Natural Awakenings Fairfield County June 2014

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

feel good • live simply • laugh more

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Special Edition

Inspired Living

The Healing Power of Story Discover Your Soul Signature Living Off the Land

Musician with a Cause

Jack Johnson’s Eco-Aware Tours

Whoa! to Limitations

Therapeutic Riding Empowers Kids Recognize and Naturally Treat

Thyroid Imbalance

June 2014 | Fairfield County Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

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The Natural Choice – The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center

Optimize Your Smile and Your Health!

Whole-Body Dentistry® provides comprehensive oral health care using traditional and holistic approaches. We understand the “mouth-body connection.”

Mark A. Breiner, DDS

Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry Fellow of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology Speaker and best-selling author of Whole-Body Dentistry®

Mercury-free for over 30 years, Dr. Breiner is a pioneer and recognized authority in the field of biological and holistic dentistry.

WholeBodyDentistry.com 203-371-0300

5520 Park Ave., Trumbull / Fairfield town line at Exit 47 off Merritt Pkwy

Doesn’t it make sense to see the authority?

The Natural Choice – The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center Caring Naturopathic Physicians Offering the Best in Holistic Healing

Our integrative approach treats a widerange of conditions including: ADD/ADHD Allergies Anxiety & Depression Autism Brain Injuries Candidiasis Chronic Fatigue (or Fatigue Concerns) Difficulty Concentrating Female Concerns Fibromaylgia

Gastrointestinal Concerns Healthy Aging Hormonal Issues Immune Disorders Lyme Disease RSD Sports Injuries Stress-related Symptoms Thyroid & Adrenal Issues Toxicities Weight Gain

Learn more about our approach. Watch our new therapy videos – all on our website!

We can help you get your health back in balance naturally with proven treatments and therapies:

From left to right:

Dr. Adam Breiner, ND, Director Dr. Elena Sokolova, MD, ND & Dr. David M. Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN

WholeBodyMed.com 203-371-8258

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) EEG Neurofeedback Acupuncture Chinese Medicine Homeopathy Energy Medicine Electrodermal Screening Metabolic Typing

Functional Medicine Colon Hydrotherapy Natural Hormone Therapy Herbal Medicine Nutritional Assessment Allergy Desensitization FDA-cleared Phototherapy Detoxification Abdominal Manual Therapy

FREE CDs on our Whole-Body approach to Lyme Disease.

Call now for details.

Office located on the Fairfield/Trumbull line

Whole-Body Medicine, LLC – The Natural Approach for Optimal Health 2

Fairfield County Edition

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Homeopathic Medicine Energy Healing Food and Nutrition Ayurvedic (Indian) Medicine Expressive Art Therapy Traditional Chinese Medicine Naturopathic Healing and more!

eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

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contents

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

24 Fairfield County’s Green Food Passionista

Introducing Natural

Awakenings’ New Food Editor!

by Nicole Miale

26 THE HEALING POWER OF STORY

How Telling Our Truths Can Set Us Free

by Judith Fertig

30 How to Live Inspired and Be Inspiring

by Rachel Archelaus

33 UNLEASHING

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL with Panache Desai

38 WHOA! TO LIMITATIONS 38 Therapeutic Horseback Riding Strengthens Kids

by Cyndee Woolley

42 MUSICIAN WITH A CAUSE

Jack Johnson Plans Shows with the Planet in Mind

by Meredith Montgomery

TO DETOXIFY YOUR BEDROOM

by Chris Chamberlin

52 Men and Thyroid Imbalance

Surprising Symptoms Go Unrecognized

by Jaime A. Heidel

4

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

30

by April Thompson

50 AFFORDABLE WAYS

Shop Natural Awakenings’ Online Webstore for More Special, Natural Products

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WHY AN ORGANIC MATTRESS IS RIGHT FOR YOU

7 newsbriefs 18 healthbriefs 20 globalbriefs 24 communityspotlight 33 wisewords 34 naturallyhealthypet 44 36 naturalpet 41 petresourceguide While we sleep, our immune system recovers and 42 greenliving prepares for the day ahead. If your mattress is filled with airborne allergens and chemical toxins, your 44 consciouseating immune system will battle these rather than repair itself. Regular bedding & mattresses are laden with 56 healingways polyurethane foam, toxic flame retardants, will and water While we sleep, our immune system recovers will battle these rather than While repair itself.

While While we we we sleep, sleep, sleep, our our our immune immune immune system system system recovers recovers recovers will will battle battle battle these these these rather rather rathe th or stain with resistant chemicals. and prepares for the day ahead.

If your Regular bedding & mattresses are laden and and and prepares prepares prepares for for for the the the day day day ahead. ahead. ahead.

If If your If your your Regular Regular Regular bedding bedding bedding & & mat & ma m 58 57 fitbody and chemical toxins, your immune system and water or stain resistant and chemicals. and and chemical chemical chemical toxins, toxins, toxins, your your your immune immune immune system system system and and and water water water ororor stain stain stain resis resi re 58 healthykids Organic Innerspring Mattresses Organic Innerspring Mattresses 60 calendar Natural Latex Organic Mattresses Organic Organic Organic Innerspring Innerspring Innerspring Mattresses Mattresses Mattresses Natural Natural Natural Latex Latex Latex Organic Organic Organic Mat MM Our cotton innerspring mattresses are made with organic cotton batting and organic wool — free from 64 classifieds chemicals and pesticides! Great for those who are chemically sensitive or allergic to latex. A good fit 65 resourceguide

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WHY AN ORGANIC MATTRESSWHY WHY WHYAN AN ANORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANICMATTRE MATTRE MATTRE IS RIGHT FOR YOU ISISISRIGHT RIGHT RIGHTFOR FOR FORYOU YOU YOU

advertising & submissions

for families on a budget because an innerspring is generally less expensive than a latex mattress.

Natural Latex Organic Mattresses how to advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 203-885-4674 or When it comes to latex there’s “natural” and then there’s “all natural”. We sell only “all natural” latex email NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

Our cotton innerspring mattresses are made with When it comes to latex there’s “natural” and then there’s so Our Our Our cotton cotton cotton innerspring innerspring innerspring mattresses mattresses mattresses are are made made made with with with When When When it itcomes itcomes comes totolatex tolatex latex there ther th mattresses you are sleep chemical-free.

Beware Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month. organic cotton batting and organic wool – free from “all natural”. We sell only “all natural” latex mattresses organic organic organic cotton cotton cotton batting batting batting and and and organic organic organic wool wool wool – –free –free free from from from “all “all “all natural”. natural”. natural”.

We We We sell sell sell only only only “all “a

chemicals and pesticides! Great for those who are

Editorial submissions

for families on a budget because an innerspring is Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com. generally less expensive than a latex mattress.

mattress stores online and in your neighborhood selling sosoyou soyou you sleep sleep sleep chemical-free. chemical-free chemical-fre mattresses.

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Great Great Great for those those those who who who are are are “natural” or “green” orforfor “sustainable” foam online and in your neighborhood selling “natural” or This is “green wash” marketing hype. “green” or “sustainable” foam mattresses.

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MATTRESS FROM THE CLEAN BEDROOM MATTRESS MATTRESS MATTRESS FROM FROM FROM THE THE THE CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing When we found out what was in our mattress, my husband When When When wewefound we found found out out out what what whw We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We We We We have have have anan A+ an A+ A+ rating rating with with with the the the Better Better Better Business Business Business Bureau.

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June 2014

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letterfrompublisher

T

his month’s special focus on Inspired Living feels to me like a logical continuation of the exploration of intuition we featured in last month’s edition. Once you’ve tapped into your intuition and start working with that inner guidance system, you can’t help but live a more inspired life. We feature several articles this month discussing the concept and offering practical strategies to help you feel more in flow with your inspiration.

contact us

Nicole Miale

Publisher/Managing Editor Nicole Miale Assistant Editor Ariana Rawls Fine Food Editor Analiese Paik Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills Contributing Writers Jaime A. Heidel Beth Leas Natasha Michaels Sales & Marketing Nicole Miale Francesca Moscatelli Analiese Paik Virginia Trinque Distribution Man in Motion LLC

In my work as publisher of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County, I am constantly meeting and being inspired by people who are living lives very different from those they started out with. This month, I conducted two interviews on subsequent days with people who said almost the exact same words. To paraphrase them, “I did this because it wasn’t there when I wanted it and I realized I could fill a need for other people so they wouldn’t have to search like I did.” I am incredibly inspired by the notion and these individuals.

I LOVE the principle that compassion and sharing of information was the driving force behind now-successful business enterprises. When they began, people may have wondered about the value of their proposition, but they blazed their trails and are now making our corner of the world a better place for it.

Natural Awakenings Fairfield County Phone: 203-885-4674 Fax: 203-516-2392 NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

It’s a busy time of year with some great events occurring in our area this month.

Be sure to check out the news briefs and calendar as well as display ads to learn about educational and fun activities to suit every taste. Natural Awakenings will be in Stamford on June 1 for the first Awaken Fair in CT, then at Sticks & Stones Farm in Newtown on June 14 for the Farm’s annual Open House. You can also find us this month at Ann’s Place Golf Tournament in Danbury and SoupStock in Shelton.

eNaturalAwakenings.com NAWebstore.com NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com © 2014 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.

One of these people is Natural Awakenings Fairfield County’s new Food Editor, Analiese Paik, profiled in a Community Spotlight this month. Her award-winning website FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com is a free resource she created to fill a community information void. I am thrilled to have her join our team to share her passion and expertise with our amazing and loyal readers. Beginning in the July issue, Analiese will be spearheading a new monthly local section devoted to our bustling local organic and sustainable fresh food scene.

Natural Awakenings is everywhere! :-)

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

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

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $15 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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Fairfield County Edition

Coming in July: Natural Awakenings launches its new Fairfield Green Food Guide monthly section!

Making it easier to find fresh, local food you want to eat!”

natural awakenings

newsbriefs Babes & Barre Help New Moms Get in Shape

G

o Figure Barre Studios’s New Canaan and Darien locations are launching new Babes & Barre classes for new moms. Getting back in shape is often a priority for new mothers, but it can be a challenge to squeeze in a workout with a newborn. In this program, moms can bring their babies along for a lowimpact workout specifically designed for a woman’s postpartum body.

The Babes & Barre program was developed by fitness professional and certified Go Figure instructor, Caroline George. With an emphasis on strengthening and toning muscle groups that require extra attention in postpartum women, she created the Babes & Barre program to allow new moms to tone- up and care for their babies with greater ease. Babies are gently and safely incorporated into classes that focus on abdominals, upper back muscles, thighs, pectorals and glutes to improve balance while reducing stress and fatigue.

Babes & Barre will be offered at Go Figure New Canaan every Monday and Wednesday at 3pm. Go Figure Darien will hold the classes at 11:45am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information, visit GoFigureStudios.com. In Connecticut, Go Figure Barre Studios currently has four locations: Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan and Westport.

Host Families Sought for European Students

E

ducation First’s Educational Homestay Program is bringing 70 international students from France and Italy to the area for three weeks this summer to study English and experience U.S. culture. The program is inviting welcoming and caring families to host one or two students in their homes for less than three weeks in July.

They will arrive on July 3 and depart on July 22. Students are between 13 and 17 years old and, as a host, families will have the opportunity to help select the student that will live in their home. During the program, students will be studying English at Milford’s Harborside Middle School in the mornings and participate in fun, cultural activities during weekday afternoons.

For families interested in hosting students, more information can be found at ef.edu/ehp/Our-Locations/New-York/NewHaven.

Are You Looking For A Doctor Who Will Address More Than Just Your Symptoms?

• Pediatrics • ADD/ADHD • Diabetes • Food Sensitivities • Eczema

• Asthma • Allergies • Insomnia • Abnormal Paps • Thyroid Disorders

• Women’s Health • Fertility • Hormonal Imbalance • Anxiety and Depression • Weight Loss

Treatments include herbal medicine, functional medicine, biotherapeutic drainage, homeopathy, low-level laser therapy, and detoxification programs.

Shalva Clinic, LLC

Dr. Ellen Lewis Naturopathic Physician

The Center for Natural Medicine 260 Riverside Avenue Westport, CT 06880 p 203.916.4600 f 203.916.4601 www.ShalvaClinic.org Info@ShalvaClinic.org

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June 2014

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newsbriefs Amedei Chocolate Tasting Workshop

A

naliese Paik, editor and founder of the award-winning website Fairfield Green Food Guide, will present a Chocolate Tasting Workshop on June 5, from 6:15-7:30pm at Olivette in Darien.

The event will feature the fine chocolates of Amedei, a Tuscany-based, bean-to-bar chocolate maker considered to be one of the finest in the world.

The special tasting workshop will include five chocolate bars, including rare and award-winning Chuao and Porcelana, made from cacao sourced directly from top quality growers around the world. Attendees will learn about the history of chocolate, challenges cacao farmers face when growing rare “flavor” beans, and the work of companies like Amedei to preserve heirloom plantations. Explore the science of taste with fun exercises and savor each chocolate during a guided tasting using an aroma wheel and aroma bar. Guests are taught to taste chocolate like the pros do, including specialized vocabulary for recording their sensory analysis on a tasting worksheet.

For reservations, call 203-621-0643. The cost is $20 per person.

Olivette is located at 1084 Post Rd, Darien. See ad, pg 45.

3T 200-Hour RYT Teacher Training Offered

M

anipura Power Yoga, a new yoga studio in Brookfield, is offering a 3-week 3T 200 Hour RYT Teacher Training program, beginning July 12 and ending August 6. Students will complete 150 required contact hours. Each week is broken into a tiered approach and covers the requirements of Yoga Alliance RYS. An additional 50 non-contact hours are required for certification.

Manipura Power Yoga holds 50 yoga classes every week and brings to the community a mindful yoga practice, physical asana and a mission to end suffering. “Suffering comes in two forms - physical and mental,” says Aaron Warren, director of the studio. “Both can be relieved by movement and the emptying of the mind, which in turn creates mindfulness.” For centuries, yoga students have found that through the practice of yoga, the condition of both the body and mind improve.

Manipura Power Yoga is located at 265 Federal Rd, Brookfield, in the back of the building next to the Rolling Wood Community Center. For more information about the teacher training program, contact Aaron Warren at Warrenat@comcast.net or call 917-209-3715. The course will be held July 12-16, July 1923 and August 2-6. See ad, page 49.

DID YOU REALIZE THAT

TOXINS Toxins drive neurological, metabolic (including weight gain), immune and cardiovascular illnesses – and any disease ending in “itis”. We have the knowledge and technology to help your body heal itself. For 25+ years, our patients have enjoyed remarkable success with naturopathic treatments which cleanse, detox, nourish, repair and balance. Call us to schedule an appointment:

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Fairfield County Edition

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ARE OFTEN THE ROOT CAUSE OF

INFLAMMATION?

D r M a r v i n S c h w e i t z e r. c o m 2 0 3 . 8 4 7. 2 7 8 8

1 We s t p o r t A v e n u e Norwalk, CT 06851

New Green & Tonic Location in New Canaan

G

reen & Tonic, an organic juice and plant-based food café in Fairfield County, is expanding with a new location at 5 Burtis Avenue in New Canaan, expected to open in late June.

Green & Tonic is a grab-and-go destination for organic, juices, smoothies and plant-based meals and snacks.

“New Canaan is a special town with a deep commitment to healthy living. We’re thrilled to be part of the community and grateful for the warm welcome we’ve already received,” says owner Cai Pandolfino. Green & Tonic offers a diverse menu of hot and cold organic plant-based foods available for casual in-store dining or takeout, including breakfast, lunch and light dinner options.

“Eating well and living well go hand in hand. Eating deliciously prepared foods that are deeply nourishing, restorative and energizing is foundational to finding a healthy life balance.” said Green & Tonic Education & Wellness Director Jamie McKeown. The store also offers a range of nutritional cleanse programs featuring foods, juices and supplements to support a variety of health needs and goals.

For more information, visit GreenandTonic.com or call 855-GoGandT. Green & Tonic has stores in Greenwich, Cos Cob and Darien as well as in Mamaroneck and Armonk in New York.

Norwalk’s Sugar & Olives Recognized as a Certified Green Restaurant

S

ugar & Olives has received recognition as a Certified Green Restaurant and boasts three stars from the Green Restaurant Association.

It is among a select few restaurants in the U.S. to receive these recognitions. In order to become a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant, Sugar & Olives has implemented 61 steps and earned 204.83 GreenPoints in six environmental categories: energy, water, waste, food, packaging and chemicals.

Generally, restaurants generate over 300 million tons of garbage every year. Sugar & Olives has reduced its waste by about 50% through recycling and is 100 percent styrofoamfree. The restaurant buys local, cooks what is in season and generates very little waste. It does not use plastic, serves filtered water in reusable glass jars, lets ingredients shine, buys whole animals from reliable sources and supports local farmers.

For more information, visit SugarandOlives.com or call 203454-3663. The restaurant is located at 21 1/2 Lois St, Norwalk.

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June 2014

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newsbriefs Mindful Eating for Weight Loss

Yoga ~ Reiki~ Coaching

Create a healthy, relaxed, and joyful you Save 20% on all wellneSS ServiceS

914-393-9221 www.Limitless-Potential.net Experience a Himalayan Salt Cave …Now Here in Ridgefield Experience

Saltana C ve

the Fairfield County's First & Only Therapeutic Himalayan Salt Cave In a salt cave, you are immediately surrounded by tons of Himalayan salt rocks, just as if you were in a salt mine. Relaxing on zero gravity lounge chairs to soothing music, experience serenity & peace in just minutes Salt therapy is: known to significantly improve respiratory issues in children & adults, asthma, allergies, countering the side effects of smoking and pollution, cystic fibrosis, acne naturally anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal ~ Like us on Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saltana-Cave/477550062298188

590 Danbury Road,Ridgefield 203-969-4327 SaltanaCave.com

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

K

ristina Hess of Thrive Results Coaching will be leading a “Mindful Eating for Weight Loss” program starting June 3 from 7-9pm at Total Life Care Center in Norwalk.

During the 6-week course, participants will learn to tap into their intuition around food, recognize natural hunger and satiety cycles, better understand cravings, choose foods that are both pleasurable and nourishing, reclaim a healthy relationship with food and stop emotional eating patterns.

“Being mindful about eating helps you break free from routine habits by examining the thoughts, feeling and internal pressures that affect how and why you overeat or restrict,” says Hess.

The mindfulness-based eating awareness curriculum was inspired by the mindfulness-based stress reduction program created by Jon Kabat Zinn, successfully used in a NIH-funded study of people with compulsive binge eating disorder. “Nearly everyone struggles with emotional eating and engages in mindless eating. Learning to eat mindfully will avail you of more self awareness, help you to slow down, connect with your food and help you naturally release unwanted behaviors and pounds,” continues Hess.

To register, visit Tinyurl.com/mz6exoe or call 203-984-7989. Cost: $225 per person. Location: Total Life Care Center is located at 152 East Ave, Norwalk. See ad, page 22.

TIOSN’s Open House at Holcomb Farm

T

he Institute of Sustainable Nutrition (TIOSN) will host a free open house at Holcomb Farm in West Granby on June 25 from 6:30 to 8pm. TIOSN is inviting interested visitors to meet the staff and students, tour the farm and share some food while learning about its unique one-year certification program.

The experiential and interactive program, which is currently in the middle of its first year, is designed to connect individuals to their food and where it comes from. Students learn about the plant model, conduct soil testing, plant garlic, start seeds and tend crops as they grow. They build and keep a beehive as well as forage for wild food to prepare at the farm. In addition to learning about the cultural and scientific aspects of nutrition, students practice mindful eating and enjoy meals prepared together.

“We have made teas, tonics and kitchen medicine to keep us healthy through the cold and flu season, fermented foods to develop a healthy human microbiome, had a visit and workshop with Sandor Katz and dehydrated foods for storage and eating,” says Institute founder Joan Palmer.

TIOSN is now accepting applications for its 2014-2015 class.

For open house reservations or for more information, call 860-764-9070 or visit tiosn.com. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes to the open house. Holcomb Farm is located at 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby. See ad, page 25.

Local, Indie Community Pharmacy Opens in Fairfield

U

nity Pharmacy, a new local, independent community pharmacy has opened in Fairfield. The pharmacy differentiates itself with a strong focus on customer service and providing services such as free delivery and consultations on issues including diabetes, hypertension and skin ailments. In addition, the pharmacy plans to stock Ayurvedic medicines to supplement conventional medications.

Naga Mulpuri, Unity Pharmacy’s owner and pharmacist, has more than seven years of experience and spent five years working for a national chain before running a local independent store to gain experience to open her store. “Local businesses serve the community better as the revenues generated always go back to the local economy and help create jobs,” Mulpuri says.

Unity Pharmacy accepts most prescription plans and provides savings for the customers by providing competitive pricing. It also provides special blister and bubble packing apart from offering compounding services. Advanced services are provided, including prescription synchronization and providing mobile reminders to customers to pick up medication or for local delivery. Customers can put in refill requests through the pharmacy website or from the free Unity Pharmacy App on mobile phones.

For more information, call 203-955-1781, visit Stores.HealthMart.com/UnityPharmacy or email UnityPharmacyMail@yahoo.com.

clean + organic

detox + cleanse Become your radiant self Now is the time to get Clean & Lean in 2014! Grass+Rxoots is a movement that considers the power of organic food in every decision. We specialize in customized detox cleanses created to boost weightloss, vitality and radiance with the highest quality organic ingredients available.

Scan QR code located on this bottle with your mobile device for more information.

www.GrassRxoots.com 197 Sound Beach Ave. Old Greenwich CT 06870 1.203.637.4343

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June 2014

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newsbriefs Sticks & Stones Farm Open House: A Natural Awakenings Community Connections Event!

O

n June 14 from 11am-4pm, Sticks & Stones Farm in Newtown will hold their Annual Open House & Mountain Laurel Festival, sponsored by Natural Awakenings Fairfield County as a Community Connections event.

Join a like-minded conscious community for a day of family fun featuring music, nature, healthy living inspiration and food. Walk the labyrinth, join in a drumming circle, learn about gardening or healing techniques, treat yourself to a chair massage, enjoy the Mountain Laurel Garden, or simply hike the trails throughout the beautiful setting of the 60-acre farm.

A free event open to the community, the fun will begin at 11 am and continue all day. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for walking. A preliminary schedule of events can be found on page 17.

Sticks & Stones Farm is located at 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. For more information, visit SticksandStonesFarm. com. See ad, page 28.

Take Shape For Life in Norwalk

M

ark Joachim, DC, will be hosting monthly orientations to the “Take Shape for Life” program at his Norwalk office to introduce the program and support those currently enrolled. The next orientations will take place on June 10 and June 24 at 6:30pm.

The Take Shape For Life program, Dr. Mark Joachim featuring MediFast, is a complete lifestyle program that includes meal replacements combined with the education and support of Joachim’s team. Studies show the average person lost 2-4 pounds per week without hunger, cravings or loss of muscle tissue, while experiencing significant improvements in existing health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

“Having an effective weight-management program that can easily be integrated into one’s life is, in our opinion, the most basic yet powerful thing we can do to look good, feel good, fight disease and slow the aging process… My staff and I have been evaluating this program and have helped dozens of people lose weight, while teaching them how to keep the weight off for good,” Joachim states.

For more information and registration, call 203-838-1555.

Location: Associates in Family Chiropractic office,156 East Ave, Norwalk. See ad, page 14.

Listening and Caring Wouldn’t you prefer a doctor who makes time for both?

Naturopathic Medicine Services Offered:

General Family Medicine Acupuncture Dr. Susan Rzucidlo, ND

Facial Rejuvenation– “The Natural Facelift” Pediatrics

Diet & Nutritional Counseling

Anthem, BC/BS, Oxford, Aetna insurance accepted

Botanical Medicine

Conditions Treated: Allergies Arthritis Diabetes Heart Disease PMS Chronic Pain Any many others…

The Center for Naturopathic Medicine, Inc. 3335 Main Street, Stratford • (203) 377-1525

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Worden Wellness Education Center Launches Workshops

nutrition & wellness,

LLC

Gail Perrella, M.S., C.N.S.

