August 2017 Natural Awakenings Peace River

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Prevent & Fresh Looks Cancer at Autism Night’s Sleep Heal Natural Ways to Focusing on a Get a Good 5 Solutions for Sleep Apnea

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Publish One of the Nation’s Leading Healthy Living Magazines Natural Awakenings Magazine

is ranked 5th Nationally in Cision’s® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines list 1.

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Spry Living – 8,907,303 Shape – 2,521,203 Men’s Health – 1,852,715 Prevention – 1,539,872

5. Natural Awakenings – 1,536,365

6.

7.

8.

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Women’s Health – 1,511,791 Weight Watchers Magazine – 1,126,168 Dr. Oz The Good Life – 870,524 Vim & Vigor – 789,000 Experience Life – 700,000

Cision® is the world’s leading source of media research.

For more information, visit www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.

Own a Natural Awakenings Magazine Turn Your Passion Into A Business

As a Natural Awakenings publisher, you can empower yourself and others to create a healthier world while working from your home earning an income doing something you love!

No publishing experience is necessary. You’ll work for yourself but not by yourself. We offer a complete training and support system that allows you to successfully publish your own magazine.

• Meaningful New Career • Low Initial Investment • Proven Business System • Home-Based Business • Exceptional Franchise Support & Training

For more information, visit NaturalAwakeningsFranchise.com or call 239-530-1377

Contact us about acquiring an existing publication FOR SALE highlighted in RED* Natural Awakenings publishes in over 80 markets across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (listed below).

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August 2017

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letterfrompublisher

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contact us Publisher Janet Lindsay Managing Editor Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer

Contributing Writer Juliette Jones

Design & Production Susan Jones Social Media Manager Amy Hass To contact Natural Awakenings Peace River Edition: 941-564-0885 publisher@nasrq.com © 2017 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

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

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

e’ve made it through the summer, and now back-to-school season is here once again. This time of year can often feel demanding and stressful, so our goal at Natural Awakenings is to help you pause, slow down, re-center and find inspiration in the midst of life’s hectic pace. This month’s issue primarily focuses on the topics of cancer and autism from a holistic perspective, so let’s take a look inside!

Our feature article for August is on “Rethinking Cancer” and offers actionable ideas you can incorporate into your own lifestyle to increase the chances of recovery or prevention altogether. This article delves into the healing benefits of eliminating toxic emotions, consuming nutritious foods and supplements, finding balance through expressive arts or spiritual practices, and selfadvocacy when it comes to cancer treatment.

In fact, this article sheds light on a new alternative option called integrative oncology which educates patients on the best course of healing for their unique situation, while empowering them to take an active role in their own healthcare.

Next, this month’s Healthy Kids article is about “Reframing Autism” and discusses non-traditional strategies to raise special needs children, so they can mature into enabled and self-sufficient adults. If you’re the parent, relative or teacher of an autistic child, you know firsthand just how remarkable these kids are, but caring for them often presents a distinct set of challenges, so we hope that you’ll find this article informative and helpful as you guide an autistic child through social interactions, family dynamics, school settings and other environments they’ll face growing up.

Also, given the stressful nature of this transitional period, be sure to check out the Wise Words column on the topic of “Mind Over Matter” which explores how a consistent mindfulness practice can reduce anxiety to enhance both physical health and emotional contentment. As you navigate this back-to-school season, integrating mindfulness into your daily routine could mean the difference between high-stress and inner calm. This article is sure to encourage you to join the mindfulness movement.

Well, that’s just a glimpse of all the inspiration and enlightenment you’ll find in this month’s issue. As always, don’t hesitate to send questions, comments or feedback to Publisher@NASRQ.com. And here’s to another month of wellness–– from the inside out!

Printed on 100% recycled paper Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% recycled paper with soybased ink.

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contents 6 newsbriefs 8 healthbriefs 10 globalbriefs 12 ecotip 8 13 wisewords 17 naturalpet 18 healthykids 19 inspiration 10 20 fitbody 22 healingways 12 24 consciouseating 26 greenliving 29 calendar 31 resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE

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.

13 ELLEN LANGER

How Changing Your Thinking Changes Everything

by April Thompson

14 LIVE CANCER-FREE Natural Ways to Prevent and Heal Cancer

by Linda Sechrist

17 DOGS AT WORK Finding the Right Dog for the Job

by Sandra Murphy

18 FRESH LOOKS Focusing on a Child’s Optimal Potential

by Linda Sechrist

19 CREATE A

LOVE NEST

Set Out a Welcome Mat for a Soulmate

by Arielle Ford

20 TAKE A HIKE

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS

by Marlaina Donato

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

22 GET A GOOD

NIGHT’S SLEEP Five Solutions for Sleep Apnea

by Lloyd Jenkins

REGIONAL MARKETS

THE FIELDS

NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

20

Escape into Nature with a Day Trip

Email Calendar Events to: calendar@nasrq.com. Deadline for calendar: the 12th of the month.

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 941-564-0885. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

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AT AUTISM

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 941-564-0885 or email Publisher@ nasrq.com. Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@nasrq.com.

Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month.

14

24 FEAST IN

26

The Rise of Pop-Up Organic Dining

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

26 HELP FOR

INJURED WILDLIFE Caring Rehab Gives Them a Second Chance

by Sandra Murphy

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newsbriefs Four-Week Beginner’s Yoga Series offered in September

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his yoga series for brand new beginners will teach standard yoga postures, emphasize body awareness and safety, and prepare those who are just discovering this practice for the first time to join an ongoing yoga class. This series will be offered on Wednesday evenings, September 3, 13, 20 and 27, 6–7 p.m.

“This is the perfect opportunity for a newcomer to yoga to take a class with other beginners and learn the basics. In four classes, you can learn everything you need to know to feel comfortable joining an ongoing class,” explains class instructor Gary Halperin. “You will learn that anyone can do yoga. You do not need to be fit or flexible to begin a class. Yoga will help you to become stronger, more flexible, and more aware of your own body and breath.”

Cost: $40. Register with payment by August 25 at FeelBetterNowYoga.com or mail a check to Gary Halperin at 2916 Marshall Dr., Sarasota 34239.

Pub Theology: Honest Conversations on Topics that Matter

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tarting on August 24, 6:30–8 p.m., Pub 32

Irish Gastropub will host Sarasota’s Pub Theology discussion group. Come pull up a chair and bring your questions and curiosity. The format is simple––beer, wine or a soft drink, and conversations about issues of faith. Be ready to engage with people or varying religious traditions, philosophical perspectives and life experiences.

You are invited share your own thoughts, while learning from others as well. The Pub Theology group will meet on the last Thursday of each month for the remainder of this year on the following dates: August 24, September 28, October 26 and November 30.

Location: 8383 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information, call Unity of Sarasota at 941-955-3301 or Pub 32 Irish Gastropub at 941-952-3070.

“Love Transmission” Event shop O

n August 6, 2 p.m., at Wild Ginger Apothecary, learn to chart your course for expansion and experience the power of love in numbers. Release human blockages learn your thoughts to manifest into your dreams. Love and allow Transmission is a gathering with strength of those coming moveand centering their hearts to create something together 6557 SUPERIOR AVENUE • SARASOTA, FL • 34231 Healers Julie Klutinoty and Melissa Parks will miraculous. {IN GULF GATE SHOPPING VILLAGE} facilitate this process through the Divine Infinite to form a circle of love that brings 941.312.5630 • WILDGINGERAPOTHECARY.COM the power and intent of everything you desire in life.

Love Offering: $20. For more information, call 941-445-7347.

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Zensense: The Self-Extinguishing Incense Burner

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he Zensense self-extinguishing incense burner uses an innovative sliding block feature to control the perfect amount of incense fragrance without having to extinguish the stick manually before its ember reaches the bamboo core many stick incense brands are constructed around.

“After creating such a pleasant atmosphere—to end with the smell of burnt bamboo was an ongoing frustration,” says John Carlile who invented Zensense, along with Rae Randall. By adding a sliding block with a metal grommet to an incense tray, Carlile and Randall conquered their dilemma and created a new way to burn the perfect amount of fragrance for any size room.

Incense as a form of air freshening and aromatherapy is still popular, perhaps because of the immemorial roots we share in human spirituality.

Incense has been found in fossil records of civilizations dating back to 3300 BCE. Sandalwood, frankincense, lavender and patchouli are blended and constructed today as they were in ancient Egypt, yet only recently has someone figured out how to control when it extinguishes.

Zensense incense burners are handmade by Zenburner Enterprises in West Palm Beach, Florida. Burner trays come in a variety of hardwood species including mahogany, walnut, white oak, cypress, red cedar, North Carolina poplar, American cherry and 100% recycled burners garnered from the remnants of boats, barns, homes and floor boards.

For more information and product details, visit ZenBurner.com.

Natural Awakenings Maga zine is Ranked 5th Nationally in Ci sion’s 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitnes s Magazines List 1.

2.

3.

4.

The world’s leading source of media research Spry Living – 8,907,303 Shape – 2,521,203 Men’s Health – 1,852,715 Prevention – 1,539,872

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Women’s Health – 1,511,791 Weight Watchers Magazine – 1,126,168 Dr. Oz The Good Life – 870,524 Vim & Vigor – 789,000 Experience Life – 700,000

5. Natural Awakenings – 1,536,365

www.naturalawakeningsmag.com

7733 HOLIDAY DRIVE • SARASOTA, FL 34231

The Joys of Spring!

Adopt-A-Manatee® and Help Protect Them

Call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) savethemanatee.org Photo © Cora Berchem

natural awakenings

August 2017

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A

Washing Away Age Spots

by Rene Ng, AP, L.Ac.

Y

ou have most likely noticed them on the body, especially on the arms and legs––those small, round dark circles called “age spots.” In Chinese Medicine, they are consideered symptoms of a slow circulatory system due to the liver organ not functioning at a optimum level, primariy resulting from natural aging processes of the body and the organ system. And for many people, as they grow older, so does the number of their age spots.

One mode of addressing and removing them which the Chinese use is fresh lemon. On a daily basis, cut out a small piece of lemon and rub it on the age spots. Do this at least three times per day. The sour acidity from the lemon has a therapeutic effect on the liver, and the juice can help diminish or eliminate the age spots in most cases. Give this method a shot. You have nothing to lose––except those age spots.

Massage Relieves Chronic Back Pain

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esearchers from Indiana University-Purdue University, in Indianapolis, set out to find out if massage therapy—typically an out-of-pocket expense not covered under most insurance plans—can provide effective treatment for individuals suffering with chronic back pain.

The study followed 76 primary care patients with chronic back pain for 24 weeks. The researchers measured pain, disability and quality of life at the beginning of the study, after 12 weeks and again after 24 weeks of massage therapy. Each patient was referred to a licensed massage therapist for 10 no-cost sessions in a real-world environment during the initial 12 weeks.

More than half of the patients that completed the core study reported clinically meaningful improvements for physical and mental measures. For bodily pain, 40 percent were clinically improved. Older adults and Baby Boomers reported the highest percentage of changes. Plus, the study found that sufferers that avoided taking painkillers were twice as likely to experience reduced pain than those using opioids.

