September Issue Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley

EE E FR

HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY PLANET

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Self-Care for Tough Times

WRITING TO HEAL

OUR STORIES ARE POWERFUL

IN TUNE WITH ANIMALS

MUSIC SOOTHES PETS' SOULS

YOGA for EVERY BODY September 2020 | Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com September 2020

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203-856-9566 www.203TLC.com

203 TLC

203 TLC is a community of accredited health and wellness providers offering a wide variety of services and products.

Founded in 1997 by Beth Leas, the TLC Tribe is Fairfield County’s largest holistic health resource - a vibrant and growing community of over 90 Members, committed to living consciously and offering healthy lifestyle opportunities. We offer high quality private sessions, products, workshops, classes and resources designed to help you live life well.

Energy Healing/Meditation/Tarot Beth Leas 25+ Years Experience Private Sessions, Workshops, Events In-person or by phone bethleas.com 203-856-9566

Essential Oils Wayne Leiss, LMT Centering Our Lives Through Touch. dōTERRA Essential Oils and Symphony of the Cells™ Protocols 20 Fifth Ave, Apt A, Danbury Wayne@WayneLeiss.com WayneLeiss.com 203-994-1207

Lyme Disease Healing Gregg Kirk, Lyme Recovery Clinic & Detox Center Heal from chronic illness through all-natural herbal treatments, intensive detox, cleanses & energy healing.

528 Post Rd, Darien Gregg.Kirk@gmail.com 203-858-9725

Spiritual Counseling Katherine Gray Silvan, LMSW Clear Light Spiritual Counseling Interfaith Minister, Reiki Master Inspirational Speaker katherinesilvan.com 203-912-5252

Life Coach/Hypnotist Thea Litsios, CHy Life Coach, Hypnotist, Teacher of Active Dreaming Remote sessions available 203-693-1493

Meditation & Counseling Meg Reilly, MS, CH Counselor, Workshop Facilitator, Writer, Poet Services in person or by phone megreilly360.com 203-952-6272

Salt Cave Salt Cave of Darien Salt therapy, massage, meditation & yoga 555 Post Rd, Darien Info@SaltCaveofDarien.com SaltCaveofDarien.com 203-658-7667

VISIT US

Transformation Coaching/Healing Katie Augustyn, MA, CPC Transformation Coach, Shamanic Practitioner, Spiritual Evolution Trainer, Energy Healer, TV Host TransformationCenterCT.com 203-820-3800

www.203TLC.com www.TribeTLC.com FB: Tribe TLC

Get to know us at TLC’s monthly networking breakfast!

Looking for a relaxed group of professionals offering a supportive community, free networking events, many affordable marketing opportunities, and FUN? We meet on the first Tuesday of every month, at Valencia Luncheria, 164 Main St, Norwalk, CT, from 8:30 -10:00am.

Come the first time as Beth's guest - and if you find your time with us worthwhile, we invite you to become a TLC Member.

Please RSVP to Beth Leas at: 203-856-9566 (call/text) orTLCBethLeas@gmail.com so she can reserve your place.

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be a publisher?

Are you interested in a meaningful career?

Curious about franchise opportunities?

OWN A BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR 15 YEARS Fairfield County/ Housatonic Valley, CT Natural Awakenings Magazine is FOR SALE • Well-established, growing business since 2004 • 80,000 loyal and engaged readers • More than 1,000 established distribution points • No experience needed; training and support provided • Work from home • Create your own schedule and lifestyle • Collaborate with a supportive franchise network of 70+ Natural Awakenings publishers

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September 2020

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HCP

Holistic Community Professionals

Our professional team of holistic and natural businesses provides community outreach and education.

We are committed to improving the health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit in the communities we serve.

See more holistic practitioners at: www.HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org To join the HCP contact Shirley R. Bloethe, Executive Director, at 860-255-8844.

WITH DR. HENRY SOBO

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Integrative Medicine for Optimal Health

15 EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN THE PANDEMIC AGE

Self-Care Strategies for Tough Times

18 WELL-BEING IN

Hone Your Emotional Intelligence

Robin Barros, Spirit of the Lotus Integrative Manual Therapy, Medical Shamanism, Holographic Sound Healing, Advanced Soul Coaching® & Past Life Journeys, Medical Intuitive, Medium, Channel SpiritoftheLotus.org • Columbia, CT 860-709-3903

20 SELF-DISCOVERY IS

WHY WE ARE HERE

22

An Inward Journey of Awakening

22 LIFE BEYOND DIAGNOSIS

The Hero’s Journey of Choosing Your Healing Path

Naturopathic Physician Dr. Nicole Klughers, ND, PharmD, MSAc Naturopathic Provider & Acupuncture Specialist, Vis Wellness Center at Nova Spa, DrNicoleKlughers@gmail.com DrNicoleKlughers.com • Rocky Hill, CT (234)2-ACU-DOC

Shamanic/Reiki/Sound Healer Denise Cassella, Stairway to Healing Light, LLC Reiki Master/Sound Healer Teacher, Angelic & Spiritual Guide, Interfaith Minister, Shaman, Qigong Instr.

CT/RI/Cent. & East. MA, Stairway2Healing@gmail.com StairwaytoHealingLight.abmp.com • 860-965-6398

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Save The DaTe! Sunday, November 1, 2020 • 10am - 4pm PASSPoRt to HeAltH & WellNeSS exPo DoubleTree by Hilton, 42 Century Drive, Bristol, CT 06010 GRAND PRiZe 75+ exHiBitoRS & SPeAKeRS A Hilton Overnight Stay for Two! Free Raffles Free Drum Healing 4 - 5pm FRee ADMiSSioN Donations Accepted F All door donations to benefit: Hartford Hospital's Integrative Medicine Angie’s Spa and CT Children’s Medical Center.

For more information please contact: Shirley R. Bloethe at 860-255-8844 Email: HCPinc.org@gmail.com FB Events: Passport to Health and Wellness EXPO Vendors apply at: www.yourholisticevents.com 4

12 A CONVERSATION

EIGHT SECONDS

Healing/Coaching

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Contents

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

25 SANDRA MARINELLA

on the Power of Writing Our Stories

26 YOGA FOR EVERY BODY

Adaptive Ways Ease Pain and Immobility

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28 HAPPINESS HELPERS Five Ways to Be More Positive

30 FINDING THE RIGHT TUNE FOR PETS

Music Calms the Animal Soul

DEPARTMENTS 7 news briefs 10 health briefs 11 global briefs 12 community

spotlight 14 eco tip 25 wise words 26 fit body

eNaturalAwakenings.com

28 inspiration 30 natural pet 32 pet resource

guide 33 calendar 35 resource guide 38 classifieds 38 display ad index

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Natural Awakenings is a family of nearly 60 healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 203-885-4674 or email FFCAdvertising@NaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for News Briefs: the 8th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com. Deadline for magazine calendar listings: the 12th of the month. Website calendar listings may be entered at any time.

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

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countrytickandmosquito.com info@countrytickandmosquito.com 431 Pepper Street, Monroe, CT 203-880-5888 September 2020

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

FAIRFIELD COUNTY/ HOUSATONIC VALLEY Publisher Nicole Miale

Managing Editor Patricia Staino

Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills

Contributing Writers Uma Bode Paige Dest Natasha Michaels Patricia Staino

Sales & Marketing Nicole Miale Social Media Amy Hass

Website Erica Mills Distribution Man in Motion LLC

CONTACT US 137 Danbury Rd, #323, New Milford, CT 06776 Phone: 203-885-4674 Fax: 203-516-2392 NicoleM@NaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

NATIONAL TEAM

CEO/Founder Sharon Bruckman COO/Franchise Sales Joe Dunne

Art Director Josh Pope

Layout & Design Gabrielle W-Perillo

Financial Manager Yolanda Shebert Asst. Director of Ops Heather Gibbs Digital Content Director Rachael Oppy

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

letter from publisher

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he past five months have been exhausting and stressful for us all, in different ways and with varying degrees of difficulty. I don’t know about you, but lately I have been feeling overwhelmed and just plain tired of everything. I’m hearing from many people I’m not alone in that. Tempers are flaring and uncertainty abounds as so many prepare to tackle the new frontier of returning to school or work or NOT returning to school or work. Life is anything but normal right now and it’s anyone’s guess when a new normal that we can relax into will really take hold.

None of us received a roadmap to help navigate these Nicole Miale strange times, so my assumption is that everyone is doing the best they can given their particular circumstances. Sometimes just keeping that simple assumption in mind helps me swallow a reactive statement or gives me the impetus to do a little extra for someone else when I can. Sometimes it just makes me shake my head with incredulity, because these times are truly bringing out the best and worst of humanity; every day I’m surprised anew by what I see and hear. It requires a constant recalibration of my emotional well-being and conscious grounding to stay balanced in the moments. This is surfing without the water and board as props.

Our edition this month is focused on providing tools, ideas and strategies to find and maintain emotional equilibrium despite the storms blowing around us. We hope you find inspiration, solace and hope in these articles and in the days to come. Small touchstones that help us stay centered and inspired are key right now; Natural Awakenings is committed to providing these for our readers.

Normally at this time of year I’m eagerly anticipating the many expos and events that make our area such a vital place to visit in the fall. It feels very disorienting to have my autumn weekend schedule so open! I have always loved meeting readers and advertisers in person at those events and savored the chance to really connect. I miss hearing your stories, but I hope you keep telling them! Whether you write, record or in some other way memorialize your experiences, please know that finding ways to express your unique soul journey is important and valuable. No one is just like you; your special self deserves all the love and appreciation in the world, from yourself most of all. Hopefully we’ll have the chance to meet again sooner than we might think.

With love and light,

© 2020 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

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

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

Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

We must continue to go forward as one people, as brothers and sisters. ~John Lewis

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

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

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

news briefs

Self-Care Retreat at Enders Island

B

YODestiny is holding an Emotional Self-Care Retreat at Enders Island on October 24 from 9am to 3pm. This retreat will guide attendees in understanding their emotions as information and how to use this information to develop positive self-talk, improve their relationships, make better decisions and bring peace to their busy world.

What you think is where you live. We all experience negPaige Deist ative self-talk once in a while, but do you ever say things to yourself that you would never say to another person? Attendees will learn to care for themselves and their emotions in a more beneficial and effective way, while relaxing and rejuvenating. They will learn techniques for mindfulness, practices for happiness, and emotional intelligence skills necessary to develop increased confidence, more resilience and control in stressful situations, and better strategies for dealing with life.

The retreat includes lunch, and free parking is located on the island, just off scenic Mystic. Tickets are $115; two or more are $95 each; seating is limited, so registration and payment are required in advance. Masks and social distancing will be required.

For questions, contact Paige Dest, certified emotional intelligence coach, at Paige@BYODestiny.com or 860-550-1844. Tickets may be purchased by visiting http://bit.ly/ESCR_2005. Location: Enders Island.

go deep

Wilderness Skills Program for Adults

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arents often ask instructors at Two Coyotes Wilderness School, “How can I learn and experience all the things you teach my child?”

The organization has responded by launching the new Heartwood Wilderness Skills Apprenticeship Program running from September through June. For 10 months, “Oakhearts” will be mentored in wilderness skills in order to foster a deep relationship to the landscape and local ecosystem. Apprentices learn to walk into the forest and find materials to make primitive tools and crafts and build a fire or a shelter. They’ll also forge personal connections to the animals, plants and trees that share their local habitat.

Heartwood is designed and led by Andy Dobos, although there will be additional guest instructors to share their gifts with students. Dobos is an artist and educator specializing in nature connection mentoring, woodcrafts and wilderness skills. He is highly respected in his field, having earned a BFA in sculpture from Montserrat College of Art; a Wildlife Track and Sign Level Three Certificate from Cybertracker Conservation; an Advanced Completion Certificate from White Pine Programs Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship; training in the art of mentoring and the Boys Sacred Fire Initiation; and more than a decade of experience in mentoring.

The program, which costs $2500 per person, meets one weekend a month culminating in a three-night, four-day adventure in June. Scholarships are available; please request one when you register. Apprentices must be 18 years or older.