BioEnergetic Assessment Natural healing is enhanced by

creating harmony between one’s body and the natural environment.

BEA is a cutting edge, non-invasive, highly comprehensive tool that utilizes a computer-based system of testing to measure “pathways” of energy called meridians which flow through the body.

BEA provides detailed information into a wide range of health-related issues and it’s value should not be underestimated.

Call today for a free consultation 203-710-3925

NEwTowN HyPNoSiS

T

he new Worden Wellness Education Center in Danbury will launch the first in a series of live monthly free health information sessions on May 29 from 7:15-8:15pm. Tom Worden, DC and Virginia Trinque, CHHC, AADP, will present on “Cellular Cleansing, Detoxification and Rejuvenation.”

The center is also introducing its healthy living program, beginning with an 11-day whole food, whole body cleanse titled “Eat Your Way to Wellness.” The workshop, given by Worden and Trinque, a holistic health and nutrition counselor, will take place June 5-22 at the center. Attendees will learn more about cleansing and detoxing and why we need to detox our bodies, what effects it can have on health and how to accomplish that change, how the body rejuvenates and the program options that are available. There will be pre- and post-cleanse office visits with Worden with goal setting, outcome expectations and personal support from Trinque via email and a private Facebook forum.

Worden Wellness Center offers an integrated approach of chiropractic, acupuncture and nutrition to incorporate therapeutic lifestyle changes.

31 Hawleyville Road Newtown, CT 203-641-5481 NewtownHypnosis.com

Ronna Brier, M.A., CH

2103 Main Street Stratford, CT 06615 Monday - Friday 8:00am - 6:00pm www.blissnutritionct.com

Specializing in: • Hypnosis • Reiki • Shamanistic Healing • Neurolinguistic Programming • Emotional Freedom Technique • Metaphysical Hypnosis

Effective treatment for stress reduction, fears and phobias, weight loss, past life regression, communicating with spirit and animal guides.

Eyecare Associates, LLC E�������� P���������� T������ V����� www.cteyecareassociates.com

There’s More To Healthy Vision Than 20/20 Eyesight Eyes Are Important Indicators Of Overall Health • Comprehensive eye exams for all ages • High quality eyeglasses and specialty contact lenses • Exceptional treatment for eye diseases • LASIK and Refractive Surgery co-management • Solutions for dry eyes, computer use, and sports 3 Locations in Southern Fairfield County

6515 Main Street Trumbull, CT 06611 203-374-2020

2600 Post Road Southport, CT 06890 203-255-4005

139 Main Street Norwalk, CT 06851 203-840-1991

Beautiful Color Shouldn't Be Hazardous To Your Health The best thing about our products is what we leave out!

No Ammonia • No Parabens No Scalp Staining • No Scalp Discomfort Best Eco Salon

For more information and to register, call 203-748-8093 or visit WordenWellnessCenter.com. Worden Wellness Center is located at 41 Kenosia Ave, Danbury. See ad, page 29.

838 Main Street • Monroe • Tollgate Plaza Tues & Fri 9-5 • Wed & Thur 9-8 • Sat 8-4

203-261-2838 SalonAponte.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

make-up

June 2014

13

Be Allergy Free No Medication or Shots Needed!

“Eczema, gastric reflux, bloating, asthma, sinus conditions and digestive problems are often caused by food and chemical allergies.“ Seasonal, food, and environmental allergies can be eliminated with a revolutionary, noninvasive, child-friendly technique!

Enhance immune and digestive system function to assist the body in the natural healing process with computerized allergy testing, treatment, elimination, and enzyme therapy.

FREE E-Book: “How To Stop Suffering From Food Sensitivities, ‘Allergies’ and Digestion Problems” Download at: www.AllergyEliminationNorwalk.com

Call 203-838-1555 for a complimentary consultation

Dr. Mark Joachim Associates in Family Chiropractic 156 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851 www.AllergyEliminationNorwalk.com

Hunter Healing Hands For Body, Mind, & Soul

Classes Workshops Drum Circles Reiki Shares Private Healing Sessions by Appointment

Jessica C. Hunter

Shamanic Practitioner & OM Certified Reiki Master Teacher Certified Crystal Therapy Practitioner Empath Intuitive, Shamanic Medium Spiritual Teacher

203-916-8381

www.hunterhealinghands.com hunterhealinghands@hotmail.com

Personal Wellness Center Inspiring You to Live Your Best Life!

• Intuitive/Psychic Readings • Mediumistic Readings • Holistic Health Coaching • Health & Healing Program for Cancer Patients

1895 Post Rd, Fairfield Sage Osa 203.767.6237 ~ MyPersonalWellness.com 14

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

newsbriefs Wellness Fair with Hands And Paws-Reiki For All

H

ands And Paws-Reiki For All is offering a wellness fair catering to both people and pets on June 29 from 10am to 2pm in New Milford as it expands its wellness and educational offerings.

Join hosts Mary Oquendo RM, ACM, and Pam Pollard, RM, in welcoming Donna Gleason, a dog behaviorist and trainer, and Virginia Trinque, a holistic health and nutrition coach. Trinque is now offering health coaching, workshops, and whole food, whole body detox programs at Hands and Paws. Kim Staffieri from Do Terra essential oils is offering workshops for humans and animals. The wellness fair will also feature Laura Sanger Watkins, Reiki III practitioner and natal astrologer, Sandy Mendelson, integrated light therapists and more. Food and prizes will be available.

Hands And Paws-Reiki For All offers wellness programs such as Reiki, crystal therapy, integrated energy, drumming, natal chart and compatibility readings, energy space clearings and various workshops.

For more information, visit HandsandPawsReiki.com or call 203-994-5308. Hands And Paws-Reiki For All is located at 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford. See ad, pg 39.

Farmer’s Table Moves Across the Street

F

armer’s Table, a New Canaan farmto-table restaurant run by Chef Robert Ubaldo, has reopened across the street in a larger location. An expanded food and drink menu will be available in addition to more indoor and outdoor accommodations for customers. Although the restaurant will have a liquor license, guests may continue bringing their own as they did in the original location.

Chef Ubaldo uses fresh ingredients from reliable and responsible sources and grows and raises the food whenever possible, including in his own organic garden in Pound Ridge. His beef, pork, chicken and duck items are supplied by his brother’s 185-acre, organic farm, John Boy’s Farm, located in Cambridge, New York.

Farmer’s Table is currently serving dinner and will soon offer lunch. The restaurant’s hours are Monday through Wednesday from 5-9pm and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5-10pm.

Farmer’s Table is located at 12 Forest St, New Canaan. For more information and reservations, call 203-594-7890.

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June 2014

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Kindred Spirits

Relax, Enjoy, Let Your Spirit Shine Through

coverartist

Interfaith Ministry Services Energy Sessions (Reiki, Rising Star) Certification Classes (Reiki, Rising Star) Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Ear Coning • Meditation Classes Intuitive/Clarity Sessions Group Workshops • Buddhist Chanting

A Center for the Mind, Body, & Soul

203-938-3690 www.kindredspiritscenter.com 59 Ledgewood Road, Redding, CT 06896

Do You Suffer with Lower Back Pain, Neck, Arm, Leg Pain, or a Spine Pain Condition?

Let Cox® Technic Be Your Pain Relief Solution Cox®Technic

Non-surgical, doctor-controlled, hands-on, gentle spinal manipulation performed on The Cox Table

Call Today for a Consultation

Dr. Kristine DeMarco Chiropractic Physician

203-333-6544

Black Rock Holistic Health Center

825 Kings Highway East Fairfield, CT 06825

Musculoskeletal Care • Acute & Chronic Pain Graston Technique • Nutritional Consults Certified Acupuncturist

Lipo-Light is the new nonsurgical state-of-the-art technology alternative to Liposuction. It is completely non-invasive, does not cause any discomfort, and no down time.

It is based on the principle of biophotomodulation. Infrared light at 635 nanometers is absorbed by fat cells causing the cell’s pores to open and excrete the fatty acid contents into the surrounding fluid. The fat is taken away by the lymphatic system and consumed by body metabolism. The result is immediate loss of inches.

Only One Offer Per Person Restrictions May Apply New Patients Only Offer Expires 7/31/14

Happiness in Perpetuity

by Paul Bond Paul Bond’s magic realism art illuminates a dreamlike world where anything is possible, as he deftly juxtaposes and rearranges common elements to convey universal spiritual or metaphysical ideas. Sometimes, his paintings are simply uplifting illusions, expressing the whimsical, surreal and fantastic side of life. They are always soothing, visual meditations that delight the imagination and stir the soul.

Rearranging familiar objects gives Bond the visual symbols he uses as a language to reflect an emotion or thought he’s entertaining at the moment. “Often, a painting is born from something randomly seen from a car window or a line in a novel or a song,” he explains. “If it stirs my curiosity, it finds its way into my work.”

About Happiness in Perpetuity, he says, “We create our experience and physical environment based on our beliefs and thoughts. Those who wait for outer experiences to make them happy are at a disadvantage—happiness is simply a choice, based on our desire for it.”

View the artist’s portfolio at PaulBondArt.com.

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Natural Awakenings Community Connections Saturday, June 14 • 11am – 4pm

hosted by Sticks and Stones Farm 201 Huntingtown Rd in Newtown

Back by Popular Demand! Sticks and Stones has invited us all back for their annual Open House. Join us for a day of music, nature, healthy living inspiration and family fun. Walk the labyrinth; stroll the Mountain Laurel and Moss Garden; hike the trails throughout the beautiful and magical setting of this 60-acre farm. A free event! Rain or Shine.

Sticks & Stones Open House Schedule of Events*

11:00

11:00 11:00 – 2:00

11:30

11:30 12:00 & 1:30

12:00 – 2:00 12:00 & 2:30 1:00 & 2:30

1:00 – 4:00 1:30 -2:30

2:00

2:00

2:30

2:30

3:00

3:00

3:30

3:30

Drumming Circle Green Drinks Workshop led by Amie Hall Chair Massage mini-sessions with laura Carlson of laura Carlson Massage Tai Chi Demonstration led by Linda Gilchrist Kid’s Yoga Class with Chiara of Kismet Kids Yoga Plant hike, fire demonstration and interactive nature table led

by Justin Pegnataro of Two Coyotes Wilderness School Farm-to-Table Fresh Fare served from the Farm’s kitchen DoTerra Essential Oils Workshop hosted by Kim Staffieri of SOUND The Institute for Sustainable Nutrition taught by Joan Palmer and TIOSN instructors Chair massage mini-sessions with Karle Kern Crystal Cymbalogy will provide the sound and meditative backdrop for a labyrinth walk Ukelele Beginners Lesson by Uncle Zac, “the Uke Guy” Square Foot Gardening 101 with Amie Hall Yoga class by Aga Chapska Clean Food Basics taught by Eliana Grubel Family Friendly Super Smoothies hosted by Amie Hall Stone Puzzle Demonstration by Ethan Currier Drumming Circle *Events and timing subject to Fantasy Woods Walk with Justin Pegnataro change. Check website for updates.

Ongoing All-day Events* • Hourly Raffle Give-aways! • Meet Manny in the Garden! • Labyrinth walk • Stone puzzle table… fun for all ages!

• Farm scavenger hunt for the kids! • Tim Currier’s Moss Stroll up the mountain

For more information call 808-640-5540 SticksandStonesFarm.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

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healthbriefs

Mindfulness Meditation Reduces the Urge to Light Up

M

indfulness meditation training may help people overcome addiction by activating the brain centers involved in self-control and addictive tendencies, suggests research from the psychology departments of Texas Tech University and the University of Oregon.

Scientists led by Yi-Yuan Tang, Ph.D., studied 61 volunteers, including 27 smokers, randomly divided into groups that either received mindfulness meditation training or relaxation training.

Two weeks later, after five hours of training, smoking among those in the meditative group decreased by 60 percent, while no significant reduction occurred in the relaxation group.

Brain imaging scans determined that the mindfulness meditation training produced increased activity in the anterior cingulate and the prefrontal cortex; regions associated with self-control. Past research led by Tang showed that smokers and those with other addictions exhibited less activity in these areas than those free of addictions. The current study previously determined that myelin and brain cell matter in these two brain regions increases through mindfulness meditation.

Unconditional Love Hastens Healing

R

esearchers from the University of Miami found that compassionate love and faith in a compassionate Higher Power increases healing and reduces disease progression among HIV patients.

They studied 177 HIV patients over a 10-year period, tracking biological measures and health behaviors and collecting in-depth data interviews. The scientists coded five criteria of compassionate love derived from the Working Model of Compassionate Love, developed by Lynn Underwood, Ph.D.

The progression of HIV disease was reduced among patients that gave and received the most compassionate love. These patients exhibited both a greater level of the immune-boosting white blood cells known as CD4+ T helper cells and a reduced HIV viral load, the measure of HIV in the blood.

Publishers Note: Photo Credit: In the May issue page 30, Fitness as Fun, Expressive, Self-Empowerment, the photos were of and used with permission of Lisa Ellor, Certified Pole Sculpting Instructor at BodySmart in Monroe.

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natural awakenings

A Good Midlife Diet Prolongs Health in Later Years

A

Harvard Medical School study found that how well women age in their 70s is linked to the way they ate earlier in life. Researchers started with 10,670 healthy women in their late 50s and followed them for 15 years. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the results saw fewer chronic diseases among women that followed diets heavy in plant-based foods during midlife; these women were also 34 percent more likely to live past 70. Those that ate most similarly to the Mediterranean diet had even better outcomes—a 46 percent greater likelihood of living past 70 without chronic diseases.

Eleven percent of the subjects qualified as healthy agers, which researchers defined as having no major chronic diseases, physical impairments, mental health problems or trouble with thinking and memory. According to lead author Cecilia Samieri, Ph.D., midlife exposures are thought to be a particularly relevant period because most health conditions develop slowly over many years.

Healing White Light,

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Healing White Light, LLC 37 Franklin Street, Suite 103 Westport, CT 06880 joy@healingwhitelight.com www.healingwhitelight.com

Tapping Acupressure Points Heals Trauma in Vets

E

motional Freedom Techniques (EFT) may be an effective treatment for veterans that have been diagnosed with clinical posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. EFT involves tapping on acupressure points while focusing on traumatic memories or painful emotions in order to release them.

As part of the Veterans’ Stress Project, an anonymous clinical study comprising more than 2,000 participants, 59 veterans with PTSD were randomly assigned to either receive strictly standard care or also experience six, hour-long, EFT sessions.

The psychological distress and PTSD symptoms showed significant reductions among veterans receiving the EFT sessions, with 90 percent matriculating out of the criteria for clinical PTSD. At a six-month follow-up, 80 percent of those participants still had symptoms below the clinical level for PTSD.

According to Deb Tribbey, national coordinator for the Veterans’ Stress Project, PTSD symptoms that can be resolved with the combined therapy include insomnia, anger, grief, hyper-vigilance and pain.

For more information, visit StressProject.org or EFTForVets.com.

Karate

wiÂ? Sensei June Fagan

No ing is so strong as gentleness, No ing so gentle as real streng .

Karate • Weapons Forms • Kickboxing Summer Camps • Family Classes Classes offered for Children and Adults.

203-938-3690 Kempo Karate & Self Defense, Inc. 59 Ledgewood Road, Redding, CT 06896 For a schedule of classes visit www.Kindredspiritscenter.com and cli on e Karate tab

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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

Father Factor

Involved Dads Make for Smarter, Happier Kids It’s well known that involving fathers from the start in children’s lives has a significant positive impact on their development, including the greater economic security of having more than one parent. Yet, there’s more to the “father effect”.

Numerous studies have found that children growing up in a household with a father present show superior outcomes in intelligence tests, particularly in nonverbal, or spatial, reasoning that’s integral in mathematics, science and engineering. The IQ advantage is attributed to the way that fathers interact with their children, with an emphasis on the manipulation of objects like blocks, roughhousing and outdoor activities, rather than languagebased activities. A study of Chinese parents found that it was a father’s warmth toward his child that was the ultimate factor in predicting the child’s future academic success.

A recent Canadian study from Concordia University provides new insights into a father’s impact on a daughter’s emotional development, as well. Lead researcher Erin Peugnot concluded, “Girls whose fathers lived with them when they were in middle childhood (ages 6 to 10) demonstrated less sadness, worry and shyness as preteens (ages 9 to 13) compared with girls whose fathers did not live with them,” he says.

Enter the Rewarding World Massage

Source: HappyChild.com.au

Therapy

Love Matters

Connectedness Ranks Above Power and Fame

Our 7 month program is starting June 2014 • Weekend Part–time Program offered annually • Financial Aid & Scholarships for those who qualify • Come visit!

Tours available daily For information on graduation rates, median debt of graduates from this program, and other important information visit our website at www.flsm.com or call us at 914.241.7363.

FOR MORE INFO

TruMantra

www.trumantra.com

It seems that fame and fortune are less important to us than our connections with fellow human beings, after all. A study conducted by Queendom.com and PsychTests.com in 2012 and 2013 applying their proprietary Values Profile Test with 2,163 people showed they only moderately valued money and power, at best, which took a backseat to social values on a personal level. This revelation comes on the heels of another study on career motivation that similarly showed a drop in participants’ consuming desire for money and power in the workplace.

The researchers at Queendom.com assessed 34 separate facets within six categories of values—social, aesthetic, theoretical, traditional, realistic and political. The five top-scoring facets were empathy, family and friends, appreciation of beauty, hard work/diligence, altruism and the importance of helping others. Financial security came in 24th place and power was near last at 29th in importance. Ethics/morals placed 10th.

For more information, visit Queendom.com.

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

“Language Without Words” Maria Fiora Dance Detective 203-570-5440

www.dancewithmaria.com

Revitalize Your Relationship With Your Partner Learn To Reconnect Through Music and The Language Of Dance No experience in dance or music needed.

Just be willing to learn something new about yourself and each other!

Creative sessions to fit your schedule and needs, at our location or yours.

Free Open House Session – Call For Details!

456 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT

Imperiled Parks

Laws Permit Oil and Gas Drilling in Iconic Public Lands News that the U.S. Department of the Interior will allow drilling for oil and gas in a proposed wilderness area in southern Utah’s Desolation Canyon puts a spotlight on the practice. A report by the Center for American Progress reveals that 42 national parks are at risk, including 12 where oil and gas drilling is currently underway and 30 where it could be in the near future.

Among the threatened wild places are iconic American national parklands, including Grand Teton, in Wyoming, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes and Dinosaur National Monument, in Colorado, Santa Monica Mountains, in California, Glen Canyon, in Arizona, Carlsbad Caverns and Chaco Canyon, in New Mexico, Everglades and Gulf Islands, in Florida, Arches and Canyonlands, in Utah, and Glacier, in Montana.

The reality is that all public lands, including national parks and wildlife refuges, are potentially open to oil and gas leasing unless they are designated as “wilderness”, the highest form of land protection designated by the government.

Source: The Wilderness Society (Tinyurl.com/NationalParkDrilling)

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Total Life Care Center 152 East Ave. • Norwalk, CT • 203-856-9566 • TLCcenter.com Total Life Care Center is dedicated to holistic health by providing you with highly trained and experienced integrated health care practitioners. TLC Center is Fairfield County’s largest holistic health center - with more than 90 Independent Members - and was founded by Beth Prins Leas in 1997 on the premise that a single candle burns brighter in a gathering.

Beth has created a vibrant holistic health and resource center and growing community of people who are committed to living consciously and to offering healthy lifestyle options in the form of private sessions, classes, workshops and special events.

Please visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to learn more about how TLC Center can support you on your journey to living well.

Shift happens...are you ready?

Quality Acupuncture at Affordable Prices

Acupuncture Healing CT

Transformative Healing

Really affordable, based on:

Beth Prins Leas Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu,Tarot private sessions, workshops, events in-person or by phone Norwalk and Ridgefield locations ww www.bethleas.com 203.856.9566

Small group acupuncture keeps prices down and allows many more to take advantage of this highly effective, ancient healing art.

Discounted packages allow for better, faster results and lower pricing.

Private sessions also available.

Jody Eisemann Nutrition Counseling • Body Composition Testing Mindful Eating • Biofeedback for Stress Relief E r i c k s o n i a n H y p n o s i s • M e t a b o l i c Ty p i n g Hormone & Food Allergy Testing • Life Coaching

Register for a Free One-hour Consultation at: www.ThriveResultsCoaching.com Kristina Hess Certified Health Coach Sports Nutrition Specialist Licensed HeartMath Provider Functional Diagnostic Nutrition www.ThriveResultsCoaching.com / Kristina@ThriveResultsCoaching.com / www.facebook.com/ThriveRC

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

is a CT licensed acupuncturist with 20+ years experience in treatment of all kinds of pain with immediate & effective results.

Locations in

Norwalk & Trumbull

203-216-2548 AcupunctureHealingCT.com Call for free consultation

ecotip Fume Free

Tips to Clean Air Inside a Vehicle We look out for the quality of the air we breathe indoors and out and we aim to drive in the most fuel-conscious manner to keep emissions down. What about the air quality inside our vehicles during necessary hours on the road?

The Ecology Center, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, nonprofit, attests that extreme air temperatures inside cars on especially hot days can potentially increase the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and release chemicals and other ingredients from new-car dashboards, steering wheel columns and seats into the interior air.

Some manufacturers are responding by greening their interiors: Toyota is using sugarcane to replace plastic; Ford has turned to soy foam instead of polyurethane foam; and Land Rover is tanning its leather with vegetables, not chromium sulfate.

Carbon monoxide seeping in from engine combustion can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue and even trigger asthma. The potential exists “if there’s a leak in the system between the engine and the rear of the vehicle and there’s even a small hole in the body structure,” advises Tony Molla, a vice president with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. “Have the exhaust system inspected by a certified technician to make sure everything is secure and not rusted or leaking.”

Also have the cabin air filter checked. Part of the ventilation system, it helps trap pollen, bacteria, dust and

exhaust gases in air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems and prevents leaves, bugs and other debris from entering the interior, according to the Car Care Council. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing it every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. (Find a range of educational information at CarCare.org.)

It’s always beneficial to have fresh air entering the vehicle when driving.

Open a window slightly or blow the air conditioning on low in the vent position when not in heavy traffic. “Don’t run it on the recycle or max A/C mode for long periods to make sure you’re getting fresh outside air in and flushing out any contaminants in the cabin air,” adds Molla.

Using sun reflectors and visors helps keep interior temperatures down.

Check local motor vehicle departments for state policies regarding tinted windows, which can reduce heat, glare and UV exposure. It always helps to park in the shade.

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communityspotlight

Fairfield County’s Green Food Passionista Introducing Natural Awakenings’ new Food Editor!

by Nicole Miale

A

naliese Paik, founder and editor of the award-winning website Fairfield Green Food Guide and the new Food Editor for Natural Awakenings Fairfield County, has been passionate about fresh food for as long as she can remember. She recalls growing up on Long Island; fishing and clamming in the Long Island Sound and always having a family garden. “It was perfectly normal to get some cash from

24

Fairfield County Edition

my mother, hop on my bike and ride to the farm down the street to buy corn and tomatoes for dinner,” she says.

That love and appreciation for food fresh from the land followed her into adulthood even when she was in the urban jungle of New York City and Wall Street. She earned an MBA and made her living in finance, but pursued her love of food as a student at The Institute of Culinary Education. An externship

natural awakenings

requirement from the institute shifted her life path when she spent six weeks working at Coyote Café in Santa Fe, one of the first “farm-to-table” restaurants.

“That is where the keys to really amazing food sank into my soul,” she says.

“Use the freshest ingredients of the highest quality and you will develop the best flavor. That is what it should be all about.”

She returned from Santa Fe to Darien and began digging up their manicured yard so she could create a garden. “It wasn’t really a garden,” she says with a laugh. “It was a small farm.

I went a little crazy. It was me against the woodchucks every day.” The garden at her house in Fairfield now is a bit smaller, but contains eight raised beds where she grows herbs and vegetables during spring and summer. Her search for farmers’ markets where she could get other fresh ingredients was the seed from which Fairfield Green Food Guide sprouted.

