Natural Awakenings Fairfield County December 2012

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

FREE

Celebrate a New Humanity Light-Filled Holidays Lead the Way

Using Gadgets for Good How to Boost Family Connections

Neale Donald Walsch on The Only Thing That Matters December 2012 | Fairfield County Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com

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

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Whole-Body Medicine, LLC – The Natural Approach for Optimal Health Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

GET YOUR HEALTH BACK IN BALANCE...

naturally.

Are you tired of being tired, unable to sleep, suffering from dry skin or hair loss — unable to lose weight, irritable, depressed or anxious, experiencing muscle pain?

You may have an untreated nutritional or hormonal imbalance.

Call 203-324-4747 for an appointment with a Board Certified, Georgetown-trained MD who is inclined to treat you... naturally.

22 FIFTH STREET• SUITE 201 • STAMFORD, CT • 06905

Michael E. Doyle, Md • 203-324-4747 • GoToDrDoyle.com

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 Anthem, BC/BS, Oxford, Aetna insurance accepted

Facial Rejuvenation– “The Natural Facelift” Pediatrics

Diet & Nutritional Counseling 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

eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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Having a caring relationship with a renowned physician is good medicine.

contents 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.

20 Are We Heading in

the Right Direction?

by Karen Moore

20

22 Mindful Holiday

Traditions And having a great relationship with him and his students is even better.

Simple Ways to Add Meaning and Family-Centered Fun

by Barbara Amrhein

24 Homeade and Heartfelt

Welcome to the new Center of Excellence in Generative Medicine, a teaching clinic that provides patients with the best that natural healthcare has to offer.

Under the direction of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a leader in the field of natural medicine and best-selling author of Eat Right for Your Type, naturopathic doctoral students blend time-honored healing techniques with state-of-the-art diagnostics to provide highly individualized patient care.

We offer:

• Individualized Nutrition Programs • Acupuncture • Medically Supervised Weight Loss • Constitutional Hydrotherapy • Infrared Sauna

“I was happy to meet with your interns and come up with a plan to optimize my health and wellness. I have been following your recommendations and am feeling better.” —Mary S.

Do-It-Yourself Stocking Stuffers

by Meredith Montgomery

26

26 It’s All About We

Conscious Evolution:

Why We’re Better Together

by Linda Sechrist

30 Unexpected Upside

Media Gadgets Can Boost

32

Family Connections

by Lisa Marshall

32 Critter

Companions

Alternative Adoptions Fit for Families

by Sandra Murphy

THE D’ADAMO TEACHING SHIFT

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN GENERATIVE MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT 115 BROAD STREET, BRIDGEPORT CT 06604

(203) 366-0526

WWW.GENERATIVEMEDICINE.ORG 4

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

34 The Luminous Web

Why We Are One

by Barbara Brown Taylor

36 Healthy Holiday Baking

A Cornucopia of Delicious Treats

36

16

12 6 newsbriefs 12 healthbriefs 14 fairfieldgreen 16 globalbriefs 20/34 inspiration 22 healthykids 24 greenliving 30 healingways

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32 naturalpet

36 consciouseating 38 calendar 41 classifieds 42 resourceguide

NATURAL HEALTHCARE ALTERNATIVES FOR YOUR FAMILY Family-Based Chiropractic Care Specializing in infants, children & pre- and post-natal women During pregnancy, research shows chiropractic helps: • Eliminate back & pelvic pain • Sciatica • Eliminate neck, shoulder & arm pain • Headaches • Carpal tunnel syndrome • Turn babies who are in breech into a better position for delivery • Reduce the incidence of C-Section

For children, research shows chiropractic helps:

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 203.885.4674 or email FFCadvertising@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month.

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REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 203.885.4674.

For franchising opportunities call 239.530.1377.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

• Ear infections • Asthma & allergies • Scoliosis • Colic • Reflux • ADHD • Sports injuries • Torticollis

CALL DR. RISA M. SLOVES 1 of only 10 chiropractic physicians in Connecticut with Board Certification in Pediatric and Maternity Care Certified in the Webster and Bagnell breach turning techniques.

Leader of Fairfield County chapter of Holistic Moms Network and Founder of WOWTM (Women of Wellness)

ASSOCIATES IN FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC & NATURAL HEALTH CARE, P.C. 156 East Avenue, Norwalk

www.ctChiropractic.com

(203) 838-1555 eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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newsbriefs University of Bridgeport Opens Center of Excellence in Generative Medicine

contact us Publisher/Managing Editor Carolyn Aversano Editors Stephen Warne Cris Ann Mulreed Design & Production Erica M. Mills Sales & Marketing Carolyn Aversano Leana Cipolla

Natural Awakenings Fairfield County Phone: 203.885.4674 Fax: 203.516.2392 Carolyn@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

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

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

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

Natural Awakenings is printed on post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based ink.

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The University of Bridgeport (UB) and Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo are proud to announce the opening of the Center of Excellence in Generative Medicine (COEGM). The COEGM uniquely combines patient care, clinical research, and hands-on teaching experience for the students of UB’s Health Sciences programs with the goal of better understanding the unique and complex self-healing behaviors that are the basis of naturopathic philosophy and therapy.

Using cutting-edge techniques, such as systems analysis, molecular biology and bioinformatics, Dr. D’Adamo and his team of clinicians and researchers offer the finest in naturopathic patient care.“ Taking an individualized approach to the patient is key to unlocking many of the latent healing powers of the body. It allows the physician to treat the patient, not the disease, “explains D’Adamo.

Generative medicine employs the tools of modern medical research and bioinformatics (a type of information technology) to better understand the complex behaviors seen in both health and disease. “These behaviors go beyond simple cause and effect relationships and provide for a better understanding of the relationships between the individual parts; whether they are genes, cell organelles, organ systems, etc. Naturopathic systems analysis can provide better approaches to safer and more individualized treatments of sickness and the enhancement of well-being,” says D’Adamo.

At the heart of the treatment protocol are the personalized nutritional programs that are tailored to each patient. After collecting patient data, including; patient history, biometric evaluation, blood grouping, and other non-invasive genetic tests, the information is input into a computer program developed by D’Adamo which analyzes nutrient data for over 11,000 individual foods and creates a dietary program that will allow patients to naturally recover from illness and meet their health goals. Additionally, the COEGM offers patients a wide range of naturopathic treatments and therapies, including; botanical medicine, acupuncture, constitutional hydrotherapy, infrared sauna therapy, and colonic irrigation.

Dr. Peter D’Adamo is a naturopathic physician well known for his best-selling books including Eat Right for Your Type. He is the founder and director of the COEGM and a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Bridgeport.

The Center of Excellence in Generative Medicine is the only accredited naturopathic school currently offering the Generative Medicine curriculum. Located at 15 Broad Street, Bridgeport. For more information call 203.366.0526 or visit GenerativeMedicine.org. See ad pg 4.

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Birth 2012 Connecticut: The Birth of Our New Humanity is Now

Where is Your JewelTree?

J

“W

e are living in the most exciting time in the history of humanity!” says Barbara Marx Hubbard - author, lecturer, and known as “The Mother of Conscious Evolution” and the creator of the Birth 2012 Movement. On December 22, 2012 millions will unite around the world to celebrate and officially honor the birth of The New Era: with major events, a global webcast, acts of love and practices of unification. “The time is now for humans to evolve … and move from competition and struggle to a world where love, cooperation and peace prevail”

The Alliance for Raising Consciousness (ARC Sacred Center) in Monroe, along with many other regional sponsors, are hosting a Birth 2012 Open House Celebration, Saturday, December 22 at Edmund Town Hall in Newtown. This day long event will feature group meditations, chanting, sound healing, a labyrinth walk, music and dance, a prayer mandala, an interfaith service, and live stream Birth 2012 celebrations from around the world. Together…we become one in this global birthing event.

This event will be held on Saturday, December 22 at Edmund Town Hall, 45 Main Street, Newtown, in the Alexandria Room, from 2 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Birth2012Connecticut.com.

For more information or to sponsor this event contact Reverend Chris Guerrera (ARC Sacred Center) at 203.268.1272.

See ad pg 16.

ulie Bowes, certified coach, spiritual facilitator and founder of JewelTree, LLC offers heart-centered healing and energetic restoration techniques for those seeking greater levels of personal fulfillment and inner peace. Her upcoming webinar entitled “Where is Your JewelTree? Reclaiming Your Entitled State of Well-Being” guides the seeker into a state of awareness that addresses current belief systems surrounding the western paradigm of extrinsic desires, questions that evoke selfevaluation, tools to rewire outdated and damaging patterns, and finally, strategies to restore one’s entitled state of vibrancy and passion; your JewelTree.

“Set the soul at ease by releasing our society’s voracious need to quench self-worth through external addictions. My role is to illuminate the internal freedom that is your inherent right, by guiding you through the steps necessary to foster the alignment of mind, heart, body and soul. True mindfulness, peace, fulfillment and joy are possible the moment you recognize your truth and the immensity of silent forces that are conjuring on your behalf”, declares Bowes.

The 60-minute webinar scheduled for December 13 (offered at 1 p.m. & 7 p.m.) are intended as a portal for those questioning their path and seeking holistic alternatives to insure a life filled with a sense of profound well-being and contentment.

Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e g i s t ra t i o n v i s i t JewelTreeLLC.com/seminars.html or email Julie at Inquiries@Jeweltreellc.com. $20. See ad pg 13.

Open the DOOr to Your highest potential Sacred Doors is a unique Healing & Education Center for the achievement of wholeness through holistic and ancient healing methods, facilitated by a team of highly experienced Master level practitioners.

“We all have the power within the self to • Meditation & Breath Work regenerate going back to the roots of our being, • Infra Red Sauna Treatments • Gem Therapy which is divine and perfect in all of us.”

• Ionic Foot Bath FREE Wealth Meditation • Weight Management & Detox Programs class on Thursdays 7pm • Voice Mapping • Energy Healing & Reiki Classes & Certifications

203 -727- 8685 • SacredDoors.net

neW Location! 2 park Street, norwalk eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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• Needleless Acupuncture Option • Detox / Weight Loss / Weight Coaching • Facial Rejuvenation • Rain Drop Essential Oil Technique • Yoga, Tai-Qi, Qi-Gong: Call for Complimentary Class MOsT INsuRANCE ACCEpTED

GrAnd OPenInG! Acupuncture is Amazing for Pain & Sports Injuries!

Joseph downer, LAc

2318 Main Street, Stratford, CT StratfordAcupunture.com • (203)257-7550

145 Grassy Plain St. Bethel, CT

Soul Focus Mela Rispoli 203-570-3868 mrispoli2@aol.com

GET MOTIVATED! GET MOVING! FEEL BETTER! Discover the food, exercise and lifestyle choices that best support you. Train with us, and finally reach your goals!

• • • • •

Health Coaching, Nutritional Counseling & Personal Fitness Training Expertise in Vegan & Vegetarian Lifestyle Private or semi-private sessions, group seminars & classes Email support between sessions, handouts & support materials Prices to fit your budget (as low as $25 per group session)

Gary Camillo 85 Mona Terrace Fairfield, CT 06824 203-259-9906 • CamilloHealthAndFitness.com

Time to pay close attention

to what your body is telling you

If you experience: Headaches • Digestive Issues Problems Sleeping • Lack of Energy Tired All the Time • Food Cravings Welcome Om Wellness is here to help with dietary changes that are easy and simple with the ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

Welcome Om Wellness • 203-414-0532 FaithWollner@yahoo.com • Trumbull

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Cancer Survivor and Wellness Coach Offers New Program

S

age Osa, ten-year cancer survivor and owner of The Personal Wellness Center, is offering a new health and healing program to help cancer patients achieve optimal health while undergoing conventional medical treatments. Located at 1895 Post Road in Fairfield (Colonial Post complex), Osa’s Personal Wellness Center has been a meeting place for like-minded people to explore spiritual development together for over two years.

Sage Osa Now, Osa is combining her training as a holistic health coach, her personal journey with cancer and her experience with energy medicine healing techniques to support cancer patients in actively participating in their healing processes.

In the four week series program, slated to begin in February 2013, Osa will teach the benefits of green juice therapy, and how to maintain an alkaline body where cancer does not thrive.

Additional topics will be how to boost the immune system through good digestion, how to use deep breathing techniques, releasing stuck emotions, and much more.

Osa is a trained mind/body/spirit program facilitator from Harvard Medical School’s professional program and a certified raw food educator with the Raw Food Institute.

Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a c t S a g e O s a a t 2 0 3 .

767.6237or sage@MyPersonalWellness.com or visit MyPersonalWellness.com. See ad pg 23.

An Ever Clean Life Adds Organic Cleanses

A

n Ever Clean Life has added Advanced Naturals cleanse products as a complement to their colon cleansing service. The product line includes formulations for first-time cleansers; those with candida, parasite and heavy metal concerns; and liver and weightloss cleanses. All formulations are soy and gluten-free and contain 100 percent organic whole herbs, with no additives, fillers or harsh chemicals, says owner Elaine Zeitler.

“The use of herbal cleanses is an excellent way to enhance the benefits of colon hydrotherapy, juice cleansing, and new eating and weight-loss programs,” she says. “We love the fact that Advanced Naturals products are gentle, don’t require fasting and are completely organic.”

An Ever Clean Life has two tri-state area locations, serving clients in Westchester, Rockland, Fairfield, Putnam, Orange and

Bergen Counties.

For more information about An Ever Clean Life, visit AnEverCleanLife.com. To schedule an appointment, call 914.409.7760.

See ad pg 42.

CORE Wellness Opens In Stamford

DID YOU KNOW?

TOXINS ARE OFTEN THE ROOT CAUSE OF

C

ORE Wellness has joined the business community of Stamford, at 27 Strawberry Hill Avenue, with a mission to empower the community to live mindfully, to create a better quality of life, to celebrate diversity and to promote individual and group higher consciousness, creativity, compassion and love.

