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Oct - Nov 2012, vol 4

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Our BerkshireTimes™ PUBLISHER Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ EDITORIAL Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiregreen.com Rodelinde Albrecht rodelinde@ourberkshiregreen.com Copyeditors/Proofreaders Rodelinde Albrecht Patty Strauch _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Ads–Independent Designers Katharine Adams, Rural Ethic Studio katmail@ruralethicstudio.com Christine Dupre cedupre@msn.com Elisa Jones, Berkshire Design Studio elisa@berkshiredesignstudio.com Shirley Sparks, Graphic Design on a Dime sms234@aol.com _______________ ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com ______________ EVENT COORDINATOR Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ CONTACT Our BerkshireGreen, Inc. P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122, Fax: (413) 541-8000 www.OurBerkshireGreen.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Honey, by Shawn Fields

Shawn Fields was born in 1973 in Columbus, Ohio. He received a BFA in illustration at The School of Visual Arts of New York, and went on to study figurative drawing and painting at the Water Street Atelier. After working as a portrait painter and exhibiting landscapes and still life for several years, he enrolled at The New York Academy of Art and earned an MFA in painting. At this point he began to combine his interest for painting the figure and still life with his love of innovative storytelling – creating large-scale narrative oil paintings. After painting in New York City for 15 years, he moved his home and studio to New Marlborough, MA, where he and his wife, Kenzie, and their children, Odie, Honey, and Peter, are living happily. www.shawnfieldsart.com, shawngfields@gmail.com

Contents 2

Good Tidings Empower Yourself with Holistic Health

Art, Culture & Entertainment Event Sampler

Food & Drink We Eat by the Grace of Nature

Home, Garden & Landscape Fireflies and Sheep Eyes

Education & Workshops The Darrow STEM Center

10 Reviews Laughing All the Way to the Polls

11 Our Berkshire Marketplace Local Product Sampler

11 Berkshire Bargains Coupons! Discounts! Savings!

12 Animal Talk

October - November 2012 13 Back to Nature The Berkshires' Best-Kept Secret

14 Community Spotlight Pittsfield, MA

16 Fashion & Beauty Shop Local Fashion Sampler

17 Health & Wellness The Gentle Power of EFT The Healing Power of Ginger Does Your Body Feel Your Thoughts?

22 Mind & Spirit Who Do I Say That I Am?

23 In Business GoodWorks Transforms Insurance

24 Directory Directory of Advertisers

25 Featured Advertisers

Feeding Your Pet a Healthy Diet

About Us NEW! Follow Us On Our BerkshireTimes™ is an Our BerkshireGreen™ publication. We are dedicated to supporting our local economy and creating an ever-expanding, unified network of community-minded individuals, businesses, and organizations in our area. We give more than 75,000 readers per issue the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and inspire one another through our publication, networking events, and growing online services. Our bimonthly publication (six issues yearly) is free to the public and distributed throughout western MA, northern CT, eastern NY, and southern VT (starting in February each year), and is enjoyed by community members, second home owners, and visitors alike. Most of our editorial content is contributed by our community members. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback, and encourage you to submit original material for consideration through our website. You will find complete instructions on our online form. Our popular networking events are held at fine locations throughout our region. There is no admission charge or reservation required for most events, and you will find great company, interesting speakers, delicious free appetizers, and a cash bar. It’s all about community! To find out more about advertising, submitting editorial, attending one of our popular free networking events, and posting events on our free community calendar, see our websites at left, and join our mailing list to receive our free monthly eNewsletter. All content in Our BerkshireTimes™ is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily advocate and cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by our authors, illustrators, and advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. For printing errors of the publisher's responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared. Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons License in place of a standard copyright.

Good Tidings Empower Yourself with Holistic Health

By Susan Jameson

olistic (wholistic) health is harmony and balance within all aspects of self – mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Taking a holistic approach to your life helps to create a balance in your personal life, family relationships, community activities, and work environment. A holistic approach brings an awareness and respect for the influence each aspect of a person’s life has on all others. The whole lifestyle of the person is addressed, taking into consideration diet, exercise, the mind and emotions, one’s spiritual outlook, and the interaction between family, friends, co-workers, society, and nature. In this issue, Good Tidings offers four interesting pathways for optimizing holistic health. As the seasons change, find “wholeness” through acknowledging, honoring, and healing all your individual parts – mind, body, spirit, and emotions! May good bless you!

any of my yoga students and holistic clients talk about the increase in tension they are feeling in their day-to-day lives, in the air. So many unknowns coming so fast with news of earth changes, unrest in many pockets of the world, monetary fluctuation, etc. How can we in our fast-paced society settle into a more grateful, relaxed space? I find the key is through our breath! When we take the time to stop and breathe, slowly and deeply through the nose, our anxiety response shifts to relaxation response and we begin to feel more gratitude for what we have rather than anxiety for what we don’t. In this relaxed space our inner knowing comes in and guides us to the actions, diets, holistic care which can help make huge shifts for better health and vitality in our lives . . . enjoy your link to life, your breath! ~ Jeff Migdow, MD, Lenox, MA,

(413) 637-1513, horus888@aol.com.

aturopathic primary care medicine is now accessible for people in southwestern VT, eastern NY, and western MA. I take a whole-person approach to diagnostic testing and rely mostly on natural treatments and nutrition. Conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, diabetes, and gastrointestinal issues are extremely common. My patients have been able to reduce many of the signs and symptoms of these conditions, often with minimal use of medications. Natural therapies include clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, and nutrient and vitamin supplementation. ~ Korey DiRoma, ND,

Stram Center for Integrative Medicine, Bennington, VT, (802) 445-3152, akdiroma@stramcenter.com.

ased on more than 20 years of practice in subtle energy healing as an acupuncturist, I began to look more deeply into the root cause of illnesses that were chronic or reoccurring and were frequently inaccessible through acupuncture and herbs. The concept is simple; ask the body – it doesn’t lie and it holds the whole story. The tool (Clearing Energy Blocks) is simple: access the autonomic regulatory system via a challenge to a muscle together with the intention to get the answer directly. The body, via a muscle challenge, will give a strong to weak response. I am allowed, along with the patient, to access the nature of how a problem is held as a block; including when it began and whether the ailment has emotional, belief system, or spiritual roots. I am guided how to proceed directly with the healing by the inherent and creative intelligence within and around the patient. ~ Mayer R. Kirkpatrick, Licensed Acupuncturist, Lenox and Northampton, MA, (413) 822-5337, mayerkirkpatrick@gmail.com.

steopathic Manual Medicine (OMM) is a gentle hands-on approach to the evaluation and treatment of all medical conditions in all age groups. Osteopathic education includes an in-depth understanding of physiology recognizing that all the body systems are interconnected and how dysfunction in one system can affect another. Osteopathic medicine recognizes the body’s natural tendency to strive toward a state of health and homeostasis, and takes great care to look at the whole person, instead of just treating specific symptoms. In order to assist this inherent healing process, the Osteopath is trained to palpate tissue texture changes and to restore normal body structure to allow for more normal function in areas impaired by trauma, chronic illness, acute health problems, etc. ~Stephen Kisiel, DO, Joshua Krembs,

DO, Berkshire Osteopathic Health, LLC, Pittsfield, MA, (413) 442-0085.

~ Susan Jameson is the founder of Humanity in Concert, and the co-founder of Healing Winds and the Rock, Rattle & Drum Pow Wow. She is an interfaith minister, dancer, and passionate metaphysician committed to her work in spiritual development. www.HealingWinds.net

Art, Culture & Entertainment October - November Event Sampler To see more events or to post your event for free go to

www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com Annual Literacy Network Gala: An Italian Farmer’s Market

Date: Sat, Oct 13, 2012, 5:30-10:30pm Place: Fitzpatrick Hall at Berkshire Country Day School, Lenox, MA - (413) 243-0471 Price: by ticket Annual Gala: An Italian Farmer’s Market honoring Matt & Chris of Guido’s and Paul of Baba Louie’s and three generations of the Masiero family for their contribution to our community. Cocktails, Italian buffet, dancing. www.litnetsb.org

LYA Fall/Winter Children’s Consignment Sale

Date: Sat, Oct 13, 9am-4pm, and Sun, Oct 14, 2012, 9-12pm Place: Lee Corporate Center, 480 Pleasant Street, Lee MA - (413) 464-2372 Price: Free. We sell “gently used” children’s (newborn to size 16) and maternity clothes, baby equipment (high chairs, strollers, swings, etc.), books, and toys. All items are for the Fall/Winter season. Consigners receive 70% of their total sales, with the rest to benefit the Lee Youth Association. Volunteers who work at this event will get a pass to our exclusive Preview Sale Friday night! Contact Dawn at LYAConsignmentSale@ live.com or call (413) 464-2372 www.LeeYouthAssociation.com

Festival of Trees Opening Night Party

Date: Fri, Nov 16, 2012, 5:30pm Place: Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA - (413) 443-7171 Price: Call (413) 443-7171 ext. 45 Visit a wondrous world of enchantment at Myths and Magic: Festival of Trees 2012.