To learn more about the schedule, locations, and topics covered in the course or to register, visit TwoCoyotes.org/programs/adult-programs/heartwood-wilderness-skills/. To learn more about Dobos’s art and mentoring, visit TheForestWolf.com.

The Human Relations Program at Hartford Family Institute offers a beautiful path to enriching your experience of life. www.hartfordfamilyinstitute.com/hrp | (860) 236-6009 September 2020

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Harvest Moon Fundraiser at Pratt

news briefs

Munay-Ki Rites in Ridgefield

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his month you can join shamanic healer Mikki Baloy to receive the nine Munay-Ki blessings from the Q’ero mystics of Peru. Baloy will perform the rites over a two-day period on September 13 and 20 from 1 to 3:30pm at The Angel Cooperative in Ridgefield.

Munay means “unconditional love.” The nine Munay-Ki blessings facilitate transformation, clearing the luminous energy field and allowing us to connect directly with sacred beings and healing energies. It’s believed that the rites help us accelerate our personal and collective evolution.

The event is limited to 12 participants, so advance registration is strongly recommended. Please plan to be there both days. Masks, hand sanitizer, and suitable distancing when giving/receiving the rites will be employed. The studio also uses a UV light to disinfect the space between events. You may want to bring your own blanket/mat and water bottle to stay comfortable. The cost is $50.

For more information or to sign up, visit https://bit.ly/30Q7Seh. Location: The Angel Cooperative, 51 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte 7), Ridgefield. See ad, page 21.

O

n Saturday, September 12 from 5 to 8pm, New Milford’s Pratt Nature Center will host a fundraising event for adults in the field. There will be no tent this year; the center’s presentation, raffles and silent auction will be done in an open air format.

Masks and/or physical distancing will be practiced. The theme is “Why should we all fit in when we were born to stand out?” so attendees are encouraged to wear their best tie dye outfit. As the world changes around us, it has become increasingly important for the center to preserve and expand its outreach to the communities in the Greater Litchfield County Area.

Food will be provided by two food trucks filled with tacos and pizza, as well as beer and wine. Music by the Blue Yodels, giant games and hatchet throwing will all be featured and the evening will close with a bonfire in the meadow.

Pratt Nature Center is seeking more sponsors and auction items at this time; sponsorship costs range from $250 for a Goat Guardian Sponsor to $2500 for a Food Truck Sponsor. Individual attendee tickets cost $75 per person. Space is limited, so reserve your spot ahead of time.

Pratt Nature Center is a 205-acre nature preserve and summer camp offering hiking, bird-watching, garden plots, animals, and nature education for all ages including programs tailor-made for the classroom or scout troop as well as for family or community enjoyment and learning.

For more information, call 860-355-3137, email Info@PrattCenter.org or visit PrattCenter.org/. Location: 163 Paper Mill Rd, New Milford.

You Have a Choice!

We offer non-medication alternatives for healing, including: Neurofeedback and Biofeedback , Counseling, Hypnosis, EFT/Tapping and our 360° Reboot® Program

Dr. Roseann Associates

Neurofeedback, Evaluation & Therapy

www.drroseann.com info@drroseann.com

203.438.4848

We treat the following conditions: ADHD / ADD / Executive Functioning  Anxiety & Anxiety-Related Disorders  Autism  Behavioral & Social Issues Chronic Pain / Fibromyalgia  Concussion / TBI  Depression / Mood Issues  Learning Disability / Dyslexia Lyme, PANDAS/PANS  Chronic Health Conditions  PTSD / Trauma  Seizures  Sleep Problems

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

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39th Annual Artisan Fair in Redding

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n Saturday, September 26 from 10am to 4:30pm, First Church of Christ Congregational Church in Redding Center welcomes the public to its 39th Annual Artisan Fair, featuring more than 50 artisans,a huge tag sale, music, children’s games, a bake sale and delicious food. Admission and parking are free, making the event an affordable and fun family day. Organizers promise there will be something for everyone to do.

The tag sale will open at 9am for those who wish to have first shot at the treasures waiting within. There will be a small fee of $5 to take advantage of this opportunity. In addition, there is an incredible Jewelry Boutique, featuring many unique jewelry pieces along with an eclectic collection of scarves, hats, etc., which will also open early.

Since 1982, First Church has put its best foot forward to provide the community with an event to welcome the fall season. Enjoy a piece of fresh-baked apple pie or a cup of soup poured straight from the kettle. Purchase pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks while listening to area bands play familiar tunes.

Admire the works of more than 50 artisans and take home your favorite pieces or sit and relax while eating a grilled burger, hot dog, sausage & pepper, fries, or veggie burger served up to order by our men's group.

A gated area will be set up for children's activities featuring games, face painting, pumpkin painting, and sand art.

Music will be provided from 12 to 1pm by Soul Tonic, with musicians Scott Weber, Nancy Berger and friends. From 1:30 to 3:30pm Ball & Chain will perform, featuring Amy & Eliot Cabot and friends.

HydroMassage in Stamford

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aute Healing Oasis in Stamford now offers HydroMassage, a revolutionary massage bed that uses powerful heated water jets to melt away tension, stress and soreness. The water jets pulsate hundreds of times a minute, delivering user-controlled, targeted relief. This massage bed allows you to be in control of every aspect of your massage, including the area, pressure and speed of the jets, all while remaining comfortably dry.

Haute Healing’s signature treatments also include complimentary aroma and sound therapies for the ultimate relaxation experience. It’s safe and sanitary, as there is no therapist involved and the bed is completely disinfected between guests. A 10-minute massage is $20.

Schedule a treatment now at Vagaro.com/hautehealingoasis/services. Location: 792 Pacific St, Stamford.

For more information or to apply to exhibit your wares, visit FirstChurchRedding.org or call 203-938-2004. Location: 25 Cross Hwy Redding Center CT. For parking the day of the fair please go to Redding Elementary School at 33 Lonetown Rd, Redding. A shuttle bus will take you to the Church grounds.

September 2020

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health briefs

Mindfulness training may help the estimated 1 million Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage their emotions and process information quicker, according to a new study from Ohio State University.

Researchers split 62 people with MS into three groups. The mindfulness group learned such practices as focusing on the breath and doing mental “body scans”. A second group underwent adaptive cognitive therapy training with computerized games that focused on skills like paying attention, switching focus and planning.

The third group was a control.

After four weeks, those in the mindfulness group were more likely to report being better able to handle their emotions than those in the other groups.

The mindfulness group also had higher levels of cognitive processing speed, a reduction in the time it takes to complete mental tasks, along with increased understanding and response times.

CONNECTICUT'S LOCALSUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE DESTINATION IS SUSTAINNE.COM Our actions and decisions today will shape our future. Visit us to get inspired and shop responsibly.

Reduce PFAS Exposure to Help Delay Menopause Exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS)—“forever chemicals” often found in nonstick cookware, food packaging and contaminated water—may cause menopause to occur two years earlier in women, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. University of Michigan scientists tracked more than 1,100 women for an average of 17 years and found that those with higher levels of the chemical in their blood experienced menopause an average of two years earlier than those with lower levels. “Even menopause a few years earlier than usual could have a significant impact on cardiovascular and bone health, quality of life and overall health in general among women,” says co-author Sung Kyun Park.

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

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marcusaurielius/Pexels.com

Consider Mindfulness for Multiple Sclerosis

global brief

Planetary Planning

vegefox.com/AdobeStock.com

Keeping Half the Earth Natural

A study led by the National Geographic Society and the University of California (UC), Davis, published in the journal Global Change Biology compared four

recent global maps of the conversion of natural lands to anthropogenic (human activity) land uses. It concluded that if we act quickly and decisively, there is an opportunity to conserve about half of the planet’s ice-free land. The developed half includes cities, croplands, ranches and mines.

The authors note that areas having low human influence do not necessarily exclude people, livestock or sustainable management of resources. A balanced conservation response that addresses land sovereignty and weighs agriculture, settlement or other resource needs with the protection of ecosystem services and biodiversity is essential. Approximately 15 percent of the Earth’s land surface and 10 percent of the oceans are currently protected in some form.

Lead author Jason Riggio, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, says, “The encouraging takeaway from this study is that if we act quickly and decisively, there is a slim window in which we can still conserve roughly half of Earth’s land in a relatively intact state.”

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community spotlight

A Conversation with Dr. Henry Sobo

Integrative Medicine for Optimal Health

W

e sat down with Dr. Henry Sobo of Optimal Health Medical in Stamford to learn more about his approach to keeping patients happy and well.

How does your practice differ from a conventional medical practice?

We supplement conventional medical approaches with more natural, less toxic treatments and less medications where possible.

People interested in natural therapies often try to find a doctor like myself because sometimes there are cases where medication must be used. If their health professional doesn’t have a medical license, they can only do natural, holistic therapies. So, for more immediate, serious health issues, they need to find another practitioner. My patients feel they get the best of both worlds with me.

I am licensed to use medications if we need to, yet I recommend more natural approaches as well.

What made you decide to practice integrative medicine?

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I found some conditions were not being treated effectively by conventional medicine. For example, irritable bowel syndrome—we simply don’t do much about it.

There is medication now that addresses the constipation symptom, but it doesn’t really change anything except that it relieves constipation. In my experience, the majority of people suffering from IBS have significant food sensitivities. That led me, in part, to this type of medicine. Even if you are the best gastroenterologist in the world, if your field doesn’t really consider food sensitivities, then you won’t consider it when treating patients.

In terms of what our practice does, it’s a very broad spectrum. We see many patients with allergies, as well as food sensitivities, which we feel still is not adequately addressed in conventional medical circles. For conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia, conventional medicine doesn’t correlate them with food sensitivities, but I’ve seen many patients experience relief when they avoid certain foods.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

What other types of treatments do you provide?

Other therapies we practice include stem cell treatment, bio-identical hormone replacement, peptides, intravenous vitamin therapy, and nutritional testing.

One treatment many of our patients try is platelet-rich plasma (PRP). This is an injection for joints—knees, shoulders, ankles. For some people, it may help them avoid surgery. We draw a person’s own blood, create a concentrated solution of platelets and inject it into the joint to help arthritis, rotator cuff tears, knee ligament problems, and similar issues. It’s a very well-known treatment, even though technically speaking it’s still considered experimental and generally is not covered by insurance.

The conventional medical approach to these issues would be prescribing pain medication, but of course, while that reduces the pain, it does nothing to alleviate the actual condition. Then, with the conventional approach, when the medication is not enough to relieve pain, the patient may choose surgery. Sometimes that’s successful, but sometimes there can be side effects and continued pain. PRP offers patients a more natural way to handle joint pain.

Other than the treatments you offer, what makes your approach different from a conventional medical doctor?

In conventional medicine, you visit a doctor because something is wrong; he gives you a diagnosis, then recommends a drug, treatment, or surgery. If you are sick, you get treated for your illness.

My practice is called “Optimal Health Medical.” The kind of person who goes to an integrative medical practice is a little more proactive; they want to be as healthy as they can be, and they seek advice to make that happen, rather than wait until they have no choice. In integrative medicine, we’re trying to optimize your health status. That’s a very basic difference in outlook.

Many of my patients find my practice because they’ve been looking into alternative, more natural treatments—they’ve done their research and they find me through recommendations.

For someone who prefers not to take medications or elect for surgery, when might they need to consider conventional options?

I’ll give you a very simple example: Let’s say a person has high blood pressure, and they’d like to avoid taking medication.

Question #1 is, are you overweight? The majority of people who get a high blood pressure diagnosis are overweight. Rather than changing their lifestyle, they go on medication and that’s the end of it. But they really can do something about it, if they want to take charge of their health.

But with some patients, we may try weight loss, supplementation, vitamins, herbs, minerals, and the patient still has high blood pressure. Then I will advise them to take medication.

I have the judgment and the experience to help them make that decision.

It’s not a matter of which condition a patient has, but the severity. For example, let’s say you’re driving down the highway and your car crashes. When the EMTs and the ambulance arrive, how many people are going to say, don’t give me any drugs or treat my injuries? In the same way, if someone has a very severe case of high blood pressure where they need to go to an ER for an IV to stabilize it, there is no time to help them lose weight first.

