Natural Awakenings Boston September 2011

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3natural awakenings September 2011

14 ARTFUL KIDS Hands-On Creativity Nurtures Mind, Body and Spirit by Judith Fertig

16 HANDMADE HAPPINESS A Hands-On Approach to Authentic Living by Judith Fertig

20 NATURAL AwAKENINgS yogA gUIDE Find Your Perfect Yoga Style

26 SoUND yogA PRACTICES

by Meredith Montgomery

28 DowN UNDER yogA Many Traditions, One Essential Practice by Kim Childs

29 yogA FoR HEALTH by Meredith Montgomery

30 USINg MEDICINAL HERbS wITH PETS by Nancy Anderson

31 gLUTEN-FREE bAKINg The Scoop on Safe-to-Eat Flours by Claire O’Neil

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

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12 healthbriefs

13 globalbriefs

14 healthykids

28 community spotlight

30 naturalpet

31 consciouseating

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letterfrompublisher

It’s amazing what we can do when we tune in to our natural creativity… yet somehow I grew up wondering

why I didn’t seem to have a creative bone in my body. I’m left-handed, after all, which automatically means that I approach the world differently than most. Ever since I can remember, I yearned to be able to create something from nothing, repeatedly asking myself: Why doesn’t it just happen? For many years, nothing did. Then out of the blue, thinking that it would be neat to play with clay, I signed up for Sculpture 101 at the local community college. Imagine my dismay when the first words out of the professor’s mouth were: “Anyone here who thinks they’re going to play with clay in this class might as well leave now. We’ll be using a variety of mediums, but clay is not one of them.” Thank goodness, I was curious enough to stick around. During the next 16 weeks I gaped at what we managed to make with materials I would never have dreamed of using in a piece of art. With frightfully vague instructions that forced us to look within and contemplate what might be possible—leveraging anything from a roll of wire or a sheet of mat board and some hot glue to 1,000 golf tees or tealight candles—we wound up with spectacular results that were nothing less than astounding. I learned more about myself and human potential during that class than I had in a lifetime of traditional academics. It taught me that the only limits we have are the ones we set for ourselves and that the secret to opening up to our greater potential is to let go a little of self-limiting beliefs. These days, I’m challenged every day to release similar beliefs and dig deep to access my own creativity in order to bring this monthly magazine to life. Judith Fertig’s feature article “Handmade Happiness,” on page 16, is a delightful reminder that it’s never too late for any of us to dive into making our own child-hood passions come alive or to create something brand new to do that causes us to thrive. Participants explore how applying creative skill in one medium or another is a capacity that virtually anyone can develop with practice. September is also National Yoga Month and we’ve packed our pages with yoga resources for anyone looking to explore the endless opportunities avail-able. On page 20 we present our first Yoga Guide, a glossary of yoga styles. Starting on page 24 you’ll find profiles of local yoga instructors that provide classes worth checking out. In keeping with our yoga theme, Kim Childs brings us “Down Under Yoga” in this month’s Community Spotlight, on page 28, and Meredith Montgomery introduces us to singer-songwriter/yogi Michael Franti in “Sound Yoga Practice,” on page 26. Catch Franti at the Life Is Good Festival the weekend of September 24-25 at Prowse Farm, in Canton. I hope to see you there.

Feel good ~ Live simply ~ Laugh more,

Maisie Raftery, Publisher


Acupuncture Clinic Expands Hours and welcomes New PractitionerAlison Winters, Lic. Ac., has joined the team of prac-

titioners at Acupuncture Together of Cambridge. Winters, who previously ran the Community Clinic, in Salem, is a 2008 graduate of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in California. She interned at the school’s community clinic, the Califor-nia Pacific Stroke Project and Physical Therapy Center, the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic and Dr. Lifang Liang’s fertility clinic. Winters also worked as a teaching assistant for a sports-medicine and pain-management course and studied abroad with Dr. Wang Ju-Yi, one of modern China’s most respected scholars, teachers and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine. Winters is seeing clients on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Friday after-noons and Saturdays at Acupuncture Together, which has expanded it hours for greater convenience and accessibility. The clinic is now booking its appointments for all its staff on Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Acupuncture Together is located at 2464 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 420, in Cambridge. For more information, call 617-499-9993, email Info@Acupuncture Together.com or visit AcupunctureTogether.com.