“In 2009 it was still hard to find information about farms and farmers’ markets,” she explains. “I started the website because I knew how hard it was for me to find the information and it’s so

important to me that people know where to find fresh, nutrient dense, quality food. I had spent so much time gathering all that information; why not share it?”

The website – a free resource visited by as many as 15,000 people monthly – provides Fairfield County residents with news, information, and event announcements they need to find the food they want. “We have amazing local resources,” she says. “But they’re all so busy doing what they do that few people were able to get the word out. It’s really gratifying now to hear from farms how much of a difference the website has made for them and their CSA programs.”

In addition to the website and online collaboration with media outlets such as CT Bites and HamletHub, Paik actively collaborates with farms, farmers’ markets, restaurants, and other organizations in the area such as Slow Food Metro North and Audubon Greenwich to organize and run live events. The Sustainable Food & Farm Expo at Audubon Greenwich in March drew more than 400 people, even though it was a first-time event. Paik wasn’t surprised because she sees firsthand how the appetite for this information has grown.

“There are a lot of factors driving consumer demand for higher quality, fresh food,” she says. “Personal health and wellbeing is probably the biggest, followed by concern for the environment. There have been a few activists who have really moved the needle for everyone in the recent years, most importantly Alice Waters and Michael Pollan.”

What she would most like to see shift is our cultural attitude toward food as fuel, which she says does disservice both to our bodies as well as the food. “What am I eating?” and “where does it come from?” are two questions she wishes

everyone would have in mind when they consume a meal.

“What you put in your body is going to determine in large part how you feel,” she says. “We lost touch with that somewhere along the way.” She is instilling this food sensibility in her two sons, who take home-prepared lunches to school each day and rarely eat processed foods.

To naysayers who complain that organic and local produce costs more, Paik says, “My philosophy is that eating locally and organically doesn’t need to be an all or nothing proposition. Most of us need to be what I call frugalistas. We have to pick and choose what to buy organically. If you’re strategic, you can do very well on a budget.”

Paik is excited about her new role as Food Editor of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County, where she will be leading a new editorial section dedicated to quality sustainable food. “I am immensely proud of the work that I do because it helps so many hard-working people at both sides,” Paik says. “Collaboration with Natural Awakenings will bring the message to so many more people where they are. This is a perfect fit.”

Natural Awakenings Fairfield County’s new Fairfield Green Food Guide section will launch in the July 2014 issue. To connect with Analiese Paik, email Analiese@snet.net, call 203-520-3451 or visit FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com Nicole Miale is Publisher and Managing Editor of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County. She is excited to have Analiese’s energy, spirit and expertise on the team and thrilled to provide the magazine’s loyal readers with more quality local content about topics of such importance.

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June 2014

25

THE HEALING POWER OF STORY

How Telling Our Truths Can Set Us Free

by Judith Fertig

A

fter his deployment in Iraq, U.S. Marine Captain Tyler Boudreau returned home in 2004 with post-traumatic stress syndrome and an emotional war wound that experts now call a “moral injury”. He could only sleep for an hour or two at night. He refused to take showers or leave the house for long periods of time. He and his wife divorced. “My body was home, but my head was still there [in Iraq],” he recounts.

At first, Boudreau tried to make sense of his conflicted feelings by writing fiction. Then he wrote a detailed, nonfiction analysis of his deployment, but that didn’t help, either. In 2009 he wrote a memoir, Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine, that came closer to conveying his personal truth.

“I needed to get back into the story,” he says, so he could pull his life back together in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Like Boudreau, we all have stories—ongoing and ever-changing—that we tell ourselves to make sense of our lives. They can help us heal and powerfully guide us through life, or just as powerfully, hold us back.

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Fairfield County Edition

In 1949, Sarah Lawrence College Professor Joseph Campbell published The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined a master monomyth.

It involves leaving everyday life and answering a call to adventure, getting help from others along the way, facing adversity and returning with a gift, or boon, for ourselves and others. It’s a basic pattern of human existence, with endless variations.

Power to Heal the Body

How does telling our truth help heal our body? Professor James Pennebaker, Ph.D., chair of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, is a pioneer in the mindbody benefits of story, which he explores in Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. In the late 1980s, while consulting for the Texas prison system, Pennebaker discovered that when suspects lied while taking polygraph tests, their heart rate rose, but when they confessed the truth, they relaxed.

“Our cells know the truth,” writes microbiologist Sondra Barrett, Ph.D., who also blogs at SondraBarrett.com, in Secrets of Your Cells, “Our physiol-

natural awakenings

ogy responds to what we’re thinking, including what we don’t want people to know.” When we are afraid to tell a story and keep it in, “Our cells broadcast a signal of danger,” she explains.

“Molecules of adrenalin, along with stress hormones, connect with receptors on heart, muscle and lung cells— and in the case of long-term sustained stress, immune cells.”

We experience increased heart rate, tense muscles, shortness of breath and lower immunity when we’re stressed. She notes, “When we release the stories and feelings that torment us, our cells respond with great relief and once again become havens of safety.”

We need to tell our stories even in facing life-threatening illness, and maybe because of it. Dr. Shayna Watson, an oncologist at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario, in Canada, encourages physicians to listen to patients. “In the name of efficiency,” she reports in an article in Canadian Family Physician, “it’s easy to block out patients’ stories and deal only with the ‘facts’, to see the chat, the time and the stories as luxuries for when there is a cancellation. The study of narrative tells us, however, that in these easily neglected moments we might find more than we expect; there can be understanding, relationship building and healing—the elements of our common humanity.”

A current problem is but a dot on the entire timeline of a person’s existence. By keeping their larger story in mind, patients can find a wider perspective, with the strength and resolve to heal, while the physician can see the patient as a person, rather than a diagnosis.

Power to Heal Emotions

“Telling your story may be the most powerful medicine on Earth,” says Dr. Lissa Rankin, the author of Mind Over Medicine, who practices integrative medicine in Mill Valley, California. She’s tested the concept firsthand. “So many of us are tormented by the insane idea that we’re separate, disconnected beings, suffering all by our little lonesome selves,” she observes. “That’s exactly how I felt when I started blogging, as if I was the only one in the whole wide

world who had lost her mojo and longed to get it back. Then I started telling my story—and voilà! Millions of people responded to tell me how they had once lost theirs and since gotten it back.”

They did it by telling their stories, witnessed with loving attention by others that care. “Each of us is a constantly unfolding narrative, a hero in a novel no one else can write. Yet, so many of us leave our stories untold, our songs unsung,” remarks Rankin. “When this happens, we wind up feeling lonely, listless and out of touch with our life purpose. We are plagued with a chronic sense that something is out of alignment.

We may even wind up feeling unworthy, unloved or sick,” says Rankin, who blogs on related topics at LissaRankin.com.

Power to Heal a Family

Sometimes, writing a new story can help keep families connected. Kansas City, Missouri, author and columnist Deborah Shouse took an unplanned and unwanted, yet ultimately rewarding journey with her mother through Alzheimer’s disease. Shouse discovered that as her mother was losing her memory and identity through dementia, crafting a new narrative helped her family hold it together, a process she details in Love in the Land of Dementia.

“You have to celebrate the person who is still with you,” Shouse says, noting we may discover a different, but still interesting, person that communicates in ways other than talking. She recommends employing a technique she calls The Hero Project, which she developed with her partner, Ron Zoglin. It uses words, photos and craft supplies in what Shouse

“By sharing our stories together and finding common ground, we lay the groundwork for world peace and much more.”

believe that version of the story and make ourselves unhappy. “The cause of suffering is the thought that we’re believing it,” she says. By questioning our stories, turning them around and crafting new and more truthful ones, we can change our lives.

~Rev. Patrick McCollum terms “word-scrapping” to generate and tell a new story that helps keep the personal connection we have with our loved one and make visits more positive.

She shares more supportive insights at DeborahShouseWrites.wordpress.com.

Sharing an old story may also provide a rare link to the past for a person with dementia. “Savor and write down the stories you’re told, even if you hear certain ones many times,” Shouse counsels. “By writing down the most often-repeated stories, you create a legacy to share with family, friends and other caregivers.”

Power of the Wrong Story

Our thoughts are a shorthand version of a longer life story, says author Byron Katie, a self-help specialist from Ojai, California, who addresses reader stories via blog posts at ByronKatie.com. Sometimes we tell ourselves the wrong story, one that keeps us from realizing our full potential, while making us miserable at the same time. Examples might include “I will always be overweight,” “My partner doesn’t love me” or “I’m stuck here.”

Katie’s book, Who Would You Be Without Your Story? explores how we often take what happens in our lives, create a story with negative overtones,

Power to Heal the Community

Humorist, speaker, and professional storyteller Kim Weitkamp, of Christiansburg, Virginia, knows that the power of story creates wider ripples. She sees it happen every time she performs at festivals and events around the country.

“It is naturally in our DNA to communicate in story form,” she advises. “The power of story causes great revelation and change in those that listen.”

She cites supporting studies conducted by psychologists Marshall Duke, Ph.D., and Robyn Fivush, Ph.D., at the Emory Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life, in Atlanta, Georgia. “They found that children—at ages 4, 14, 44 or 104, because we’re all children at heart—are more resilient and happy and rebound faster from stress when they know their family stories. They know they’re part of something that’s bigger than themselves that people in their family have kept going,” says Weitkamp.

“When people leave a storytelling event, they leave telling stories,” she says with a smile, “and that results in happier and healthier families and communities.”

Judith Fertig tells stories about food at AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.

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The Hero’s Journey and the Writing Process

by Leslie Cahill

M

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natural awakenings

ost writers are well aware of the profound influence of Hero’s Journey on contemporary literature. From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to To Kill a Mockingbird to Harry Potter, this fundamental three-act structure from American scholar Joseph Campbell is at the heart of nearly any classic tale. The Hero leaves the security of his daily life to respond to the call of adventure, enters unknown territory (figurative or literal) where he encounters myriad helpers and hindrances to his quest, and ultimately returns home forever changed. This format is so entrenched in the modern psyche that many of us do not even recognize its recurrence in the mythology of our culture.

Yet the Hero’s Journey also serves as a poignant metaphor for the creative act itself. The writing process demands that the writer, as Hero, step out of the comfort of ordinary life. It requires that the writer embrace the confusion of the unknown, reconcile the cognitive and emotional dissonance that begets inspiration and breakthrough, and ultimately create a work of art through which the writer is transformed.

In embarking upon this roller coaster of a process, there is comfort in turning to the Hero’s Journey archetype. By understanding its resonances, a writer can begin to appreciate the universality of the experience, process and craft. In other words, as Heroes, we are not alone.

Mario Vargas Llosa, in his acceptance speech for the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, described the advent of story in human history as a “crucial moment in our destiny.” It created the opportunity for humankind to move beyond a mode of existence focused exclusively on survival to one in which dreams and ambitions could be pursued. “Ours will always be, fortunately, an unfinished story. That is why we have to continue dreaming, reading and writing; [it is] the most effective way we have found to alleviate our mortal condition, to defeat the corrosion of time, and to transform the impossible into possibility,” Llosa concludes.

The Hero’s Journey yields a view of life in which transformation is predicated on this open ending. Despite the ubiquity of the journey, within each of us it is lived anew. It does not have a fixed or pre-determined outcome; it thrives on uncertainty, and the ability to embrace new and unexpected possibilities. It is, fortunately, an unfinished story.

Leslie Cahill serves on the faculty for the Master of Arts in Writing and Oral Tradition at The Graduate Institute, a multidisciplinary program that focuses on the Hero’s Journey and its impact on the writing process. Classes begin June 6. For more information, visit Learn.edu/Writing. See ad, page 3.

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Honing Your True Story Write the Truth

James Pennebaker and fellow researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that a simple writing exercise can help free people from emotional burdens, as first reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Here’s how to apply it: Every morning for four consecutive days, write down feelings about what is bothersome: Something you are thinking or worrying about too much.

Something you feel is affecting your life in an unhealthy way.

Something you have been avoiding for days, weeks or years.

The idea is to write about the emotions that surround this thing you’re reluctant to admit or speak about. Pennebaker says it’s not necessary to reread what’s written or tell anyone about it.

The simple act of writing down emotions surrounding a story begins the process of releasing it and relaxing.

Story Slams

The Moth organization features true stories told live by people of all ages on The Moth Radio Hour, the Internet and at group story “slams” around the world.

At TheMoth.org, would-be storytellers find tips on how to craft their tales for a listening audience at live story slams around the world, as well as via web-

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Ask and Answer

Moving through the process Byron Katie calls “the work” uncovers the truth about the stories we are telling ourselves in order to create newer, healthier ones.

First, think of a negative thought that’s worrying you, such as “I’m stuck.” Next, ask four questions about it.

Is he Feeling Fatigued

or lacking energy

Is it true?

Can I absolutely know it’s true?

How do I react—what happens—when I believe that thought?

Who would I be without the thought?

Now write down honest answers, which might be something like: “I’m not really stuck, I just think I am. Deep down, I know I have the power to move forward, but am unsure about the direction or way to go about it, so I feel anxious. Without the thought of ‘I’m stuck,’ I would feel freer to find a solution.”

Then, turn those thoughts around, for example, to, “Really, when I think about it, I feel much freer than when I deny or gloss over my erroneous thought.” When we turn around a specific limiting thought, we can experience the power of letting go of not only a misguided, but ultimately untrue internal story.

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How to Live Inspired and Be Inspiring

by Rachel Archelaus

T

o live an inspired life means making decisions based on intuition and excitement. It means letting the inspiration be the driving force and logic be what allows that inspiration to manifest into reality. It requires trust and a mindset that necessary logistics can be figured out. It’s what happens when you wake up one day and feel inspired to take a new route to work. If you’re talking to a friend and get an inspiration to film a documentary of her journey into a new career, you make it happen. It’s the opposite of what most people are taught, but the benefits of this lifestyle make the learning curve worth it.

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

The payoff for living an inspired life is multifaceted. It is a personal development journey where you have an opportunity to know and experience yourself without limitations.

With life less pre-planned, a sense of space emerges. It is then easier to appreciate the moment and live in a state of wonder. Synchronicities start appearing more often as well.

The number one barrier between living inspired and living a normal, linear life is the mindset. Most people see making decisions based on intuition as frivolous or impractical, yet some of the world’s greatest minds actually operated this way. Albert Einstein is famous for saying that “science is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Thomas Edison said the same thing, except he replaced science with genius. Notice that the inspiration part comes first. “If you spot an opportunity and are really excited by it, throw yourself into it with everything you’ve got,” said Richard Branson, billionaire and owner of over 200 companies.

So how does one add room for inspiration into an already full life? The first step is to become aware of how inspiration feels in your body. The easiest way to do this is to remember a time when you felt amazing. Close your eyes and access a memory of a great vacation or a time when you first fell in love. Allow your body to participate in the memory, paying attention to how your chest feels and expands.

Your shoulders will naturally go back and your breathing will be deeper. This is how it feels to be inspired.

Here are some tips to make the transition into living an inspired life easier:

Have an open mind: Ask yourself what you would need to follow an inspiration and turn it into a reality. If your idea is to make a documentary, make a list of who you would need to contact to figure out the first steps to learn from another’s experience, purchase a camera or read to learn more about documentary filmmaking. If you allow yourself the space to explore, your excitement will guide you in the right direction from idea to completion.

Let go of the outcome: At first, it may not be ap-

parent how an inspired idea can make money or improve your life. When you are inspired, you often only get a sliver of the map. Your job is to begin making it real. As you move forward with the idea, new pieces will come and the whole will begin to make sense. If you allow yourself to follow through on what you are given, you will often be rewarded with an outcome that far exceeds anything you could have dreamt when you got that first taste of inspiration. You may also reap rewards that are not quantifiable. Following through on inspiration often pushes you outside your comfort zone, forcing you to grow, expand and become more confident, capable and creative in the process.

Start small and build momentum: Learning to follow your inspiration is a lifelong journey. Instead of deciding that this is an all or nothing process, follow the nudges that you can handle with your work and home life.

Go to a different coffee shop when you feel called to. You may end up talking to someone that will change your life. Try a different method of working out, call up a friend you haven’t seen in a while, do the small things that your heart steers you toward. By following through on the little things, you build up your trust muscles.

That way, when a “biggie” makes its way to you, you will know that it can be done and that it will be worth it.

Letting your excitement and inspiration lead you will shift your entire being. In addition to becoming happier and more optimistic about their future, those who do this also inspire people around them to start following their hearts. Inspiration is contagious.

Live inspired and be inspiring. You don’t have to throw away your reasoning in order to start living an inspired life. Add more spontaneity a little at a time. Follow your smaller inspirations first and, before long, you’ll be doing things you never thought possible.

Rachel Archelaus assists helpers and healers all around the world to launch businesses based on their soul purpose as founder of the Soul-Centered Business Bootcamp, an online business development program. Visit Soul PurposeSecrets.com for more information on her free class.

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June 2014

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The UB Clinics, located on the campus of the University of Bridgeport, are staffed by some of the brightest and most talented healthcare professionals of the future. Open to the public, the UB Clinics offer affordable, high-quality care at a fraction of the cost of comparable treatments elsewhere.

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Fairfield County Edition

Inspired Living Is Knowing You Are Connected

natural awakenings

ow connected do you feel to life and all that lives?

How inspired can we feel if we think we are separate from everyone and everything else? Do you allow yourself to be inspired by the people you don’t like just as much as the ones you do? Do you get inspiration from all colors and fragrances? Are you paying attention to the “little” and not just to the “a lot”? Are you motivated and inspired by what you call good and what you call bad?

The essential nature of the universe is love even though it may not appear so in the present. If all of us were to begin aligning our spiritual health, along with our mental and physical health, there would be less violence and poverty.

We wouldn’t be trying to convince ourselves that somebody else has our good. We would be open to inspired, positively motivated living.

It has to start with each individual. Here are ways you can align yourself:

Spiritually: Start by praying, meditating or finding a church or spiritual home that teaches love and abundance, rather than guilt and limitation.

Mentally: Try refraining from the need to be “right,” instead interrupting the arguments in your head with thoughts of kindness and giving love in the Universe without expecting anything in return.

Physically: Take care of yourself by going to a chiropractor, getting a Reiki treatment or hiring a trainer and exercising. Begin by simply parking your car further away so that you need to walk more.

What will you think and do in order to remember that we are connected to the universe? What will you do to maintain that connection? Begin by opening yourself to the inspiration of all as the opportunities present themselves to you.

Rev. Shawn is an ordained Unity Minister who began his spiritual journey in earnest in 1997 after a successful career as a lighting and sound designer in New York nightclubs.

Shawn’s mission in life and in his ministry is for everyone on planet earth (including himself) to KNOW that he or she is Good. The Unity Center for Practical Spirituality is at 3 Main St, 2nd flr, Norwalk. For more information, call 203-855-7922 or visit UnityCentereps.com. See ad, pg 27.

wisewords

Unleashing Unlimited Potential with Panache Desai

by April Thompson

B

orn into an East Indian family in London, England, Panache Desai grew up steeped in spiritual practices like meditation. Though recognized by spiritual teachers as possessing a special gift, Desai rejected his spiritual foundation as a teenager, trading it for the excitement of London’s rave music scene of the 1990s before moving to America.

It wasn’t until he was 22 and living in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice Beach that the pain of the way he had rejected his true inner nature reached a crescendo. In opening himself up to the possibility of the divine, Desai underwent a spiritual awakening that has led him to dedicate his life to helping others make their own journey from self-rejection to contentment.

Unaffiliated with any one religious or spiritual tradition, Desai works with simple, yet powerful principles of energy to help free people from selfimposed limitations and unlock their potential. His first book, Discovering Your Soul Signature: A 33-Day Path to Purpose, Passion & Joy, just released, is a departure from his earlier focus on creating meditation CDs and other audio recordings.

What was the key turning point in embracing your life’s calling?

Every time I would visit a spiritual teacher as a kid, they would say, “We’ve been waiting for you.” But I just wanted to be normal and was also skeptical; not every wellintentioned person is necessarily leading you home. I reached a turning point when I knew something had to change. I told myself that if this thing called God really exists and if I’m here to be a messenger, I have to experience it personally.

In that moment, I began to undergo a transformation that culminated in a direct experience of the divine; an infinite ocean of energy vibrating with unconditional love. I felt part of what every spiritual teacher has been telling the world for thousands of years: that the true nature of reality is love, a love that expresses itself through all life forms. That experience allowed me to accept my role of helping others see and achieve their potential.

How does the universal energy you speak of affect us and how can we shift our dance with it?

We are vibrational beings inhabiting a

vibrational universe. Yogis and mystics from traditions throughout time have known this. The subtlest form of vibration is the soul, which is overlaid by the emotional, with the physical as the outermost layer of energy. Because the emotional layer can accumulate a density that enshrouds our soul’s light and potential, it’s important to address it.

Energy is like water—it wants to flow and can shift states at any moment.

Judging or rejecting any aspect of our genuine identity disrupts that flow of energy. For example, if instead of being available to feel your anger when it arises you repress or deny it, that accumulating emotion acquires density and over time, becomes rage. But if you can learn to slow down and lean into the emotion, the anger can wash through and out of you and energy again flows freely.

By allowing ourselves to acknowledge, experience and release these emotions without judgment, we are clearing the obstacles to our authentic self, what I term one’s “soul signature”.

How is discovering our soul signature related to finding our calling?

The soul signature is our purest potential expressed. You can have a calling to be a writer, but unless you are connected to who you are at the deepest level, your writing won’t have the same impact.

Accessing our soul signature is a process. We didn’t end up where we are overnight, and it can take time to get back to that place where we can express our truest selves by working with the techniques of energy transformation described in my book.

What are good first steps for someone newly initiating a spiritual practice?

The most powerful tool is our breath.

Witnessing and honoring our breath in every moment allows us to transform every day into living meditation.

Find author blogs on how individuals live their soul signature at Panache Desai.com.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

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petbriefs New Canaan Dog Days The Monthly Naturally Healthy Pet Section Starts Here!

N

ew Canaan Dog Days, hosted by Village Critter Outfitters and Aetheria Relaxation Spa, will take place June 8 from 12-3pm in New Canaan. The event will benefit PAWS and STARelief. The day will include a parade, dog contests, exhibits, agility and obstacle courses, pet and human fashion contests, rescues and shelters and a pet food and supply drive.

New Canaan Dog Days was established in 2009 as an annual family-friendly FUN-raiser to raise awareness and donations for local animal charities. Hosted and sponsored

by Village Critter Outfitter, a New Canaan retailer devoted to holistic pet wellness and charitable animal causes, New Canaan Dog Days is a celebration of the unconditional love our four-legged family members contribute to the lives of their human companions. The event will feature exhibitors offering an array of information about the care of pets, fun contests and activities, a cooling station to keep pets hydrated and more.

PAWS is a nonprofit dedicated to finding good homes for adoptable dogs and cats and providing community resources and education throughout southern Fairfield County. STARelief is a group of volunteers dedicated to keeping pets and families together during hard financial times. Attendees are asked to bring a donation of pet food and/or supplies to benefit both organizations.

For more information, visit NewCanaanDogDays.com. New Canaan Dog Days will take place at Cherry Street East Village, 107 Cherry St, New Canaan.

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Fairfield County Edition

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n June 7 from 12:30-4pm (rain date June 21), Do Ngak Kunphen Ling (DNKL) Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace in Redding will host its annual Animal Blessing, featuring animal professionals, crafts and games, a silent auction, a speaker from Guiding Eyes for the Blind and the animal blessings themselves. The blessings of visitors’ leashed and well-behaved animals will be done by the resident Tibetan Buddhist monks at the center.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is an internationally accredited, nonprofit guide dog school that is dedicated to enriching the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women. Part of the proceeds raised by the silent auction will be used to purchase pet oxygen masks for a local fire/rescue unit.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, DNKL promotes universal peace through Tibetan Buddhist teachings in order to create enlightened world citizens who work to end the suffering of all beings. DNKL offers classes and training in Buddhist moral discipline, meditative concentration and transformative wisdom. All Dharma classes at DNKL are free, although tax-deductible donations to support the center and its activities are appreciated.