The 28th annual holiday event will feature nearly 200 twinkling holiday trees, decked in richly colorful ornaments representing the mythical, magical realms of legend and lore, arranged throughout the Museum’s galleries. The opening night party is a family friendly event with the theme Myths and Magic, with hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and entertainment throughout the Museum. www.berkshiremuseum.org

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Alchemy Initiative Fifth Annual Handmade Holiday Festival

Date: Sat, Dec 1, 2012, 10am-5pm, and Sun, Dec 2, 2012, 10am-5pm. Place: Masonic Temple, 116 South Street, Pittsfield, MA - (413) 394-9942 Price: $4.00/children under 12 free Over 30 juried artists, traditional to cutting edge ranging from jewelry, ceramics, and stationery, silk-screened t-shirts, wreaths, and more! Local musicians will keep the festive spirit high and local food vendors will be onsite to keep up the shoppers’ stamina. November 2, Festival Preview Exhibit and Reception, featuring work by participating vendors, at Gallery 25 (25 Union St, Pittsfield), part of November’s First Fridays Artswalk, 5-8pm. Partnering with the Berkshire Museum, each weekend in November the Museum will host pop-up trunk shows featuring artists from the Handmade Holiday Festival; check www.berkshiremuseum.org for dates and times. During the Handmade Holiday Festival, children will be able to participate in special ornament-making workshops to create decorations for the Alchemy Initiative tree at The Festival of Trees 2012: Myths and Magic, held November 17 through January 2 at the Museum. www.alchemyinitiative.org

Acoustic guitar, a keen lyrical ear, intimate and honest vocals... delight your guests with a personal and memorable musical experience. Available for house concerts and intimate gatherings. Call to discuss how to host a House Concert! Visit: www.brucemandel.com or call 413.269.7229

sometimes when driving through the fog we think the sun has gone from all the earth and fog goes on forever but steadfast hopeful brave we keep on keep on keep on going knowing soon or late the fog will lift the sun will shine and skies be blue again

By Rodelinde Albrecht, Concerned Singles, www.concernedsingles.com. See ad on page 22.

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We Eat by the Grace of Nature, “Organic, schmorganic,” fumes New York Times columnist Roger Cohen sarcastically in an article entitled The Organic Fable. He bases his sweeping dismissal of the organic foods movement on a new Stanford University study claiming that “fruits and vegetables labeled organic are, on average, no more nutritious than their cheaper conventional counterparts.” Cohen does grant that “organic farming is probably better for the environment because less soil, flora, and fauna are contaminated by chemicals . . . So this is food that is better ecologically even if it is not better nutritionally.” But he goes on to smear the organic movement as “an elitist, pseudoscientific indulgence shot through with hype.” “To feed a planet of 9 billion people,” he says, “we are going to need high yields not low yields; we are going to need genetically modified crops; we are going to need pesticides and fertilizers and other elements of the industrialized food processes that have led mankind to be better fed and live longer than at any time in history. I’d rather be against nature and have more people better fed. I’d rather be serious about the world’s needs. And I trust the monitoring agencies that ensure pesticides are used at safe levels  a trust the Stanford study found to be justified.” Cohen ends by calling the organic movement “a fable of the pampered parts of the planet  romantic and comforting.” But the truth is that his own, science-driven Industrial Agriculture mythology is far more delusional. Let me count the ways that his take on the organic foods movement is off the mark: 1) Organic food may not be more nutritious, but it is healthier because it is not saturated with

October / November 2012

2) Organic food is only elitist if it comes from Whole Foods – the one source Cohen mentions. I grow organic vegetables in my backyard, and they save me money every summer. We don’t need the corporatization of organic foods, we need local cooperatives (like the CSAs in my region) to provide affordable organic produce that doesn’t require expensive and wasteful transport thousands of miles from field to table. 3) About feeding 9 billion people: first of all, we should be working hard to curb population growth, for all kinds of good reasons. We know we’ve gone beyond the carrying capacity of our planet, and we shouldn’t be deluding ourselves that we can techno-fix our way out of the basic laws of geophysics and biology. Industrial agriculture is a big part of the problem. It will never be part of the solution. Agriculture must be relocalized and brought back into harmony with the natural, organic cycles of the planet. If this doesn’t happen, and soon, all the GMO seed and fertilizers in the world won’t help us survive the climate cataclysm that awaits. 4) Mankind is better fed and longer lived now than any time in history? Here Cohen reveals his own elitist, Whole-Foods myopia. Surely he must know that some billion people

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pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and preservatives, not to mention antibiotics, growth hormones, and who knows what other chemicals. There are obvious health advantages in this, since we know – though Cohen doesn’t mention – that synthetic chemicals and poor health, from asthma to cancer, go hand in hand.

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Food & Drink

Not by the Grace of Monsanto By Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez

go to bed hungry every night, with no relief in sight? Mortality statistics are also skewed heavily in favor of wealthy countries. So yes, those of us in the industrialized nations are – again, depending on our class standing – living longer and eating better than in the past, but only at the cost of tremendous draining of resources from other parts of the world, and at increasing costs in terms of our own health. Just as HIV/AIDS is the scourge of the less developed world, cancer, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes are the bane of the developed world, and all are related to the toxic chemicals we ingest, along with too much highly processed, sugary, fatty foods.

5) For someone who is calling the organic movement “romantic,” Cohen seems to have an almost childlike confidence in authority figures. He says he trusts “the monitoring agencies that ensure pesticides are used at safe levels – a trust the Stanford study found to be justified.” And I suppose he also still believes in Santa Claus? We cannot trust that the “safe levels” established by the EPA or the FDA are in fact safe, given the fact that we operate in an environment where thousands of chemicals enter the market without sufficient testing, presumed innocent unless proven guilty – but to win the case against them, first people must get sick and die. 6) Cohen’s zinger, “I’d rather be against nature and have more people better fed,” displays his own breathtaking blind spot as regards the human relation to the natural world. Human beings cannot be against nature without being against ourselves. We are a part of the natural world just like every other life form on this planet. Our fantasy that we can use our technological prowess to divorce ourselves

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completely from our material, physical reality is just that – a fantasy. We eat by the grace of nature, not by the grace of Monsanto. For the entire history of homo sapiens, we have always eaten organic. It’s only been in the last 50-odd years, post World War II, that wartime chemicals and technologies have found new uses in agriculture. The result has been the rapid and wholesale devastation of vast swaths of our planet – biodiversity giving way to monoculture, killer weeds, and pesticide-resistant superbugs going wild, the weakening and sickening of every strand of the ecological web of our planet. If Cohen wants to talk fairytales, the relevant fable to invoke might be the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. We might be able to grow a fantastically huge beanstalk if we fed it with enough chemical fertilizers, and we might even be able to climb it and bring back a goose that lays golden eggs. But in the end, that beanstalk will prove to be more dangerous to us than it’s worth – we’ll have to chop it down, and go back to the slow but solid organic way of life that has sustained us unfailingly for thousands of years. ~ Dr. Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and Media Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She directs the annual Berkshire Festival of Women Writers and the Simon’s Rock Summer Enrichment Camp for Teens. She blogs about environmental, political, educational, and social issues at Transition Times (http:// bethechange2012.word press.com).

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Home, Garden & Landscape Fireflies and Sheep Eyes

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By Schuyler Gail

ur farm is on a dirt road, and sometimes you can count the number of cars that pass in a day on one hand. Though our rural setting makes for a very disappointing lemonade stand, it is perfect for watching fireflies. At our house, the first warm day of spring brings anticipation of fireflies to our five-year-old. We wait months for them to begin flashing. The first few sparkly flies bring great joy, and hours of chasing in order to make a firefly jar to bring inside for the night. As summer really kicks in, so many fireflies blink and sparkle in the deep black sky that it is hard to tell where the stars end and the pasture begins. Summer nights here are louder and busier than the days, full of life, as millions of bugs sing and hum and flash. It is fall now, but it hasn’t yet frosted. It’s getting darker earlier, and last night I moved the sheep to new pasture in the dark. When the days get shorter we rely on headlamps to extend our working hours on the farm. While I worked I noticed that the bugs are still singing and humming as in summer, but the fields are conspicuously dark and feel lonely, empty, with our friends the fireflies no

longer flashing, mixing pasture and stars. We’ve become so used to the fireflies that we’ve forgotten the joy that they brought in the early summer, and no longer catch them for night lights. As I worked, the headlamp cutting blue paths through the dark, I saw them, pairs of lights bobbing up and down in the pasture. The reflection from my headlamp shone in dozens of sheep eyes, lighting up the field just like the summer fireflies. There aren’t so many flashes in the fall field, they move more slowly, and with measure, but they are there. They bring life and the stars and the night sky right down into our pasture. It’s almost as though our sheep have gobbled up the feel of summer along with its lush grass, preserving it for winter nights when the fields would otherwise be lonely and conspicuously dark.

