Our BerkshireGreen Magazine

March - May 2011

Take One, It's Free!

Our BerkshireGreen

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Mind & Spirit Special Edition

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Your Holistic/Green Resource

COOPERATIVELY OWNED COMMUNITY FOCUSED

Working towards a stronger community — every day.

LOCAL • ORGANIC • NATURAL

42 Bridge Street • Great Barrington 413.528.9697 • www.berkshire.coop Hours: Mon-Sat 8 to 8 / Sun 10 to 6

The wonder of Montessori.

Toddler • Early Childhood • Elementary • Middle School • Summer Camp Challenging and creative academic environment.

Focus on individual learning styles.

Optimal learning experience on 40-acre LEED-for-Schools campus.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please call (413) 637-3662 or email info@BerkshireMontessori.org Transportation from South County available.

21 Patterson Road, Lenox Dale, MA BerkshireMontessori.org

About Us Our BerkshireGreen™ is dedicated to supporting our local economy

and creating an ever-expanding, unified network of holistic and environmentally conscious individuals, businesses, and organizations in our area. We give our readers the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and inspire one another through our resource guide, networking events, and growing online services. It's all about community!

Our quarterly publication is free to the public and distributed throughout Berkshire County and the surrounding area, every March (mind & spirit special edition), June, September, and December. See our website for a location near you. Our BerkshireGreen is printed with solvent-free, vegetable oil−based ink on paper that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC: www.fsc.org) certified to have been made from trees grown and harvested in a responsible manner. Our paper also contains a full 30 percent post-consumer recycled wastepaper.

ADVERTISE AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS We offer a flexible and cost-effective way to reach your target market.

Our loyal readers are well-educated, environmentally and healthconscious consumers looking for green, healthy, and sustainable life choices. Our affordable advertising also comes with many additional benefits – one such perk is the opportunity to speak at our popular networking events mentioned below. For more information, contact us at (413) 274-1122 or at advertise@OurBerkshireGreen.com.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS 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 at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com. You will find complete instructions on our online digital form.

NETWORKING EVENTS Our popular networking events are held at fine locations throughout the county and publicized by press releases to the local papers and by eNewsletters to our extensive mailing list. There is no admission charge or reservation required for most events, and you will find great company, interesting speakers, delicious free appetizers, a cash bar, and a place to display your advertising material. Please join our confidential mailing list at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com for an invitation.

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR Check out www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com to find out what is happening around town. Take advantage of this free service to upload and publicize your events instantly yourself. It’s easy to do, and you don’t have to be green, holistic, or a computer expert to use it; simply register, fill out your event information, and post!

As we said, It's all about community!

PUBLISHER Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ EDITORIAL Editor Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiregreen.com Copyeditors/Proofreaders Rodelinde Albrecht Patty Strauch _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Advertisements Independent Graphic Designers Christine Dupre cedupre@msn.com Elisa Jones, Berkshire Design Studio elisa@berkshiredesignstudio.com Kathy Adams katlamixe@gmail.com Shirley Sparks, Graphic Design on a Dime sms234@aol.com _______________ ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com ______________ EVENT COORDINATOR Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ MARKETING CONSULTANT Andrea Feldman, Paperclip Studio andrea@paperclipstudio.com _______________ CONTACT Our BerkshireGreen P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122, Fax: (413) 541-8000 All content in Our BerkshireGreen™ 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.

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March 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

CONTENTS March - May 2011

departments 4 Letter from the Publisher 4 Directory of Categories 5 Our Contributors 6 Resource Guide

cover

Berkshire County & the surrounding area

10 Calendar of Events 14 Good Tidings!

25 Film & Book Reviews 26 In Business: Greening Up!

Spotlight on green & holistic businesses

28 Lifestyles & Perspectives

Personal experience of green & holistic living

31 Index of Advertisers

8

12

10

features 8 Keys to Calmness

Enjoyable thoughts create enjoyable effects

12 Wickedly Dangerous . . .

Peaceful food. Cookbook review of Put ’em Up!

17 Instructions

Learning to hear, trust, and follow your intuition

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20 The Journey

Following the call of spirit

30 My Mother's Hands

A gift of love, compassion, and forgiveness

cover illustration

Sitting with Awareness

By Deb Koffman

deb@debkoffman.com

www.debkoffman.com

17 www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

26 March 2011

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Dear Reader,

W

elcome to our annual Mind & Spirit Special Edition. As you will see, our resource guide categories remain the same, but our articles, tidbits, and quotes explore our fascinating nonphysical world.

We are getting ready to launch a brand new Our BerkshireGreen website this spring with many new and exciting features! If you have not already done so, I would like to encourage you to sign up on our mailing list at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com, so that we can notify you when it’s ready. We send out an average of one or two newsletters per month containing news from around town and invitations to our upcoming networking events that you won’t want to miss.

Maya Angelou said “When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness . . . all the good things.”

I, and everyone working with Our BerkshireGreen, would like to thank you for your support and kind words, and wish you joy.

Kathy I. Regan Publisher and Founder publisher@OurBerkshireGreen.com (413) 274-1122

Friends,

S

pring is in the air, but I think we all may have a little cabin fever at this point. I suggest attending one of our networking events as a fun way to get out of the house.

If you have attended an Our BerkshireGreen event in the past, you will know that it’s a great way to mingle with like-minded people, enjoy delicious complimentary appetizers (cash bar), listen to fabulous speakers, and maybe win a door prize or two! If you have not attended our events, give one a try in 2011. There is no admission charge (except for our yearly fundraiser), and they are held at terrific locations around town – restaurants, museums, bookstores, maybe at your business location!

If you would like to find out more about how to become one of our speakers so that you can share information about your business, or if you are interested in sponsoring or hosting one of our events, please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you out and about in the Berkshires!

Patty Strauch Event Coordinator & Independent Sales Representative patty@OurBerkshireGreen.com (413) 269-6119

Directory of Categories Alternative Energy .............................................................6 Animal Products & Services ..............................................7 Boutiques .............................................................................8 Business Services ................................................................8 Calendar of Events ...........................................................10 Dance, Exercise & Fitness ..............................................10 Education & Training ......................................................11 Film and Book Reviews ....................................................25 Food & Cooking ...............................................................12 Food Stores: Co-ops, Markets & Health .........................13 Good Tidings! ...................................................................14 Green Building, Renovation & Landscape Design ......15 Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative .....18 Acupuncture ..............................................................19 Apothecaries ..............................................................19 Chiropractic & Kinesiology .....................................19 Coaching ....................................................................19 Counseling & Therapy ............................................21 4

March 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Health Care: continued Massage Therapy & Bodywork ...............................21 Nutrition & Supplements .........................................21 Osteopathic Medicine ..............................................21 Physical Therapy .......................................................22 Reconnective Healing®..............................................23 Reiki ............................................................................23 Tai Chi/Qigong .........................................................23 Wellness Centers & Spas ...........................................23 Yoga ............................................................................24 Home & Garden .............................................................24 In Business: Greening Up! ..............................................26 Lifestyles & Perspectives .................................................28 Love & Laughter Are the Best Medicine .........................29 Mind & Spirit ....................................................................29 Index of Advertisers ........................................................31 Magazine Sponsors .................................inside back cover

Our Contributors Cover Illustration by Deb Koffman Deb Koffman Art

Jeffrey Gordon, MAc, Lic Ac Traditional Acupuncture

Jeffrey 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. Jeffrey enjoys helping people experience a more harmonious connection between body, mind, and spirit. (413) 446-6231, j g o r d o n a c u p u n c tur e @ l ive.co m , www.jgordonacupuncture.com

Deb offers Drawing As Mindfulness Practice Saturday mornings at her gallery in Housatonic. The first Tuesday of every month the public is invited to In Words Out Words, an open mic for poets, performers, storytellers, and musicians. For more information on these and other artistic events and to view her line of cards, prints, books, art, and performance work, please visit www.debkoffman.com.

Kenly Brozman

Wellness Bound Coaching Kenly is a health and wellness coach serving individuals and groups in the Berkshire/Taconic region and beyond.

She received her coach training and certification through Wellcoaches, endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine. Kenly is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

(518) 929-2050, kbrozman@gmail.com, www.wellnessboundcoaching.com

Susan Jameson Healing Winds

Miriam Jacobs

Cookbook Author/Columnist

Photo by David Wade Smith

Thea Basis

Certified Personal Trainer

Susan is the Co-Director of Healing Winds, Humanity in Concert, and the Rock, Rattle & Drum Pow Wow. She is a dancer, healer, and passionate metaphysician committed to her lifelong work in the fields of energy, consciousness, and spiritual development. She is on the board of the Women’s Interfaith Institute of the Berkshires. HumanityInConcert@earth link.net, www.HealingWinds.net

Maurice Peterson SEVEN salon.spa

Maurice is a veteran celebrity interviewer whose pieces on such stars as Liza Minnelli and Robert Redford have appeared in Andy Warhol’s Interview, Essence Magazine, and The New York Times.