Do Ngak Kunphen Ling Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace is located at 30 Putnam Park Rd, Redding. For more information, visit dnkldharma.org (special events), email info@dnkldharma.org or call 203-664-1574.

natural awakenings

Petco Stores in Norwalk to House Adoptable Cats

P

etco stores across CT can now house adoptable cats overnight, creating better opportunities for more adoptions.

Petco and its Petco Foundation have long been supporters of local animal rescue/adoption efforts, with regularly scheduled adoption events held at Petco retail stores on behalf of many local rescue groups. The new policy change recently enacted by the state will provide cats with constant opportunity to be “seen” and potentially adopted faster.

The Petco located at Westport Ave in Norwalk houses up to four adoptable cats at a time from Community Cats, with each cat remaining at the store for up to two weeks at a time, cared for by volunteers. A new Petco on Main Ave, also in Norwalk, will host cats from Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic’s cat adoption program. Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic and Community Cats have previously collaborated on many projects.

Ermelinda Harper, President and Co-founder of Community Cats in Norwalk, says the goal of the increased exposure is for more cats to be adopted faster and to reduce stress on the animals from being brought back-and-forth for same-day adoption events.

“We can understand where it may be upsetting to see cats in cages,” Harper says. “But from our perspective, the cats in these cages are the lucky ones: these are the cats who someone noticed, who were rescued, and who we are helping on their way to finding forever homes. We have an excellent and productive relationship with Petco, and we are both excited about and grateful for this wonderful opportunity.”

For more information, contact Community Cats at C ommunitycatsCT.org or Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic at 203-690-1550 or NutmegClinic.org. See ad, page 37.

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Woofs, Wines & Felines in Ridgefield

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n Saturday, June 7 from 4-7pm, Ridgefield will host an outdoor wine tasting event featuring more than 40 different types of wine and a few craft beers, all to benefit the animals at ROAR. Tickets are $35 per person if purchased in advance at Cellar XV (cash or check), or $40 at the door. Refreshments will be provided by Ridgefield Prime.

Location: 88 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield in the parking lot between Cellar XV, Ridgefield Bike Shop and Koko Fitclub.

For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit ROAR-Ridgefield.org.

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June 2014

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naturalpet

Raw Food Transformation

by Robert Goldstein, VMD, and Susan Goldstein

A

transformation is taking place in the pet food industry with new types of food emerging, including raw (frozen), dehydrated, freeze-dried and grain-free foods.

The decision on the part of small manufacturers to leave behind heavily processed foods is being well received by both consumers and the animals ingesting the foods.

The return to feeding foods with active life force ingredients, as opposed to heavily cooked “dead” food is appealing to many pet parents. This is due in large part to the collective experience of generations of millions of animals, many of whom suffered from degenerative diseases such as chronic skin, liver, kidney diseases, arthritis and cancer, all linked to improper, by-product-based, highly cooked diets.

In the 1940s, Juliet de Barclai Levy, author of A Handbook of Natural Care and Rearing and an early pioneer of raw foods, described dogs fed raw meat as looking “quite dif-

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natural awakenings

ferent” and “vitally alive.” Upon examination of their teeth, eyes, limbs and coat, she claimed a noticeable difference in the looks and actions of dogs and cats who had been raised on an uncooked rather than denatured, processed diet.

Despite the real benefits of feeding a raw diet, such as

healthier skin, teeth, eyes, vibrant health, and reduced incidence of chronic diseases, raw feeding is not for everyone.

While some may not be comfortable with the sight of blood being part of this process, others may be turned off by the looks or odor. Additionally, there are some in the veterinary community concerned about bacterial contamination with the raw foods. The majority of practicing veterinarians follow the AVMA’s guidelines, instructing their clients to avoid feeding raw foods in favor of balanced, commercially prepared foods.

Dogs and cats are anatomically carnivores, with a highly acid digestive tract, giving them the ability to prevent pathogenic bacteria, similar to animals in the wild. Understanding this may help to shift the focus from contamination to the conscious sourcing of the meat from humanely-raised and organically-fed animals. Raw food purchases should be from trusted manufacturers who process safely and achieve nutritional balance by adding proper supplementation and living foods. It is important to note that bacterial contamination can occur in the commercially processed petfood industry as well.

There are other choices available if raw foods are not a good option for your family and pets. Both dehydrated and freeze-dried versions of unprocessed foods offer a compromise to raw and a step away from processed, highly cooked foods. In addition, they offer the convenience of not requiring either freezing or thawing. The freeze drying and dehydration processes render the food safe from bacterial contamination, while preserving the nutritional value and life force of the ingredients.

There continues to be controversy surrounding feeding grains to pets, due to the allergic response and higher levels of simple sugars and carbohydrates. Dogs and cats in the wild, while ingesting the whole body of their prey, receive and eat small amounts of predigested grain from the intestines. It is important that pet parents recognize each dog or cat’s individual nutritional needs and reaction. While there are many animals who tolerate whole grains such as oats, barley or brown rice as part of their daily diet, there are also animals that are intolerant. The grain-free movement was birthed partially in response to less expensive grain and grain by-products being used to fill the bags or cans, which caused increased allergic reactions.

A wholesome diet consisting of range-free organic raw chicken or beef (sometimes lightly steamed), phytonutrientrich organic vegetables and appropriate supplements such as omega oils is an example of good, well-balanced raw meal.

Dr. Bob and Susan Goldstein are the founders and co-owners of Earth Animal in Westport. The Goldsteins are the authors of The Goldstein’s Wellness and Longevity Program and Dr. Bob is the editor and an author of the veterinary textbook, Integrating Complementary Medicine into Veterinary Practices.

H

Research on Hippotherapy

by Jennifer McDermott

ippotherapy is an isolated physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy used by a trained therapist, provided by the movement of a horse. Currently The Horse and Human Research Foundation and The American Hippotherapy Association are the most active in this field and award grants internationally. One study, available on YouTube, is through Washington University and spearheaded by Dr. Timothy Shurtleff, OTD, OTR/L.mHis research maps the head and core body movement of children with cerebral palsy before and after 12 weeks of hippotherapy. Not only do these children strive to do more when working with the horses, they retain substantial core muscle development for up to several months after they cease going to therapy.

According to the study, the children’s bodies are challenged up to 5,000 times during a 45-minute ses-

sion. However, Shurtleff points out that this study does not fulfill the high standard study requirements that insurance companies need.

The effects of hippotherapy on children with autism are equally compelling. Many of these children on the autism spectrum are kinetic learners.

The horse gives them the motion they need to learn and grow. The movie Horse Boy chronicles one autistic boy’s journey to Mongolia which is where horses reportedly first reached out to man. While horse riding is included in a physical therapist’s “toolbox,” along with balls, water, weights and other tools, many parents, educators and researchers view it as a separate, effective therapy tool that their children look forward to participating in.

Jennifer McDermott lives in Guilford and devotes herself to the rehabilitation of the Off the Track Thoroughbred.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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Whoa! to Limitations Therapeutic Horseback Riding Strengthens Kids

by Cyndee Woolley

Z

ach “Zachman” Aldridge was born healthy, but at just 10 weeks, he was hospitalized at the hands of his birth father. Suffering from a brain aneurism, partial paralysis and multiple broken bones from shaken baby syndrome, Zach’s mother, Rebekah, was told that he might live for a year.

Rebekah’s hope for a miracle was granted as her son’s life extended into weeks, months and years. Yet, at 4, the effects of the injury still prevented Zach from walking or talking like other children.

“While some people are resigned to leave special children like Zach confined to a wheelchair, therapeutic horseback riding gives them more options and improves their quality of life,” advises Kim Minarich, execu-

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tive director of Southwest Florida’s nonprofit Naples Equestrian Challenge therapeutic riding program. A medical examination ensures a child is qualified for safe participation.

During his first lessons, riding instructors had to prop up Zach’s head using “boppy pillows”. However, after just a few months, the Aldridge family saw dramatic improvements as the boy began speaking and telling his horse to “trot on.”

Next, Zach began walking, a surprise to all. His growing strength had worked to overcome the paralysis and the gentle rocking motion of his therapeutic riding sessions gently pushed his displaced hip back into place, ultimately enabling him to take steps on his own.

Zach’s achievements are not unique. Life-changing milestones like

natural awakenings

photo courtesy of Naples Equestrian Challenge

healthykids

this are common occurrences at the 850 nationwide therapeutic riding centers registered with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International.

Now in its 21st year, Dream Catchers, at the Cori Sikich Therapeutic Riding Center, in Toano, Virginia, is one such center celebrating its many success stories. Kendall Lecker, a PATH International-certified advanced instructor, describes the rapid progress of a new 6-year-old student living with autism as illustration.

In his first session, he slumped over in the saddle and struggled to hold himself up; by his third session, he was sitting up straight and confidently giving commands to his horse.

“Often, our riders start with insufficient core strength and may not be able to hold themselves upright, something the average person takes for granted.

But, in a relatively short time, most riders can see dramatic improvements,” says Lecker.

Both Naples Equestrian Challenge and Dream Catchers have achieved premier accreditation by demonstrating the highest levels of training, safety standards and quality controls in the industry developed to protect the riders, staff and volunteers. Feedback from approximately 56,000 participants nationwide, including nearly 41,000 under the age of 18, show that therapeutic horseback riding helps participants in five key areas: Normalizes muscle tone. Riding a horse helps children of all abilities build core strength and exercise muscles that they may not be able to work from the confines of a wheelchair.

Increases flexibility and relaxation. The natural rhythm of a horse’s gait provides a relaxing effect on tense muscles and can gently rock joints back into place. It’s a unique therapeutic benefit not easily achieved through traditional physical therapy.

Improves coordination, balance and strength. Completing tasks like picking up an object, riding across the arena and placing it in a bucket helps riders develop hand/eye coordination.

The movements also help improve balance and strength.

Promotes spatial orientation and fine motor skills. Working side-by-

photo courtesy of Dream Catchers

Since 2008, we have rescued more than 1000pure and mixed breed dogs and cats from death row and placed them in foster and forever homes!

“The riding center gave me a place to realize I wasn’t the only one with challenges. It was a place that I could go to and be normal for part of the week.” ~ Tiffany Billings, a college student with cerebral palsy side with their assigned volunteers and horses and reaching for objects from a different perspective than usual helps youths develop their spatial sense and fine motor skills.

Enhances self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control. Riders are encouraged to give verbal commands to their horse during sessions, which effects a command of vocabulary and boosts confidence while they bond with the horse.

While the documented benefits are derived from personal testimonials rather than clinical studies, the positive results for children like Zach are indisputable. Meanwhile, therapeutic horseback riding is gaining increased acceptance in the medical community as more doctors are recommending this life-changing activity for their patients.

PATH International spokesperson Cher Smith says, “Our mission is to help certified centers provide safe access for all individuals living with special needs.”

For more information, visit PathIntl.org.

Cyndee Woolley works as an advocate for therapeutic riding centers.

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Rich Local Options for Equine Assisted Therapy

by Jennifer McDermott

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orses have a way of helping the voiceless talk and the physically disabled walk. The following inspirational words have been used to describe the therapeutic equine experience – motivation, self-confidence, personal awareness, joy, kinetic learning, relaxation, mobility. This learning environment – called hippotherapy - invigorates the mind and body, catapulting a child (or adult) into a progressive physical state or consciousness. The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH, Intl), founded in 1969, now offers distance learning, making it possible for smaller, local barns to become accredited and offer this holistic therapy in their communities. Below are some of the premier, accredited centers in the local Connecticut area.

The common thread among these therapeutic riding centers is their focus on the total equine experience from the ground to the saddle. They are not strictly hippotherapy cen40

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

ters. The approach is a holistic one, challenging the student mentally, physically and emotionally by teaching horse care, equine behavior and riding or driving skills.

High Hopes in Old Lyme, started in 1974, is one of the first nationally accredited centers and is one of three centers in the U.S. that offers hands-on PATH, Intl certification courses. Each student has their own program built to suit their specific needs, either mounted or un-mounted. With 12 full-time staff, 20 part-time staff, 3500 hours of donated time and 27 equines, it is a busy place. The students range in age from four to 84. Along with the PATH certification courses, the center offers volunteer orientation programs to educate those who wish to donate their time. They are the only premier accredited center in Connecticut to offer competition, both Paralympics and Special Olympics. HighHopesTR.org

Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Center was founded in 1975 in Darien at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club. It is now situated on its own Brewster, NY, farm and facility. The Hunt Club is now one of three satellite chapters, including Kelsey Farm in Greenwich and Fox Hill Farm in Pleasantville, NY. They offer a similar customized program for their students and are home to a unique at-risk teen and young adult program, Wings, which focuses on emotional disorders. Two miniature horses recently joined the herd of 15 horses. They work alongside the larger equines in the Mini on the Move program in hospitals and assisted living facilities. Pegasus employs 25 full-time staff and donates over 10,000 hours.

Volunteer training is also provided for teenagers and adults.

PegasusTR.org

Shepard Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center in Bristol was launched in 2004. Along with therapeutic riding, they are developing a veterans program as well.

Their director holds the distinction of being one of 12 PATH instructors in the country entrusted with overall equine wellness issues. Cathy Languerand points out, “We do not look for tolerant horses. They will burn out. We look for patience, acceptance and understanding. These horses are truly special creatures, enriching the lives of so many while asking only for good hay, good pasture and a rub on the shoulder.”

ShepardMeadowsTR.org

If you are looking for a more local experience, visit PathIntl.org for assistance in searching for a smaller, local farm.

Volunteering at the centers or donating are highly encouraged as each of these centers charge students a fraction of their actual costs or provide scholarships. Insurance companies do not necessarily provide assistance. There are many opportunities to give if you happen to overlook the donate button on the website such as, annual galas, ho-downs and the very popular “Adopt a Horse.”

Jennifer McDermott has been around horses since the age of ten. Her exploration of horse energy began while rehabilitating horses in Fairfield County over 12 years ago. In her equine Reiki practice, she approaches equine rehabilitation with nutrition, bodywork and positive reinforcement teaching. She lives in Guilford and devotes herself to the rehabilitation of the Off the Track Thoroughbred.

petresourceguide Adoption/Rescue Animals in Distress Inc. 238 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-762-2006 Animals-In-Distress.com

Bridgeport Animal Control 236 Evergreen St, Bridgeport 203-576-7727

Bully Breed Rescue P.O. Box 953, New Canaan BBRct@yahoo.com BullyBreedRescueInc.org

Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) 147 Grassy Plain St, Bethel 203-744-3297

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606 Post Rd East, Westport 203-222-7173 • EarthAnimal.com

Dog Gone Smart 15 Cross St, Norwalk 203-838-7729 DogGoneSmart.com

Earth Animal has been the pioneer in the natural pet health industry for decades.

Fairfield County’s TOP The family-owned business canine center! We have sells its own veterinarianbeen serving pet lovers in formulated products for cats our area for more than 20 and dogs. These include years. Our staff consists of dog trainers and animal vitamins, organic herbal remedies and a natural Goldstein behavorists who work together to make Dog Gone flea and tick prevention program. Dr. Bob ® Smart a loving, safe, fun and happy home away from recently partnered with Bell&Evans to produce a hormone-and antibiotic-free line of Americanhome for your dog. See ad, page 35. treats. Earth Animal also sells raw Love yourselfmade first chicken and everything and dehydrated foods and organic home-cooking Passage East Boarding Kennels else falls intopre-mixes, line. Youplus really havequality treats, bones, toys, the best 499 Danbury Rd, Wilton to love yourself to get anything leashes, collars, beds, etc!

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

Pet Protectors

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

Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue

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

SPCA of Connecticut Inc.

359 Spring Hill Rd, Monroe 203-445-9978 SPCAct.org

Strays and Others

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Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic 25 Charles St, Stratford 203-690-1550 • NutmegClinic.org

The Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic is a low-cost, highvolume facility for cats and dogs, the first such professional clinic in Fairfield County. The clinic offers other low-cost services only during the spay/ neuter appointment. Nutmeg honors state spay/ neuter vouchers at face value from shelters and offers incentives for low-income families and rescue groups. Pit bulls and mixes are welcome and the clinic offers discounts for feral cats to be spayed or neutered. See ad, page 37.

Tails of Courage

1 Pembroke Rd, Danbury 877-63-TAILS TailsOfCourage.org

Westport Animal Shelter Advocates (WASA)

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

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

by Meredith Montgomery

S

inger-songwriter Jack Johnson’s touring concerts have almost always doubled as fundraisers for local environmental nonprofits. “Early on, we recognized that we could not only fill a room, but also raise funds and awareness for nonprofit groups we believe in,” says Johnson.

Then, as he started playing larger venues, “I realized the power of touring to connect our fans with local nonprofits in every town we played.”

Johnson and his wife, Kim, also founded two environmentally focused charitable foundations, and during the past five years, all of his tour proceeds have been donated to them, in turn going to hundreds of environmental education nonprofits worldwide. The enabling commercial success began in 2001 when his debut album successfully established this Oahu, Hawaiian’s trademark mellow surf-rocker style.

Since then, he’s released five more studio albums, including the most recent, From Here to Now to You.

“While I have so much gratitude for the support our music receives, for me, music has always been a hobby, a side thing. It grew into a way to work in the nonprofit world.

Being engaged in environmental education almost feels like my real job, and the music’s something we’re lucky enough to provide to fund related causes,” says Johnson.

As the size of his audiences grows, so does the size of his potential environmental footprint. On the road, Johnson’s team works with the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance to fuel

photos courtesy of Emmett Malloy

greenliving

all tour trucks, buses and generators. Comprehensive conservation efforts including refillable water bottle stations, plus organic cotton T-shirts and reusable or biodegradable food service ware are standard at his shows. “We try to be environmentally conscious every step of the way,” says Johnson.

“Our record cases and posters use recycled paper and ecofriendly inks. We record albums in my solar-powered studio.

It’s an ongoing learning process and conversation as we find even better ways to do things.”

Johnson’s team often requests increased recycling efforts and use of energy-efficient light bulbs at venues, advancing long-term eco-changes everywhere they perform. He explains, “Our thinking is that once they change the light bulbs for us, they’re not going to go back to the old light bulbs after we leave. Many venue managers tell us they have stuck with the improvements because they realize that they’re easy to do.”

Marine pollution and single-use plastics are issues high on the musician’s environmental list, but the topic he’s most passionate about is food. In his home state of Hawaii, 90 percent of food is imported. “The idea of supporting your local food system is a big deal in our family and we take that point of view on the road because it’s a vital issue anywhere you go,” he says.

At each tour stop, all of the band’s food is sourced within a specific radius. Johnson also works with radio stations to promote regional farming, helping to build community and fan awareness of the benefits of supporting local farms.

At home, Johnson has solar panels on the roof and drives an electric car. The entire family, including three children,

participates in recycling, worm composting and gardening.

“It’s fun to take what we learn at home on the road and bring good things we learn on the road home,” he says.

The Swiss Family Robinson is one of the family’s favorite books. “We love figuring out ways to apply ideas,” he remarks. “For our first water catchment system, we got 50-gallon drums previously used for oil and vinegar from a bread bakery and attached spigots. The kids were so excited to watch them fill the first time it rained.”

Johnson finds that all of the facets of his life work together. For example, “Music is a social thing for me. I get to share it with people. Surfing is where I find a lot of balance; it’s a more private time. But I also come up with lyrics and musical ideas while I’m surfing.”

Johnson’s approach to inspiring all generations to be conscious of the environment is to focus on the fun, because it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the big picture. Understanding that his own kids are among the future stewards of planet Earth, he works diligently to instill values of creativity and free thinking.

Johnson reflects, “When I look at things that are in the world now that we would have never dreamed possible when we were growing up, I recognize how much can change in one generation. Looking for answers that aren’t there yet—things nobody’s thought of—that’s what’s going to solve problems.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Mobile/Baldwin, AL (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).

eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

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consciouseating

Living Off the Land Low- and No-Cost Ways to Feed a Family

by Avery Mack

Whether it’s membership in a food co-op, tending a backyard garden or balcony tomato plant or foraging in the woods for edibles, living off the land means cleaner, fresher and more nutritious food on the table.

T

o switch from running to the market to stepping into a home garden for fresh produce, it’s best to start small. Smart gardeners know it’s easy to be overwhelmed by a big plot so they plan ahead with like-minded friends to swap beans for tomatoes or zucchini for okra to add variety. If one household is more suited to freezing excess harvests while another cans or dehydrates, more trades are in the offing. Start kids by having them plant radishes, a crop that will give even the most impatient child quick results.

“You can’t do everything yourself,” counsels Kathie Lapcevic, a farmer, freelance writer and teacher in Columbia Falls, Montana. “I have a huge garden, expanded now into about 7,000 square feet, that provides

65 percent of what our family eats,” she says. “On the other hand, I can’t imagine life without nut butter and found I can’t grow Brussels sprouts. A few trips to the store are inevitable.”

Lapcevic plants non-GMO, heirloom varieties of seeds in her chemicalfree garden. She adds a new variety or two each year and reminds peers that it takes a while to build good soil. Three years ago, she also added pollinator beehives on the property. Their honey reduces the amount of processed sugar the family uses.

From Libby, Montana, Chaya Foedus blogs on her store website PantryParatus.com about kitchen selfsufficiency. “Foraging is a good way to give children a full sensory experience,” she remarks. “We turn a hike

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

into a mission to find and learn about specific foods, where they come from and what to do with them.” To start, select one easily identifiable item for the kids to pick. “In Libby, that’s huckleberries,” says Foedus. “Similar to blueberries, they grow on a bush, so they’re easy to see and pick. Huckleberries don’t grow in captivity—it’s a completely foraged economy.”

Michelle Boatright, a graphic designer and hunter of wild plants in Bristol, Tennessee, learned eco-friendly ways to forage from a game warden friend. Five years later, her bookcase holds 30 books on edible plants—she brings two with her on excursions.

“When in doubt, leave a plant alone.

It’s too easy to make a mistake,” she advises. “Know how to harvest, too—take only about 10 percent of what’s there and leave the roots, so it can grow back.

“For example, ramps, a wild leek, take seven years to cultivate,” says Boatright. “Overharvesting can wipe out years’ worth of growth. In Tennessee, it’s illegal to harvest ramps in state parks. Mushrooms are more apt to regrow, but leave the small ones.”

As for meat, “I was raised to never shoot a gun, but to make my own bows and arrows,” recalls Bennett Rea, a writer and survivalist in Los Angeles, California. “Dad used Native American skills, tools and viewpoints when he hunted. Bow hunting kept our family from going hungry for a few lean years and was always done with reverence.

It’s wise to take only what you need, use what you take and remember an animal gave its life to sustain yours.”

Rea uses several methods for obtaining local foods. “Living here makes it easier due to the year-round growing season. For produce, I vol-

unteer for a local CSA [community supported agriculture] collective. One hour of volunteering earns 11 pounds of free, sustainably farmed, organic produce—everything from kale to tangerines to cilantro.

“Bartering is also an increasingly popular trend,” he notes. “I make my own hot sauce and trade it for high-end foods and coffee from friends and neighbors. Several of us have now rented a plot in a community garden to grow more of our own vegetables. I only buy from stores the items I can’t trade for or make myself—usually oats, milk, cheese and olive oil.”

Truly good food is thoughtfully, sustainably grown or harvested. It travels fewer miles; hasn’t been sprayed with toxins or been chemically fertilized; is fresh; ripens on the plant, not in a truck or the store; and doesn’t come from a factory farm. The old saying applies here: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

Avery Mack is a freelance writer in St. Louis, MO. Connect via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Cooking with Wild Foods

by Avery Mack

C

hristopher Nyerges, of Pasadena, California, author of Guide to Wild Food and Useful Plants and Foraging California, has spent 40 years teaching others to find free food safely as part of an ongoing curriculum (SchoolOfSelf-Reliance.com). He knows, “Wherever you live, common weeds and native plants can supplement food on the table.”

He particularly likes to use acorns as a food extender, grinding them into a powder and mixing it 50/50 with flour to make bread and pancakes. For greens, he likes lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album), a weed that crowds out native plants, but is easily found, nutritious and versatile. He uses the leaves like spinach and adds the seeds to soup or bread batter. He likens it to quinoa.

Nyerges characterizes himself as a lazy gardener.