The unique approach of CORE Wellness’ co-founders Purim and Adelle King, and their network of healers, provides the support needed to re-engage in life in a fun and affirming way. Purim King (LCSW) is a master healer, holistic psychotherapist, and teacher. She is a Licensed Social Worker specializing in substance abuse, trauma, anxiety and phobia. Her unique and dynamic approach to wellness has helped clients overcome physical disease, emotional and relational difficulties, transform careers, and overcome financial challenges. Adelle King is a natural intuitive, early education teacher, healer, and a 3rd generation spiritual leader. She is an Access Consciousness Bars and Body Processes practitioner and facilitator.

CORE Wellness offers classes in holistic modalities that are available to the public as well as weekly support groups for all ages and needs. Offerings include Guided Meditation, Women in Transition Circle, Tai-Chi, Self Defense for Women, and beginners Dance for children ages 3 to 6 to name a few.

INFLAMMATION Toxins drive neurological, metabolic (including weight gain), immune and cardiovascular illnesses – not to mention 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. Contact us:

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 , N o r w a l k , C T 0 6 8 5 1

Visit CoreWellnessCT.com for more information and available classes. See ad pg 29. eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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Tired of Exposing Yourself to Harsh Chemicals & Fumes?

The best thing about our products is what we leave out!

No Ammonia • No Parabens No Scalp Staining • No Scalp Discomfort

Greenwich Native Returns To Show Visionary Art

Best Eco Salon

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

203-261-2838 SalonAponte.com

Health and Wellness are not merely Black and White.

Awaken the Colors of Your Life ...

Move 2 Wellness Massage Therapy and Wellness 203-403.2522 • Move2Wellness.com 470 Main Street, Ridgefield

Do You Feel Happy and Fulfilled?

To experience true life success and to feel happy and fully alive, you need: 3 A Deeply Connected Relationship 3 A Fulfilling Career 3 High Self Worth

Call Jeff today at 860-633-8555 to schedule a complimentary conversation.

Jeff Forte CSIC CME 2389 Main St., Glastonbury, CT 06033 860-633-8555 www.peakresultscoaching.com jeff@peakresultscoaching.com

Integrated Health Center Combining Traditional Natural Healing Wisdom with Modern Science and Your Personal Health Goals Dr. K. Pramila Vishvanath, LCEH, PA, ND

“Whatever has held you back in the past can be overcome faster than you think. You can live a life of purpose and meaning.”

Services offered: • Craniosacral Therapy • Colonic Hydrotherapy • Weight Management • Detox Programs • Allergy Testing • Homeopathy • Skin Rejuvenation

2324 Post Road • Fairfield • 203.259.2700 IntegratedHealthCenterOnline.com 10

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Brooke Ann Haggerty-Cottle

T

he First Bank Of Greenwich, located in Cos Cob, CT is showcasing the art of Brooke Ann Haggerty-Cottle through December as part of its community outreach program. It is unique for a bank to team with an artist like Haggerty-Cottle, for her art combines nature, yoga and meditation.

A long time practitioner and teacher of yoga, Brooke Ann accredits the development of her artistic gift to yoga and meditation. Her journey, starting with a BFA from UCONN, was not average.

In between freelancing for graphics, advertising, marketing, and even catering companies, she slowly built her own stable of these visual explorations in order to live out her own spiritual experience.

These works have now been recognized on a national level. Previously published by the nation’s greeting card leader for inspired art and nature, Leanin› Tree of Colorado, Brooke Ann launched her own note card line at the 2009 National Stationery Show in New York. The debut was nominated for Best New Product.

More recently, she dotted her third project for Benjamin Moore Paints® Color Trends for 2013. Keeping active in many artistic directions: decorative, faux, murals, traditional portraits as well as Brooke Ann›s signature Soul Energy Portraits™, a venue like this helps an artist communicate to the public all the services she provides to the private sector and to businesses.

Prints, note cards and stationery items are available for purchase. To learn more about the art and the artist’s process, visit SacredEarthMission.com or SoulEnergyPortrait.com.

New Treatments for Pain, TMJ, Women Walking Partners Carpal Tunnel, Migraines and More

N

ortheast Natural Medicine, LLC, an integrative naturopathic medicine clinic and therapeutic massage center located in Newtown, has begun offering FDA approved low-level therapeutic laser treatments for pain management, increased mobility, and expedited healing. The low-level laser received FDA approval after it was shown in clinical trials to release trigger points as well as increase muscle strength and muscle Shawn Carney range of motion, all while being classified as very safe and having a “non-significant risk” factor.

“The benefits of low-level lasers have been well documented for pain management, physical therapy, nerve regeneration and wound healing, with over 2,000 published articles world wide and no negative side effects reported,” says naturopathic physician Shawn Carney, director of the clinic. They have been shown to work by stimulation of tissue at the cellular level, which increases energy production and makes more oxygen available to the cell. The cumulative result is an increase in lymphatic activity for cellular detoxification, which increases neuronal activity and ultimately inhibits pain at nerve junction sites. This means a reduction in pain and promotion of healing for the site being treated. For example, one double blind study documented a decrease in pain by an average of 59% while increasing the range of motion both actively and passively.

These treatments may be covered by health insurance and Northeast Natural Medicine is in-network with multiple insurance companies. Free consultations are available.

W

omenWalking is a community of women walkers, based locally and nationwide, that enriches and brings together communities through the simple act of walking together. The community, created and founded by Joy Regan, is an inclusive, non-partisan social network of women who connect online to schedule walks and meet in person as walking partners for health, enjoyment and the pleasure of spending time outside.

Walking together is instinctive for women. The freedom of being in movement outside is relaxing and stress relieving.

As women walk, they nurture the real conversation that arises when sharing a similar interest - walking. Women’s lives are busy and too often, they find themselves short of time, putting aside personal interests for the sake of others.

At WomenWalking.com, viewers can find friends online, conveniently arranging times to walk, through the website email, chat or forum and then meet in person to walk. WomenWalking works to positively transform the lives of women, families, and communities through friendship, exercise and being outside as women discover all they share in common.

Meet women who love to walk and talk.

For more information, email Contact@WomenWalking.net or visit WomenWalking.net.

Northeast Natural Medicine, LLC is located at 33 Main Street, Suite 15, ‘at the flagpole’ in Newtown. For more information HVWS Playgroup_NATURAL AWAKENINGS_HVS PM K_CT 2007 call 800.723.2962 or visit NortheastNatMed.com.

See par ad pg 45.9/15/11

Have news to share?

Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com to submit News Briefs. Deadline: December 5 12:28 AM Page 1

PARENT TODDLER CLASSES Thurs or Fri mornings: 9am to 11am PERFECT FOR 1 TO 3 YEAR OLDS You and your child will experience a Waldorf early childhood atmosphere and community– a place where children play together and parents support one another.

Please call 203.364.1113 to register

40 Dodgingtown Road, Newtown, CT 06470 203.364.1113 • www.waldorfct.org Accredited by CAIS and AWSNA

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December 2012

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healthbriefs

One-Size Meditation Does Not Fit All

A

n intriguing study recently posted online by Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, suggests that new meditators are most likely to stick with the practice and reap its healthful benefits if they select methods with which they are most comfortable, rather than those that are most popular.

In one of the first studies to compare meditation techniques head-to-head, author Adam Burke, a professor of health education at San Francisco State University and the director of its Institute for Holistic Health Studies, taught 247 participants four popular methods—mantra, mindfulness, Zen and qigong visualization. He asked them to choose which they preferred to practice at home for six weeks before techniques were evaluated.

The simpler methods, mantra and mindfulness, each were preferred by 31 percent of study participants. Zen and qigong were selected by about 22 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Burke says the results showed the value of providing people new to meditation simpler and more accessible methods, and also emphasized that no one technique is best for everyone. He hopes to see more comparative meditation studies, especially to determine if particular methods are better at addressing specific health issues such as addiction.

“If that’s the case,” he advises, “healthcare professionals would be able to guide patients toward techniques that will be most effective for them. Additional studies are also needed to determine if there is a way to predict which method will be best suited for any particular individual.”

A Wise Man’s Gift for Arthritis Sufferers

F

rankincense, an aromatic resin obtained from Boswellia trees native to Africa, is an age-old herbal remedy that may help alleviate the pain of arthritis, according to scientists at Cardiff University, in Wales. “The search for new ways of relieving the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a long and difficult one,” says Dr. Emma Blain, who led the research with coinvestigators Professor Vic Duance, from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences, and Dr. Ahmed Ali, of the Compton Group. The team believes they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of Boswellia frereana—a rare frankincense species—inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules and helps prevent the breakdown of cartilage tissue that causes the condition.

The African Somali people have long used extracts of frankincense as a traditional remedy for arthritis. “Our research achieved the use of innovative chemical extraction techniques to determine the active ingredient in frankincense,” says Ali. “We will now be able to further characterize the chemical entity and compare its success against other anti-inflammatory drugs used for treating the condition.”

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Nutty Way to Help Preserve Cognition

W

alnut consumption is associated with better memory scores and cognitive function, according to recent findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. In the Prevención con Dieta Mediterrnáea study, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health, results show that a Mediterranean diet, supplemented with olive oil or one ounce of mixed nuts, half of which are walnuts, is more beneficial than a low-fat diet when it comes to body weight, blood pressure, insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.

The nutrient-dense walnuts provide antioxidants and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Both are key nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties that help protect brain cells from the oxidative damage associated with cognitive decline.

Raisins Yield Pressure Relief

F

or individuals seeking a natural way to keep slightly elevated blood pressure in check, eating a handful of raisins each day might do the trick. New data presented at the American College of Cardiology 61st Annual Scientific Session suggest that among adults with hypertension or mild increases in blood pressure, routine consumption of raisins may lower readings, especially compared with eating other common snacks. The researchers noted that raisins are packed with potassium, which is known to lower blood pressure, and are also a good source of antioxidant dietary fiber, which may favorably alter the biochemistry of blood vessels, enabling them to be less stiff.

The study helps validate some current nutrient recommendations, such as 60 raisins—about a handful, containing one gram of fiber and 212 milligrams of potassium—as being helpful in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in three (28 percent) of American adults have prehypertension, defined as a systolic pressure from 120 to 139 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or a diastolic pressure from 80 to 89 mm Hg.

Researchers cautioned that their study was small; larger trials are needed.

Giving Begets Happiness at Every Age

“T

o give is better than to receive,” is a maxim that appears to hold true even for the very young. A new study co-authored by three psychologists at Canada’s University of British Columbia observes that giving makes toddlers happier. The study, published in PLOS One, an online journal of the Public Library of Science, found that toddlers younger than 2 were happier when giving treats to others than when receiving them. They were also happier when they gave their own treats away, rather than an identical treat that didn’t belong to them.

JewelTreeofLife.com HOLISTIC LIFE & SOUL COACHING

Stop Wasting Food

I

t’s time to step up to the plate—but not waste what’s on it. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that about 40 percent of all food in the United States goes uneaten. Each year, we are throwing away the equivalent of $165 billion in discarded food, making it the single largest component of solid waste in America’s landfills and costing the average family of four between $1,350 and $2,275 annually.

About two-thirds of household waste consists of spoiled food that’s not used in time; the rest is caused by people cooking or serving too much food. Learn easy steps to reduce food waste via the NRDC free online fact sheet at Tinyurl.com/ StopFoodWaste.

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December 2012

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fairfieldgreen Be the solution.

Get involved. Support your local, eco-friendly businesses & organizations.

Green Christmas

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Holiday Planet Savers

Here are some fresh ways to tweak family traditions for a greener holiday this and every year.

Incorporate local, sustainable cuisine into the family feast.

Ingredients for a traditional holiday dinner can travel up to 30,000 miles. Instead, show support for local community farmers and reduce food transportation miles by choosing a heritage turkey or meatless entrée. Stellar complements may include organic cranberry jelly, mulled apple cider or wine from an area farm, orchard or vineyard.

Adopt or recycle the Christmas tree. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as many as 33 million live-cut Christmas trees are purchased each year in North America, and most end up in landfills. Fortunately, Christmas tree adoption services like Central California’s Rent a Living Christmas Tree are popping up across the country, allowing them to go on living. The potted trees can be rented and delivered.

If tree adoption services are not yet available locally, make sure to recycle a live holiday tree so it’s turned into

Reduce energy costs through efficient cooking.

Wait to fire up the oven until the heritage turkey or organic ham is ready to go in; preheating is unnecessary for these slow-roasting items. For baked goods, opt for glass or ceramic pans, which allow cooking time to remain the same while lowering the heat by about 25 degrees. Another energysaving trick is to place stovetop cookware on the smallest burner possible; more heat will embrace the pan, while less is lost to the surrounding air. A six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner typically wastes more than 40 percent of the energy generated. Crockpots work well for serving other small family dinners during the busy holiday season or anytime; an entire meal requires about 17 cents worth of electricity.

At cleanup time, load up the dishwasher fully. One load of dishes scrubbed in a dishwashing machine uses 37 percent less water than washing the same dishes by hand.

Send plant-able holiday cards. According to CalRecycle, an estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high.

This year, instead of the usual snail mail, send a bouquet of flowers for the price of a stamp. Recipients can plant a GreenFieldPaper.com grow-a-note holiday card in the ground and see wildflowers bloom. For plant-able holiday cards that can be personalized with a corporate logo, BotanicalPaperworks.com offers card sets and party favors.

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Synergy… In Balance with Nature

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ichele Maestri-Murphy, owner of New Canaan’s Synergy Salon, has been a pioneer in the salon industry, by posing the question many years ago, “How can I make my hair look better without harming it of its natural health?”

She and her employees have been in the industry for over twenty years and could not overlook this simple question. So her answer was to open Michele her own salon. For decades the salon Maestri-Murphy industry has worked with damaging processes and chemicals that not only make hair unhealthy, but can negatively affect overall health and the environment as well. At Synergy Salon all treatment and color products are made out of organic products that add life to your hair rather than strip it away. Additionally, the setting of the salon is peaceful and intimate, unlike most of the factory salons that are open today.