Now on the other side of the coin, if a patient has high cholesterol, they are not going to keel over tomorrow. There’s time to consider if they want to take medication for 30 years to relieve it or if they want to take a more holistic, gradual approach.

What do you find most rewarding about your practice?

It’s quite exciting when a patient is considering surgery, but you offer them a more natural treatment that works, and they tell you how much it helped them. I feel great when I accomplish that. But even if it never got to the level of needing surgery, simply helping them get back to pain-free knees? That’s a big deal in a person’s life.

Optimal Health Medical is located at 111 High Ridge Rd, Stamford. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 203-348-8805 or visit DrSobo.com. See ad, page 19.

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body. ~Joseph Addison

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Live Your Soul's Purpose | Attain Deep Peace Have Balance Around Giving and Receiving Have Loving, Supportive Relationships Have the Career that Sings to Your Soul The Academy for Soul Healing supports the growth and expansion of humanity, individually and on a global scale.

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September

13th Octave LaHoChi November

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eco tip

Mask Eco-Disposal

How to Dispose of Antiviral Wear Discarded face masks and gloves littering streets, beaches, parks and parking lots are a sad sight of the times, creating eyesores and more importantly, major contamination risks to pick up and discard. With 88 percent of the world’s population living in countries that have required or advised use of face coverings, disposable face masks number in the billions, especially the commonplace, single-use polypropylene variety. Along with disposable gloves and sanitary wipes, they are clogging sewers and waterways worldwide and showing up in fish bellies and on ocean floors.

What Not to Recycle Recycling, the go-to strategy for environmentally conscious citizens, is unfortunately not a good option. Even in ordinary times, local recyclers won’t accept surgical masks and latex gloves because they jam machinery. Some dedicated providers box up used face masks and gloves and

send them to TerraCycle.com, where they are sorted manually and sustainably recycled. The cost for a small box is a hefty $148; MindBodyGreen.com suggests asking grocery stores or retailers to stock some for the community to use.

Instead of recycling, the World Health Organization recommends throwing single-use masks, gloves and wipes into a covered trash can or bin immediately after use so they are handled as regular trash. Ideally, they should be put in a resealable plastic bag first in consideration of frontline sanitation workers that can become ill from handling virus-infected materials. No mask, glove or wipe should be flushed down a toilet.

Homemade Solutions For masks, the eco-solution that harbors the lowest carbon dioxide footprint is one made of cloth that is machine-washed and dried after each use at a high temperature or washed by hand in a bleach solution (five tablespoons per gallon of water). University of Chicago researchers found certain fabrics filter out viral aerosol particles almost as effectively as the medical N-95 mask: a layer of a tightly woven cotton sheet combined with two layers of polyester-spandex chiffon, natural silk or flannel, or simply a cotton quilt with cotton-polyester batting . See cdc.gov for instructions for using sew and no-sew masks, and many DIY videos can be found on YouTube using T-shirts, socks and napkins.

Another good eco-strategy is to buy sustainable face masks made from recycled or organic materials (GoodOnYou.eco). In lieu of recycling to help the planet, a donation can be made to an eco-organization that deals with plastic waste, such as PlasticPollutionCoalition.org or OceanConservancy.org.

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Emotional Well-Being in the Pandemic Age Self-Care Strategies for Tough Times

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s the pandemic ravages our country, we are engulfed by a sea of challenging emotions, including fear, loss, anger, disappointment and grief.

Compounding the suffering, past emotional traumas and pent-up desires are surfacing and crying for attention. One way to navigate these treacherous waters is by first enveloping ourselves in self-compassion. Next, we can gather the courage to face our fears and experience unpleasant feelings in order to heal them and let them go. Then, we search for and internalize positive emotional states to rewire our brains for positivity. This noble voyage promises immense rewards along the way.

by Sandra Yeyati

The Cocoon of Self-Compassion

Some of us chase self-esteem like the Holy Grail, yet it eludes us when we need it most.

Faced with a failing grade or cruel insult, our self-worth withers. We can’t understand why we lost it or how to get it back. When we attach our self-worth to achievements or comparisons with other people, self-esteem becomes unstable and unreliable.

Enter self-compassion, the life-changing perspective of showing kindness to ourselves in any and all situations—a supportive best friend that lives within us and can be accessed any time, every day. A pioneer and expert in this topic, Kristin Neff believes that

self-compassion has three components: a decision to be kind to ourselves, a mindful awareness when we are in pain so that we can seek some relief and a sense of common humanity or connectedness.

We already know how to be compassionate, says Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and co-author of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. “It’s linked to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a natural part of our organism. We’re tapping into this way of feeling safe, which is through care, bonding and connectedness.”

Encouraging our friends when they’re feeling down or hugging our moms in the September 2020

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Finding Confidence Through Unpleasant Feelings

Nobody likes to feel sad or embarrassed. We’d rather have an ice cream cone or turn on the TV. But for Dr. Joan Rosenberg, a prominent psychologist and speaker, uncomfortable feelings present an invaluable opportunity for people to transform into confident individuals that relate to the world around them with authenticity and resilience.

In her book 90 Seconds to a Life You Love, Rosenberg offers a formula—one choice, eight feelings, 90 seconds—to experience and move through eight of the most common unpleasant feelings: sadness, shame, helplessness, anger, embarrass16

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morning is hardwired into us. When we decide to be kind to ourselves, it’s easy to think of what we would say: “I’m sorry you failed that test. You’ll do better next time.

How can I help you?” To lend perspective, add a statement about our common humanity, counsels Neff. “This is hard for everybody. You’re not alone.”

We must be aware of our pain before we can comfort it, and many of us try to suppress or resist pain, choosing to numb it with distractions like alcohol addiction or compulsive shopping. Others may get lost in the storyline of what’s happening and succumb to suffering with no apparent way to obtain relief. Self-pity or self-criticism may creep in.

Mindful awareness is the antidote to these emotional extremes, because it helps us become aware that we are experiencing pain and to stay with that pain long enough to make a conscious decision to take care of ourselves. “One easy thing is physical touch,” says Neff. “The first few years of life you have no words, so the body is programmed to respond to touch as a signal of care. Put your hand on your heart or your stomach, or hold your hand.

This changes your physiology, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helps you calm down and helps you feel physically supported. Sometimes, that’s an entryway for people.”

ment, disappointment, frustration and vulnerability.

“The choice is to stay aware of and in touch with as much of your moment-to-moment experience as possible and not get lost in avoidance,” she explains, adding that there are more than 30 behaviors, thoughts and emotions that we employ as distractions, including substance abuse, social media, pornography, exercise, obsessive thoughts about body image, humor and denial.

“Be aware of what you’re aware of,” she advises. “If we know that we don’t like feelings, and we know we’ve been engaged in using ways to distract ourselves, then our challenge is to be more awake and aware of those times we do it, and as soon as we start to do the thing and become aware, that’s when we make the decision to stop and ask, ‘What’s really going on?’”

Discoveries in neuroscience suggest that most of us come to know what we’re feeling emotionally through bodily sensations. We might feel heat in the neck and face when embarrassed or a sinking feeling in the chest when disappointed. As feelings get triggered in the body, a rush of biochemicals in the bloodstream activate these sensations and are flushed out of the bloodstream in roughly 90 seconds.

“Most people have the impression that feelings linger a whole lot longer and that they’re going to be overwhelmed by it and never come out of it if they start. But when

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they understand that what they’re trying to avoid are uncomfortable bodily sensations that help you know what you’re feeling emotionally, and that these are short-lived, most people will start to lean into them, and once they do, their life changes,” Rosenberg says.

To move through bodily sensations, which may come in multiple waves, take deep, slow breaths. Try not to tighten up or clench the jaw and swallow. Notice the location and nature of the bodily sensations to help identify which of the eight unpleasant feelings it might be, and be curious as to what might have triggered it. All of this will take a few moments. With practice, identification will become faster, easier and more accurate.

Making Courage a Habit In her book The Courage Habit, life coach Kate Swoboda presents a four-part method for people to face their fears, release the past and live their most courageous life.

Access the body. Practice any body-centric activity like mindfulmeditation, exercise or dancing every single day to release stress and anxiety, become centered and more present, and clear the mind.

Listen without attachment. When your self-critic offers a warning or criticism, hear the words, understanding that this is fear trying to protect you and deciding that it’s misguided and not true.

Reframe limiting stories or beliefs.

Amend your internalized self-critic’s messages to be more respectful and supportive. If it says, “You’re stupid to try that,” revise it to, “I’m smart because I’m willing to try.”

Create community. Reach out to like-minded individuals that are supportive of the changes you are trying to make.

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“If I have more time, then I can think about whether this is connected to anything else. Is it just one thing that triggered it, or is it like something else that’s happened before?” Rosenberg says.

This level of awareness leads to a calming effect, clearer thinking, improved decision making and, perhaps most importantly, an ability to speak authentically.

“If we don’t handle the eight feelings, we don’t feel capable in the world,” she says. The ability to speak adds to that empowerment. “From asking someone to stop a behavior so that you feel safer to telling someone you love them, asking your boss for a raise or letting people know about yourself and your work to garner opportunities and desired experiences—it cuts across every aspect of our lives and is absolutely crucial to our sense of well-being.”

Rewiring the Brain for Positivity

Discoveries in neuroplasticity have revealed that the brain changes throughout life well into adulthood. It’s designed to learn not just ideas and information, but skills, attitudes, feelings and moods. Rick Hanson, a clinical psychologist and author of several books, including Hardwiring Happiness and Resilient, contends that we can develop greater happiness, just like we can develop greater depression.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that through deliberate little practices spread out through the day or sometimes more formal practices like psychotherapy or meditation, we can actually produce physical changes in the brain that are now measurable with things like MRIs,” he remarks.

Hardwiring happiness is easy, pleasurable and doesn’t take a lot of time. “If you take care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves,” says Hanson. “Little steps gradually move us forward a breath at a time, a minute at a time, a synapse at a time. Bit by bit, we grow the good inside while gradually releasing the bad.”

Building Up Our Happiness Quotient These exercises are recommended by psychologist Rick Hanson: Slow down, breathe and see the big picture. This simple practice brings us into the present moment, reduces the stress activation in the body, disengages us from verbal chatter and negative reactivity, and buys us time to see more clearly. Take three breaths, making the exhalation longer than the inhalation.

Five-Minute Challenge

Take in the good. It could be a flower blooming, birds singing or a nice exchange with another person. Slow down, take a few breaths and let it sink in for a minute or two.

Focus on something to cultivate. Perhaps it’s patience or gratitude. Look for opportunities to have an experience of this quality and internalize it for another minute.

Marinate in pleasant feelings. Cultivate a sense of calm, contentment or warm-heartedness for a couple of minutes.

“Our power to positively influence who we are in small, genuine ways every day is really important to compensate for the brain’s negativity bias, which makes it like Velcro for bad experiences, but Teflon for good ones,” he says. “We evolved a negativity bias over the 600-million-year evolution of the nervous system. Learning from negative experiences and mistakes was a critical survival skill, so we have a brain that is designed to scan for bad news, overreact to it and fast-track it into memory. It’s not our fault, but it is our responsibility to deal with it by first, feeling the negative without reinforcing it and second, focusing on the positive and taking it in.

Gradually, you can give yourself a brain that’s like Velcro for the good and Teflon for the bad.”

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

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WELL-BEING IN EIGHT SECONDS

Hone Your Emotional Intelligence

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by Paige Dest

itting in my doctors’ office, I had no idea both of us were about to have a most pivotal moment. She put my face in her hands and said, “You just look so pathetic.” I had lost so much weight that I was practically a walking bone. It was so very frustrating that no matter how much I ate, I couldn’t seem to gain weight.

What brought me to this point was stress –from work and from life. I had made it through two separate biopsies for breast cancer (both of which, thankfully, had come back negative), graduated with honors from a Master’s level program at the University of Pennsylvania and excelled professionally, only to be left with so much stress that it was beginning to take a toll on me physically. And though I knew my body well enough to know that the weight loss was due to stress, I was beginning to get nervous because no matter how much I ate, I wouldn’t gain.