“Forget having a traditional lawn. Grow food, not grass,” he says. “I like plants that take care of themselves and then of me.”

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) are good edible ground covers. Purslane leaves add a lemon-pepper crunch. “If the neighbors complain, plant some nasturtiums—they’re pretty and good to eat, too,” he notes. Varieties of cactus, like the prickly pear, are also edible; remove the thorns and cook the pads with tofu or eggs.

“I’m all for using technology, but know how to get by without it, too,” Nyerges advises. “There’s no such thing as total self-sufficiency. What we can be is self-reliant and knowledgeable users. Begin by learning and applying one thing.” He’s found, “There aren’t directions to follow; the path to self-reliance is different for each person.”

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SUMMER CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SALAD WITH HERBS (Serves 6-8)

Eating with the Seasons Be Inspired to Experiment

by Analiese Paik

Fresh spinach, cucumbers, mint, parsley and green beans are tossed with chickpeas and fresh lemon juice in this summer’s most refreshing salad.

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

W

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 4 green onions, thinly sliced 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), drained and rinsed 1 bunch spinach (about 11 ounces), stemmed and chopped 1 seedless cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced

• Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

46

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

hen you stop to think about it, most of us eat the same ten vegetables over and over again. Spring presents us with a bounty of locally-grown vegetables and herbs, the perfect means to get inspired and climb out of a vegetable rut. Freshly harvested, peak-of-flavor produce awaits at farm stands and farmers’ markets, beckoning us to add some flavor diversity to our diets.

Young, tender radishes, just pulled from the warm earth, sport gorgeous green tops that are entirely edible. Chop them raw to add to salads, sauté them in garlic and olive oil, or make a spring tonic of radish greens and spring garlic soup for a new flavor sensation (see recipe). Spring garlic (see photo) is young garlic that has not yet formed a bulb, and therefore is milder in taste than mature garlic. It looks like a cross between a scallion and a leek, and all three are members of the allium family of foods known for their excellent health benefits.

Embracing whole vegetable eating helps us to get more for our money, reduce food waste, and widen our culinary horizons. Radishes and spring garlic are entirely edible, from root to tip. In fact, a surprising number of vegetable parts we commonly throw away are not only edible, but delicious and easy to prepare. We forgot this wisdom as the distance between us and the source of our food grew too wide. When in doubt about whether a plant part is edible, ask the farmer who grew it. Poisonous parts are typically removed – think rhubarb and parsnip tops – but carrot tops are not and may contain toxins.

Chances are good you won’t find spring garlic, or garlic scapes, at the supermarket. Garlic scapes are only available for a few fleeting weeks at farms stands and farmers’ markets in June; it’s a mistake to pass them over. The scape is the flowering stalk of hard neck garlic that is harvested while young, curled and flexible so it is still tender. Farmers trim them off to direct all the plant’s energy towards growing a big fat bulb underground.

Avoid scapes that have straightened; by that time they are tough and inedible.

Garlic scapes taste like garlic, but are much milder and add a unique flavor to stir fries, eggs and soups. Try making garlic scape pesto in the food processor by substituting them for basil in a traditional pesto genovese recipe.

Bursting with the flavor of spring, the pesto is delicious and refreshing spread on some good artisan bread or tossed with pasta.

Visit a farm stand or farmers’ market soon and get inspired to cook a new vegetable or two. Buy a bunch of radishes with their greens, preferably organic, and some spring garlic, then quickly transform them into a delicious and satisfying soup. The radish bulbs are sliced as a topping or can be cooked as a side dish for another meal.

On a really hot day, try a radish with butter and salt sandwich; it’s a classic.

Analiese Paik is the founder and editor of FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com and beginning this month joins Natural Awakenings Fairfield County as Food Editor.

Radish Greens Soup with Spring Garlic Serves: 4-6 as an appetizer Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes Ingredients: • Greens and stems from one large bunch of farm-fresh radishes (entirely edible) • 3-4 spring garlic (entirely edible) • 1 onion • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade • Extra virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper Preparation: 1. Remove the radish bulbs where they meet the stems using a knife or pair of kitchen scissors. Discard any brown or damaged leaves. Wash the greens in several changes of water, then rough chop to 2-inch lengths.

Reserve.

2. Wash, trim and quarter radish bulbs for cooking or slice for a salad or soup topping. Set aside or refrigerate for another day.

3. On a cutting board, trim root end and tough tips of green leaves from spring garlic, then wash well. Return

to clean cutting board and rough slice white, light green and any tender dark green parts. Reserve.

4. On a cutting board, peel and halve the onion lengthwise and cut half the onion into ¼ inch slices.

5. Heat olive oil over medium setting in a medium saucepan, add onion slices and spring garlic (if using), then cover to sweat with a sprinkling of salt.

6. When vegetables have turned translucent, after 3-4 minutes, add two cups of vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

7. Add coarsely chopped radish greens, lower heat and simmer until tender, about ten minutes.

8. Puree soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with sour cream and a few radish slices.

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Editor’s Picks: Farmers’ Markets Visit FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com for complete guides to farmers’ markets and organic farm stands.

Black Rock: St. Ann’s Field at 481 Brewster St, Bridgeport; Saturdays from 9am-1pm, starting June 7 Darien: Municipal parking lot off of Mechanic St; Wednesdays from 11am-4pm Fairfield: 75 Hillside Rd; Saturdays from 11am-4pm

Don’t let your dreams be dreams. ~Jack Johnson

Greenwich: Corner Arch St and Horseneck Street; Saturdays from 9:30am-1pm Monroe: Monroe Town Green, corner of 6 Fan Hill Rd and Rte 111; Fridays from 3-6pm, starting June 20 New Canaan: Old Center School parking lot at the intersection of South Ave, Maple St and Main St; Saturdays from 10am-2pm Newtown: Fairfield Hills campus at Wasserman Way, Exit 11 off I-84 and Rte 25; Tuesdays from 2-6pm, beginning June 24 Old Greenwich: Presbyterian Church at 38 West End Ave; Wednesdays from 3-6pm Ridgefield: The Community Center at 316 Main St; Thursdays from 1:30-5:30pm, beginning June 5 Rowayton: Pinkney Park at 177 Rowayton Ave; Fridays from 12-5pm

48

Fairfield County Edition

Editor’s Picks: Organic Farm Stands (Schedules expand in full season) Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt St, Wilton; Open Saturdays from 9am-2pm, starting June 7 Belta’s Farm, 128 Bayberry Ln, Westport; Open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-3pm Garden of Ideas, 647 North Salem Rd, Ridgefield; Open daily 8am until dusk The Hickories Farm, 136 Lounsbury Rd, Ridgefield; Open Friday-Sunday from 10am-5pm Holbrook Farm, 45 Turkey Plain Rd (Rt 53 South), Bethel; Open Monday-Saturday from 9am-6pm Hubbard Heights Farm, 202 Hubbard Ave, Stamford; Open Saturdays from 10am-4pm Sport Hill Farm, 596 Sport Hill Rd, Easton; Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am-6pm, Wednesday 9am-7pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm

Westport: 50 Imperial Ave; Thursdays from 10am-2pm

Sticks and Stones Farm, 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown; Open Monday- Friday from 10am-4pm

Stamford: Bedford St at Forest St; Saturdays from 9am-3pm, starting June 7

Viv’s Veggies at Chestnut Farm, 227 Lyons Plains Rd, Weston; Open Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5pm.

Stamford: The Stamford Museum & Nature Center at 39 Scofieldtown Rd; Sundays from 10am-2pm, beginning June 15

Warrup’s Farm, 11 John Read Rd, Redding; Opens mid-July; Visit WarrupsFarm.com for hours

natural awakenings

inspiration

JOURNEY TO MATURITY

Setbacks Make Boys Into Men

by Nick Clements

W

e all know hard-charging young men that have their foot planted firmly on the accelerator. They claim that easing off would damage their career and be an admission of failure. They are wrong. Those enjoying early successes can grow up overstressed by trying to stay on the fast track at any cost. These alpha boys are doing what they think others want them to do. In many cases, they are influenced by subtle and overt pressures from parents, peers and celebrity lifestyles, as well as advertising and video games.

As a consequence, these men, obsessed with superficial goals, are emotionally stunted, controlling and unable to form long-term relationships. The good news is that if they can recognize these symptoms and want to change, they may be

ready to mature into an alpha wolf, a whole different kind of man.

An essential catalyst for this change usually comes from experiencing personal wounding: being overlooked for a promotion, feeling redundant, losing a friend or status or perhaps sacrificing a former identity to parenthood.

Ultimately, the true test is how he faces such failure and deals with his emotions without labeling himself as weak.

The hallmark of mature manhood is how a guy acknowledges his diminishment, not how he manages success. When he stops hiding from himself, signs of his emerging as a mature hero, an alpha wolf, will appear.

He’ll recognize that he makes mistakes, absorb and acknowledge his vulnerability, admit he doesn’t know all the answers and become comfortable with this loss of control.

These are the lessons a man must learn to become a more realistic, whole and three-dimensional individual. How he reacts to setbacks and takes responsibility for his actions molds character and helps him take his rightful place in society, rather than a false position.

Instead of being obsessed by competing for things and one-upmanship in the material world like an alpha boy, the alpha wolf grows up by adding strong spirituality and compassion to his life skills. He sees the bigger picture, and by viewing people as friends rather than rivals, is better able to forge mature, loving relationships and be a better father.

Our sons need to be exposed to emotionally intelligent role models and discussions of attendant values and traits.

It’s not a simple or easy path, but it’s an essential process for boys and men that benefits them and everyone in their lives.

Nick Clements is an inspirational speaker, workshop leader and author of a trilogy of books on male spirituality and rites of passage, including his recent novel, The Alpha Wolf, A Tale About the Modern Male. He also blogs on masculinity at HuffingtonPost.co.uk/nick-clements. Learn more at Nick-Clements.com.

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A Special Culinary Fundraiser Friday, July 18, 2014 6:30 – 9:30 pm Winvian, Morris CT

Signature Appetizers and Desserts • Wines/Beverages Live & Silent Auction • Valet Parking

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Affordable Ways to Detoxify Your Bedroom

by Chris Chamberlin

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natural awakenings

A

dults spend about one-third of each day in bed. This should be a time of rest and recovery for the mind and immune system, but modern bedrooms are often a nightmare of off-gassed toxins and airborne allergens.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors”. The exposure can lead to a host of physical ailments, from asthma and headaches to respiratory disease and cancer.

The boudoir’s biggest bogeyman is the conventional mattress, typically comprised of oil, polyester, flame retardants, polyurethane foam and chemicals. Replacing a conventional mattress with a pure cotton, organic cotton or natural latex option will make an immediate difference — but it’s a significant investment. Here is some inspiration for seven smaller, affordable ways to clean up and detoxify your bedroom: Mattress Topper: A pure wool, latex, cotton innerspring or natural rubber mattress topper is an affordable alternative to buying a new mattress. Mattress toppers provide a barrier of protection from a conventional mattress, and offer extra cushioning, soft comfort and additional pressure point relief. A topper goes right on top of the mattress and then the mattress pad and fitted sheet go over both the topper and the mattress itself, holding the topper in place.

Tip: Mattress toppers can be easily rotated and help add longevity to any mattress.

Pillows: Choose pillows made with untreated cotton, organic cotton, buckwheat hulls for neck support, wool for better moisture wicking or natural rubber with 97 percent natural latex. They provide superior support and protection from dustmite allergens, offering relief to allergy and asthma sufferers.

Tip: Remember to replace pillows every two years for continued correct support.

Bedding: Natural and organic bedding use materi-

als raised and processed without chemicals. The soft, gentle fibers provide greater comfort than man-made fabrics that don’t breathe well. In addition, organic blankets and pure wool comforters are warm and cozy without overheating.

Tip: According to the Mayo Clinic, it is important to wash bedding often in hot water at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to kill dust mites.

Furniture: Crafted to be beautiful, functional and kind to the earth, eco-friendly bedroom furniture—like a bed frame, side tables and dresser—is usually crafted from solid, sustainable wood, without harmful chemicals and with no off-gassing concern.

Tip: Whenever possible, purchase furniture made in the US and as locally as possible to reduce the emissions caused by transportation.

Air Purifier: Breathing clean air is of great benefit to overall health; an air purifier’s sole purpose is to clean the

air. Choose an air purifier that uses HEPA filtration, which eliminates 99.97 percent of all particles three microns in size or larger, making a difference that is immediately noticeable; if possible, have one in each room or install a whole-house purifier.

Tip: For the best results, invest in a hospital-grade unit.

Dog Bed: Don’t forget Fido! Conventional dog beds are as unhealthy for dogs as conventional beds are for dog owners.

Eco-friendly alternatives are crafted of all-natural or organic cotton, with removable covers that can be easily laundered in hot water.

Tip: Dog beds aren’t just for dogs, of course; choose an organic or all-natural bed for each indoor animal.

Fresh Air: The EPA and the National Lung Association recommend regularly opening windows to recycle the air. For those with seasonal allergies, a window guard stops pollen, dust and dirt particles from entering the bedroom.

Tip: An unmade bed allows the bedding to air out and breathe—so consider this permission not to make the bed every day.

Chris Chamberlin is co-founder of The Clean Bedroom.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary later this year, The Clean Bedroom has sleep showrooms in Greenwich, CT, Wellesley, MA, Portland and Kittery, ME, New York, NY, Santa Monica, CA, and Austin, TX. For more information, visit TheClean Bedroom.com or call 207-438-9778. See ad, page 5.

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Men and Thyroid Imbalance Surprising Symptoms Go Unrecognized

by Jaime A. Heidel

I

t is fairly common that when a man feels depressed, fatigued or uninterested in romance, he may chalk it up to aging. However, contrary to what some commercials would have us believe, a man over the age of 30 shouldn’t have to depend on prescription drugs in order to feel “normal.” If some troubling symptoms have cropped up, it is reasonable to suspect thyroid imbalance as a potential cause.

The thyroid gland is a part of the endocrine system, located just below the Adam’s apple. Its primary function is to regulate metabolism and produce two hormones, inactive thyroxine (T4) and active triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones are essential for proper digestion, muscle function, internal temperature control, sexual function, cholesterol maintenance, brain function and more. In many ways, the thyroid can be regarded as the command center for many of the rest of the systems in our bodies. When it isn’t function-

ing properly, nothing else seems to either.

There are two main types of thyroid disease; overactive (hyperthyroidism) and underactive (hypothyroidism). Thyroid disease is believed to be far more prevalent in women, which is why most medical articles and treatments are focused on this gender. With two out of 10 cases of thyroid disease found in men, there is increasing awareness of how often it is overlooked. There are several reasons for this.

“Throughout their lives, males are less likely to be diagnosed as hypothyroid than women,” says Michael Doyle, MD, of Stamford Integrative Medicine. “I believe some of this is because hypothyroidism is actually less common in males, but also because males with hypothyroidism are less likely to seek medical attention.”

Appropriate testing for thyroid dysfunction is key, in part because symptoms or reporting of symptoms may be unclear.

As Dr. Doyle notes, “I find that while many women come in complaining of classic hypothyroid symptoms, a large number of men did not report any major physical symptoms. On the other hand, they often have physical signs of low thyroid including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and abnormal thyroid levels on blood tests.”

“The most common autoimmune disease I see in my practice is hypothyroidism,” says Ellen Lewis, ND, of Shalva Clinic in Westport. Since the current conventional medical model looks more closely at the symptom (malfunctioning thyroid) rather than the cause (reason for thyroid malfunction), opportunities for treatments may be missed, Lewis believes.

Do These Symptoms Sound Familiar?

Hyper- and hypothyroidism each presents its own unique brand of symptoms, though some may overlap between conditions. Dr. Doyle says, in his experience, men seem less likely than women to notice the coldness, fatigue or muscle aches of hyperparathyroidism. They also seem to be much slower to seek medical attention when they do experience symptoms of hypothyroidism. He points out that denial can be a very important risk factor for men to overcome.

Signs of Hyperthyroidism In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid produces too much of the thyroid hormone, causing symptoms such as:

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natural awakenings

Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx

lished by the Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 137 patients with Grave’s disease reported anxiety and irritability as well as significant cognitive symptoms such as poor memory, attention, planning and productivity.

Hyperhidrosis: When the thyroid produces too much of the hormones, it confuses the endocrine system, which can result in excessive sweating. The medical term for this condition is called hyperhidrosis.

Frequent, Loose Stools: Hyperthyroidism causes increased digestive motility due to overstimulation of the vagus nerve. This nerve conveys sensory information from the digestive system to the central nervous system and back.

Hair Loss: What is usually referred to as “male pattern baldness” might be a sign of hyperthyroidism. Hair loss in relation to thyroid disease is called telogen effluvium, which greatly reduces the number of hair follicles actively growing hair at any one time. This type of hair loss often affects the top of the head with no noticeable hairline recession.

Erectile Dysfunction: Erectile dysfunction has a definite thyroid connection. According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, it is estimated that up to 60 percent of men with hyperthyroidism may experience sexual dysfunction due to a decrease in testosterone.

Signs of Hypothyroidism In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, resulting in symptoms such as:

Depression: A study published by the Department of Neurology in Turkey revealed that hypothyroidism can cause

“multiple morphological alterations in the brain.” This could result in depression, mood swings and even psychotic behavior.

Fatigue: With the complaint of

fatigue being such a generic symptom, it can be difficult to pinpoint its medical cause. Fatigue related to thyroid disease often presents differently.

Lacking the energy to exercise or not being able to exercise consistently is a common symptom, as is a feeling of heaviness in the head during the evening. Falling asleep immediately upon sitting or lying down is another telltale sign fatigue may be related to a thyroid imbalance.

Constipation: Multiple studies have shown that poor thyroid health has a strong link to poor gut health. Healthy gut bacteria is essential for the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to be turned into active thyroid hormone (T3). Without this healthy bacteria, the thyroid output leads to slow-transit constipation.

Weight Gain: Hypothyroidism often results in a poor appetite due to a sluggish metabolism. Despite this, the weight may still pile on. Slow-transit constipation can make proper elimination difficult, further complicating the weight-loss issue.

Infertility: A study published in the Winter 2012 issue of Urology Journal found that men with hypothyroidism had low sperm counts that could interfere with conception, compared with a control group. Hypothyroidism leads to overproduction of a pituitary hormone called prolactin. Too much of this hormone causes a drop in testosterone production, which can result in lowered sperm count.

Testing for Thyroid Disease

Dr. Doyle believes the key to arriving at an accurate diagnosis of thyroid disease requires medical practitioners to go beyond the standard TSH blood test. “I believe nearly every doctor has seen patients who have classical complaints and physical changes indicating low thyroid who have a normal TSH blood test,” he says.

This is because the TSH blood test only measures the inability of the thyroid gland to produce enough thyroid hormone. There are several other causes of thyroid disease.

“In particular, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and also the pituitary gland control the thyroid gland. If these areas are not working properly, the TSH test becomes inaccurate or irrelevant. Also, if the tissues in the body do not respond properly to thyroid hormone, the TSH may again be inaccurate or irrelevant,” Doyle explains. Lewis concurs, stating that she recommends “that any patient presenting with thyroid dysfunction be tested with a blood antibody test first, before other tests are offered.”

In addition to the blood test, Doyle recommends a basal body temperature test as most hypothyroid patients have low body temperature and a 24-hour urine thyroid test, which measures T4 and T3 metabolites released by the kidneys.

Jaime A. Heidel is a Connecticut-based freelance writer whose passion for natural health began when her life-long mystery symptoms were diagnosed as gluten intolerance by a naturopathic physician. Connect with her at itoldyouiwassick.com.

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Associate Professor at the University of Bridgeport.

Antibacterial Hand Soap: The Journal of Toxicological Sciences revealed that Triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial soaps, significantly decreases total serum T4 and T3.

Pesticides: The American Journal of Epidemiology revealed that certain pesticides called organochlorines greatly increase the likelihood for the development of subclinical hypothyroidism.

Treating Thyroid Disease Diagnosis in Hand…

Now What?

by Jaime A. Heidel

R

eceiving a diagnosis of thyroid disease offers validation of symptoms while creating a pathway to safe, natural approaches for treatment. Once accurate testing has been done and the underlying cause of thyroid imbalance has been identified, there are a variety of options for addressing the situation for each individual.

Remove Environmental Triggers

Bisphenol A (BPA): BPA is an endocrine-disrupting compound found in plastic bottles, plastic food containers, water coolers, beer cans, recycled toilet paper and retail receipts.

According to an article published in the Journal of Toxicology, BPA can have a negative impact on thyroid-specific gene expression. Eliminate as many of these toxins from your immediate environment as possible.

Soy: Vegetarian, vegan and bodybuilding men often consume a good deal of soy. According to a study published

by Biochemical Pharmacology, excessive soy consumption may inhibit the ability to use iodine. “A lack of iodine is a known contributing cause of goiter, which can result in hypothyroidism in some cases,” says David Brady, ND, a clinician at Whole Body Medicine in Trumbull and Vice Provost and

54

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Clean Up Your Diet

A highly-processed food diet can worsen inflammation and result in immune system malfunction. It is important to eat a whole-food diet including organic vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, grass-fed meat, poultry, wild-caught fish and healthy fats like coconut oil and butter.

Foods in the brassica family, namely broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, may have a goiter-inducing effect on the thyroid. They are best eaten cooked instead of raw. Soybeans, peanuts and strawberries should be consumed in moderation.

Also, when it comes to soy consumption, organic is best.

Proper digestive function is critical to proper thyroid function. An intolerance to one or more foods can result in chronic inflammation and poor absorption of nutrients. A blood test for food allergies can sometimes produce a false negative.

Susanne Saltzman, MD emphasizes the role of food in her management of patients with thyroid conditions, using functional medicine and food sensitivity testing to address autoimmune activity. She focuses on food sensitivities, such as removing gluten from the diet, healing the gut, detoxing the body, and correcting nutritional deficiencies via supplementation.

Removing the major food allergens, specifically gluten, lactose, soy and corn, for several weeks and slowly reintroducing them may help pinpoint hidden dietary culprits.

“In general, a paleolithic (Paleo) approach works well for many so long as it is not too low in natural fats. If patients improve on this highly restricted diet, I recommend to most of them that they slowly and carefully try reintroducing some of the otherwise healthy foods that they have cut out,” advises Stamford Integrative Medicine’s Michael Doyle, MD. Invest in Supplements

The following dietary supplements have been shown to treat nutritional deficiencies and treat thyroid disease in a safe, natural way.

Magnesium: The Journal of Nutrition published a study that shows a direct correlation between magnesium deficiency and a deficiency in certain amino acids that act as precursors for thyroid hormone production. Brady explains that the amino acid tyrosine is intimately involved in the synthesis of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4).

Vitamin D3: Severe vitamin D3 deficiencies are due to a lack of regular sunlight exposure and nutritional malabsorption.

Probiotics: They improve digestive health and nutrient absorption, which can help improve your overall metabolic function.

Reduce Stress Levels

Chronic stress taxes our adrenal glands, two glands which sit atop our kidneys. When these glands are overworked, they are unable to properly convert inactive T4 into active triiodothyronine (T3). This directly affects thyroid hormone production.

When we reduce our stress levels through relaxation exercises, meditation, yoga, reading or time with a pet, we allow our bodies to heal themselves.

Consider Homeopathy

Homeopathy uses natural compounds that, in larger amounts, would create the same symptoms they are meant to treat. Homeopathic specialists use very low doses of these diluted solutions to give your body instructions on how to correct imbalances and function optimally. The best approach to homeopathic treatment is to find a homeopathic specialist who can assess your individual health needs and prescribe the proper course of treatment.

Dr. Saltzman, MD, has found homeopathy highly effective for treating thyroid disorders in her practice. “Homeopathy will often deal with deeper underlying emotional issues, which place tremendous stress on the body and interfere with immune function,” says Saltzman, a physician based in Hartsdale and Spring Valley, New York.

Rest as well as moderate exercise will enhance the effect of any other treatment.

Jaime A. Heidel is a Connecticut-based freelance writer whose passion for natural health began when her life-long mystery symptoms were diagnosed as gluten intolerance by a naturopathic physician. Connect with her at itoldyouiwassick.com.