~ Schuyler Gail and her husband, Colby, own and run Climbing Tree Farm in New Lebanon, NY. They raise pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, and two small children on pasture. Read more about their farm at ClimbingTree Farm.blogspot.com.

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Home, Garden & Landscape

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Education & Workshops

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October / November 2012

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Education & Workshops The Darrow STEM Center By Steve Ricci On Friday, September 14, Darrow School opened its newly renovated science building, now called the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Center. The grand opening represents the culmination of three months of construction work to renovate, refurbish, and repair the building. The designs for the project were created by architect and Darrow alumnus Mike Hardiman, Class of 1975, and the construction project was completed by BBL Construction. The building, originally constructed in the 1960s, had no insulation, and its siding and roofing had succumbed to the elements over the years. The interior of the building, because of the lack of insulation, was frequently cold and expensive to heat. The renovation stripped the building down to the concrete blocks, added new rigid foam core insulation, double-paned windows, impermeable membrane roofing, drip edges, doors, soffits, lighting, heating system, and entryways. The Darrow STEM Center is attached to the Samson Environmental Center, which houses the well-known Living Machine wastewater treatment facility and is powered partially by solar panels and wind turbines. The project was paid for largely by Dar-

row’s growing-greener initiative, which has raised almost 2 million of its 2.5-million-dollar goal since its inception in May 2010, and has also helped fund other human, economic, and environmental sustainability projects around the campus. In June, the campaign won a gold award in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s recent Circle of Excellence competition, in competition with schools nationally and internationally. Darrow’s curriculum emphasizes environmental sustainability and stewardship, and the school has been recognized nationally and internationally as a pioneer in integrating these topics into a college-preparatory curriculum. In early September, Darrow opened its doors for its 81st year and welcomed 116 students. Eighty percent of the students are boarders and 20 percent day students; 70 percent come from the United States and 30 percent are international students representing ten countries, including China, Jamaica, Japan, Ghana, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. To learn more about Darrow School, a coed boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12, visit www.darrowschool.org.

HANDS-ON SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION Sustainability tours by appointment:

• Ecological wastewater treatment • Wind and solar energy • Organic gardening • Composting & recycling • Sustainability Education Experience Days (SEEDs) for grades 7-12 Fourth Annual Sustainability Symposium:

April 23, 2013

Darrow is a college-preparatory, coed, boarding and day school for grades 9–12 located on the Massachusetts–New York border. 518-794-6000 • www.darrowschool.org

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HANDS-ON SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION Sustainability tours by appointment:

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Darrow is a college-preparatory, coed, boarding and day school for grades 9–12 located on the Massachusetts–New York border. 518-794-6000 • www.darrowschool.org

Limited openings available for Fall 2012!

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October / November 2012

Education & Workshops

Reviews Laughing All the Way to the Polls

Great Barrington Rudolph Steiner School

Parent-Child Garden Classes for babies, toddlers and pre-nursery children with a parent or caregiver Weekly, teacher-led classes—filled with song, movement and support— are designed to nurture both parent and child and to honor the child’s blooming capacities.

Eight week sessions begin this October. See how our garden grows! To learn more or to register visit www.gbrss.org Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School 35 West Plain Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 admissions@gbrss.org (413) 528-4015, ext.106

By Rodelinde Albrecht Politics is no laughing matter . . . which may explain why filmmakers make comedies about it. We laugh to keep from crying; we also laugh to keep from being consumed by anger. This election time, I want to make sure you didn’t miss the following antidotes to frustration. Dave. This 1993 movie explores the everpopular theme of the insignificant but honest man chosen by fate to become a force for good against a corrupt system. A dead ringer for the president, Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) is asked by the Secret Service to be his decoy. When the president suffers a stroke, Dave is stuck in the White House until it’s decided what to do. Dave gets into the part, even passing legislation. Also stars Ben Kingsley, Frank Langella, and Sigourney Weaver. Primary Colors. In 1998, that peerless pair Mike Nichols (director) and Elaine May (writer) brought to the screen Joe Klein’s fictionalized tale of Bill Clinton’s campaign for the 1992 Democratic nomination. John Travolta stars as the candidate bedeviled by sex scandals; Emma Thompson plays his forbearing wife. Costars Billy Bob Thorn-

ton, Kathy Bates, James Earl Jones, and more. Man of the Year. This 2006 satire stars Robin Williams as a talk show host who decides to run for president in order to expose corruption in Washington. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, he wins. Was this fluke the result of a computer glitch? If so, will it be revealed? Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Walken costar. Swing Vote. Think your vote doesn’t count? Think again. In this quirky 2008 film, Kevin Costner plays Bud Johnson, a divorced ne’er-do-well who, through a bizarre twist of fate, holds in his hand the outcome of the presidential election. Madeline Carroll debuts as his precocious 12-year-old daughter. Be prepared to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the feelgood payoff. ~ Rodelinde is the director of Concerned Singles, www.ConcernedSingles.com. See ad on page 22.

The Apple and The Way

Arts HotcHkiss The

By Jim Misseldine

hotchkiss.org/arts (860) 435 - 4423

programs september through July all are Welcome The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT

guest concert series ~ tremaine gallery dance ~ hotchkiss dramatic association

~ film screenings ~ summer portals

Montessori In-School Open House

Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at 9am Place: The Montessori School of the Berkshires 21 Patterson Road, Lenox Dale, MA - (413) 637-3662 9-9:30 Toddler; 9:45-10:15 Children’s House 10:30-11:00 Elementary; 11:15-11:45 Adolescent Open House is a parent’s chance to tour the campus and observe classes in session.

October / November 2012

Holly is the name of one that I did chance to meet Drifting down the trail of life just following my feet I met her where the apples fall sweetly back to earth Unless of course an apple picker falls upon them first An apple picker such was I or so I did become And every day I’d climb the trees for apple picking fun But Holly had a different job a job like golden yarn Sorting apples all day long inside the apple barn Now apples when at first you look may seem so uninvolved No mystery in cryptic verse no puzzle to be solved But close your eyes and look again and see what is unseen Apples hide the way of life inside their every seed Holly found this way one day what many others miss And just when I was strong enough she told me it was bliss Apples come she said to me in many shapes and kind Some are large and some are small some coarse and some are fine Apples can look strong and brave unbroken full of shine While others carry bruises from the wounds they hold inside But though the fruit may come and go below as up above The surface is deceiving for the core is purely love Apples are the human race a-hanging from a tree Each a story to be told the tale of you and me So if you’re ever wandering and wondering what to do Seek the joy that’s deep inside the apple that is you ~ Jim Misseldine lives in the Berkshires with his wife, Holly. He enjoys writing and playing music, and recently joined Our BerkshireGreen Publishing as an Independent Account Representative.

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Berkshire Bargains

Our Berkshire Marketplace

Save $5 on Groceries

LaBonne’s Markets in Salisbury, CT, is offering $5 off the purchase of $20 or more when you present their advertisement, from page 5 of this issue, at checkout.

Amazing Dental Plan

Livingston Dental is offering new patients in-house dental benefits and care for only $25 per month, as well as free, friendly phone advice. See ad on page 18.

Traumeel

Traumeel® is a combination of twelve natural active homeopathic ingredients that work together, complementing the body’s natural processes to reduce muscular and joint pain, arthritis, bruising, inflammation, and sports injuries, and may lead to improved mobility. Traumeel® is available in multiple dosage forms such as an odorless topical ointment and gel for on the spot relief and as tablets and oral drops for systemic pain relief throughout the body. Traumeel can be found at the Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington and at Guido's Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, MA, and at the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store in Ghent, NY, among others. www. traumeel.us

The Music of Bruce Mandel Bruce Mandel, contemporary Folk/ Americana singer-songwriter, recently returned from his "Barnstorming Troubadour" Summer 2012 tour in support of his new CD "Sketches." Bruce offers lyric-driven acoustic music on three CDs and a Limited Edition CD created for the Otis, MA, Bicentennial (portion of proceeds to benefit the Otis Free Public Library). Great for holiday gifts or your own music collection. For information about Bruce, house concerts, and performance schedule, and to purchase CDs and T-shirts ($10-$15), go to www.brucemandel.com.

Free Opportunity for Advertisers

Our BerkshireTimes magazine is offering advertisers a free 3-month website and eNewsletter advertising package with the purchase of any 6-issue (1 year) print advertising contract, now through December 31, 2012. Sign up now! Email advertise@ OurBerkshireGreen.com for more information.