Maurice has recently completed a memoir, Hearts and Scissors, and is well known in the Berkshires as a singer and as the owner of SEVEN salon.spa in Stockbridge. mp@mauricepeterson.com

Miriam is a local food columnist and author known for her commonsense approach to delicious and nutritious eating. Her cookbooks include The School Lunchbox Cookbook, and Cooking with Edible Flowers: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-223. She also works as a Forensic Document Examiner and lectures on signature fraud for FTC “Red Flag Rules” compliance. www.forgerydetective.com

Thea has lived in the Berkshires for 18 years since moving here from San Francisco. A native of New York, she has always followed the beat of a different drummer and is currently exploring writing as a way to share her stories. Thea is also a certified personal trainer and teaches meditation. If you would like to contact her, please email TheaBasis@verizon.net.

Christine E. Dupre Graphic Designer

Christine has been a resident of the Berkshires for 22 years, and a professional graphic designer for the past 20 years. She is a veteran of the armed forces (US Army for six years). Her award-winning designs have been a constant presence in the Berkshires.

In addition to graphic design her passions include gardening, landscaping, and writing. cedupre@msn.com www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

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Alternative Energy

Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS 46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220

Tel. 413-743-0152 • www.bpvs.com MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150

S

ince 1985, recognized for careful designs, proven components and high quality workmanship, BPVS solar electric systems are user friendly, efficient and reliable.

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Member: American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Solar Energy Business Association of New England, Solar Energy Industries Association.

Sun When You Want It...

Shade When You Need It. Aristocrat window & retractable awnings by Craftbuilt

America’s Greatest Grill Made in • The difference is inside the grill the USA • No flare-up guarantee • Island units available for outdoor kitchens & compact units too

Your Hearth & Home Headquarters Solar Electric Solar Hot Water Solar Pool Heaters Geothermal Heat Pumps High Efficiency Boilers and Furnaces 26 Years Local Solar Experience LEED Accredited Professional Think Globally. Act Locally.

Renewable Energy Solutions, Inc., Lee, MA

413-243-0909

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March 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Carrying A Wide Variety Of

Stoves • Heaters • Furnaces • Boilers • Accessories & More • Harman • Vermont Castings • Pacific Energy • Deco Flame

• Monessen/Majestic • Sunheat • Morso

SUPER DISCOUNTS On All In-Stock Stoves

“Not only do we serice what we sell, but we service others as well.”

C.S.C.F. Distributor Division of GDVZ

521 Walker St., Lenox Dale (413) 637-9920 • Open Mon.-Sat. Call for hours.

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

LICENSED AND INSURED • H.I.C. #164699

Rt. 7 Bypass

Lights

Cranwell Lenoxdale Walker St.

We offer system design with Mother Earth in mind.

CSCF Distributors

www.cscfdistributors.com

Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy Alpine Solar Heat & Hot Water

Seen the price of heating oil?

Harvesting the Sun

www.AlpineSolarHeat.com 413-684-3950

T

here are different types of alternative energy including Conservation, Solar, Hydro, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass, and Nuclear. ~ www.AlternativeEnergyPrimer.com

Animal Products & Services

Pet Partners

of the Tri-State Berkshires

Provides … Food for needy dogs and cats Reduced rate spay/neuter • Assistance with basic veterinary care costs

Cut home heating costs by zone heating with Regency. High efficiency, clean burning and fully operational during power outages - you will save money and enjoy peace of mind while relaxing in front of your fire. Come in to see our full line of gas, wood and pellet fireplace products.

413.229.8579 518.781.0362 petpartnersberkshires.org A division of Scientific Alliance For Education (S.A.F.E.), a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization www.regency-fire.com

ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

220 Albany Tpk. (Route 44)

Canton, CT 06019 860-693-3403 • www.valleyfireplaceandstove.com

ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

BB ENS DOTTER ’S PET ENS D, OTTER ’S PET 940 MAIN STREET GREAT BARRINGTON

JOIN US FOR OUR PET WELLNESS WEEKEND!

SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER OF THIS ISSUE!

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE BACK COVER OF THIS ISSUE

ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

Beau Lichter

VCA All Caring Animal Hospital Conventional & Holistic Veterinary Medicine

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.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

7

Keys to Calmness

Enjoyable Thoughts Create Enjoyable Effects Jeffrey Gordon, MAc, Licensed Acupuncturist

T

tends to constrict the body with tension, and weaken our immune system and metabolism. Living with an open and peaceful mind, appreciating every little wonder of life, has an effect of relaxing and opening energy flow in the body. Just look at little children!

Another example is being cut off by someone in traffic. One common response is,“You jerk! What is wrong with people?”

This response is likely to create tension and shallow breathing, and may lead to headaches and frustration. What if one responded differently, “That person should drive more safely.

I forgive him, for I understand he must have quite a restless or absent mind to drive like that. I know what it feels like to be stressed, and I know he didn’t intend me any harm.” This type of mental response will create a completely different set of physical reactions. You may smile, breathe deeply, and relax your shoulders after thinking with compassionate understanding. Your body will thank you for thinking in this way.

How about our relationship with the daily weather? Someone might want to go for a hike or a picnic on a day off, and then see it begin to pour outside. He may think, “Oh darn, why does it have to rain on my one day off! Now my day is going to be much less enjoyable. My plans are ruined.” Physically, he may feel a little restless, not knowing what to do with himself, or he may become bored and dejected. His happiness is dependent on the weather accommodating itself to his personal plans, rather than maintaining a balanced ecosystem for all of life! Another person may respond in a totally different manner, thinking, “Rain and sun are equally amazing to me. They are both wonders of this unique world! I’ll enjoy the sound of this rain as if it were the first and last time I’ll ever hear it. Maybe I’ll even still go for that walk!”

Enjoyable thoughts create enjoyable effects. It is a very simple law of the universe, and we should employ it every chance we get!

Boutiques

Business Services

www.vladaboutique.com

here are so many things that happen every day that elicit a thought response in us. If we tried to count the number of situations to which we have a mental response, it would seem as if it never ends. Waking up in the morning, the weather, food choices, people bumping us in the hallway, loud cell phone conversations, endless stories of tragedy or success in the news, and people pushing our buttons – there is a constant flurry of changing situations to occupy our minds.

Does the way we respond to these influences affect our health, energy level, and enjoyment of life? Most certainly. In fact, it may affect us much more than we think. Modern brain science is proving that every thought process creates neurochemical activity, which leads to changes in our heart rate, breathing, digestion, immune strength, and energy level. What does this mean? Not one thought in our mind goes unnoticed by the rest of our body.

Every negative thought has a harmful effect on our body, and every positive thought has a beneficial effect on our body. Most cultures have been very aware of this connection for hundreds or thousands of years. In ancient China, the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine stated that most physical symptoms have their root cause in unhealthy long-term mental and emotional patterns.

For example, one friend of mine told me she is afraid to pay attention to her breathing. She said she instantly has the fear that her breath will stop, and she will die. She ignores her breathing, and likely breathes very shallowly due to this fear she has created, which is in all likelihood a biological impossibility. In contrast, Bob Duggan, the president of the Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts, asks us, “How many breaths have you been fully present to since you woke up this morning? Did you stop for a moment to appreciate with wonderment that an invisible substance has been providing you with life ever since the moment you were born?”

Which mindset is generating better effects in the body? Well, fear

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~ Jeffrey Gordon, MAc, Lic Ac, Traditional Acupuncture, www.jgordonacupuncture.com. See advertisement on page 19.

March 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Ted Pitman Agent

An Independent Agent Representing Aflac 395 Salisbury Road, Sheffield, MA

Office 413.229.8159 Cell 413.429.1311 Email ehscantp@yahoo.com

Visualize

Professional design the easy way!

Graphic design on a dime cares. I am dedicated to personal, courteous service and quick turnaround time.

Please contact me with any questions, I will be glad to assist you.

No job too small or big!

Shirley Sparks 413-298-4816 or sms234@aol.com

Computer Repair Web Development Computer Training 413-854-2443

GeigerComputers.com

Creating the Online Calendar with Our BerkshireGreen We can tell you whatʼs wrong, and give you a cost estimate to repair or upgrade your computer before you pay.

Millie Calesky Business and Life Coach 413-655-2555

Millie@MillieCalesky.com

Marketing Help for Small Business Let’s Begin

413-655-7766

AndreA FeldmAn • PAPercliPStudio.com 80 Maple Avenue Great Barrington, MA 413-528-5509 www.goodworksinsurance.com

“Purpose Beyond Profit” Home, Auto, Business, Health & Life

Lillian M. Barker Deborah E. Wright

T

he greatest achievement was, at first, and for a time, but a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn. The bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of reality. Awake, arise, and assert yourself you dreamers of the world. Your star is now in the ascendency. ~ Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

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Business Cards, Ads for Publications, Brochures, Postcards, Posters, Flyers and so much more.

Actualize

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I will help you create professional product to promote your business or help with your personal design needs!

Strategize

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Graphic

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Business Services - helping our green businesses grow!

STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT • EXPERIENCE • SPEED • QUALITY • COMPETITIVE PRICES

• Full Color Digital Printing • Full Color Envelope Printing • Offset Printing • High Speed Copying • Color Copies • Laminating • GBC Binding • Perfect Binding • Folding • NCR Forms • Perforating • Numbering • Mailing Services • Large Format Printing • Inline Bookletmaking • Graphic Design Services

y all Loc fits p o e Sh en s! tb ...i fu o all

t: 413 •528 •2885 f: 413 •528 •9220

Increase your skillset with personal computer training: from learning how to use the computer, to advanced subjects.