2014 LADIES GOLF CLASSIC Monday, June 16 Schedule 7:45 am Registration & Breakfast 9:00 am Shotgun Start Lunch At the turn during play Awards Banquet (Following Play)

Raffles & Auction Prizes!

Richter Park Golf Course Danbury, CT

Tournament Format Best Two Balls of Foursome Net & Gross Individual Prizes All Play from Red Tees

$175 per golfer

Proceeds to benefit Ann’s Place, Inc. • 501(c)(3) non-profit agency

see website for sponsorship opportunities and registration forms.

Questions? 203-790-6568

www.annsplace.org

Ann’s Place provides free comfort and support to people living with cancer and to their loved ones.

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Local Resources Michael E. Doyle, MD • Stamford Integrative Medicine Stamford • 203-324-4747 • StamfordIntegrativeMedicine.com Debra Gibson, ND Ridgefield • 203-431-4443 • DebraGibsonND.com Ellen Lewis, ND • Shalva Clinic Westport • 203-916-4600 • ShalvaClinic.org Marvin Schweitzer, ND • The Wellness Institute Norwalk • 203-847-2788 • DrMarvinSchweitzer.com David M. Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN • Whole Body Medicine Fairfield/Trumbull line • 203-371-8258 Thomas Worden, DC • Worden Wellness Center Danbury • 203-244-8801 • WordenWellnessCenter.com

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eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

55

healingways

The Bionic

COACH High-Tech Boosts Healthy Routines

by Linda Sechrist

W

hen President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 that the U.S. should commit to sending a man to the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade, few suspected the bounty of technological spinoffs that such National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space missions would yield. Today, many of NASA’s research advancements, as well as technologies developed outside the space program, are put to good use in everyday life. Of particular interest are products used in fitness workouts.

ABI Research, a technology market intelligence company, revealed the growing popularity of consumer health and wellness technologies in its latest market projections for wearable, healthrelated devices. Estimates are that 80 million wearable monitoring devices, including heart monitors and biosensors that read body temperature and motion, will be sold by 2016.

When Clint, a global market research firm, conducted its most recent Fitness and Technology Survey, its findings showed technology at work.

Based on 745 online interviews with people in seven countries, 72 percent of exercisers embraced some type of technology, including smartphone apps, to support their fitness routines two or more times a week.

In recent years, amateur and professional athletes have increasingly

56

Fairfield County Edition

benefited from technological advances that help them chart, improve upon and customize their fitness routines.

Tracking fitness progress and weight loss is now just clicks away with personal devices such as a Wi-Fi scale, which accurately measures weight, body fat percentage and body mass index. Online graphs chart the individual’s progress.

While the typical setting for measuring blood pressure and heart rate used to be in a physician’s office, hospital or pharmacy, new digital wrist blood pressure and heart monitors now allow exercise enthusiasts to do it themselves, wherever they are, helping ensure they are not exceeding the safety parameters of their fitness programs. User-friendly digital pocket pedometers and wireless activity-during-sleep wristbands both work in conjunction with a downloaded app to allow self-monitoring. Exercisers can track steps; distances walked cycled or swum; calories burned; total active minutes; and how long and how well they sleep.

In some U.S. fitness centers, members have an option of working with an automated, virtual, personal trainer.

This almost-do-it-yourself approach to professionally guided fitness begins with a survey of an individual’s lifestyle and goals to create a personalized fitness regimen. Each time exercisers go to the center, they insert a key into a “smart

natural awakenings

trainer”, generating the day’s 30-minute customized workout. The technology focuses primarily on helping clients manage weight and maintain muscle.

Other technologies, such as medical-grade, pneumatic [air] compression boot systems, are facilitating athome recovery for hip and knee surgery patients and quicker muscle recovery for serious athletes. Air-filled chambers remain inflated as pressure cycles sequentially move from the foot up the leg.

The cycles flush out waste and replenish blood supplies to the muscles.

More complex bio-analyzing systems retrieve feedback from the body’s electromagnetic fields, the multiple energy meridians and the frequencies of the body’s cells and organs. “Such systems are largely used by chiropractors, naturopaths, physical therapists and acupuncturists,” says Loran Swensen, CEO of Innergy Development, which owns AO Scan, maker of the Magnetic Resonance Bio-Analyzer.

For people that struggle with traditional workouts or physical limitations, whole-body vibration technology may be a solution. “When you stand on the oscillating platform, the body reacts to the vertical vibratory stimulus with an involuntary muscle contraction; depending on the speed, muscles can react up to 23 times per second,” advises Linda Craig, co-owner of Circulation Nation, in Greer, South Carolina.

Similar platforms are becoming commonplace in chiropractic practices.

Consumer applications of medical devices have led to the home use of additional sophisticated technologies like laser therapy. Successfully used for more than 30 years in Europe to treat trauma, inflammation, overuse injuries and cosmetic issues, as well as to provide pain relief and healing, some forms have recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

With 129,397,925 gym members worldwide according to a recent International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association report, it’s safe to predict that consumer demand ensures even more significant technological advances are in our near future.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

fitbody

Body Ease Fluid, Flexible Movement Can Be Ours

by Sarah Todd

B

ad habits are hard to break—and it’s even harder to eliminate those we are unaware of. Many people experience pain from unconscious physical patterns such as hunching over a computer keyboard or holding a musical instrument at an uncomfortable angle, but don’t know how to identify and change limiting positions. This calls for body movement re-education.

Alexander Technique

“Let’s say you’re a runner and didn’t realize that you were running in a lopsided way,” explains Alexander Technique practitioner Beret Arcaya, who has taught the practice in New York City for almost 30 years. Students learn to retrain their thinking, movements and posture for better natural alignment. “It helps you understand how you’re making an argument between yourself and gravity,” she says.

Invented by Australian thespian F. Matthias Alexander at the end of the 19th century as a means of improving his onstage presence, the Alexander Technique is highly regarded by actors and entertainers, yet anyone can benefit from it, according to Arcaya.

In typical one-on-one sessions, Alexander movement practitioners use a light, gentle touch and verbal instruction to show students how to realign their head, neck and upper back while standing in front of a mirror, which helps the rest of the body attain a more natural position.

Next, students learn to move through

routine activities like sitting, walking and bending in ways that replace damaging habits with easier movements.

The technique is easily modified to meet individual needs, Arcaya says, citing a former student that suffered from hemophilia. “He could hardly bend his knees, and he had little mobility in one elbow; he was terribly stiff,” she recalls. While the technique couldn’t treat the disease, “It allowed him to skillfully use his remaining uninjured tissue.” One day, when he returned from a three-mile walk with his young son, he was beaming. “‘I walked with a freedom and a lightness,’ he said, ‘I didn’t want to stop.’”

A 2008 study in the medical journal BMJ found that patients with chronic back pain experienced long-term benefits from Alexander Technique exercises and lessons. People with Parkinson’s disease also improved their walking, speech, posture and balance through Alexander training, according to a 2002 study in Clinical Rehabilitation.

Feldenkrais Method

Others in need of movement reeducation use the method founded by physicist, electrical engineer and judo black belt holder Moshé Feldenkrais in the mid-20th century. Feldenkrais was familiar with the Alexander Technique, and the two methods share the same fundamental goal of helping students change harmful patterns through movement exploration, touch and dialogue.

The Feldenkrais Method avoids concepts of “right” and “wrong”. Instead, the

practitioner leads students through gentle, slow-movement sequences, mostly on the floor, while asking questions about subtle details as they experience options. This sharpens sensory awareness of how to perform each movement with maximum ease. In one-on-one sessions, the student is passive while the practitioner’s hands suggest various non-habitual movements to widen his repertoire. It all increases flexibility, balance, fine motor skills and overall physical self-awareness.

Feldenkrais stated, “What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies but flexible brains; to restore each person to their human dignity.”

Seniors that practiced the Feldenkrais Method enhanced their balance and mobility, according to a 2010 study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. It may also alleviate symptoms of nonclinical depression, according to a 2011 pilot study reported in the Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association.

Trager Approach

Another entry point to such a bodily reawakening is the Trager Approach, invented by Dr. Milton Trager, an athlete who suffered from a congenital spinal deformity. “The intention of the practitioner in a Trager session is to introduce the client to a series of playful and pleasurable sensations as the session unfolds,” says practitioner Martha Partridge, of New York City, who works primarily with people that have Parkinson’s disease.

During tablework sessions, practitioners “bring awareness” of a specific movement by rocking, cradling and gently rotating a client’s body, Partridge explains. The feeling of effortless movement is further ingrained through a series of mental gymnastics, termed mentastics, that clients can do at home.

The objective, says Partridge, is to help people have a sense of joy in everyday, common movement.

All three bodywork techniques can help people banish bad habits for good.

“Gradually, aches and pains will go away,” Arcaya says. “You can undo the imbalances that have done you wrong.”

Then go forward, doing things right.

Sarah Todd is a freelance writer in Brooklyn, NY. Connect at SarahToddInk.com.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

June 2014

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Fairfield County Edition

Stand Up Paddleboards Spell Family Fun

by Lauressa Nelson

Because Nature Makes The Best Stuff

58

PaddleHappy

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M

“

ost kids growing up in Chattanooga have crossed the Tennessee River via the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge; far fewer have been on the river beneath it,” remarks Mark Baldwin, owner of area paddle sports outfitter L2 Boards. Using stand up paddleboards (SUP), he loves guiding adults and children on their own up-close discoveries of the river’s cliffs, caves, fish, turtles and birds.

Waterways are enchanting at any age, and SUP recreation naturally tends to inspire creative quests. Its physical and developmental benefits are a bonus. “The stand up paddleboard is the bicycle of the water. Because paddleboarding can be done at any age and fitness level, the whole family can enjoy it together,” says Kristin Thomas, a mother of three in Laguna Beach, California, SUP race champion and executive director of the Stand Up Paddle Industry Association.

“Children are fascinated by the play of the water and the motion of the board. Parents can acclimate an infant to flat-water paddling by simply creating a well of towels onboard, with the baby snuggled between the feet, looking up at them,” advises Lili Colby, owner of MTI Adventurewear, near Boston, Massachusetts, which makes life jackets for paddle sports. She notes that U.S. Coast Guard law requires that children 30 pounds and under wear infant life jackets to provide special head and neck support that turns a baby’s face up with an open airway within three seconds of entering the water.

It’s a good idea to first practice paddling short distances in shallow waters near the shore. Toddlers are more likely to lean overboard to play in the water, Colby cautions, so engaging in nature-inspired games along the way will help occupy them onboard.

“Young children introduced to water sports in the context of positive family interaction typically become eager to paddle on their own,” observes Tina Fetten, owner of Southern Tier Stand Up Paddle Corp., who leads a variety of SUP experiences throughout New York and northern Pennsylvania. “If they are strong swimmers, I bring them on a large board with me and teach them the skills for independent paddling.”

photos courtesy of SURFit USA (SURFITUSA.com)

healthykids

Although SUP boards look like surfboards, stand up paddling is commonly taught on flat water, making it easier and more stable than surfing. Still, swimming competence and adult supervision are prerequisites to independent paddling according to paramedic Bob Pratt, co-founder of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which leads water safety classes in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“Parents should outfit all children with a life jacket, Coast Guard-approved for their age and weight, as well as a leash, which attaches to their ankle and the board with Velcro straps,” Pratt says.

“If children fall into the water, a tug of the leash enables them to quickly retrieve their largest floatation device, the board.”

Experts agree that success is relatively easy, so children build confidence quickly. The sport can be adapted to suit individual needs and positions, including moving from standing to sitting or kneeling, says Fetten, who teaches adaptive SUP lessons in a community pool. As she sees firsthand, “All children, especially those with disabilities, benefit from the empowering feeling of attaining independent success.”

“A water-based sport is the healthiest outlet children can have,” attests Wesley Stewart, founder of Urban Surf 4 Kids, a San Diego nonprofit that offers free SUP and surf clinics for foster children. “Being on the water requires kids to focus on what they’re doing and has the ability to clear their minds and give them freedom.

It’s like meditation. Plus, SUP is a lowimpact, cross-training cardio activity; it works every part of the body.”

Beyond the basic benefits, SUP keeps children engaged by offering endless opportunities to explore the geographic and ecological diversity of different types of waterways. SUP activities and levels can grow along with children; teens can try yoga on water, competitive racing and the advanced challenges of surfing. Fitness is a bonus to the rewarding ability to propel one’s self through the water.

SUP enthusiast Lauressa Nelson is a freelance writer in Orlando, FL, and a contributing editor for Natural Awakenings.

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June 2014

59

calendarofevents Magazine calendar events must be received by June 12th (for July issue) and adhere to our guidelines. All calendar submissions must be entered online at eNaturalAwakenings.com - click on “submit calendar” at the very top of the page.

markyourcalendar Cultivating Spirituality

with William Evarts, apprentice to Toltec Shaman Don Miguel Ruiz

Saturday, June 14 • 10am-2pm Raise your vibration and consciousness.

Quiet the mind to hear the dreams of your heart. $75 members, $83 non-members Wainwright House, Rye, NY Wainwright.org or HeChangesHorses.com

Reiki I & II Certification Class – 10am-4pm.

Combined Reiki Certification class for Levels I & II. Many aspects of Reiki and associated modalities are discussed, including animal topics. Become a certified Reiki Practitioner at the conclusion of the class. Call for fee. Hands and Paws Reiki for All, 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford.

203-994-1815. ReikiHandsAndPaws@gmail.com.

HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Remote Viewing Experience with Jon Noble – 1-3pm. Explore a basic remote viewing method.

Experience the remote viewing cycle, understand how to handle clear visions, understand the roles of left/right side brain functions, examine how analytical thinking and association hinders the remote viewing cycle. $40. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich.

AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com. AlbertsonChurch.org.

Tuesday, June 3 Free “Intentional Living” Interest Group Meeting – 7-9 pm. Open to all who wish to explore topics related to living life with greater intention and meaning. At The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. RSVP at Learn.edu/Events.

Wednesday, June 4 Open House and Information Session – 5:307 pm. At The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. Call 203-874-4252 or write to Admissions@Learn.edu to register.

Why Am I Toxic and What Can I do About It? – 7-8:30pm. With Virginia Trinque, Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach. Toxins build up in our body from foods, medicine, the environment and the products we use. We can fix this and create incredible health by making some simple, empowering changes. $20. Hands and Paws Reiki for All, 375 Danbury Rd,

Fairfield County Edition

Thursday, June 5 Eat Your Way to Wellness: 11-Day Whole Food, Whole Body Cleanse – 7:15-8:15pm. With Dr.Tom Worden, DC and Virginia Trinque, Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach. Cleanse will run from 6/5-6/22.

Pre/post cleanse office visits with Dr.Worden, goal setting and outcome expectations. Virginia will provide support via email and a private FB forum. Register and receive cleanse success kit with Wellness Guide, daily protocol, meal planner and 30 pages of delicious recipes. Call for fee. Worden Wellness Center, 41 Kenosia Ave, Danbury. 203-748-8093.

DocWorden@WordenWellnessCenter.com.

Friday, June 6

Sunday, June 1

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New Milford. Register: 203-994-1815. ReikiHands AndPaws@gmail.com. HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Reiki Level 1 Workshop – 10am-5pm. with Gigi Benanti. Learn Reiki Level 1 in the Western style from an experienced Reiki Master. Learn how to use Reiki for self-healing and healing for others.

Includes 4 powerful energy connections. Receive 2 manuals and certificate $115 + $10 towards material. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, (enter private office downstairs in back), Norwalk.

Register: 203-852-1150. AngelHealReikiGigiB@ snet.net. AngelHealReiki.com.

Saturday, June 7 1 Day Meditation Retreat – 9:30am-4pm. Silent session designed to be more intensive than our weekly classes. Allows the mind more time to drop daily thoughts and develop deeper levels of awareness of our body, mind, thoughts and feeling. Please bring a bag lunch. Donations. Redding Center for Mindfulness & Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd (1/2 mile off rte 7), West Redding. Must pre-register: 203-244-3130.

Info@ReddingMeditation.org. ReddingMeditation.org.

Spiritual Psychic Fair – 12-5pm. Gifted and caring Intuitives available for psychic readings using an assortment of modalites. Shamanistic readings, Mediumship, tarot, angel cards, pendulum, palmistry sessions. Healing sessions with Master Reiki Healer. Healing sessions available for animals (must be leashed or crated). All Intuitive readings approx. 25 mins. Appointments can be pre-booked (via email). Walk-ins welcome. Intuitive Readings: $40 and up. Healing: $20. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich.

AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com. AlbertsonChurch.org.

Yoga Nidra as a Tool for Managing Stress – 1:304:30pm. With John Vosler. Immerse your brain in the healing rhythms of the alpha state. Simultaneously access the power of the logical left brain and the intuitive, insightful right brain. Align your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to restore the body and mind to homeostasis. $35/ by 5/31, $45/thereafter. Yoga for Everybody Annex,

natural awakenings

63 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Info@ Yoga4Everybody.net. Yoga4Everybody.net.

Tuesday June 10 Green & Tonic Healthy Happy Hour: Cleansing 101 – 6:30pm. Health coaches and wellness experts share everything you need to know about cleansing with organic whole foods and nutrient dense juice.

Learn how our nutritional cleanse programs help you lose weight, increase energy and develop mindful eating practices. Food and juice samples. RSVP appreciated but not necessary. Free. 85 Railroad Ave, Greenwich. 855.GoGandT or Hello@GreenAndTonic.com.

Take Shape For Life Seminar – 6:30pm. With Dr. Mark Joachim. Are you struggling with your weight and related health issues such as joint pain, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure?

Learn an easy and simple way of losing fat, not just weight, without counting calories? Free. Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care. 156 East Ave, Norwalk. RSVP: 203-838-1555.

Wednesday, June 11 Essential Oils and Pets – 7-8:30pm. Presented

by Kim Staffieri. How to use Essential Oils safely and effectively with pets. $30. Hands and Paws Reiki For All, 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford.

203-994-1815. ReikiHandsAndPaws@gmail.com.

HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Thursday, June 12 Treat Your Tush - Yoga – 11am-12:30pm. With Michelle Dalbec. Treat the tush and surrounding areas to a massage that will melt away tension, lengthen muscles, erase trigger points and restore range of motion and power too. Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls are self-care tools to relieve the tension and pain from muscles and joints brought on by daily activities. $35/by 6/5, $45/thereafter. Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642.

Info@Yoga4Everybody.net. Yoga4Everybody.net.

Tapping Circle Meet-Up – 7-8:30pm. Tapping on confidence and personal power. How many times does the subtle feeling of not being good enough hold us back? Come learn this fabulous technique to clear this block and enhance our own personal power. $10. Private residence given with RSVP, near Merritt, Weston. 203-247-1318. Robin@Rob inFriedman.net. EnergyToolsForDailyLiving.com.

WAKING UP – 7-8:30pm. With Rev. Chris. Waking up can be hard to do but nothing is more nourishing than like-minded people coming together to support, share and empower one another in the name of spiritual awakening. This monthly psycho-spiritual group is open to all and will offer healing opportunities, practical tools, sacred wisdom and group support and sharing to help us along our journeys. $15 love offering appreciated, no one turned away. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe. 203-268-1ARC (1272). Register: ArcSacredCenter@gmail.com.

ArcSacredCenter.org.

Saturday, June 14 Shawn Thomas in Concert – 7-8:15pm. “OUT” Christian singer/songwriter Shawn Thomas presents a concert of his award-winning music. $20. Unity Center, 3 Main St, 2nd Flr, Norwalk. 203-855-7922.

Office@UnityCenterPS.org. UnityCenterPS.org.

markyourcalendar The Institute Of Sustainable Nutrition’s

Open House At The Farm

Wednesday, June 25 • 6:30 to 8pm Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

Meet the staff and students, tour the farm, meet some of our wild edibles, whip up a simple dish and tour the garden. Come learn about our one-year certification program. Free.

Holcomb Farm 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby To RSVP or for questions please call 860-764-9070

Sunday, June 15 Spirit Photography Then and Now: An Illustrated Presentation and Workshop with Photographer Shannon Taggart – 1-3pm. Visual exploration of the history of spirit photography. Discussion will include photographic attempts to prove mesmerism, ectoplasm and the history of instrumental trans-communication. Two “hands-on” photography experiments. Feel free to bring a spirit photos for discussion. $40. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich.

AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com. AlbertsonChurch.org.

Tuesday, June 17 Summer Solstice Singing Bowl Meditation – 7-8:30pm. Presented by Barrie Sachs. Come enjoy a magical evening with Barrie and her singing bowls.

Please reserve your space early as we fill up quickly.

Bring a blanket or mat and a pillow. $30. Hands and Paws Reiki for All, 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford.

203-994-1815. ReikiHandsAndPaws@gmail.com.

HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Wednesday, June 18 Eat Better. Feel Better. Clean Eating 101 – 7-8pm.

With Tracy Pardo, Certified Health Coach. Do you wish you had more energy, had a clearer mind, or just all around better health and wellness? If you answered yes, clean eating is the answer for you.

Basics of Clean Eating: what it is, why you should choose to eat clean and tips to get you started. Free.

Shalva Clinic, 260 Riverside Ave, 2nd Flr, Westport.

203-916-4600. TracyPardo@ShalvaClinic.org.

ShalvaClinic.org.

Medicine Cabinet Makeover – 7-8:30pm. Presented by Kim Staffieri. Replace your medicine cabinet with safe and effective essential oil products. $30. Hands and Paws Reiki for All, 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford. 203-994-1815. ReikiHandsAnd Paws@gmail.com. HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Albertson Church Healing Service – 7:30-8:30pm.

An evening of healing in our beautiful, peaceful sanctuary. We begin with a guided meditation followed by an opportunity for participants to sit in a healing chair with a church-designated healer.

Hands are placed lightly on shoulders to aid spiritual energy healing. All are welcome. Free. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com.

AlbertsonChurch.org.

Thursday, June 19 Reiki Refresher for all levels – 7:30-9:45pm. Reiki Practitioners only. Group class techniques taught to raise one’s reiki vibration. Please bring Reiki Certificates from in person classes. Shared by Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master. Includes a re-attunement. $38+ $8 material fee. Held at Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk (enter office downstairs in back).

Must RSVP: 203-852-1150 or visit AngelHealReiki. com. AngelHealReikiGigiB@snet.net.

FRIDAY, June 20 When Drummers Were Women: Women Empowerment Drum Circle – 7:30pm. With Lydia Smith, drummer, musician, creative arts therapist and drum circle facilitator. Using the transformational energy of fire, co-create a sacred space of pulsing creative potential. No experience necessary, drums provided. Wear layers and bug spray. $20.

SOUND Center for Creative Arts and Mindfulness.

31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown. SoundCenterArts@ gmail.com SoundCenterArts.com.

Saturday, June 21 Embody the Sacred Shamanic Reiki Level II – 10am-4pm. Presented by Deana Paqua. Must have taken level I as a pre-requiste. Call for fee. Hands and Paws Reiki for All, 375 Danbury Rd, New Milford. 203-994-1815. ReikiHandsAndPaws@gmail. com. HandsAndPawsReiki.com.

Introduction to Massage Therapy Seminar – 10am-4pm. One-day seminar explores Massage Therapy as a career. Receive a 90-minute massage from student and sample a class. $50. Finger Lakes School of Massage. Register: 914.241.7363 x 14.

FLSM.com.

Nourish Your Family - A Family Fun Guide to Nutrition – 11:30am-1pm. Join Tracy Pardo, Certified Health Coach, as she teaches an interactive class on family nutrition. Learn the importance of nutrition, take away easy tips to get started and tasty recipes the whole family will love. Refreshments served and raffle. Registration required. $50/per person. Shalva Clinic, 260 Riverside Ave, 2nd Flr, Westport. 203-916-4600. TracyPardo@ ShalvaClinic.org. ShalvaClinic.org.

Summer Solstice Celebration– 5-6:15pm. With Adele McDowell. Make joyful noise and welcome this special season of light with shaman, spiritual teacher and merrymaker, Adele McDowell. Help us raise our collective vibrations as we drum, sing and meditate together. Drums and noisemakers are welcome. $20/suggested donation. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com.