EATING FRUIT LOWERS CARDIAC RISK

Rene Ng, AP, L.Ac., is a board-certified, licensed Acupuncture Physician and Chinese Herbalist in Sarasota. He is a four-time winner of Sarasota’s “Favorite Acupuncture Physician” award, and has also been voted the area’s “Favorite Anti-Aging Practitioner.” For more information, call 941-773-5156 or email RNG@ChineseMedicalSolutions.com.

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Scientists from the University of Oxford and the Chinese Medical Academy studied 500,000 healthy adults in China for seven years, tracking medical records of illnesses and deaths. They found that a 100-gram serving of fruit per day (primarily apples and oranges) reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by one-third.

Alliance/Shutterstock.com

Chinese Health Gem of the Month:

study from the University of Washington, in Seattle, tested the relationship of immune system functioning to lack of adequate sleep. To rule out genetic factors, which experts say account for 31 to 55 percent of individual sleep patterns, researchers tested blood samples from 11 pairs of adult identical twins (genetic matches) with differing sleep habits.

They found that the immune system was depressed in the twin that slept less.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are sleeping 1.5 to two hours less than they did 100 years ago, and more than 30 percent of working people average fewer than six hours a night.

Dr. Nathanial Watson, lead author and co-director of the university’s Sleep Medicine Center at Harborview Medical Center, observes, “Seven or more hours of sleep is recommended for optimal health.”

Valua Vitaly/Shutterstock.com

Sufficient Sleep Supports Immunity

Asia Images Group/Shutterstock.com

healthbriefs

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esearchers from Capital Medical University, in Beijing, China, tested the effectiveness of Cordyceps sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine derived from fungi, on the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. They followed 120 subjects, divided into two groups of 60. One group received a capsule containing 1,200 milligrams of Cordyceps sinensis three times daily for three months. The control group was treated with conventional medications.

Health-related quality of life was measured, along with the incidence of asthma exacerbation, pulmonary function and inflammation indicators in both groups. The Cordyceps sinesis group reported reduced asthma symptoms, improved lung function, a better inflammatory profile and an overall better quality of life when compared to the conventional treatment group.

MJTH/Shutterstock.com

Meditating Raises Spirits More than a Vacation

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NATURAL SOUNDS SOOTHE THE BRAIN Sussex University researchers in the UK tested the brain activity of 17 healthy subjects as they listened to a series of soundscapes from either natural or artificial environments. Brain scans and questionnaires found that natural sounds led to relaxation and positive feedback, while artificial sounds activated stress and anxiety-related brain activity.

MAPLE SYRUP GIVES GOOD GUT MaraZe/Shutterstock.com

PopTika/Shutterstock.com

eWilding/Shutterstock.com

Chinese Fungi Relieve Asthma Suffering

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island have discovered that pure maple syrup contains inulin, a complex carbohydrate that serves as a prebiotic. It encourages growth of beneficial gut bacteria and extends the lengthy list of beneficial vitamins and minerals contained in this natural sweet.

Consume it in moderation, limited to a few times a week.

cientists from the University of California at San Francisco, and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, tested the effect of vacations and meditation on the genes of 64 women between the ages of 30 and 60 that were novice meditators. They all spent six days at the same resort in California. Half participated in a meditation program that included yoga, self-reflection exercises and mantra meditation; the other half did not engage in onsite meditation. The researchers also studied a group of 30 experienced meditators already participating in the resort’s meditation program.

Blood sample tests and surveys from all 94 women were conducted at intervals: once right before their stay, once right after, a third one month post-vacation and then 10 months after the trip. All the women displayed significant changes to their molecular network pattern after the six days, with the most substantial genetic changes related to immune function and stress response.

One month after the resort experience, all groups continued to display improvements. However, the novice meditators showed fewer symptoms of depression and stress for a significantly longer period than the women not participating in the meditation exercise.

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globalbriefs nodff/Shutterstock.com

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

Accepted Misfits

CLFortin/Shutterstock.com

Ugly Produce Gains Status Due to customer requests and petitions, more stores are beginning to stock the one in five pieces of produce that never made the cut before due to quirky shapes or other blemishes. Often, these are displayed next to their better-looking, more expensive counterparts to give consumers an eco-friendly choice. The 133 billion pounds worth of misshapen or scarred fruits and vegetables annually plowed under, buried in a landfill or fed to livestock is sharply at odds with the reality that 48 million Americans face food insecurity.

Whole Foods Market created a pilot program in some of its California stores, testing sales in April 2016 with Imperfect Produce (ImperfectProduce. com), a service that delivers to homes. Walmart brought weather-blemished apples to 300 of its Florida stores to kick off their imperfect role in the movement. Five Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores call their program Produce with Personality, and focus on navel oranges, russet potatoes, peppers and apples. Fourteen Hannaford stores in Albany, New York, offer the Misfits line, while donating unsold produce to local nonprofits. Hy-Vee’s 242 stores, located in eight central states, rolled out the Misfits last December.

holbox/Shutterstock.com

For more information, visit EndFoodWaste.org.

Tuna Turnaround

Lower Mercury Levels Tied to Drop in Coal Emissions Levels of highly toxic mercury contamination in Atlantic bluefin tuna are rapidly declining, a trend that has been linked to reduced mercury emissions in North America, according to a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Average mercury concentrations dropped by more than 2 percent per year, for a total decline of 19 percent between 2004 and 2012.

Scientists believe that most of that reduction has occurred because of a shift away from coal, the major source of mercury emissions, to natural gas and renewable fuels. Pollution control requirements imposed by the federal government have also cut mercury emissions, but these have been rolled back or eliminated by President Trump’s commitment to “bring back coal.”

Source: Scientific American 10

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Orca Finale

Sea Mammals Freed from Showtime The California Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act, sponsored by Congressman Adam Schiff, is aimed to end the famous SeaWorld orca shows. “It means no more wild capture, no more breeding. We would essentially phase out the captive orcas that are currently in these water parks,” says Schiff.

This means that SeaWorld must end their Shamu shows by the end of this year. However, the animals already at the San Diego park will continue to live there. Parks in Orlando and San Antonio will end their shows by 2019.

Under pressure from activists and faced with declining ticket sales, SeaWorld is now moving to end its theatrical orca shows and breeding program. They announced the unveiling of a new attraction this summer, Orca Encounter, as an educational experience.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite, director of the documentary film Blackfish, says that the new show is designed to make the audience feel better, not the animals. “The trainers aren’t safe, and the whales aren’t happy,” she states. “They’re still just doing manic circles around concrete swimming pools.” The company is developing its first SeaWorld park without orcas in the Middle-Eastern country of Abu Dhabi.

Tea Time

Josh McCann/Shutterstock.com

Tiny Robots Seen as Tech Fix for Reduced Bee Population Harvard University researchers led by engineering professor Robert Wood have introduced the first RoboBees—bee-sized robots that can ascend and hover in midair while tethered to a power supply.

The project is a breakthrough in the field of micro-aerial vehicles. It has previously been impossible to pack all the components onto such a tiny workable robot framework and keep it lightweight enough to fly. The researchers believe that within 10 years, RoboBees could artificially pollinate a field of crops, a critical development if the commercial pollination industry cannot recover from the severe bee losses of the past decade.

RnDmS/Shutterstock.com

Source: Science

Nature Rights

Waterways Granted Personhood This year, the Whanganui River, in New Zealand, became the first in the world to be granted the same legal rights as a person. Equally vital, a court in northern India has given the sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers, as well as several glaciers, the legal status of “living human entities” to help in the preservation and conservation of the country’s highly polluted waterways, thus allowing polluters to be sued.

These decisions are variants of “rights of nature” measures that date back to the 1970s. More than three dozen U.S. localities have ordinances ascribing varying types of rights to nature or to specific natural objects.

In America, rights of nature activism usually takes the form of ballot initiatives that emerge to contest the power of corporations wherever local natural resources are seen as being threatened. The first such ordinance was passed in 2006, when Tamaqua Borough, in Pennsylvania, sought to protect the town’s drinking water from the nearby dumping of sewage sludge.

More recently, an ordinance from the Boulder (Colorado) County Protectors, with assistance from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, asserting the “right to a healthy climate,” was recognized as a federal constitutional right by Judge Ann Aiken, of the U.S. District Court in Oregon.

Source: BBC

Citizen Scientists Needed for Carbon Storage Experiment Australian scientists have launched a project to bury tens of thousands of teabags in wetlands around the world to discover how efficient different kinds of wetlands are at capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Already, more than 500 citizen scientists are involved on every continent but Antarctica. The bags will be monitored over a three-year period, and then dug up and measured at intervals of three months, six months and each year after that.

Wetlands are important for carbon capture and storage, a process known as carbon sequestration, holding up to 50 times as much carbon as a comparable area in a rainforest; some are better than others. There are hundreds of thousands of wetlands around the world, and a standardized technique for monitoring the carbon sink is needed for accurate comparison—but monitoring devices can be expensive to install.

Faster decay of the tea inside the bag means more carbon is being released into the atmosphere, while a slower rate means the soil is holding the carbon. Once researchers can establish which wetlands are most effective at carbon sequestration, work can begin on protecting and restoring them, and ensuring they are not disrupted.

Volunteers that contact BlueCarbonLab. org will receive a kit containing teabags and information on how to bury them.

Gratitude makes sense of our

past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

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August 2017

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Buzzing RoboBees

City Smarts

Urban Planning Goes Green Early American developers of Washington, D.C., and Savannah, Georgia, strived to recreate the plans of European cities that offered plenty of public squares and parks. Subsequent high-rise apartments in most other U.S. cities that followed lacked certain elements of neighborhood cohesion, as documented in Zane Miller’s book The Urbanization of Modern America. In Boston, Baltimore, New York City and elsewhere, waterfront revitalizations launched in the 1980s helped improve conditions, making use of nature-oriented ideas that are still trending upward.

Urban Hub describes how regions like Silicon Valley, in California, and Boston’s Route 128 corridor continue to enjoy mutually beneficial relationships with Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The concept promotes pedestrianization programs and incentives that increase bike-friendliness, multimodal public transportation such as people-mover sidewalks and car sharing, plus off-hour, no-driving and park-and-ride policies. Join the social media conversation at Urban-Hub. com.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released

updated standards on how state agencies should measure mass transit, biking and walking volumes (EverybodyWalk. org). States will assess impacts on carbon emissions by tracking walkers, bikers and transit users instead of just comparing rush-hour travel times to free-flowing traffic conditions, which favors highway spending alone.

The Big Jump Project at PeopleForBikes.org rates areas for bike friendliness and taps ideas aimed to increase biking networks. To date, they cover Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Fort Collins, Colorado; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans; New York City; Providence, Rhode Island; Portland, Oregon; and Tucson.

The nonprofit Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (sbnPhiladelphia.org), encompassing 400 businesses and organizations, is pioneering a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) retrofit program. The city water department is collaborating on Green City Clean Water’s plan to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clean water regulations and foster rain gardens, green roofs and porous pavements.