10% off Sun Pure Air Purifier

Kathleen Edelman of BLEND Solution is offering 10% off the purchase of a Sun Pure Air Purifier through November 30, 2012. See her ad on page 24.

Free Coaching Consultation

Kenly Brozman, Certified Health and Wellness Coach, of Wellness Bound Coaching is offering a free initial consultation. See her ad on page 20.

Free Wine Tasting

Hillltop Orchards in Richmond, MA, is offering a free wine tasting. Try their award-winning Furnace Brook Wines, produced at Hilltop Orchards. Stop by their Farm Winery Store. Open Daily 9am-5pm. See their ad on page 13.

Free Memory Screening

Are you concerned about your memory or the memory of a loved one? The Memory Clinic is offering a free memory screening. Contact them today for more information. See ad on page 21.

Save $1 on Any Kitchen Item

Vases from the Infinite Earth Series - Elaine Hoffman, of Hoffman

Pottery, has been making pottery since the 1960s. Her work takes a variety of forms, from vases, pitchers, and soap dishes to giant garden frogs and funky heads that keep evil spirits away. She uses brightly colored glazes and often overlays them with a network of delicate black lines that form symmetrical patterns and accentuate the shape of the piece. The overall effect is what she calls “sunshine daydream” infused with positive energy, the kind you want to bring into your home. Mosaic hobbyists might be interested to know that broken pieces of Hoffman’s colorful pottery are free. To see more of Elaine's work and to join her mailing Approx. 15" High list, go to www.EHoffman Pottery.com. Infinite Earth Series - $195 each

Berkshire Organics is offering $1 off any kitchen item. See ad on page 4.

Save 10% off Martial Arts Tuition

Martial Arts Institute of the Berkshires in Great Barrington, MA, is offering 10% off tuition when you present their advertisement from this issue. See ad on page 17.

Free Initial Pet Health Exam

VCA All Caring Animal Hospital is offering a coupon through their website for a free initial health exam for new clients. Good for up to two pets (dogs or cats only) per household. Check with your nearest VCA hospital for other types of pets. See ad on page 12, and their website for more information.

Free Medical Hypnosis Consultation

Susan Spiegel Solovay is offering a free medical hypnosis consultation (quit smoking, lose weight, pain relief, or stress/sleep issues) at her office in Hillsdale, NY, or Great Barrington, MA, when you present her advertisement (from page 19 of this issue).

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

October / November 2012

Animal Talk CARING FOR PETS SINCE 1957

A Wise Old Veterinarian Once Told Me Feeding Your Pet a Healthy Diet / By Kristina Dow

Your trusted source for quality foods and supplies. Your trusted resource for raw-feeding information and advice.

BENSDOTTER’S PET 413-528-4940 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230

Convenient Location with Ample Parking on route 7 less than a minute south of Guido’s

Monday-Friday 10-6 Saturday-Sunday 10-4 www.bensdotters.com

Our Cat Champion-

Buddy!

440 Stockbridge Road • Gt. Barrington, MA

413-528-8020 www.vcaallcaring.com Please visit our website for current promotions and discounts, such as the Free First Exam for New Clients.

October / November 2012

nderstanding what constitutes a healthy diet for our pets first requires an understanding of how the biochemistry of domestic dogs and cats dictates what they need to consume to thrive. With lips on the side of the face, no flat-crowned teeth, and no enzymes in their saliva for digesting carbohydrates, their heads alone tell us that our domestic dogs and cats are carnivorous mammals. Their period of coexistence with humans has not changed their normal biochemistry as carnivorous mammals, nor has it changed the fundamental nutritional requirements associated with that biochemistry. Even when an anatomic, physiologic, or metabolic defect limits the range of acceptable diet options for meeting the nutritional needs of a pet cat or dog, the fundamental nutritional requirements of the pet as a carnivorous mammal must be met in order for the pet to thrive. The life-sustaining proteins and fats that are the most bio-available to carnivorous mammals are the proteins and fats in animal muscle meats, organ meats, whole eggs, and fish. The metabolism of those fats is a carnivorous mammal’s most bio-available source of calories for the energy to run its body, and those proteins are a carnivorous mammal’s most bio-available source of tissue-building nutrients for maintenance of organ size and muscle mass, and as well for hormone, enzyme, and other biochemical substance replacement. Carnivorous mammals require very little dietary carbohydrate to satisfy their metabolic needs; starchy carbohydrates in the diet eventually deposit themselves in the body as visible, hard-to-utilize fat. Below are the first 6 ingredients (by weight) of two very different commercially available dog foods. As species-appropriate diets for feeding carnivorous mammals, these two diets sit at opposite ends of the speciesappropriate spectrum. Many different types of commercially available foods fall healthfully in between. Visit www.dogfoodadvisor.com for more information. Diet #1 - Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Mill Run Diet #1 is a dry kibble diet. Its first ingredient by weight, corn, is among the top three allergens for dogs (corn, wheat, soy). Its second ingredient by weight, powdered cellulose, is a

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compressed fiber of no nutritional value, and, inasmuch as compressed fibers are very light in weight, the 16% fibrous fillers in this diet (powdered cellulose, soybean mill run, dried beet pulp) may well comprise more than half the volume of what arrives in the food bowl. This diet is very low in animal protein, the quality of which cannot be judged with the generic description of the third ingredient as “chicken by-product meal.” The balance of the listed ingredients offers nothing to redeem this diet as a species-appropriate diet for any carnivorous mammal. Diet #1 is a veterinary “prescription” diet. Diet #2 - Ground Chicken with Bone, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Herring Oil, d-Alpha Tocopherol, Mixed Tocopherols Diet #2 is a ready-to-serve raw prey-model diet. Prey-model diets do not contain any fruits, vegetables, or greens as do many raw food diets. As obligate carnivores, cats may occasionally chew on grasses as a digestive aid, but have no nutritional need for fruits or vegetables and often find their inclusion in raw food diets to be off-putting. As scavenging carnivores, dogs may well seek out naturally occurring above-ground fruits, vegetables, and greens; therefore, many who feed a prey-model diet provide their dogs the opportunity to “scavenge” for those fruits, vegetables, and greens by offering them as treats and rewards. Although this diet and the other meat varieties available from the manufacturer are each formulated to meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutritional standards, those who feed a prey-model diet typically believe that a “complete” diet is not truly “balanced” unless a rotation of meat varieties is fed. This diet fed alone, or in a rotation with other meat varieties, is the epitome of a speciesappropriate diet for a normal carnivorous mammal. Diet #2 is nature’s prescription for health and vitality. Did you know that when a cat or dog consumes a species-appropriate raw meat diet, the stomach first releases a thick layer of mucus to protect the stomach lining, followed by a release of hydrochloric acid, which establishes a gut pH that is sufficiently acidic to kill any bacteria that may be present and, as well, to dissolve raw bones? Did you know that raw meats manufactured for pet consumption are held to stricter standards for pathogen control than

Back to Nature

Animal Talk are raw meats for human consumption? Raw meats for human consumption are manufactured under USDA guidelines allowing “managed risk” for pathogens; raw food diets for pets are manufactured under FDA guidelines allowing “zero tolerance” for pathogens. Cheers to your healthy pet! ~ Kristina “Tina” Dow is a retired college administrator, former veterinary assistant, and self-described BornAgain Raw-Feeder. Tina’s shop, BensDotter’s Pet, is located in Great Barrington, MA. The shop carries a wide array of supplies and natural treats, and specializes in raw-food diets. www. bensdotters.com. See ads on pages 12 and 25 and on back cover.

The Berkshires' Best-Kept Secret

By Brian Mastroianni

ere we are. We’re at the girls’ camp now, and the boys’ camp is right down the road over there,” Sarah Strull says as she points to a series of quaint red cottages nestled in the woods. “You should see it here in the spring, it’s really beautiful then.” The Program Director for the Berkshire Outdoor Center, Strull is giving a quick tour of a place that might just be one of the Berkshires’ best-kept secrets.

A Rich History

S Catering to the needs of the well loved pet since 1993. Premium foods. Quality toys, treats, bedding and accessories for your furry friends! 333 Main St., LakeviLLe, Ct (860)435-8833

All Your Pet’s Needs!