35 Bridge Street, Great Barrington MA 01230 WWW.KWIKPRINTINC.COM

Family Owned and Operated for 36 Years

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

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Calendar of Events

Dance, Exercise & Fitness

Post & View Your Events Online for Free!

Instantly upload your events yourself at www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com You don't have to be green/holistic or a computer expert to use it; simply register, fill out your event information, and post!

Dance, Exercise & Fitness

Spring is here – Let’s ride!

Group/Private Lessons Senior discounts!

move

Energy In Motion Studio PILATES, YOGA, FITNESS

Life!

Ming Lash,

rsmt

somatic movement

Graceful, fluid movement, and integral strength increase and sustain the ease and joy of living in a body

413-884-6211 Williamstown • MoveIntoHealing.com

PRIVATE, DUET, AND GROUP CLASS WORKOUTS WITH HOLISTIC APPROACH AVAILABLE IN GREAT BARRINGTON & LEE

Violet Eagan

413.528.2465

youth teen/adult family

healing.

GYROTONIC® whole body fitness and exercise promotes health and well-being.

Catherine Brumley West Stockbridge, MA 413-232-7838

Somatic Movement Therapist & Certified Pilates Instructor

into

move into

Movement for renewed energy, health and well-being. Focus on alignment, back care, sports performance; special needs welcome.

Private sessions or small group classes in a beautifully equipped studio.

Sharon True, M.A., C.M.A., R.S.M.T

(413) 528-5299 www.bluerider.org

one day one month year round

347-249-5120

Sensible Exercise for All Ages and Ability-Injury Rehab and Prevention

presents . . . Available for Private & Group Instruction Year Round en re G re hi ks er B ur O

Certified Pilates, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® Instructor Owner, Berkshire Training Station - Seasonal Studio - West Stockbridge

Upload & Publicize Your Events for Free!

OurBerkshireCalendar.com

JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER

DANCE FITNESS YOGA WORLD MUSIC •

•

•

CLASSES STUDIO RENTALS •

New Class!

DANCE for BOYS

www.berkshiretrainingstation.com a www.violeteagan.com Post your tag sales too!

A Tasty Berkshire Experience

Support Berkshire Agriculture Post Your Events for Free Today!

� Try a free taste of one of Furnace Brook’s Home of award-winning 14 award-winning wines, including several Furnace Brook Winery Wednesdays It’s 3:40 - 4:40 from estate-grown apples easy toPM do! You don’t have to made be green, holistic, or a � Enjoy delicious homemade cider March 2 - June 12 to use it; simply register,donuts, fresh bakedevent goods andinformation, computer expert fill out your with Tom Masters local artisan cheeses � Hike through the orchard or on and post! Your email address is kept completely confidential. scenic woodland trails

Please join our mailing list if you wish.

Jump, Turn and Soar Hilltop Orchards

in this athletic and artistic class for boys ages 8-12.

An excellent foundation for further study in all dance forms, sports and life!

www.berkshirepulse.org

410 Park St. HouSatonic, Ma 413.274.6624

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March 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Open: Thursday-Sunday 11am-5pm 508 Canaan Rd/Rt 295 • Richmond, MA 01254 HilltopOrchards.com • Phone: 413-698-3301

If you would begin to reach for the feeling of well-being first, everything else would fall into place. If you were selfish enough to really follow your bliss, you would immediately be tapped into the Pure Positive Essence of who you are. ~ Abraham

Education & Training Mul ullt lti tiic ttic icu cu ulllt ltu ttu ur ur ra all BBridges a rid id dg ges ge ess: Multicultural :

BilinguLiteracy, al LiterArts acy,and Arts and T Toleran oleran cefor PrChildren ogram AABilingual Tolerance Program for Children

Vacation Programs Vacation Programs 2011 2011

Baby Animals!

H o s t e d in i n collaboration c o l l a b o r a t i o n w iwith th Hosted

Multicultural Literacy and Embracing Diversity Program for ages 5-8 & 9-11 Multicultural Literacy and Embracing Diversity Program fo for ages 5-8 & 9-11 " " ! #

$ orman Rockwell Museum Art History & Arts Classes with NRM educators/inteerns ngual Literacy Classes with Song, Books, Puppet Shows, Storytelling and more! sic Awareness and Movement: Eurythmics with Carol Emanuel

! "$

tdoor Curriculum by trained educato or using beautiful Norman Rockwell Campus

Promoting integration, tolerance, multiculturalism, literacy, $ arts and fun athsuccessful future for our children! pare a nutritioleading nal snack everyto day wi trained teachers!

Pro Pr romoti tiin ng in inte teg egrraati tio ion, n, to tole lera rance ce, e, multi lti lt tiiccult ltura ralilis issm m, lilitteera m, racy cy , art rts ts and f un le lea eadi din ing ng to to a succ cce c eessssssfu ffu ul fu futu tu re re fo for our ur ch ch ilild ld drre ren !

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For School Vacations: 10-3:30 everyday – $250/week

Extended Day: 8:30-5:00 $15/day For Sc–ho ool Vacations: 10-3:30 3:30 ev veryday $250/week April 18-22 (Spring Vacation) Extended Day: 8:30-5.$15/day August Session 1) August 15-26 (Summer Session

1-12 (Summer

Apr 18 -22 (Spring Va cation) 2) 1-12Available (Summer Session 1) Deposit Due March 1st: $75, SlidingAug Scale

April 16-May 8

10am to 4pm daily

Aug 15-26 (Summer session 2)

t Due March 1st: $75.

Register through BRIDGE:Deposi Sliding g Scale Available PO Box 320, 207Phon Pleasant Street, Housatonic, MA 01236 e: 413-274-1001 Program Locations: Register through BRIDGE: Fax: 41 3-274-1033 Phone: Fax: 413-274-1033 info@multiculturalbridge.org PO Bo413-274-1001 x 320 Norman Rockwell Museum 207 Pleasant Street Housatonic, MA 01236

info@multiculturalbridge.org www.multiculturalbridge.org www.multiculturalbridge.org

& BRIDGE

1843 W. Housatonic St, Pittsfield hancockshakervillage.org

The wonder of Montessori.

Toddler • Early Childhood • Elementary Middle School • Summer Camp Challenging and creative academic environment.

Focus on individual learning styles.

40-acre LEED-for-Schools campus.

Transportation from South County available.

21 Patterson Road, Lenox Dale, MA 413-637-3662 BerkshireMontessori.org

Menu of Services Public Computers and a computer game station for kids A wonderful, well-rounded collection of books for all ages and interests, plus friendly, respectful library services with a fine "listening ear" to patron suggestions!

(413) 274-3738 1087 Main Street in the Village of Housatonic, MA

Everyone is

WELCOME

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Unique world and traditional crafts for all ages "Ancient History Fairs" for children that include related books and hands-on arts/crafts Live music from local & distant musicians All-genre sessions for writers to gather, read and discuss works.

Professionally led history, science, animal, and earth programs for families.

Well-respected jugglers and storytellers. and so much more!

March 2011

11

Education & Training Think Globally. Act Locally.

Wickedly Dangerous . . .

Put ’em Up! By local author Sherri Brooks Vinton

I

Hands-on sustainability education for all ages

Darrow School ThirD annual SuSTainabiliTy SympoSium Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Join us to discuss ways of living sustainably. Enjoy a locavore meal prepared by renowned area chefs and Darrow students. Meet sustainability professionals from all over the region.

Open to community members, teachers, middle and high school students, and college students. For list of featured presenters and a schedule of the day’s events, visit darrowschool.org/SustainabilitySymposium2011.

Darrow is a co-ed, boarding and day school for grades 9–12.

Visit www.darrowschool.org for more information and to schedule a visit to campus today!

Mount Conn e c t

a in

ing

New Lebanon, NY

Road Sch o ol l

Ch i

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dre n

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UPPER CRUST B•A•K•E•R•Y Specialty orders upon request.

VALERIE POLIDORO LAWSON

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KITCHEN GARDENING:

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Steve Meyerowitz, Sproutman | 413-528-5200 | Sproutman.com

D

o you want to learn more about the amazing benefits of a raw foods diet? Look for helpful and informative articles from our local expert, Steve Meyerowitz, at www.Sproutman.com.

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t’s time to make peace with our food. For most of human history people have been glad just to have enough calories to survive; but for so many of us who now have plenty, food is a source of fear and vitriol. There are no easy answers for this complex issue, but I am sure that all this anxiety over food is corroding our soulful connection with it, and I would like to share my vision about food-peace.

I think it is peaceful to take the time to feed both our bodies and our hungry hearts, to cook up locally grown food for ourselves, and our loved ones, and to eat with the seasons. It is peaceful to have our children in the kitchen and to pass on family recipes. It is peaceful to have a kitchen garden and to watch the miracle of a flower turning into a little strawberry, and to take joy in a tomato making its way from hard acidic green to succulent red.

To extend the time you can enjoy our local bounty, let me invite you to explore Put ’em Up! by a local author, Sherri Brooks Vinton, and published by a local publisher, Storey Publishing. It is a guide to home preserving, but with a fresh and updated attitude. She admits immediately that people want to know “Why on earth would you do that?” since many consider putting by as both wickedly dangerous (love that!) and hugely time consuming.

But it is neither, she asserts.

The organization of the book is user friendly: a section on techniques, tips, the minimal equipment you might need, and then ingredients in an alphabetized list so that if you come home with a pile of something that looked irresistible at the farmers market, you can easily find recipes to process that bounty.