AlbertsonChurch.org.

Sunday, June 22 Advanced Certification in Prenatal Massage – 6/22 & 6/29. 9:30am-5:30pm. Learn Prenatal massage for each trimester of pregnancy; physiology of pregnancy and postural changes and techniques. Pre-requisite: LMT. $400. Finger Lakes School of Massage. Register: 607.272.9024 x 29.

FLSM.com.

Discernment: Getting the Message Right – 1:153:15pm. With Alexandra Leclere, energy healer and medium will teach how to know when to trust spiritual messages. Experiential workshop will

markyourcalendar

Summertime Psychic Fair

Presented by the creators of the Awaken Wellness Fairs

Sunday July 27 10am to 5pm Hotel Pennsylvania, 401 Seventh Avenue, NYC 10001 AwakenFair.com click on “Psychic Fair” Reader spots available empower you to reach a higher vibration with better contact with the Spirit World, regardless of your present level of communication. All welcome. $30.

Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com.

AlbertsonChurch.org.

Tuesday, June 24 Take Shape For Life Seminar – 6:30pm. With Dr. Mark Joachim. Are you struggling with your weight and related health issues such as joint pain, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure?

Learn an easy and simple way of losing fat, not just weight, without counting calories? Free. Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care. 156 East Ave, Norwalk. RSVP: 203-838-1555.

Moon Rise Yoga – 7:30-9:30pm. With Michelle O’Brien. Enjoy the magical experience of practicing yoga under the rising of the moon, then come together in community around the bonfire. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Bring a big towel or sheet/blanket, water bottle, bug spray and any comforts you would like to bring. $25/advance, $35/at beach. Jennings Beach (near the marina and volleyball nets), Beach Rd, Fairfield. Register/Info: 203-254-9642. Info@ Yoga4Everybody.net. Yoga4Everybody.net.

Thursday, June 26 Energy Tools Study Group Meet-Up – 7-8:30pm.

Jet lag occurs because you are abruptly taken out of the electro-magnetic environment to which your meridians have acclimated and plopped into a new one.

Learn how to get your meridians balanced and hooked up to the new time. $15. Private residence, sent with RSVP. Weston. 203-247-1318. Robin@Robin Friedman.net. EnergyToolsForDailyLiving.com.

Saturday, June 28 Reiki Second Degree Workshop – 9am-5pm. With Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher. Learn Reiki 2rd Degree in the Western style from an experienced Reiki Master. Learn how to send distance Reiki healing, deepen your use of Reiki for others & yourself, including newest information. Receive 2 powerful energy connections. Receive 2 manuals and certificate. $215. Held at Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave (enter private office downstairs in back), Norwalk. RSVP: 203-852-1150 or visit AngelHealReiki.com. AngelHealReikiGigiB@ snet.net.

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Coming Next Month In July We Celebrate

BE INSPIRED This Summer Physically Emotionally Spiritually

Local Farmers and Other Hard-Working Heroes Guarding Our Right to Healthy Food and Water

203-885-4674 203-885-4674 Fairfield County Edition

sunday

monday

Angelic Reiki Meditation with Essential Oils – 8-9am. Receive short, hands-on Angelic Reiki, experience powerful techniques to reduce stress and relax. $10. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave (in the back, downstairs), Norwalk. Pre-register: 203-852-1150.

Monthly Mutual Support-Alternative Cancer – 10:30am-12pm. 1st Monday every month. Starting monthly mutual support meeting for those choosing to treat our cancer diagnoses alternatively. A happy, positive connection starting. Free. At my Silvermine studio, Norwalk. RSVP: 203-847-2561.

CHANTSFORMATIONS-A Chant & Meditation Experience – 9-9:45am. With Andrea Rudolph, Jewish Interfaith Minister. A chant & meditation experience with ancient Hebrew, Interfaith and spiritual wisdom. Join us as we gather to contemplate and nurture the Spirit within through the practice of chant & meditation. No prior Hebrew knowledge required. All Faiths Welcome. Suggested donation: $10.

Free – Donations Appreciated. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe. 203-257-1009. InTheSpiritofLife@gmail.com. InTheSpiritofLifecom.

Intuitive Readings By Caroline – 1-4pm. Come play in the psychic realm! Past Lives & Spirit Messages. Find out how your past lives reflect in your current life. Mondays. In Stamford. $35/30 minute reading. Call for location/RSVP. 914-318-4845.

Spiritual Sunday Services – 10-11am. Please Join Us…as we build community and celebrate life, hope, healing, love and Spirit. A one-hour service followed by community hour from 11am to noon.

The Arc Sacred Center is a non-profit spiritual community center created for the purpose of offering a gathering place for spiritual exploration and teaching, freedom of spiritual expression and healing for the body, mind and soul. Free. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe. 203-268-1272.

Interfaith Service Gathering – 10-11am. A community to celebrate life, hope, healing, love and Spirit. Followed by a community hour from 11am-12pm. My Little Light Children’s Program is available during the service. Free. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-268-1272.

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

Mahasati is a form of Insight Meditation. The Redding Center for Meditation’s mission is to help people of all faiths develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way.

Visit ReddingMeditation.org or call 203-244-3130.

Reiki Volunteers – 10am-12pm. Pledge time to volunteer Sundays at various homes for the elderly and nursing homes in Fairfield and Southbury. Receive credits towards Reiki training. Reiki Overtones, 95 Harris St, Fairfield. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958.

To advertise or To advertise or participate in our participate in our July edition, call June edition, call

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ongoingevents

Celebration Service – 10:30am-12pm. With Rev. Shawn Moninger. Inspiring message supports one’s spiritual unfoldment. Great music by award-winning singers. Childcare provided. Fellowship hour after the service. All are welcome. Love offering. Unity Center, 3 Main St (above Ford dealership), Norwalk.

203-855-7922.

Albertson Church Service – 11am-12:30pm. Includes an inspirational talk from caring ministers, guided meditation, time to receive healing energy and spirit messages from those we continue to love.

Free. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. 203-637-4615.

natural awakenings

Flying Aerial Yoga Beginner Series – 6-7pm.

With Carla Zilka. Basic techniques of how to use the hammock and how to invert safely. Same flow as a yoga class, warm up, asana and ending with Savasana or Cocoon. No food or drink 30-60 minutes before class. You must complete 4 Beginner classes before being entered into the Level 1/2 Classes. $25/per class by 5/19. Yoga for Everybody Annex, 63 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642.

Info@Yoga4Everybody.net. Yoga4Everybody.net.

Reiki Circle – 7-8pm. With Linda Radice, Reiki Master. Connect with community, conversation and collective healing energy. Chakra meditation. $15. Balance Integrated Health, 1450 Washington Blvd, Suite 104 South, Stamford. 203-663-3000 ext 5. Linda@BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

Yoga – 7-8:15pm. With Charles Sikorski, RYT. Weekly. Charles encourages one to find one’s true self: physically, mentally and spiritually. $13/per session or 5/$60, 10/$110, 20/$200. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-414-6790.

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

Mahasati is a form of Insight Meditation. The Redding Center for Meditation’s mission is to help people of all faiths develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way.

Visit ReddingMeditation.org or call 203-244-3130.

Tapping for Abundance – 7-8:30pm. Break free of old negative blocks and install new conscious programming regarding abundance. 4-week workshop (some 28 day exercises, suggested though not necessary to do it all) and 4 mid-week goodies. No class on 6/16. $40/week, $120/all. Total Life Care Center, 152 East Ave, Norwalk. 203-247-1318.

Robin@RobinFriedman.net. EnergyToolsForDailyLiving.com.

Transformation and Healing – 7:30-8:15pm. Rev. Ed O’Malley uses a Shamanic Illumination Process which removes heavy energies from luminous energy fields, returning the body and soul to its initial state of wellness. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-268-1272.

Guided Meditation at Sabita Holistic Center –7:30-8:30pm. Give yourself the gift of meditation at Sabita Holistic Center. Internationally known Dr. Levy has worked for over the past 35 years in stress reduction, deep relaxation and meditation. Free.

Sabita Holistic Center, 3519 Post Rd, Southport.

203-254-2633.

Monday Meditation for Everyone – 7:30-9pm.

This is Meditation Guided imagery for relaxation and stress reduction. It also helps you move forward on your Spiritual path. No experience necessary. $20. Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel. 203570-3868.

Reiki Share – 7:30-9:30pm. Last Monday. With JoAnn Duncan. JoAnn hosts Reiki shares for those interested in practicing Reiki in a small group setting. Share experiences and help each other develop in a safe, fun environment while providing a wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating experience for all. $20. Registration required. The Redding Center for Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding.

203-438-3050 or TurningPointReiki.com.

tuesday TLC Monthly Networking Breakfast – 8:30am.

1st Tuesday. A relaxed, supportive community of healthy living professionals. Grab a friend, biz cards and join for a fun morning of connecting. Free. TLC Center, 152 East Ave, Norwalk. 203-853-4852.

Pilates – 9:15-10am. Wth Laura Lehrhaupt, Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Laura is also a certified Spinning, Kickboxing, Balletone and Pilates Instructor. $13/class. $15/drop-in. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe. BeWellLaural@ gmail.com. BeWellLaural.com.

Tots Yoga for Crawler-17months – 10:15-11am.

Partner with your little one for animated yoga poses, games, music and breathing exercises to strengthen coordination and build body awareness. Please preregister for your free trial class. First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St, Stamford. 203-253-0764.

KimberlyMotill@gmail.com. FamilyTreeYoga.net.

Mommy & Me Yoga for Babies 6 weeks old - precrawling – 11:15am-12pm. Mom and baby will practice yoga together! Moms will restore and rejuvenate through stretching and strengthening poses.

Babies will enjoy yoga poses to aid in digestion and sleep. This class is a great opportunity to bond with your baby and to connect with other moms. Please pre-register for free trial at FamilyTreeYoga.net.

First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St, Stamford. 203-253-0764. KimberlyMotill@gmail.com.

Lunchtime Yoga in Downtown Stamford – 121pm. Take a wellness break during your day. Release stress, re-energize, find balance with vinyasa flow yoga. $20/drop-in. 4/$68 or 8/$120. Call 914-3939221. Limitless-Potential.net Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 12:30-2pm.

Mahasati is a form of Insight Meditation. The Redding Center for Meditation’s mission is to help people of all faiths develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way.

Visit ReddingMeditation.org or call 203-244-3130.

Gentle Yoga Class – 6-7pm. Perfect for beginners and people with physical difficulties such as back pain and knee pain. $10. Fairfield County Integrative Family Medicine and Healing Therapies, 2 Corporate Dr, Trumbull. Registration required: 203-445-9060.

BodySmart – 6:15-7:30pm. Semi-private sessions for 2-4 participants. Complete core/body conditioning exercises and stretching utilizing a 9-foot floor to ceiling X-Pole. $45/class-discount with 6+ classes (pre-reg required). BodySmart, 115 Main St, Unit 11, Monroe. Call Lisa for details, additional schedule information and to register: 203-209-7359.

Qigong for Every BODY – 7-8pm. Health enhancement based on Chinese 5 Elements.

A great way to end the day to reduce stress, tension and fatigue. Strengthen immune and organ function, increase energy levels, mental clarity and slow aging process. $15. Balance Integrated Health, 1450 Washington Blvd, 1st Flr, Ste 104 South, Stamford. 203-663-3000 ext 5. Linda@BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

Radical Forgiveness – 7-8:15pm. With Rev Shawn Moninger. Let go of anger & blame and find peace in any situation. Explore the five essential stages of Radical Forgiveness and learn a series of quick, effective and easy-to-use techniques. Six Tuesdays begins April 15th. Love offering. Unity Center, 3 Main St, 2nd Flr, Norwalk. 203-855-7922. Office@ UnityCenterPS.org. UnityCenterPS.org.

Food, Freedom & Fun – 7-8:30pm. 4-week seminar will discuss common nutrition questions and myths. Find out what is safe, real and how you can start immediately to change the way you look and feel. Suggested $80/4 weeks. Love offering. Unity Center, 3 Main St, 2nd Flr, Norwalk. 203-855-7922.

Geri@ZatcoffWellness.com. UnityCenterPS.org.

Reiki Shares – 7:30-10:15pm. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Gigi Benanti Usui/Karuna Reiki Master/ Teacher. For Reiki practitioners only. Exchange ongoing since 1996. Instructions included. $20.

Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk.

Pre-register: 203-852-1150.

wednesday Guided Meditation – 1-1:45pm. Give yourself the gift of meditation at Sabita Holistic Center. Internationally known Dr. Levy has worked for over the past 35 years in stress reduction, deep relaxation and meditation. Free. Sabita Holistic Center, 3519 Post Rd, Southport. 203-254-2633.

Albertson Church Healing Service – 7-8pm. 3rd Wednesday. Guided meditation, receive healing energy from church-sanctioned healers and the gift of saging. All are welcome. Free. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich.

203-637-4615.

Journaling with Spirit – 7-8pm. By Rev. Shawn Moninger. Journaling is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get in touch with the highest voice within ourselves. First-time attendees receive a new journal. Love offering. Unity Center for Practical Spirituality, Norwalk. 203-855-7922.

Holistic Moms Network Fairfield County, CT Chapter – 7:30pm. 2nd Wednesday. Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care 156 East Avenue, Norwalk.

Psychic Development Class – 7-8:30pm. Every other Wednesday, begins March 12 for March series of 6 classes. Please bring journal and pen. Reserve a spot at Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel.

203-570-3868. Soul-focus.me.

Journey Within: Do You Feel Stuck? – 7-9pm. 1st Wednesday. Need support trying to begin something new? Support, intuitive insight, wisdom. Facilitator: Cindy Miller, intuitive. $20. Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St, Newtown. Call: 203-4269448. SacredGrounds.bz. TrinityProduction.org.

Monthly Relaxation Class – 7:30-8:30pm. 1st Wednesday. Reduce stress with Hypnosis by Clinical Hypnotist, Meg Tocantins. Space is limited. $90.

Stamford Healthcare Associates, 1425 Bedford St, 1G, Stamford. Register by texting: 917-292-8115.

Turning Point S.H.A.R.E. Divorce Group – 7:30-9:30pm. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Offering Support, Healing, Advocacy, Resources and Education for women in the process of, or recently divorced. Themes and speakers cover the legal, financial and emotional issues encountered during or in the aftermath of divorce. Redding Center for Meditation, Cost: $20, $150 for 10-session card.

Registration required. 9 Picketts Ridge Road, Redding CT. 203-438-3050 or TurningPointShare.com.

thursday Thursday Morning Meditation for Moms – 9:3011am. Come and unwind with a Guided Meditative Journey geared to release stress and a healthful more positive understanding of self. $20. Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel. 203-570-3868.

Monthly Tapping Group – 10-11:30am. Last Thursday. EFT together for stress reduction, conflict resolution, abundance, whatever the group dictates.

Free. Darien. Reservation required: 203-202-4174.

Reiki Healing Circle – 7-9pm. 1st Thursday. By Gigi Benanti Reiki. All welcome to share and experience Reiki. $20. Held at Unity Center for Practical Spirituality, 3 Main St, Norwalk. Gigi: 203-852-1150.

Pre-Natal Yoga – 7:30-8:45pm. For all stages of pregnancy. This class will combine yoga postures, breath work and relaxation techniques to help release tension and fatigue and prepare for labor, delivery and the post-partum period. Please pre-register for your free trial class. The United Church of Rowayton, 210 Rowayton Ave, Norwalk. 203-253-0764.

KimberlyMotill@gmail.com. FamilyTreeYoga.net.

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

Mahasati is a form of Insight Meditation. The Redding Center for Meditation’s mission is to help people of all faiths develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way.

Visit ReddingMeditation.org or call 203-244-3130.

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ongoingevents Church, 1101 Bedford St, Stamford. 203-253-0764.

KimberlyMotill@gmail.com. FamilyTreeYoga.net.

friday A Course in Miracles Study Group – 9:15am.

Meets bi-weekly in Westport. Facilitator: Henry Grayson, PhD. Free. To reserve seat and for dates/ location: 203-454-1745.

Reiki Share – 9:30-11:30am. First Friday. With JoAnn Duncan. JoAnn hosts Reiki shares for those interested in practicing Reiki in a small group setting. Share experiences and help each other develop in a safe, fun environment while providing a wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating experience for all. $20. Registration required. The Redding Center for Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding.

203-438-3050 or TurningPointReiki.com.

Tai Chi and Tea – 10-11am. A great way to start your day and achieve therapeutic benefits with easy, gentle movements to improve circulation, coordination, balance and joint mobility. Standing or seated optional. $15/class, $10/Seniors 60+.

Balance Integrated Health, 1450 Washington Blvd, 1st Flr, Ste 104 South, Stamford. 203-663-3000 ext 5. Linda@BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

BalanceIntegratedHealth.com.

Student Massage Clinic – 11am-1pm. Relax and enjoy a full-body massage at the Danbury Campus public’s Student Massage Therapy Clinic. Wednesday evenings or Friday mornings available. $30/50 minutes. RidleyLowell Business & Technical Institute, 24 Shelter Rock Rd, Danbury. Call for appt: 203-748-0052.

Mommy & Me Yoga for Babies 6 weeks old-Precrawling – 11:15am-12pm. Mom and baby will practice yoga together! This class is a great opportunity to bond with your baby and to connect with other moms.

Pre-register for free trial class. First Presbyterian

Teen Meditation – 5-6pm. This is an enjoyable approach to the understanding of self and how you fit into the world in which you can grow with confidence. Come and explore a guided meditative journey that helps to melt away stress and anxiety.

For teens and up. $15. Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plains St, Bethel. 203-570-3868.

The Universal Reiki Plan – 11am-1pm. 3rd Saturday. Reiki Practitioners. Register for a free Reiki session. Free. Love offerings appreciated. Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, 85 Ferris St, Bridgeport.

Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958, ReikiOvertones@sbcglobal.net. ReikiOvertones.com.

Discussion with Spirit – 7:30pm. Last Friday. Bring questions, receive channeled information to help understand who you are, why you’ve come to the earth plane and empower yourself with messages from Spirit and loved ones. $35. Private residence, Monroe. Information/RSVP: 203-268-3262.

The Universal Reiki Plan – 1:30-4:30pm. 3rd Saturday. Reiki practitioners only. Workshop and Reiki Share. Free. Love offerings appreciated. Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, 85 Ferris St, Bridgeport.

Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958, ReikiOvertones@sbcglobal.net. ReikiOvertones.com.

Circle of Life – 7:30-9:30pm. Third Friday. Explore topics such as love, trust, permission and forgiveness as tools in navigating through life’s opportunities, losses and changes. Learn how to bring love, life and happiness. Notetaking welcome and encouraged. $40. Bridgeport location given with registration: 203-268-3262. TrinityProduction.org

Reiki Session – 5-6pm. Offering free Reiki sessions during classes. Students participate as part of class syllabus. 1st reserved. ReikiOvertones, 95 Harris St, Fairfield. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958, ReikiOvertones@sbcglobal.net.

ReikiOvertones.com.

saturday Angelic Reiki Meditation with Essential Oils – 8-9am. Receive short, hands-on Angelic Reiki, experience powerful techniques to reduce stress and relax. $10. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave (in the back, downstairs), Norwalk. Pre-register: 203-852-1150.

To place a Classified Listing: $1 per word. $25 minimum. Magazine deadline: 12th of month prior to publication. Email copy to NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

EVENTS

for rent

NEW AGE & CRAFTS EXPO. Sunday, November 2, Co Co Key Resort, Waterbury. Seeking spiritual & natural health vendors, Reiki, crystals, unique crafters AND More...203-733-6560.

Space Available in small Wellness Center 2-3 days/week in Bethel location in time slots of 4-hr minimum. Open area perfect for Yoga, Pilates, Offices for Reiki, Massage, Counseling and Readings, etc. 203-570-3868.

Part-time rental space for Holistic health practitioner. Weekday/weekends available. $175 month. Newtown. 203-270-1119.

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Fairfield County Edition

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

Mahasati is a form of Insight Meditation. The Redding Center for Meditation’s mission is to help people of all faiths develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way.

Visit ReddingMeditation.org or call 203-244-3130.

TLC Tarot Fun & Fabulous Tarot Friday – 7-9pm. Have fun with Beth with this self-help tool for novices to longtime tarot friends to explore the Tarot or develop a deeper relationship with your cards. $40. TLC Center Norwalk, 152 East Ave, Norwalk. 203-856-9566.

classifieds

Join like-minded wellness practitioners - psychotherapy, spiritual life coaching, massage and energy work - in a great location in Monroe on Monroe Turnpike. We have one office left for your wellness practice. Enjoy support of a conscious community and the benefits of being listed on our website and in email blasts to more than 500 local families. Share common areas and full kitchen. The building invites a sigh of peace as you and your clients walk in the doors. Email Chris at ArcSacredCenter@gmail.com to visit. Part or full time at a very reasonable rent.

Beach Yoga & Meditation – 8:30-9:45am. Nourish your body, mind and spirit as you practice gentle flow yoga and meditation. Calf Pasture Beach, Norwalk. Every Saturday through September, weather pending. $20/drop-in. 4/$68 or 8/$120. Call 914393-9221. Limitless-Potential.net

Wooded 6 acre prime building lot in gated lake community. Woods at Duck Harbor in Equinunk, PA, near NY state border and Honesdale, PA. Lot borders protected PA game land, gorgeous mountain views in fall and winter, walk to lake. Low taxes and maintenance fees. If interested, call 914-763-0464.

HELP WANTED Admissions Representative; The Finger Lakes School of Massage in Westchester seeks a dynamic individual to represent FLSM. Part-time position: mix of people interaction, detailed computer use, sales mentality, rapport building skills,

natural awakenings

Kirtan with the Bindu Band – 7-9pm. Come join The Bindu Band on their vibrational journey back to the heart. Bring some snacks and beverages to share. Love offerings accepted. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. Register: 203-268-1272.

Open Mic Night – 7-9pm. 3rd Saturday. Bring music printed out in your key and Kenneth Gartman will accompany on the piano. Comedians, poets and writers welcomed as well. $10. Unity Center, 3 Main St (above the Ford dealership), Norwalk.

203-855-7922. ability to work independently and with a team.

Knowledge of Massage Therapy preferred. Forward cover letter and resume to Jfuller@flsm.com. No phone inquiries.

Distributors Wanted for monthly deliveries of Natural Awakenings and other local publications. Perfect for a retired person or stay-at-home mom looking to earn some extra income and connect with their local community. Honesty and dependability are the most important characteristics of our distributors if you don’t have it in spades, please do not apply!

Thomas@ManInMotionLLC.com.

for SALE Get to the root cause of chronic disEASE. To pill away your symptoms is giving your power away. Challenge your physical, emotional and psychological issues.

Experience the peace within. Call 203-550-5996.

SoundEqualEnergy.com.

SERVICES Natural Health Writer – Four years’ experience writing articles, blogs, newsletters and brochures for natural health practitioners. Social media. $25 per hour. References. 203-886-7381.

communityresourceguide

Black Rock Holistic Health Center

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 (CRG) in print and online email FFCadvertising@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to request our advertising rates.

ACUPUNCTURE Ingri Boe-Wiegaard, LAc

Fairfield, Wilton, Bethel 203-259-1660 • CTAcupuncture.com 25-year full-time practice Ingri treatments help alleviate Pain, Depression, Neck & Back, Anxiety, Headaches, Stress, Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, Digestive, Menstrual, Infertility and Smoking & Weight Loss Issues. See ad page 19.

Jody Eisemann, LAc

Offices in Norwalk and Fairfield 203-216-2548 • AcupunctureHealingCT.com High-quality acupuncture at the most affordable prices in Fairfield County. 20+ years experience, specializing in treating all kinds of pain and general health issues.

See ad page 22.

Astrological Life Coach Joy Yascone, MA

3rd generation Intuitive/Astrological Life Coach/MA Holistic Health 914-341-2070 • Joy@JoysPantry.com AstrologicalLifeCoach.com As an astrological life coach and gifted intuitive, I provide accurate guidance with precise timing. I utilize my intuitive, gift and your astrological chart to coach you to success in love, marriage, career, finance & health. These coaching sessions are transformative and priceless. Please call for monthly specials. Sessions available by phone or Skype.