“We help engineer nature back into cities,” says Anna Shipp, interim executive director and GSI manager. “Socially responsible, replicable and environmentally conscious initiatives and policies catalyze local economies and benefit water, air, aesthetics and people’s emotions.”

Put Some Spring in Your Step with a New Romance A ccess many thousands of healthconscious, eco-minded, spiritual singles online now!

Join for free and manifest an extraordinary, enlightened relationship. Spring is in the air; be proactive by joining today. Your natural match is waiting to meet you!

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ecotip

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not occur, we’d be less stressed. Next, if we ask ourselves how it may actually be a good thing if it does happen, again stress would diminish.

ELLEN LANGER

How Changing Your Thinking Changes Everything

by April Thompson

F

or 40 years, Social Psychologist Ellen Langer has conducted pioneering research on the power of our minds to shape health and well-being.

Langer’s work demonstrates that changing what we think and believe can transform not only our experiences, but also our bodies—a once-radical idea now common among neuroscientists. Her unconventional experiments often involve mind tricks: taking elders’ subjective thoughts back 20 years to reverse objective metrics of aging; fostering weight loss in a group of hotel maids by simply suggesting that their jobs qualify as exercise; and even changing blood sugar levels in diabetics by speeding up or slowing down perceived time during a video game session.

Affectionately dubbed the “Mother of Mindfulness”, Langer was the first female professor to earn tenure in Harvard University’s psychology department.

A prolific writer and scientist, she has authored more than 200 related articles and 11 books, including Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. Langer lives, paints, works and observes the world from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Learn more at EllenLanger.com.

What is mindful learning, and how can we best practice it?

All learning is mindful; the only way to learn is by noticing new things.

When we stop observing and get into our heads, wondering if that answer was right or if we responded quickly

enough, we exit learning mode and enter mindlessness, where no learning can really take place.

Part of what makes travel exciting, for example, is that we are primed to experience new things and pay attention to them, but actually, newness surrounds us at all times, no matter where we are. What makes us mindless is the mistaken notion of already knowing, when everything is always changing.

What techniques, with or without meditation, can we adopt to change our mindset and mental habits to reduce stress and increase health and happiness?

Most mindlessness occurs by default, rather than design. If we all realized that through mindfulness we could look better, feel better, be better received and do better things—all claims that are supported by scientific research—it wouldn’t be hard to choose.

Meditation is essentially a tool to lead you to the simple act of intentional noticing, but many routes lead to that destination. One way to learn mindfully is to learn conditionally; to see the world as “it would seem that” and “could be”, which is very different than “it is.”

If we recognized that evaluations occur in our heads rather than the external world, much of our stress would dissipate. Negativity and stress are typically a result of mindless ruminations about negative things we think are inevitable. If we simply ask ourselves why the dreaded event might

How do the mental constructs we attach to our experiences affect outcomes of health and well-being?

Mental constructs are positions we consider as accepted certainties.

When a physician makes a diagnosis, most people take it as a certainty and behave accordingly. Assuming that pain, decline or failure is inevitable can cause an individual to give up hope of complete recovery. But science only suggests probabilities, and if we understand this, we’ll go to work on a solution.

We have a tremendous amount of control over our health that goes untapped. Placebos are today’s strongest medications demonstrating this fact.

Initially, placebos were frowned upon by the pharmaceutical industry because a drug couldn’t be brought to market if a placebo was just as effective. When someone gives you a pill and you get better not because of the pill, but because of your beliefs about it, you realize that what stands in the way of healing is your own mindset.

How have you seen these principles play out in your own life?

My fascination with the ability of our mind to change our health began when my mother’s diagnosed metastasized breast cancer disappeared, a fact the medical world could not explain.

Since then, my own prognosis related to a smashed ankle from a Beth Israel teaching hospital physician with the Harvard Medical School, stating that I would always walk with a limp and never play tennis again, has been completely overturned.

My mission coming out of these two experiences is to determine how we can apply our mental capacities to increase control of our health and well-being.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

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LIVE CANCER-FREE Natural Ways to Prevent and Heal Cancer

by Linda Sechrist

V

ictorious warriors against cancer are speaking to other patients about their journeys of recovery and healing. Two who regularly speak to physicians, as well, are Glenn Sabin, author of n of 1: One Man’s Harvard-documented Remission of Incurable Cancer Using Only Natural Methods, and Kathy Mydlach-Bero, author of EAT: An Unconventional Decade in the Life of a Cancer Patient. Their stories demonstrate the healing effectiveness of healthy lifestyle measures still widely categorized as prevention.

Whole Life Triumphs

Determined to become free of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia that had defined his life for 20 years, Sabin, who lives near Washington, D.C., appointed himself the subject of his own research experiment. He subsequently became a poster child for the remedial synergy of biological individuality, a whole systems approach to integrative oncology and self-induced healing through lifestyle and supplement interventions. Sabin now 14

Peace River Edition

dedicates his business development firm, FON Consulting, to advancing integrative medicine as the new standard of care. His mission is to open minds to the idea that knowledge, empowerment and self-efficacy are our best allies against a life-limiting diagnosis, and we can do much to help the healing process.

Writing to Joe Biden regarding the vice president’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, he candidly describes America’s present cancer-friendly environment.

“The public has become conditioned to existing in a broken food chain that remains in disrepair due to misguided farming subsidies [and] untested or otherwise questionable chemicals (many of which are banned in other countries) that are present in the water we drink, the air we breathe, food we consume and products we use. Current therapies or those in the drug pipeline won’t improve the 50/50 odds of developing cancer. What will have the greatest impact are consumer education toward powerful lifestyle changes and access to the building blocks of basic health.”

www.peaceriverna.com

growth of new blood cells, and the benefits of growing and eating foods containing angiogenesis-inhibiting compounds that oppose such growth and so work to prevent, improve and avert recurrences of chronic disease.

“Cancer hijacks the angiogenesis process triggered by inflammation and keeps it permanently activated to ensure that cancerous cells receive a dedicated, uninterrupted blood supply,” explains Mydlach-Bero.

For three years, she largely consumed only items from the list of angiogenesis-inhibiting foods now posted at KathyMydlachBero.com/food-research.

These include green tea, strawberries, blackberries, red tart cherries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, grapefruit, lemons, tomatoes, cinnamon, purple potatoes, kale, grape seed oil and pomegranate. In 2008, she completely replaced both the drugs to combat the side effects of chemo and radiation and a long-term medication for preventing recurrence with healthful foods.

Her physicians were admittedly uncomfortable with her decision to combine chemotherapy and radiation treatments with “food as medicine”,

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Mydlach-Bero made her remarkable recovery from rare and unrelated aggressive Stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer and a high-grade tumor in her head and neck. To tell her story, the resident of Delafield, Wisconsin, relied on her 18 journals as a surrogate memory to chronicle a 10-year journey of courageous exploration, self-evolution, self-advocacy and self-transformation that connected her with her healing potential.

Then the mother of two young daughters, Mydlach-Bero rejected a 21-month prognosis in 2005, along with the notion that disease and medicine would determine her fate. Defying the odds, she applied what she learned from research regarding Avastin, a pharmaceutical created to combat harmful

reiki, prayer, meditation, mindfulness and supplement intervention. But that didn’t deter her. To awaken others to the practicality of food as medicine, she founded NuGenesis Farm, in Pewaukee, a nonprofit modeled after her home practice.

Prevention is Paramount

courtesy of www.DrWeil.com, all rights reserved

Pioneering physicians and researchers agree with Sabin and Myldach-Bero that comprehensive prevention, the key to solving the cancer epidemic, is missing from conventional medicine. Leading voices include Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona (AzCIM), in Tucson; Dr. Carlos M. Garcia, founder of Utopia Wellness, near Tampa, Florida; advocate Susan Silberstein, Ph.D., founder of BeatCancer.org, in Richboro, Pennsylvania; and Ajay Goel, Ph.D., director of the Center for Epigenetics, Cancer Prevention and Cancer Genomics at Baylor University Medical Center’s Research Institute, in Dallas.

Weil pioneered the earliest efforts to develop a comprehensive curriculum in evidence-based integrative medicine and the field of integrative oncology.

“We’ve known for nearly 15 years that inflammation is the root cause of many chronic diseases. Since 2012 scientific evidence has proven that a healthy lifestyle and an anti-inflammatory diet can influence various cancers,” says Weil.

We’ve known for nearly 15 years that inflammation is the root cause of many chronic diseases. ~Andrew Weil

His curriculum for health professionals and the general public was the first to cite the role of a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet in cancer prevention and treatment. “Health professionals graduate armed with a better understanding of the complex interactions between cancer, gut microbiome and nutrition,” advises Weil, whose paradigm inspires his chain of True Food Kitchen restaurants.

It includes lots of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of whole or cracked grains, al dente pasta, healthy fats and plant-based proteins from legumes, nuts and seafood as well as poultry and lean, antibiotic-free grassfed meats, cheese and eggs. Plus, he likes white, green and oolong teas, fresh herbs and spices, up to two glasses of red wine a day (less for women; possibly none for those at high-risk for

Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Food Pyramid Source: Tinyurl.com/DrWeilFoodPyramid

breast cancer), and dark chocolate for antioxidant polyphenols.

Integrative Oncology, authored

by Weil and Dr. Donald I. Abrams, an integrative oncologist, is mandatory reading for AzCIM students that learn to use complementary interventions in prevention and conventional cancer care. Subjects such as antioxidants, cannabinoids, energy medicine, mindbody medicine, music and expressive art therapies are covered, as well as naturopathic oncology, plus the roles that community and spirituality play in prevention and treatment.

Goel’s 20-year career in cancer prevention research has produced a wealth of related articles. Among his findings, he advises, “Curcumin, a yellow compound extracted from turmeric, has become a gold standard for prevention and the natural treatment of many chronic health conditions, including colon cancer. It targets cancer stem cells, disrupts cancer cell communication, triggers cancer cell death and helps to prevent cancerous mutations to cells. It’s also been shown to improve the efficacy of conventional treatments including fewer adverse effects.” He recommends only taking turmeric products with BCM-95 percent active curcuminoids.

Customized Protocols

Considering each individual’s biological individuality as a Petri dish, Garcia’s studies help achieve an anti-cancer life. He advises, “There is no ‘one size fits all’ medical protocol box for cancer treatment. Customized modifications to lifestyle and diet are required because food nutrients directly impact the mechanisms by which cancer cells grow and spread. The right nutrition can reverse a compromised immune system, which

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research shows is a major contributor to the development of cancer.”

Whether for improvement or prevention, Garcia’s patient protocols always begin with a comprehensive evaluation appointment to learn about the individual he is treating. For cancer patients, his two-phase, eight-week program involves immune-enhancing therapies followed by immunotherapy aimed to de-cloak the camouflaged protein coating of wily cancer cells so the body’s immune system can identify and destroy them.