newsbriefs

Directory Helps Doctors Refer Patients to Alternative PractitionersJill’s List, an online directory of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

providers, has teamed up with the Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deacon-ess Medical Center and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to launch Collaborative Medicine for All (CMA) this month. The four-month pilot program helps hospital doctors refer patients to practitioners of chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy. “This pilot will drive research around how CAM and traditional medicine can collaborate to help solve chronic conditions, lower the cost of care and make patients healthier,” says Jill Shah, CEO of Jill’s List. “It also takes advantage of the Jill’s List tools system, which allows practitioners and patients to collaborate, and benefits patients who cannot afford CAM care, which is typically paid for out of pocket.” Jill’s List vets the practitioners in its network in order to provide doctors with trusted and experienced CAM providers. To date, 30 such practitioners have quali-fied for the CMA pilot, including Mimi Rhys, a licensed massage therapist who practices craniosacral therapy and lymphatic drainage. “I’m very excited about a program that combines mainstream and alternative medicine,” says Rhys. “I look forward to working with physicians to provide patients the benefits of complemen-tary medical care.”

For more information about the CMA pilot and Jill’s List, call 203-722-1867 or visit JillsList.com.

Creativity involves

breaking out of

established patterns

in order to look at things

in a different way.

~Edward de Bono

Alison Winters


newsbriefs

Newton Holds First Annual bike Social for SeniorsBike Newton, the Newton Senior Center

and the Newton Department of Parks and Recreation are collaborating to present a senior center bike social on Sunday, at 10 a.m. on September 11. The event, which takes place at the Newton Senior Center, aims to provide seniors with an opportunity for healthful living through pedal-powered physical activity, interactive mental stimula-tion and peer-group social components. “The goal is to allow adults over the age of 50 to rediscover bicycling as a healthy and enjoy-able way to remain active,” says Lois Levin, president of Bike Newton. Bike riders of all ability levels are welcome on the one-hour, 6.75-mile ride along the Charles River. Newton police escorts will be on hand, as will Cabot’s ice cream and Harris Cyclery bike me-chanics. Participants also can attend a bike safety clinic. All riders must provide their own bikes and helmets.

The Newton Senior Center is located at 345 Walnut St. in Newtonville. For more information, call 617-527-1237, email [email protected] or visit Bike Newton.org.

yoga for Mindful Eating Series in Cambridge, Newton and worcesterDiana Cullum-Dugan, a regis-

tered and licensed dietician and anusara-inspired yoga teacher, presents a Yoga for Mindful Eat-ing series at three locations this fall. The program blends yoga poses and philosophy, meditation and a gentle exploration of the body’s energy-pro-cessing centers to encourage mindful eating habits. “The series is designed to create a shift from restrictions and old tapes of ‘not good enough’ to mindfully loving ourselves, becoming comfortable with food and bearing witness as old patterns, barriers and triggers melt away,” Cullum-Dugan says. “With mindfulness and turning inward through yoga and meditation, answers emerge and mindless eating can stop.” The seven-week series will take place at Majestic Yoga Studio in Cam-bridge, Flowforms Yoga in Worcester and Samadhi in Newton Center. Cullum-Dugan says that while popular diet books may top bestseller lists, they often tout deprivation and lead to failure. “Hiding behind diets keeps us from living our lives,” she says. “Mindful eating encourages curiosity and interest in a healthy relationship with food.”

For more information about Diana Cullum-Dugan’s services and the Yoga for Mindful Eating series, call 617-393-2200 or visit Namaste Nutrition.net.

New E-book on Staying young with yogaHow to Stay Young Through Yoga is an e-book

by LPN and certified Kripalu yoga teacher Carmela Cattuti that addresses the issues of aging for yoga practitioners. The e-book includes detailed explanations of the focus needed in each posture to maintain a youthful and vital external and inter-nal body. “Yoga is a technology for maintaining a youthful body, mind and spirit,” says Cattuti, who offers classes through her Yoga of the Future studio. “Staying young and mobile is a major concern for those over 40 who want to maintain their health and youthfulness.” Cattuti says her book is an essential companion to yoga practitioners who want to dive deeper into their practice, as it addresses the significance of the indi-vidual within the practice and discusses yoga as a tool for personal transformation.