Maestri-Murphy has always taken a holistic approach when it comes to her own life, eating organic, non-processed natural foods, and understanding the importance of a well balanced life style. “Your body and mind work together and with its surroundings, so the better we put in, the better we release,” she says. She stresses the importance of giving back to your body any way you can, and all of her treatments at Synergy Salon keep this principal in mind. “If you are interested in treating yourself right and looking better at the same time, come visit us and let nature take care of you.”

Synergy Salon is located at 53 East Avenue, New Canaan.

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

Smog Begone

Dramatic Decline in Los Angeles Air Pollution Legendary late-night TV host Johnny Carson made the thick, automobile-generated smog that covered Los Angeles the butt of jokes for decades, but times have changed. In the past 50 years, California’s Los Angeles Basin has shown a 98 percent decrease in levels of some vehicle-related air pollutants even as area denizens now burn three times as much gasoline and diesel fuel.

Between 2002 and 2010 alone, the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) dropped by half, according to a new study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. “The reason is simple. Cars are getting cleaner,” says Carsten Warneke, a NOAA-funded scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Primarily emitted from the vehicle tailpipes, VOCs are a key ingredient in formation of ground-level ozone, which at high levels can harm people’s lungs and damage crops and other plants. The magnitude of the drop in VOC levels was surprising, although it doesn’t mean that ozone levels have dropped as steeply, because the air chemistry is complex.

Levels of ozone pollution in the basin are down, but don’t yet meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Warneke expects the decrease in VOC emissions by cars to continue, given that engine efficiency continues to improve and older, higher polluting vehicles will be taken off the roads.

Source: American Geophysical Union (Tinyurl.com/SmogBegone)

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Bird Brains

When the Warm Get Going Global climate change is a real, measurable phenomenon, according to a new study, based on the National Audubon Society’s North American Christmas Bird Count. It found that avian species have taken decades to adjust their ranges northward in response to warming winters.

Frank La Sorte, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in Ithaca, New York, and lead author of a study supported by the National Science Foundation, says in the Journal of Animal Ecology that because birds are highly mobile and migrate north and south with the changing seasons, they are better able to shift their ranges than less mobile, non-migrating species, such as amphibians.

“It makes sense that species move slower than the rate at which climate is changing,” says La Sorte. “Many of them need to follow a prey base and a type of vegetation, or they need certain kinds of habitat that will create corridors for movement. Species are responding under their own time frame.”

The challenge for humans is daunting. “We have to give species the opportunity to respond by providing corridors for movement and long-term maintenance of those corridors,” says La Sorte. “That requires cooperation across political boundaries.”

Source: ABC News

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Fairfield County Edition

THE ALLIANCE FOR RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS

Sharing a Vision of Love and Oneness 458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe, CT | 203-268-1ARC (1272) arcsacredcenter.org | arcsacredcenter@gmail.com

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} dECEmBER EVENTS } Community Holiday Celebration-Potluck Appetizers FREE! Saturday, December 1, 6:00 to 9:00 pm Guided Heart Meditation, Silent Meditation and Soulful Sharing – FREE! Thursday December 6, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Keeping the Ho Ho Ho in the Holidays – FREE! Sunday, December 9, 12 - 1 pm NEW YEAR'S EVE KIRTAN! Chanting - Release and Renewal Ceremony Live Music - Yoga - Meditation (registration required) December 31, 7:00 pm -12:30 am Registration is appreciated (walk-ins are welcome) Please call or check our website for additional information, a full list of events and to check for any scheduling changes.

Leaf Relief

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Urban Trees Act as Crime-Stoppers The city of Baltimore’s high crime rate inspired a gritty TV drama. But a new study (Tinyurl.com/TreeCrimeReport) by the University of Vermont’s Transportation Research Center, in Burlington, found that a 10 percent increase in trees in a given area led to a 12 percent decrease in crime. “It’s really pretty striking how strong this relationship is,” says Austin Troy, lead author of the study, published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

Researchers examined the correlation in and around Baltimore using aggregated crime data and combining it with high-resolution satellite images to conduct the analysis. The working hypothesis is that because people enjoy spending time in pleasant outdoor spaces, there are more observers present to hinder criminal activity. Also, a well-maintained landscape seems to send a message that someone may be watching.

To avoid culture bias, the study considered many socioeconomic factors, including housing, age, income and race of residents, as well as variables such as rural versus city setting and population density. The findings should prove helpful to urban planners.

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Fresh Funds for Innovative Renewable Projects

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu is spearheading a new wave of renewable energy research by recruiting top scientists from the nation’s best research laboratories to staff a new agency called ARPA-E, modeled after DARPA, the research and development wing of the Pentagon that invented the Internet. With a surge in funding for renewable energy, courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, plus grants from the Department of Energy, ARPA-E has made more than 180 investments in basic research projects in renewable energy.

One company, Ocean Power Technologies, is installing a 260-ton generator in the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast to capture renewable energy from waves. If the generator operates as planned, it will link to the grid and generate enough electricity for 1,000 homes.

Other ARPA-E-funded projects are making cheaper batteries, more efficient air conditioners and appliances, experimental algae-based biofuels, carbon sequestration (trapping) technologies and even plants that secrete crude oil.

Source: The Atlantic magazine (Tinyurl.com/SilentGreen)

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Beauty & Skin Care

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Fairfield County Edition

Organic Clothing

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Green Home

Books & Music

Green Toys

globalbriefs Coming Clean

Environmental Hall of Shame From shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste to laundry detergent and window cleaners, hundreds of chemicals of unknown origin and effect can be found everywhere in our daily lives. Some are regulated by government agencies, but many are not; some cleaning products, for example, are not even required to list their ingredients on labels.

The research team at the nonprofit consumer watchdog Environmental Working Group has released a new Cleaners Hall of Shame database (Tinyurl.com/CleanerHallOfShame) that ranks more than 2,000 household cleaners by how hazardous their ingredients are and how much information is on their labels.

Many products contain ingredients known to cause asthma or are contaminated with carcinogens. Even so-called “green� products aren’t necessarily any better. Many of them boast of ingredients made from plants, rather than petroleum, but there is little or no safety data for some plant-based ingredients. A truly green product poses few risks to health or the environment and transparently informs users of its content.

Smiley Face

Personalized Social Media Giving Gets Results Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org, has enabled his organization to provide a record $40 million in funding for 300,000 U.S. classroom projects, simply by personalizing public appeals for charitable giving.

When potential donors enter their personal interests, an online database supplies a list of corresponding classroom projects. For example, artists might consider funding a silkscreen press for an art class. Hikers can purchase trees for a classroom to plant. When the funded project is completed, the donors receive a note from the teacher, along with photos.

DonorsChoose.org maximizes the personalization potential by asking the participants if they want to post their donation on their Facebook wall, where friends may read the post and feel compelled to make their own donation.

Teacher-generated Facebook project updates garner even greater success; these two types of Facebook status updates have so far raised a combined $1.9 million.

Source: SSIReview.org eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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inspiration

ARE WE HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?

by Karen Moore

“Y

ou can’t get to where you’re not going.”

It’s not often that someone summarizes the problems of the world in eight words, but Neale Donald Walsch feels he has done it.

The author of seven New York Times best sellers, Walsch sat for an interview recently in his modest hilltop home in Ashland, Oregon. What is wrong with the world? he was asked.

Why is humanity having so much trouble just making life work?

He didn’t hesitate with his reply.

“It’s really quite simple. We’re all going after the wrong thing.”

And that is?

“The whole world wants peace, prosperity, security, opportunity, joyful 20

Fairfield County Edition

self-expression, happiness, and love.

Everybody on the planet wants that. We want it so bad, we’re willing to kill each other for it. In fact, that’s exactly what we are doing.”

The reason we can’t get what we want, the writer says, that is these are the wrong objectives.

“In the first quarter of the 21st century, nine-tenths of the world’s people are still deprived of these things...and most of the one-tenth who are not are still not peaceful and happy, because they’re spending their time worrying about how to hold onto what they have, or trying to figure out a way to increase it.”

So the problem is greed? No, Walsch says. “Greed is good. Greed is

natural awakenings

simply the intense and selfish desire for something. It is such desire that fuels the process of evolution. And the idea that selfishness is ‘bad’ is totally out of harmony with that process.

The problem is that we are greedy for the wrong things. We are reaching for the wrong stuff. We’re heading in the wrong direction. We’re trying to get to one place, and we’re racing to another.

We’re trying to get to a place of inner peace, quiet joy, global harmony, and deep, sweet happiness, and we’re thinking we can get there by scrambling for outer accouterment. We’ve been doing this scrambling now for thousands of years. But it’s not working, because you can’t get to where you’re not going.

We’re yearning for, we’re greedy for, the wrong stuff.”

“When we change the focus of our greed, we will change the forces that work against us achieving what we say we want—and the whole world will change. When we change the idea that the so-called ‘Self’ includes only us, we will find that true selfishness serves all of humanity.”

“This is the transformation for which the entire human race yearns, and which is now within our grasp at last, after thousands of years of searching and reaching for it.”

Walsch declares himself to be very sure that this dramatic shift in our objectives, in both our collective and individual lives, is our crucial next step, and that is the point he makes in his latest book, The Only Thing That Matters, just out from Hay House.

Perhaps best known for a series of books under the title Conversations with God that has sold millions worldwide and has been translated into 37 languages, Walsch says that his latest writing, too, has been informed by what he calls his “continuing dialogue” with Deity. While the information in his most recent books has not been presented in a conversational format, he asserts that it has all come from On High.

And no, he doesn’t even flinch when he says that.

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Neale Donald Walsch is the author of the 9-book Conversations with God series, seven of which have placed on The New York Times Bestsellers List. His most recent books include When Everything Changes, Change Everything, and The Storm Before the Calm, both distributed by Hay House, as is The Only Thing That Matters. Mr. Walsch lives with his wife, the American poet Em Claire, in Southern Oregon. The Only Thing That Matters is now available at major bookstores and online at HayHouse.com.

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“All of us are having conversations with God all the time,” he declares. “We’re simply calling them something else. Serendipity, inspiration, women’s intuition, a stroke of genius...we’ll use whatever words or catch phrases we can devise to avoid saying what is really happening, because we’ve made it culturally unacceptable to announce that God is talking directly to us. But that doesn’t alter what is happening. It merely renames it.”

Leaning back in a butter-soft leather chair facing picture windows offering a view of mountains on every side, Walsch says he is comfortable producing books with titles such as The Only Thing That Matters and Conversations with God. “Because it is ‘the only thing that matters’,” he smiles warmly, “and they are conversations with God. The worst thing an author can do, I should think, would be to tone down his words to meet someone else’s standards of acceptability.”

Walsch asserts that it is the “agenda of the soul” that God invites us to pay attention to, and that, were we to follow this agenda, every one of the other things we have been striving and struggling for “would come to us automatically.”

He smiles again. “Someone else said this much better than I ever could. He put it something like this: ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all else will be added unto you’.”

And just how does one do that?, he was asked.

“Ah, well,” he winks, “how much time do you have?

Entire books have been written on that topic. Hundreds of them. And here’s one.” He holds up a copy of The Only Thing That Matters.

Yet if there are so many other books on the subject, why add another to the pile? “I think we are more ready and able now than ever to hear this message—and to apply it,” Walsch assesses. “Our past has been a struggle to simply survive.

That is, to just deal with the exigencies of every day life on the physical level. Yet now our species has evolved to the point where we can take care of most of that, globally, if we want to. We have the technology and the wherewithal to do that.”

“We also are able to communicate with one another instantly. Billions of us can connect daily—which we could never do before. So now we can hear, feel, share, and accept God’s ancient message, and put it ‘on the ground’ much more rapidly and ubiquitously than ever before. All we need now is to hear that message in contemporary terms, so that we can understand it in ways that relate to our own experience.”

“That’s what my writing is all about.”

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Mindful Holiday Traditions Simple Ways to Add Meaning and Family-Centered Fun

by Barbara Amrhein

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Fairfield County Edition

oo many winter holidays whiz by in a blur of presents, parties and rich foods, muting the season’s true messages of love, hope and peace. By slowing down and refocusing on what makes this time of year so special, we can help our children—and ourselves— create fresh, meaningful traditions and experience genuine joy.

“If the spirit of the season at your home is more ‘Gimme, take me, buy me,’ instead of ‘Deck the halls,’ don’t despair,” advises internationally renowned educator and child expert Michele Borba, Ph.D., author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions:101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries. “There are more subtle ways to encourage your kids to appreciate the greatest gifts of the holiday season. The simplest way is to focus on gifts of the heart and letting your kids be participants, not just recipients.”

Try these tips for helping youngsters co-create traditions that celebrate family, friends, sharing with others and the holidays’ festive delights.

Emphasize experiences, not things. Presents can never take the place of presence. Years from now, children will rarely recall what they

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unwrapped, but will remember special times spent together as a family. Take a nature walk to collect pinecones and other seasonal items for holiday décor.

Designate a Family Night and let the kids choose the activity, like seeing a movie or a holiday performance such as The Nutcracker, playing a favorite board game or building a gingerbread house. At dinner, ask youngsters to relate their favorite holiday memories, and then build upon their responses to

plan this year’s celebrations.

Treat cards as treasured gifts. Gather the family ‘round when opening cards from others, catching up on their news and recalling funny or enjoyable shared moments. Skype calls and videos offer pleasurable immediacy while mailed cards become an appreciated, permanent memento.

Encourage children to create handmade or personalized cards for grandparents and other relatives, enclosing photos or drawings and a short note describing the reasons that person means so much to them. Hand deliver other cards to neighbors, accompanied by a plate of homemade, healthy treats. Children can also send cards to military personnel overseas via a Red Cross program at Tinyurl.com/HolidayHeroMail.