NOW AT LENOX COMMONS! Natural Foods & Treats Toys • Supplies • Gifts Lots of fun stuﬀ! 413-637-0800 www.chezpet.com 55 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox, MA 01240 Mon.-Fri. 10AM to 5:30PM • Sat. 10AM to 5PM

Back to Nature Beautiful vistas, heritage apples, award-winning wines Apple picking • Free wine tasting • Hiking • Fresh baked goods

Hilltop Orchards, home of Furnace Brook Winery Open daily: 9am-5pm • (413) 698-3301 508 Canaan Rd / Rt 295 • Richmond, MA 01254 hilltoporchards.com • furnacebrookwinery.com

Just off Route 8 in the sleepy town of Becket, MA, the center is part of Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA’s sprawling 1,400-acre campus. Originally built as a set of privately-run camps  one for boys and one for girls, established in 1903 and 1931, respectively  the properties were acquired by the YMCA in 1972. Since then, Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA has been offering an outdoor recreational outlet for area residents hoping to embrace the beauty of their natural surroundings. While the YMCA has been a strong fixture in a tiny town mostly known as the home of Jacob’s Pillow, it’s been the Outdoor Center that has really left an indelible mark, extending its reach far beyond the Berkshires. Founded a little over 20 years ago, the center was designated as a home for year-round outdoor recreational, leadership, and educational programs for all ages. About 12,000 guests enjoy the center’s programs each year, finding a haven where they can relax, learn new outdoor skills, or even take on what is billed as the most comprehensive challenge course in the Northeast, complete with more than 50 low and high rope challenges.

A Wide Scope of Programs “This really is a place that is all about instilling confidence in its guests as they participate in a wide scope of programs,” Strull said. The center applies user fees, alumni donations, and grant funding to fuel its programs, which include everything from outdoor leadership and team-building exercises for adults to environmental education lessons for elementary school students. The center has even hosted weddings. “One thing that is really helpful for us is the fact that we get feedback from every group that comes here,” Strull said. “They signify what they didn’t like, as well as what was most meaningful for them.” Surprisingly, few from the area take advan-

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tage of the center’s offerings. Some of the people who benefit most from the programs are inner-city youth from places like Boston and New York. For these students, used to hearing sirens and honking cars into the late hours of the night, the chance to fall asleep to the sound of flying bats and coyotes yelping off in the distance is truly eye-opening. Trained staff members lead each of their program’s activities. The center employs four full-time staff members in charge of year-round administrative duties, and a team of seasonal employees  a group as large as forty in the Spring and as few as six in the less-busy winter season.

Natural Connection The center is split into two separate camps, divided by gender for the visiting school groups, but both are nearly identical in their layouts. Each cluster of red cabins has a centralized wash house  surely something that some of the center’s more metropolitan visitors are not used to. Some of the structures are still under construction and unfinished. Strull says, “The center’s alumni are very involved, we polled them to see what they most wanted changed, and the majority wanted to have porches attached to the cabins, as well as skylights.” As the tour continues, Strull drives further and passes by stables that house horses and other animals leased to the center by local farmers during the summer. She heads by other points of interest, from the new dining hall that can fit up to 600 people, to Brewster House  the first two-level home in Becket that is used for the center’s “Colonial Living” program where guests simulate a Colonial lifestyle. After the tour winds through the boys’ camp, it’s time to head back. Before reaching the YMCA’s central office, she slows down as a group of crows quickly scatter, flying up from the middle of the road, apparently scavenging for their day’s meal. It’s a reminder of just how closely connected the camp is with the natural world around it. “Our goal is to help people connect with one another and to connect with the natural world during their time here,” Strull says as she parks the car. “Everything we do here fits under that banner.” ~ Brian Mastroianni grew up in the Berkshires and is a 2011 Brown University graduate. His work has been seen on Yahoo! News and CBSNews.com, read on-air at NECN, and printed in The Advocate Weekly, The Berkshire Eagle, Edible Berkshires, and Brown Medicine Magazine. He was the press agent for Berkshire Actors Theatre’s 2012 season. www.brianmastroianni.com, brian.mastroianni@gmail.com, or tweet @brimastroianni.

October / November 2012

Community Spotlight: Pittsfield

Pittsfield, MA By Pamela Tobin

circa

Mid-Century Modern • Vintage & Antiques 436 North Street • Pittsfield, MA 01201 www.circaberkshires.com

413-445-7200 Open: Mon-SAt 10-5

circaberkshires@hotmail.com

Berkshire

Inn

An Inn for All Seasons American/Filipino owned & operated by the Perrin Family

within walking distance to downtown Pittsfield

800-443-0633 413-443-3000 / Fax 413-443-3549

www.theberkshireinn.com reservations@berkshireinn-ma.com 150 West Housatonic Street (Route 20) Pittsfield, MA 01201

Traditional Acupuncture Jeffrey Gordon, M.Ac., L.Ac.

Elle Day Spa at the Crowne Plaza • One West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 Appointments: 413.445.5600 • www.jgordonacupuncture.com

“Live with Calmness, Balance and Vitality”

eaf-peepers on parade in the Berkshires admiring the beautiful fall foliage, we ask you to pull over in downtown Pittsfield and park the car (perhaps a few will “paahk the caah”) and take a stroll along North and South Streets. It’s easy to spend several hours to an entire weekend here with so much that downtown has to offer. Did you know that we have a hotel with a pool and sauna right here in downtown? Visitors and residents alike can enjoy warm sunny days and cool brisk nights with plenty to keep busy from morning into the evening with quaint cafés, lunchtime landmarks, elegant dining, and shopping for him and her or for specialty toys and gifts. To top it off, downtown Pittsfield has been awarded one of five cultural arts district designations in the state with awardwinning theatres, galleries, museums, live music venues, and more. Downtown Pittsfield – it’s where to go when you’re in the Berkshires. We have plenty of trees with leaves for peeping too. At night, they even sparkle. Downtown Pittsfield is not a destination, it’s an experience. There are more than 90 boutiquestyle shops, 45 restaurants, numerous places to get pampered, and a variety of events to attend. You can even get your shoes repaired, prepare your taxes, buy car parts, and have your favorite family photos framed. With the increased activity, small and large businesses alike are choosing a downtown Pittsfield location to open their doors and make their dreams of owning or growing their business come true. Long-standing successful business owners recognize the vibrancy of downtown by reinvesting and expanding. Patrick’s Pub owner, David Powell, is opening a second location at 41 North Street called J. Allen’s Clubhouse Grille, and Deidre’s relocated to a highly visible location on Park Square. Partnerships and collaborations have been the central theme behind the success of what is happening in downtown Pittsfield. First Fridays Artswalk showcases the beautiful marriage

October / November 2012

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

between the artistic and business communities. Every first Friday of the month, each participating venue, including shops, restaurants, traditional galleries, and more, hosts an opening artist reception and the art remains on display all month long to enjoy and purchase. Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI), the recognized leader, facilitator, and principal advocate for downtown since 1983, is hosting Dr. Leon Nesis, a retired surgeon who paints lively landscapes, seascapes, and flowers, through October. “Sustaining the arts today is critical to the success of a thriving, growing arts district,” said Henry Holt, upon visiting Leon’s show. “I have been in the art business all my life and the First Fridays Artswalk is a wonderful initiative bringing exposure to the artists through everyday venues like retailers, restaurants, and office spaces,” added Holt. During the month of October, Berkshire Money Management will be giving out $100 Artsbucks for the purchase of original art valued over $200. “The Artsbuck program is designed to encourage consumers to purchase art they may not necessarily do otherwise,” stated Allan Harris of BMM. “I understand incenting the consumer goes a long way.” Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., has developed strategies and programs, mobilizing resources resulting in a creative, lively, sustainable downtown environment to support its membership. Take time to create your personal downtown experience. Whether you’re a visitor, a resident, a business owner, or a corporation interested in supporting DPI’s mission to foster the ongoing growth and vitality of downtown through vision, leadership, and advocacy and to position downtown as the creative and business hub of the Berkshires for the benefit of all, please contact Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. at (413) 4436501 or visit downtownpittsfield.com. ~ Pamela M. Tobin, Executive Director, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.

Community Spotlight: Pittsfield

The Community’s Bank Since 1889

YUM COME FOR THE

EXTENSIVE ORGANIC OFFERINGS! pittsfield & great barrington, ma guidosfreshmarketplace.com

Breast tHermograpHy High dose iv vitamin c infusion therapy Physician suPervision early risk assessment

Integrative Health Solutions 42 Summer Street • Suite 308 • Pittsfield, MA 01201

Call 413-637-8921 for more information.