Mind/Body Detox

To maintain good health, Judy Seeger, a doctor of naturopathy near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recommends a regular detoxification regimen to cleanse environmental and product toxins and toxic emotions. Through experience, she has learned that individuals living with cancer need to substantially support their abnormally functioning elimination system to rid it of dead proteins from destroyed cancer cells and chemotherapy drugs that are overtaxing the immune system.

“Clearing out toxic, stressful emotions that produce acid, weaken the immune system and create an environment for cancer to propagate is essential,” says Seeger. “Fulfilling the body’s requirement for an ongoing healthy nutritional plan that maintains a healing alkaline environment reduces both the risk of a cancer as well as recurrence.” She

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has observed that when an individual’s healing process has stalled despite their doing all the right things to improve their biochemistry, it’s frequently because they haven’t done an emotional detox and lack feeling a spiritual connection to something larger than themselves.

Silberstein categorizes cancer as epidemic. She speaks regularly regarding preventing cancer and its recurrence at medical and nursing schools, continuing oncology nursing education programs and universities. “What is needed more than new treatment research is public education regarding the true causes of cancer and continuing education credits in lifestyle training for medical professionals,” she says. Silberstein’s nonprofit organization provides online holistic cancer coach training for health professionals as well as research-based education and counseling on how to prevent, cope with and beat cancer through immune-boosting holistic approaches.

The list of books authored by cancer survivors continues to grow, offering helpful insight into how individuals are negotiating the challenges of their healing journey. Two recent books, Surviving the Storm: A Workbook for Telling Your Cancer Story, by Psychotherapist Cheryl Krauter, and Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools: We’ll Get You Through This, by Barbara Tako, are particularly helpful regarding the onslaught of toxic feelings and emotions that stress the mind and body—fear, anger, isolation, anxiety, depression and uncertainty, as well

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as loss and grief. Emphasizing the need for individuals diagnosed with cancer to tell their stories, the authors encourage keeping a journal. The act of getting thoughts and experiences out of the mind and onto paper supports emotional cleansing.

“It’s important to share the real story of the emotional storm that is cancer, as well as the ravages of its treatments and invisible, but lingering side effects; to tell the tale of the cancer survivor who is moving from patient to person; and to explore and discover who you are after having faced down your mortality,” Krauter counsels.

Changed Paradigm

Results of the Human Genome Project, as well as the work of Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., stem cell biologist and author of The Biology of Belief, and other epigenetic researchers support the point that “environmental signals” that directly affect our DNA expression include our thoughts, emotions, belief system, exposure to sunlight, exercise and everything we put into our body.

Such new science shatters the idea that we are victims of our genes and environment. It shines light on the fact that we have tremendous power to shape and direct our own physical health. Our entire lifestyle is pivotal.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

courtesy of Kathleen Lam

Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com

naturalpet

dogs undergo rigorous testing to demonstrate good behavior in court.

Handlers work on long downs and stays, including hand signals.” Dory recently accompanied an 8-year-old girl testifying against her father; he had killed his wife in front of her two years before.

Public Ambassadors

Dogs at Work Finding the Right Dog for the Job

by Sandra Murphy

E

very dog needs a meaningful job. Like us, some need help figuring out what they want to be when they grow up; others choose their own specialty. With imagination and experimentation, even a problem pooch can became an unexpected blessing.

Comforting Companions A 7-year-old hound and canine-style Houdini named Gumby was adopted seven times, surrendered to the shelter eight times and thrice became a stray. An unprecedented 11 return trips to the Charleston Animal Society, in South Carolina, convinced the staff he prefers shelter life. Now his self-appointed job is comforting and helping new arrivals adjust to their temporary home.

Dentist April Patterson owns Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique and Spa, in Fort Lauderdale. After attending a local Humane Society fashion show, she returned to her office with Oliver, a four-pound Pomeranian mix of undetermined age. This cutie’s job is to steady nervous patients. “It wasn’t planned,” says Patterson. “Oliver will bark nonstop when left alone, but being one of the staff makes him happy. Meeting Oliver is part of our hiring process.”

Dory, a yellow Labrador certified therapy dog, is approved by the San Diego district attorney’s office to offer aid in court when a victim or witness testifies in front of the defendant. “Dory was the first court support dog in California and the city’s first of five dog and handler teams,” says Kathleen Lam, a retired attorney and dog handler. “The

Deemed “too large to sell,” Bert, a chocolate Pomeranian, wound up Dory, the first court support in an Oklahoma shelter. dog in California.

Kathy Grayson, owner of The Hole, a New York City art gallery, saw his photo on Petfinder.com and fell in love. She immediately traveled to adopt him. Bert, whom she characterizes as quiet, refined and perfectly suited to the art world, loves being at the gallery and has attended art fairs in major U.S. cities. Follow Bert’s adventures via Instagram.com/bertiebertthepom.

“Edie, a boxer mix puppy, started training as an assistance dog, but her personality proved better suited to the hospitality industry,” says Julie Abramovic Kunes, public relations manager for the Fairmont Hotel, in Berkeley, California. Kunes’ Edie was hired by the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel in 2011, before making the career move west with her in 2017. A former shelter dog, Edie greets visitors as a community ambassador.

Special Rescue Teams Mas, a water-loving Newfoundland, redefines “rescue dog”.

The Scuola Italiana Cani Salvataggio, or Italian School of Rescue Dogs, is the largest national organization in Italy to train dogs and handlers for water rescue. Helicopters can often reach a swimmer in distress more quickly than a boat.

The dog jumps out to circle the victim until they can grab her harness before swimming to shore or a human partner. Mas, the first certified water rescue operative recognized by Italy, France and Switzerland port authorities and coast guards, went on to train her successors.

Bloodhounds are renowned for their super sniffers. Lou, a nine-year K9 veteran, on Pennsylvania’s West York Borough Police Department force, ultimately applied for retirement, passing the harness to Prince, a 3-month-old bloodhound. Prince was sworn in by District Judge Jennifer J.P. Clancy in her Spring Garden Township courtroom. The ceremony emphasizes a K9’s status in the community and within law enforcement. Paired with Officer Scott Musselman for eight months of training, the duo will work with the Missing Child Task Force.

Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com. natural awakenings

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healthykids

Check It Out:

Fresh Looks at Autism Focusing on a Child’s Optimal Potential

chekart /Shutterstock.com

by Linda Sechrist

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new paradigm shift regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) centers on evolving beliefs about the possibilities for those living with autism, as well as the unimagined brilliance they possess and their need for supportive help.

Everyone can benefit from the results of hands-on research and experience by parents and caregivers that are finding nontraditional ways to help special needs children deal with issues related to emotional and cognitive detachment and isolation. Momentum for this major shift in perspective is fueled by young adults that are telling their encouraging stories online and in books such as Carly Fleishman’s Carly’s Voice.

Parents of the one in 45 children diagnosed with ASD know that their lifetime commitment requires extraordinary courage, perseverance, patience, determination, emotional strength, outside-the-box thinking and unconditional love. These parental characteristics are most cited by those that have mastered related developmental disorders, which they now regard as gifts, because they are thriving.

Dr. Andrea Libutti, author of Awakened by Autism: Embracing Autism, Self, and Hope for a New World, offers her insights for understanding the multifacet-

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ed nature of autism and the need for a personalized plan for healing. Janice Vedrode, a special needs coach, consultant and child advocate in Saginaw, Michigan, founded Spectrum Speaks and writes at JaniceVedrode.com/ blog to inform parents about numerous issues regarding ASD.

“Because I live in a town that didn’t have an existing support group for parents with ASD children, I took it upon myself to get the ball rolling and advise parents that they need to build a dream team—doctors, therapists, special needs teachers, spiritual community, friends and family—that will make sure their child succeeds and lives a happy and successful life,” says Vedrode.

Wanting to help both their own two sons with developmental disabilities and others, Boaz and Minerva Santiago, residents of Pembroke Pines, Florida, became early trailblazers ushering in the self-employment movement for special needs individuals.

Their Picasso Einstein online educational platform at SelfEmploy.org has launched the #JobCreators Bootcamp Training for parents and professionals and the #JobCreators Integration Program that collaborates with organizations, financial institutions and government agencies.

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Tinyurl.com/ Chris-Varney-Talk Tinyurl.com/ KerryMagroTalk

“If you focus on pursuing a business for your child for the sake of their independence, you won’t get caught up in only the business and money aspects. Self-employment allows even greatly impaired individuals the maximum opportunity to experience independence, not just in the present, but for the rest of their lives,” explains Boaz.

He cites an example of a young boy with an avid interest in folding clothing. His parents learned how to create a meaningful job for him by creating a simple small laundry business from the family garage.

Although at the beginning he was only asked to fold clothing (which he already expressed interest in), his father now accompanies him around the neighborhood to pass out business cards and promote his service.

Being in business has helped him grow as a person. “Begin by assuming your child is competent and make it possible for them to follow their passion and create a future they can be proud of,” advises Boaz.

Shining lights are leading the way. With her father’s help, Carly Fleishman, diagnosed at the age of 2 with nonverbal severe autism, wrote a book by striking one computer key at a time that described living in a mind and body afflicted with this condition.

Still nonverbal, she hosts a YouTube radio show on which she interviews celebrities via a device that turns keystrokes into verbal language.

Kerry Magro, with Autism Speaks, a research and advocacy organization, answered the question, “What Happens to Children with Autism When They Become Adults?” in his TEDx talk, one of his many media ventures. Chris Varney, an “I can” advocate for children’s rights, won rave reviews for his TEDx talk, “My Unstoppable Mother Proved the Experts Wrong.”

Such powerful stories specifically

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

inspiration Natalia Klenova/Shutterstock.com

relate how parents, grandparents and relax friends • unwind • destress helpful forged networks that freed them and their afflicted children of the inhibiting stigma of autism and enabled them to realize their fullest potential. A bedrock philosophy in supporting ASD and other special needs children is to assume they are competent and learn to see them through God’s lens, rather than the lens of the world.

CREATE A LOVE NEST

Set Out a Welcome Mat for a Soulmate

by Arielle Ford

J

YOU’RE THE

AR TIST

ust as we need to create space in our daily schedule to nurture a new relationship, we must create space in our home to welcome in new love. It’s called “feathering the nest”. Think about the first time that our soulmate will walk into our home—what they will they see, smell and feel. Even an inviting, cozy environment may need an upgrade.

The underlying vibration or feeling of a place reflects the home’s energy.

Whatever has happened there since its beginning, including arguments, illnesses or times of loneliness, have all left an unseen layer of negative energy. You could say that the walls “talk”.

To begin preparing our home to welcome a mate, first remove the clutter. Piles of magazines, stacks of unshelved books and excessive furnishings are blocking and keeping in old energy and preventing good, clean new energy from flowing. Be sure to remove all photographs and souvenirs that are reminders of past lovers; throw them away or put them in a box away from your home. These daily, unconscious memory triggers keep you stuck in the past. Clearing everything out is like putting out a cosmic welcome mat to the Universe that we are now ready, willing and available to receive new love.