For the ambitious, there are the traditional canning and preserving recipes and she includes a work plan if you want to do a seriously huge batch with a bunch of friends. But there are many options that are neither time consuming nor technical.

Take the superbly simple Herb-sicles, made of fresh minced herbs, frozen into blocks in ice cube trays; a few minutes of chopping in the summer and months later, one cube in your winter soup brings back all their redolent

Food Stores

Peaceful Food Cookbook Review By Miriam Jacobs Photography by Kevin Kenneflick fragrance. Or how about super-quick Berry Vinegar: purée berries and vinegar, wait a week, strain, and voilà! Or live on the edge with Red Hot Vodka (habanero peppers steeped in vodka). I think that no matter how busy your life is, there is time for these.

During these short, cold days you can make Ginger-Carrot Slaw, Curried Cauliflower or Mushroom Confit, and in a few months experiment with Cherry-Walnut Relish, Spicy Peach Salsa, and Chili Relish with Coriander.

I believe these recipes will seduce you not just because they are delicious and do-able but because she shares them with the confidence and easy banter you would expect from a good friend standing next to you in the kitchen. If that isn’t food-peace, I don’t know what is.

Herb-sicles Here’s a quick method to get your herbs put away. Toss these cubes straight from the freezer into soups, stocks, and sauces.

INGREDIENTS

Any quantity fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, chives, savory, or chervil, separately or in combination.

PREPARE

Wash the herbs and remove any woody stems. Purée with water in a blender, and then pour into an ice-cube tray and freeze.

PRESERVE

Freeze: Transfer cubes to a freezer container. They’ll keep frozen for up to 6 months.

Publisher’s Note: You can avoid toxic plastic and aluminum ice trays by purchasing and using 18/8 stainless steel trays now available through Amazon.com.

Article, photos, and recipe used with permission from Storey Publishing, copyright 2010. Photos below copyright Kevin Kenneflick. mon-sat 9-6

sun 11-4

Sister-owned since 1980

Summer: extended hours Winter: closed some Sundays MON - SAT

9:15 - 6 • SUNDAYS 11 - 3 413.637.2721

PHONE/FAX:

11 Housatonic St. Lenox, MA 01240

Ruth Wheeler Jack Sadoway Maggie Sadoway

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. ~ Julia Child www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

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Good Tidings!

Encouraging News from Our Community

By Susan Jameson

O

ptimism is a great catalyst for making the world a better place. When we can see there is hope, then we are more compelled to make the effort to do our part. In this spring issue of Our BerkshireGreen we explore and celebrate the spiritual dimension in the human quest to integrate mind, body, and spirit. The possibilities have never been better for us to broaden and deepen our spiritual knowledge and to actualize our own spiritual potential. In this issue’s Good Tidings we offer quotes from people who are making a difference in our community, turning hope, wisdom, and spirituality into compassionate action. When Spirit is at work in a person, amazing things happen! May good bless you!

♦

I

escorted local youth from the Berkshires to the UN for a briefing on climate change and a meeting of the Spiritual Caucus. Nawontah Waters, A Railroad Street Youth Project delegate, said “Going to the UN and the Spiritual Caucus was a great experience, seeing spirituality brought in and used to help bring peace to people’s minds, bodies, and spirits as well as bring peace to the world around us.” The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations supports the aims of this global organization as expressed in the Preamble to the UN Charter. The Spiritual Caucus seeks to balance and strengthen the endeavors of the UN system and its affiliates with inner reflection and stillness. I am inspired that young people from the Berkshires are having a voice in world affairs. ~ Michael Johnson, Pathways To Peace Representative to the United Nations, Monterey, Massachusetts, www.pathwaystopeace.org

L

ift Ev’ry Voice: Celebrating AfricanAmerican Culture and Heritage will celebrate the diverse traditions of African-American community arts, culture, history, and heritage found within Berkshire County and across the nation. The Festival runs from June 19 (Juneteenth Day) through July 23, 2011, and will include a wide variety of programming by participating arts and heritage organizations such as the Berkshire Museum, The Colonial Theatre, Jacob’s Pillow, Mass MoCA, Barrington Stage, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Shirley Edgerton, Co-chair of this historic event, noted “This Berkshire project is an exciting collaborative venture for the African-American community to celebrate our rich history and culture with some of the premier cultural organizations in out County as well as educate our youth and showcase the diversities in our communities.” ~ Shirley Edgerton, Co-chair, Lift Ev’ry Voice, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, www.liftevryvoice.com 14

March 2011

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T

he Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative, a growing group of laypeople from the area’s houses of worship, in partnership with clergy and communities, has come together to help in the opening of a food pantry on Eagle Street, North Adams, to continue the services formerly provided at 85 Main Street, which closed several weeks ago. The new pantry, to be staffed by volunteers of the Initiative under the direction of the Berkshire Community Action Council, will be housed in a storefront space donated by Lois and Michael Daunis, proprietors of Papyri Books. In a recent survey, we found that individual houses of worship minister to many by helping to provide basic human needs. We have also discovered at Initiative monthly meetings (First Baptist Church, North Adams, 10-12, third Fridays), which begin with prayer and faith sharing, that together we can be a force for good. Outreach, projects, worship, celebrations, and fellowship make the lights shine brighter to benefit all in our communities. ~ Al Nelson, Layperson, First Baptist Church, North Adams, Massachusetts, http://northernberkshireinterfaith.blogspot.com

On Monday, January 18, 2011, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition honored Mark Rondeau with the annual Martin Luther King Peacemaker Award at St. Elizabeth’s Parish Center.

I

deeply appreciated receiving the Martin Luther King Peacemaker Award at the Northern Berkshire observance of MLK Day. It was recognition from people I deeply respect and admire on the local MLK Committee. I think we tend to forget that Dr. King was a man of deep faith, a traditional faith intelligently understood and brilliantly expressed. He believed in a personal God and accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and friend. I am certainly no Dr. King, but I am motivated by a similar faith. Developing, with much help, a guide for family caregivers was my positive response to losing both my mother and one of my two sisters to cancer in the course of a year. The other thing the MLK Committee recognized me for was spearheading creation of the Interfaith Action Initiative. I became disillusioned with a local faith community that seemed to be too inner-directed and passive, and decided to speak up and suggest getting together in an interfaith setting and looking for ways to serve. To my surprise, many others felt the same and we have moved forward from there. ~ Mark Rondeau, writer, editor, photographer, North Adams,

Massachusetts, www.markrondeau.com

Green Building, Renovation & Landscape Design

Recycling, buying organic, using energy-efficient products – these are just a few of the choices made every day to help the environment. With Natura paint, you have an environmentally friendly option when it comes to painting the interior of your home, and you can count on the beauty and quality you expect from Benjamin Moore.

Virtually odorless Natura paint is the greenest and safest paint available in the market. In independent third party testing, Natura paint has the lowest total VOC emissions of any national paint brand tested. Available in any color, Natura also outperforms the competition by being the safest paint for your family without compromising performance or color selection.

Natura exceeds more industry standards for environmental safety than other leading zero VOC paints due to our unique waterborne colorant system that keeps Natura paint at zero VOC levels even after the paint is tinted to a specific color. Natura paint’s quick drying, virtually odorless formula allows you to use your room the same day it is painted.

The Green Promise® designation is Benjamin Moore’s assurance that its environmentally friendly coatings meet and exceed the strictest industry standards, while also delivering the premium levels of performance you expect from Benjamin Moore.

We share your passion.

Hillsdale, NY: 518.325.3131· Lakeville, CT: 860.435.2561 Millerton, NY: 518.789.3611· Hudson, NY: 518.828.9431· Chatham, NY: 518.392.9201 www.herringtons.com· 800.453.1311· FREE DELIVERY IN OUR SERVICE AREA

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

15

Green Building, Renovation & Landscape Design

Is she always looking for more storage, but can't seem to find it?

Custom cabinetry is the answer.

Spring Organizing Specials Gift Certificates Available

Hartsville Design Fine Furniture Custom Cabinets Kitchens/Bathrooms Home Offices Entertainment Centers Lingerie Cabinets Bookcases Kevin Regan 413.528.6133 Kevin@HartsvilleDesign.com www.HartsvilleDesign.com Be sure to ask about healthier options for environmentally sensitive individuals.

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March 2011

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Instructions

Sssshhhh . . . Listen Carefully

By Kenly Brozman, LICSW

E

verywhere we turn these days, there are instructions about how to be healthy and live well. Often, these instructions are from trusted doctors and experienced professionals with sound expertise. But much of the advice we receive is confusing, contradictory, too extreme, or not suitable for our unique system. In one sense, we are fortunate to be living in a time where information is so accessible. But in another sense, we can often experience an information overload that makes it almost impossible to make a choice, not to mention the choice that is right for us.

But wait . . . Listen carefully. As we listen and read and Google and discuss and read some more about all of the health and wellness advice swirling around us, we often fail to listen to the most important instructions of all! The most important instructions we have – instructions that are personally tailored just for you – come from within. And all we have to do is stop, take a deep breath, and listen . . . Really listen.

