb 5-7. Gain confidence with winter equipment and travel while building community with other snow adventurers and appreciating Colorado in her frosty glory. $625. Info/register womenswildernessinstitute. org. Cost $625 Green Mountain Yoga Sends Girl Scout Cookies to the Troops – Feb 5-12. Donate a few extra boxes for our soldiers. Drop off your boxes at 8565 Five Parks Drive, Ste. 200, Arvada. Info 303-421-4131 A Taste of Bauman College – 6-9pm. Enjoy an evening of Holistic Nutrition with hors d’euvres, cooking demo, and nutrition discussion. Free.

Bauman College, 1128 Pine St., Boulder. RSVP events@baumancollege.org or (800) 987-7530.

Baumancollege.org Praises for the World-Sound Circle – 7pm. $10, $7 Seniors/Students. Broomfield Auditorium. Tickets at the box office.

Boulder Blind Café – 8pm. A community awareness concert and dinner in the dark to benefit the Boulder Guide Dog Puppy Raisers. Wesley Chapel, 1290 Folsom St., Boulder. $25/$20 students. Tickets at The Unseen Bean, 2052 Broadway or www. brownpapertickets.com/event/91905.

Saturday, February 6 Awakening the Third Eye Meditation Workshop – Feb 6-7. Raising the Voltage of Consciousness.

Learn a daily meditation practice and skills to help you manage, restore and protect your energy. $200, $150 for students, $300 for 2. Info/register info@ rebeccamehl.com or call 415-373-7648.

How To Live With More Joy Workshop – 9am3pm. Turn your resolutions into reality and create your goals for the year with joy! Longmont. $47.

Register 303-651-8404.

Know and Flow A Yoga-Astrology Fusion – 10am5pm. A physical and psychological exploration to get you into your body and gain powerful insight into your purpose and life lesson. $125-200 (Sliding Scale). Boulder Integral, 2805 Broadway. Info/ register knowandflow.com or 303-665-0320.

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Creativity is God’s Gift to Soul – 10:30-11:30am.

Deepen understanding of how Divine Spirit (the ECK) works in our lives. Free. ECKANKAR Center of Boulder Valley, 1800 30th St. Suite 208, Boulder.

303-443-1610,eck-colorado.org Kids for Bach – 2pm. Concerts features young developing artists from elementary through high school ages performing the works of Bach. Free.

Boulder Public Library.

Yoga in Hawaii 2010 – 4pm. An informational meeting to discuss Nancy Candea’s Yoga Spa Retreat and Yoga Teacher Training in Hawaii in July-August 2010. Info 303-447-9642

Monday, February 8 Naturally Boulder Networking Event – 5:30pm.

Network with the Boulder natural products business community. Members free, $10 non-members. Draft House. 2027 13th St. NaturallyBoulderProducts.com.

Boulder Chamber’s Annual Dinner – 6-9pm. Silent Auction and networking begins at 6pm, awards dinner at 7pm. Cost is $90 individual - $650 table. Sponsorships are available. Info boulderchamber.com.

Tuesday, February 9 BGBG Residential Brown Bag Series: Building to Help Your Local Forests – 11:30am-1:30pm.

Green Building education and networking event.

Members Free/$20 Non-Members. REI, 1789 28th St Boulder. bgbg.org.

Wednesday, February 10 Ladies Night Snowshoe Outing – 5:30-7:30pm.

Romp in the local winter wonderlands of Boulder via snowshoe. Includes snowshoe rentals, snacks and useful winter wilderness tips. All levels. Meet at the trail head (TBD). $25. Register outdoordivas.com Gluten/Dairy-Free Valentine’s Cooking Class – 6-9:30pm. Do you and your sweetheart love to cook? Enjoy a cooking class together. Register by 2/5 800-987-7530. $80. Bauman College Boulder, 1128 Pine St.

Balancing Hormones Naturally with Whole Foods – 6:30pm. Hormone imbalances are a growing issue in today’s women. Use whole foods and whole food nutrition to regulate hormones naturally.