Practice creative giving. Adopt a less fortunate family or child for the holidays (local churches or social service agencies can provide information) and ask youngsters to be “Santa’s little helpers” by picking out and thoughtfully wrapping books, toys and other gifts. Help children research good causes and earmark a small amount of money for them to gift to the cause of their choice, such as an animal shelter or other local nonprofit. Honor the gift of time, as well: Youngsters that spend a few hours helping out at a food pantry, caroling at a nursing home or wrapping gifts for Toys for Tots will experience and remember the true joy of giving.

Nurture a sense of the spiritual. Worship services aren’t the only venue for sharing family values and beliefs with children. On the night of the Winter Solstice, December 21—the shortest day and longest night of the year—enjoy dinner by candlelight. Afterwards, stargaze in the backyard and make some holiday wishes. On another evening, turn off all the lights except the Christmas tree, menorah or other special candles and talk quietly about your blessings. Listening to a CD of carols from around the world reinforces a spirit of unity and invites lively discussions about how other cultures observe their holidays.

Celebrate the season’s sights, sounds and fun. Ask children to help choose a tree and make or buy an ornament with special meaning for them. Then join in an informal decorating party with holiday tunes (kids get to choose some favorites), cocoa and cookies. Set aside an evening to walk or drive around the neighborhood to admire holiday lights and displays. Those in northern climes can build a family snowman, forge a “snow angel” chain in the yard or go sledding at an area park. As a fun twist on traditional caroling, grab some kazoos and go humming with the kids and their friends. To capture these great holiday moments, ask each child to take turns as the official family photographer.

Borba believes these types of shared experiences help children understand the true meaning of the season and bring back the heartfelt joy it represents. “In the end,” she advises, “remember that the holidays are really meant to be about love, togetherness and wonderful memories.”

Barbara Amrhein is a freelance writer and editor for Natural Awakenings.

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greenliving

Homemade and Heartfelt Do-It-Yourself Stocking Stuffers

by Meredith Montgomery

“W

ith the volume of household waste soaring 34 percent beyond normal levels in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day it’s particularly important to remain eco-conscious during the holidays,” says Anna Getty, author of I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas. “It’s easy to get so wrapped up in buying gifts and decorations that eco-friendliness goes out the window.”

This year, consider giving the family’s stocking stuffers a sustainable makeover by gifting homemade items.

Getty observes, “Useful, thoughtful homemade gifts can be really sweet… and green.”

A Jar for Everyone With a ribbon and label of instructions, inexpensive canning jars and glass containers filled with homemade goodies can become creative and practical gifts for everyone on the list.

Sugar body scrubs offer a simple and affordable home spa experience.

Combine two cups of sugar with one cup of oil (sweet almond, grapeseed or olive) and add 10 to 20 drops of 24

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

essential oils to scent. Try a combination of rosemary and peppermint for an invigorating morning scrub or lavender and vanilla to unwind later.

Fill jars with ingredients for some simmering home aromatherapy. Labels instruct recipients to boil the contents in a small saucepan of water, and then reduce heat to simmer, adding water as needed. Combine evergreen sprigs, cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried apple peels and citrus rinds for a festive holiday scent. Lemon, rosemary and vanilla afford a refreshing alternative.

For family grill masters, obtain bulk spices for barbecue rubs at a health food store. A basic recipe from DadCooksDinner.com combines four tablespoons paprika, four tablespoons brown sugar, two tablespoons chili powder, one tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, two teaspoons garlic powder, two teaspoons onion powder and one teaspoon dried thyme.

Upcycled and Sewn Experienced crafters can follow online guidelines to upcycle fabric scraps and unwanted clothing and linens. An old

sweatshirt or sweater becomes an iPad case and colorful T-shirts morph into tote bags and scarves.

Creating therapeutic hot/cold bags can be fairly simple, even without a sewing machine. Cut a 16-by-eight-inch piece of flannel, cotton, fleece or terrycloth and fold it in half with the finished side inside, lining up the edges. Using sturdy thread, sew a quarter-inch seam along the open edges, leaving a halfinch opening. Carefully turn the fabric right-side-out through the opening and fill the bag three-quarters full with long grain white rice. Tuck in the opening’s unfinished edges and sew closed.

To treat aches and pains, the giftee can microwave the bag for 30 seconds at a time until achieving the desired temperature or place it in the freezer to use as a cooling or freezer pack.

For aromatherapy, mix the rice with a couple of drops of lavender essential oil before filling. At room temperature, the scented version doubles as a soothing eye pillow.

Seeds to Throw and Grow Guerilla Gardening’s (GuerillaGardening. org) recipe for seed bombs makes fun gifts for gardeners and nature lovers.

Choose flower and herb seeds that grow well in each recipient’s region.

Combine five parts clay soil or potter’s powder (from art supply stores), one part compost and one part seeds, with water to bind. Form the mixture into balls approximately one inch in diameter and let dry for one to two days in an empty egg carton. Wrap seed bombs in recycled paper or cloth tied with a ribbon and instructions. Toss them in the yard or garden and watch them grow.

Creative and Kid-Friendly Enlist Santa’s elves to assemble a fortbuilding kit for children, inspired by Saltwater-Kids.com. Stock a pillowcase with two sheets, clothespins, plastic clamps, rope, suction cups and a flashlight. Tie up the pillowcase with rope and a cute label, and watch old linens come to life with a little imagination.

Give broken and unwanted crayons a second life with fun-shaped recycled crayons. Fill greased muffin tins or cookie cutters on a foil-lined cookie sheet with broken crayon pieces (paper removed). Bake at 150 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crayons melt.

Allow them to cool completely before removing from the molds.

“I like to encourage families to focus on creating memories and rituals as a way to avoid excessive holiday consumption,” says Getty, who is renowned for her home-cooked gifts packaged in reusable tins with recycled bows. She notes, “These become a tradition that people know and love.”

Such heartfelt gifts open the door to special moments and memories celebrating the true spirit of the season.

Meredith Montgomery is the publisher of Natural Awakenings of Mobile/ Baldwin, AL. Connect at Healthy LivingHealthyPlanet.com.

Holiday waste report source: epa.gov

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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It’s All About We Conscious Evolution: Why We’re Better Together

by Linda Sechrist

A

fter decades of studying issues of environmental destruction, poverty and war, Malcolm Hollick, Ph.D., author of The Science of Oneness: A New Worldview for the Twenty-First Century, concluded in 2006 that a better future for humanity requires a more holistic worldview. It must be one that reflects the evidence of both new sciences and established spiritual traditions, all of which point to a deep unity, or Oneness, the grand reality underlying and often belying the superficial testimony of the senses.

Hollick concluded, “We become open to the experience of this unity only when we recognize at the deepest intuitive level that we do not exist as separate selves.” The founder of the Findhorn College Foundation, in

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Scotland, recognized that while the old worldview has disintegrated, the concrete of a new one has not yet set. He also observed how the acceleration of scientific findings—advancing knowledge and understanding of the universe, as well as the meaning and purpose of life—would continue to influence the general worldview.

Within a decade, of the publication of his book, hard scientific evidence across many disciplines—particularly physics and biology—as well as pioneering ideas and anecdotal evidence presented by leading philosophers and authors, affirmed the existence of a reality in which everything is connected and linked in a coherent whole.

Such thinking further revealed that evolution has equipped humans

natural awakenings

with genetic wiring for co-creation, cooperation and collaboration. Martin A. Nowak, a professor of biology and mathematics at Harvard University and co-author of Super Cooperators: Altruism, Evolution, and Why We Need Each Other to Succeed, explains that most great innovations of life have resulted not from competition, but cooperation, the real “master architect” of evolution.

Nowak believes that figuring out how cooperation comes about and breaks down is the key to human survival as a species.

Books such as The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us, by Lynne McTaggart, a scientific researcher and award-winning journalist, and The Golden Motorcycle Gang: A Story of Transformation, co-authored by motivational speaker Jack Canfield, are helping individuals to see through the illusions of the old “survival of the fittest” and “I win, you lose” paradigms into one expressed in terms of connectedness and relationships. This new “Me-We” thinking and way of being has been spreading; it now informs everything from enlightened environmental stewardship to economics, as well as health and spiritual well-being.

How Community Works

Canfield emphasizes the valuable lesson of collaboration and cooperation he learned while working for W. Clement Stone, a philanthropist and self-help author: When working together, focus on overlapping goals and interests, and not on differences.

In Chicago, Illinois, where the Eat Fresh Eat Local movement sparks successful collaborations, the focus is on food, rather than issues of race, sex or economic disparity. There, hundreds of people are growing food together in communal spaces on city-owned land, privately owned empty lots and rooftops, as well as in school gardens, food forests and urban farm sites.

“Self-reliant, community-operated urban farms and the food centers that retail the produce to residents in surrounding neighborhoods—some in the city’s most isolated and impoverished communities—are economic drivers that create jobs,” says Erika Allen, projects manager of Chicago’s Growing Power office. The daughter of national organization founder Will Allen notes that local workshops resemble a cross-section of the world. “Participants from different countries, cultures and economic levels come together for three meals a day, where we connect, share perspectives and learn from one another.”

Another successful initiative, Building a Healthier Chicago (BHC), brings together the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Office of the Regional Health Administrator of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Chicago Medical Society and the Institute of Medicine of Chicago. The BHC agribusiness project develops and maintains a system of more accessible food supply, distribution and markets where people live, work, play, pray and learn.

Neighbors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, organized park cleanups with the long-range goal of replacing crime and litter with learning. Now, Riverside Park, once an area of urban blight, has

“We’re one humanity and we’re all in this together.” ~ Jack Canfield

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~ Malcolm Hollick both a college-level field research station and grade school outdoor classroom, offering innovative school, adult and community programs operated by the Urban Ecology Center (UEC).

Programs serve 44 schools and have spawned two branches in Washington Park and Menomonee Valley to serve residents in those areas.

The UEC’s latest project, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, the River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee County Parks, private businesses and local landowners, is an arboretum that will protect and restore 40 acres of land for native species and wildlife habitat along the Milwaukee River. “With the creation of the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, southeastern Wisconsin has a new, biologically diverse space for growing future environmental stewards,” says UEC Executive Director Ken Leinbach. He particularly likes creating spaces and resources that give people that wouldn’t normally connect a place to bump into one another.

Expanding Worldview College settings are similarly intended to encourage stimulating and expansive dialogue among diverse populations.

At Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, Massachusetts, recent environmental study grads Dana Rubin and Hannah Blackmer met Frances Moore Lappé when she visited to share the message of her book EcoMind: Chang-

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“We are facing a critical moment in the unfolding of our human story, and feel called to create pathways to a better future.” ~ Craig Hamilton ing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want. As a result, the pair embraced the need to shift their view of the world away from looming negatives to focus on creating positive connections and meaningful relationships that recognize life’s interdependence and fuel constructive change.

After more research, the duo built a simple website named Convenient Resilience.com and created a blog before commencing a coast-to-coast, 100-day, solutions-oriented journey last summer. They posted nearly 30 “webisodes” of heartfelt interactions with individuals and organizations with stories to tell, like the group at 2100 Lakeside Emergency Men’s Shelter, in Cleveland, Ohio, that is using small-scale, practical and cost-effective solutions to lessen their impact on the environment. “The personal stories we heard affirm what we learned from Frances—that it’s possible to locally solve global problems together,” advise the sojourners, who travel in a grease-powered car.

“Learn to think beyond negative thought traps that engender fear,” advises Lappé. “Thinking, ‘There isn’t enough to go around, so I have to grab what I can now,’ for instance, focuses on separateness and lack, which is precisely what got us into the state we are in.”

Starting Within A big-picture, more-whole-systems perspective forms naturally when individuals come together to explore the power of building intentional coherence. The Art of Hosting (and convening conversations that matter), World Café, Vistar Method for Circles and OpenSpace collaborations leverage technology for the practice of mindfulness to foster deeper connections, authentic conversations and outside-the-box ideas, all contributing to a more enlightened collective intelligence.

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Fairfield County Edition

One’s own new world perspective can even emerge as a result of a dark night of the soul, as Patricia Ariadne, Ph.D., author of Drinking the Dragon, has observed with clients that have undergone a personal metamorphosis as a result of the economic downturn.

“Often, the entire process of transformation indicates a spiritual initiation— a renewal or rebirth—that acts as an induction into a level of expanded consciousness and new relationship with Spirit,” remarks Ariadne. “True spiritual progress inevitably leads to a desire to be of greater service to others, to go from ‘Me to We,’ which I believe is our mandate for the 21st century.”

Living mindfully can literally change our brains, states Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., in the introduction to A Mindful Nation, by Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, which reports on the supporting science. “Mindfulness… can improve our capacity for perspective taking and decision making, and enhance our emotional intelligence and our ability to act with clarity and wisdom, alone and in concert with others.” Kabat-Zinn is the founding director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Worcester.

“A peaceful revolution is being led by ordinary citizens across our nation,” confirms Ryan. “At the core of it is mindfulness—finding ways to slow the mind, pay attention to the present moment and see how you are connected to others and can work in a spirit of cooperation to get things done.”

The inner impulse to recognize the deeper unity of all life and sense the

“My experience has convinced me that fixing the many problems that beset us requires nothing less than ripping up our rulebook and starting afresh, based on something other than every man for himself.” ~ Lynne McTaggart

natural awakenings

reality of Oneness is bubbling up within individuals, small groups and organizations, and finding expression in writings and teachings, according to Barbara Marx Hubbard, author of Birth 2012 and Beyond: Humanity’s Great Shift to the Age of Conscious Evolution. Individuals that feel compelled to join with others in expanding their consciousness to help foster systemic change and a culture of a higher order are invited to find a compatible group. Hubbard offers webcast training for Agents of Conscious Evolution (ACE), now 3,000 members strong; Craig Hamilton, founder of Integral Enlightenment, provides an online telecourse called Awakening to an Evolutionary Relationship to Life.

“Evolutionaries sense that we are facing a critical moment in the unfolding of our human story and feel called to create pathways to a better future,” says Hamilton. He notes that the 35,000 participants in his most recent introduction to his webcast were interested in where they could find a supportive community of kindred spirits committed to living life on the same level. He states, “We instinctively know that we can accomplish more together.”