Each one of us comes custom built with innate strength and wisdom – an instruction guide – that steers us in the direction we need to go. Some might call it our gut instinct, some might call it intuition, or some may say that it comes from their strong belief in a higher power. Whatever it is for you, you have it, believe me, and it is has been with you all of your life. Now, this is not to say that we don’t need education, expert advice, and guidance from medical and helping professionals about how best to take care of ourselves when needed; surely, those things are essential. However, respecting ourselves and that powerful, natural inclination we all have to be well, deserves to be listened to just as much, if not more sometimes, than all of that well-meaning advice out there.

There are many ways we can tap into these instructions; finding the way that works for you is the key. A good starting point is to cultivate an awareness and intention simply to tune in and listen to your own instructions. Any kind of mindfulness practice can really come in handy here. You can put this commitment in writing, or commit in some other way to listening to your inner guide with trust and respect.

Forgot it already? That’s okay. Just take a breath, and commit yourself again and again to listening to your inner guide. Beyond this first step it is up to you, and the opportunities are endless! Walking? Yoga? Writing? Gardening? Golfing? Playing guitar? Meditating? Do whatever works for you that allows you to tune out and tap in to that inner voice, the one offering the positive instructions you need to take the next right step on your path to wellness and a more satisfying life – do it, and do it as often as you can.

Wellness coaching, of course, is another great way to help you tune into your own instructions. A coach becomes a partner in helping you tap into your intuition – a second antenna if you will that can assist you along the way, providing support and ensuring that you are staying on track.

So, are you ready for your instructions? You can begin anytime, anywhere. How about right in this moment?

Sssshhhh, listen carefully. You are speaking to you. ~ Kenly Brozman, Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Wellness Bound Coaching, www.wellnessboundcoaching.com. See advertisement on page 19.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

17

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative

At Canyon Ranch we aim to inspire people to make a commitment to healthy living, turning hopes and intentions into the highest enjoyment of life. Are you passionate about the work you do? Is ‘making a difference’ important to you?

Do you possess excellent guest service skills? Do you want to grow both personally and professionally? Are you ready for your next challenge?

If you answered YES! We want to meet you. Positions of interest that may be available at this time include: • • • • • • • • •

Massage Therapist Physical Therapist Exercise Physiologist Nutritionist Aesthetician Nail and Hair Technician Fitness Instructor Dance Instructor Yoga or Mind/Body Instructor

Join the team at

Canyon Ranch in Lenox!

We are a unique integrated wellness resort focusing upon our guest’s total experience: mind, body and spirit.

2 Please go to

www.canyonranchjobs.com to view current career opportunities, position requirements and submit your application online for immediate consideration.

To learn more about Canyon Ranch and our mission and values, please visit www.canyonranch.com Canyon Ranch in Lenox is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Optimize your Sleep Optimize your Life Ed O’Malley, PhD

Diplomat, American Board of Sleep Medicine Offering Biobehavioral Sleep Training: Sleep Strategies, Stress Management and Relaxation Training Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback & Non-linear Neurofeedback Come enjoy a unique set of practices designed to address your particular sleep issues.

▪Telephone (203) 216-3323 Email eddom7@gmail.com

Mary B. O’Malley, MD, PhD

Board-certified in Sleep Medicine and Psychiatry Sleep Medicine ∙ Psychiatry ∙ Spiritual Counseling Holistic approaches to put your mind at ease Come Discover Your Optimal Nature ▪Telephone (203) 556-4846 Email mary.ommm@gmail.com

Optimal Sleep, LLC • Optimal Neurofeedback, LLC 94 West Avenue, Great Barrington, MA 01230

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Integrative Health Solutions

s

MiniMal Medication Medicine

What’s safe, what works.

Precise, personalized holistic care.

Alan Inglis, M.D.

413-298-1001

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The Stockbridge Plain School 50 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA 01262

Randi Haskins-Jordan PT Osteopathic & Manual Techniques

Holistic techniques for pain relief and correction of dysfuntion for adults, infants and children 777 Main Street • At the Barrington Bagel Plaza, Great Barrington, MA 413-644-9474 • randiphysicaltherapy.com

L EE F AMILY P RACTICE 11 Quarry Hill Rd, Lee MA 01238 413-243-0536 | LeeFamilyPractice.com

Specializing in preventative medicine with holistic approaches.

Michael S. Kaplan, MD Melanie R. Levitan, MD Kathy Korte, FNP Ann Hummel, FNP Deborah Phillips LDN

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Acupuncture

Chiropractic & Kinesiology

Marion Bergan Irwin Licensed Acupuncturist

413.684.4888 Crowne Plaza, Pittsfield, MA

Low Back Pain • Sciatica • Disc Problems 301 Walker Street ▪ Lenox, MA 01240 Office/Fax: 413.637.8025 ▪ Web: www.DrErrico.net

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”

Naomi Alson

LIC. ACUPUNCTURIST AND HERBALIST specializing in

infertility, herbal treatments, cancer care at Lee Family Practice • 413-243-3223

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~ Lily Tomlin

Apothecaries Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions. ~ Albert Einstein

Coaching Discover what true, lasting wellness feels like to YOU! Wellness Bound Coaching Kenly Brozman, LICSW FREE Initial Certified Health & Wellness Coach www.wellnessboundcoaching.com Consultation kbrozman@gmail.com • 518-929-2050

Green & Sustainable Solutions • Small Space Design Aging in Place • Downsizing & Organizing

413.446.1048 Beth@BethHarlanInteriorDesign.com • www.BethHarlanInteriorDesign.com

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

19

T

he Journey

Following the Call of Spirit / By Thea Basis

I like to think that we are all on a journey and as we move forward we reach to the person behind us to help them to the next place.

As we each come to experience the Spiritual realms, we become wayshowers to those on their path. We can spend our whole life journeying to the beginning, and it begins with a questioning mind.

I have always been curious about death. I have always searched for a direction and meaning to my life and to Life in general. I felt a need to connect to something larger than myself and have looked for answers in the writings of the great thinkers and in ancient spiritual practices.

Born with a restless soul eager to find peace both in the world and within myself, I share this story to offer a hand to those who are also seeking that Peace Beyond Understanding. I hope that sharing some of my story will encourage you to begin, or continue, yours.

It began for me when I was fifteen years old, on a bus heading to my friend Lisa’s house in rural Englishtown, New Jersey.

In my hand was Plato’s Apology of Socrates, a book I carried everywhere. The bus was taking a wide bend in the road as I pondered the passage in front of me.

To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils. And surely it is the most blameworthy ignorance to believe that one knows what one does not know. ~ Plato

As a young child, I wondered why no one wanted to talk about death. Now I thought, “How do we know death is so terrible and to be feared?” Sure, dying remained daunting, but death – can it be a good thing? Then I asked myself how it is I think I know the truth about anything at all.

When I was fifteen, the focus on stuff in my family had already become empty and unfulfilling to me. The materialism embraced by my parents left me feeling a deep disconnect from my family and my surroundings. I suffered a nearly unbearable sense of emptiness and lack of meaning to my life. That day, on the bus, my mind opened and I realized that there were other ways to look at things, other interpretations of events, views alien to my family’s views, which might hold the key for me.

I remember I was leaning over the rail of the dock behind my home staring at the water of the Long Island Sound. I was mesmerized by the ripple patterns dancing before me. Then I noticed the clouds and the dock and even myself reflected on the surface. A thought entered my head as if from outside of me. All that you see on the surface is merely a reflection of what is real. The true life exists deep beneath the surface where whole worlds flourish invisible to the eye.

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Even then I sensed the weight of a truth which took another decade to fathom.

In 1972, I went off to American University to study psychology, philosophy, and the sciences. Raised without a religious background, I set out to answer my now burning question: Is there a God? As a child, I always talked to God at night when I was in bed. That’s when I thought God was listening. I would ask favors, bargain, and negotiate. I knew my parents didn’t believe in God, but I assumed someone was listening to my prayers.

I was determined to find out if there was or was not a God. If there is no God, then I figured there is no higher authority than my own conscience. If there is a God, then I would certainly vow to follow His laws. In my dorm room one night, I prayed to be shown proof of God. I had this dream . . .

An enormous lotus flower is opening petal by petal revealing its utter perfection to me. There is such radiant light pouring from the center of the lotus into every cell of my (dream) body. I can feel the presence of God! I exclaim in the dream Yes . . . Now I know there is a God. I wake up and still feel my body buzzing. I fall back to sleep.

I dream again . . .

I am on a long line outside of a circus tent. Everyone on line, including myself, is carrying a small black box in their hands. “Step right up, ladies and gentlemen,” the barker outside the tent is yelling, “Proof of God inside, proof of God inside!” Finally my turn comes and I enter the tent and am instructed to look into the little black box I carry. I raise the box to my eye and see the light from my first dream!

I was curious to explore further, so I learned to meditate and practice various forms of yoga. I went on to study dream interpretation, mysticism, world religions, parapsychology, metaphysics, and holistic health. All in an attempt to delve deeper into the mysteries. My journey continues.

I look back on that trip to Englishtown, New Jersey, and remember that is where my journey began.

Where does your journey begin?