Info and register 303-543-1400.

Chanson d’ Amour – 7:30 pm. For lovers (and lovers of song) – an intimate Valentine’s Day recital of solo and small ensemble music presented

by Ars Nova’s virtuoso singers. $5-20. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine St. Boulder. Tickets/ info arsnovasingers.org/

Thursday, February 11

Valentine Espagnole – 7:30pm. Latin, sultry, seductive...these works highlight Spanish influences in music written by French and Russian composers.

CU Mackey Auditorium. boulderphil.org

Healthy Valentine’s Day Indulgences – 6-7:30pm.

Enjoy delicious raw brownie truffles that help address: fat-burning, anti-anxiety, libido, PMS, menopause, focus and energy. Compassionate Pain Management, Louisville. Info or RSVP 720206-9517 Women, Wax and Wine – 7pm. Basics of ski and snowboard waxing and how to tune your own gear.

Let’s roll up our sleeves, sip on fine wine and take the guess work out of maintaining our gear. Outdoor Divas, 1133 Pearl St. Free. RSVP. Details 303-449DIVA or outdoordivas.com Awakening Talks by Andrea – 7pm. Live Magnificently Now...Emphasizing life as a joyful adventure in awakening; Q & A. Donation- RSVP Andrea 303-545-5485. N Boulder Meadows Clubhouse, N 19th St., RadiantAwareness.com BIFF Opening Night Gala – 6:30pm. Walk the red carpet with the stars at the swanky kickoff of the Boulder International Film Festival. $50. Boulder Theatre. biff1.com.

Friday, February 12 Boulder International Film Festival – All day.

Various locations and times. Visit biff1.com

Saturday, February 13 Boulder International Film Festival – All day.

Various locations and times. Visit biff1.com Mid-Winter Sidewalk Sale – All day. BoulderDowntown.com Daughter-Parent Snowshoe Adventure – All day.

Learn snowshoe techniques. Includes snowshoes and lunch. For Ages 8+, financial aid available. $175. Info or pre-register womenswildernessinstitute.org.

Monday, February 15 Mid-Winter Sidewalk Sale – All day. BoulderDowntown.com

Tuesday, February 16 Introduction to Pathwork – 7-9pm. Pathwork is a body of practical spiritual wisdom that lays out the journey of personal transformation. A process leading through our defenses, denial and fear to our Real Self. Main Library 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder. 303-993-8947.

Wednesday, February 17 When Pigs Flu – 6-7:30pm. Dr. Lisa Amerine, ND discusses homeopathic and naturopathic remedies and treatments proven effective and safe for the whole family. Free. No RSVP needed; Lafayette Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com Brain Balance Center Parent Event – 6:30 pm. Hemispheric based learning center helps families struggling with ADHD, ADD, Aspergers, Austism,Dyslexia, Learning and Processing Disorders. Free. Info register 303-278-1780 or golden@ brainbalancecenters.com. 1211 Avery St. Golden.

BrainBalanceCenters.com Discover the Mahanta – 7pm A spiritually uplifting video by Harold Klemp, Spiritual Leader. Free.

ECKANKAR Center of Boulder Valley, 1800 30th St. Suite 208, Boulder. 303-443-1610,eck-colorado.org

Thursday, February 18 Acupuncture Happy Hour: Q&A + MiniTreatments – 6-7:30pm. Learn about acupuncture and get ready to relax and let your stress melt away.

Compassionate Pain Management, Louisville. Info or RSVP 720-206-9517 Atomic Circus Salon Series – 7-9pm. Third Thursdays. “By Chart, Card, Coin, or Zzzzzz: Living in the Symbolic Moment,” with Western astrologer Kate McElroy, tarot reader and Vedic astrologer Deb Naples, I-Ching reader Laura Marshall, and dream worker Thea Litsios. Atomic love donation.