Next, it’s time to dispel the unseen energies. The fastest, easiest method is the Native American technique of smudging. The smoke will purify the space. Light a piece of white sage on a

small plate and when it is smoking (not flaming) run the smoke up, down and around every room, closet, door and window frame throughout the entire home. Alternatively, on a sunny day, open all the doors and windows and, applying a broom and imagination, sweep out the old energies.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum and calls in matter to fill the empty space, so making space in our home assists in calling in love. Consciously create “space” by placing an empty nightstand on “their” side of the bed, plus have at least one empty dresser drawer waiting for them. Create inviting space in a closet and clear a shelf in a bathroom cabinet. If we have a two-car garage and have been parking in the middle, pick a side and begin only parking on “our side”.

The most essential ingredient to “feathering the nest” is a strong intention to remove any old, outdated, limiting or negative energies that may be preventing love from finding its way to our door.

Once free from unwanted clutter and obstructions, it becomes our sanctuary of vibrant, attractive energy.

Arielle Ford is the author of 11 books, including Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate and The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. Her latest, Inkspirations: Love By Design, is a transformational coloring book. She lives in La Jolla, CA. Learn more at SoulmateSecret.com.

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Peace River Edition

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by Marlaina Donato

T

o many, hiking means long-distance treks through forests or backpacking remote terrain. “In reality, it’s more about getting out into green areas close to home,” says Wesley Trimble, of the American Hiking Society. “It’s about immersion in nature.”

Day hiking can be easily tailored to personal preferences and interests. “Excellent apps and websites list and describe trails in your area or community. We have a database on our site that’s helpful,” says Trimble (AmericanHiking.org).

He’s personally high on old rail lines that have been converted to wide, accessible paths (RailsToTrails.us).

A Trail for Everyone Whatever our location, age or fitness level, a hike can provide opportunities for calming solitude or connecting with people we care about. Individuals with disabilities can also get outdoors at accommodating trails such as those at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, in Delaware. There’s always something to be learned in identifying wildlife and plants.

“Families can enjoy time walking outdoors together in ways impossible in other settings,” observes Verna Gates, founder of Fresh Air Family, a Birmingham, Alabama, outdoor activities educational foundation. “Nature aids in well-being in many ways.” She points to studies cited at NatureAndForest Therapy.org/the-science.html that reveal how trees emit enzymes into the air that help improve our emotional and physical health. “When I lost a child, the only place I found solace was in nature. Sitting in a patch of wildflowers truly brought me back to living,” recalls Gates.

Olga Danylenko/Shutterstock.com

Hiking in nature is a ready way to reset frazzled nerves.

A

long with checking your state’s departments of tourism and parks and recreation, here are some broader resources for finding local trails. n AmericanHiking.org

Explorers’ Heaven

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Where to Go

Following a lovely trail, much like inspired cooking, is as intriguing and delightful as we wish it to be. From wildflower paths to wine country trails, the great outdoors invites exploration of woodlands, glens, forests, mountain valleys, coastal areas, bayous, deserts and other terrain. Experienced day-trippers recommend revisiting favorite trails in specific seasons.

“I love being in the natural world, be it New Jersey, Florida or Alaska. Every trail offers surprises,” marvels distance hiker Craig Romano (CraigRomano.com). As the author of several day hike guidebooks, he’s seen firsthand how, “Every part of the country offers different perspectives and forms of beauty. The greatest biological diversity in our country is found in the Great Smoky Mountains, where the rhododendrons are breathtaking in spring.”

The world’s largest mapped cave system is in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park. Hiking to observe other subterranean wonders in Indiana or Virginia’s Natural Bridge Caverns is no less exhilarating than walking Alabama’s covered bridge trail or painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch country, in New Mexico. The Appalachian Trail, running between Maine and Georgia, attracts thousands of adventurous long-distance trekkers, but such trails also offer sections ideal for day hikes.

Geomagnetic points in Arizona’s vortex region or America’s Stonehenge, in New Hampshire, afford unusual destinations.

The wonders of California’s Sonoma County include Planet Walk, a scale model path that illustrates our solar system. The Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Arkansas, is the only place in the world where hikers can dig for diamonds and keep what they find, although quartz diamond sites (semiprecious stones less hard than diamonds) can be accessed at other U.S. locales. Coastal walks lead to discovering sea glass and shells.

Arboretums in urban areas offer trails flush with local flora.

Joining or starting a hiking club based on common interests is one way to go. “One of our guidebook series encourages outdoor enthusiasts to explore the natural world in their immediate backyards. This approach especially appeals to families, first-time trail users and athletes looking for a quick nature fix after work,” offers Helen Cherullo, publisher of Mountaineers Books (MountaineersBooks.org), a nonprofit committed to conservation and sustainable lifestyles.

Wherever we venture, take nothing but pictures and leave nature untouched. Cherullo reminds us, “Connecting people to treasured natural landscapes leads to active engagement to preserve these places for future generations.

The future of public lands—owned by every American citizen—is literally in our hands.” They deserve our vote.

n AmericanTrails.org n Backpacker.com n BluePlanetGreenLiving.com n ClimateRide.org n FreshAirFamily.org n GearPatrol.com n HikingProject.com n NWF.org (National Wildlife Federation) n OutsideOnline.com (Outside Magazine) n SectionHiker.com

What You Need

T

ime spent outside is best when we’re well-equipped.

Here are some basic tips.

4 Be prepared for weather, stay alert, plan ahead and have a trail map so you know what to expect.

4 Inform others where you will be and what time you plan to be back. Set a deadline to turn around and head back well before sundown.

4 Plan on not having cell phone reception.

4 Wear proper footwear and clothing.

4 Take a compass and a flashlight.

4 Bring water, in plastic-free bottles, and well-sealed snacks.

4 Apply natural, reliable sunscreen (such as Think Sport) 4 Use DEET-free insect and tick repellant. (For an easy home recipe, add 15 drops of geranium and eucalyptus essential oils to a two-ounce spray bottle filled with distilled water. Shake well before each use.)

4 Consider a natural first-aid kit. (DIY guidelines for creating alternative kits are found at Tinyurl.com/Natural RemediesTravelKit and Tinyurl.com/ AnHerbalFirstAidKit.)

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com. natural awakenings

August 2017

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Get a Good Night’s Sleep Five Solutions for Sleep Apnea

A

n estimated 18 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of sleep apnea. From the Greek expression for “want of breath,” sleep apnea causes cessation of breathing during the night. Bouts usually last from 10 to 30 seconds and can occur from just a few times to several hundred.

The main cause is the throat muscles becoming too relaxed during sleep and constricting the airway.

Two out of four people with the condition do not even realize they are sleep deprived due to apnea, and thus are at greater risk of suffering from both short-term ailments such as migraines or extreme fatigue, and long-term effects that include stroke and heart disease.

1 Try for FREE at NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com 22

Peace River Edition

by Lloyd Jenkins

Lose Weight via Diet and Exercise Most people find the problem clears up or is greatly improved when they lose weight. One of the easiest and healthiest ways is eating only fruit from morning until noon, and then eating healthy, nutritious meals for lunch and dinner. Avoid processed, sugar-laden and deep-fried foods.

Exercise at least four times a week.

Doing moderate exercise for just 40 minutes has been shown to significantly reduce sleep apnea (Sleep journal). Use a

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medicine ball to follow a trainer tutorial at Tinyurl.com/25-MinMedicineBallWorkout.

A mini-trampoline also offers a safe and effective workout. A brisk 20-to-30-minute daily walk is a must for better sleep.

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Sleep on Either Side Lying on the back encourages throat muscles to close up and the tongue to fall toward the back of the throat. Shifting onto one side reduces this discomfort and potential apnea episodes. Using one pillow beneath the head allows the neck to rest at a more natural angle, rather than pushing the chin toward the chest, which restricts the airway.

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Vitamins D and C Almost everyone is deficient in vitamin D, even many in sunny regions, reports Dr. Joseph Mercola in his report, The Amazing Wonder Nutrient.

Wisely managed sun exposure supplies vitamin D—no more than 20 minutes a day, 10 minutes on each side—without suntan lotion. Alternatively, a high-dose of a quality vitamin D supplement measuring 5,000 international units is adequate, but always take it along with vitamin K2, which helps the body process calcium properly to avoid overdose problems.

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Our body does not store vitamin C, so we need at least 2,000 milligrams daily to maintain good health. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that vitamin C can reduce damage caused by sleep apnea. High-content foods include bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwi fruit, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peas and papayas.

4

Magnesium, the Master Mineral From 70 to 80 percent of mankind is deficient in magnesium, which has been connected with prevention of degenerative diseases and mental health and is often the missing mineral in an individual’s wellness equation, according to Enviromedica’s Ancient Minerals.

It also regulates muscle function, including those in the upper throat involved with apnea. Organic foods and farmers’ market offerings may have higher levels of magnesium, especially those packed with green chlorophyll.

Liquid chlorophyll is available in most health stores. Start by drinking one glass (250 milliliters) per day for a week, and then take two tablespoons daily. Spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, kefir, almonds, black beans, avocados, figs, bananas and dark chocolate (avoid brands with white sugar) are good sources.

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Helpful Natural Medicines n Just before bedtime, consume one teaspoon of olive oil (or organic honey) combined with three drops of lavender essential oil.

The Proper Pillow

by Randy Kambic

T

he right natural pillow is a key component to restful sleep. In fact, pillow comfort and support are as critical to good sleep as the proper mattress.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) (SleepFoundation.org), 91 percent of Americans say that a good pillow is key to their sleep quality.

Investing in a high-quality, supportive pillow can be transformative, both personally and professionally. The RAND Corporation calculates that poor sleep among U.S. workers annually costs the U.S. economy some $411 billion.

Replace old, worn-out pillows.

Pillows can harbor dust mites and their excrement, dead skin cells and bacteria that can exacerbate allergy symptoms. If a pillow is clumping, losing support or yellowing, replace it, says Michelle Fishberg, co-founder of sleep wellness company Slumbr (Slumbr.com).

“Quality, properly sourced, down and feather pillows can be comfortable for those that like classic, soft pillows.

Buckwheat and natural latex pillows each have unique qualities promoting better sleep. Buckwheat is therapeutic for back pain, all-natural and hypoallergenic, and reduces snoring for some,” advises Fishberg.

Pillow care. The NSF suggests using pillow as well as mattress protectors; PureCare mattress (PureCare.com) is their official source including a range of down pillows and its MiteTight protector. Organic cotton covers are kind to people and the planet.

Slumbr.com likewise advises using a protective cover to extend pillow life.

Don’t dry clean pillows, because chemicals and heat can do damage. A down pillow can be washed, but it’s best to have it professionally cleaned by a down specialist every three to four years. Or wash them at home no more than twice a year on the delicate cycle, alone in a large or commercial washing machine, to avoid breaking down the down’s natural oils and structure. Latex pillows can be occasionally hand-washed with mild detergent and air-dried flat. Don’t wash buckwheat pillows—if the hulls get wet, pour them into a fine mesh bag and air-dry them in the sun.

n Supplement with serotonin precursor 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), which complements magnesium. n One of the best pure sources of omega-3—a top remedy for sleep apnea by protecting cells from stress—is krill oil (Alternative Medicine Review).