A partnership with The Shift Network, which empowers a global movement of those intent on creating an evolutionary shift in consciousness, has enabled Hubbard, a featured sage in the documentary Awaken Soul to Soul, and her ACEs to launch a global initiative to mark the inauguration of a sustainable planetary civilization on December 22. Thousands of individuals are now working in collective hubs across the United States to prepare for the Planetary Birth Day celebration.

An initial concern for many individuals seeking to experience Oneness is, “What happens to my identity?” Christopher M. Bache, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the department of philosophy and religious studies at Youngstown State University, in Ohio, reassures us that within the matrix of connectivity, individuality is not suffocated, but paradoxically liberated into deeper forms of self-expression.

“While opening to the collective fields that surround us melts the boundaries of the private ego, bringing about the ‘death of self’ noted in spiritual literature, as the ego dies, a deeper form

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NewMomentumfhu.org SmallPlanet.org TheShiftNetwork.com TheWorldCafe.com VistarFoundation.org of individuality is born—not an isolated individuality, but one that thrives in subtle give-and-take,” explains the author of The Living Classroom: Teaching and Collective Consciousness.

While the idea of a future in which American and other cultures reflect oneness can seem distant and idealistic, it is already present in South Africa’s Xhosa community in the form of Ubuntu, a worldview which means, “I am what I am because of who we all are.”

According to South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, Ubuntu iterates the essence of being human and speaks to the fact that it’s impossible to exist as human beings in isolation. We are people through other people.

“We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected, and what you do affects the whole world,” he observes. “When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. For more information and in-depth interviews on It’s All About We, visit ItsAllAboutWe.com.

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healingways

Unexpected Upside Media Gadgets Can Boost Family Connections

by Lisa Marshall

W

itness a gadget-obsessed family at the dinner table and it is easy to conclude that technology is fracturing family life: Mom’s emailing her boss; Dad’s watching a YouTube video on his tablet; sister’s texting her boyfriend; and little brother is playing Angry Birds on his smart phone. No one is talking with each other.

But dysfunctional dinner habits aside, it appears cell and Internet technologies haven’t turned out to be as harmful as once predicted.

“When we started this research, the dominant thought was that Internet technology would make us lonely, socially isolated and threaten our family lives,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet &

American Life Project. “We have been asking people about this now for 12 years in our surveys and the dominant answer is ‘Actually, we feel more connected with our families than we did before.’”

Web-conferencing systems like Skype have enabled family members across the globe to chat for free and also see each other. Social networking sites like Facebook have enabled previously out-of-touch siblings to share photos and revive contact. According to Pew studies since 2008, cell phones have led married couples to talk more during the day and parents to maintain more open lines of communication with their kids.

“There always seems to be anxiety in raising a teen, and now a lot of that can be alleviated,” says Larry Rosen, Ph.D., a research psychologist at California State University and author of Me, MySpace, and I: Parenting the Net Generation. “A scared mom or dad can text their kid, saying ‘R U OK?’ and get a one-word answer back, whereas before that kid would have had to find a pay phone, maybe wouldn’t have done it and Mom and Dad would have panicked.”

Rosen’s own research suggests that social networking can actually teach teens to be more empathetic, a trait that enhances their bonds with family members. For example, a cousin will post on Facebook that her cat died, then the teen responds warmly and their bond tightens. The teen gains empathy useful in face-to-face experiences.

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Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx, is one of the first U.S.–trained hypnotists

“Research from the Pew Center has shown that active social networkers tend to have more friends and support and be more involved with their communities and families,” Rainie maintains, while cautionary studies from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggest that kids unhealthily obsessed with media tend to have lower grades and get into trouble at school.

Overall, according to a 2011 study by the Barna Group, a Ventura, California, research firm, 32 percent of parents and 47 percent of teens say technology has made their family life better, while 18 percent of parents and 6 percent of teens say it has worsened, because the news is not all good.

Consider how, instead of sitting down to watch a show together, family members often are in a room or vehicle watching their own show on their own tiny screen.

“People miss social moments around them because they are communicating with the network inside the screen, rather than the world immediately surrounding them,” says Rainie. (On the flip side, Rainie notes, families often share those moments with each other, too, like a funny YouTube video or a picture on Facebook.)

Rosen cautions that the smart phone could be a pivotal game-changer if consumers aren’t careful. “We are already finding that most people under the age of 40 check their phones every 15 minutes or less, and if they can’t, they become highly anxious. Their whole social world appears channeled through this device, and that is worrisome.”

Both Rosen and Rainie stress that the key to making any technology a positive for family dynamics is to set rules at the outset and know when to unplug. Here are some guidelines to consider.

Cell phones. Everyone can check their phone messages before dinner and then power it down while the family is eating. Don’t use phones in bed, or in the hour before sleeping, which can be particularly detrimental to a teen’s rest, Rosen’s research shows.

Facebook. “When your child says, ‘All of my friends are on Facebook and I feel left out,’ that is probably the time to let them join Facebook,” advises Rosen. Reserve the right to look at their page periodically with them. Each parent and child pair can decide if they should “friend” each other, but don’t assume that gives a parent a backstage pass to the child’s personal life.

Pew reports that 80 percent of parents whose children use social media have friended their child. However, “Insisting that your child friend you on Facebook is often an invitation for them to set up a phantom, or fake page,” notes Rosen.

Smart phones and tablets. Set specific times to ban technology. “As couples, we used to retire to bed at night and watch TV and talk. Now we watch TV, check our phone and play Words with Friends games, and that has taken the place of intimate communication.” It helps to set specific times to check the phone and leave it off for big chunks of time.

Lisa Marshall is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.

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Butternut Squash and Kale Salad (Serves 8) This delicious vegetable dish is good eating at its best. It’s both flavorful and packed with nutrition. Excellent as a leftover (it keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days), you can even make it a main course by tossing it with chickpeas, black beans or diced baked tofu.

2 bunches kale, tough stems and ribs stripped out, leaves sliced 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, divided 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 red onion, sliced 4 pitted dates, very finely chopped 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar • Put kale and 1/2 cup vegetable broth in a large pot and place over medium heat. Cook, covered, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add squash and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until kale and squash are tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup broth, onion, dates and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, uncovered, until onion is very tender and liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Cool, toss with kale and butternut and serve room temperature or chilled.

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naturalpet

Critter Companions Alternative Adoptions Fit for Families

by Sandra Murphy

W

hile dogs, cats, fish and birds populate most pet homes, other animals can be just as much fun to own.

Rabbits

“Rabbits are social and love routine.

Be late with dinner and a bunny will show displeasure by stomping its feet,” says Pamela Hood, founder of Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue, a state-licensed shelter in Foster, Rhode Island. Her four rules for happy, active bunnies are: Find a veterinarian that knows rabbits, adopt rather than buy, get a bonded pair and spay/neuter them.

Since 2000, Sweet Binks has rescued more than 1,700 rabbits as recaptured strays or from shelters meant for dogs and cats. Bunnies can live more than 14 years.

“Rabbits eat more than just carrots.

Pellets should be timothy hay-based, not alfalfa, for adult rabbits,” explains Hood.

“But limit the amount. Hay should be 85 to 90 percent of their diet, because the side-to-side chewing of hay keeps teeth worn down to a livable length and ensures proper digestion.”

Rabbits can be litter box-trained and run free if the home is petproofed. For example, keep electrical cords out of reach or covered with plastic tubing.

A lonely, bored bunny can be destructive, so provide wooden and chemical-free wicker toys for chewing. Play with them daily, although most shy away from cuddling.

Bonded pairs need to be in sight of one another.

Miniature Horses

Miniature horses are not to be confused with Shetland ponies. Minis are fully grown horses, bred for pulling carts, not riding. They require the same care as a larger horse and make good therapy 32

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natural awakenings

animals. An adult mini is about the same size as a standard-sized horse’s newborn foal—about 34 to 38 inches tall at the withers (between the shoulder blades), although some are smaller.

“Trained minis are good, gentle interpreters of emotion,” says Veronique Matthews, founder of Hearts & Hooves, a nonprofit equine therapy organization in Austin, Texas. “We visit abused or autistic kindergarten-age children with a ratio of one child, one horse, one handler.” Walking on a handheld leash, a mini can help a child to cope with fear and anxiety.

Alpaca

A few years ago, alpacas were regarded as the next moneymakers when breeding and sales brought high prices for fleece, along with their waste, sold as soil-enriching manure. After the trend peaked, many herds were sold, often to ill-suited owners, and some needed rescuing.

Michelle Zumwalt, a job consultant for people with disabilities in Spanish Lake, Missouri, has hosted rescued alpacas for eight years; the number fluctuates, based on new arrivals and adoptions. “There are enough of them to help supply local organic farms with fertilizer,” says Zumwalt. “These gentle creatures feel safest in numbers; when in danger, they will kick or spit.”

Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are likeable for their social, nonaggressive character, ease in handling and low maintenance. All crabs are born in the ocean, although some species leave the water as adults. Pet crabs in the United States are either Caribbean land crabs or the faster and more agile Ecuadorian crabs, which require access to both salt and fresh water.

A 10-gallon fish tank with sand of a consistency suitable for castle building that’s three or four times deeper than the height of the largest crab works well. Crabs can grow to six inches in length and live 10 years or more, although they don’t reproduce in captivity. As colony animals, they’re much happier in a group.

Hermit crabs periodically need to replace the shell they carry on their back. Provide a shell that is 10 to 15 percent larger and watch as the crab tries it on for size. When crabs molt their underside ectoskeleton, they burrow beneath the sand for four to eight weeks; place these crabs in a separate tank.

“Because crabs are scavengers, we feed them chicken, turkey, seaweed, scrambled eggs and fish. They love carrots, bell peppers, kiwi and coconut,” says Christine Richards, a maintenance management analyst and hermit crab caregiver in Montgomery Village, Maryland. “Crabs are nocturnal, so use a small flashlight to watch their antics,” she adds. “They love to climb.”

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Chinchillas

Chinchillas, another night creature, can live up to 20 years.

A round body, tiny hands and large ears make them easy to love, remarks Christina Pierce, a federal examiner of financial institutions in Little Rock, Arkansas. “My chin, Gizmo, wants to be where the commotion is and likes to travel,” she laughs.

A specialty vet is required for chinchillas, with attention given to their teeth, which grow throughout their life.

Give them things to chew on and fresh hay to help file down teeth. Gizmo’s favorite chews are willow twigs, peanuts in the shell, alfalfa sticks and lava blocks. “A twice-daily dust bath keeps his fur clean,” notes Pierce, “plus, it’s fun to watch.”

It seems that everyone can find a pet that’s perfect for them. It’s just a matter of thinking outside the litter box.

Sandra Murphy is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.

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inspiration

The Luminous Web Why We Are One

by Barbara Brown Taylor

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~ Chief Seattle, 1855

W You must not

lose faith in humanity.

Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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hat I see is an infinite web of relationship, flung across the vastness of space like a luminous net. It is made of energy, not thread. As I look, I can see light moving through it as a pulse moves through veins. What I see “out there” is no different from what I feel inside. There is a living hum that might be coming from my neurons, but might just as well be coming from the furnace of the stars. When I look up at them, there is a small commotion in my bones as the ashes of dead stars that house my marrow rise up like metal filings toward the magnet of their living kin.

Where am I in this picture? I am all over the place. I am up there, down here, inside and outside of my skin.

How could I ever be alone? I am part of a web that is pure relationship, with energy available to me that has been around since the universe was born.

Where is God in this picture? God is all over the place. God is up there, down here, inside and outside of my

natural awakenings

skin. God is the web, the energy, the space, the light—not captured in them, as if any one of those concepts was more real than what unites them—but revealed in that singular, vast net of relationship that animates everything that is.

It is not enough for me to proclaim that God is responsible for all of this unity. Instead, I want to proclaim that God is the unity—the very energy, the very intelligence, the very elegance and passion that make it all go. This is the God who is not somewhere, but everywhere; the God who may be prayed to in all directions at once. The “I am who I am,” in whom everything else abides.

For the moment, we see through a glass darkly. We live in the illusion that we are all separate “I ams.” When the fog finally clears, we shall know that there is only One. Excerpted from The Luminous Web, by Barbara Brown Taylor, with permission of Cowley Publications.

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consciouseating

HEALTHY HOLIDAY BAKING

A Cornucopia of Delicious Treats photos by Stephen Blancett

T

here’s nothing so comforting as the scent and taste of homebaked treats. To fill a home with cheer, try these delectably healthy recipes. Some are gluten- or diary-free, others pack less butter and sweeteners (thus fewer calories) than their typical counterparts, and a few are vegan (containing no animal products, including honey). All are perfect for holiday celebrations, hostess gifts or exchanges.

Gluten-Free Apricot Scones

These scones freeze well and taste even better the next day, warmed for 30 seconds in a microwave. Serve with apricot jam or honey.

Yields 8 servings (342 calories per serving) 1½ cups brown rice flour ½ cup tapioca flour 1 /3 cup potato starch 2½ tsp baking powder 2½ tsp xanthan gum ¼ cup natural cane sugar ½ tsp salt ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed 5 eggs (divided) ½ cup plus 1–2 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt ¾ cups dried apricots, finely chopped ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract 36

Fairfield County Edition

1 Tbsp water ¼ cup turbinado sugar Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift together first 7 ingredients (brown rice flour through salt). Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, yogurt, apricots and extracts. Add to flour-butter mixture. Mix until just combined.

Dust work surface with brown rice flour. Turn out scone mixture and pat into a nine-by-nine-inch square. Cut scones into desired shape or use a biscuit cutter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Whisk remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush mixture over scones.

Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.

Apple-Walnut Coffee Cake

Here’s a favorite yummy treat for festive brunches. Guests and family will never guess that this decadent indulgence contains much less butter and sugar than a typical coffee cake.