Boulder Center for Conscious Living, 1637 28th St., Boulder. AtomicCircus.net Healing Meditation: Heartspace and Relationships – 7-8:30pm. A guided meditation into relationships, focusing on opening and healing the heart. $10 donation. 1800 30th St. Suite 307, Boulder. 303-545-5562. wholebeingexplorations.com/spirit/groups.html

Friday, February 19 BGBG Professional Development Trainings: Green from the Ground Up – 2-day In Depth Green Building Training with David Johnston.

RSVP Required. Info and locations bgbg.org.

The Mythic Imagination and the Personal Life Story – 6:30-9pm. Carl Jung argued that since the Western world lacks a unifying cultural myth, individuals must turn to the personal myth for meaning. Explore how relationships, events, and stories of the past can be re-visioned as mythological experiences. $15/$10, members free. Info bfjung.org, 303-473-8373.

Real African Music – 7pm. $10, $7 Seniors/Students. Broomfield Auditorium. Tickets Box Office PujaGroove – 7-9:30pm. Tantra meets Dance.

Come integrate conscious open hearted intimacy with free form rhythmic movement. $15. Solstice Institute, 302 Pearl St. 303-530-0920.

Yoga of Parenting Discussion: I Will Cherish You Forever – 2-4pm. Empower our children to develop self discipline, loving kindness and compassion. Yo Mama Yoga Studio Treehouse Building, 737 29th St. Suite 201, Boulder. Free. Info or RSVP 303-447-9642.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party – 8pm. An alternative to the traditional Valentine’s celebration. Drinks, dancing and food. Hotel Boulderado.

Sunday, February 14 Boulder International Film Festival and Closing Night Awards Ceremony – All day. Various locations and times. Visit biff1.com Mid-Winter Sidewalk Sale – All day. BoulderDowntown.com Screamin’ Snowman Snowshoe Race – 9:45am.

Eldora Nordic Center. Info 303-440-8700.

Kundalini Yoga for Sexual Health Workshop – 2-5pm.. Enrich your life with this ancient technology’s wisdom. Yoga practice. Singles and couples. Mountain’s Edge Fitness Center. $55/person, $99/pair. Register 303-494-5000. Becca@SoulBlueprint.com

natural awakenings

February 2010

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Saturday, February 20

Friday, February 26

Restore Your Thyroid Function Through Lifestyle Medicine – 1-2:30pm. Dr. Connie Sanchez, ND discusses correcting imbalances and addressing the causes, through lifestyle medicine Free; no RSVP needed; Northglenn Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com

BGBG Professional Development Trainings: Green from the Ground Up – 2-day In Depth Green Building Training with David Johnston.

RSVP Required. Info and locations bgbg.org.

Marvelous Musicales – 7pm. Broomfield Auditorium. Free –Donations accepted

Sunday, February 21 The Body Never Lies: The Healing Prescriptions for Healing the Body-Mind – Feb 21-26. With Douglas Brady, M.Ed. Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes. $330 plus meals and lodging. Information 303 648 1110 | shambhalamountain.org to register.

High Plains Youth Symphony – 2pm. $15 Adults, $10 Seniors/Students. Broomfield Auditorium. www.highplainsyouthsymphony.org/purchases. shtml 720-891-2259

Monday, February 22 “Get Clear and Get Rich” Workshop – 8:30am3pm. This is a very special workshop for the female business owner who wants to get serious about stepping up her business in 2010. $199. Spice of Life Events Center, Boulder. Info 303-875-5011

Extending Metta: Yoga Teacher Training for Special Populations – 2 weekends. 60+hour teacher training for RYT’s who are interested in gaining skills to teach out of the studio setting. Info 303447-9642 or visit satelliteyoga.com SpiritTalk: Karma and Past Lives – 7-9pm. The energetic fundamentals of “karma” and how our past lives really affect our present. $15 tickets, admit 2. The Bead Lounge 320 Main St., Longmont. 303-545-5562. wholebeingexplorations.com/spirit/classes.html

Saturday, February 27

Green Drinks Boulder – 5:30pm. Enjoy libations and networking with area professionals interested in sustainability. For details, join our facebook group.

