December Issue Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley

EE E FFR

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Healthy Holiday Edible Gifts Shop Local, Buy Local

WRITING A NEW

WORLD STORY

THAT HEALS US AND THE PLANET

December 2020 | Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com December 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

IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTNER HAS LAUNCHED ®

TRANSFORMING YOUR HEALTH CARE TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH & WELL-BEING Natural Awakenings is honored to give our dedicated readers the opportunity to be among the first members welcomed into the KnoWEwell community. With gratitude for our 26 years of readership and support, through our mission-aligned collaborative partnership with KnoWEwell, we are pleased to gift both individuals and providers with:

FREE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP - FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

“There is no simple way to describe KnoWEwell but Think Big! WebMD, meets Match.com, HomeAdvisor, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Indeed for Regenerative Whole Health, all in one place for the benefit of everyone.”

Joe Dunne, Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp., COO

Join for FREE at KnoWEwell.com INDIVIDUALS ENTER CODE: NAPUB60 (a $60 value)

PROVIDERS ENTER CODE: NAPUB300 (a $300 value)

A Top 50 Healthcare Company 2019

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Contents 14 HORSE WISDOM

FOR THRIVING DURING A PANDEMIC

and Other Life Challenges

Holidays@Home Nov 7 - Dec 5, 2020

16 A NEW STORY

FOR THE WORLD

Re-Visioning the Script for a

Healthier Society and Planet

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19 WHAT IS LOVE?

Three Contests

20 PAY WHERE WE PLAY

Decorate a Tree or Holiday Item

Boosting the Hometown Economy

Think Outside the Box: Upcycle Sculpture Challenge

22 THE GIFT OF YUM

Homemade Treats

Spark Holiday Cheer

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26 HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Awkward Holiday Photo Competition

Homemade Recipes They Will Love

AnnsPlaceFestivalofTrees.org Benefiting

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Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

DEPARTMENTS 7 news briefs 11 health briefs 12 global briefs 13 eco tip 19 inspiration 20 green living

eNaturalAwakenings.com

22 conscious

eating 26 natural pet 28 pet resource guide 29 resource guide 31 classifieds 31 display ad index

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50-plus 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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YOUR SPIRITUAL WONDERLAND FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING

51 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rt 7), Ridgefield, CT

PURVEYORS OF POSITIVITY A Unique Lifestyle Boutique Featuring the first Shungite Room in the USA HOME • BODY • SOUL Wide selection of crystals & jewelry • Candles, essential oils, incense & soap • Feng Shui & home decor • Spiritual gifts, statuary, decks, books & cards • Private & group readings, reiki, guided meditation, sound therapy & energy work

Next door at 49 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rt 7), Ridgefield, CT

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A DIVINE SPIRITUAL CENTER The Angel Wing is available to rent for individual or group sessions, workshops, classes, retreats, or for any therapeutic practice including yoga, meditation, reiki, massage, musical events, and more. Optional rental spaces include a large open room and/or an intimate private room with massage/reiki table.

2 03 -4 31 -2 959 • W WW.TH E ANGE LCOOP.COM

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.

December 2020

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

FAIRFIELD COUNTY/ HOUSATONIC VALLEY

Incoming Publisher Erica Mills

Outgoing Publisher Nicole Miale

Editor Michelle Bense

Contributing Writers Carrie Brady

Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills 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

letter from publisher

S

eason's greetings to all of our Natural Awakenings readers.

I am so excited to write my very first publisher's letter and introduce myself more formally to each of you. After 13-plus years working behind the scenes on Natural Awakenings, I am excited to take on the role of Publisher of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County & Housatonic Valley. I have worked on all aspects of this publication under three different publishers and now feels like the right time for me to continue to provide this wonderful community resource to our readers and advertisers.

A little bit about me... I am blessed to have a very supErica Mills portive family. My husband Chad and I have both worked from home for many years, which has given us the opportunity to be very involved with our children's day-to-day lives while also focusing on our connection and friendship.

My son Anthony (nicknamed Tony) is fifteen and a sophomore in high school; my daughter Mariella (nicknamed Ella) is twelve and a seventh grader in middle school.

They are very good students and advocates for themselves and their peers. They have learned a lot over the years watching me manage my own business from home; as a family we are all looking forward to seeing where this new path leads us.

Over the past 7 years I have worked side-by-side with Nicole, producing many amazing and beautiful, content-rich issues. These have encompassed so many topics that I find interesting and, many times, a refreshing change from what is otherwise available. My intention is to continue to provide the same level of interesting and relevant content to you each month. I am looking forward to meeting and speaking to many of you as time goes on and am always happy to chat. I can be reached via phone or text at 914-830-8306; I look forward to personally introducing myself and discussing my plans for the magazine.

May this month of December be filled with much love and hope,

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakenings.com © 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.

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth. ~Muhammad Ali

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

New Podcast: Talking to the Dead in Suburbia

M

edium, author and TV personality Anna Raimondi has teamed up with The Angel Cooperative in a new podcast called “Talking to the Dead in Suburbia”.

Each week, Raimondi interviews guests from the world of spirituality and science. New episodes air every Monday at 11am on SoundCloud.com/the-angel-wing, Apple Podcasts and on both Raimondi’s and The Angel Cooperative’s YouTube channels.

As we are moving into 5D and the collective consciousness is raising, more people are waking up and realizing how they can affect humanity. Raimondi’s interviews offer insight, tips, information and good old-fashioned common sense and knowledge about marrying spirituality and science.

Guests include esteemed authors like Dr. Anna Yusim and Lorna Byrnes; leaders like Eban Alexander; groundbreakers like Susan Miller, Sister Karol Jackowski and Father Nathan Castle; and healers like Maria Davis and Muneeza Ahmed.

For more information and a schedule of guests, visit AnnaRaimondi.com and TheAngelCoop.com. See ad, page 5.

Manipura Power Yoga Offers Infrared Sauna, Chromotherapy and Float Spa

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Manipura Sauna and Float

anipura Power Yoga, a hot yoga studio with locations in Brookfield and Southbury, now offers infrared sauna sessions with chromotherapy, as well as a sensory deprivation float spa. A first session is 50 percent off with promo codes sauna50 or float50.

A 30-minute infrared sauna session can burn up to 200 to 600 calories. As the body works to cool itself while using an infrared sauna, there is a substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. Infrared heat therapy raises core body temperature, causing passive cardiovascular conditioning.

The infrared sauna has color light therapy, also known as chromotherapy. Chromotherapy is the application of color lights to increase the benefits of infrared healing. It is said to balance out any health imbalance in a person. Each color has its own healing characteristics.

The Southbury studio also offers sensory deprivation floating. Sensory deprivation, or perceptual isolation, is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Some health benefits of floating include: a clear and empty state of mind, improved focus and concentration, an overall state of relaxation, lower anxiety and relief from depression.

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.

For more information, call or text 203-994-3883 or 917-209-3715 or visit ManipuraPowerYoga.com. Locations: 760 Main St S, Southbury; 265 Federal Rd, Brookfield.

December 2020

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Change Your Story, Change Your Life!