Yields 16 servings (239 calories per serving)

natural awakenings

¼ cup light brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon 2¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour (divided) ¼ cup (½ stick) cold unsalted butter ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature 1 cup maple sugar 2 eggs ¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp low-fat buttermilk (1 percent) 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced ½ cup walnuts, chopped and toasted Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Butter pan sides and top of parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon and ¼ cup flour. Cut in ¼ cup cold butter until mixture becomes crumbly and resembles a streusel topping. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together ½ cup room-temperature butter and maple sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift remaining 2 cups flour, baking soda and salt into egg-butter mixture.

Mix until just combined.

Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool before releasing from pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool for 2 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Vegan Trail-Mix Cookies

These lightly sweetened, butter-free muffins evoke the scents and tastes of the holidays. With fewer carbs and calories than regular sugar, the concentrated fruit-juice reduction also adds moistness; look for all-natural options, such as Wax Orchards’ Fruit Sweet.

These crunchy-chewy cookies are perfect for snowshoe hikes or crosscountry ski trips.

Yields 36 servings (135 calories per serving) ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 cup carrot, shredded 1½ cups unsweetened coconut, shredded 1½ cups natural cane sugar 1½ cups rolled oats 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ cup water ½ cup canola oil 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted 1 cup cherries, dried Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix together flours, carrot, coconut, sugar, oats, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together water, oil and vanilla. Add wet mixture to dry. Mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, pecans and cherries.

Scoop batter by 2 tablespoons each onto a baking sheet, pushing in any stray pieces.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Yields 16 servings (145 calories per serving) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground allspice 1 cup pumpkin purée 2 /3 cup fruit-juice reduction (or light agave nectar) ½ cup canola oil ¼ cup coconut milk ½ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded 1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted ¾ cup dried cranberries Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups.

Sift together flours, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin purée, fruit-juice reduction or agave, oil and coconut milk. Stir wet mixture into dry until just incorporated (do not overmix). Fold in coconut, walnuts and dried cranberries.

Divide batter evenly among muffin tins.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Yoga, Dance & Fitness FITNESS FAIRFIELD Camillo Health & Fitness CamilloHealthAndFitness.com 203.259.9906

MEDITATION WILTON Sacred Doors 1 Danbury Rd. SacredDoors.net 203.727.8685

DANCE STAMFORD Jazzercise also located in Norwalk Jazzercise.com 203.845.8856

YOGA FAIRFIELD Yoga for Everybody 27 Unquowa Road 203.254.YOGA (9642) Yoga4everybody.net

NORWALK Nu-Yoga 32-34 Main St. Nu-Yoga.com 203.854.6744

STAMFORD Gianna Ragona-Suarez, RYT Hatha, Vinyasa, Sports Yoga YogaConcepts@gmail.com 203.550.8811

YOGA TRAINING Lotus Gardens Yoga School Lara Azzarito Ward LotusGardensYoga.com 860.354.6241

MARTIAL ARTS REDDING Kindred Spirits KindredSpiritsCenter.com 203.938.3690

STAMFORD Tai Chi & Qi Gong Healing 414 West Main St. 203.570.1752 TaiChiStamford.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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calendarofevents Magazine calendar events must be received by December 5th (for January 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.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Age-ing to Sage-ing, The Second Half of Life 6:30-8pm w/Barbara Stokes. Explore the vast inner potential available to all in the second half of life. $10 Love offering. ARC Sacred Center. 458 Monroe Turnpike. Monroe. 203.268.1272.

The Body’s Wisdom 7-8:30pm. Tamara KicharBarry, OTR/L presents various therapies including CranioSacral, Audiotary Intergration Training, Lil Learners, Academic Tutoring and Animal Assisted Occupational Therapy. 898 Ethan Allen Highway, Suite 4. Ridgefield. 203.438.4848.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 EFT ~ Your Personal Power Tool 7:30-9pm w/ Roberta Russell. Learn this simple and practical self-health tool used to clear limiting beliefs, negative emotions, pain, disease symptoms, trauma, stress, etc. West Redding Center. Redding.

Must register: 203.438.2354.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Reiki Refresher for all levels 7:30-9:45pm w/ Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master. Practitioners only.

Techniques taught that will help raise one’s reiki vibration. Includes a re-attunement. $38 + $8 material fee. Angelic Healing Center. 7 Morgan Ave. Norwalk. 203.852.1150.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Psychic and Holiday Fair 9am-5pm. Astrology readings, mediumship, tarot and angel cards, pendulum readings, past life regression, soul mandala drawings, intuitive readings. $30. Albertson Church. Old Greenwich.

203.637.4615.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION

with Joy LeVine Abrams, M.S. 8 Wks • Tues 6:30-9pm • 1/29 - 3/26/13 Research shows the program as the healthiest option for challenges with anxiety, depression, pain, grief & illness. Enhances health, wellbeing& quality of life. Westport. $450 or $395 by 1/15. 203.255.8815.

MindfulOfJoy.com. Space is limited!

Introduction to Astrology 1-3pm w/ Lin Northrup, M.Ed., R.H. astrological counselor.

One’s birth chart helps one gain greater insight into one’s strengths, talents, relationships and life path. $20. CT Counselors. 107 Church Hill Rd. Newtown. 203.263.7805.

The Breathe of Life 2:30-5pm. w/ Greg Barringer.

An Introduction to Yoga Breathing. Learn to breathe fully and deeply reducing the negative emotions and reactions in life. $35 paid by 11/24; $45 thereafter. Yoga for Everybody. Fairfield.

203.254.9642.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 Play and Tea Open Days 1-2pm. Meet the teachers while children play in the Waldorf inspired classroom. Learn about Mixed-Age Kindergarten, Gentle Beginners and Growing Together. The Clover Hill School at Christ Episcopal Church.

Norwalk. RSVP Sarah: 203.661.6484.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4 Guided Imagery for Stress Relief and Relaxation 6-7pm w/ Linda Stawski. RN, CLNC, RMT. 4th class. $15 per class. Fairfield County Integrative Family Medicine and Healing Therapies in Trumbull. Pre-registration is required.

203.445.9060.

Reading and SRBI: Helping the Struggling Reader 7-8:30pm w/Dr. Roseann CapannaHodge, Educational Psychologist & Linda Talbert, Education Advocate. Confused about what scientifically based reading/literacy interventions are? Free. 898 Ethan Allen Highway, Suite #4.

Ridgefield. 203.438.4848.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 Guided Heart Meditation 6:30-8:30pm w/ Rev. Chris Guerrera, LMFT. Also Silent Meditation and Soulful Sharing. Reconnect with the true spirit of the holidays and one’s own personal needs making one’s gifts to share more accessible. Free. ARC Sacred Center. Monroe. 203.268.1272.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8 Winter Arts Festival 10am-5pm. Also 12/9, 12/15- 12/16. Come enjoy festivities, refreshments, seasonal music and beautiful handmade gifts for sale. Featuring local artists and artisans. Barn Hill Studio. Rt. 110 & Barn Hill Rd. Monroe.

Holiday Open House 11am-5pm. Also held 12/9/12. A beautiful collection of botanically and vegan based gifts of aromatherapy, skin & bodycare, health, fitness, holistic health & nutrition. Free. 67 Deer Hill Rd. Redding. 203.470.4325.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9 How to Keep the Ho Ho Ho in the Holidays 12-1pm w/Maria Castillo, LCWS. Tips on how to cope with stress and grief at the holidays and throughout the year. Free. ARC Sacred Center.

Monroe. Free. 203.445.8966.

Unity Center For Practical Spirituality

Unity

Where all are welcomed!

Our mission is to continually discover, demonstrate, and educate that our source of Good is God within.

Our Weekly & Monthly Ongoing Events Thought Exchange.....Mon at 7 pm Reiki Exchange..1st Thurs at 7 pm

A Brush with Soul..........2nd Thurs at 7 pm Prayer Works.................3rd Thurs at 7 pm

Rev. Shawn Moninger returns from Sabbatical with his Advent series: “In Praise of . . . !”

Join us for a beautiful Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Dec. 24th at 6:00 PM Rev. Shawn Moninger

38

Please visit our website for schedule details and changes 3 Main St, Norwalk, CT 06851 (next to Ford dealership) www.unitycenterps.org (203) 855-7922

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Celebration Service Sundays at 10:30 am Childcare Provided

The Good Bookstore is open Sundays before and after the Celebration Service.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

BIRTH2012

Connecticut Celebration SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 • 2 - 9PM The birth of our new humanity is NOW! This day long event will feature group meditations, chanting, sound healing, a labyrinth walk, music and dance, a prayer mandala, an interfaith service, and live stream Birth 2012 celebrations from around the world. Free.

Edmund Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown.

Info: 203.268.1272, Birth2012Connecticut.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 Healing Circle Meditation for Adults 7-8:30pm.

Feeling overwhelmed , experiencing anxiety, depression, physical pain, illness, loss or grief? Come join our healing circle for 90 minutes of calm, quiet, peaceful space. Explore and learn self-healing techniques. $25. Move2Wellness, 470 Main St. Ridgefield. 203.966.5509.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12 Meditation for Moms 9:30-11am. Are you stressed out, being pulled in many directions, juggling life, relationships and your kids? Come join our small circle for 90 minutes of “me time” in a calm, quiet, peaceful space. Being a parent is the most important and challenging role in life. The better resourced you are, the better able you are. $25. Move2Wellness, 470 Main St. Ridgefield.

203.966.5509.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14 Self-Regulation Group for Kids 7-8:30pm.

More young people experience anxiety and depression today than ever before. This small group (5 kids max) has been designed for kids to learn self-regulation skills through education about the body followed by fun ways to explore

sensations and feelings, concluding with a guided journey through the body. Kids ages 10-12 who want to attend. $25. Move2Wellness, 470 Main St. Ridgefield. 203.966.5509.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 Candle Light Yoga 5:30-7:30pm w/ Marleen Salko. Honoring the true spirit of the season with an experience of gentle yoga, inspirational readings, music, meditation, pranayama breathing and deep relaxation. $30 each paid by 12/8/12; $40 thereafter. Yoga for Everybody. Fairfield.

203.254.9642.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17 Play and Tea Open Days 1-2pm. Meet the teachers while children play in the Waldorf inspired classroom. Learn about Mixed-Age Kindergarten, Gentle Beginners and Growing Together. The Clover Hill School at Christ Episcopal Church.

Norwalk. RSVP Sarah: 203.661.6484.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 CT Birth 2012 ~ Open House ~ Celebration 2-9pm. Includes meditations, chanting, labryinth, dance, educational opportunities, live stream Birth 2012 Celebrations from around the world.

Free/donations appreciated. Edmond Town Hall, Alexandria Room. 45 Main St. Newtown.

203.268.1272.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

NATURAL AWAKENINGS 2013 Natural Living Directory Coming February DEADLINE: JAN. 10 Don’t miss out on the most comprehensive annual directory our readers will reference all year!

203.885.4674 or Carolyn@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

BECOME A CERTIFIED HYPNOTIST March 23 -30, 2013 • Avon, CT Hypnosis Certification Course presented

by Lisa Zaccheo, MA, BCH, BCI. Mind Matters Hypnosis Center.

“The best course I’ve ever attended...

AMAZING!” ~Rita G.

Register today at: 860.693.6448 or MindMattersHypnosis.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29 Nutrition Basics 2:30-4:30pm w/ Diane Lowman.

Come get an overview of nutrition basics that will enables one to make healthful, mindful decisions. $30 paid by 12/22; $40 thereafter.

Yoga for Everybody. 27 Unquowa Rd. Fairfield.

203.256.9642.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve KIRTAN! 7pm-12:30am. Bring one’s instruments and a dinner dish for potluck.

Come for chanting, live music, release and renewal ceremony, yoga, meditation and celebration. $25 Love offering. ARC Sacred Center. Monroe.

203.268.1272.

Join us on Facebook and we’ll directly alert you of upcoming happenings and events.

Health and Wellness are not merely Black and White.

Awaken the Colors of Your Life ...

Move 2 Wellness Massage Therapy and Wellness 203-403.2522 • Move2Wellness.com 470 Main Street, Ridgefield

Search “Natural Awakenings magazine Fairfield County”

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December 2012

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Please support our advertisers We are grateful to our advertisers who make publishing this free publication possible!

HYPNOSIS

ongoingevents

sunday 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. ARC Sacred Center.

Monroe. 203.268.1272 Reiki Volunteers 10am-12pm. Pledge time to volunteer Sundays at various homes for the elderly and nursing homes in Fairfield & Southbury. Receive credits towards Reiki training.

ReikiOvertones. Fairfield. Jim or Jeannette: 203.254.3958.

Celebration Service 10:30am w/ Rev. Shawn Moninger. Inspiring message supports one’s spiritual unfoldment. Great music. Fellowship Hour after the service. See website for activity schedule. Unity Center 3 Main St above Ford Dealership Norwalk 203.855.7922.

Ayurveda Cooking Classes 11am-12pm. $50. 25 Old Farm Rd. Weston. Reservations: 203.268.1272.

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 pg 30.

Tell them you saw it in Natural Awakenings!

40

Fairfield County Edition

Albertson Church of Spiritualism Sunday Service 11am-12:30pm. $30. Albertson Church of Spiritualism. 293 Sound Beach Ave. Old Greenwich.

The Circle of the Third Way 4-6pm. 2nd Sun monthly w/ Leesa Sklover, Ph.D, LPC, and Jeanne Donohue, MSAP. Encourages positive spirit, courage and ideas to change relationships to self, others and the world. Free. Fairfield. 917.860.0488.

monday Yoga 9:30-10:45am w/Charles Sikorski, RYT. Weekly Mon. & Fri. Charles encourages one to find one’s true self: Physically, mentally and spiritual. $13/class. Discount w/ 6 week committed. ARC Sacred Center. 458 Monroe Tpke. Monroe.

203.414.6790.

Nutrition Monday 6-7:30pm w/ Carolyn Finch. Learn how to plan, purchase and prepare food for greater wellness. $20 or free w/green card. Hampton Inn. 81 Newtown Rd. Danbury.

203.791.2756.