Restore Your Thyroid Function Through Lifestyle Medicine – 6-7:30pm. Dr. Connie Sanchez, ND discusses correcting imbalances and addressing the causes, through lifestyle medicine. Free; no RSVP needed; Lafayette Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com Catch Us If You Can: female ski flick – 7pm.

Colorado premier of the first all girls ski film. Enjoy appetizers, Oskar Blues brews and an opportunity to win amazing prizes. $5 donation to SheJumps.org.

Outdoor Divas, 1133 Pearl St.

Wednesday, February 24 Healthcare Reform Have You Worried? – 6:30pm.

There has never been a better time to be a chiropractic patient. Explore the many health benefits that chiropractic and a healthy lifestyle can provide.

RSVP. 303-543-1400

Thursday, February 25 Vitality Factors: Optimal Nutrition For Stronger Healthier Bones – 12-1:30pm. Nutritionist Cary Tamburro instructs how vitamins, minerals and other nutrients may play a role in protecting your bones as you age. Free; no RSVP needed; Northglenn Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage; naturalspeakers.com

4 H Vocal Instrumental and Dance Competition – 2pm. Free. Broomfield Auditorium.

Boulder Chamber Orchestra – 7:30 pm. $20 Adults, $15 Seniors and Students. Broomfield Auditorium. www.boulderchamberorchestra.org

Full Moon Hike – 5:15pm. Break from your usual routine and connect with the world around you. Easy to moderate difficulty, locations vary along the Front Range. Free. Hikes led by a wellness coach and outdoor enthusiast! RSVP and location 303-642-0428 or info@wellnessinbalance.com.

Wednesday, March 3 Psychology of Symptoms – 9am-noon. 10 week training on the psychology of symptoms, an indepth experiential training for practitioners, healers and professionals with Douglas Brady, M.Ed. Info/register douglasbrady.com, 303-648-1110 or dbassistant@gmail.com March Saturday, March 6 12 - 14: BECOME A – 10amKnow and Flow A Yoga-Astrology Fusion MASTERexploration LOVER to 5pm. A physical and psychological CONNECTING get you into your body andBY gain powerful insight HEART (Slidinto your purpose and life BODY, lesson. $125-200 AND ing Scale). Boulder Integral, 2805SPIRIT! Broadway. Visit knowandflow.com to register or 303-665-0320.

Join Charles Muir, the ‘Pioneer of the Modern Tantra Movement in America’ for Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving Beginners Seminar. $450.

FREE Preview Evenings (Jan 13/Feb 16), FREE Puja (March 10), FREE $15 CD. Colorado@ sourcetantra.com 888 682-6872 x104 www. sourcetantra.com

Boulder & Broomfield Counties

Fundamentals of Self Protection – Learn to protect yourself and others. 8 class times throughout the week. Adults and children. Boulder Quest Center, 1200 Yarmouth Ave. 303-440-3647 or BoulderQuest.com.

Transform your Relationship with Food – 10 wk tele-course for anyone who eats. Institute for the Psychology of Eating, $375. All sessions recorded, psychologyofeating.com.

Sunday Meditation – 9am. Service to follow at 10:30am. Unity Center, 505 Main St, Longmont.

720-251-1419 or UnityLongmont.org.

Awakening Women – 6:30pm. Warm, supportive environment to release inner struggle by focusing on your most important relationship-Self. $20 sliding scale. 4500 19th St. Boulder. RSVP Andrea 303545-5485; www.radiantawareness.com Satsang at Sacred Mountain Ashram – 7pm.

Kirtan, satsang and meditation, all are welcome.

10668 Gold Hill Road, Boulder. 303-447-1637.

TruthConsciousness.org.

Jazz or Blues Jam – 7:30-10pm. Players welcome.