Sleep apnea causes long-term oxidative stress and puts severe demands on the body, which is thought to deplete omega-3 levels.

Lloyd Jenkins is a certified naturopath native to Canada and owner of the Budwig Cancer Clinic, in Malaga, Spain.

He’s the author of seven books and many articles on treating common diseases using natural therapies. natural awakenings

August 2017

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Peace River Edition

FEAST IN THE FIELDS

The Rise of Pop-Up Organic Dining

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

T

he flip side of enjoying farm to table is taking the table to the farm. Socalled “pop-up feasts” are booming at farms throughout the country during growing and harvest seasons. While the format varies, dinners are typically hosted on working rural or urban farms, last about three hours and include aperitifs and a tour before the meal. Wine pairings or beer tastings and live music may be among the enticing activities offered.

Gabriele Marewski, owner of Paradise Farms, near Miami, Florida, was a pioneering forerunner of the trend. For 10 years prior to retirement, she hosted more than 50 chefs, served thousands of guests an organic Dinner in Paradise and raised more than $50,000 for area charities. Periodic onsite dinners continue (ParadiseFarms.net).

“Many chefs are active in farm-totable dinners on the West Coast. We also see participation among wineries, orchards, cheese makers and breweries,” says A.K. Crump, CEO of TasteTV, in San Francisco, which also supervises PopUpRestaurants.com. “People like to meet the meal maker and know more about the origin of what they eat.”

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“I started Dinner on the Farm nine years ago to create unique experiences that connect people to the places their food is grown and the people that grow them,” says Monica Walch, whose popup dinners are served picnic-style for friends and families that bring their own tableware. Her company’s Midwest events, usually offered on Minnesota and Wisconsin farms, always feature local chefs, food ingredients and breweries (DinnerOnTheFarm.com).

“There’s nothing like being comfortably seated in the field where your food is growing and having the opportunity to enjoy it just hours after it’s been picked. Then, add in one-on-one conversations with your chef, brewer and farmer, as well as like-minded community members,” observes Walch, who grew up on an organic dairy farm in Minnesota.

Setting the bar for high-end, white tablecloth, adults-only communal events, Outstanding in the Field tours the country to offer a taste of fresh, local cuisine prepared by top regional chefs. They’re known for serving meals on long tables set up in fields on

prairie ranches, in olive groves or fruit orchards, as well as at urban rooftop farms or near vegetable row crops.

“Our mission is to get folks out to the farm and honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table,” says organization founder and chef/artist Jim Denevan. More than 90, five-hour events that include appetizers and a guided farm tour are being held all the way through November in more than a dozen states (see OutstandingInTheField.com).

“Some of our most popular events feature farmers of the sea, and are set alongside the ocean or other bodies of water,” adds Lisa Supple, publicist for the company. “They feature local fisher people and oyster and abalone farmers.”

“Epicurean San Diego offers popup farm dinner events at Dickinson Farm, in National City, California,” explains

Guests enjoy appetizers and cocktails at a Dinner on the Farm event at Primrose Valley Farm, in New Glarus, Wisconsin.

fundraising events, like The Foodshed Alliance’s Farm to Fork Dinner and Wine Tasting, now in its seventh year (Tinyurl.com/Foodshed-AllianceFarm2Fork). It’s held at the Alba Vineyard, in Milford, New Jersey, which practices renewable viticulture.

“We already have eight chefs lined up to prepare an eight-course, locally sourced, wine-pairing dinner served among the vines,” explains Kendrya Close, executive director of the alliance. Expert winemakers select each course’s pairing.

“We’re proud to be the hardworking roadies that set the stage for America’s rock star farmers,” says Denevan.

John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, co-authors of ECOpreneuring and Farmstead Chef, operate the Inn Serendipity, in Browntown, WI.

Pizza on the Farm event at Dream Acres, served by a waiter on stilts, in Rogers, Minnesota. owner Stephanie Parker (Epicurean SanDiego.com). “We strive to completely source our produce from the farm.” The veteran-owned, certified organic Dickinson Farm features heirloom fruits, vegetables and herbs grown on a large city lot. “We have focused on urban farms to inspire more people to grow their own food and to show that you don’t have to live on a huge piece of property in the countryside,” Parker notes.

Some pop-up feasts are managed directly by local farmers in partnership with lead chefs. Others serve as annual

MooGrass Band performance at Dinner on the Farm event at Sandhill Family Farms, in Brodhead, Wisconsin.

Coming Next Month

Yoga

plus: Graceful Aging September articles include: Yoga Practice Tips, Enhancing Elderhood, Healthful Recipes and so much more!

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call 941-564-0885 natural awakenings

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August 2017

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Coming Next Month Help for Injured Wildlife Caring Rehab Gives Them Graceful a Second Chance Aging

by Sandra Murphy

Plus: Yoga September articles include: Enhancing Elderhood Yoga Practice Tips Healthful Recipes and so much more!

S

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

941-564-0885 26

Peace River Edition

eeing lost, injured or orphaned animals is heartbreaking, but unless a wild animal is in immediate danger from prey or traffic, it’s best to wait and observe. Mothers forage for food and return to the babies intermittently.

If in doubt, call a wildlife rehabber for advice.

“Rehabilitators are trained, tested, licensed, take continuing education courses and file annual reports. All care provided must meet government standards,” explains wildlife rehabilitator Regina Whitman, of Queen Creek, Arizona, via her Desert Cry Wildlife website. She rehabs rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, baby javelina and coyote pups.

The Dan & Dianne May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Lee’s-McRae College, in Banner Elk, North Carolina, is

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the only college program in the U.S. that allows students to work hands-on with veterinarians in the rehab center. “We see native species of reptiles, raptors, songbirds and mammals like eastern gray squirrels,” says Jenna Glaski, a program senior mentor. “When fawns and bobcats are orphaned, it’s usually because the mother has been hit by a car or shot.”

In the Georgetown area, South Carolina Coastal Animal Rescue and Educational Sanctuary (SC-CARES) rehabbers care for injured wildlife and other animals. Miss Belle—a doe that was trapped in fencing and temporarily paralyzed trying to get free—received physical therapy and is expected to make a full recovery.

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Barton and Linda Schrader, the Wildlife Center of Venice, serves Sarasota and Char-

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SEPT

greenliving

lotte counties. Its five acres offers hutches, barns, habitats for squirrels and raccoons, an aviary and a pond for waterfowl.

In 2015, volunteers rescued eight striped skunks. Because these mammals are slow and have poor eyesight, wide roads are especially hazardous as they move through diminishing habitat. Skunks eat insects, grubs, rodents, moles and snakes.

Paul and Gloria Halesworth specialize in hummingbirds at Wild Wing Rehab Hummers & Songbirds, in Ahwatukee, Arizona. “Hummingbird babies require a special formula we import from Europe. A body temperature of 105 degrees causes casual rescuers to think they’re overheated. They pant like dogs if too hot; otherwise, they’re okay,” Paul says. If a nest is found on the ground, reaffix it in a tree. “Duct tape works,” he notes. “Mom will find them.” Released birds are taken to the Desert Botanical Garden, in Phoenix.

Rehabbing owls costs significantly more, up to $800 from hatchling to release. The Halesworths refer owls to another rehabber that annually cares for about 500 owls.

In Fort Gratiot, Michigan, Back 2 the Wild Rehab rescues all kinds of wild animals. In February, two geese were stuck in a frozen river. Firefighters freed the birds and rehabbers checked them for frostbite. One goose died, but the other was released after the next storm passed through.

The Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary, near McCall, Idaho, accepts orphaned bear cubs. Tapping into three decades of research reported by program supervisor Jeff Rohlman, they are vetted and put into a two-acre enclosure to learn to live in the wild until they are old enough for release. Most arrive undernourished and dehydrated; if separated from their mother, they don’t know how to feed themselves or when to hibernate.

Dreamcatcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary, in Ravendale, California, doesn’t release rehabbed guests—it provides a lifetime home to roam 1,000 acres in family packs to find their own food and water. Public lands are leased to ranchers for grazing, compelling competition for food between livestock and wild animals, so this is a safer option; the sanctuary also advocates protection of resident mountain lions, badgers, coyotes, hawks and eagles.

Barry and Maureen Genzlinger, founders of the Vermont Bat Center, in Milton, have rescued and released more than 125 bats since Barry became a licensed bat rehabilitator for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in 2013. “We have one bat that lost 95 percent of the skin on a wing,” he says.

“After three months, most of it has grown back. In two more months, it should be fine, just in time to hibernate.” Bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.

While some are considered a nuisance, each rescued animal has a place in the overall eco-system. Following the good Samaritan rule allows casual rescuers to keep an animal only long enough to safely transport it to a rehabilitator.

Rescue operations always need volunteers to donate time or money to help the cause.

For creatures, staying with a healing friend can help but there’s no place like home.

Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.

Silent Call of the Wildlife

by Juliette Jones, in collaboration with Kevin Barton

he Wildlife Center of Venice (WCV) is committed to the preservation, rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife in our local community. They service all of Sarasota and West Charlotte Counties, working consistently to uphold these values. In support of their tireless efforts, the WCV needs your assistance with their noble cause.

Years ago, I moved from Southeast Florida to Sarasota County to enjoy a more intimate relationship with nature and a lifestyle that was less fast-paced. Over the past decade, I have watched development rapidly eliminate much of the quiet beauty and mystery of nature that once drew me to this area. Moreover, this commercial development has been profoundly unhealthy to our wildlife population.

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We are not separate from everything around us.

Authentic spiritual practice is connected with how deeply we know ourselves. How we relate to nature and her wild creatures speaks to the depth of our personal spiritual evolution. To be brief, the natural world emerges directly from the sacred void of the cosmos. Unfortunately, much of modern culture fails to realize our kinship with all of life, and has largely detached from identification with nature. This worldview has borne disastrous consequences, and is the source of unnecessary destruction and suffering.

People with a heart for nature realize this but often feel helpless in the face of losses happening all around us. More animal species have become extinct on our watch than during any other time in recorded history. In the face of such enormous sadness, there is the danger of becoming apathetic.

But there are tangible and important strides we can make to overcome apathy such as supporting the quietly heroic people on the front-lines of animal welfare––people who are motivated by a desire to reduce suffering, save every life natural awakenings

August 2017

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cels of property between five and 20 acres, preferably near their current location, to support a new wildlife habitat.

Donations are needed now.

they can and make a difference on our planet. This is a heroic spiritual mission, and we need not look any further than the Wildlife Center of Venice to find a source of inspiration.

“The animals in our area are consistently impacted by sprawl and human activity. Helping these displaced and injured Floridians is our goal.”

–– Wildlife Center of Venice The Wildlife Center of Venice was “born” on January 1, 2004. It was the long-time joint dream of founders Kevin Barton and Linda Schrader which soon became an official non-profit agency, possessing all state and federal permits to rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned animals.