After much testing, it was determined that I was, to quote my doctor, “healthy as a horse”. She told me to eat cupcakes for breakfast, pies for lunch and cake for dinner—whatever it took to gain weight. I reminded her I thought my weight loss was due to stress. I also told her all I knew about a set of skills known 18

as “emotional intelligence” (EI), and that I really believed this would make a difference in my overall well-being—physically, mentally and spiritually.

Three months later, I sat—at a healthy weight range—waiting for her to enter the examination room. “Wow,” she exclaimed, “I thought we were going to lose you three months ago, and now, you’re a healthy and balanced woman. You’ve opened me up to the difference emotional intelligence can make for someone.”

I had been convinced by my personal growth through EI coaching and by seeing the amazing positive results in my total well-being; and she had been convinced, too.

Emotions affect every element of our being. So it stands to reason that learning skills that help us use emotions as information, guiding our thoughts and behavior, can truly impact each of those elements and change our lives.

Most of us have heard of EI (sometimes called “emotional quotient” or EQ), and many of us may have a deep understanding of it, but practicing EI skills is a daily commitment. It’s a process of accepting your emotions for what they truly are—chemicals in the brain and body

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that create synapses moving through the instinctual brain into the limbic system, enticing the amygdala and ultimately influencing our thoughts and behaviors. In the simplest sense, they are information.

In fact, these chemicals only last about four to seven seconds. But the emotion affects your physiology and thoughts and vice versa, creating a feedback loop leading to “emotional hijack”, which can last a lot longer than that! You know the feeling—when you can’t seem to get past a particular emotion, driving thoughts and behaviors you may regret later. Within that small window of time, less than eight seconds, you can stop the potential for hijack and choose better thoughts and actions.

The first step is breathing deeply and slowly a few times, through your nose. This will slow down your body’s reaction to the emotion, slowing your heart rate, increasing your blood flow and allowing more blood to the cognitive part of your brain, permitting it work more efficiently. The next step is to name your emotion and focus on what it may be telling you. Why are you really feeling this emotion? It’s not based on the actions of another, though that may be its trigger. The emotion itself is telling you something about how you perceive your environment. Being aware of the specific emotion gives you more control over it and begins to put your cognitive brain to use. Even if you start by naming a general emotion (such as mad, sad, glad, scared or disgusted), you will begin to feel more control over the emotion. And reflecting on the information it gives you (why you are feeling that particular emotion) can help you determine the best next step: the step of choosing who and how you will be—choosing your thoughts and actions.

It may sound simple, but try it when you’re in the heat of an intense emotional moment, and it can seem impossible. Luckily, you know better—it IS possible, and it takes less than eight seconds. Practice sitting with a heightened emotion and then try to bring the emotion down, by breathing, naming the emotion and listening to what the feeling is really telling you. If you practice this daily in a safe, quiet space, you’ll

begin to realize that when that moment of hijack comes, you’re ready to take charge of your emotions and make a better choice based on this information. You’ll find that the emotion dissipates more quickly; and the more you do it, the easier it will become.

You may still experience hijack; after all, it’s a chemical reaction. But you have the power to slow down and even stop the hijack. Practice each day and before you know it, you will have increased your well-being— and it took less than eight seconds!

Paige Dest is a certified emotional intelligence coach and Core Values Index practitioner and the owner of BYODestiny—through which she provides emotional intelligence coaching to individuals and presents retreats, workshops and national webinars on emotional intelligence and happiness topics. She is also the founder of The Flutter Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit that supports programs which give our youth better emotional control. Connect at Paige@BYODestiny.com.

Help Children Learn Emotional Intelligence Skills

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o celebrate World Children’s Day on November 20, UNICEF and allies in 150+ countries are collaborating to bring more emotional intelligence awareness and resources to children and the adults who support them.

How can you take part? Sign up to host a POPUP festival, a free well-being festival and a hands-on learning experience that you create by printing activity “stations,” gathering simple materials, and inviting people to come together to learn and play. Each host decides which “stations” to print, and they decide how big of a festival to hold. It can be a few people around a kitchen table or a few hundred in a park.

Those interested sign up and receive a free kit with resources, games and decorations for the event. It’s not a “presentation” or a “workshop” — the stations are self-guided, designed for children who can read or adults and children together, or just adults, to explore, talk, play and learn by doing. Organizers will be hosting optional “host trainings” online to answer questions and give support before the festival.

You can host a festival anytime during the month of November. The POP-UP Festival supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to help children grow the skills for a better life and a better world: Grow friendship, reduce conflict. Grow self-awareness, reduce volatility. Grow connections, reduce isolation.

To learn more, or to sign up to host your own POP-UP Festival, visit 6Seconds.org/popup/

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Befriend my fears?

Yes. Exactly. Befriend your fears.

When you look at them clearly and come to understand what they are all about, they begin to diminish in size. As you understand what their function is and why they are with you, they stop being threatening and trying to control you. When you invite them into the light of your awareness and allow them to be listened to and seen, then they cease to have any power over you at all.

It’s kind of crazy that it’s so simple.

Self-Discovery Is Why We Are Here

An Inward Journey of Awakening

by Uma Bode

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here is a massive disconnect for most of us between our authentic self and the way we show up in the world; between what we would like to be doing with our life and what we actually do, between what we long for and what we “have”.

If you can relate to this, and if you would like to live more authentically in alignment, then some questions have to be asked:

What to do about it? Is there anything that can be done about it? Or is life supposed to be one disappointment after another? Is the “rat race” real and is that the best we can hope for?

Absolutely not! Why? Because what you long for is a call from your deeper self, and you are here to answer that call. You came here to planet Earth and took this human form for this very purpose.

Most people never answer it because they have succumbed to the conditioning of fear and confusion that other people inadvertently place on them. (Yes, inadvertently. Accidentally. Out of their own 20

conditioning.) But if you never move past the fear (if you never get close enough to at least peer beyond it) you will never discover your real life. You will never reclaim your birthright of joy, fulfillment and connection to something deep and lasting.

Befriend Your Fears

Fear and other emotions that keep us trapped in inauthentic lives are not real.

They are created and kept alive by our minds.

Yet, even though they don’t actually exist, you can’t ignore them. They won’t just go away.

Your mind (which, by the way, you think you are, but you are not) will simply keep creating them.

You can’t use your mind to undo the thoughts that your mind thinks.

The only way to get those imaginary fears to go away is to engage with them fully and come to know them better than they know themselves. You must befriend them. This may sound funny when you first hear it.

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You can dismantle the power that fear exerts over you by being nice to it.

This requires an inward journey.

The process of befriending your fears is a journey into your authenticity. The real you is waiting behind those fears. No – even more accurately, within those fears.

The way out is through.

And, also, remember this: There’s nothing wrong with where you are right now.

There’s nothing wrong with you right now.

Nothing needs to be fixed. No time has been lost. Nothing should be different.

Your life, as it is, is your spiritual path. Walk it.

Nothing happens to you, everything happens for you. Everything serves you.

Your journey will be challenging, yes. But fear not (see what I did there?). It’s supposed to be.

This life you’ve got is your own personal hero’s journey. There is nothing small about it, at all. It’s not supposed to be small.

You are immeasurably powerful. Immensely beautiful. Incredibly gifted.

There is absolutely no one you should be comparing yourself to.

Begin Where You Are

You have to unravel all the things you believe about who you are (and aren’t), who other

people are, what the world is, and what God is. You have to deconstruct and release all the “shoulds” and “oughts” that you’ve adopted.

You have to begin the dismantling process.

Piece by piece, you will take down the facade that was given to you.

Uma Bode offers self-discovery coaching and journeys, tarot readings, photographic iPhone art and classes through her business, The Umaverse. She can be reached at Uma@ TheUmaverse.com or at TheUmaverse.com.

more you turn toward it and act on it, the more powerfully revelation occurs.

As you act on what is revealed, then your authentic life begins. Are you ready?

Does that sound scary? Don’t be afraid you will disappear!

Behind every illusion you dismantle, there is an authentic piece of you waiting to be discovered. Brought out lovingly. Dusted off, cleaned, and shared with the world.

This is the real purpose of a human life. The rest is just distraction. This is the real meaning of the phrase from the Bible attributed to Jesus: “Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all things shall be added unto you.”

The kingdom of heaven is your authentic being. And once you rediscover it, then all things will be added unto you.

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It is built into your memory and your inner knowing to be able to see your path perfectly as it unfolds before you. Trust the living map of your own life, look to the road in front of you to be shown your next step. Surrender to that step and release any need to know what will happen after that.

This is what it means to trust your process.

You can do it. You are meant to be doing it. You are not supposed to be figuring out how to do it. Your mind is not capable of this task. There is nothing to “figure out.”

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Believe What You Tell YourSELF

LIFE BEYOND DIAGNOSIS

The Hero’s Journey of Choosing Your Healing Path

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by Natasha Michaels

he impact of receiving a major health diagnosis is among one of the most stressful events in an individual’s life, comparable to losing a loved one or an unwanted job loss. The news is inevitably followed by a hero’s journey, for it must be undertaken alone, no matter how others might try to share the burden or provide valuable and necessary support.

By its very nature, the experience affords each affected individual a huge opportunity for growth.

There are few moments in a life so lonely, overwhelming and confusing as

the moments shortly after receiving an unexpected, bleak diagnosis. Maybe you were fortunate enough to have a caring and compassionate clinician who took the time to explain not just the data but the meaning behind the words. Perhaps you were unlucky and received just the facts before you left the office with only a follow-up appointment for a few months later or a referral, mind swirling with unasked questions. It almost doesn’t matter how the news is delivered... you’re left reeling, struggling to process as what-ifs run through your head.

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Receiving a diagnosis is the start of another journey. It concludes the searching-for-answers process that came before and launches a new phase. It can take conscious and concerted effort to stop the what-if train from derailing in worst case scenarios inside your head. It requires courage and presence of mind to tell yourself, “I have more control over this situation than the doctors know. My body and I will work together; we will thrive beyond the diagnosis.”

There is tremendous power in words; extensive research in neuropsychoimmunology (PNI) has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that our bodies believe what we tell them. Say out loud, “I have at least 30 fulfilling years to live.” Now say, “My life will be shortened by my chronic disease.” Feel the difference? The first sentence is supportive of the intention to survive and participate in life.

The second is putting an early end-date on life experience because of a physical condition.

“It’s so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of worry and anxiety after a diagnosis,” says Nicole Miale of Washington Depot.

“You start thinking about all the questions you wish you’d asked. As you sift through the reams of information available online, it quickly becomes overwhelming. What you tell yourself during the process and what you let in from others is so critical.”

Miale learned this lesson after returning home from a solo tropical vacation gone awry, during which she suffered a minor stroke. While being incapacitated and alone in an unfamiliar locale was an awful experience, returning home to deal with everyone else’s emotions and plans turned out to be a more difficult phase of her immediate recovery.

“When I was by myself in the ER and then the hotel room, I was terrified and lonely and wished more than anything for a hug from a family member,” she says.

“Then I came home and was bombarded by everyone else’s feelings about what had happened to me, as well as their well-meaning attempts to circle the wagons in support.

I felt completely overwhelmed, absolutely smothered and really disempowered by my loved ones’ attempts to help me.”

Deciding for YourSELF

Jen Dawson of Norwalk received her diagnosis of Her2+, ER/ PR+, stage 2 breast cancer at age 48, just after Christmas. Since she expected a call with the test results prior to the holiday, she already expected the news must be bad before the official word was delivered. She met with the surgeon who explained her diagnosis, described the treatment process and her options. Almost every day, she went for tests and met with various doctors, but through it all she desperately sought natural, holistic treatments.

“What was most frustrating was that I couldn’t find a holistic or natural path in the same way that chemo/surgery/radiation was a standard option,” she says now. “I remember feeling numb through most of those appointments and unable to take in all the words they were saying to me. I reached out to a naturopath who advised me to follow the guidance of my oncologist while I continued to see her for acupuncture throughout treatment. But the oncologist wanted me to stop taking my supplements. I could not understand why I should stop taking things that supported my health; that felt wrong to me.”