Boulder Outlook Hotel. 800 28th Street. BoulderOutlook.com/musiccalendar.html

Level 1 & 2 Yoga Class – 9:15-10:45am. Flow sequence. $15/drop in. One Boulder Fitness, Boulder.

303-447-9642 or NancyCandea.com.

Cardio Kickboxing – 6:15-7pm. Get in shape and reduce stress. 1st class free. Boulder Quest Center, 1200 Yarmouth Ave, Boulder. 303-440-3647 BoulderQuest.com.

Yoga For Conditioning and Restoring – 9-10:15am.

Vinyasa flow, all levels. Focus on potent pranayam (conscious breathing), an increase in sustained energy, muscular balance and flexibility. $15 ($12 3 or more classes). The Nook, 985 Westview Dr. Boulder.EnergizeShanti.com.

Yoga with Nicole – 9am. Awaken your core and awaken to life. Home studio, $15 or 4 classes for $50. 720-244-4703 or yogawithnicole.com.

Awakening Talks by Andrea – 7pm. Live Magnificently Now...Emphasizing life as a joyful adventure in awakening; Q & A. Donation- RSVP Andrea 303-545-5485. N Boulder Meadows Clubhouse, N 19th St., RadiantAwareness.com

28

2-week “Conscious Cravings” Metabolic Reset – Lose pounds and cravings, stabilize moods, increase energy and balance your hormones. $47 (+products). 303-993-4359, ExquisiteWellness.com

Kwan Yin Channeling & Healing Retreat – 10-1pm.

Receive personal help, healing, and teaching from Kwan Yin. $50. Contact Boulder Psychic Institute at 303.530.0920. www.BoulderPsychicInstitute.org

Sunday, February 28 Tuesday, February 23

ongoing events

Lunch-time Laughter Club – 12-12:45pm. Laughter Yoga. All levels. Dispels stress and worry. Rejuvenates. Free. Unitarian University Fellowship,1241 Ceres Dr, Lafayette. LiveLifeLaughing.org.

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Level 1 & 2 Yoga Class – 12-1pm. Flow sequence. $10. Vida Yoga Studio, Boulder. 303-447-9642 or NancyCandea.com.

Open Mic Night – 8pm. Poetry, spoken word, musicians (acoustic set) all are welcome. Folsom Street Coffee, 1795 Folsom St, Boulder. 303-440-8808

Live Music at Boulder Outlook Hotel – 8-10:30pm.

800 28th Street, Boulder. BoulderOutlook.com

Community Yoga Class – 1:30-2:30pm. Free for anyone who is unemployed. Vida Yoga Studio. 2749 Iris, Boulder. VidaStudioBoulder.com Tribal Belly Dance – 6pm. American Tribal Style with Jennifer Goran. Boulder Quest Center, 1200 Yarmouth Ave. 303-440-3647 or BoulderQuest.com.

ROOTs – 8am. 2nd and 4th Wednesday. A conscious alliance of business professionals creating growth both professionally and personally. Free. Location and Info ericpeltier@DoveTailLending.com.

Level 1 Yoga Class – 9:15-10:20am. Flow sequence. $15. One Boulder Fitness. 303-447-9642 or NancyCandea.com.

Cardio Sword –11:45am. Like cardio kickboxing only you use a sword on the bags. 1st class free.

Boulder Quest Center, 1200 Yarmouth Ave. 303440-3647 BoulderQuest.com.

Level 1 & 2 Yoga Class – 4-5:15pm. Flow sequence. $15. One Boulder Fitness. 303-447-9642 or NancyCandea.com.

Live music – 8pm. At Boulder’s zero waste, ecofriendly coffee shop. Folsom Street Coffee, 1795 Folsom St, Boulder. 303-440-8808.

Live Music at Folsom Street – 8pm. Folsom Street Coffee, 1795 Folsom St, Boulder. 303-440-8808.