Restoring Creativity, Wellness, and Balance Nancy S. Scherlong, lcsw,ptr, m/s Coaching, Psychotherapy, Expressive Arts Workshops

914.572.3167 | www.wellnessmetaphors.com 898 Ethan Allen Hwy, Suite 7 | Ridgefield, CT 06877

Lectio 360

A Contemplative Practice to Improve Self-Awareness and Serenity

Regular Online 30-Minute Sessions Conveniently Scheduled and Designed to Fit Into Your Day

Learn More and Register at www.lectio360.com

Touch of Sedona The Finest in Southwest Goods & Healing Items

A Unique Boutique with Heartfelt Purpose

Native American Art Turquoise & Silver Jewelry Crystals of all sizes Chakra Jewelry Dreamcatchers Buddhas • Books • Angels Candles • Incense • Oils F

Visit us in Ridgefield and our New Store in Bethel! www.TouchofSedonaCT.com Both Locations 125 Greenwood Ave. 452 Main Street Open Everyday Ridgefield, CT Bethel, CT Until 5:30pm 203-438-7146 475-329-2087 Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

12th Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll and Reindeer Festival Reimagined

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HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY • COACHING • EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES/TRAINING

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news briefs

midst the COVID pandemic, the 12th Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll will be virtual this year, with the first ever Virtual Greenwich Holiday Stroll, 24 Days of Holiday Shopping and Dining, featuring video highlights from Greenwich retail stores and restaurants, sharing their holiday offers and services throughout Greenwich, Village of Old Greenwich, Byram, Glenville, Cos Cob and Riverside.

Over 100 merchants are participating in this year’s digital event, sharing their holiday merchandise, gift ideas, festive wares, services, signatures dishes and celebratory cocktail recipes through fun and engaging videos broadcast on Greenwich Holiday Stroll multi-media digital platforms, GreenwichMag.com, FairfieldCountyLook.com, and on YouTube and social media from December 1 to 24. Safe space instore activities and restaurant offerings can be found on Facebook and Instagram, @greenwichholidaystroll.

The event is an innovative and informative way for local retailers and restaurateurs to connect with the community and communicate all the wonderful shopping and celebrating that can safely be enjoyed this holiday season. From online ordering, delivery and curbside pick-up options, to trending fashion and home décor—all can be viewed, and often purchased, from the comfort of one’s home or researched prior to visiting the store or restaurant.

The 12th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival will feature Santa’s three Reindeer, Dasher, Dancer and Vixen. Santa will be staying at the North Pole this year, for the health and safety of all the children and their families. Visit the Reindeer while picking out a Christmas tree, holiday décor and gifts at the Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses and Christmas Shop (437 North St, Greenwich), from November 27 through December 22, open Monday to Saturday, 8:30am to 5pm.

For more information, visit GreenwichReindeerFestival.com/greenwich-holiday-stroll.

See ad, page 15.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Jim Brickman Online Concert Event from Stamford Center for the Arts

G

rammy-nominated songwriter and piano sensation Jim Brickman will be taking the nation by storm this holiday season with the “Comfort & Joy at Home 2020” Virtual Tour, which comes to the Palace Theatre at Stamford Center for the Arts on December 13, from 5 to 8pm. Fans and their families can enjoy this unique virtual concert experience from the comfort of home, while supporting The Palace Theatre during this challenging time.

Brickman will bring the live concert experience up close and personal by blending yuletide memories and holiday carols with his own hit songs such as, “The Gift”, “Sending You A Little Christmas”, “Angel Eyes” and “If You Believe.” Brickman will warm the hearts of all as sweet sounds of faith and love make spirits bright, bringing family and friends together for anything but a silent night.

The Jim Brickman Christmas tradition continues, with a front row experience like never before.

This event is sponsored by Bank of America. A portion of each ticket purchased to this live event will benefit The Palace Theatre.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Tinyurl.com/JimBrickmanPalace.

Center for Mindfulness & Meditation Offers Free Online Meditations

T

he Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation in West Redding is currently offering free online meditations each week, on Wednesdays from 7 to 8pm, and Sundays from 10 to 11am. While the Center is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are offering meditation practice sessions and Dhamma talks using Zoom.

The Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation’s mission is to help people develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way. The Society does this by providing a serene, contemplative space for the practice of insight meditation, under the gentle and experienced guidance of resident Buddhist monks, and in the context of a supportive community of fellow practitioners. The Society warmly welcomes novice and experienced practitioners of all faiths.

The Center always offers meditation and mindfulness teachings for free, and is still working toward its 2020 fundraising goal. To contribute to their work, visit ReddingMeditation.org/ support-us. They also accept donations of tea, meals, paper goods, books and more.

For more information, call 203-244-3130 or visit ReddingMeditation.org.

See community resource guide listing, page 30.

This Medicine of the Future is Here Now! prp (platelet rich plasma), peptides, and Stem Cell therapy Dr. Henry Sobo offers you these cutting edge technologies: prp - platelet rich plasma A natural and safe, non-surgical method for healing: • PRP for Hair Restoration • PRP for Arthritis/Joints • PRP for Erectile Dysfunction

PEPTIDES

The next revolution in Medicine • Weight Loss • Autoimmune Conditions • Pain Relief-Joints, Ligaments and Tendons • Hormonal Health • Anti Aging - Skin, Thinning Hair • Cardiovascular Disease

Stem Cell therapy • Arthritis/joint problemsavoid steroids & surgeries.

• Stem cells for your joints are being used by leading doctors and institutions around the country.

• Stem cells are being applied for an expanding list of many other conditions.

Call for your Free ConSultation with Henry C. Sobo, M.D. to see if PRP Treatments, peptides or Stem Cell therapies are for you.

203-348-8805 Optimal Health Medical, LLC | 111 High Ridge Rd. Stamford, CT 06905 | www.drsobo.com December 2020

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noWEwell, a collaborative partner with the Natural Awakenings family of publishers, is offering individuals and providers the opportunity to receive a complimentary oneyear membership to its global community and marketplace.

The KnoWEwell platform is a comprehensive online destination for today’s trusted Regenerative Whole Health knowledge, resources and community. Through its use, subscribers can find access to vetted, evidence-based resources for health, wellness and sustainability. Individuals, providers and experts can communicate and work together in an interactive, vibrant online community.

“We are an ecosystem collaborating to inspire and empower individuals to achieve WELLthier Living. Join the movement as we share knowledge and healing success stories, provide access to evidence-based resources, create meaningful connections and help today’s providers, mission-aligned nonprofits and businesses opportunities prosper. We are transforming the health care we know,” says Kimberly Whittle, Founder and CEO.

“Natural Awakenings is honored to give our dedicated readers the opportunity to be among the first members welcomed into the KnoWEwell community. With gratitude for our 26 years of readership and support, through our mission-aligned collaborative partnership with KnoWEwell, for a limited time we are pleased to gift both individuals and providers with free annual memberships,” says Sharon Bruckman, Founder and CEO. For more information, visit KnoWEwell.com and see the ad on page 3, which includes the free membership codes during this limited time offer.

Family and Child Psychotherapy Support and Guidance • Divorce Anxiety • Parent/Child Conflict Attachment and Bonding • Trauma • Grief Professional/Executive Coaching

Robin Ordan, LCSW 203-561-8535

www.robinordanlcsw.com Located on the Old Greenwich/Stamford Border 10

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

K

ick off the holiday season with a creative wreath-making workshop, offered by Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens on December 3, 4 and 9 at 5:30pm. The Bartlett’s Education Director, Mike Belletzkie, will teach attendees how to make a beautiful holiday wreath for their home.