Dawson contacted her trusted and longtime medical intuitive and nutritionist, who felt strongly that Dawson should not do chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. She also contacted a naturopathic oncologist, and discovered that doctor’s plan revolved mostly around standard treatment. There were many members on her clinical wellness team, but the conflicting advice and opinions made things worse, not better. Social media support groups offered more of the same, as she experienced a herd mentality that ganged up on anyone considering behaving in a way the majority of the group thought to be dangerous or ineffective.

Ultimately Dawson chose to do chemotherapy first, which surprised her. “I’m pretty sure prior to diagnosis I had said I would never do chemo, but I think you just don’t know until you are actually faced with the situation,” she explains.

A few months after starting chemo, she came across Chris Wark of Chris Beat Cancer. His Square One program consists of 10 modules about nutrition, exercise, detox, eliminating stress and spiritual healing. Dawson appreciated his calming voice and good information, and recommends it to anyone as a great program to start, especially before or just after receiving a cancer diagnosis.

After chemo was finished, Dawson had a lumpectomy and received the best news: the cancer was gone prior to surgery. Continuing the recommended treatment protocol after surgery then felt like overkill, but Dawson followed the advice of the experts.

Then she developed a very bad rash that didn’t respond to creams or steroids. Greatly depressed, and with two more treatments left to go, she decided she’d had enough. “They wanted me to do radiation,” she says. “Everything in my body said no, but my oncologist asked me to at least meet with the radiation doctor, so I did. I remember him telling me that no one has ever declined radiation.

So I guess I was his first; I never went back. I drew the line.”

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September 2020

23

Personal Balance

Miale and Dawson agree that the implicit thread of fear winding through medical processes makes it difficult to be sure you’re making clear decisions. Very often the conventional approaches are based on fear of what might happen if you don’t take the recommended steps. But when patients can find a sense of calm and tune into the body’s deepest needs and feelings, and are able to distinguish between what Dawson describes as “what crushed my spirit vs. what lifted me up,” the answers become clearer.

Dawson is now two years post-treatment with no evidence of disease. She says, “I don’t consider myself to be particularly brave or courageous, but this was a bold choice I made. My wish would be that it inspires anyone else to trust in themselves first and foremost.”

Eight months after her stroke, with many medical appointments and testing delayed by COVID-19, Miale is still in the fact-finding process of understanding what happened to her and what needs to be done

24

to prevent a similar event in future. The process, involving seven different physicians and many diagnostic tests to date, has been grueling and time-consuming, as well as a constant reality check in terms of staying true to herself. One recent visit with a conventional specialist left her reeling, as the physician blithely told her the next step in managing a serious chronic condition was an invasive and potentially life-altering test. When questioned, the clinician couldn’t really explain the rationale behind the test, other than to say she didn’t want Miale to be upset with the physician in ten years when her condition had advanced to a more serious state.

“I was so angry,” Miale says. “This person was predicting my future and telling me which way things would go for me. She doesn’t have that right. I want to work with physicians who support where I want to go, not with folks who assume I’ll be a worst-case scenario statistic. The experience with that specialist was the exact opposite of my PCP, chiropractor

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

and naturopath; they offered support and concrete options to help me move the needle in a positive way. That’s what I need and want from my wellness team.”

She’s currently seeking a new specialist to consult with who will respect her treatment goals and is continuing on an intensive lifestyle modification journey that began last November immediately after the stroke. She is frustrated to still be lacking clear answers after all this time, but is trusting in the process and counseling herself to have patience with the pace of the journey.

Experts know what they have studied and learned over years of diligent bookwork and patient-care. The only thing you bring to the table is your SELF, which is the most important thing. The experts have never seen YOU before. So accept their advice and information, learn what they can teach you, but know that you—and only you—have the right and responsibility to make tough choices about your own care.

Natasha Michaels is a contributor to Natural Awakenings.

wise words

Sandra Marinella on the Power of Writing Our Stories

by Sandra Yeyati

A

n award-winning teacher and author of The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss, Sandra Marinella has empowered thousands of people to use stories, poems and journal writing to find greater well-being and resilience in their lives.

Prompted by a breast cancer diagnosis and her own journal, she helps people connect with their truth and move beyond entrenched negative emotions and thoughts.

What is the power of story and personal writing?

We all have stories in our minds that play over and over again. They define who we are. In recent years, neuroscience has led us to this powerful understanding that we are quite flexible as human beings. After we become conscious of our stories and how we’re using them in our lives, we can rework and reframe them, and choose to see them in a positive or better light. We can change and grow our stories to become better people with greater well-being.

How do we get unstuck from playing out stories in our minds?

A story that keeps looping, one that you are obsessed with, is generally being replayed in the emotional centers, or right side, of your brain, and you don’t have much control over it. To get unstuck, you need to voice this story and complete it. Writing it down and sifting through it later can help. Once you do this, you can be logical and choose how you’re going to interpret, frame and live with it.

In the book, I talk about Chris, whose sister was homeless and died. He was struggling with that story. It was going around in his mind, over and over, all the time. He was in pain and grieving from the loss of his sister. It took him a while before he decided to rewrite the story as fiction, telling it in the way he wished it had come out. In the process, he was able to better understand his loss, make peace with it and set it free.

How do we edit our stories while remaining grounded in reality?

We do not want to lie to ourselves. We want to know our truth, but there is so much wisdom in what we call “positive illusions”. If we can choose to take a hard story and see it in a very positive way, we can find threads of it that we can

weave through our truth, and let that help us grow and make our vision of our story better.

If we don’t tell others or write our stories, can they harm us?

Yes. I think they can, but I don’t want to underestimate the value of silence. When we are facing trauma, we need space and time and silence to be able to wrap our heads around the hard things that are happening to us. But then, breaking the silence is cathartic. It releases the pain. It helps us establish not only that we have the pain, but how we can bear it. Later, we can come back to those words and reflect on them—that’s when we come to understand more about where we are, what we think, what we feel and how we can move forward and rewrite and regrow our stories in positive ways.

Do you have any recommendations for those suffering in these trying times?

I’ve interviewed many war veterans, and they said that when they were out in the midst of warfare, they had to put their thoughts and emotions on hold so that they could move forward and be strong.

That’s why many of them were falling apart with PTSD afterwards. I also interviewed a few soldiers who carried journals into war and found it extremely helpful to be able to scream, yell and release their words into them. We should be giving all healthcare workers journals and online support on how to write and how to take care of themselves. Counseling and therapy are wonderful, and I wish we could provide it to everybody all the time, but we can’t; and journal writing, or any kind of therapeutic writing, is such a wonderful backup for a human being to have when they are struggling. Keeping a pandemic journal might prove to be not only a healthy choice for our times, but a treasure historically for our grandchildren.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a freelance writer.

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

September 2020

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“Many of my students are 40 to 95 years young, and the range of modification I do with them is endless,” says Ramat, who underscores the importance of listening to the body. “I learned the hard way 17 years ago when I first became a teacher. I am gentle with myself if I am unable to do a pose and embrace the modification. I go deeper in my poses now than when I was younger.”

fit body

YOGA FOR EVERY BODY Adaptive Ways Ease Pain and Immobility

T

by Marlaina Donato

aming chronic pain, restoring energy reserves, improving heart health and relieving symptoms of depression and anxiety are only a few of the science-backed perks of spending time on a yoga mat. However, misconceptions about this ancient practice can make yoga seem intimidating for individuals that could benefit the most from it.

Adaptive yoga, designed for people challenged by injury, chronic pain, autoimmune disease or debilitating conditions like multiple sclerosis, can foster perhaps unexpected gains through the use of props, chairs, wall space and even countertops. From wheelchair-bound veterans to seniors with compromised balance, adaptive yoga offers new horizons for achieving well-being.

Yoga’s gentle influence goes beyond physical benefits. A 2017 British study published in the Journal of Pain Research found people with spinal cord injuries that took sitting yoga classes twice a week 26

for six weeks were less depressed, more self-compassionate and more mindfully in the moment than those in a control group.

Empowerment, Not Perfection “Yoga is for any body, no matter the size, shape or color. It’s not about designer clothing, athletic ability, talents or perfection in the pose. Adaptive yoga is a movement to change this misconception and mitigate the anxiety to try yoga,” says Mindy Eisenberg, a Detroit-area certified yoga therapist and author of Adaptive Yoga Moves Any Body: Created for Individuals with MS and Neuromuscular Condition and the accompanying Adaptive Yoga Cards. For Eisenberg, the focus is about the internal experience, healing and most of all, “the sense of joy that comes from a regular practice.”

Ora Ramat, owner of the Wagging Tail Yoga Studio, in Bethel, New York, witnesses remarkable, everyday mastery in her students through adapted poses.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Krakenimages.com/AdobeStock.com

Freedom Through Support “Our students have a wide range of health conditions including spina bifida, arthritis, MS, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, paraplegia, epiphyseal dysplasia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, chronic back pain and more,” says Miranda McCarthy, CEO of Wavelength VR (WavelengthVR.com), a healthcare company that produces a library of science-supported content for pain management without medication. The London-based creator of Adaptive Yoga LIVE, which offers seated online classes, knows firsthand how yoga can change lives.

“Until I found adaptive yoga, I felt like I was constantly at war with my body,” she says. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 2 and the youngest recipient of bilateral hip replacement surgery in the U.S., McCarthy thought she knew her body inside and out. After 40 surgeries and decades of rehabilitation and medication, she went through a radical shift in perspective.

“When I discovered adaptive yoga, I soon realized my relationship with my body had only just begun.”

Eisenberg highlights the internal process that adaptive yoga can catalyze: “The energy and sensation that yoga students feel on the inside is much more important than what the pose looks like on the outside.” Items such as chairs, blocks, straps, blankets and bolsters are used to make traditional postures more accessible to those with physical challenges and to ensure safety. “Using props is not a sign of weakness or inferiority. We even use

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

n Increased strength, balance and flexibility—both mental and physical

Free adaptive yoga classes online from Miranda McCarthy.

AdaptiveYogaLive.com YogaJP, YouTube chair yoga classes for people in wheelchairs.

Tinyurl.com/WheelchairYogaClasses Yoga and MS, book from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. omsyoga.org

SERIOUS

Adaptive Yoga Benefits from Miranda McCarthy

Online Yoga Resources

GET

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ambulatory devices such as a cane as a prop. Those who require assistive devices cease to see them as a hindrance. In fact, they become an accessory,” says Eisenberg.

For McCarthy, the biggest takeaway is simple, yet profound self-acceptance. “I no longer judge myself or compare myself to able-bodied people. I gained a newfound love for my body and a love for myself.”

Eisenberg affirms, “It’s exciting to realize that our bodies are so much more capable than we thought, and we learn that we are not defined by our individual disease or limitations. As my teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn says, ‘As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than wrong.’”

n Discovery of a subtle level of mind-body sensation not impeded by disability n Improvements in the quality of breathing n A sense of lightness and freedom within the body n An increased ability to manage stress n A deepened sense of wholeness and connection with others

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HAPPINESS HELPERS Five Ways to Be More Positive

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28

S

by Brad Aronson

tudies show that when we see the positive more often, we’re happier and kinder to ourselves and to those around us. Luckily, we’re not locked into one way of viewing the world. We can choose to see things in a more positive fashion. Here are some steps we can take to teach ourselves to look for the positive more often. Eventually, the brain can get into the habit of doing this without any prodding.

Compliment at least one person every day. Maybe we can begin the day

by sending a short email or text telling someone why we appreciate them. Besides reshaping how we see the world, we might make someone’s day.

Keep a gratitude journal. Every night, write down three things to be grateful for.

Researchers have found that people that regularly keep track of what they’re grateful for are happier. We can also have a nightly family discussion about what happened that day that we’re thankful for.

Perform a daily act of kindness.

When we perform a kind act every day, we start noticing other opportunities to be kind, creating a cycle of positivity in our minds. Think small—a thank-you note or letting someone cut in front of us in traffic.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Be mindful of who and what we expose ourselves to. The people we

spend time with and what we watch, listen to and read all send messages to our brain that influence how we see the world.