Live Music at Boulder Outlook Hotel – 8-10:30pm.

800 28th Street, Boulder. BoulderOutlook.com

Yoga with Nicole – 8am. Awaken your core and awaken to life. $10 drop-in. Vida Yoga, 2749 Iris Ave, Boulder. 720-244-4703 or YogaWithNicole.com.

Healing Space – 12-2pm. 15 minute energy clearings or healings. Free/donation. 1800 30th St. Ste 307 Boulder. 303-545-5562. wholebeingexplorations.com/spirit/energy.html Ninja Self Defense – 1-2pm. Personal Safety and Empowerment. Free Trial class. 1200 Yarmouth Ave. Adults Only. BoulderQuest.com.

Level 1 & 2 Yoga Class – 4-5pm. Flow sequence .$15. Yo Mama Yoga Studio, 29th and Baseline, Boulder. 303-447-9642 or NancyCandea.com.

Weekly Healing Meditation Service – 7pm. A free healing and meditation service. Open to the public. Unity of Boulder. 303-442-1411 or UnityofBoulder.com.

Qi Gong for Beginners – 7-8pm. 1800 30th St, Boulder. Crossroads Gardens, Ste 201. First visit free. David Moore, 303 917-3318. JinGui.com Live Interactive Audio Event – 7:30pm. A modern mystic’s profound journey into Infinity. You will be stunned with insights and experience a transmission of cosmic energy. cosmicfieldacademy.com

Holistic Nutrition & Culinary Arts Since 1989 Turn your passion for nutrition into a career!

Enroll Now! Spring 2010 Term

Total Body Conditioning Pilates Fitball & Weights – 9-10am. Core integration, spine stabilization, conditioning and balance. All levels. $18/$15.

The Nook, 985 Westview Dr. Boulder. Pre-reg required EnergizeShanti@aol.com.

Free Psychic Readings – 7-8:30pm. Discover your past lives and the colors of your aura. Free. 4887 Kings Ridge Blvd, Boulder. Schedule 303-530-0920.

Ninja Fit – 6-6:45pm. 45 minutes of ab busting, glute toning strength and flexibility training. 1st class free. Boulder Quest Center, 1200 Yarmouth Ave, Boulder. 303-440-3647.

Ninja Self Defense – 7:30-8:15pm. Personal Safety and Empowerment. Free Trial class. 1200 Yarmouth Ave. Adults Only. BoulderQuest.com.

School of the Blues – 7:30-10pm. Live music.

Boulder Outlook Hotel, 800 28th Street, Boulder.

BoulderOutlook.com/musiccalendar.html.

Classes begin in March!

Certificate Training Programs:

Nutrition Educator • Nutrition Consultant • Natural Chef

Distance Learning or Classroom Locations Berkeley, CA • Penngrove, CA Santa Cruz, CA • Boulder, CO

Valentine's Day Cooking Class Gluten/dairy-free class features the following recipes: Rosemary Apple Chicken • Squash Souffle Kale with Cranberries • Macadamia Caramel Clusters Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies

Date: Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 Time: 6:00-9:30 PM Location: Bauman College, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, CO Price: $80/person or $145/couple Space is limited so reserve your spot today!

RSVP to events@baumancollege.org or call 800-987-7530

natural awakenings

February 2010

29

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com to request our media kit.

CHIROPRACTic Red Tail Wellness Centers Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC 3393 Iris Avenue #105 Boulder CO 80301 303-882-8447 redtailwellnesscenters.com

Dr. Ian Hollaman focuses on supporting difficult and chronic cases such as elevated glucose and cholesterol, thyroid disorders, as well as novel solutions to pain and injuries. He holds a proficiency level in professional Applied Kinesiology and has accumulated hundreds of hours in post graduate nutrition. Schedule a comprehensive visit to let your health soar!

See ad page 7.