Pittsfield 70 South St. (413) 447-7304 110 Dalton Ave. (413) 395-9626

DISCOVERPITTSFIELD.COM

SHOP

PLAY

DINE

ENJOY

ave you been to Pittsfield lately? It’s buzzing with creative energy in this bustling hub of the Berkshires, with a vibrant revitalized downtown recently designated as the first cultural district west

Dalton 488 Main St. (413) 684-1551

Gt. Barrington 325 Main St. (413) 528-2840

www.pittsfieldcoop.com Member FDIC

Member SIF

of Boston, gorgeous parks and recreational areas, welcoming neighborhoods, theatre, music, history, and art galore. Now there is a new website to showcase everything Pittsfield has to offer. DiscoverPittsfield.com is your guide to the city’s restaurants, shops, and cultural hotspots, as well as sports, recreation, and the great outdoors. Did you know Pittsfield is home to the Pittsfield State Forest, Canoe Meadows Audubon Sanctuary, a ski resort, and dozens of neighborhood parks all within its borders? The city’s Office of Cultural Development also sends out a weekly email newsletter called Cultural Pittsfield This Week, which features a wide range of

Equal Housing Lender

performances, openings, classes, and more, for all ages and tastes. The newsletter is free and you can sign up for it at DiscoverPittsfield.com. Fall is a busy time in Pittsfield. Along with glorious autumn foliage, the city features the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, the Made in the Berkshires Festival, the last 3rd.Thursday of the season (on October 18, with a costume theme of Hometown Heroes and Superheroes), and the year-round First Fridays Artswalk. Come shop, play, dine, and enjoy! ~ Contributed by Megan Whilden, City of Pittsfield Director of Cultural Development

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

October / November 2012

Fashion & Beauty

Shop Local

Fashion Sampler Vlada Boutique is an intriguing shop full of

Cuts Color Styling Perms Waxing Makeup Kelly Kilmer Kellie Parsons

Owner

Stylist

8 Old North Road, Amenia, NY

| 845-373-8490

StyliSH & AmAzing Jewelry

fabulous clothing, jewelry, accessories, and other fun finds! Retail Therapy for the Responsible Woman. (413) 298-3656 17 Elm Street, Stockbridge, MA. See them on Facebook.

Nature's Closet is an an outdoor specialty retailer that

carries only the highest quality brands designed to make the most of every minute you spend outdoors. They select products based not only on performance but also on the impact their production has on the environment and their ultimate end-of-life impact on the planet. (413) 458-7909 61 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA. www.naturescloset.net

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m HIrIng!

sold ExclusivEly onlinE and at trunk shows

ContaCt me today

call me now to schedule time to spoil you and your friends with the ultimate shopping experience and help you earn free jewelry.

Katie Baldwin Independent Senior Stylist 917-536-5365 kathleenbaldwin@me.com www.stelladot.com/katiebaldwin

Peter Becks Village Store, located in Salisbury, CT, is Litchfield County's leading destination for outdoor apparel, lifestyle

clothing, and community-focused outdoor education. (860) 596-4217 19 Main Street, Salisbury, CT. www.peterbecks.com

the bee's knees is a children's store in ...the farm store off the farm Experience the Exquisite Luxury of Alpaca Apparel, Accessories, Home & Hobby. Handcrafted soaps, jewelry, knits & gifts from local artisans.

Hudson, NY, supporting natural parenting, imaginative kids, and a healthy environment. (518) 697-0888, 302 Warren Street, Hudson, NY. www.thebeeskneeshudson.com

Always something new! Meet the alpacas, visit the farm. Contact the shop at

Poseidon

20 Main Street, Millerton, NY 518-592-1414 Hours: Th-M, 11:00-5:30

October / November 2012

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." ~ Marilyn Monroe

Health & Wellness

The Gentle Power of EFT

By Heather Ambler, MA, CBP

here’s a relatively new healing technique that is growing in popularity with remarkable speed. It’s called EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. If you haven’t already heard of it, EFT is a safe and gentle form of energy medicine that is now being recommended by the American Psychiatric Association, and is widely used in VA hospitals in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Like acupuncture, EFT is a meridian-based therapy, but with EFT, no needles are used. Instead, the EFT practitioner (or the client) taps on various acupuncture points on the client’s face, body, and hands, while the client focuses on the issue that needs to be healed by repeating phrases about it, for example: “Heartbroken because my husband passed away.” The combination of focusing on the issue while tapping spontaneously, permanently releases it from the body-mind. EFT has been successfully used to treat dozens of issues and conditions, including: grief, trauma (including PTSD), fears and phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, relationship issues, hormonal imbalances, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, insomnia, depression, anxiety, allergies, migraines, chronic pain, and more. Sound too good to be true? When I first heard about EFT, I certainly thought so. Until I tried it. The results I got were so powerful and repeatable that within a week, I had dropped the other healing techniques I’d been using in my private practice for four years and was exclusively using EFT. Since then, I’ve used it to help my clients heal from myriad issues, including everything listed above. The EFT motto is: “Try it on everything.” The reason for this is that no matter what the problem is, if you do EFT on it, more often than not, you’re going to see improvements, and usually dramatic ones.

Developed in 1993 by Gary Craig, EFT has been spreading across the globe ever since. Google “Emotional Freedom Techniques” (with the quotes, to keep results to that exact phrase), and you’ll get more than 4.5 million hits. Enter the same phrase into the Amazon search bar, and you’ll have your choice of more than 200 books. It’s being used by physicians, psychotherapists, nurses, chiropractors, coaches, sports psychologists, and teachers all over the world, on everything from PTSD to sports performance (it’s very popular on the pro golf circuit). Psychiatrist Curtis Steele has said “EFT is the single most effective tool I’ve learned in forty years of being a therapist,” and Candace Pert, PhD, former Chief of Brain Biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health says, “EFT is the most important development in medicine since antibiotics.” Since I learned EFT, it has completely transformed my life, both personally and professionally. If I had only one tool for living to give my daughter, it would be EFT. She’s known how to do it since she was ten years old, and she uses it whenever she’s worried, sad, scared, or feeling sick. In fact, if I had only one tool for living to give anyone, it would be this incredible tapping cure that heals broken hearts, releases long-held trauma, catalyzes spontaneous forgiveness, and sets people free from the prison of suffering.

Dr. Goldman, a leading international figure in the practice and continuing education of Osteopathy, has been in practice in Sharon, CT since 1992. He now brings his extensive healthcare experience to Great Barrington and the surrounding communities. As a certified specialist in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and fully licensed physician, Dr. Goldman treats the whole person not just the symptoms by emphasizing the interrelationships of structure, function, and the ability of the body to heal itself.

call for appointment and information concerning treatment protocol and insurance eligibility Great Barrington, ma 413-528-3334 | Sharon, ct 860-364-5990

~ Heather Ambler, MA, CBP, uses EFT to help people heal from grief and trauma. In private practice since 2004, she works with adults and children, both in person and by phone. In addition to her private practice, Heather also teaches EFT to individuals and groups, and blogs about EFT at www.efttappingtips.blogspot.com. To learn more about Heather and her work, visit her website at www.heatherambler.com.

Did You Know that a study published by

Swiss scientists found that bisphenol A (BPA), a powerful hormone disrupter that increases your risk of cancer and heart disease, transfers readily from many thermal cash register receipts to skin in only five seconds, to such a

depth that it cannot be washed off. Missouri scientists found that the total mass of BPA on a receipt is 250 to 1,000 times greater than the amount of BPA typically found in a can of food. BPA in receipts has also contaminated paper money worldwide.

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

October / November 2012

Health & Wellness

The Healing Power of Ginger By Veronique Rignault

Ginger is a herbaceous, perennial plant native to southeastern Asia. It is commonly called ginger root but it's actually a rhizome, or a horizontal underground stem that gives rise to shoots above the ground. This gift of nature can be used internally or externally with similar effects of warming the body and improving circulation. It also helps digestive problems resulting from the consumption of too much fat, protein, or oily foods. Twelve separate antiviral agents have been identified in ginger proving its powerful antiviral action. It is a great remedy for colds and flu as it stimulates the circulation and lymph system. Additionally, its gentle sedative effects help patients rest, while its pain-relieving action helps to alleviate symptoms like sore throats and headaches. Ginger tea can help with nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and postoperative nausea. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, easing symptoms of arthritis and other joint conditions. An ancient Japanese healing modality, hot ginger compresses can be used externally to relieve tension and stagnation in different areas of the body. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to strengthen and tonify the internal organs. The heat activity, combined with the powerful therapeutic effect of ginger, regenerates the blood and tissue circulation in the area being treated, facilitating the dispersion of toxins and blocked energy in the body. Many types of acute or chronic pains can be relieved with ginger compresses such as rheumatism, arthritis, asthma, backaches, intestinal and menstrual cramps, stiff neck, and similar problems. Ginger compresses can speed up the improvement of a variety of inflammatory conditions such as bronchitis, liver, bladder, and intestinal inflammation. Ginger compresses are also very useful in drawing toxins out of the kidney area, increasing the blood circulation and helping to dissolve hardened masses such as kidney and gallbladder stones as well as cysts, uterine fibroids, and benign tumors. Release of these toxins and blocked energy can bring a deep and soothing feeling to the body as a result of endorphin release. Ginger is truly an amazing gift from nature! ~ Born in Paris, France, Veronique moved to the United States 30 years ago to study the Chinese and Japanese approach to healing. She has been practicing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healing Art of Ginger Compressesâ&#x20AC;? for the last 18 years in Boston and at various yoga retreats around the world. She recently extended her practice to the Berkshire area. www.ragasha.com/naitea. See ad on page 19.