Train the brain for positivity. Here is a simple 10-minute exercise that can train the mind to think differently:

• Get a pen and paper. Take only three seconds to look around the room and remember everything that’s red. Then take only a few seconds to write a list of everything you remember that’s red. Finish this step before continuing.

• Now write down everything that is blue. Chances are that like most people,

we won’t remember the blue things nearly as well because we weren’t looking for them.

We see what we look for, and that’s as much an asset as a shortcoming.

Training the brain to be more positive takes time, but it’s a priceless opportunity to change our perspective and become happier.

Brad Aronson, a tech entrepreneur and investor, is the author of HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. Connect at BradAronson.com.

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What a

inspiration

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natural pet

News, articles, resources, events— all dedicated exclusively to happy, naturally healthy living for our furred, feathered and scaled animal companions For information on how you can be a part of a future issue, call

203-885-4674 or email NicoleM@NaturalAwakenings.com

30

Music Calms the Animal Soul

by Julie Peterson

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The Monthly Naturally Healthy Pet Section Starts Here!

Finding the Right Tune for Pets

S

ometimes it takes a little dog to bring about a big truth, as Cheryl Christine, a professional musician and composer in Ridgeland, South Carolina, learned. “I was playing the piano at a party and the owners had a hyper little dog. After a while, I started playing some of the music from my CD and the dog stopped, turned around and came up to me, and just sat there and listened. The owners were shocked.”

The mood of dogs and cats can be improved by hearing the right kind of tunes, but it’s important to choose their music wisely, because they are more highly attuned to sensory cues than humans.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Resounding Research

The nicest notes for animals have been well studied, especially dogs. Colorado State University researchers found that auditory stimulation with music can be helpful or detrimental. Results of a study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior suggest that dogs sleep more and bark less when they listen to classical music; and they shake more and rise to their feet when exposed to heavy metal music, possibly from nervousness.

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a zoologist and certified applied animal behaviorist in Wisconsin, wrote her dissertation on the effect of different types of sounds upon working domestic animals.

“What is important is not whether the music is ‘classical’ or ‘heavy metal’, but whether it includes a set of acoustic features that appear to be universally associated with soothing or stimulating internal states,” states McConnell in her blog, TheOtherEndOfTheLeash.com.

McConnell explains that, “Pure tones and regular rhythms are associated with positive states.” On the other hand, harsh, noisy tones and irregular rhythms are linked with negative ones. She adds, “A tempo matching an animal’s resting heart rate (or respiration) tends to be calming.”

Composers and musicians are currently writing music specifically for animals with the aim of reducing stress from noise or separation, assisting with healing, controlling overeating and soothing irritability.

Compositions for Cats

Christine was volunteering at a local animal shelter that played country music for the cats. “I wondered what their reaction would be if I wrote some meditative music with different tones—beta/alpha waves— to praesent to them alternative sounds,” she says. She composed some music and experimented with it in the cat room, noticing that the animals reacted positively to certain tones. That eventually led to a CD for cats, and then one for dogs, with the proceeds donated to the ASPCA and the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, in New York City.

Pet Calm, Pet Healing, by hypnotherapist Rick Collingwood; and Harp Music to Soothe the Savage Beast, by Alianna Boone, who states, “The structure of the

CHANGE

can do you good

Composers and musicians are currently writing music specifically for animals with the aim of reducing stress from noise or separation, assisting with healing, controlling overeating and soothing irritability.

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harp is considered to be the most healing instrument next to the human voice.”

Pet owners may need to listen more closely. “We so often focus on other aspects of their environment—Is their dog bed comfy? Does it look pretty to us?—and fail to attend to the impact of sound on our dog’s environment (not to mention our own),” writes McConnell about new animal-music studies.

There are many melodic medleys for pet parents, but buyer beware. “If you’re to spend your money on this, make sure you are looking at music backed by research,” advises Christine.

For more info, visit: NaturalAwakenings.com

For more information, visit Cheryl Christine.com.

Julie Peterson writes about wellness for people, animals and the environment. Reach her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

Harmonies for Hounds

The Rescue Animal MP3 Project, an organization that has donated free MP3 players filled with music to more than 1,420 animal shelters and sanctuaries, was founded by Pamela Fisher, a holistic veterinarian in North Canton, Ohio.

Calmer animals are more likely to be adopted, and the music is designed to provide a relaxed environment for animals so they can better cope with stressful housing conditions. The MP3s contain a variety of music and artists, including selections like Canine Lullabies, by Terry Woodford, therapeutic music expert;

Final Journey,

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( Pet Euthanasia Service )

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September 2020

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pet resource guide

VETERINARY SERVICES

ADOPTION/RESCUE ANIMALS IN DISTRESS INC

NFSAW

238 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-762-2006 • Animals-In-Distress.com

223 State Rt 37, New Fairfield 203-746-2925 • NFSAW.org

BRIDGEPORT ANIMAL CONTROL

PET ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY INC (PAWS)

236 Evergreen St, Bridgeport 203-576-7727

504 Main Ave, Norwalk 203-750-9572 • PAWSCT.org

COMMUNITY CATS

PET PROTECTORS

PO Box 4380, Stamford CommunityCatsCT@yahoo.com CommunityCatsCT.org

2490 Black Rock Tpke, #453, Fairfield 203-330-0255 PetProtectorsRescue.org

DANBURY ANIMAL WELFARE

RIDGEFIELD OPERATION FOR ANIMAL RESCUE (ROAR)

SOCIETY (DAWS) 147 Grassy Plain St, Bethel 203-744-3297

45 South St, Ridgefield 203-438-0158 • ROAR-Ridgefield.org

FRIENDS OF FELINES INC

STRAYS AND OTHERS

PO Box 8147, Stamford 203-363-0220 Cats@AdoptAPet.org AdoptAPet.org

PO Box 473, New Canaan 203-966-6556 StraysAndOthers@hotmail.com

LOOKING GLASS ANIMAL RESCUE

WESTPORT ANIMAL SHELTER ADVOCATES (WASA)

Ridgefield • LGARinc.org On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

1 Tower Ridge, Westport 203-557-0361 • WestportWASA.org

32

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

NUTMEG SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC 25 Charles St, Stratford 203-690-1550 • NutmegClinic.org

The Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic is a low-cost, high-volume facility for cats and dogs, the first such professional clinic in Fairfield County. The clinic offers other low-cost services during the spay/neuter appointment. Nutmeg honors state spay/neuter vouchers at face value from adopted shelter pets and qualified low-income families, and offers further low-cost incentives to nonprofit rescue groups. Pit bulls and mixes are welcome at an even more reduced rate, and the clinic offers spay/neuter and vaccine discounts for feral cats.

See ad, page 32.

PET ASSISTANCE, INC

PO Box 2015, New Preston 860-355-PETS GetaPet@gmail.com • PetAssistanceInc.org Pet Assistance helps keep pets in their homes in times of financial and medical crises, providing emergency veterinary subsidies to pet owners in financial need. We only give grants for pets that have a good prognosis, unless the knowledge we gain from the treatment or surgery may help future animals in need.

ongoing events All Calendar events must be received by the 12th of the month prior to publication and adhere to our guidelines. Calendar submissions must be entered online at eNaturalAwakenings.com: click on “submit calendar” at the very top of the page.

sunday Naam Community Yoga Class – 9-10:15am. Second and fourth Sundays through September. Social Distancing will be implemented. All proceeds go to the Friendship Bench Project. $10 or $20 per family. The Municipal Center, 1 School St, Bethel. 203-730-0250.

WeAreYogaCulture.com.

Sunday Albertson Memorial Church Service – 11am-12:30pm. Join us for inspirational sermons, meditation, energy healing and messages from Spirit. By donation. Albertson Memorial Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. 203-637-4615.

Info@AlbertsonChurch.org. AlbertsonChurch.org.

monday

Satsang Meditation – 9:30-11am. Satsangs are wonderful spiritual and community gatherings of like-minded people. Satsangs with Shanti Mission Healers are filled with music, mantra, meditation, spiritual instruction/discourse and spiritual blessings to help you reset, recharge and get ready for the week ahead. By donation. Muktinath Holistic Center, 731 Main St, Monroe. 203-518-5808. MuktinathHC@ gmail.com. MuktinathHolisticCenter.com.

Vinyasa Yoga – 9:30-10:30am and 11am-12pm.

Vinyasa Yoga is a flowing, dynamic sequence of poses that is one of the most popular styles of yoga in the U.S. This type of practice involves synchronizing the breath with a continuous flow of postures. $20. Soul Synergy Holistic Wellness Center and Spa, 1492 High Ridge Rd, Ste 6, 2nd Fl, Stamford. 203814-1355. SoulSynergyWellness111@gmail.com.

SoulSynergy.org.

New Beginnings in Community Sunday Service – 10am. Join this group of spiritually minded people embracing and honoring all world religions, belief systems, cultures and traditions. Free. Mystics By The Sea, 394 New Haven Ave, Milford. 203-980-6272.

NewBeginningsInCommunity.Weebly.com.

Heart Speak – 11am. Start your week off relaxed and invigorated. Listen to this 2-minute audio which inspires and uplifts, a part of you that speaks inspiration, wisdom, and happiness. Rotate to another GEM each Monday you will feel refueled and refreshed.

Contact@heartspeak.life. Heartspeak.life.

Family Meditation Program – 10-11:30am.

Second and fourth Sunday. Ages 4-13. While the adults are meditating in the main building, young people can connect with others in their age-group, learn about mindfulness, compassion toward self and others. 203-244-3130. MMKeeler@gmail.com.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 7-8:30pm.

Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness. A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. 203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 10-11:30am.

Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness.

A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. 203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Reiki Share – 7:30-9:30pm. Fourth Monday. With JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT. Practice Reiki in a small group setting. Share experiences and help each other develop in a safe, fun environment while providing a wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating experience. $20. Registration required. Turning Point Healing Arts and Education Center, 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield. 203-438-3050. TurningPointReiki.com.

Celebration Service – 10:30am-12pm. With Rev. Shawn Moninger. Inspiring message supports your spiritual unfolding with thought provoking, soul -healing topics and uplifting music. By donation.

Unity Center of Norwalk, 3 Main St, 2nd Fl, Norwalk.

203-855-7922. Office@UnityCenterNorwalk.org.

UnityCenterNorwalk.org.

tuesday Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 12:30-2pm.

Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness.A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into

NOTE TO OUR READERS:

Due to social distancing guidelines in place at press time, we suggest confirming details for all events before attending.

daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. 203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Monthly Information Sessions at The Graduate Institute – 6:30-7:30pm. Join us for an info session every 2nd Tuesday of the month at The Graduate Institute. Please contact us to let us know that you’ll be attending. The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. 203-874-4252.

Yin Yoga – 6:15-7:45pm. With Jennifer Duncan, Certified Yoga Instructor. 90-minute class while receiving the healing benefits of the Cave. Yin Yoga is a slower paced practice, meditative in nature, where you sink into poses for 3-5 mins targeting the body’s connective tissue. Please bring a yoga mat. $35. Salt Cave of Darien, 555 Post Rd, Darien.

203-658-7667. SaltCaveOfDarien.com.

NAMI Support Group – 6:30-7:45pm. Third Tuesday. A place where families and friends of individuals living with mental health challenges can come together in a safe and compassionate forum. Meetings are confidential. Free. Rowayton United Methodist Church, 5 Pennoyer St, Norwalk. 203-428-6864.

ClaudiaDevita1123@gmail.com. NAMISouthwestCT.org.

Shamanic Healing Clinic – 6:30-8:30pm. Second Tuesday. This relaxing and peaceful method helps clear emotional and psychological hindrances and has been used for thousands of years in all indigenous cultures.

Limited sessions available. $20/suggested donation.

Transformation Center CT, 7 Reimer Rd, Westport.

203-820-3800. TransformationCenterCT.com.

Reiki Share – 7-8:30pm. First Tuesday of the month. With June and Tracy. Come join our circle of practitioners for sharing and caring and healing. All levels of practitioners are welcome. Please RSVP. $20/drop-in. Kindred Spirits, 197 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield. 203-938-3690.