Chronic Pain & Trauma Breakthrough Body Healing Teena Evert CSIP, SRT, RYT, NCTMB 2299 Pearl Street, Suite 310 Boulder, Co 80302 Direct: 303-884-9642 teena@breakthroughbodyhealing.com www.breakthroughbodyhealing.com

Conquer your pain with Breakthrough Body Healing. Expertise in pain and injury rehabilitation, trauma therapy, nutritional counseling and alternatives to physical therapy. See ad page 10.

Colon Hydrotherapy Radiant Health of Boulder Mary Wasinger I-ACT Certified, Colon Hydrotherapist 3445 Penrose Place, Ste. 260 Boulder, CO 80301 www.radianthealthofboulder.com www.profoundhealingwater.com

Healing your digestive tract is essential to achieving optimal health. The gentle process of colon hydrotherapy along with probiotics, detoxification programs, proper hydration and an alkaline diet will help you dramatically reach new levels of physical and emotional wellness. My expertise in colon health empowers my clients towards well-being in a peaceful and safe environment. See coupon page 23.

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Boulder & Broomfield Counties

editor/writer MARJ HAHNE

303-476-8543 marj@marjhahne.com www.marjhahne.com Impeccable, prompt editing and/or proofreading of your book manuscript, website, and communications.

What does your language use say about you and your professionalism?

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter.” ~ Barack Obama See ad page 9.

Graphic design Char Campbell

Elegant Graphic Design 303-530-2516 char7@earthlink.net charcampbell.com Designing and producing exceptional print projects since 1988. Specializing in longer documents, such as manuals, catalogs, magazines, and book interior design for self-publishers.

See coupon page 23.

HOLISTIC SKIN CARE Creme de la Creme Face & Bodycare

Kerstin Barnes Esthetician & Massage Therapist 3280 28th Street, Ste 11, Boulder 303-818-4827 BoulderFaceCare.com Enhancing and balancing your skin, body and soul with a holistic skincare approach based on Chinese medicine. 5 Element Facials, Anti-aging Treatments, Mineral Makeup, Brow & EyelashTinting, Waxing and Massage. See ad page 27.

Classifieds Products POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS FOR THE LIBERATION OF SOUL DVD Amazing & special DVD of positive affirmations, meditations & spiritual affirmative song. Free sample http:www. positiveaffirmationsfortheliberationofsoul.com. $10 Blessings.

www.NaturalAwakeningsBoulder.com

Nutrition & Health

Health Counselor Tara Welles RN 303-502-7358 www.tarawelles.com

As a nurse and certified health counselor, I partner with you in addressing your health/nutrition needs and concerns. Working together we will find the food and lifestyle choices that best support you in achieving your desired health and fitness level.

I offer a free initial health consultation.

Spiritual & Life Path Guidance Daniel Rodman

4240 19th St, Boulder danielrodman1234@gmail.com 508-740-8568 www.danielrodman.gaia.com Spiritual guidance to assist your life process and evolution, as well as to help you realign with your most natural and authentic mode of being. Daniel offers, for children, as well as adults: Meditation Instruction of basic and advanced forms of practice and Healing Energy Work to help remove karmic knots in the flow of your energetic body, based in a Tibetan Buddhist modality.

Travel/vacation Enchanted Forest Accommodations

3459 Enchanted Way, Crestone, CO 719-256-5768 annekelly7@eircom.net www.enchantedforestcrestone.com Take a break. Take time out. Rest, relax and rejuvenate in the powerful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Healing, Massage, Natural Hot Springs, Hiking, Spiritual Centers, and much more.

Get away today. Where the magic of Ireland meets the mysticism of Crestone.

WATER WISE GARDENING BOULDER HYDROPONIC & ORGANIC CENTER

1630 N. 63rd Street, Unit 5, Boulder 303-415-0045 bhocenter.com The experts on water-wise gardens. Grow tasty tomatoes, your favorite vegetables or flowers indoors all year long using a fraction of the water. High-quality hydroponic and organic supplies in stock. Great customer service is our top priority. See ad page 19.

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