letterfrompublisher
contact us Publisher - Gail Heard Gail@naturalnewhaven.com Editor - Nancy Cohen Editor@naturalnewhaven.com Advertising - Gail Heard Ads@naturalnewhaven.com Design & Production - Gail Heard Printer - Trumbull Printing, Inc. Franchise Sales - 239.530.1377
To contact Natural Awakenings New Haven/Middlesex Counties: Natural Awakenings PO Box 525 North Branford, CT 06471 Phone: 203.988.1808 Gail@NaturalNewHaven.com NaturalNewHaven.com © 2014 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. 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 for a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available for $30 ( for 12 issues ). Please call 203.988.1808 with credit card information. Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.
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New Haven / Middlesex
Happy New Year! This month’s cover celebrates Sharon Bruckman who launched the original Natural Awakenings magazine (in Naples, FL) 20 years ago in response to her local community’s eagerness for enhancing holistic health. Sharon has grown Natural Awakenings into an ever-expanding network spearheaded by 88 local magazine publishers throughout America and Puerto Rico. Because of her leadership, people around the globe can access more health and wellness information in print and online (with digital magazine issues, e-newsletters, community websites, social media, iPhone app, webstore, dating website and the NAN program of natural health practitioners/businesses). Thanks to Sharon and you, Natural Awakenings New Haven/Middlesex Counties edition also continues growing. The past seven years of local community involvement, which began with the monthly print publication, now also include a website (NaturalNewHaven.com, with issues going back to September 2008 when I became publisher), Facebook and Twitter pages (Facebook.com/NaturalNewHavenPage, Twitter.com/NaturalNewHaven). In thinking of the work it takes to reach such milestones, and as we enter the winter months, I realize I feel most well when I am balanced, bringing to mind Yin and Yang. Yin is represented by darkness, stillness and quiet, like winter, whereas yang is heat, noise, color, light and intensity, like summer. Each season has challenges. In winter, going out requires the extra effort of dressing in layers and making time to warm up/brush off cars. We wonder why we run out of steam and forget that certain imbalances come with different times of year. So how do we counter those seasonal affects? Knowing our emotional tendencies during different times can be key to recognizing where we are off-kilter and need to make adjustments. For me, in winter, exercise is vital. Although I still meditate, I need to exercise (swim, run, snowshoe…) to heat up, create energy, and feel more optimistic. This differs from my summer needs when I benefit from cooling down and having quiet time. Yet, doing the same things repeatedly over years doesn’t always work since we evolve, change and grow. The truth is we’re never done with this balancing act. It can help to eliminate “shoulds,” cultivate self compassion, and be mindful of being more mindful, rather than preoccupied with what remains unfinished. We can only be present to one thing at a time. So why not do that one thing without feeling like we have to do it all? Why not feel good about even the smallest details/accomplishments? In keeping with the idea of finding balance, this month’s edition includes discussions focused on the theme of health and wellness. Among them? Empowering children to read labels and make healthier food choices. Information about conscious eating. Suggestions for identifying soul-centered goals. Creating a team of integrative medicine practitioners for overall wellness, perhaps with a health coach (like advertiser Gina Ledwith, holisticallywell.com/home) to catalyze sustainable change. Cultivating balance in home environments (e.g.: Astrid Uryson’s brief). And more… There’s a saying: “The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it.” Throughout this New Year, when you want to regain or find new ways to achieve balance, may Natural Awakenings’ pages help you on that journey. P.S. LAST CHANCE to advertise in Natural Awakenings’ 2014 ANNUAL RESOURCE DIRECTORY (coming in February!) is January 12. Visit NaturalNewHaven.com for details.
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