Intermediate Evidential Mediumship – 7-9pm.

This class is designed for those who know how to connect to spirit and wish to deepen the connection and get more specific evidence. Once a month we work with the public to gain experience. $20. 135 Clover Hill Dr. 203-344-9311.

Reiki Share – 7-9pm. Second Tuesday. Practice and enhance your Reiki healing and grow your intuition. All will receive healing time and practice time. You must have completed at minimum Reiki Level I in order to fully participate. $15/suggested contribution. Muktinath Holistic Center, 731 Main St, Monroe. 203-518-5808. MuktinathHC@gmail. com. MuktinathHolisticCenter.com.

Reiki Healing Shares – 7:30-9:30pm. First and third Tuesdays. With Gigi Benanti, Usui Reiki Master/ Teacher. For Reiki practitioners only. Includes short instruction and discussion. Must RSVP. $20.

Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk.

203-852-1150. AngelHealReikiGigiB@snet.net.

AngelHealReiki.com.

Yin Restorative Yoga with Rob Farella – 7:308:45pm. Yin practice focuses on postures that lengthen the muscles surrounding the hips, pelvis, and lower back. Postures are held with support for 3-5 minutes per side to lengthen and stimulate connective tissue that surrounds the joints. $20.

Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-730-9642.

Yogaspace-CT.com. Info@Yogaspace-CT.com.

September 2020

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ongoing events

wednesday Power Yoga/Vinyasa – 9:30-10:30am, 11am-12pm & 5:30-6:30pm. Power yoga is a general term used to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga. $20. Soul Synergy Wellness, 1492 High Ridge Rd, Ste 6, 2nd Fl, Stamford. 203-814-1355. SoulSynergyWellness111@gmail.com. SoulSynergy.org.

Tai Chi Classes – 6:30-7:30pm. With June Fagan, Tai Chi Instructor. A slow movement meditation for all levels of fitness. Known to reduce stress, increase focus and balance and improve self and well-being. $25/drop-in; $85/1 class per week; $150/unlimited classes month. Kindred Spirits, 1197 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield. 203-938-3690.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 7-8:30pm.

Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness. A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. 203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Meditation – 7-8:30pm. Meditation that often includes chanting, music and requires your active participation. All faiths and cultures are welcomed.

By donation. Muktinath Holistic Center, 731 Main St, Monroe. 203-518-5808. MuktinathHC@gmail.com.

MuktinathHolisticCenter.com.

Holistic Moms Network Fairfield County, CT Chapter – 7:30pm. Second Wednesday. Associates in Family Chiropractic and Natural Health Care, 156 East Ave, Norwalk.Home.Homewebs.com/ HMNFairfieldCtyCT. Women Empowering Women Networking: New Milford Chapter – 7-9pm. Second Wednesday.

Global, locally based networking community who’s goal is to support, educate and empower women entrepreneurs to live and love their best lifestyle businesses. $10, includes materials and snacks. Ah Yoga, 65 Bank St, New Milford. 203-233-8061. Bskicks@ sbcglobal.net. WomenEmpoweringWomenNow.com.

Turning Point S.H.A.R.E. Divorce Group – 7:30-9:30pm. Third Wednesdays. Offering support, healing, advocacy, resources and education for women in the process of, or recently divorced. $20, $150/10-session card. Registration required. Turning Point Healing Arts and Education Center, 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield. 203-438-3050. TurningPointShare.com.

thursday Kundalini Yoga and Music Meditation – 9:3010:30am. With Leesa Sklover, PhD, C-IAYT, Certified Yoga Therapist, Kundalini Yoga Teacher. Experience the yoga of awareness weekly to heal your mind and your life. All welcome. $15 per class/monthly discount. Short Beach Union Church, 14 Pentacost St, Branford. 917-860-0488. DrSklover@gmail.com.

LoveLifeProductions.net.

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Vinyasa Yoga – 9:30-10:30am and 11am-12pm.

Vinyasa Yoga is a flowing, dynamic sequence of poses that is one of the most popular styles of yoga in the U.S. This type of practice involves synchronizing the breath with a continuous flow of postures. $20. Soul Synergy Holistic Wellness Center and Spa, 1492 High Ridge Rd, Ste 6, 2nd Fl, Stamford. 203-814-1355. SoulSynergyWellness111@gmail.com. SoulSynergy.org.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 9:30-11am. Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness.

A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. By donation. Redding Center for Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding.

203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Gentle Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation – 6:45-8pm.

Relax, release and flow into wellness in beginner/ level 1 yoga classes with work on mindfulness practices, breathing techniques, alignment, flexibility and strength. Modifications suggested and props used when needed. $5/donation per class. Hindu Cultural Center of CT (HCC), 96 Chapel St, Stratford. 203-5210359. HCC.Yoga.Wendy@gmail.com. HCCYoga.org.

Reiki Healing Circle – 7-9pm. First Thursday. All welcome. Share and experience Reiki. Please join us while we enjoy a peaceful, powerful night of healing. Hosted by Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher. $20. Unity Center of Norwalk, 3 Main St, Norwalk.

203-852-1150. AngelHealReikiGigiB@snet.net.

AngelHealReiki.com, UnityCenterNorwalk.org.

friday Vinyasa Yoga – 9:30-10:30am and 11am-12pm.

Vinyasa Yoga is a flowing, dynamic sequence of poses that is one of the most popular styles of yoga in the U.S. This type of practice involves synchronizing the breath with a continuous flow of postures. $20. Soul Synergy Holistic Wellness Center and Spa, 1492 High Ridge Rd, Ste 6, 2nd Fl, Stamford. 203-814-1355. SoulSynergyWellness111@gmail.com. SoulSynergy.org.

Reiki Share – 9:30-11:30am. First Friday. With JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT. Practice Reiki in a small group setting. Share experiences and help each other develop in a safe, fun environment while providing a wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating experience. $20. Registration required. Turning Point Healing Arts and Education Center 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield. 203-438-3050. TurningPointReiki.com.

Post-Natal Yoga – 11am-12pm. Improve your posture while strengthening and lengthening the areas that pregnancy, birth and motherhood impact in a friendly, supportive community. Learn breathing skills to help you through the stressful times of this new lifestyle. Adoptive mothers welcome. Mom’s only. $21/drop-in. Yoga Culture, 105 Mill Plain Rd, Danbury. 203-730-0250. WeAreYogaCulture.com.

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Kundalini Yoga – 6-7:15pm. Kundalini yoga moves energy to create a clear and calm mind, strong and resilient body and open spirit. Learn to strengthen and balance your bodily systems, cultivate objective awareness and experience greater clarity and emotional balance. No experience necessary. All levels welcome. $20. Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-7309642. Info@YogaSpace-CT.com. Yogaspace-CT.com.

saturday Gentle Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation – 9:3010:45am. Relax, release and flow into wellness in beginner/level 1 yoga classes with work on mindfulness practices, breathing techniques, alignment, flexibility and strength. Modifications suggested and props used when needed. $5/donation per class. Hindu Cultural Center of CT (HCC), 96 Chapel St, Stratford. 203-521-0359. HCC.Yoga.

Wendy@gmail.com. HCCYoga.org.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 10-11:30am.

Learn how to live your life more skillfully through the development of self-awareness and mindfulness. A simple practice that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Discover the benefits of becoming more present. 203-244-3130. Info@ReddingMeditation.org.

ReddingMeditation.org.

New Men’s Group – 10:30-11:30am. This therapeutic support group is designed for men who are dealing with issues related to a relationship from their past, present or future. Limited seating available. $30 per session insurance accepted.

Wolf Spirit Wellness and Counseling Center, LLC, 125 Main St N, Woodbury. 203-263-3175.

WolfSpiritWellness@gmail.com. WolfSpiritWellness.org.

Spondylitis Support Group – 11am-12:30pm.

Last Saturday. Led by Dr. Andrew Cummins, naturopathic physician. Having lived with the chronic inflammatory disease Ankylosing Spondylitis for the last 18 years, Cummins understands what living with chronic pain and limited mobility is all about. Group provides education, empowerment, understanding and support. Free. Shalva Clinic, 8 Lincoln St, 1st Fl, Westport. 203-916-4600.

DrCummins@ShalvaClinic.org. ShalvaClinic.org.

New Women’s Group – 1pm. For women ages 29 through 35 who have difficulty navigating social situations that are interested in making new friends.

This group will be working on understanding the nuances of social behavior and how to set attainable goals and boundaries. Space is limited. $20/ session. Wolf Spirit Wellness and Counseling Center, LLC, 125 Main St North, Ste 2B, Woodbury.

203-509-8602. WolfSpiritWellness@gmail.com.

WolfSpiritWellness.org.

Open Mic Night – 7-9pm, 3rd Saturday. Bring music printed out in your key and Kenneth Gartman will accompany you at the piano for your moment at the microphone. Comedians, poets, writers and musicians welcomed as well. Unity Center of Norwalk, 3 Main St, 2nd Fl, Norwalk.

203-855-7922. Office@UnityCenterNorwalk.org.

UnityCenterNorwalk.org.

community resource guide

ENERGY HEALING

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

Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies 805 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 203-331-9111 DrKaushik@AyurvedicInstituteCT.com AyurvedicInstituteCT.com

BIOFEEDBACK ROSEANN CAPANNA-HODGE, EDD, LPC, BCN, LLC 898 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield Offices in Ridgefield and Newtown 203-438-4848 Info@DrRoseann.com DrRoseann.com

Advanced Bio-Regulation (BRT) is a unique approach to health and wellness that uses Biofeedback and PEMF-based Electromagnetic Technology to help the body better self-regulate, adapt and heal naturally. It is used for chronic pain, depression, anxiety, hormonal issues, Lyme, etc. See ad, page 8.

BREAST THERMOGRAPHY ALBA THERMAL IMAGING LLC

Safe, painless early detection 71 East Ave, Ste D, Norwalk 203-856-1421 • AlbaThermalImaging.com Thermography can detect breast disease at its earliest stages and monitor and assess pain in any part of the body. Safe, painless, noninvasive, FDA registered.

Ken Hoffman, DACM, LAc, Medical Director 31 Old Rte 7, Brookfield 203-740-9300 • INM.Center Women’s Health: hormonal balancing, breast cancer prevention. Breast and full body thermography screening. Screening and treatment of chronic inflammation using medical infrared thermography (MIT). Safe, painless and non-invasive, thermography can detect early changes in breast tissue up to eight years before a mammogram.

FDA-registered, our high-definition camera is the most advanced in the region.

EDUCATION THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE 171 Amity Rd, Bethany 203-874-4252 Info@Learn.edu • Learn.edu

The Graduate Institute is a state-accredited graduate school dedicated to promoting an integrative and holistic worldview through the study of health, wellness, education, and personal and professional transformation.

Enrolling now for 2020 programs.

THE INSTITUTE OF SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby 860-764-9070 Joan@TIOSN.com TIOSN.com

We offer a unique certification program blending the science of nutrition with the hands-on components of sustainable gardening practices. We use food and herbs to make kitchen medicine, teach basic culinary skills, and practice foraging for and using nutrient-rich wild food. Now enrolling.

ESSENTIAL OILS WAYNE LEISS, LMT

20 Fifth Ave, Apt A, Danbury 203-994-1207 Wayne@WayneLeiss.com WayneLeiss.com YN

ELE

I SS

A combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health. Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may include supplements, diet/ nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma. See ad, page 23.

If not now, when? Inspire change on all levels—greater physical ease, emotional freedom, peace of mind and spiritual connection. 20 years of intuitive healing experience with adults and children of all ages. Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Tarot. See ad, page 2.

SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

A

NEERU KAUSHIK, ND, MS ACU, MS, MA

Transformative Healing • Tarot 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com • TLCTarot.com

W

AYURVEDA

BETH LEAS

Centering our lives through touch. Essential oils address

stress reduction, pain relief and overall well-being. They are used in topical, internal CENTERING OUR LIVES and aeromatic applications.