For the wreath-making workshops, each participant will be provided materials, however, please bring your own pruners and gloves. You are also welcome to bring any extra accessories or designs that you would like included in the wreath.

For this socially distanced workshop, Bartlett can sit families of up to three at one table, and individual registrants will be given their own table. Face masks are required. Admission is $45 for Bartlett members and $55 for non-members (includes materials).

Bartlett will also host a Colonial Williamsburg holiday centerpiece workshop, on December 16 at 6pm. Learn how to create a beautiful traditional Colonial Willamsburg centerpiece in a pedestal vase with all the charm of hearth and home. Through the demonstration of simple floral design techniques and one-on-one instruction, students will capture the festive season to perfection with garden spray roses, fruit, herbs, berries, eucalyptus, pine branches, cones and traditional ribbons. Face masks are required. Admission is $165 for Bartlett members and $175 for non-members (includes materials).

Photo by Corina Andrisca on Unsplash

KnoWEwell Platform Offers One-Year Free Memberships in December

Socially Distanced Wreath-Making and Centerpiece Workshops

For more information, call 203-322-6971 or visit Sustainne.com/event-directory or BartlettArboretum.org.

Location: 151 Brookdale Rd, Stamford.

Family Holiday Crafts at Home Event

T

he Fairfield University Art Museum will host a virtual Family Day with Holiday Crafts, on December 12 at 9am.

Kits with art supplies and detailed instructions will be available for pick-up at Fairfield University by registered participants on the Thursday and Friday prior to the program. Video tutorials will be available online to help participants follow along. Instructions for supplies pick-up will be sent in an email a week prior to the event.

Register on Eventbrite for the number of children. This event is free for members, and non-member registrants are kindly asked to consider paying a suggested fee of $5 in support of the museum’s educational programs.

Tag @FairfieldUAM on social media with your completed projects to be entered into a monthly raffle for a $25 gift card to Michaels.

For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/FairfieldHolidayCrafts.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Photo by Mockaroon on Unsplash

news briefs

health briefs

prathsnap/Pexels.com

Retain Muscle Mass with Vitamin C “Bulking up” evokes images of bodybuilders and possible steroid use, but new research shows that older people that simply eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables have greater skeletal muscle mass than those that don’t eat these foods. Researchers from the UK’s University of East Anglia collected data from more than 13,000 people between 42 and 82 years old and reported in The Journal of Nutrition that the highest amounts of vitamin C correlated with the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass—an important finding, as people older than 50 typically lose half a percent of muscle fat each year, leading to frailty and a lower quality of life. Sixty percent of men in the study and 50 percent of women were not getting enough vitamin C from food or supplements. “We’re not talking about people needing megadoses. Eating a citrus fruit such as an orange each day and having a vegetable side to a meal will be sufficient for most people,” says study co-author Richard Hayhoe.

southstore design/Pexels.com

Eat Cruciferous Veggies for Cleaner Blood Vessels Pile on the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. In a study of 684 older Australian women published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found those that ate more than 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables a day—about one-quarter cup of steamed broccoli or one-half cup of raw cabbage—were 46 percent less likely to have calcium buildup in the aorta, the main vessel carrying blood from the heart into the body. Fatty calcium deposits in the aorta are a key marker of vascular disease linked to heart attacks and strokes. “One particular constituent found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables is vitamin K, which may be involved in inhibiting the calcification process that occurs in our blood vessels,” says lead author Lauren Blekkenhorst, of Edith Cowan University, in Perth.

HILDA DEMIRJIAN LASER & SKIN CARE LASER COLLAGEN TREATMENTS AND LASER HAIR REMOVAL FOR ALL COMPLEXIONS

Effective on the full face, neck and body for: Fine Lines & Wrinkles • Sun Damage • Brown Spots Skin Tightening • Dark Circles • Scars • Rosacea • Acne Cellulite • Stretch Marks • Turkey Neck • Elbows & Knees Radio Frequency Stimulates collagen internally for younger looking skin. For fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, dark circles around the eyes and mouth; skin tightening & plumping.

EMS (Muscle Stimulation) Activates the deep tissue in skin & muscles.

Before & After

Only one treatment

Electroporation Provides a means to transport collagen and hyaluronic acid deeper to the skin.

“Highly recommended! This is the place to go for anyone who is skeptical or has any reservations about Laser for their skin!

Your skin will love you for it.” Deborah S.

Free Consultations 914-374-1756 34 S. Broadway, Suite 607 • White Plains, NY 10601

HildaDemirjianLaser.com • HildaDemirjianSkincare.com

Is your Soul calling to be in alignment with your Divinity?

If your Soul says YES, please join us to transform your mind, body, and spirit!

An Enhanced Year of Healing 2021/2022 with Eilis Philpott

Master Healer and Teacher

Module I 13th Octave and 13th OctaveLaHoChi Monthly, January - June 2021

Module II Rebirthing Breathwork

Monthly, July - December 2021

Module III Akashic Field Healing

Monthly, January - April 2022

See website for more information.

You may participate in any one or combination of modules.

The Academy for Soul Healing supports the growth and expansion of humanity, individually and on a global scale. "I foresee many students from the Academy becoming teachers of this integrated way of service."

academyforsoulhealing.com • SoulHealingJourney.com Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com • 203-767-5954 Fairfield, CT December 2020

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global briefs

Conscientious Director

Amazon is labeling approximately 25,000 products with a Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) designation to meet a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2040. The selection includes grocery, household, fashion, beauty and personal electronics products, as well as from brands such as Seventh Generation and Burt’s Bees Baby. CPF products are clearly labeled in shopping results, have additional sustainability information on their product page and are featured in a dedicated section of the online store.

The Seattle company, which currently delivers 10 billion items a year, has an enormous carbon footprint due to its commitment to speedy deliveries, transportationrelated emissions and data centers. A paper in Esnvironmental Science & Technology, published by the American Chemical Society, found that going to a physical store actually has a lower carbon footprint than shopping on Amazon because customers tend to buy fewer items at a time online. When they go to a store, they’re more likely to stock up and reduce the need for more trips.

Shining Example

Saving Arctic Ice Using Glass Beads

Positive & Nature Based Psychology Promoting well-being and resilience.

Happiness • Strength • Hope • Wisdom • Coping • Flourishing Ann C. Reeves, Psy. D, CAPP Licensed Psychologist

203-451-6208

annreevespsych@optonline.net • www.annreevespsychology.com 3 Hollyhock Lane, Wilton, CT 06897

Maintain your youth

with Homeopathic HGH Transdermal Gel Maximum Strength Somatropin Unique and affordable alternative designed to support your pituitary gland!

Usage may

• Improve Bone and Joint Health • Improve Sleep • Increase Muscle and Reduce Fat Contact Shirley R. Bloethe

860-989-0033 or www.PassItOnLLC.com 12

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

matt holmes/Unsplash.com

daniel eledut/Unsplash.com

Amazon Climate Label Facilitates Greener Choices

The California nonprofit Arctic Ice Project is proposing to scatter a thin layer of reflective silica glass particles over parts of the Arctic in an effort to protect it from the sun and help ice to reform. Engineer Leslie Field, an adjunct lecturer and chief technical officer at Stanford University, says they are trying to break a self-destructive feedback loop.