The heart of this center is presently located on five acres of land in west Venice. Several wildlife hutches, animal barns, squirrel habitats, a songbird aviary and a raccoon habitat comprise the main facility. A pond serves as a water-fowl rehabilitation area. The secluded location has been ideal for wildlife rehabilitation.

A year-and-a-half ago, the WCV launched a campaign to purchase the property where it was founded at a cost of $485,000 over a five-year period. Unfortunately, after raising $85,000, the property owner decided to renege on the purchase agreement. Now the center hopes to buy a property in the immediate vicinity which is geographically functional to serve our area. The real challenge is to make sure that our community’s imperiled wildlife does not suffer a break in service, either in rescue or professional care and rehabilitation.

This is not an easy prospect, considering the WCV patient load last year included nearly 4,400 sick, injured or orphaned animals. This breaks down into approximately 2,000 birds, 2,000 mammals and 400 reptiles. WCV is scouting out par28

Peace River Edition

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Not to be forgotten, the center is here for our community’s at-risk animals, and the WCV is currently navigating through the second half of the summer––otherwise known as “baby season.” They need donations, not just monetarily, but also supplies and volunteer hours.

Last week, the WCV received a call from Sarasota County Animal Services to rescue a young animal with a treble hook pierced through his nose and lip, and attached to a black plastic construction fence barrier. Kevin Barton and rescue partner Mark Martell cut the struggling animal free, eventually removed the hook and took him into rehabilitation. This happened to be a raccoon, but Barton tells me the same issue happens to birds on a regular basis.

WCV was especially thankful to Sarasota County Animal Services and the resident caller who reported the incident, thus sparing the animal from what would have probably led to torturous death.

Many elements of care and service are necessary to a rescue and rehabilitation operation, and volunteers are essential to the success of such communities. Not everyone knows that volunteers who perform field rescue work are mandated to have preventative rabies vaccinations. There is a cost of nearly $900 for a series of three shots. Often the volunteers, who undergo treatment, pay for the cost of the shots from their own pockets. Sometimes volunteers come in the form of retired animal service officers, people with degrees in biology or those, who have been employed in foreign countries and have already taken these shots.

Love is a pale word for the level of service that is provided to our animal friends by the WCV team. Having witnessed some of what they accomplish daily, I am truly humbled.

“A man of kindness to the beast is kind.

But brutal actions show a brutal mind; Remember, He who made the made the brute, Who gave thee speech and reason made them mute; He can’t complain, but God’s omniscient eye Beholds thy cruelty––He hears their cry!

He was designed thy servant, not thy drudge, But know––That his Creator is thy judge.”

––Shaker Home

The Wildlife Center of Venice, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) Florida non-profit corporation. The center is located at 3252 Border Rd., Venice. For more information, call 941-484-9657 (daytime), 941-416-4967 (after-hours), visit WildlifeCenterOfVenice.org or “like” The Wildlife Center of Venice on Facebook.

calendarofevents WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21

Keys of Enoch Study Group – 7-9pm. With Rev. Dr. Sharon-Elizabeth James. We will explore how The Keys of Enoch works directly with the spiritual truths of our past, present and future. Through music, sacred expressions, higher education and prayer, we will develop a deeper understanding of our cosmic birthright and our ability to co-participate with our spiritual counterparts connected with the Divine. $7.

If you are new to the Keys of Enoch please call for information. Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Meadows, Bldg. G-2, Meadows Village Center, Sarasota, 941-371-9333, CosmicCenterOSL@gmail.com, CCOSL.com.

Suncoast Singles will be hosting a Speed Dating party at Thai Spice – 7-9pm. Tickets include appetizers, drink specials, prizes and give aways, PLUS a whole lot of “mini” dates that will last 2-3 minutes. Pre-registration for this event is required. $25. Call Christy. 941-713-1000, Thai Spice, 6233 14th St W, Bradenton.

Monthly Anchoring Light Channeled Meditation Charlotte County - 6:45pm. With Rev.Sharon-Elizabeth James. Serving the Ascension of our planet with the Ascended Realms as Anchors of Light every Monday since July 16, 2007! Love Offering.

Port Charlotte Beach Park, Room A, Port Charlotte.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 Guest Reader, Deborah Chadwick - 10:30am– 5:30pm. Using a deck of regular playing cards, Deborah is able to communicate with her guides and angels, quickly receiving very specific information for her clients. Throughout her readings, Deborah brings forth humor and healing to aid her clients in achieving a higher level of understanding and focus. 15mins/$30, 30mins/$60, 45mins/$80. Elysian Fields, Midtown Plaza, 1273 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota. 941-361-3006, ElysianFieldsOnline.com.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4 Guest Reader, Sherry Lord - 10:30am–5:30pm.

Sherry is a Reiki Master, Ordained Reverend, Teacher, Psychic Intuitive and Deeper Trance Channel. She can see angels, guides and auras as well as channel loved ones who have crossed over. Sherry is a versatile channel who can answer your questions, both business and personal, and help you on your spiritual path. 15mins/$40, 30mins/$75, 60mins/$125. *Deep Trance Channel Sessions, 50mins/$175. *Deep Trance Channel sessions, in which Sherry allows Namara, a group of non-physical beings of pure love & light, to speak through her, are 50 minutes and charged at a higher rate. Elysian Fields, Midtown Plaza, 1273 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota. 941-361-3006, ElysianFieldsOnline.com.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 ECK Light and Sound Service – 11am-12pm.

Laughter, a Gift from God. Working with Divine Spirit, we try to look at life and find the laughter wherever we can because laughter is the healer.

Charlotte County Cultural Center, Rm A, 2280 Aaron St, Port Charlotte, 941-358-0325, Meetup.com/EckankarInSarasota.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8 Monthly Anchoring Light Channeled Meditation Charlotte County - 6:45pm. With Rev.Sharon-Elizabeth James. Serving the Ascension of our planet with the Ascended Realms as Anchors of Light every Monday since July 16, 2007! Love Offering.

Port Charlotte Beach Park, Room A, Port Charlotte.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 New Thought Book Study with Ellen Fiorilo 10am. Unity of Sarasota, 3023 Proctor Rd., Sarasota, 941-955-3301, UnityOfSarasota.org.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25

Intuitive Arts Fair - 10:30am–5:30pm. Elysian Fields has been offering this long-standing Intuitive Arts Fair for over 2 decades! Come try one of our professional and seasoned readers for an intuitive reading, featuring: Catherine, Deborah, Laura, and Stephanie. No appointments made by phone. First come, first served. 30mins/$35. Elysian Fields, Midtown Plaza, 1273 S Tamiami Trl,, Sarasota. 941-361-3006, ElysianFieldsOnline.com.

Community HU Chant – 11am-12pm. Need help in dealing with every day or difficult situations?

Singing the word HU, a love song to God, can help. Come experience it for yourself by listening or chanting HU with others for 20 minutes.

It is for everyone of any background or religious belief. Light refreshments follow. Free. Jacaranda Library, Children’s Activity Rm, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd, Venice, 941-358-0325, Meetup.com/ EckankarInSarasota.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 Have You Had a Spiritual Experience? – 6:307:30pm. Have you had dreams of a departed loved one, an out-of-body or near-death experience, wonder about past lives? Learn more with like-minded people. Receive a CD with special techniques given as a gift to all attendees. Free, Elsie Quirk Library conference rm,100 West Dearborn St., Englewood.

941-358-0325, Meetup.com/EckankarInSarasota.

An Evening with Tina Malia - 9pm. A visionary musical artist. Her sonic creations span sacred chant, world, dream pop and folk music genres. With her are master musicians Gonzalo Paniagua on charango, ngoni, and vocals. Didac Luiz Lazaro on percussion and vocals. Purchase tickets 941-955-3301, OceanOfSound.org.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 Community HU Song – 11am. Come experience for yourself, with others, how your days can be enhanced by singing the word “HU” for 20 minutes from your heart to God. You can also do this on your own at any time. It is for everyone of any background or religious beliefs. You are welcome to stay for light refreshments that follow and meet others who love to sing HU. Free. Mid-County Regional Library, Meeting Room B, 2050 Forrest Nelson Blvd., Port Charlotte. 941-358-0325. Meetup.com/EckankarInSarasota

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 Mindfulness Meditation Mini Retreat, Sitting, and Walking Meditation - 2-4:30pm.

Venice Holistic Community Center, 714 Shamrock Blvd., Venice. 941-323-8033, Vhcc1@ gmail.com, VeniceHolisticCenter.org..

FRIDAY. AUGUST 18

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30

Shamanic Dreamwork Monthly Journey Circle With Mira Lash - 7pm. Learn to be a healer and divine and alight! Learn how Shamans see and how they perform miracles. Learn all modalities of healing and experience life changing healings.

We will be creating sacred space and getting to know one another. We will do some protection and opening of the energy fields and mind. Please bring a rattle, blanket and or yoga mat to sit on, an eye cover, a journal to write in and a pencil. Bring some questions along with a drum and/or rattle.

Suggested donation $25.Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Meadows, Bldg. G-2, Meadows Village Center, Sarasota, 941-371-9333, CosmicCenterOSL@gmail.com, CCOSL.com.

Fascia, Movement, and Pain - 7-8 pm. Fascia connects all tissues in your body, and is the culprit in many kinds of pain. Learn about fascia problems and treatment, with example cases and treatment demo, with Dr. Eric Winder.

RSVP only. Free. 3131 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-957-8390.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 Book Discussion – 3:30-4:30pm. How to Survive Spiritually in Our Times. A spiritual exploration class based on the book by Harold Klemp . Everyone is welcome with or without the book.

Ask questions, share stories and insights or just listen to learn to grow and thrive spiritually. Free.

Mid-County Regional Library, Meeting Room A, Port Charlotte. 941-358-0325. Meetup.com/EckankarInSarasota

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 Guest Reader, Deborah Chadwick 10:30am–5:30pm. Using a deck of regular playing cards, Deborah is able to communicate with her guides and angels, quickly receiving very specific information for her clients. Throughout her readings, Deborah brings forth humor and healing to aid her clients in achieving a higher level of understanding and focus. 15mins/$30, 30mins/$60, 45mins/$80. Elysian Fields, Midtown Plaza, 1273 S Tamiami Trl,, Sarasota. 941361-3006, ElysianFieldsOnline.com.

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coverartist

ongoingevents sunday tuesday Sunday Services Cosmic Center – 10am Hands on Spiritual Healing. 10:30am Open Arms Metaphysical Spiritualist Service: Inspirational lectures and messages from your loved ones and friends on “The Other Side”. Reverends Thomas & Mary Linn Clarke. The Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Mdw, Bldg G-2, Sarasota. 941-3719333. ccosl.com.

Nantucket Vegetables Martha Marlette Cover artist Martha Marlette uses watercolors and oils to bring cheerful touches to her varied subjects that range from still life to portraiture. She particularly enjoys collaborating with clients to create realistic portraits of children and adults, as well as homes, gardens, boats, buildings and even bridal bouquets.