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Counseling & Therapy

Massage Therapy & Bodywork

Matt Albert Ortho-Bionomy

Rehabilitative Bodywork for appointments call 413.446.6694

MEDICAL HYPNOSIS ❖ Quit Smoking ❖ Weight Loss ❖ Pain Relief Stress & Sleep Issues ❖ Prepare for Surgery

SUSAN SPIEGEL SOLOVAY Certified Hypnotist & Trainer/ Classes this Fall /Hillsdale & Great Barrington Free consultation 518.325.6335 ❖ hypnocoachny.com

Nutrition & Supplements

KARI J. AMDAHL, MA Psychotherapist

• Mindfulness, DBT, CBT, EFT • Art & Dream Work • Body-centered approaches • Individuals, couples, & children 413• 528• 6121

www.kariamdahl.com

Deb Phillips Deb Phillips Nutritionist utritionist N

MS, LDN, CHES

INSUR ACCEP ANCE TED www.debphillips.biz @ 413 446 3205 • deb debphillips.biz

Osteopathic Medicine

G REAT B ARRINGTON, MA

sliding scale

It is never too late to be what you might have been. ~George Eliot Massage Therapy & Bodywork

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

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

21

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Osteopathic Medicine

Berkshire Osteopathic Health FAMILY PRACTICE & OsTEOPAThIC MAnIPuLATIOn Stephen Kisiel, DO and Mary K. H. Yee, DO OsTEOPAThIC MAnIPuLATIOn Joshua Krembs, DO Now accepting new patients for Primary Care and Consultation Services.

Treating newborns through adults. Most insurance accepted.

Located at Berkshire Healing Arts 42 Summer Street, Suite 301, Pittsfield, MA

413.442.0085 | www.BerkshirehealingArts.com

Physical Therapy

Jay Kain Physical Therapy

&

Wellness Center 789 Main Street, Suite 4 Great Barrington, MA 01230 T (413) 528-0887 · F (413) 528-6123 www.JayBKainPT.com

Your Health, Our Hands.

Berkshire County’s Premier Manual Therapy & Wellness Practice

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Tai Chi

Physical Therapy

Manage stress, get in shape, and let your spirit soar!

Tai Chi & Qi Gong

“Lisa Baumgart is a very talented healer/therapist.

In the very first session she reduced my pain well over 50%. In a few weeks time, I had almost no pain.”

31 Williamstown Rd., Lanesboro, MA

413-442-7007

Lisa Baumgart, MPT Restoring Function & Fitness

Ask Lisa to

- Don Rochelo

speak to your company, club or organization complimentary!

We focus on dynamics of the whole body to determine your strengths and weaknesses.

Our unique approach to physical therapy is called Applied Functional Science or Chain Reaction Transformation.

Improve

Classes led by certified, caring instructors at Berkshire Pulse, Rte 183, Housatonic

BerkshireTaiChi.com 413-394-4196

Wellness Centers & Spas

Save $10 with this coupon...

(On single services $75 & above)

Massage • Reflexology • Reiki • HarpTherapy •Acupuncture • Coaching

105 Main Street, Village Green in Sheffield, MA

413-229-2066 • awakenhealingarts.com

Meditate!

• • • •

For Health and Happiness.

Weekly meditation classes for all levels of experience Mondays 7–9 am and 7–9 pm Private Sessions Cabin Available for Personal Retreats

Mobility function!

Reconnective Healing® RECONNECTIVE HEALING ® and THE RECONNECTION ® Marshall Rosenthal* • 413-743-5256 • marshsue@verizon.net

Call 413-243-6074 Hawkmeadow Meditation Retreat 322 Lander Rd. • Lee, MA 01238 • rjc5@bcn.net www.hawkmeadow-meditation.com

FAMILY WELLNESS DAY Saturday, March 12 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

*Listed on www.TheReconnection.com Access a new, more comprehensive spectrum of healing than has ever been attainable prior to now!

Door Prizes Every 20 Minutes Body Strength Assessments Bring Your Own Buddy Teen Fitness Program Children’s Activities, Crafts & Face Painting Early Childhood Activities Fitness Class Demonstrations Free Family Swim Get Fit Challenge Program Healthy Snacks The NOAH Center at Berkshire South Postural Body Assessments Stay & Play Program (Childcare While You Work Out) Wellness Package Drawing

Com

Reiki The Usui System of Natural Healing

Reiki Master Hinsdale, MA 413-655-2109 | 413-441-3672 P R O M O T E S S E L F - H EA L I N G , S T R ES S R E L IEF & BA L A N CE Hours by appointment | Home visits available

Prizes!

iveaways!

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Jill Powell

ver y Aspect of B Photo by Lisa Vollmer erks nce E e i r hir pe x eS E e

th ou

Reiki

Healing Arts

ww w. B e r k sh i r e R ei k i . co m

T

he doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~ Thomas Edison, Inventor www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

23

Health Care

Home & Garden

Yoga

~Beginner, Moderate, Gentle, Renewing, Let Your Yoga Dance & Prenatal Classes ~Beautiful, newly designed and fully equipped 1,700 sq. ft. studio ~Kripalu trained teachers ~Packages, Drop-In Rates, Gift Cert. & Private Sessions Available ~Massage available by appointment

See website for schedule: ����ti�o���or�

Gardens of the Goddess Fine Gardens that honor the Earth ~Always Organic~

design • installation • maintenance ornamentals • pond gardens edibles • containers native plants • orchards stone work • consultations

Pat Parkins

413 623-6495 gardensofthegoddess@gmail.com

Owner: Cathy Salvini, M.Ed. CYT 449 Pittsfield Rd, Lenox 413-496-YOGA

Yoga Nude in Albany Transcend Body & Mind

Experience joyful, flowing movement ignited by ujjayi breath.

518-577-8172 • www.YogaNudeInAlbany.com

Home & Garden

FILM FESTIVAL Celebrating 10 years Award-winning films to educate, inspire,enrage and engage.

March 27th 10am - 8pm Triplex Cinema & Mixed Company Great Barrington, MA All films are free. Seating is limited.

For info www.projectnative.org or 413-274-3433 Hosted by Project Native a non-profit 501(c)3 with support from The Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation.

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Film & Book Reviews for a Cozy Evening at Home

By Rodelinde Albrecht

E

very ardent gardener knows that gardening is not merely about digging and sowing and planting. It’s not merely about reaping the tangible rewards of your labors. It’s about connecting with the spirit of the earth. In the garden, often on our knees as if in prayer, fingering the fragrant soil, we realize that we are in touch with something beyond the merely physical. We are touching the nursery of life. We are partners in creation. Putting a seed into the ground, we affirm our faith that something will grow here.

As we embark upon a new gardening season, I want to tell you about two movies on this theme. One of them is The Garden, a 2008 documentary about how 14 acres of wasteland in the middle of South Central Los Angeles were transformed into a garden. This project grew almost literally out of the Los Angeles riots that followed upon the outrageous Rodney King verdict. By way of antidote to the physical and emotional devastation of the riots, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank director Doris Bloch wanted to help create something life-affirming in the community. On land owned by the city, a large group of Hispanic families painstakingly built what became the largest urban community garden in the United States. Twelve years later, the city evicted them. This film is a tribute to hard work and determination. It is also a cutting look at political chicanery and at the sad reality that corrupt power is nearly invincible. It reminds us once again that our world often pits those who seek to build and to nurture against those who seek only to destroy.

The second film is not exactly about gardening. Set against a backdrop of nature, Spring Forward (1999) shows us the spiritual and emotional growth of two men: Murph, a parks department worker a year away from retirement, and Paul, recently released from jail where he was serving time for armed robbery. Paul has been hired to help the older man.

Other characters appear around the edges of the story, but the movie is really about how these two men come to understand and to accept each other. Different in age, in background, and in temperament, they slowly discover that they have more in common than would seem possible. And they learn from one another; perhaps not too surprisingly, the older man learns as much as the younger. One word of caution: this movie is not for those who are hypersensitive to profanity; at least in the early part of the story, Paul seems incapable of uttering a sentence that does not contain the F word.

If you love to read gardening books, here is one you won’t want to miss: Dear Mr. Jefferson,

by Laura Simon (1998). It’s really a gardening journal, but written in the guise of a series of letters to Thomas Jefferson, whom the author greatly admires. Delicious details of what’s happening in her own “potato-shaped garden” on Nantucket Island are skillfully interwoven with historical tidbits and brightly colored descriptions of the gardens at Monticello, then and now.

Simon’s writing is witty and intelligent, brimming with the kind of word pictures that will make your gardening heart sing and your trowel hand begin to twitch.

~ Rodelinde Albrecht is the director of Concerned Singles, an introduction service that, for nearly 27 years, has brought together socially conscious, progressive singles who care about justice, race and gender equity, peace, the environment, and personal growth. www.ConcernedSingles.com. See ads on inside back cover and below.

<<are better than one!

Two hearts

Let help you find the heart that beats as one with yours.

www.concernedsingles.com or call Rodelinde at 413.243.4350

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March 2011

25

In Business: Greening Up!

SB

potlight on Green & Holistic usinesses in Our Community

Joy-Based Therapy

Joy-Based Therapy is a form of energy medicine that guides the individual to create the positive emotion of joy in life on a daily basis. It is considered “medicine” because the energy of joy, as it is radiated through and from an individual, is health promoting, producing an overall sense of well-being. This technique is considered a form of energy medicine because positive emotion carries with it a vibration, or energy, that can influence every aspect of our health. It can help balance the immune system, slow the aging process, and balance the neurochemicals necessary to promote emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Joy is a personal experience, dependent on the unique desires and preferences of the individual. What makes one person joyful may not in any way interest another, but the individual who is feeling joy affects those around him in a positive way, even if not a word is spoken.