An underrated feature of Arctic sea ice is the ability of its bright, white surface to reflect light. The frigid poles have acted for millennia as a massive umbrella that helps keep the planet cool and climate stable. Now much of that ice is rapidly melting. As temperatures rise, the reflective white ice dissolves into darker blue water that absorbs more of the sun’s energy instead of reflecting it into space.

Warmer water accelerates melting, which means yet more absorption of heat, which drives further melting, in a cycle that is part of the reason why the Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the planet. In July, the ice cover was as low as it has ever been at the same time of year.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

eco tip

’TIS THE SEASON TO SAVE THE PLANET

priscilla du preez/Unsplash.com

Eco-Friendly Holiday Ideas When the holiday classic Jingle Bells starts playing in department satores, Americans deck the landfills with extra trash. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), garbage increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day—or about 1 million extra tons each week—including 38,000 miles of ribbon, $11 billion worth of packing material and 15 million discarded Christmas trees.

As this waste decomposes, dangerous greenhouse gases such as meth-

ane and carbon dioxide are emitted, adding to the climate crisis. This season, include Earth on the gift list by reducing holiday-related waste.

To stop the uptick of mailed catalogs, call stores and request to be removed from mailing lists.

Reusable shopping bags are not just for groceries. Bring them to malls and boutiques to cut down on single-use store bags.

Wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are beautiful, but create waste. Consider eco-friendly alternatives like towels, tablecloths, scarves and even socks.

According to NEEF, an estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold in the U.S. every year. That’s enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. Be kind to the planet by switching to e-cards or making personal phone calls.

At the holiday table, use cloth napkins

and tablecloths instead of paper.

They’re festive, elegant and best of all, washable and reusable.

Forgo plastic cutlery, paper plates and single-use plastic cups, too. An extra dishwasher load is better than bags full of trash, plastic being the worst non-biodegradable culprit.

Social-distancing Americans are expected to flock to the internet for gifts.

Consider saving the shipping boxes and packing materials for later use or donating them to a mailing center that would be happy to reuse them.

The most environmentally friendly gifts eliminate wrapping and shipping altogether. Here are some favorite lowwaste ideas: n Charitable donations n Cooking, music, craft or other lessons n Passes to museums or amusement parks n Gift cards for restaurants or bookstores n Music downloads or spa treatments Most towns recycle Christmas trees and process them into mulch for use in parks. Contact a local waste management agency for details.

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Horse Wisdom for Thriving During a Pandemic

and Other Life Challenges

H

by Carrie Brady

orses are in tune with their bodies and tuned in to the world around them. In each moment, horses know what they need and naturally and instinctively incorporate it into their daily lives.

As prey animals, keeping their bodies and minds balanced is essential for survival. If they wore themselves down physically or exhausted themselves mentally, they wouldn’t be ready to detect when a predator arrived and wouldn’t be able to run when there was real danger.

Horses maintain this balance by practicing excellent daily self-care, masterfully navigating relationships in their herd and knowing what tools to use in times of intense stress. Humans can apply these same techniques to learn how to maintain balance and be prepared to respond to whatever challenges life may throw at us.

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Find the Secret Ingredient and Prioritize It Every Day

Salt is one of the essential ingredients for horses to maintain balance. It is important to keep horses’ muscles functioning well, for the conduction of nerve impulses and for digestion. Domestic horses are given access to salt blocks and will take whatever they need on a daily basis. Wild horses find the minerals they need in the plants they consume or, if necessary, by eating dirt in specific spots where minerals are concentrated. If salt or other minerals exist in their environment, they will find them.

Humans also have nutrient requirements—which we often neglect—but the secret ingredient for humans isn’t necessarily something we eat. Each person has specific things that help maintain balance.

When we consider some days that have gone well for us, we may note that

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there is a common theme. Other days do not run smoothly, but we still respond to the unexpected with a sense of calm and ease. Note if there was something specific that was done on those days. That is our daily salt—the thing or things that help keep everything else in balance.

Our daily salt could be anything: a cup of tea, exercise, a TV show, meaningful conversation, time in nature, yoga, meditation, playing with a pet or a specific number of hours of sleep. The possibilities are nearly infinite. Once we have identified one or more of our secret ingredients for an excellent day, we can deliberately incorporate them into a daily routine.

If one’s essential ingredients are not obvious, experiment with some possibilities.

Our daily salt may change over time, and we may need different ingredients on days that are unusually stressful. Identify what is needed in both situations. Taking the time to consider and identify our personalized essential needs helps us tune in to the body, mind and spirit and truly take care of ourselves. We cannot control the external environment but, like horses, we can take control of freely choosing the salt we need.

Know the Human Herd and Assign Roles Based on Strengths

Horses prefer to live in herds where they share responsibilities for the good of the herd. Roles in a herd are assigned based on strengths. These roles are fluid and may change over time as new herd members join, or as existing herd members develop new skills or are less able to perform their old jobs. Horses know what they can rely on from each member of their herd.

A person may be part of many herds, including families, friend groups, colleagues and community organizations.

Humans tend not to consider the specific strengths of individual members of these herds, however, and therefore may assign inappropriate roles that lead to unnecessary stress. A spouse or best friend, for example, may not be able to fulfill every role we need when we are stressed. Some people are excellent listeners, some are

fabulous problem-solvers and some provide loving, hands-on care, while others will work tirelessly to take care of logistical needs. One skill is not better than another.

The important thing is not to have unreasonable expectations for the people in our life and assign them roles they will struggle to fulfill. A pregnant woman would not ask her dentist to deliver her baby, even if she liked the bedside manner of the dentist more than her OB/GYN. The dentist simply does not have that expertise.

We can make a list of all the people in our human herd, including professionals who fulfill specific needs. Consider the roles that need fulfilled when we are stressed and who in our human herd has the strengths to fulfill those roles. Keep the list in an easy to access location so that when we need support, there is a ready reference for who can best meet that need.

Develop Calm-Down Cues

The phrase “calm down” is actually derived from horse behavior. A horse that

simple technique is five-part breathing: breathing in for a count of five and out for a count of five, in slow rhythmic fashion.

This breathing changes heart rhythms and signals our brain that the danger has passed and we can calm down. Combining breathing with a physical cue may be even more effective in certain situations where we feel the need to move stress through our body. It might not be appropriate to roll or run like a horse would, but we can develop a hand signal or other subtle body movement that we associate with calming down to help ourselves rebalance. feels safe will put its head down to graze.

Horses are masters of self-regulation.

They move energy through their bodies and return to a state of calm by taking action—such as running, rolling, licking and chewing or rubbing their noses on their forelegs, which releases calming brain chemicals.

Humans also have the innate power to calm down our bodies and minds. One

Carrie Brady is the creator of Possibilities Farm in Wilton, where she explores the magical connection between humans and horses in innovative non-riding programs for personal growth, professional development and wellness. This article is adapted from her new book, The Word from the Herd: How to Thrive During a Pandemic and Anything Else Life Might Throw at You, available at PossibilitiesFarm.com.