“I’m in love with color and light and try to capture both elements in my paintings,” says Marlette. “I’m drawn to vivid subjects like fruits, vegetables and flowers, and the way the light changes their colors, shapes and forms.”

Nantucket Vegetables was inspired by a hand-woven basket her mother made. “I appreciate the artistry of domestic objects, from a beautiful china pattern to a dish towel.”

A lifelong painter, Marlette received formal training at the Art Students League, Skidmore College and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, all in New York. Marlette paints in a shared studio space in Buffalo, New York, and also enjoys painting in her backyard’s natural light.

View the artist’s portfolio at MarthaMarlette.com.

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Peace River Edition

Unity of Sarasota-10:30am. 3023 Proctor. Rev Elizabeth Thompson shows the expressions of God we are. Music: Rob Satori. 3023 Proctor Rd., Sarasota 941-350-3301, UnityOfSarasota.org.

Sunday Worship Service – 10:30am. Start your week renewed and encouraged. Join the CMF for a morning of inspiration, spiritual healing, inspirational talk, special music and Spirit messages.

Fellowship period follows the service. Center for Metaphysical Fellowship, 2044 Bispham Rd, Sarasota. 941-266-8435. cmfSarasota.org.

Chess – 11am-3pm. The Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron St, Port Charlotte. Info & sign-up 941-625-4175.

A Cosmic In-Service Gathering of Lightworkers – 12:15pm. A call to Planetary World Servers to Anchor Light and work with our Family of Light to bridge Heaven and Earth.

Reverend Sharon-Elizabeth James. The Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Mdw, Bldg G-2, Sarasota. 941-371-9333. ccosl.com.

Open Heart Divine Healing Service – First Sunday. 12:15pm. Through the Gathering of the faithful, experience and co-create the Anchoring of Powerful Divine Healing Energies within the Sacred Circle. Expect miracles! Reverend Sharon-Elizabeth James. The Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Mdw, Bldg G-2, Sarasota. 941-371-9333. ccosl.com.

Buddhist Wisdom for Everyday Life, Meditation, and Dharma Talk - 4-5:30pm, first 3 Sundays. Venice Holistic Community Center, 714 Shamrock, Venice, 941-323-8033, Vvhcc1@gmail. com, VeniceHolisticCenter.org.

monday Paddleboard Lessons & Tour – 9-10:30am. Learn how to stand up paddleboard while exploring the barrier islands that surround the North Jetty. Great opportunity to see dolphins, manatees and other wildlife. $25. N Jetty, Nokomis. 941-234-4311.

SUPEnglewood.com.

Gentle Mixed Yoga – 9:30-11am. Gentle mixed level yoga. All levels and bodies welcome. $10. 238 W Tampa Ave, Ste 250, Venice. 941-468-0403.

Massage & Your Health – 3-4pm, fourth Monday. Betty Bruer, LMT,CPT, MedMT, B.A.Ed. MA9980/33099. Port Charlotte. Call for reservation 941-457-6999.

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Gentle Mixed Yoga – 9:30-11am. Gentle mixed level yoga. All levels & bodies welcome. $10. 238 W Tampa Ave, Ste 250, Venice. 941-468-0403.

Transformative Yoga – 5:30-6:45pm. The literal translation of Nidra is sleep. However, Yoga Nidra is a dynamic state, not the unconscious sleep of nighttime. It has the ability to alter your unconscious programming. You tap into creative powers beyond the ego-mind and have access to healing on physical, mental and emotional planes. First class complimentary, $10 thereafter. Venice Holistic Community Center, 714 Shamrock Blvd, Venice.

Register, Facilitator Rick Rabalais 941-539-9149.

The Greater Charlotte Harbor Group of the Sierra Club – 7-9pm. 3rd Tuesday monthly. Open to the public, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to discover what your local Sierra Club is all about.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Building, 1532 Forrest Nelson Blvd, Port Charlotte. Info, 941423-2713, AllainHale@hotmail.com.

Anchoring Light Channeled Meditation Charlotte County – 7:45pm. 2nd Tuesday monthly. Reverend Sharon-Elizabeth James. Serving the Ascension of our planet with the Ascended Realms as Anchors of Light since July 2007. Love Offering.

The Cosmic Center of Spiritual Light, 5041 Ringwood Mdw, Bldg G-2, Sarasota. 941-371-9333, ccosl.com.

wednesday Free Healing Clinic – 4-6:30pm. Our Masters tap into the Divine Source of energy to balance and heal your being. Relax and enjoy this renewing and enlightening experience. Love Donation Appreciated. Angel Ministries, 2269 S Tamiami Trl, Venice. Rev Patricia Charnley, 941-492-4995, revpat@ angelministriesfl.org, angelministriesfl.org.

Square Dancing – 7-9pm. The Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron St, Port Charlotte.

941-625-4175.

thursday Kundalini Yoga/Gong Meditation – 8-9:30am. A blend of postures, mantra & gong meditation offering a technology that aligns with the ever-evolving universe. All levels. $15; $52/4; $88/8. Moving Toward Stillness Wellness Center, Osprey. 941812-8695.

Zumba/Yoga Class with Allison – 9-10am. Feel young & energetic on Venice Beach. Dance & relax. Donations. W Venice Ave, on the Beach, Venice. VeniceInformationCenter.com.

Englewood Farmers’ Market – 9am-2pm. Find a wide range of fruits, organic vegetables, fresh baked German breads, gourmet French foods, fresh seafood, bonsai plants, orchids, garden plants, kettle corn and much more! Olde Englewood Village, W Dearborn St, Englewood,EnglewoodFarmersMarket.org.

Gentle Mixed Yoga – 9:30-11am. Gentle mixed level yoga. All levels & bodies welcome. $10. 238 W Tampa Ave, Ste 250, Venice. 941-468-0403.

Deep Water Aerobics – 10-10:45am. Some swimming ability required. $3. S County Regional Park, 670 Cooper St, Punta Gorda. 941-629-0170, 941505-8686.

Awakening Spirit Kundalini Yoga – 11am12:15pm. Awaken spiritual energy with breath, movement and meditation, with Jana and Hannah. $10. Venice Holistic Community Center, 714 Shamrock Blvd, Venice. Register 941-488-1828.

Mindful Movement – Noon-1pm. Qigong with Daniele. $10. Sarasota Mindfulness Institute, 1530 Dolphin St, Studio 6, Burns Ct, Sarasota. Details SarasotaMindfulness.org/calendar.html.

Open Gym Basketball – 5-8pm. Drop in & enjoy a game of indoor basketball. Shoot some hoops.

Play 3 on 3, 5 on 5 or a pickup game with friends.

Times subject to change. $2/player. Tringali Recreation Ctr, 3460 N Access Rd, Englewood.

Gentle Restorative Yoga – 6pm. Unwind the body with this gentle restorative class. All levels. $15/ first class free. Moving Toward Stillness Wellness Center, Osprey. 941-266-6962.

Law of Attraction Class – 7-9pm. Jan 12 to May 25. This class takes you to the leading edge, working with the Principles of the Laws of Cause/Effect or Sow/Reap. We are entering a study series of intention for living life as masterfully as we can, given our various quirks and preferences. $10. Unity of Sarasota, 3023 Proctor Rd, Sarasota. Rev Zan Benham, 941-922-7839. Zan@Woman-Spirit.com.

Woman-Spirit.com.

friday Mindful Basics at SMI – 8:30-9:45am, Yoga Basics with Larisa, $10. Noon-1pm Sitting Meditation, Donation. Sarasota Mindfulness Institute, 1530 Dolphin St, Studio 6, Burns Ct, Sarasota. Details: SarasotaMindfulness.org/calendar.html.

Astrology Fridays at the Power of One – 11am3pm. Know thyself and know what’s coming in your future. New relationship, order a synastry chart. Accurate, affordable prices. Call for an appointment or stop by the store to talk. Ask for Astrology Bob. $35/Natal or Progressed chart. The Power of One Metaphysical Shop, 238 W Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-493-6096.

Private Readings Walk-in – 6-7:30pm. End your work week on a pleasant note, and with helpful guidance from your spirit guides and angels! Come and receive a 15-minute message from a loved one or guide from one of our gifted workers. Stop anytime during 6-7:15pm on Fridays, no appointments needed. Two workers available; minimum wait time, if any. $20 donation. Center for Metaphysical Fellowship, 2044 Bispham Rd, Sarasota. 941-2668435. cmfSarasota.org.

Friday Night Concert – 7-9pm. Join us in Downtown Venice for our Free Friday Night Concert series at the Gazebo in Centennial Park, 200 W Venice Ave, Venice. Info MainStreet.com.

saturday Punta Gorda Farmers Market – 8am-Noon. Voted the ‘Best Small Market in Florida’ and 15th in the USA, we have a large number of vendors offering fruits and vegetables, dried fruits and nuts, Italian bakery, fresh homemade pasta, kitchenware, cupcakes, beef and fresh seafood, fresh citrus, jewelry, candles and soaps, dip mixes, Florida arts and crafts, cheese, French bakery, baguettes and olives, homemade pies, orchids, organic produce, personalized pens, kettlecorn, coffee beans and drinks, native and exotic plants.Taylor St (across from Historic Charlotte County Courthouse), Punta Gorda. 941391-4856. Info@PGDowntownMerchants.com.

Venice Farmers Market – 8am-1pm. Every Saturday morning, local farmers, fisherman, craftsmen,

bakers, artists and others gather in the heart of historic downtown for a weekly celebration of the best of Venice where you can get fresh seasonal Florida fruits and vegetables direct from local farms. You can’t find any fresher shrimp or seafood. There’s incredible tasty homemade baked goods, trinkets, crafts, soaps, flowers, plants, locally roasted coffee, and more. Tampa Ave between Nokomis & Nassau.

941-929-5304. TheVeniceFarmersMarket.com.

Bradenton Farmers’ Market – 9am-2pm. Over thirty-five vendors offering locally-grown fruits, vegetables, plants, organic products, fresh seafood, prepared foods, as well as the s of local artists, craftspeople and musicians. 1005 1st Ave W, Bradenton. 941-932-9440. RealizeBradenton.com/ our_vendors.

Downtown Bradenton Farmers’ Market – 9am2pm. Featuring a special activity including guest chefs, raffles, arts & crafts vendors, children’s activities. Old Main St, Downtown parking/free on weekends. Dogs on leashes welcome. 941-744-7484.

Psychic Fair – 10am-3pm. 2nd & 4th Saturdays.

Are you searching, questioning and seeking answers? Choose from some of the best Intuitive Artists in the area! See what your future holds! Complimentary refreshments. Private Readings $1/Min. Angel Ministries, 2269 S Tamiami Trl, Venice.

Rev Patricia Charnley, 941-492-4995, revpat@angelministriesfl.org, AngelMinistriesfl.org.

Free Sleep Consultation at Sleep Organics – 10am-5pm or by appt. 650 Central Ave, Sarasota, 941-312-5906, Sleep-Organics.com.

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

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