This may appear to be a simple concept, yet many people practice quite the contrary, with resultant feelings of despair and disease. The good news is we can decide for ourselves at any given moment, that which we value and that which we choose to create.

Joy-Based Therapy may be practiced in a professional’s office, as principles and possibilities are explored, but the process simply requires a desire to focus in positive directions and a belief that one is a worthy, powerful, and always a creative individual. One can understand the concepts, but it is when we put them into practice that we create positive shifts in our well-being.

We are our thoughts. Every creation first started as a thought, whether it was Michalangelo’s Sistine Chapel or the Internet. Our bodies respond to our thoughts and we develop based upon the repetitive thoughts we hold about ourselves and our world. Thoughts produce emotions. Anger, depression, anxiety, resentment, fear, revenge, jealousy, hatred: These words that we use to describe various emotions carry with them a very different energetic vibration than words we use to describe the emotions of love, gratitude, hopefulness, happiness, trust, faith, peace, joy. The positive emotions will create a very different body and a different life experience than the negative emotions.

The sympathetic nervous system, which produces the fight-or-flight response, can save our lives. However, when we 26

March 2011

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operate with this system on a regular basis, it produces harmful stress in the body and disturbs the emotional state. If we think there’s a monster outside the door we immediately respond with a rapid pulse, tightened muscles, and a shift of neurochemicals designed to help us fight the battle. Increases in cortisol and other steroids can result in high blood pressure, weight gain, decreased immunity or imbalanced autoimmunity, diabetes, heart disease, or premature aging. Most always, there is no monster, and no real threat, yet we’ve created changes in our bodies that can produce negative outcomes. Indeed, many scientists feel that all disease is a result of our body’s experience of stress. Many of us live our lives believing the monster is outside the door. Fortunately, the reverse is also true. If we believe that all is well, and anticipate that good things await, the body will shift into the parasympathetic system, where resting and rebuilding occur. This is much more conducive to healing, disease prevention, and balanced mood.

When experiencing a negative emotion, it is possible to shift to an improved feeling based upon the thought process you choose. Examples of how to shift thoughts from those of discomfort to an improved feeling of well-being include: Reach for the better feeling thought. If you find yourself thinking negatively, such as, “I’ll never get strong again,” you might shift to “I’m making choices for myself that move me in the right direction, day by day.” If you have a goal for yourself but don’t quite know how you will accomplish it, state, “I set the intention to create that which I desire. I’m moving in the right direction for me. I’ll figure it out as I go.” We don’t shift from despair to joy in one thought. Moving forward, in the direction of your goal, will gradually bring you where you choose to go.

Set an intention to let go of that which no longer serves you. We all accumulate ideas and perceptions about ourselves and the world that don’t promote our well-being. Perhaps we were raised around negativity and grew to believe there was something wrong about us. We hide from attempting new challenges for fear we will fail. You may not know how to let it go, but setting the intention, and making a statement to the Universe, and to your Highest Self will get that energy moving.

Set an intention to be guided to that which is the next step for your highest good. Again, you may not know what this

By Janet Mickle, MS, RNCS is, or you may know exactly what it is that you desire. Set this intention and spend time being very still with your thoughts. Perhaps you express your desire, then take a quiet walk. It’s when our thoughts are still that some of our greatest insights come forth.

You can take action to increase the chances of feeling joy.

When you are feeling down, it can be difficult to get moving and do something new, but once you start the momentum, you greatly increase the odds of finding something that will help you shift into a positive and joyful state.

Explore your options for pleasurable activity, and choose. Some days a run might be the answer, other days reading a book will serve you better. Keep seeking until you find that which gives you pleasure.

Maintain a balance between rest and activity. Be sure to find time for yourself on a regular basis. An empty vessel does not pour forth water. One half hour of meditation can produce a more rested feeling than a night full of restless sleep. There are many ways to meditate. Explore that which feels right for you.

With a still mind and body, breathe in love, breathe out peace.

Simple, healing.

Be creative. Whether gardening, painting, taking photographs, writing, baking, building, sewing, refinishing, weaving, knitting . . . the list goes on and on. Find joy in your own creations.

Don’t wait until everyone else is served to find the portion of time for yourself. Ideally, you come first. If you are feeling nurtured and strong, you can do so much more for others. One of the greatest lessons a parent can teach a child is how to balance the role of giving to self, and service to others.

Find your individual spiritual practice. Be curious and awe-filled as you explore where the energy comes from that allows a single sunflower seed to spring forth into a magnificent plant, several feet tall, with brilliant yellow flowers, each containing hundreds of other seeds, with the power to produce hundreds of new plants. Seek to know the power that created us and the intelligence that sustains us. Spend time in that unmanifested space from which all life originates. There are many paths to the One Source. Feel the Oneness of your Being with all life. Spend time with the exquisite knowing of things you can’t quite put into words, but can feel, deep within your soul.

Be love-based, and gratitude-filled, and feel the joy that is at the core of your being.

Joy is the natural human condition. Joy-Based Therapy is the personal and pleasurable activity of finding our authentic selves and living our lives as completely and creatively as we desire. Joy is a healing energy, and as we radiate the joy through us and from us, others benefit as well. May you find your Joy. ~ Janet Mickle is a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist with the Primary Care Outreach Team at Berkshire Medical Center. She has a private practice in LaHo-Chi, a spiritually based form of energy work. She can be reached at (413) 329-5253.

Creativit y

r e t h g Lau Recommended Reading: The Power of Intention, by Dr. Wayne Dyer Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires, by Esther and Jerry Hicks Anatomy of the Spirit, by Caroline Myss, PhD A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle

Lifestyles & Perspectives

P& Wormhole to the Afterlife: Medium Bill Philipps ersonal Experience of Green Holistic Living in Our Community

T

hey talk about psychic medium Bill Philipps with the enthusiasm and reverence usually reserved for pop icons.

One hears of how he calls the names of your departed friends and loved ones out of thin air; knows how they lived, whom they loved, and how they died. Stacie Wechter, of Great Barrington, said she was so overwhelmed by her talk with Bill that she could hardly breathe or find her way home. I witnessed another woman in a gallery event so moved by the pinpoint accuracy of Bill’s intuitions that she sobbed uncontrollably in front of a roomful of strangers. Yet Bill’s messages of her departed friend’s understanding and forgiveness were welcomed by the woman, Phoebe Ungerer. She left feeling healed of a long-lasting hurt. What powers, what magic does this young man possess, that he can move people so profoundly? Before my hour-long, private session during his last visit to the Berkshires, in December 2010, I wondered: Would this young man, just less than half my age, actually move me to tears?

At twenty-six, Bill Philipps is building a solid reputation as a psychic medium, emerging from the shadows of such luminaries as Edgar Cayce, James Van Pragh, and Tana Hoy. With fair-haired, boyish good looks on an imposing 6' 4½" frame and a soft tenor voice, he is the opposite of the archetypal Nostradamus or Svengali one might expect. His manner is sweet and optimistic, yet I find his vibe to be exceptionally peaceful, grounded, and mature for his age. Although I have several times in my life encountered psychics with astonishing abilities, including Sheilaa Hite, whose mastery of the Tarot has helped to guide me through many difficult situations in our sessions at SEVEN salon.spa, this would be my first one-on-one with a medium, one who claims to see and bring messages from loved ones in the beyond. I brought a hefty helping of skepticism to my private session with Bill at SEVEN, a skepticism that he easily vanquished.

Like the modern-day medium in the film Hereafter played by Matt Damon, Bill Philipps jump-started his connection to my spirit world by holding my hand and whispering a peaceful invocation.

Within less than one minute, he said he had connected with my mother, who passed away five years ago. Bill did not put himself in a trance or impersonate her mannerisms as psychics often do in film depictions. Rather he simply relayed her words as if she were on the other end of a weak telephone connection, listening and then repeating what he heard. Immediately he spoke of situations and feelings my mother and I shared that were completely nonGooglable, facts only my mother and I could ever know, such as her feelings about my life choices, her relationship with my father and my brother, and much more. The words he conveyed were so intimate I could only believe that somewhere she is still totally alive, well, and content, completely free of the pain and suffering that took her from this world – and communicating with me!

Although I have sometimes felt her around me, this was the first time in five years that I could feel her love shining on me as warm as the summer sun, coursing through my body again like fresh oxygen. In no time, I was overwhelmed, overjoyed, and making good use of the Kleenex that Bill had advised me to hold.

Bill Philipps has also been called upon for such dramatic purposes as finding missing persons, only to predict, accurately,

Love & Laughter

By Maurice Peterson where and when the bodies would be found. Yet my experience with him was, to me, no less astonishing or profound. I had not only undergone the deeply emotional jolt of sensing my mother’s presence again, but I was also forced to confront my belief system. Here was my personal proof that other dimensions do exist, and that our souls do go somewhere on the other side of a mirror when we die. Modern mathematics have proven these alternate realities exist and suggests there are “wormholes” bridging them. Although I have no understanding of the equations behind these theories, Bill Philipps offers proof enough of their existence by being a human wormhole to the dimension of the spirits. And small though the hole may be, enough light can come through not only to dazzle and amaze, but to heal.

Offering his explanation of why people have such emotional reactions to his work, Bill says, “People are overwhelmed.

They break down and allow themselves to release all the tension, resentment, negative feelings, anger, and guilt they’ve been holding onto since their loved ones passed.” In my case, however, I was weeping from sheer happiness.