THROUGH TOUCH Improve physically, emotionally and spiritually as I teach you about the benefits and uses of massage with natural and pure dōTERRA Essential Oils. See ad, page 2.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE TAMARA SACHS, MD

Functional Medicine and Integrative Care LLC 15 Bennitt St, New Milford 860-354-3304 TSachsMD.com Using Functional Medicine, Dr. Sachs prevents and treats chronic illnesses by addressing their underlying root causes, remaining respectful of the uniqueness, complexity and intuitions that make us human. Trained at Mt. Sinai Medical School and Yale University Hospital in Internal Medicine, in 2003 she opened Functional Medicine and Integrative Care LLC. She has great success with IBS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, autoimmune problems, toxicity and more, by creating individualized, realistic and comprehensive personalized wellness plans. She consults in her New Milford, CT office, and also by phone or video using telemedicine.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” ~Martin Luther King, Jr. September 2020

35

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN HENRY C. SOBO, MD

Optimal Health Medical LLC 111 High Ridge Rd, Stamford 203-348-8805 DrSobo.com Advances in Regenerative Medicine allow Dr. Sobo to offer cutting-edge technologies such as PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatments and adult stem cell therapy. Dr. Sobo’s integrative approach addresses a variety of conditions such as: food allergies, Alzheimer’s/ dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome, weight loss, hormonal health, fibromyalgia, anti-aging medicine, and MTHFR-Genetic Mutation. See ad, page 19.

INTEGRATIVE NATURAL MEDICINE SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER Ken Hoffman, DACM, LAc, Medical Director 31 Old Rte 7, Brookfield 203-740-9300 INM.Center

Using naturopathic and Chinese medical principles, we get to the source of your health concerns.

Diagnostic methods include functional testing such as advanced bloodwork analysis, cardiovascular testing, hormone evaluation and thermography. Our customized treatment program includes acupuncture, herbal and nutritional medicine, diet and lifestyle counseling and more. Most insurance accepted.

INTUITIVE GUIDANCE MARISA DELZIO, SPIRITUAL MEDIUM

By appointment only Ridgefield MarisaDelzio.com MarisaDelzio@gmail.com Connect with passed loved ones to experience healing, guidance, and love. Individual and group readings are available in-person or by Skype/Google Hangouts. prog\

LIFE COACH/HYPNOTIST THEA LITSIOS, CHY

Life Coach, Hypnotist, Teacher of Active Dreaming Remote sessions available TheaLitsios.com 203-693-1493 Use the power of your whole mind to transform your life: Hypnosis for weight loss, smoking cessation, stress relief, and past life review.

Certified teacher of Active Dream work. Individual dream consultations available, as well as workshops and monthly Dream Groups. See ad, page 2.

MEDITATION CENTER FOR MINDFULNESS & INSIGHT MEDITATION 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding 203-244-3130 ReddingMeditation.org

We teach and practice Mahasati meditation.

Mahasati meditation cultivates self-awareness through attention to the movement of the body and, at more advanced levels, to the movement of the mind. No prior meditating experience is necessary. Ongoing weekly meditation classes, retreats and events.

Please check monthly event calendar or visit ReddingMeditation.org for updated information.

METABOLIC OPTIMIZATION MARVIN P. SCHWEITZER, ND Wellness Institute 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203-847-2788 DrMarvinSchweitzer.com

We help you unleash your own body’s ability to heal. Cutting edge evaluations and 25+ years experience help to determine precisely which individualized therapies – including energy medicine, oxygen therapies, homeopathy, botanicals, nutrition, allergy/toxin testing and treatment are used to nourish, cleanse, balance and repair. We collaborate with you in a caring environment. See ad, page 11.

METAPHYSICAL STORE THE ANGEL COOPERATIVE

51 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte. 7), Ridgefield 203-431-2959 TheAngelCoop.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube The Angel Cooperative is a unique lifestyle boutique featuring the first and only Shungite room in the USA. Wide selection of crystals, jewelry, candles, essential oils and soaps. Spiritual gifts, statuary, oracle decks and tarot and home décor. Available in The Shungite Room: readings, Reiki, meditation, sound therapy, energy work and workshops. See ad, page 21.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN NEERU KAUSHIK, ND, MS ACU, MS, MA Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies 805 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 203-331-9111 DrKaushik@AyurvedicInstituteCT.com

A combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health. Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may include supplements, diet/nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma.

See ad, page 23.

NATURAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

Lisa Singley, ND, MS 2103 Main St, Ste 2, Stratford 203-874-4333 Info@NHAWC.com NHAWC.com We use advanced diagnostic testing with safe, effective, all-natural healing modalities and treatment options to treat acute and chronic conditions; restore balance; and treat the mind, body and spirit. Specialists in endocrine disorders, digestive issues, pain management and chronic fatigue. We offer comprehensive solutions to prevent illness and maintain optimal health for body, mind and spirit. See ad, page 14.

That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. ~William Wordsworth

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

MARVIN P. SCHWEITZER, ND

Wellness Institute 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203-847-2788 • DrMarvinSchweitzer.com

NANCY SCHERLONG, LCSW

Coaching/Psychotherapy/Consulting Offices in Danbury and Ridgefield 914-572-3167 WellnessMetaphors.com

We help you unleash your own body’s ability to heal. Cutting edge evaluations and 25+ years experience help to determine precisely which individualized therapies – including energy medicine, oxygen therapies, homeopathy, botanicals, nutrition, allergy/toxin testing and treatment are used to nourish, cleanse, balance and repair. We collaborate with you in a caring environment. See ad, page 11.

Manage stress with relaxation techniques. Rediscover your creativity through writing and the expressive arts. Resolve trauma with EMDR, IFS or SE. Or book an experiential workshop! Nancy has over 20 years of experience with children, families, groups, adults and corporate wellness programs.

See ad, page 13.

NEUROFEEDBACK

REIKI

ROSEANN CAPANNA-HODGE, EDD, LPC, BCN, LLC

898 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield Offices in Ridgefield and Newtown 203-438-4848 Info@DrRoseann.com • DrRoseann.com We work with children, adolescents, teens, adults and families around a variety of issues with non-medication therapies. We provide brainbased treatments like neurofeedback, biofeedback, EFT, hypnosis, meditation, etc. Our staff provides non-judgmental support to help alleviate stress and promote wellness. See ad, page 8.

.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

ROSEANN CAPANNA-HODGE, EDD, LPC, BCN, LLC

898 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield Offices in Ridgefield and Newtown 203-438-4848 Info@DrRoseann.com • DrRoseann.com Our highly trained and experienced therapists utilize a variety of brain-based tools and techniques that allow the CNS to calm down so one can address their issues without heightened anxiety. We specialize in pediatrics, parenting and supporting individuals with chronic issues. See ad, page 8.

ROBIN ORDAN, LCSW

Family, Child, Individual and Couples Therapy Old Greenwich/Stamford 203-561-8535 • RobinOrdanLCSW.com Robin has more than 18 years of experience working with families and children.

Specializing in divorce, parent/child conflict, grief, attachment/bonding, child development and parenting.

See ad, page 13.

SUPPORT LOCAL ADVERTISING

GIGI BENANTI, USUI REIKI MASTER Angelic Healing Center 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk 203-852-1150 • AngelHealReiki.com

Gigi is an experienced Reiki Master/Teacher. She offers all levels of Reiki training monthly.

All classes and Reiki sessions include the latest techniques including Karuna, Angelic and Jikiden Reiki.

TURNING POINT REIKI LLC

JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield 203-438-3050 TurningPointReiki.com TurningPointShare.com JoAnn uses intuition, experience and a deep spiritual connection in her Reiki, IET and Reconnective Healing sessions. Specializing in care for individuals with cancer, Lyme disease and back pain. All Reiki levels taught.

SHAMANIC PRACTITIONER EMBODY THE SACRED

Deana Paqua, MA, LMT Ridgefield and New Milford Deana.Paqua@gmail.com EmbodyTheSacred.net Offering classes, training programs, healing sessions and mentoring in cross-cultural energy medicine and contemporary shamanism for healers, spiritual seekers and the energy sensitive. Learn self-healing, self-empowerment and trauma transformation through the sacred.

SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR COMMUNITY. LET US HELP YOUR BUSINESS WEATHER THESE TIMES OF CRISIS – CONTACT US TODAY TO ADVERTISE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE: 203-885-4674 Natural Awakenings is a monthly publication for our community to pick up free of charge, made possible by the ongoing support of the advertisers you see within the pages of this magazine. If you enjoy the content provided within this publication, please support the advertisers who make this free magazine possible.

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SOUND HEALING HUMMINGBIRD SOUND YOGA

Barbara (Bobbi) Soares New Milford • 860-946-9470 BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com HummingbirdSoundYoga.com Facebook @HummingbirdSoundYoga Barbara (Bobbi) Soares, MA, CYT, is a sound yoga and vocal yoga teacher, blues/jazz singer, and Reiki master, certified in several modalities of energy and sound healing. She offers hummingbird sound yoga and sound healing immersions for groups and private sessions. Using earth, dance and symphonic gongs, bowls, tuning forks and humming-for-health meditations, her goal is to help individuals experience becoming “one with sound” to promote a deep relaxation response that balances energy and encourages healing.

TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING KATIE AUGUSTYN, MA, CPC

Transformation Coach - Shamanic Healer TransformationCenterCT.com 203-820-3800 TransformationCenterCT@gmail.com Katie will assist you in reaching your true potential and heal what has been holding you back.

You will experience real self-acceptance and start to live in alignment with who you truly are so you can create a life you love, a life of meaning and purpose. See ad, page 2.

BETH LEAS

Transformative Healing • Tarot 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com • TLCTarot.com If not now, when? Inspire change on all levels—greater physical ease, emotional freedom, peace of mind and spiritual connection. 20 years of intuitive healing experience with adults and children of all ages. Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Tarot. See ad, page 2.

SOUL HEALING JOURNEY, LLC Eilis Philpott Fairfield • 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com

Eilis is a master healer and teacher and certified in numerous modalities as both a practitioner and teacher. She offers soul-level healing, which clears any blocks, obstacles and challenges that are preventing you from living your life to its fullest potential.

See ad, page 13.

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WELLNESS CENTER THE ANGEL WING, A DIVINE SPIRITUAL CENTER

Located next door to The Angel Cooperative 49 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte. 7), Ridgefield 203-431-2959 •TheAngelCoop.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

display ad index

203TLC 2 The Angel Cooperative/Angel Wing

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The Angel Wing hosts workshops, yoga classes, retreats, energy work sessions, readings, Reiki and guided meditations. It is available to rent on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Optional rental spaces include a large open room and/or an intimate private room with massage/ Reiki table. See ad, page 21.

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555 Post Rd, Darien 203-658-7667 Info@SaltCaveofDarien.com SaltCaveofDarien.com

Our wellness destination offers a rich lineup of therapies: community salt cave sessions, special events with local healers, lunchtime meditation class, coffee chatter sessions and weekly yoga and stretch classes.

See ad, page 2.

SALT OF THE EARTH THERAPEUTIC SPA

787 Main St S, Woodbury 203-586-1172 NaturalSaltHealing.com Combining an array of natural therapies that have been used since ancient times with today’s technology, Salt of the Earth Spa provides a sanctuary for deep transformation, healing and grounding for mind, body and spirit.

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Magazine deadline: 12th of month prior to publication. Email copy to NicoleM@NaturalAwakenings.com.

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FOR SALE CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – For sale in HArtford and Fairfield. Email NicoleM@ NaturalAwakenings.com for details.

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RECOGNIZE AND HEAL YOURSELF Through the Power of the Spirit.The human being is an energy field of the Spirit—The spiritual forces are also healing forces that can be requested. Gabriele-Publishing-House.com. Toll-Free: 844-576-0937.

IMMEDIATE PT FLEXIBLE POSITION: Apprentice/assistant for yoga sound healing studio.

Experience in social media, online delivery and live recordings. Enthusiasm for hands-on garden and grounds projects for concerts, small events. Lower Litchfield county location. Resume/interest/references to PO Box 2186, New Preston, CT 06777.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

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