October / November 2012

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October / November 2012

Health & Wellness

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October / November 2012

By Jeffrey Gordon “I can’t stand this stiff neck.” “My body is so out of whack.” “I am in pain, I feel tired.”

“My mind is constantly running with responsibilities and stress!”

s an acupuncturist, these are common themes I hear from clients. Do you identify with them? A lot of us feel this way, and without caffeine, pain medications, and TV, you may feel that you cannot make it through the day. We seek many ways to make pain or tension go away: visiting specialists, trying to stretch and exercise differently, and various not so healthy behaviors in an attempt to calm ourselves down when we are stressed. Some of it may help, and some not. But the most important question of all is one that we may have never considered. “What thoughts do I create the instant I feel sensations of pain, tension, or unease?” In response to sensations of discomfort, it is natural that your mind may react with frustration, concern, or confusion. Try taking a calm breath and using the healing power of your own thoughts. Ask yourself, “Is this the only way to think towards my body? Is frustration and despair the mindset that will allow me to heal?” If you want to understand how your body responds to your thoughts, look no further than how you respond to interactions with other people. How do you feel when you are around someone who continually gets angry or disrespectful toward you? It is likely that you will want to shut down, fight back, or simply lose any interest in being around that person. You probably would not want to waste your time sharing any of your warm, friendly, positive qualities with them. It is difficult to be with someone who continually finds reasons to get upset with you. Chances are you won’t feel like your best self around that person. You will not feel open or free to live happily.

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This principle demonstrates how your body feels when you respond to pain or stress with thoughts of frustration, resentment, or fear. Your body is a sensitive, living being. It has keenly felt every single thought and experience you have ever had. It has been working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week since you were born, without even a five-minute vacation! And sadly, it is likely that most of those days have passed without your body receiving thoughts from you such as, “Thank you so much for all you do.” “I love you for doing your best for me.” “What an incredible job you are doing!” Your body may feel like a totally unappreciated employee, nervous that its next mistake or shortcoming will bring on another lashing out or critique by its employer – you. Your body has no choice but to put up with the effects of all your stressful thoughts, just like an employee who hears little from his boss except complaints when he is not performing perfectly. Your body feels like a dumping ground when your mind is filled with stress and restlessness. It is not a surprise, then, that there are more stress- and pain-related prescriptions being handed out than ever before. Rather than taking more medications to try to overpower your body’s natural response to imbalance, why not correct the situation by living more naturally and thinking calm and positive thoughts? Medical studies are proving the powerful, immediate, and long-term effects of thoughts on body physiology. Positive, warm, appreciative thoughts promote better blood circulation, heart and brain function,

Health & Wellness energy level, digestion, and sleep. Short-tempered and unappreciative thoughts instantly close off circulation, weaken brain activity, create physical tension, obstruct breathing, and cause your body to move in a more rigid and erratic manner. Closely observe your mental response to pain and stressful situations. Holding onto negative thought patterns about pain and your body’s function interferes with your body’s healing mechanisms and keeps you from feeling fully alive and happy. Would you rather feel that you are living in a constricting cage or in a miraculous and precious temple? So what thoughts should you get in the habit of expressing to your body? It is as simple as can be. Just ask yourself, “What type of expressions do other people respond well to?” Here are examples of ideal thought-messages you can send to your body on a daily basis to create an optimal environment for healing and well-being:

Encouragement: “You have been working

your best to help me all my life. My goodness, you have done an incredible job, nothing short of a miracle! I will do everything I can to help you enjoy your task of keeping me alive and well, by eating natural foods, getting outdoors daily, breathing more deeply, smiling and laughing more, and thinking more positively.”

Love: “Every meaningful, positive, and heartfelt experience I’ve ever had in life is because of your tireless work to keep me alive. I love you for that, and I always will.” Smiles: “I will send smiles to all sensations you give to me, whether pleasurable or painful. That will let you know I am appreciative and happy with you. I understand that you have quite a lot to take care of every second!” Laughter: “I will laugh with my whole being and let my body shake with merriment from head to foot several times a day. That way, all the rigid knots and nervous tension in my body will be loosened. True, heartfelt laughter is better for my body than forcing it to relax with medication or alcohol.” Gratitude: “The only thoughts I will give you from now on are thoughts of gratitude. You never stop working for me, even when I sleep. You deserve nothing but appreciation, even when I am in pain.” Thinking this way toward your body, and weeding out criticisms of it, will change your life. You will find that you want to do nothing but good for your body, because it wants only the best for you. A happy and loving relationship with your body is the only one that you should have. The time will come

when you feel your body has changed for the better, because it knows you have love and appreciation for its monumental task of keeping you alive. If you have a stiff neck, try giving it love and appreciation rather than frustration. Put your hand on that tight spot, smile warmly, and think, “You’ve dealt with all my frustrations and stress, no wonder you are tight. I love you nonetheless, and you can soften now. I am happy for all your effort to hold my head up all these years.” If you do this with every pain or discomfort, you will soon find that they go away more quickly and don’t bother you nearly as much as they used to. A tense response to pain will either keep it the same or make it worse. A loving response to pain will either make it more tolerable or make it disappear. Your thoughts are a more permanent and powerful healing tool than any medication or therapy on the planet today, and they don’t cost you a penny to use! ~ Jeffrey Gordon is a licensed Five-Element Acupuncturist. He was born and raised in Pittsfield and received his master's degree in acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute in 2007. (413) 446-6231, jgordonacupuncture@live.com, www.jgordonacupuncture.com

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October / November 2012

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Who Do I Say That I Am? / By Phoebe Williams

ne of the formative questions of the Christian faith was Jesus’ question, Who do you say that I am? In this time of global crisis and cultural upheaval, the question put before each of us likewise bears a formative challenge that we each must answer independently: Who do I say that I am? The question heralds a transition in spirituality that I believe is the bedrock of the growth demanded of us if we are to become whole enough and responsible enough to face and address the crises that threaten the continuation of life on this planet. This is a shift from locating spiritual authority outside of ourselves, whether in a religious tradition or practice, or a revered text or leader, to recognizing and learning to open to and express the spiritual authority that dwells within our own being. Spiritually, we have more freedom than ever. We have access to the wisdom of all the world’s religions and we can try on new beliefs and age-old practices as we might try on clothing, to see what fits, what suits our needs in the moment, what is fun or inspiring or simply novel. The freedom to pick and choose ways to explore spirituality has opened up worlds of discovery for seekers east and west, but it is not the whole story. We have learned to shop, so to speak, and to wear beautiful new clothes. However, for the most 22

October / November 2012

part, our choices are bound by what is already available. In a subtle and mostly invisible way, spiritual authority still resides in the practices and traditions that have been established by others. Recently I spoke with a very accomplished modern woman who is juggling an exciting but overwhelming number of engagements. I asked her about her spirituality, thinking that if she were to ground her life in her fullest sense of aliveness, she might find a perspective from which to navigate the “overwhelm” she was experiencing. She lit up talking about how she finds herself in nature. When I asked her about adopting a spiritual practice that might support her, she said, “I should meditate more.” I felt a slight clunk as she said this. The light got a bit dull, and I saw another “to do” in an already overfull schedule. What about her connection to nature? How might a practice of feeling her aliveness in relation to the natural world help her order her busy life? The opening and possibility I saw in her face when she spoke of her connection to nature seemed to get lost as she shifted into a more traditional concept of spiritual practice. This is my own subjective impression, and I could be mistaken. She may have a wonderful relationship with meditation that she feels called to reignite. My impression, however, the clunk I sensed, seemed to me to be like the shifting of an automatic gear in a car.

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The automatic gear is familiar. It gets us moving. And we learn quite a bit as we adapt to practices that are well established. This is an essential way that we grow beyond the limits of our understanding. What I am interested in is how do we learn to listen to our own aliveness? How do we learn to trust our unique and immediate connection to the fullness of being? Perhaps this woman’s use of the word should is a clue. It indicates the reliance upon an external source of acceleration. How do we shift gears altogether and learn to follow the momentum of our inner life? What are the practices that can help us discover and develop an internal spiritual authority? How do we develop the skill and competency to address the compelling question, Who do I say that I am? I invite you to join me in this exciting quest for new ways of becoming more fully aware and alive. ~ Phoebe is a Certified Life Coach who helps people assemble their own operating manual for living an authentic, inspired, and spiritually attuned life. Clients learn to clarify their core beliefs and take action that is aligned with their deepest sense of self. www.BerkshireLifeCoaching.com. See ad on page 19.