Bill believes he had the gift even as a child, sensing spirits around him and hearing their messages. Not knowing what to make of them, however, he suppressed his intuitions. At fourteen, when his mother, Yvonne, suddenly died thousands of miles away, she appeared to him that night to console him. This was the first time he knew an apparition was not just his imagination, but definitely something real. Then at eighteen, before studying operatic performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he happened into a New Age shop. There, by chance, his gift was noticed by other mediums. With their encouragement and tutelage, Bill developed his own skill to an extraordinary level. Working at the time as a barista, he would test his talents by writing the customers’ names on their cups just before they came into the shop.

As his skills developed and word of his talents spread, Bill had to struggle with heated opposition from his family about his beliefs and new career choice. Friendships were tested and some lost when he came out as a professional medium. He even had to struggle with himself over the direction his life had taken, wondering not only if it were prudent but whether or not he might actually be insane. Thankfully, he has overcome these obstacles and is pursuing the arduous and lonesome path of a freelance spiritualist, doing sessions privately and by webcam, but primarily by telephone from his home in Newport Beach, California.

At this phase of his young life, Bill Philipps is expecting great things for himself in the year ahead, and isn’t shy about his ambitions to grow his career. “My biggest goal,” Bill says, “is to reach the largest audience to bring healing to people and let them know there’s no such thing as death.”

Bill Philipps will be returning to the Berkshires from April 1-10, 2011. For more information and to book appointments, visit www.billphilipps.com.

Jeanne Bassis

P.O.Box 13, Great Barrington, MA 01230 (413) 528-5732 playyes@PlayReflections.com http://www.PlayReflections.com

Mind & Spirit

your soul path AnnE O’Neil | Spiritual Direction | Energy Healing www.yoursoulpath.com | 917-748-8463

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heilaa Hite

Intuitive Counselor

Featured in Paulette Cooper’s directory, ‘THE 100 TOP PSYCHICS in AMERICA’ Tarot • Astrology • Palmistry • Psychometry Mediumship • Past Life Regression

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March 2011

29

My Mother’s Hands

By Christine E. Dupre

I

didn’t know until she was dying that my mother hated her hands. She thought they were ugly. In reality, they were small and pretty, the hands of an artist. Perhaps it is what they did that made them ugly. But we never talked about that.

Not even at the end.

I remember exactly where I was when we received the news that my mother had pancreatic cancer. I immediately felt such love and compassion for her, as did my sister.

My brother’s reaction was not so kind. But his reaction was normal. Mine was not.

I have oen wondered if the world could bear one more story of a child with black-and-blues. I myself can barely watch each time a news story appears about a villainous mother who abuses a child. I loathe her.

I root for justice to be done to her. I want to jump into that child’s world and rescue it or whisper into its ear that God will help it escape. at was my world. My childhood. My testimony.

My mother was born the oldest of 12 children. Her father was a talented artist but a drunk, plain and simple. at’s what they called it back then. Her mother was schizophrenic, abusive, and bisexual. e few stories told to me, it is no wonder my mother was . . . my mother.

I cannot remember a day in my childhood I did not live in fear.

A fractured skull at two years old. A fall down cellar stairs, my mother recalled. (e doctor told my father ‘someone’ had beaten me severely.) ird degree burns down my back at toddler age. My mother said I had turned the water on in the tub when she le the room.

(Wouldn’t the burns be on the front? I wondered.) A broken arm at three years old. I fell into a hole in the driveway. And it goes on . . .

my mother 1941

My mother accepted the Lord when I was a teenager. at just meant verbal and psychological abuse, with God thrown in the mix; aer all, I was too old to hit. Over the years and into our adult lives, my sister and I gave our mother two names. Online Mom was really sweet and played online Scrabble with me and sent fun little emails. e other was Reality Mom: mean, cynical - the mother I grew up with. A complex, broken woman who would not let anyone in, much less let God heal her pain.

But fast-forward and I’m an adult. Past a few years escaping into the military service. Past a few years of depression and counseling. Years of God’s own hand in my life, weaving, working, healing. rough the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears of working out my own salvation. And in the end was the gi. e gi that by allowing God to work in my life for so long, He invisibly strengthened my heart enough to feel nothing but love and compassion for the woman whose hands had leveraged such power, pain, and sorrow - enough to haunt my dreams and bruise my soul.

I held those hands as she lay suffering terribly. I kept them warm. Put lotion on them if they were dry. Held them if she was sad. Held them because I could. And she felt loved. And that is how we parted.

No closure was needed. No verbal apologies. God molded my heart all those years and prepared me.

With His hands.

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Index of Advertisers Aflac - Ted Pitman, Independent Agent .................................8 Allegrone Construction Co., Inc. .........................................15 Alpine Solar Heat and Hot Water ............................................7 Andrea Feldman, Paperclip Studio .........................................9 Andrew M. Goldman, DO ....................................................21 Awaken Healing Arts ..............................................................23 AzureGreen ...........................................................................29 BensDotter’s Pet ...................................................7, back cover Berkshire Co-op Market ............................inside front cover Berkshire Osteopathic Health ..............................................22 Berkshire Photovoltaic Services (BPVS) ...............................6 Berkshire Pulse ......................................................................10 Berkshire South Regional Community Center ...................23 Berkshire Tai Chi ...................................................................23 Berkshires Green Grocer & Claire’s Cafe ...........................13 Beth Harlan Interior Design .................................................19 Blue Rider Stables ..................................................................10 BRIDGE, Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Groups and Education, Inc. .........................11 Canyon Ranch Lenox ..........................................................18 Christine M. Tobin, APRN, PC, A-HNC ..........................18 Clearwater Natural Foods ....................................................13 Concerned Singles ..................................25, inside back cover C.S.C.F. Distributors ...............................................................6 Darrow School ......................................................................12 Deb Phillips, MS, LDN, CHES .....................................21 Dr Jerome F. Errico, Bd Cert Chiro Phys ..........................19 Ed O’Malley PhD, Optimal Sleep&Mary O’Malley MD, PhD, Holistic Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine .............18 Eileen Lawlor, LICSW .........................................................21 Energy in Motion Studio .....................................................10 Erin Burch, Physical Therapy ..............................................22 Gardens of the Goddess .......................................................24 Geiger Computers ...................................................................9 GoodWorks Insurance ............................................................9 Graphic Design on a Dime ....................................................9 Grenergy Solar Store .............................................................7 Greylock Physical Therapy ..................................................23 Hancock Shaker Village .......................................................11 Hartsville Design Woodworking ..........................................16 Hawkmeadow Meditation Retreat .....................................23 Herrington’s ...........................................................................15 Hilltop Orchards - Furnace Brook Winery ..........................10 Integrative Health Solutions ...............................................18 Intuitive Counseling, Sheilaa Hite .......................................29

Jay Kain Physical Therapy & Wellness Center ....................22 Jerome F. Errico, Intuitive Counseling ...............................29 Jill Powell, Reiki ....................................................................23 Kari J. Amdahl, MA Psychotherapist ..................................21 Kwik Print Incorporated ........................................................9 Lee Family Practice ...............................................................18 Lenox Village Integrative Pharmacy................................. 19 Living Well Chiropractic .....................................................19 Marion Bergan Irwin, Licensed Acupuncturist ..................19 Matt Albert, Bodywork ........................................................21 Mikka Barkman ....................................................................21 Millie Calesky, Business & Life Coach ...............................9 Ming Lash, Somatic Movement Therapist ......................10 Montessori School of the Berkshires ....1, 11, inside back cover Mountain Road School ........................................................12 Naomi Alson, Acupuncturist & Herbalist .........................19 New England Center for Osteopathy ..............................22 New England Solar & Green Solutions, Inc. ........................6 Okerstrom Lang, Ltd. ..........................................................15 Pet Partners of the Tri-State Berkshires ...............................7 Phoebe Williams, Life Coach ..............................................19 Play Reflections ....................................................................29 Project Native ......................................................................24 Ramsdell Public Library ....................................................11 Randi Haskins-Jordan, Physical Therapy/Osteopathic ..........18 Reconnective Healing® and The Reconnection® ...............23 Renewable Energy Solutions, Inc. ........................................6 Route 7 Grill ................................................inside back cover Shamanic Healing Services .................................................29 Sproutman® ...........................................................................12 Susan Spiegel Solovay .........................................................21 Traditional Acupuncture, Jeffrey Gordon, M.Ac., L.Ac. ....19 Upper Crust Bakery .............................................................12 Valley Fireplace & Stove, LLC ............................................7 VCA All Caring Animal Hospital ......................................7 Violet Eagan, Certified Pilates & Gyrotonic Instructor ....10 Vlada Boutique ........................................................................8 Webster Ingersoll .................................................................24 Well Talk .......................................................inside back cover Wellness Bound Coaching .................................................19 WholePerson Movement .................................................10 Yoga Nude in Albany .......................................................24 your soul path ...................................................................29 Zaanti Yoga Studio ..........................................................24 Zorn Family Chiropractic ................................................19 www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

March 2011

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Happy spring from Our BerkshireGreen!

Be sure to tell our advertisers that you saw them here!

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thank you for your help in supporting green & healthy living in our community!

Walking the

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Rodelinde Albrecht Director, Concerned Singles

Avi Dresner

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