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A New Story for the World

Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet

T

by Linda Sechrist

he most familiar form of human activity and the most natural way to describe what happens in our lives is through telling stories. Toddlers listen to stories that have contained the same archetypal characters acting out similar plots for millennia. In literature, folktales and myths all over the world, stories serve the purpose of providing life instructions and answering humanity’s fundamental questions about the nature of existence, such as who we are, where we came from, the definition of our purpose and the nature of our reality.

In the 1980s, author and cultural historian Thomas Berry declared that humanity needed a new story that is less destructive and dysfunctional. Berry filled lecture halls, telling attendees, “We are in trouble now because we don’t have a good story. The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, isn’t functioning properly. What once sustained us, shaped our emotional attitude, provided us with life purpose, energized action, consecrated suffering, integrated knowledge and guided education is no longer serving humanity.” As we are discovering globally through hard experience, the old stories of rugged individualism and conquering and dominating the natural world have run their course with grim results.

In the last four decades, fragments of a new story have been slowly emerging. Because it isn’t deemed worthy of mainstream media, the public is left in the dark about new, life-instructing stories capable of altering human civilization in positive ways. Were these story fragments woven together in an anthology, chapters on climate, economy, religion, environ-

ment, science, politics, medicine, education, conscious evolution and community would constitute a useful account of ideas and concepts capable of bringing about a brighter future for humanity and the planet. These possibilities would surely capture readers’ imaginations.

New Climate Story

In Climate: A New Story, writer and activist Charles Eisenstein suggests that we need a new story that makes possible the more beautiful world our hearts know is achievable. The story, which he believes is attainable, calls for people, governments and organizations to embrace a partnership paradigm to protect, restore, regenerate and repair damages to our planet’s natural world, which we call the environment. Using indigenous wisdom, organizations such as the Pachamama Alliance and Bioneers are helping individuals worldwide to recognize that humanity is here to be in service to life.

Creating the right conditions for revitalizing life is the opposite of our collective story that views the natural world only as a resource.

Eisenstein’s ideas for regenerative agriculture match those described in environmentalist Paul Hawken’s Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. In October, Drawdown Georgia became the first state-centered effort to crowd-solve for climate change, with solutions tailored to Georgia’s unique natural, economic and social resources.

New Science Story

Evolution biologist Elisabet Sahtouris’ stories about science shine a light on the broader perspective of life and science gained from studying multiple worldviews.

A scholar of ancient sciences, Sahtouris reminds us that the original purpose of science was to find guidance for human affairs by studying nature. During a recent conversation with Ubiquity University founder Jim Garrison in the online Humanity Rising’s Global Solutions Summit, she says, “We have acted in opposition and made ecology subservient to our economy, using ecology as a set of resources for human economics. When we make our economy 16

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fit into nature’s economy, which we call ecology, we’ll have ecosophy, the ‘wisdom of the Earth itself ’ that occurs when a man knows how to listen with love.”

Sahtouris teaches corporations about ecosophy’s new view of a conscious universe and a living Earth in which we are co-creators. This, she believes, takes humans out of fatalistic victimhood so that we can become consciously active agents of our destiny. Lifting the fog of our self-image as consumers of stuff gives humans the rights and responsibilities to live out our full co-creative humanity.

Humanity Rising was launched to try to leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increase our resilience to future challenges. This new form of real-life competency education delivered in TED Talk-style presentations, moderated dialogues, working groups, blogs, ongoing conversations, group discussions and other interactions provides participants a wide scope of possibilities and activities for working together for global solutions.

A Global Commons Sharing Solutions

If British economist Kate Raworth writes a follow-up to her bestselling book Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, she’ll certainly add a case study of her consulting work in Amsterdam, where her donut model is now embraced as the starting point for public policy decisions.

Amsterdam is the world’s first city to make a commitment to Raworth’s concepts: “Out with the global attachment to economic growth and laws of supply and demand, and in with … what it means for countries,

Through the daily sharing of stories with keynote speakers and panel discussions, Garrison increases the momentum of the Humanity Rising movement, which includes Ubiquity University students, program participants and more than 400 organizations that come together as a “global commons” to take counsel and share what they are developing for their own networks.

Economics Story

cities and people to thrive in balance with the planet,” as reported in The Guardian. The simple central premise of Raworth’s alternative to growth economics is that the goal of economic activity should be to meet the core needs of all within the means of the planet.

Interconnectedness

Author Robert Atkinson’s contribution to the new story is his understanding of the underlying unity in all religions and all humanity, expressed throughout his book The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness. “Nature is an embodiment of the divine, and the whole Earth is sacred. Its vast resources are our common heritage entrusted to us,” he says.

“Humanity is one family. Having passed through the stage of childhood, humanity is now struggling to leave behind its adolescent ways while taking on new patterns of thought and action in approaching its maturity. Accepting the oneness of humanity as a biological fact, a social necessity and a spiritual reality will lead us further along our journey toward lasting peace.”

VE THIS O L E U R T FIND

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Atkinson believes global harmony is inevitable when we exercise our obligation to independently investigate reality and stop blindly and uncritically following various traditions, movements and opinions. He says, “I consider this as one of the main sources of world conflict.”

Undivided Wholeness

In a world engulfed by fragmentation, the film Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm is a healing balm with the potential to overturn our ideas about the world and ourselves. “The core work of David Bohm, considered one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, is our essential interconnectedness and undivided wholeness from which we get a sense of our own interconnectivity,” says producer and director Paul Howard. “This realization makes it logical to start taking better care of ourselves, each other and planet Earth.”

Howard notes, “David was interested in the nature of thought and consciousness.

Realizing that he wanted to develop full expression of his interests, he explored wider domains and investigated different

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worldviews with sages, philosophers and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama, who called David his ‘science guru’. A lifelong concern with social and political change led him to develop the Bohm Dialogue, a form of communication aiming to break through our collective modes of habitual thought. He also spent time with indigenous people, searching for a new form of language in which to express his ideas in a more process-oriented way.”

Indigenous Wisdom

While the early church developed and grew in numbers by assimilating the wisdom of the world about it, including paganism, it neglected to assimilate the intuitive ways in that indigenous people knew the natural world, how it functioned and how intimately they were integrated with it.

Tribes around the globe have ancient extinction stories that foretold the crises we are collectively experiencing, as well as potential outcomes and possible solutions. In Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change, Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset) tells the story of the Mohawk Seventh Generation Prophecy.

“The Onkwehonwe, or real people, rise up and demand their wisdom and way of life be respected and that the natural way of the Earth and way of life be fully restored.

Teachings on the indigenous way of life are being sought after, and all that remains is that we work together to restore the Earth to a state of balance and good health,” she says.

Medicine and Community

Thousands of people are gathering in online intentional communities associated with personal growth, healing and spiritual awakening. Jennifer Phelps, M.D., owner and director of Phelps MD Integrative Medicine, in Redding, Connecticut, practices mind-body medicine and is a faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, in Washington, D.C. A trained facilitator of small groups, she has been teaching trauma and stress healing via Zoom calls during the pandemic.