NA Fun Fact: Natural Awakenings is published in 90 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico.

To advertise with us, call: 203-885-4674

Kristine DeMarco, DC, MS, FIAMA 825 Kings Hwy East, Fairfield 203-333-6544 • DeMarcoChiropractic.com

BREAST THERMOGRAPHY ALBA THERMAL IMAGING LLC

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

FDA registered.

CHIROPRACTIC

SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

31 Old Rt 7, Brookfield 203-740-9300 • SophiaNaturalHealth.com

As the hormone experts, we specialize in women’s health, natural hormone balancing, breast cancer prevention and thermography utilizing the highest definition camera in the area with interpretations from MD specialists in the field.

X TO RAYS.COM

Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging Suzanne Pyle, MS, CCT 866-XtoRAYS • SuzannePyle@Prodigy.net Get peace of mind with safe (no radiation), FDA-approved breast cancer screening. 8 years earlier detection vs. mammography.

Certified DITI thermographer.

Conveniently located throughout Fairfield.

CANCER TREATMENT Advanced Medicine of Mt. Kisco, PC Neil Raff MD CNS 37 Moore Ave, Mt. Kisco, NY 914-241-7030 • NeilRaffMD.com

Kristine M. DeMarco, Doctorate of Chiropractic and founder of the Black Rock Holistic Health Center, has been successfully specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal problems for over 12 years. She is certified in “Cox Flexion Distraction Technique,” Graston Technique, Applied Kinesiology and Acupuncture. Specializes in disc problems, LBP, neck pain and musculoskeletal pain. See ad page 16.

Risa Sloves, DC

Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care 156 East Ave, Norwalk 203-838-1555 • CtChiropractic.com Dr. Risa Sloves is 1 of 10 Chiropractic Physicians in Connecticut with Board Certification in Maternity and Pediatric Care including Webster and Bagnell Turning Techniques.

Also provided: acupuncture, BioSET Allergy Elimination Technique and the DRX9000 Spinal Decompression. See ad page 14.

COLONICS COLONICS

914-921-LIFE (5433) LifelineHygienics.com Experience and personalized service you can trust. The finest in colonic irrigation and personal care. Serving the tri-state area since 1993.

WHOLE-BODY MEDICINE, LLC

Fairfield/Trumbull town line 203-371-8258 • WholeBodyMed.com Ready to start feeling healthier? Take your first step with this gentle cleansing procedure. Watch our colonic and detoxification videos on our new video website located at WholeBodyMed.com. Call for Free CD on detoxification. See ad page 2.

The most advanced natural nutritional treatment and support for all stages of cancer – highdose vitamin C, European herbals, Iscador (mistletoe), ozone, immune boosters. Specializing in removal of cancer causing toxins.

Call for free consultation.

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HEALING CENTER

Detoxification Advanced Medicine of Mt. Kisco, PC

Neil Raff MD CNS 37 Moore Ave, Mt. Kisco, NY 914-241-7030 • NeilRaffMD.com Westchester’s most experienced office for the detection and treatment of toxic metals (lead, mercury, aluminum, etc), the underlying cause of many inflammatory, immune and digestive conditions.

Years of experience with chelation, IV or oral. Call for free consultation.

Chris is a licensed psychotherapist and inter-spiritual teacher offering psycho-spiritual therapy and sacred ceremonies such as baby blessings, weddings, interfaith gatherings and healing workshops. See ad page 53.

1047 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-247-4175

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School

40 Dodgingtown Rd, Newtown 203-364-1113 • WaldorfCT.org We develop each child’s unique capacity to engage meaningfully in the world by integrating experiential and artistic learning, academic excellence, respect for diversity and reverence for nature. See ad page 19.

ENERGY HEALING

Forza5 is a center that focuses on bringing the fitness and healing worlds together. A beautiful, fully equipped gym offers personal training or group classes. A meditation and yoga room offers tranquil space where we connect our minds and spirits through meditation, reiki,and intuitive readings.

HEALTH COACH Mary Gilbertson MS, BSN,CHHC

The Light of Happiness Reiki and Wellness

Deborah Arconti, LPN, RMT, IARP Reiki Master/Teacher Advance Practice IET™ Danbury • 203-470-0635 TheLightOfHappiness.com Specializing in Reiki and IET™ sessions for mind, body and spirit connections. IET™ “Integrated Energy Therapy” uses angelic connections for soothing results.

Teaching all levels of small Usui Reiki classes, experienced in training healthcare professionals.

Virginia Trinque, Usui Reiki Master 844-733-1330 • Danbury VirginiasHealthyLiving@gmail.com VirginiasHealthyLiving.com

Licensed RN,Nutritionist & Certified Health Coach 500 Monroe Tpke, Monroe • 203-521-4733 GilbertsonMary@yahoo.com Prescription4wellness.com Working 1:1, in groups and corporations to develop customized healthy lifestyle plans. You receive tools to optimize your health through nutrition, disease management, exercise, weight loss & stress reduction. 28 years of experience supporting teens & adults in healthy lifestyle. Available for speaking engagements and health events. See ad page 42.

HOLISTIC DENTIST MARK A. BREINER, DDS, FIAOMT

Virginia is a Reiki Master/Teacher with years of experience healing children and adults. Specializing in physical and spiritual pain relief and “body and soul integration” for easier living in this world. Usui Reiki classes offered for Master level, Levels I and II and Teacher Training. Sessions and classes held in a private, serene setting.

Fairfield County Edition

Psychotherapist, Interfaith Minister ARC Sacred Center, Monroe 203-268-1272 • ARCSacredCenter.org

Forza5 Holistic Fitness and Healing Center

EDUCATION

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Rev. Christine Guerrera, LMFT

5520 Park Ave, Ste 301, Ffld Town Line Merritt Pkwy, Exit 47 203-371-0300 • WholeBodyDentistry.com Dr. Mark A. Breiner is a pioneer and recognized authority in the field of holistic dentistry. With over 30 years of experience, he is a sought after speaker and lecturer.

His popular consumer book, Whole-Body Dentistry, has been sold world-wide. See ad page 2.

natural awakenings

Hypnosis MIND BODY TRANSFORMATION HYPNOSIS

Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx 1177 High Ridge Rd, Stamford 203-595-0110 • MindBodyTransformation.com Fast, effective methods for weight, stress, fear, pain, smoking, etc. Certified Hypnotherapist, Thought Field Therapy™, Time Line Therapy™, NLP and Complementary Medical Hypnosis, since 1989. See ad page 52.

INTEGRATIVE HealTH Bliss Nutrition & Wellness, LLC Gail Perrella, MS, CNS 2103 Main St, Stratford 203-710-3925 • Blissnutritionct.com

BioEnergetic Assessment (BEA) is a cutting-edge, non-invasive tool to measure pathways of energy flowing in the body.

Natural healing is increasing harmony between one’s body and the natural environment. BEA provides information which makes it possible to achieve greater health and well-being, naturally.

See ad page 13.

Worden Wellness Center

Thomas Worden, DC 41 Kenosia Ave, Danbury 203-244-8801 DocWorden@WordenWellnessCenter.com WordenWellnessCenter.com At Worden Wellness Center, we use an integrated approach of chiropractic, acupuncture and nutrition to incorporate therapeutic lifestyle changes to help you reach your optimum health. Dr. Worden has been practicing in Danbury for 25 years. See ad page 29.

Integrative Medicine Physician RIVERSIDE OB/GYN

Russell Turk, MD 1200 East Putnam Ave, Riverside 203-637-3337 Riverside Obstetrics & Gynecology in Greenwich, C T, p a r t o f S t a m f o r d Health Integrated Practices, an affiliate of Stamford Hospital, is a full-service medical practice incorporating traditional and holistic approaches to women’s health. The practice includes one OB/GYN and a naturopathic physician. See ad page 24.

Integrative Medicine Physician STAMFORD INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE Michael E. Doyle, MD Conventional & Alternative Medicine 22 5th St, Ste 201, Stamford 203-324-4747 StamfordIntegrativeMedicine.com

Specializing in Natural and Alternative approaches to restoring health. Focusing on underlying causes of illness. Hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances, nutrition and much more. See ad page 23.

INTEGRATIVE OPTOMETRY Eyecare Associates, PC

Drs. Randy Schulman, Steve Carr, Narvan Bakhtiari, Carl Gruning and C. Lee Mellinger Locations: 6515 Main St, Trumbull • 203-374-2020 139 Main St, Norwalk • 203-840-1991 2600 Post Rd, Southport • 203-255-4005 CTEyeCareAssociates.com We offer behavioral optometry, comprehensive vision exams, contact lenses and vision therapy.

See ad page 13.

INTUITIVE CONSULTANT Joan Carra, Psychic Medium 203-531-6387 PsychicJoanCarra.com Facebook.com/PsychicJoan.Carra

Joan is recommended by six books and has 20 years experience. Find solutions, comfort and closure.

Specializing in contacting passed loved ones. Available for private sessions, parties and corporate events.

Massage & Bodywork iFloat

163 Main St, Westport 203-226-7378 • iFloatSpa.net Experience this superior form of body/mind relaxation as you float effortlessly in warm water with high concentrations of Epsom salt. Relieve stress, chronic pain and more.

See ad page 22.

Massage & Bodywork

MASSAGE SCHOOL

JOY CARBINO

Finger Lakes School of Massage

Licensed Massage Therapist Holistic Nutrition Consultant & Reiki 203-470-1226 • HealingWhiteLight.com

272 N. Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco, NY 914-241-7363 • FLSM.com

Joy combines her intuitive ability and her expertise in massage therapy to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Holistic health & nutrition programs also offered. See ad page 19. ad page 20.

Laura Carlson, LMT

Redding/Monroe/Easton 203-885-7353 (SELF) Facebook.com/LauraCarlsonMassageLLC Yo u d e s e r v e t o b e nurtured and time to be still, to breathe and to restore balance.

Relaxing and nourishing massage will encourage positive changes in your mind and body. Individual sessions and massage parties available.

Roberta Russell

Licensed Massage Therapist Reiki and Polarity Practitioner West Redding • 203-438-2354 Beyond-Touch.com Relieve stress and pain. Improve sleep, energy levels, immune system. Swedish and Integrated Deep Tissue Massage styles incorporated with Energy Healing.

Rebalance energy for body, mind and spirit. Restorative and deeply relaxing! 15 years experience. See ad page 9.

Robin Ordan, LMT, LCSW, CICMI Licensed Massage Therapist & Reiki Practitioner Old Greenwich/Stamford 203-5610-8535 • RobinOrdanLMT.com

Robin has been providing massage and Reiki for over 15 years. Specializing in Swedish, Pregnancy, Trigger Point, Injuries and Infant/ Child Massage Instruction. Sessions are individualized to meet your needs. See ad page 48.

Zak Walker, LMT

Wellness Institute One Westport Ave, Norwalk 203-443-6679 • ZaxWeb@gmail.com I combine elements of Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage, Acupressure and Myofascial Release, according to the goals and preferences of each client. I’m here to help you feel your best!

Join us for a transformative experience as you develop your intuitive and scientific abilities to heal through therapeutic touch. Classes taught to auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners. Financial aid available for full and part-time programs. See

MEDITATION Redding Center for 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.

Naturopathic Physician Debra Gibson, ND

100 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-431-4443 Natural family healthcare using nutrition and biochemistry; herbal, homeopathic and energetic medicine; lifestyle transformation and detoxification, to promote well-being of body, mind and spirit. See ad page 29.

Natural Health and Wellness Center

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

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Naturopathic Physician Dr. Marina Yanover, ND, LAc 1300 Post Rd East, Westport 203-255-5005 • BigAppleHealth.com

Naturopathic Medicine, Acupunctu re, Craniosacral Therapy, Natural Face Lift using microcurrent therapy. Specialties include Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Pain Management, Skin Care. Insurance accepted.

Naturopathic Physician WHOLE-BODY MEDICINE, LLC

Adam Breiner, ND, Director Elena Sokolova, MD, ND David Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN Fairfield/Trumbull town line 203-371-8258 • WholeBodyMed.com Using state-of-the-art science combined with centuries-old healing modalities, our caring naturopathic doctors correct underlying imbalances and address issues which may interfere with the body’s ability to heal itself.

Treatment protocols or therapies include: Abdominal Manual Therapy, Acupuncture, Allergy Desensitization, Chinese Medicine, Colonics and other Detoxification Protocols, Electro-Dermal Screening, Energy Medicine, FDA-cleared Phototherapy, Functional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Hormonal Balancing, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Metabolic Typing, Nutritional Assessment, Real-Time EEG Neurofeedback and other therapies. See ad page 2.

Northeast Natural Medicine, LLC Shawn M. Carney, ND 19 Church Hill Rd, Ste 1, Newtown 800-723-2962 • NortheastNatMed.com

Integrative naturopathic medicine clinic and therapeutic massage center for the whole family.

Services include advanced diagnostic testing, detoxification programs, personalized nutrition and botanicals. Insurance accepted.

Marvin P. Schweitzer, ND

Wellness Institute 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203-847-2788 • DrMarvinSchweitzer.com Family Health Care using all natural therapies for 25 years.

Acupuncture, Bio-Identical H o r m o n e s , H o m e o p a t h y, Chinese/Western Herbs, Allergy/ Toxin Testing, Oxygen Therapy, Meridian Stress Assessment, Nutrition/Enzyme Therapies. See ad page 8.

SHALVA CLINIC, LLC

Ellen M. Lewis, ND, Director 260 Riverside Ave, Westport 203-916-4600 • ShalvaClinic.org Dr. Lewis offers comprehensive holistic care for women including well-women exams, fertility, thyroid and menopause support.

She also has a special interest in pediatrics and utilizes a variety of natural modalities when working with patients with ADD/ADHD, autism, allergies, eczema and asthma. Treatments include herbal medicine, functional medicine, biotherapeutic drainage, homeopathy and more. See ad page 7.

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Fairfield County Edition

ORGANIC MATTRESSES & BEDDING Healthy Choice Mattress

141 Post Rd East, Westport • 203-557-3900 HCmattress.com Healthy Choice Organic Mattress offers luxury mattresses and bedding made from the highest quality natural materials. With four showrooms, including two in CT, Healthy Choice features locally made mattresses that are chemical and toxin free, biodegradable, comfortable and durable. See ad back cover.

Organic Sleep by Sleep Etc.

508 Main Ave, Norwalk • 203-846-2233 55 High Ridge Rd, Stamford • 203-323-1509 Founded in 1947, Sleep Etc now offers a new line of socially responsible bedding products, including higher quality, more comfortable and, longer-lasting mattresses. See ad page 15.

natural awakenings

ORGANIC MATTRESSES & BEDDING The Clean Bedroom

79 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich 203-292-9275 | 866-380-5892 TheCleanBedroom.com The Clean Bedroom is an organic and all-natural mattress and bedding resource with seven showrooms, including its new location in Greenwich. Through its showrooms and web site, eco-minded shoppers gain insight to create a healthier sleep environment. See ad page 5.

PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical Therapy of Southern CT

Linda Maude, PT 917 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton 203-926-6997 • PhysicalTherapySoCT.com Specializing in evaluation & treatment of musculoskeletal imbalance & injuries. Results achieved that traditional physical therapy may not. Therapeutic approaches such as manual therapy, cranialsacral, visceral manipulation and vestibular rehab. State of the art facility for strengthening & overall rehabilitation.

PSYCHOTHERAPY DENI WEBER, MA, LPC, D-CEP

Holistic Psychotherapist Comprehensive Energy Psychology Fairfield County 203-544-6094 • DeniWeber.com Within a supportive, empathic relationship Deni guides individuals on their journey of self-discovery integrating psychology, Eastern medicine and spirituality to heal suffering from traumatic stress related to chronic illness, disabilities, abuse & PTSD.

JUDITH BARR, LPC, CCMHC Brookfield 203-775-5006 • JudithBarr.com PowerAbusedPowerHealed.com

At its heart, psychotherapy is soulwork, which helps you reconnect with wounded, buried parts of yourself, finally healing, becoming your true Self – heartful, matured, full. This is not quick-fix, band-aid work. Do yourself justice – mind, body, heart, soul. Journey safely to your Self with Judith. See ad page 42.

PSYCHOTHERAPY Maria C. Castillo, MSW, LCSW 238 Monroe Tpke, Ste B, Monroe 203-445-8966 • Msisi@AOL.com LifeBetweenLivesTherapy.com

Past Life Regression, trained by Brian Weiss, MD. Life Between Lives Hypnotherapy, trained by TNI and Michael Newton, PhD. Traditional psychotherapy with a spiritual approach; Reiki. Connect with your soul self and let your inner wisdom guide you.

Robin Ordan, LCSW

Family, Child, Individual & 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 18.

REIKI TURNING POINT REIKI, LLC

JoAnn Duncan, MS, RMT Reiki Master 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.

RESULTS COACHING

I combine the best of traditional psychotherapy with intuitive guidance in my work with children, teens and adults. My goal is to connect clients with their own inner source of strength, wisdom and healing. See ad page 22.

2389 Main St, Glastonbury 860-633-8555 • PeakResultsCoaching.com Want to quickly improve your marriage or personal happiness?

Hope is not a strategy for success.

Call to learn proven strategies to overcome your life challenges. See ad page 7.

Transformative Healing Transformative Healing • Tarot Offices in Norwalk & Ridgefield 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com • TLCTarot.com

EMBODY THE SACRED®

Turn your deepest pain or trauma into your greatest strength.

Shamanic Reiki, Usui/Karuna® Reiki, Shamanic Healing and Bodywork. Offerings in Ridgefield, Danbury and NY areas.

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.

Works Faster Lasts Longer

Beth Prins Leas

REIKI Deana Paqua, MA, LMT 203-994-5045 EmbodyTheSacred.net

STOPS PAIN PLUS

Natural Awakenings NEW Natural Pain Lotion

Jeff Forte PEAK Results Coaching

VICTORIA SHAW, PhD

Intuitive Psychotherapist 3 Hollyhock Ln, Wilton • 203-210-5700 VictoriaShawPsychotherapy.com VictoriaShawintuitive.com

This Way to Pain Relief

See ad page 22.

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

NOW WITH Hemp & Sea Buckthorn Oils

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The Heart’s Desire Method – 7 Steps to making your dreams come true. Bring highdefinition focus on what you want in all areas – work, family, relationships and money. By energizing the healing power of the authentic self, you will lead a happier, more peaceful and fulfilling life.

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displayadvertiserindex Acupuncture Center/Ingri Boe-Wiegaard Acupuncture Healing CT/Jody Eisemann Ann’s Place ARC Sacred Center Associates in Family Chiropractic and Natural Health Care Audubon of Greenwich Judith Barr Beyond Touch/Roberta Russell Lisa A. Blackman Black Rock Holistic Health Center Bliss Nutrition & Wellness

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Fairfield County Edition

19 22 55 53 14 47 42 9 10 16 13

The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center: Medical 2 The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center: Dental 2 Kelly Carroll 42 The Center for Naturopathic Medicine/Susan Rzucidlo, ND 12 Chamomille Natural Foods 51 The Clean Bedroom 5 CLH Counseling/Cynthia Haupt 21 CT-NOFA 50 Dance Detective/Maria Fiora 21 DermaClear 58 Detoxified Iodine 4

natural awakenings

Dog Gone Smart 35 Michael E. Doyle, MD/ Stamford Integrative Medicine 23 Eyecare Associates 13 Finger Lakes School of Massage 20 Debra Gibson, ND 29 The Graduate Institute 3 Grass Rxoots 11 Growing Solutions 31 Eliana Grubel 45 Hands & Paws Reiki for All 39 Healing White Light/Joy Carbino 19 Healthy Choice Mattress 72 Healthy Choice Mattress 58 Holistic Holiday at Sea 71 The Honest Kitchen 39 Housatonic Valley Waldorf School 19 Hunter Healing Hands 14 Ifloat 22 The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition 25 Kempo Karate 19 Kindred Spirits 19 The Last Resort 39 Beth Prins Leas 22 Limitless Potential 10 Lipo-Light/Westport Chiropractic 16 Manipura Yoga 49 Mind-Body Transformation 52 Mrs. Greens Natural Markets 45 NA Community Connections/ Sticks & Stones Farm Open House 17 NA Franchise Sales 59 NA Singles.com 50 Nature’s Temptations Healthy Food Market 44 Newtown Hypnosis 13 Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic 37 Olivette 45 Robin Ordan, LMT 48 Robin Ordan, LCSW 18 Organic Homecleaning 48 Organic Sleep at Sleep Etc 15 Pangaea Massage 42 Peak Results Coaching/Jeff Forte 7 Personal Wellness Center/ Sage Osa 14 Pleasant Dreams 55 Prescription4Wellness/Mary Gilbertson 42 Riverside Obstetrics & Gynecology 24 Roots to Shoots 9 Salon Aponte 13 Saltana Cave 10 Susanne Saltzman, MD 30 Susanne Saltzman, MD/ Homeopathic Remedies Course 43 Shalva Clinic/Ellen Lewis, ND 7 Victoria Shaw, PhD 22 Soul Focus/Mela Rispoli 9 Sound Mind Integrative Hypnosis/ Dee Rapposelli 21 SoupStock 70 Sticks & Stones Farm 28 Stops Pain Plus 69 Thrive Results Coaching/Kristina Hess 22 TLC Dog Trainer 35 Total Life Care Center 22 Touch of Sedona 28 TrueHealthTrueWealth/Connie Busch 9 Two Coyotes Wilderness Camp 32 Unity Center for Practical Spirituality 27 University of Bridgeport Clinics 32 Wellness Institute/Marvin Schweitzer, ND 8 Westport Farmers’ Market 44 Whole Foods 46 Wholistic Pet Services 35 Worden Wellness Center 29

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All stores celebrating the Grand Opening of our Summit NJ store!

All mattresses available as adjustable beds and pillowtops

Better Beds = Better Sleep

Organic is Healthiest

Healthy Choice Organic Mattress has developed some of the most comfortable, supportive and healthiest mattresses you can purchase anywhere. No innersprings or polyurethane foams that sag and fatigue. No chemicals such as boric acid and formaldehyde A Healthy Choice Organic Mattress contains zero chemicals or toxins; we use nothing but all natural organic materials; • All Natural Rubber • Certified Organic Cotton Covers • Certified Organic Wool • No Toxins or Petro-Chemicals • No Toxic Fire Retardants

Organic Mattress. The moment you lie down on one of our mattresses you will immediately feel it conforming to your body and gently hugging you, while supporting the rest of your body evenly at the same time. You then realize you’ve never felt this good -- ever -- lying down on a mattress.

Locally Manufactured

Healthy Choice Organic Mattress is proudly produced by local craftsmen right here in Connecticut. Beautifully handcrafted and manufactured to enhance your comfort and preserve the environment, Healthy Choice Organic Mattress offers an unparalleled 25 year warranty.

Better Sleep

Getting a great nights sleep starts with a great mattress. You spend one-third of your life in bed so your mattress, simply put, should be one of the most important investments in your health. Healthy Choice knows a good night’s sleep changes everything, how you perform, how your body feels and how your mind works. A better, healthier night’s sleep means you will wake up feeling refreshed allowing both your body and mind to perform at their peak levels. With a Healthy Choice Organic Mattress you will sleep deeper. Traditional mattresses utilize metal springs that tend to put significant pressure on your body causing you to toss and turn and lose critical deep sleep time. Our mattress significantly reduces these pressure points while giving you unparalleled support for your back and body. The result is simple pure relaxing, stress free comfort.

Luxurious Comfort

Sumptuously comfortable, elegant looking, superior quality and artisan craftsmanship is the hallmark of a Healthy Choice 72

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Summit, NJ 361 Springfield Ave (908) 263-7400 Mt. Kisco, NY 681 East Main Street, (914) 241-2467

Westport, CT 141 Post Rd. East (203) 557-3900 Ridgewood, NJ 14 Wilsey Square (201) 857-3245

www.HCmattress.com for GRAND OPENING special offers.

Because Nature Makes The Best Stuff