The Thought Exchange 7pm w/ David Friedman.

A spiritual support group based on observing the thought/sensation connection to manifestation What if one’s life just mirrors one’s thoughts? $20 suggested. Love offering. Unity Center 3 Main St above Ford Dealership Norwalk 203.855.7922 Yoga 7-8:15pm w/Charles Sikorski, RYT. Weekly. Charles encourages one to find one’s true self: Physically, mentally and spiritual. $13/ class. Discount w/ 6 week committed. ARC Sacred Center. 458 Monroe Tpke. Monroe. 203.414.6790.

natural awakenings

Transformation and Healing 7:30-8:15pm.

Rev. Ed O’Malley uses a Shamanic Illumination Process which removes heavy energies from the luminous energy field that surrounds each person, returning the body and soul to its initial state of wellness. ARC Sacred Center. Monroe Tpke.

Monroe. 203.268.1272.

Free Guided Meditation 7:30-8:30pm w/ Dr. Levy. Meditation is shown to reduce stress, depression, anxiety and weight gain while increasing energy. Sabita Holistic Center. 3519 Post Rd. Southport. RSVP: 203.254.2633.

Meditation Monday 7:30-9pm. Guided meditation for relaxation/anxiety. No previous experience required. $20. Soul Focus. Bethel.

203.570.3638.

A Course in Miracles 7:30-9:30pm w/ Joan Goss.

A channeled self-study spiritual work. Its primary purpose is to show the way to experience the peace and love of God right now. $20. Mystical Parlors.

South Norwalk. 203.810.4491.

tuesday Yoga 12-1pm w/Charles Sikorski, RYT. Weekly Tues. & Thurs. Charles encourages one to find one’s true self: Physically, mentally and spiritual. $13/class. Discount w/ 6 week committed. ARC Sacred Center. 458 Monroe Tpke. Monroe.

203.414.6790.

Reiki Healing Shares 7:30-10:15pm. 1 & 3rd Tuesdays. Gigi Benanti Usui/Karuna Reiki Master/ Teacher. For Reiki Practitioners only. Exchange ongoing since 1996. Instructions included $10.

Held at Angelic Healing Center. 7 Morgan Ave. Norwalk pre-register: 203.852.1150.

wednesday Free Guided Meditation 1-1:45pm w/ Dr. Levy.

Meditation is shown to reduce stress, depression, anxiety and weight gain while increasing energy.

Sabita Holistic Center. 3519 Post Rd. Southport.

RSVP: 203.254.2633.

Journey within, Do you feel stuck? 7pm. 1st Wednesday monthly. Need support trying to begin something new? Support, intuitive insight, wisdom. Facilitator: Cindy Miller, intuitive. $20.

Newtown Congregational Church. 14 West St. Newtown. Call: 203.426.9448.

Life Style Management Counseling 7-9pm w.

Dr. Jaya Daptardar, B.A.M.S., M.H.A. practicing and teaching Ayurveda in U.S. since 1998. $50.

Ayurveda for Wellness. 152 East Ave. Norwalk.

203.857.4123.

thursday

classifieds

friday

EFT for Ideal Weight Meetup 8:30-10am.

2x monthly. Learn energy exercises to balance one’s meridians w/ meridian tapping. Bring water to drink and a notebook. $10. Private residence in Weston. Info & directions: robin@robinfriedman.net

Activating Your Angel Frequency/Soul Intuition 7-9pm. Mia DiDio will activate dormant vibrations through attunements the Archangels have shared.

Karmic and soul healings will begin to emerge through these tested activation sessions. $20.

Mystical Parlors. South Norwalk. 203.810.4491.

Reflexology 2-9:30pm w/ Mark Hoyt. Also held Sat. This ancient healing art uses hand/thumb pressure corresponding to the body systems. The outcome is balanced, inner peace due to deep physical & mental relaxation. $20/15minutes.

Mystical Parlors. South Norwalk. 203.810.4491.

Circle of Life 7:30-9:30pm. 4th Fri. monthly.

Wondering about one’s Life Mission? Learn how to bring love, life and happiness to oneself and those one loves. Bring questions and receive healing and messages from Spirit. $30. Monroe. 203.286.3262.

A Brush with Soul 7-9pm w/ artist Alexandra Philippas. 2nd Thurs monthly. Healing with color: fun intuitive painting. Practice observing one’s mind/body response to inner child’s free expression. Supplies provided. $20 suggested. Love Offering. Unity Center. Norwalk. 203.855.7922.

Prayer Works 7pm w/ Karen Mitchell, musican/ healer. 3rd Thurs monthly. Explore various modalities of healing through prayers specifically designed for those attending. Unity Center. 3 Main St. Above the Ford Dealership. Norwalk.

203.855.7922.

Buddhist Chanting 6-7pm. Hosted by June Fagan.

All welcome. Free. Kindred Spirits. 59 Ledgewood Rd. Redding. Please call: 203.938.3690.

Teen Meditation 7-8:30pm Guided Meditation for Stress/Anxiety/Relaxation. No previous experience required. $20, $15 w/school ID. Soul Focus, Bethel.

203.570.3868.

EFT for Ideal Weight Meetup 7-8:30pm. 2x Monthly. Learn energy exercises to balance one’s meridians w/ meridian tapping. Bring water to drink and a notebook. $10. Private residence in Weston. Info & directions: robin@robinfriedman Energy Tools Study Group Meetup 7-8:30pm.

2x Monthly. Like mind people share simple energy tools one can use daily to feel better. $10.

Private residence in Weston. Info & directions: robin@robinfriedman.net Sound Healing Event 7:30-8:30pm w/ Laurie Millo. 3rd Thurs. monthly. These sounds and vibration have a profound effect aiding the release of congested energy from ones’s body muscle, cells, bone and organs. $10. ARC Sacred Center.

Monroe. 203.268.1272.

saturday Float Paddle Yoga at Fairfield Beach 9am.

Come enjoy Kundalini yoga & meditation on a board. Training, yoga, board workshop $50 w/ this ad. Please pre-register at Fairfield Board Co. 1700 Post Rd. Fairfield. 203.313.2327.

The Universal Reiki Plan 11am-1pm. Every 3rd Sat. monthly. Reiki Practitioners. Register for a free Reiki session. Love offerings appreciated.

Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant. 85 Ferris St. Bridgeport. Reservations Jim or Jeannette: 203.254.3958.

The Universal Reiki Plan 1:30-4:30pm. Every 3rd Sat. monthly.

Reiki Practitioners only.

Workshop & ReikiShare. Free. Love offerings appreciated. Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant.

85 Ferris St. Bridgeport. Reservations Jim or Jeannette: 203.254.3958.

Family Yoga 2:30-3:30pm w/ Kerri Gawreluk.

Class designed for children and adults to enjoy and share together. $21 per student. Yoga for Everybody. Fairfield. 203.254.9642.

Reiki Sessions 5-6pm. ReikiOvertones offering free Reiki sessions during classes. Students participate as part of class syllabus. 1st-reserved.

Fairfield. Jim or Jeannette: 203.254.3958.

Expression of Self 7-9pm w/ Deboorah Sikorski, Charlies Sikorski and Eddy Nataraj. 4th Sat. monthly. An evening of friendship, healing and connecting to one’s inner and outer being. Love offerings accepted. ARC Sacred Center. Monroe.

203.414.6790.

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ART THERAPIST AND/OR HOLISTIC HEALING PRACTITIONERS wanted to be a part of a New Center located in Newtown CT. Part time rental space options. Also looking for Bellydance instructors, Tribal Drum/Circle teacher, adult and prenatal yoga, creative & mindfulness teachers. Contact SoundCenterArts@gmail.com.

HEALTH & WELLNESS MAGAZINE FOR SALE Well established and profitable. Excellent demographics and great potential for multi-channel growth. Complete training provided. Turn your passion for healthy living into a career! 917.273.4809.

FOR RENT 1ST MONTH & ONE MONTH SECURITY TO MOVE IN. Newly refurbished, paint and carpeted office spaces from 1100 to 4800sf available. Great for Prof. office space, Medical, Counselling, Nutritionist, Chiropractor, Dental, Insurance, Real Estate,Telemarketing, Technology, Accountant, Lawyer, etc. 1st floor. Immediate occupancy.

Good parking. Call Donna Anderson for info: 203.609.8075. Located at 85 Old Long Ridge Road, 3 miles west of Exit 34 Merritt Parkway. Next to Giovanni’s /LaRocco’s Country Market. Easy ride to and from the Merritt.

SPACE AVAILABLE IN SMALL WELLNESS CENTER 2-3 days per 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.

HELP WANTED VIOLIN TEACHERS WANTED AT THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL OF ART & MUSIC. 2979 Main Street, Stratford. Piano and vocal instructors. 203.375.0692. Carolyn West, Owner.

A NEW DAY A NEW APP Enjoy Natural Awakenings on the GO!

Your healthy living, healthy planet lifestyle app for the iPhone/iPad. • NATIONAL DIRECTORY • MONTHLY CONTENT • ARTICLE ARCHIVES • HEALTHY KIDS • NATURAL PETS • EN ESPAÑOL • IT’S FREE! Search iTunes app store for “Natural Awakenings”and download! eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

41

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community.

To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide (CRG) in print and online email FFCadvertising@naturalawakeningsmag.com to request our advertising rates.

ACUPUNCTURE

AROMATHERAPY

INGRI BOE-WIEGAARD, LAc

YOUNG LIVING ESSENTAIL OILS

Fairfield, Wilton, Bethel 203.259.1660 CTacupuncture.com 25 year full time practice

Cris Ann Mulreed 203.216.8413 pathfollowers@gmail.com

Ingri treatments help alleviate Pain, Depression, Neck & Back, Anxiety, Headaches, Stress, Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, Digestive, Menstrual, Infertility, and Smoking & Weight Loss Issues. See ad pg 29.

Young Living is uniting ancient traditions and modern science to promote health and longevity. Through extensive research and commitment to quality, we are growing, distilling and manufacturing the highestquality organic essential oils and oil-enhanced products in the world.

AYURVEDA DR. JAYA DAPTARDAR

JODY EISEMANN, LAc

Ayurveda & Life Style Management 203.857.4123 ActiveAyurveda.com jmdaptardar@hotmail.com

AffordableAcupunctureCT.com Offices in Norwalk and Fairfield 203.216.2548

Jaya is an Ayurvedic specialist with 20 years experience. She offers life style management, other Ayurvedic counseling, Ayurvedic cooking and educational classes by appointment only.

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 pg 27.

INSTITUTE FOR AYURVEDIC & NATUROPATHIC THERAPIES

STRATFORD ACUPUNCTURE & WELLNESS CENTER

2318 Main St, Stratford CT 203.257.7550 StratfordAcupuncture.com Joe Downer, LAc is trained in several systems of Acupuncture that are amazing for pain, sports injuries, facial rejuvenation, fertility, weight, allergies, emotional balancing, and more.

Call for your complementary consultation! See ad pg 8.

ALLERGIES BIOSET ALLERGY ELIMINATION PROGRAM

Dr. Neeru N. Kaushik, ND, MS Acup, MS, MA 805 Kings Hwy E., Fairfield 203.331.9111 47 Buttonball Ln, Weston 203.227.7550 AyurvedicInstituteCT.com Ayurvedic medicine including Panchakarma, the Ayuredic detox and Rejuvenation program; are combined with Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Clinical Nutrition, Constitutional Hydrotherapy, Ozone therapy and Colonics to create an individualized treatment program for optimum healing benefits. Most major Insurances Accepted. Visit our website for more info.

Dr. Mark Joachim Advanced Certified Practitioner 156 East Avenue, Norwalk 203.838.1555 AllergyEliminationNorwalk.com BioSET can eliminate all food and environmental allergies related to behavioral issues, asthma, eczema, headaches, fibromyalgia, sinus conditions, gastric disorders and chronic health conditions. Safe for all ages, without drugs, shots or side effects! See ad pg 5.

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BREAST THERMOGRAPHY SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

31 Old Rt. 7, Brookfield CT 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. Thermogram results include a free 15-minute phone consultation.

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.

COACH RECHARGE RETREATS COACHING Liz Carey, M.S. Recharge–Retreats.com 845.225.5192

Live the life you DESERVE. Break old patterns of thinking and acting and open yourself to less stressful living, stronger and closer relationships and a real sense of purpose. Complimentary first session.

COLONICS AN EVER CLEAN LIFE 914.409.7760 evercleancolonics.com

Gentle, Safe and Effective.

Colonics are a perfect complement to detox and cleansing programs and assist in providing relief from a variety of disturbances. Serving Westchester and Surrounding Areas.

COLONICS

EEG NEUROFEEDBACK

FITNESS

COLONICS AT LIFELINE HYGIENICS REJUVENATION CENTER

WHOLE-BODY MEDICINE, LLC

CAMILLO HEALTH & FITNESS

Experience and personalized service you can trust.

The finest in colonic irrigation and personal care.

Serving the tri-state area since 1993. See ad pg 24.

Improve Brain Function with RealTime EEG Neurofeedback. Learn about about this amazing technology, watch patients tell their own stories of improved focus, concentration, help in recovery from traumatic brain injuries on our video website at WholeBodyMed.com. See ad pg 2.

Get motivated! Get moving! Feel better!

We’ll help you discover the food, exercise and lifestyle choices that best support you. Train with us, and finally reach your goals! See ad pg 8.

Since 1993, Rye, NY 914.921.LIFE (5433) LifelineHygienics.com

GREENWICH COLON HYDROTHERAPY Kelly McCoy Located at Natural Medicine & Wellness Center Old Greenwich 203.698.9088

Experience relief from congestion and discover a greater sense of well est. 1996 being. Colon Hydrotherapy helps to regain a deeper flow and creates balance in a world with pressure and toxicity.

Relaxing treatments aid in achieving personal awareness to internal harmony. See ad pg 15.

Greenwich Colon Hydrotherapy

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 pg 2.