Initially, Phelps was concerned about how the levels of intimacy, trust and vulnera-

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eNaturalAwakenings.com

bility necessary for individuals to develop a sense of cohesiveness and bonding could be formed via computer screens. By using the center’s model of self-care, self-awareness and mutual support that has its roots in indigenous culture, she felt her concern dissipate as group members began to bond quickly. “Our guidelines call for no crosstalking and no interrupting. Confidentiality is sacred. I’m a facilitator and a participant, which most models don’t allow,” says Phelps. She speculates that the success of online bonding might be due to participants feeling safer in their homes with a little extra anonymity, noting, “Not being face-to-face seems to allow people to share more freely.

These weird times are creating a commonality and a sense of community connection.”

Conscious Choice

Leah Lamb, a sacred storyteller in Topanga, California, defines her role as a seer far beyond the present moment. In Lamb’s online classes with her storytelling community, she loves sharing quotes by other storytellers such as Rebecca Solnit, “We think we tell stories; but stories often tell us …

Too often stories saddle us, and they ride us and whip us onward and tell us what to do and we do it without questioning. The task of learning to be free is to learn to hear them; to question them, to pause and hear silence, to name them and then become a storyteller of your own story.”

“In our role of storyteller, we can’t be without understanding that we tell stories about how we are in the world as much as stories tell us how to be in world. Identify and notice your stories, then understand how they are running you, so you can consciously choose your place in them,” advises Lamb, who encourages her students to discover the genius of their own calling.

These are only some chapters in the new story that calls for each of us to be aware of the stories we live by, as well as those we tell ourselves and others. It also begs us to ask what is our role in the new story.

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

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

inspiration

WHAT IS LOVE?

by Eilis Philpott

M

ost of us believe we know what love is and its various expressions. There’s romantic love, family love, love of friends, love of animals and nature and so on.

Before sharing a broader concept of what I believe love is, here’s a little back story. Back in the early 2000s, I attended a training in Sedona titled “How to Channel”. On the second day, we were practicing our new skills by being paired up and channeling messages for our partner. The question put to us to channel a response for our partner was, “What is my mission in this lifetime?” My partner shared with me that my mission was love.

My initial reaction was, “That’s a bit vague and general,” followed by disappointment. So I put it aside and carried on with my life. Fast forward to more recently, when it dawned on me what an honor and special mission this actually is.

So back to the question: What is love? I believe that each one of us is a unique spark of the Divine. My personal

definition of Divine is that it is love. As such, each and every one of us is love.

We hold it, we carry it, we transmit it and above all else—we want to feel it.

It gets complicated when we see and experience pain, anger, overwhelm and any of the perceived negative emotions.

But what if there is a gift in these emotions—a way forward, so to speak. On one level, feeling uncomfortable in our bodies (physically and emotionally) is actually a motivator for us to delve

deeper, to heal and to find out who we truly are. To take it a step further, what if part of what we, as humans, are learning is how to love every aspect of ourselves, every experience, every emotion, all our shadow selves—and in that loving, we are actually imbuing ourselves with light and love and transmuting these uncomfortable energies to bring them back to Divine Love.

I believe that we chose to come here to have the unique experience of the full spectrum of emotions. So how can anything we experience be wrong?

What if we truly believe that we, in each moment, are exactly where we are meant to be, doing exactly what we are meant to be doing? Wouldn’t that remove a layer of guilt, remorse and judgement that would allow true healing to take place— the love of self? When we fully embody self-love, we can then reflect that out into the world and affect the most powerful change of all.

Back to the original question, what is love? Love is our Divine Birthright. It is who we are at our core. Maybe that is what we are moving toward in this time of Ascension: knowing that we are love and are loved more than we could ever imagine.

Dr. Eilis Philpott is the owner of Soul Healing Journey, LLC and has been a healing practitioner for over 20 years.

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December 2020

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PAY WHERE WE PLAY

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

green living

Boosting the Hometown Economy

A

by Sandra Yeyati

message we hear throughout the year, but especially during the holidays, is, “Buy local.” The idea is to purchase from locally owned and operated businesses.

Facing competition from big chains like Walmart or internet companies like Amazon, they need our support. But it’s not just a nice thing to do; consumers that buy local help build robust hometown economies with a long list of impressive benefits.

“About three dozen studies have found that two to four times more money stays in the economy for every dollar spent in a locally owned business rather than a nonlocal one,” says economist Michael Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution, Put Your Money Where Your Life Is and The Local Economy Solution.

“What’s more, the community enjoys a multiplier effect, generating two to four times more job opportunities, two to four times more income and two to four times greater tax collections. If your interest is in reducing poverty and raising social equality, locally owned businesses are your ticket to doing so.”

According to Shuman, cities that rely on just one or two large companies to drive their economies are far less self-reliant and less resilient than towns that support a diversified base of smaller, locally owned businesses. “The more you have control over your economy, the less likely you’re going to be hurt if one big company splits for Mexico,” he explains.

Cities that have many thriving local businesses enjoy other ben20

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efits, too. “We know from political science studies that they have higher rates of voting participation and volunteering,” Shuman says. “Sociology studies show lower crime and greater degrees of social organization and civil society. Health studies reveal that local business communities replace a lot of unhealthy, imported food with healthier, fresher, less-packaged food that lowers rates of diabetes and obesity. Unique local businesses attract tourists.

And because they shorten the lines of distribution and supply, we know they bring down carbon footprint.”

Phoenix business leader Kimber Lanning, who opened a record store in 1987 and an art gallery in 1999, has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of local commerce. “Doing business with people we know heightens our connection to place, and when we care about place, we’re more likely to vote, volunteer and give charitably.”

In 2003, Lanning founded the nonprofit Local First Arizona (LFA) to help local businesses thrive and eventually eliminate city, state and federal subsidies that multinational companies were receiving. “Big chains move in, claiming they’re going to drive so much sales tax revenue that the city should pay them to be there,” she explains. “Cabela’s [the outfitter chain] got a $68 million subsidy from Glendale to open one retail location. These sweetheart deals extract money out of the community that could have been spent on parks, libraries and fire departments, but instead goes to shareholders living elsewhere.” Responding to political pressure

by LFA and others, Arizona passed a law banning these subsidies five years ago—a major victory—leveling the playing field for smaller businesses, according to Lanning.

As the author of 13 destination guidebooks, Florida-based travel journalist Karen T. Bartlett helps people discover the often-hidden flavors and experiences unique to their own region, meeting neighbors and supporting the local economy along the way. “From kayak adventures and foodie tours to community theater productions and galleries featuring local artists, fun and meaningful ways to enjoy the distinctive offerings of home abound,” she says.

“Think local first,” Lanning says. “Spend your money with people you know in your community—from haircuts to oil changes.

Use a local pharmacy. Go to the farmers’ market and move your money to community banks and credit unions.”

“For people to get excited about the purchase of a five-dollar hammer and not pay attention to where they have their mortgage is utterly irrational. Rank [in] order your business expenditures, which starts with your home, then probably goes to your car and then health care, and think about ways of localizing those things, rather than every grocery item,” Shuman advises.

“Usually, you find cheaper, better-quality goods and services, or at the very least, comparable options,” he says, adding that even if a purchase is slightly more expensive or a bit less convenient, favoring the neighborhood vendor is always going to benefit the local economy.