In Business

GoodWorks Transforms Insurance

With a Purpose Beyond Profits

uying the right insurance is a crucial part of running a business well, or taking good care of one’s family, but for most people, it’s also a big headache. A fast-growing, local agency, however, is finding new ways to take the pain out of the process.

like education, health care, and public safety. In an era when many of the world’s leading financial institutions have sullied their reputations by shirking their responsibility to serve the public interest, GoodWorks is shaking up the industry with a bold commitment that its competition has not been able to match.

GoodWorks Insurance is making a name for itself in the Berkshires and beyond with a re- “Our commitment to give back is not only the freshing new approach to insurance that pow- right thing to do – it’s also great for business,” ers an engine of donations to local charities. said GoodWorks Chairman Chad Yonker, a Customers of the full-service, independent resident of Litchfield, CT. “It creates a comagency, which has an office on Main Street in mon purpose between GoodWorks, members Great Barrington, MA, say the firm has a win- of the community, and the nonprofits that serve ning formula for helping people navigate the the community. When we grow, our commudaunting complexities of risk nities win, and this gives our management with confidence firm and its employees a larger and clarity. “Our commitment sense of purpose and pride in their work.” “GoodWorks has provided our to give back company outstanding service In the last several years, Goodand consistent due diligence,” is not only the Works has donated hundreds said Mark Bram, president of of thousands of dollars to dozEljen Corporation, a manufac- right thing to ens of local charities and nonturer of prefabricated drainage profits, including the likes of systems for foundation drain- do – it’s also Berkshire Community College, age and erosion control appliBerkshire Taconic Commucations used by contractors na- great for business.” nity Foundation, Community tionwide. “They have worked Health Programs, and first reclosely with Eljen in cost consponder teams throughout the tainment, policies, and procedures and because region such as the Otis Rescue Squad, Sheffield of this I would highly recommend them as an Fire Department, and South Berkshire Ambuindependent insurance agency.” lance. At the same time, sales volume at its office on Main Street in the center of Great Barrington, GoodWorks has five locations in Massa- MA, has increased by 20 to 30 percent every year, chusetts and Connecticut staffed by a team which is much faster growth than most insurof seasoned, dedicated professionals with a ance agencies are able to enjoy. This has pushed wide range of expertise in covering all kinds its customer base to more than 10,000 customers of risks facing businesses large and small, as throughout the Northeast and beyond. well as individuals and families. And as one of the strongest agencies in the Northeast, its Yonker, who took over the reins at the company agents directly represent more than 40 of the last year, is investing more capital with ambitions nation’s leading insurance companies, giving to accelerate that growth – possibly through acthem a free hand to offer the best coverages quisitions of other insurance agencies, but also available at extremely competitive prices. In by expanding the firm’s roster of insurance and addition to commercial lines, GoodWorks investment professionals and adding to its suite offers a full spectrum of personal insurance of products and its range of expertise. solutions for everyone from the new homeowner and car purchaser to high-net worth “I think we’ve figured out a new paradigm for individuals with multiple vacation homes and insurance that could transform the industry nationwide and beyond,” he said. extensive art collections. As for charitable donations, GoodWorks has set a new standard in the insurance and financial world by pledging to give back half its operating profits every year to local nonprofit organizations that are tackling important issues

Our BerkshireTimes Magazine NEW!

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~ GoodWorks can be reached at (413) 528-5509.

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October / November 2012

Directory of Advertisers Animals

Health & Wellness (continued)

BensDotter’s Pet ..................................................12, 25, back cover Chez Pet ...........................................................................................13 Petpourri, Inc. ..................................................................................13 VCA All Caring Animal Hospital ................................................12

Eileen Lawlor, LICSW ....................................................................19 Energy in Motion Studio, Catherine Brumley ............................19 Integrative Health Solutions ....................................................15, 19 Jacqueline Nicholas, Healer ...........................................................19 Lenox Village Integrative Pharmacy ...........................................21 Livingstone Dental Excellence ......................................................18 Marion Bergan Irwin, Licensed Acupuncturist ...........................19 Martial Arts Institute of the Berkshires ........................................17 Matt Albert, Bodywork ..................................................................15 Memory Clinic, The .......................................................................21 Mikka Barkman, Native American Bodywork .............................19 Ming Lash, Somatic Movement Therapist ..................................19 Naomi Alson, Acupuncturist & Herbalist ..................................19 NordiCare Physical Therapy, PC .................................................20 Phoebe Williams, Life Coach .......................................................19 Sruti Yoga Center .............................................................................19 Stram Center for Integrative Medicine .........................................20 Susan Spiegel Solovay, Certified Medical Hypnotist ...............19 Traditional Acupuncture, Jeffrey Gordon, M.Ac., Lic.Ac. ........14 TriYoga Berkshire ............................................................................20 Veronique Rignault, Healing Ginger Therapy .............................19 Wellness Bound Coaching, Kenly Brozman ............................20 Wendy Mae Nunnally Massage Therapist ...................................19 WholePerson Movement, Sharon True .......................................20

Art, Culture & Entertainment Alchemy Initiative .............................................................................3 Community Access to the Arts (CATA) ........................................2 First Fridays Artswalk .................................................................3, 14 Bruce Mandel, Performing Songwriter ....................................3, 25 Hotchkiss Mobiles Gallery ...............................................................3 Toonerville Trolley Records .............................................................3

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Geiger Computers ...........................................................................23 Genne M. LeVasseur, CPA ............................................................23 GoodWorks Insurance ....................................................................25 Inger Management ..........................................................................23 Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, The .................................................15

Education & Workshops Berkshire Country Day School .....................................................9 Darrow School .................................................................................9 Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School .....................................10 Hotchkiss School .............................................................................10 Indian Mountain School ....................................................................9 Montessori School of the Berkshires, The .....................................8

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Fashion & Beauty Copper Star Alpaca Farm Store ....................................................16 Kelly & Company Hair Salon ........................................................16 Shear Illusions, LLC ........................................................................16 Stella & Dot ......................................................................................16

Food & Drink Barlow Farm Fresh Fruit & Dairy ...................................................4 Berkshire Co-op Market .......................................inside front cover Berkshire Organics ............................................................................4 Chez Nous Bistro ..............................................................................5 Guido’s Fresh Marketplace ...........................................................15 Hilltop Orchards - Furnace Brook Winery .................................13 Kosmic Kitchen .................................................................................4 LaBonne’s Markets ...........................................................................5 Pastorale Bistro & Bar ......................................................................4 Public eat+drink ................................................................................4 Starving Artist Creperie & Cafe ......................................................4 Sullivan Station Restaurant ...............................................................5 Wild Oats Market ..............................................................................5

Gift & Specialty Shops Hotchkiss Mobiles Gallery .............................................................3

Health & Wellness

(413) 528-6133 24

Andrew M. Goldman, DO ..........................................................17 BLEND Solution ............................................................................24 Calm Therapeutic Massage ............................................................19 Dr Jerome F. Errico, Bd Cert Chiro Phys ....................................19

October / November 2012

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Home, Garden & Landscape Berkshire Fabric & Wallpaper Outlet ...........................................14 Berkshire Photovoltaic Services (BPVS) .......................................7 Bodhi Tree Gallery ............................................................................7 Brown Oil & Propane - Cesco Plumbing & Heating ..................6 circa ....................................................................................................14 Countrytown Marble & Tile ............................................................7 Dana Bixby Architecture ..................................................................7 George Yonnone Restorations ........................................................7 Hartsville Design .....................................inside front cover, 24, 25 Herrington’s .......................................................................................6 Lenox Dale Service Station, Inc. .....................................................7 Martha Flood Design ........................................................................6 Okerstrom Lang, Ltd. .......................................................................7 Young Feng Shui ................................................................................6

Lodging Berkshire Inn ....................................................................................14

Mind & Spirit AzureGreen ......................................................................................22 Psychic Studio ..................................................................................14 Sheilaa Hite, Intuitive Counseling .................................................22 your soul path ..................................................................................22

Nature Hilltop Orchards - Furnace Brook Winery .................................13

Real Estate Kinderhook Group, Inc., Real Estate ..............................................7

Social Networking Concerned Singles ...........................................................................22

Special Thanks to Our Featured Advertisers

The Socially Responsible Insurance Choice! Did you know that GoodWorks donates 50% of its profits to local charities? And it’s customers like you that made possible the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’ve donated over the last several years in support of your local communities. As one of the strongest insurance agencies in the Northeast, GoodWorks delivers unsurpassed expertise and service through an outstanding team of seasoned veterans that truly care about your business – and your community. Let us earn your business and do more for your community.

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October / November 2012

BensDotter's Pet

A Little Bit Conventional. A Little Bit Alternative. A Whole Lot Different! 940 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 413-528-4940 www.BensDotters.com painting by Ann Getsinger