EDUCATION HOUSATONIC VALLEY WALDORF SCHOOL

40 Dodgingtown Road, 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 pg 11.

EEG NEUROFEEDBACK ROSEANN CAPANNA-HODGE, EdD, LPC, LLC 898 Ethan Allen Highway, Suite 6 Ridgefield, CT 06877 203.438.4848 DrRoseann.com

Looking for an alterative to medication to help yourself or your child? EEG Neurofeedback is a safe, valid and research-based alternative to medication. Neurofeedback helps those with ADHD, Asperger’s, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Sports-related Concussion, Anxiety, OCD, Depression, Mood Disorder, Learning Disability and other conditions.

Adam Breiner, ND, Director Fairfield/Trumbull town line 203.371.8258 WholeBodyMed.com

ENERGY HEALING DEANA PAQUA, MA, LMT Ridgefield, CT 203.994.5045 EmbodyTheSacred.net

Gary Camillo 85 Mona Terrace, Fairfield 203.259.9906 CamilloHealthAndFitness.com

HEALING CENTER REV. CHRISTINE GUERRERA, LMFT Psychotherapist, Interfaith Minister ARC Sacred Center, Monroe 203.268.1272 ARCSacredCenter.org

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 pg 16.

Blissful bodywork in a sacred space. Holistic massage, Reiki and shamanic healing for pain, trauma and stress relief.

HOLISTIC DENTIST MARYANN BARRETT, RN

MARK A. BREINER, DDS, FIAOMT

Maryann has a natural sensitivity and intuitive ability that enables her to connect on an energetic level to her clients. A graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and Registered Nurse, Maryann is able to combine traditional medicine with an alternative practice to treat a multitude of health issues.

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 pg 2.

Wilton, Newtown offices 203.788.7119 EarthBodySpiritConnections.com

FAMILY SERVICES HEALING STEPS

Tracy King LCSW-R Early childhood thru adolescent counseling 914.589.6755 TracyAKing14@msn.com

5520 Park Ave, Ste 301, Ffld Town Line Merritt Pkwy, Exit 47 203.371.0300 WholeBodyDentistry.com

HYPNOSIS MELANIE BARNUM, CH

Hypnotist, Life Coach, Intuitive Counselor Author, Reflexologist 203.451.0914 MelanieBarnum.com

Supporting children and parents with expert knowledge in the field of mental health and psychiatry.

Specialized in treating preschool age through adolescence with behavioral/emotional issues such as abuse, trauma, divorce, separation anxiety. See ad pg 34.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Create a life you love! Unique individual and group sessions, ongoing workshops. Connect to your future! Be the person you want to be!

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HYPNOSIS

INTUITIVE GUIDE

MIND BODY TRANSFORMATION HYPNOSIS

DEBORAH SIKORSKI

Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx 1177 High Ridge Rd, Stamford 203.595.0110 MindBodyTransformation.com

Sikorski Healing at ARC Sacred Center, Monroe or home visits 203.512.3284 SikorskiHealing.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 pg 30.

With a gift I have been blessed to have my whole life, I work on connecting people with loved ones that have passed and help to people through present life struggles and health issues.

INTEGRATIVE OPTOMETRY CENTER FOR INTEGRATED VISION

Dr. Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOV Norwalk: 203.840.1991 vtotWorks.com VisionworksVT@aol.com Trumbull: 203.268.8852 TLTC.org Schulman@tltc.org Dr. Schulman specializes in vision therapy, pediatrics, learning disabilities, developmental delays, autism, TBI/stroke, and preventative and alternative vision care.

She also practices Iridology, the study of the iris. Gain insights into your physical, emotional and spiritual being through this unique reading.

INTERFAITH MINISTRY REV. KAREN S. JUDD, LCSW

Counselor • USUI Reiki Master ReverendKarenSJudd.com Office: Bethel, CT 203.545.3664 Creates and performs Weddings, Union Ceremonies, Memorial Services and Baby Blessings.

Life transitions - bereavement counseling; facilitating a deeper connection with yourself, others and the Divine.

LIFE COACH JULIE BOWES, CERTIFIED LIFE COACH Holistic Life & Soul Coaching Energetic Restoration Consultant 203.240.4397 JewelTreeOfLife.com

Implement your internal guidance and innate wisdom through Holistic Soul Coaching. Illumine your mind, body & spirit by dissolving emotional debris to allow wellbeing. See ad pg 13.

MASSAGE & BODYWORK ROBIN ORDAN, LMT, LCSW, CICMI Licensed Massage Therapist & Reiki Practitioner Old Greenwich/Stamford 203.561.8535; 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 pg 22.

MEDICAL DOCTOR MICHAEL E. DOYLE, MD

Conventional & Alternative Medicine 22 5th St Suite 201 Stamford, CT 06905.

203.324.4747 GoToDrDoyle.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 pg 3.

MASSAGE & BODYWORK

RIVERSIDE OB/GYN

iFLOAT

163 Main St, Westport 06880 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 pg 13.

Russell Turk, MD Karen Zino, MD 1200 East Putnam Avenue Riverside, CT 06878 203.637.3337 Riverside Obstetrics & Gynecology is a fullservice medical practice incorporating traditional and holistic approaches to women’s health. The practice includes two OB/GYN’s and a naturopathic physician. See ad pg 25.

The Fairfield County ReStore accepts donations of Furniture, Appliances and Building Materials both New and Used.

Your tax-deductible donation will help Habitat for Humanity build decent affordable homes for hard working low-income families as we work towards our mission of eliminating substandard housing in Coastal Fairfield County.

Wrong Size? Wrong Color? Wrong Amount?

Or Just Tired of It? Call Our Donation Hotline 203-383-4358 Don’t Throw It Away!

WE’LL TAKE IT!! www.fairfieldcountyrestore.org Or Visit

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NATURAL HEALTHCARE WORDEN WELLNESS CENTER

41 Kenosia Ave, Danbury 203.748.8093 WordenChiropractic.Meta-eHealth.com Combining natural health treatments, chiropractic, acupuncture, and nutrition to relieve pain and restore the body to optimal health and balance.

DEBRA GIBSON, ND 100 Danbury Road Ridgefield, CT 06877 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 pg 22.

INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTER

K. Pramila Vishvanath, ND 2324 Post Rd, Fairfield 203.259.2700 IntegratedHealthCenterOnline.com Serving Fairfield County for 20 years. Specializing in craniosacral therapy, classical homeopathy, allergy assessment and treatment, nutrition, weight management, body reshaping and skin tightening, detox, colonics, breast thermography. See ad pg 10.

DR. MARINA YANOVER, ND, LAC 1300 Post Road East, Westport 203.255.5005 BigAppleHealth.com

Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, Craniosacral Therapy, Natural Face Lift using microcurrent therapy. Specialties include Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Pain Management, Skin Care. Insurance accepted.

NORTHEAST NATURAL MEDICINE, LLC Shawn M. Carney, ND 33 Main St. Suite 15 Newtown, CT 1.800.723.2962 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.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN GENERATIVE MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT

115 Broad Street Bridgeport, CT 06604 203.366.0526 GenerativeMedicine.org Under the direction of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a leader in naturopathic medicine, we blend time-honored healing techniques with stateof-the-art diagnostics to provide highly individualized patent care. Personalized nutrition, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and infrared sauna offered. See ad pg 4.

OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN OSTEOPATHIC WELLNESS CENTER, LLC David L Johnston, DO Lisa Preston, DO Hannah Eucker, DO 158 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 203.438.9915 OsteopathicWellness.net

Gentle, natural, handson osteopathic medical care for infants, children & adults. Children’s health and development, birth trauma, musculoskeletal pain and injuries, nutrition and wellness counseling, stress reduction, immune support, allergies.

Most major insurances 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 pg 9.

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, RealTime EEG Neurofeedback, and other therapies. See ad pg 2.

PET CARE OLIVER’S PLACE

102 Old Ridgefield Rd, Wilton OliversPlaceLLC.com 203.210.5441 OliversPlaceLLC@gmail.com Oliver’s Place offers holistic & natural foods and treats with balanced nutrition encouraging growth, healthy skin/coast and support of your pet’s immune system throughout their life. See ad pg 33.

PHYSICAL THERAPY PHYSICAL THERAPY OF SOUTHERN CT Linda Maude, PT 917 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton CT 06484 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 DeniWeber.com 203.544.6094

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.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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Coming in January

PSYCHOTHERAPY

REIKI

DENISE CIRILLO-ROMANIELLO, MSW, LCSW

GIGI BENANTI USUI REIKI MASTER

238 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT 203.257.4185 PyschToday.com dcirillo1@aol.com

Offering hypnotherapy, past life regression, EFT. I can assist you in finding your strengths and releasing your blocks to achieve your goals. Holistic, spiritual approach, 17 years experience.

MARIA C. CASTILLO, MSW, LCSW 238 Monroe Tpke. Suite B Monroe, CT 06468 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.

Start the Year Well Discover new paths to Health & Wellness— from nutrition and exercise to your daily lifestyle.

ROBIN ORDAN, LCSW

Family, Child, Individual & Couples Therapy Old Greenwich/Stamford, CT 203.561.8535; RobinOrdanLCSW.com Robin has over 18 years of experience working with families and children.

Specializing in Divorce, Parent/Child Conflict, Grief, Attachment /Bonding, Child Development and Parenting. See ad pg 24.

VICKI SCATAGLINI, LPC

CT Counselors 107 Church Hill Rd, Suite 1, Sandy Hook 203.392.4846

Good health is habit forming.

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

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Weaving traditional training with a spiritual understanding of the human path. Every human has the potential for joy and bliss - it is my role to guide you, help you uncover your blocks and be aligned with your soul’s purpose.

Angelic Healing Center 7 Morgan Ave. Norwalk, CT 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.

TURNING POINT REIKI, LLC

JoAnn Duncan, MS, RMT Reiki Master Ridgefield, CT 203.438.3050 TurningPointReiki.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.

RELATIONSHIP COACH PEAK RESULTS COACHING Jeff Forte CSIC CME 2389 Main St. 860.633.8555 Glastonbury, CT PeakResultsCoaching.com

Do you want a more fulfilling marriage but don’t know what to do? Are you feeling stuck in a relationship that seems doomed to fail? I will show you step by step exactly what to do to create the love and connection you want in your relationship. I am a Certified Marriage Educator, and clients frequently come to me when nothing else seems to work or when something must change now.

Call today because you deserve more. See ad pg 10.

WORKSHOPS PROMINDFUL, INC. Stamford, CT, USA ProMindful.org 203.856.5299

ProMindful is a non-profit o rg a n i z a t i o n o ff e r i n g i n t egrative practices including yoga, meditation, and holistic nutrition services. We work in collaboration with existing teachers and organizations to provide scholarships, lectures, classes, workshops, publications, recordings, and broadcasts.

Become a Natural Awakenings Publisher and join us in changing the world.

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Across North America, Natural Awakenings’ over 85 publishers are helping more than 3.6 million readers make positive changes in their lives, while promoting local practitioners and providers who support natural, Earth-friendly lifestyles. Create a healthier community while building your own financial security in the franchise market of your choice. You’ll work for yourself but not by yourself. Complete training and support is provided.

Contact Co-Founder John R. Voell at (239) 530-1377 or go online to NaturalAwakeningsMag.com. eNaturalAwakenings.com

December 2012

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A Natural Solution to Sleeping Better The word is spreading fast as Healthy Choice Organic Mattress customers find that they are sleeping better than they ever thought possible on our beautiful hand crafted mattresses. People rave about the incredible comfort they experience. Come see what many of your neighbors have already discovered. Come and find out what a truly great night’s sleep really feels like!

• All Natural Rubber • Certified Organic Covers • Certified Organic Wool • No Toxic Flame Retardants • No Petrochemicals • Locally Manufactured • 25 Year Warranty

Do You Know What You’re Sleeping On? The bedding industry is not known for its eco-friendly products or materials. In fact, many mattresses are made with petrochemical laden foam, toxic glues, and poisonous fire retardants. Healthy Choice Organic Mattress is leading a new eco-friendly movement in the mattress industry.

Our all natural pressure relieving mattresses outperform all others.

Using nothing but all natural materials they are healthier, more durable, more comfortable than traditional mattresses or toxic laden memory foam mattresses. In addition to their commitment to building greener beds, Healthy Choice shares the philosophy that for a company to be truly successful, it must be socially responsible. From manufacturing, to shipping, everything Healthy Choice does is carefully planned to reduce their carbon footprint.

You Spend 1/3 Of Your Life In Bed! Almost 1/3 of your time on earth is spent in bed. Your prolonged close personal contact with your mattress is unmatched by any other product in your life. A mattress has a profound impact on a person’s health and happiness. Yet very few people are aware of what’s inside their mattresses.

In recent years, memory foam with its pressure relieving properties has proven to be a very popular sleep alternative.

However, there are startling concerns that toxins from this petrochemical based material are leaching into our bodies as we sleep. (See Chem-tox. com for some more information regarding off gassing related health problems).

Also Available with our Adjustable Sleep Systems

In response to this concern, Healthy Choice Organic Mattress took this concept and turned it into a greener, healthier product. They replaced the petrochemicals that are found in traditional innerspring and memory foam mattresses with all natural rubber, organic wool and organic cotton.

Natural materials that are breathable, comfortable, durable and free of toxins.

Locally Made

Healthy Choice Organic Mattresses are made right here in Connecticut. We support the local economy and use only materials made here in the USA. So clean up your sleep environment.

Stop by and see for yourself how our incredibly comfortable mattresses can be your natural solution to a better night’s sleep.

Go to HCmattress.com and click on the Special Offer icon to print out your money saving coupon.

Healthy Choice

Organic Mattresses Danbury, CT The Danbury Fair Mall (203) 739-0077

Westport, CT 141 Post Rd. East (203) 557-3900

Mt. Kisco, NY 681 East Main Street, (914) 241-2467

The Healthiest, Most Comfortable and Most Durable Mattresses on the Planet! www.HCmattress.com

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www.ZeroGravitySleep.com