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

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lydia matzal/Unsplash.com

conscious eating

THE GIFT OF YUM Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer

G

by April Thompson

ift-givers seeking memorable presents while avoiding holiday shopping stress need look no further than the kitchen. Edible homemade gifts make special, welcome treats, help slow down the shopping frenzy of the season and increase creativity in the kitchen. While 79 percent of recipients return some holiday gifts every year, food and handmade items rank in the top 10 treasured gifts, according to Survey Monkey research.

Mackenzie Burgess, a Fort Collins, Colorado, dietitian and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, encourages holiday gift-givers to think beyond the Christmas cookie. One of her go-to holiday gifts, a lentil and brown rice dry soup mix, features colorful dry ingredients layered in a Mason jar and the recipe attached with a pretty ribbon. “This shelf-stable dry soup mix is the perfect, plant-based meal to make on a chilly night, and makes for a unique, affordable and thoughtful gift,” says Burgess, adding that the Mason jars can be repurposed.

For a sweet but healthy treat, Burgess offers freezer-friendly energy bites, which can be made in large quantities in advance and frozen or refrigerated, then popped into jars at gift time. These gluten-free, vegan treats can be made with common pantry items, including a base of oats, nut butter and a sweetener like honey or agave, as well as “fixings” such as shredded coconut, dried cranberries or goji berries, chopped nuts, or chia or flax seeds to boost the flavor and nutrition. Natural food coloring can also be added to foster a more festive look.

To give a gift a “wow” factor, blogger Shelley Fulton, in Hudson, Ohio, recommends making a themed basket that may include a mix of homemade and purchased items. “You can take your signature spice rub or that homemade soup mix everyone raves about and expand into a gift basket with other products that support the theme, like barbecue tools for the spice rub or a kettle with cute soup bowls and a new ladle for the soup mix,” says Fulton, the creator of Two Healthy Kitchens. For the dog lovers on a holiday list, Fulton suggests making homemade sweet potato dog biscuits, which can be bundled in a dog bed with other canine comforts.

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Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Creative Kitchen: Seasonal Plant Based Recipes for Meals, Drinks, Garden and Self Care, suggests handcrafted items like infused vinegars, herb salts, herbal tea blends or spice mixes for foodies on the holiday gift list.

Infused concoctions can be easily made by steeping a light vinegar like champagne or cider with rosemary, thyme or other perennial herbs, along with a spiraled citrus peel, for two weeks before gifting. “Infused vinegars look so lovely and go with so many winter dishes. They also have the advantage of being antiviral and having the shelf life of a few years,” says Hafferty.

Herb-infused olive oils make another gorgeous foodie gift, but Hafferty warns of botulism risk if the herbs are not completely dried beforehand and fully submerged in the oil. “Make this one closer to the time you plan to give it and include instructions to use within a few weeks,” recommends the Somerset, England, author.

Unusual spice mixes are another favorite gift of Hafferty’s, which can encourage home cooks to get creative. “Ras el Hanout is a versatile Moroccan spice blend that elevates dishes to another dimension. You can upcycle an old tin and decorate it with images of Moroccan tiles and add a homemade booklet with recipe ideas,” she says.

For a hostess gift that will be eaten immediately, Fulton loves making fruit kabob bouquets, made festive by using red and green fruits like strawberries and kiwi cut into holiday-themed shapes like stars and bells. “This is a fun one to make with kiddos,” adds the blogger.

If concerned about preparing food items for someone due to COVID-19, Fulton suggests assembling a countertop herb garden or a handmade book of favorite recipes, with a promise to cook together soon.

The spirit that goes into holiday gift-making matters as much as the end product. Making thoughtful presents for loved ones is a great time to reflect upon our blessings, especially those that have blessed our lives this year.

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

yield: 6 servings

If presenting the soup mix as a gift, layer dry ingredients in a Mason jar and print recipe to attach to the jar.

1 cup green or brown lentils ½ cup uncooked brown rice ½ cup green split peas 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 1 Tbsp dried parsley 1 Tbsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 large vegetable bouillon cubes (1 cube should be equivalent to 1 Tbsp of granulated bouillon) 8 cups water Optional: 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 Tbsp canola oil 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added Optional: Sauté onion in oil in a large stock

pot over high heat for 3 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes.

Energy Bites

Add dry soup ingredients and 8 cups of water to the same large stock pot (unless starting with this step).

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, covered with a lid. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with crusty bread and parmesan cheese, if desired. photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

Lentil Brown Rice Soup

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Holiday Gift-Giving Recipes

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.

yield: 12 large bites or 24 small bites

These energy bites are the perfect snack to grab and go. They’re completely customizable and take 5 minutes or less to make. It’s easy to create festive, colored bites for the holidays. Simply add one-quarter cup of oats into a bowl with 15-30 drops of food coloring and give it a stir. Then, simply roll your finished balls in the food-colored oats.

1 cup rolled oats or quick oats ½ cup add-ins (dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, chopped nuts or a mixture) ½ cup nut or seed butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sun butter) 1 Tbsp liquid (plant-based milk, dairy milk, water, coconut oil) 2-3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

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Add in honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired sweetness. Stir until mixture starts to come together in a sticky ball. If the mixture is still too dry, add in 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid.

Christmas Cocoa Crunch Bark yield: 30 pieces

½ cup 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened ½ cup coconut oil, melted 2 Tbsp raw quinoa 2 Tbsp maple syrup ¼ tsp stevia

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

Store in the fridge until ready to eat or pack into a jar for a gift. Store any leftovers in fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Hafferty.

Rosemary-Infused Vinegar

This is lovely sprinkled onto roasting vegetables or added to falafel mixes, soups, stews and tagines.

1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick, ground 1 tsp smoked paprika or red pepper flakes 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cayenne (optional for spicier version) 5 star anise ½ tsp ground cloves Seeds from 10 cardamom pods 1 tsp dried rose petals Dry roast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, fennel and star anise in a cast-iron skillet until lightly toasted. This takes a minute or two and smells gorgeous. Cool and mix with the other ingredients, grinding in a pestle and mortar or spice blender until the mixture resembles a fine powder.

Store in a glass-lidded container. This spicy mix is good for up to six months.

24

Toast raw quinoa over medium-high heat until slightly browned and nutty aroma.

In a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder and melted coconut oil. Stir in toasted quinoa, maple syrup and stevia.

Place bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill, then roll mixture into balls using hands.

Ras el Hanout Spice Mix

¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp candied orange, diced in small pieces ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt 2 Tbsp white chocolate, melted (optional)

This fragrant, versatile vinegar makes a delightful holiday gift that can be enjoyed for months. Rosemary vinegar is delicious in salad dressings, sprinkled on vegetables (it is especially good on Brussels sprouts, cabbage and other brassicas) or added to sauces and homemade mayonnaise. It is also an excellent natural cleaner.

Pour mixture onto a plate or sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

Sprinkle pistachios, dried cranberries, candied oranges and salt over the melted chocolate mixture. Drizzle white chocolate over the top and use a toothpick to create swirl effect if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Hafferty.

The vinegar will store for a long time in the refrigerator. When using in the kitchen, the level of vinegar will fall below the sprigs. When this happens, remove the rosemary—the vinegar will still taste of the herb. Use up any vinegar past its best as a bathroom cleaner.

Recipes courtesy of Stephanie Hafferty.

Fresh sprigs rosemary Light vinegar (organic apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar) Clean bottles Labels Wash the bottles and lids until they sparkle and then dry them thoroughly. Shake the rosemary sprigs to dislodge any dirt or insects if taken from the garden, then rinse and air dry.

Cut the rosemary so that it is two inches shorter than the bottle. This is so that all of the herb will be submerged in the vinegar. Place two sprigs of rosemary into each bottle. Cover with vinegar until the bottle is almost full and replace the lid.

Label creatively; a small sprig of dried rosemary tied to the outside of the bottle is a nice touch.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

Find more recipes at eNaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Add oats, add-ins, nut or seed butter, and liquid to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Mixture should be slightly sticky, but still crumbly.

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natural pet

The Monthly Naturally Healthy Pet Section Starts Here!

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

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26

HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Homemade Recipes They Will Love

by Tonya Wilhelm

C

ooking for our pets is a great way to ensure they are eating wholesome, nutritional foods. It’s also a fun way to customize a pet treat recipe to meet specific dietary needs. These three festive holiday treats will have a dog woofing for more and a cat purring for seconds. Choose organic, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Pumpkins and apples are always at the top of the culinary list for holiday treats. Not only are these two foods safe for pets, they offer health benefits. Both are packed with fiber, which helps dogs feel fuller. It’s also good for digestive and colon health and can yield firmer stool. For the kitty friends, that fiber also helps move hairballs along. In addition, apples contain phytonutrients and flavonoids like quercetin, which are helpful in treating allergies.

The chia seeds in this pet pie not only help firm up the pie, but are packed with nutrients that naturally boost energy. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a great source of antioxidants. They also contain minerals, fiber, calcium, protein and vitamins A, B, D and E. Cinnamon and ginger are wonderful spices to use in pet holiday treats. Both of these warming spices improve digestion and soothe the stomach lining. Select Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia cinnamon, because the latter contains higher amounts of coumarin, which can harm the liver and increase the risk of cancer. Ginger may act as a blood thinner, so don’t use it if a dog is going to have surgery or is pregnant. It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, so if a dog has heart issues or diabetes, talk to a vet.

When in doubt, leave it out.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Pumpkin Apple Pie

yield: depends on size of molds

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin 2 apples 5 eggs 1 cup goat’s milk 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 1 tsp ginger Remove and discard the apple core and seeds. Place all ingredients in a mixer and blend. Then set it aside for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to begin to expand.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into preferred baking dishes, either for a large pie or small, bite-sized muffins.

Bake approximately 15 minutes for small muffins or 40-60 minutes for a full-sized pie. Allow the pie to fully cool and set up before slicing and serving. Serve as a special treat to pets. Portion the remaining pie into serving sizes and freeze for later.

Eggnog for Pets Raw eggs can be a healthy addition to any fresh pet diet, assuming the animal doesn’t have an egg allergy. Cow’s milk isn’t the healthiest option for dogs and cats because they don’t tolerate its high level of alpha-s1-casein protein. Goat’s milk is a healthier option because it contains extremely low to no amounts of this protein, allowing better absorption of the nutrients.

4 eggs 2 cups goat’s milk 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

leah kelleyPexels.com

Blend all the ingredients. Either place a few tablespoons in the pet’s dish as a special treat or drizzle over the food.

Alternatively, place a silicone ice cube mold on a cookie sheet for support. The smaller the cavities, the better. Take the remaining eggnog, pour into the molds and place in the freezer. Once frozen, pop out the treats and store them in a glass container in the freezer. Try serving one frozen treat to each pet every few days.

hand or scooper and place on a lined or ceramic cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes until meatballs are set (they will be extra eggy).

Carefully remove and place on a cooling rack. Serve as a special treat. Place treats in a glass container and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze until ready to serve. Thaw completely before serving.

Tonya Wilhelm is a professional dog trainer, spreading the word about positive methods of preventing and managing behavioral issues with a holistic approach. For more information, visit RaisingYourPetsNaturally.com.

Beware of These Troublemakers n Caffeinated products. Gary Richter, a holistic veterinarian in Oakland, California, and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, suggests keeping caffeinated drinks and food away from pets. Caffeine contains stimulants called methylxanthines, and pets are much more sensitive to the effects of these substances than humans are. Ingesting even a small amount can make dogs vulnerable to caffeine poisoning, which can cause hyperactivity, panting, elevated heart rate, tremors, seizures and collapse.

Seek immediate veterinary care for treatment if these symptoms develop in a dog. n Artificial sweeteners. San Diego veterinarian Madison Rose says artificial sweeteners such as xylitol can cause a massive insulin release, leading to acute and profound hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar, and hypokalemia, or low potassium levels.

Marked by lethargy, ataxia, collapse, twitching or seizures, ingestion requires immediate veterinary care. n Raw, yeasty bread dough. This will expand when ingested, potentially causing a deadly twisting of the stomach. n Raisins and grapes. Common in holiday recipes, in large quantities, these can cause kidney failure in dogs. n Nutmeg. A toxin for pets. n Cooked bones. Not only are these choking hazards, they can pose a serious threat to the digestive tract.

Turkey Meatballs Making treats for cats can be tricky. The best bet is to head to the meat department. Even the most finicky of kitties will gobble up this healthy treat.

1 lb ground turkey 2 eggs ½ Tbsp dried peppermint Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Form into tablespoon balls using your

Final Journey,

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( Pet Euthanasia Service )

Kristen Klie, D.V. M. and Associates

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December 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

28

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 28.

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.

community resource guide 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.

AYURVEDA

EDUCATION 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.

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

ENERGY HEALING BETH LEAS

Transformative Healing • Tarot 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com • TLCTarot.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 5.

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.

SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

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.

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

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Safe, painless early detection 71 East Ave, Ste D, Norwalk 203-856-1421 AlbaThermalImaging.com

WAYNE LEISS, LMT

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ALBA THERMAL IMAGING LLC

ESSENTIAL OILS

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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.

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.

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 9.

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\

December 2020

29

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 13.

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 5.

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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 5.

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 13.

.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

HOLISTIC NEW DAY COUNSELING SERVICES

Jessica Lima, MS, LCSW Holistic Psychotherapy/Coaching 158 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-260-5769 HolisticNewDay@gmail.com Jessica will align with you on your journey to emotional and physical well-being. Combining her traditional psychotherapy background with her certification in integrative healing, she will work with you in exploring a more holistic approach to feelings of anxiety, depression, stress and more.

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 10.

Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley Edition

eNaturalAwakenings.com

NANCY SCHERLONG, LCSW

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

REIKI 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.

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 andchildren 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 11.

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 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 5.

SALT CAVE OF DARIEN

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.

classifieds BOOKS 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.

HELP WANTED 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. Resume/interest/references to PO Box 2186, New Preston, CT 06777.

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203TLC 2 The Angel Cooperative/ Angel Wing

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Final Journey LLC

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Greenwich Reindeer Festival

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Optimal Health Medical/ Henry Sobo, MD

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Collaborative Natural Health Partners

Your Best Health starts today.

In Network with: Aetna, Anthem, CTcare, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Oxford

Comprehensive Primary Care Naturopathic Medicine Acupuncture Advanced Diagnostic Testing IV Nutrients, Bioidentical hormones & compounded medications

Connect with us from anywhere!

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ctnaturalhealth.com (860)533-0179