For more information, call 617-970-5320, email [email protected] or visit YogaOfTheFuture.com.

Diane Cullum-Dugan

Helen Rittenberg and Lois Levin

Carmela Cattuti


Fall yoga Retreat in Sabina, Italy Billie Jo Joy, yoga teacher and co-founder of

Art and Soul Yoga, in Cambridge, will lead a yoga retreat in Sabina, Italy, this fall from October 8 to 15. “Yoga in Italy” is for those who wish to en-joy the culture, beauty and spirituality of Italy in a retreat center one hour north of Rome. The retreat features two classes daily in the Iyengar/Kripalu tra-dition for students of all levels, including pranaya-ma, meditation and yoga philosophy. Indoor and outdoor practice spaces overlook the rolling hills and countryside of Sabina. Full-day and half-day excursions to Assisi and Orvieto are included in the retreat, and vegetarian meals will be served daily. Accommodations are in 17th-cen-tury farmhouses with terraces that open on panoramas of olive groves, fruit trees and sunsets. Joy is an Iyengar-trained, Kripalu-certified yoga instructor who has been practic-ing and teaching yoga for more than 20 years. She says her yoga classes are open to everyone. “Popular magazine covers often present modern yoga as something that’s only for the beautiful, hip and ultra-flexible,” Joy remarks. “This is not true, and it’s important to come as you are in the present moment. We need not be alike, or at the same level of practice.”

For more information about Yoga in Italy and Billie Jo Joy, call 617-395-4227 or visit ArtSoulYoga.com.

Triyoga boston offers weekend Training ProgramDr. Timothy McCall, author

of Yoga as Medicine, will kick off TriYoga Boston’s 500-Hour Therapeutic Teacher Training Program with a weekend workshop on The Science of Yoga on October 1 and 2. The weekend training program, taught by medical professionals, authors and certified experts, is designed to offer alternative ways to manage disease and im-prove overall health and well-being. Each program includes background material combined with yoga practice tailored for specific health conditions. Weekend training sessions are open to the public. Participants do not need to be yoga instructors or enrolled in TriYoga’s full teacher-training program to attend. The sessions can benefit yoga instructors, nurses, therapists and patients with spe-cific conditions that can be helped by yoga. Other topics throughout the year, taught by experts in each field, will include Yoga for Cognitive Health, Yoga for Trauma, Yoga for Depression and Anxiety, Yoga for Breast Cancer, Yoga for Eating Disorders, Yoga for a Healthy Spine and Chair Yoga.

TriYoga Boston, a nonprofit organization, is located at 60 Prospect St. in Waltham. For more information and schedules, call 781-609-2497, email Info@TriYoga Boston.org or visit TriYogaBoston.org.

Free Sports Evaluations Every Tuesday in CambridgeCambridge Physical Therapy

and Sports Medicine now of-fers free sports evaluations from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday. The community-based physical therapy clinic, located in the heart of Cambridge, has been special-izing in sports injuries for more than 25 years. Dr. Alfred Roncarati, a licensed Massachusetts physical therapist and athletic trainer, is the clinic’s director of physical therapy. Cambridge Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine also special-izes in helping people recover from motor vehicle accidents, overuse and work-related injuries and slips and falls. Clients needing pre- and post-operative rehabilitation also are welcome. “We really take pride in helping our patients to get back to full functioning abilities,” says Deborah Garnder, part owner (with her brother, William Heath) of the clinic. “Our priority is to provide the best rehabilitation services and to help you reach your maximum physical potential.”

Cambridge Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine is located at 1000-A Cambridge St. in Cambridge. For more informa-tion, call 617-492-6600, email [email protected] or visit CambridgePTSportsMed.com. See ad on page 15.

Billie Jo Joy


gentle yoga and Relaxation Retreat in New HampshireJill Braverman, a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and

health coach, is leading a Gentle Yoga and Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation Retreat at the Dragonfly Yoga barn in North Sandwich, New Hampshire, from September 23 to 25. Braverman says this yoga retreat is for anyone, regardless of age or level of experience. “Yoga Nidra consists of just one pose, which is lying down in savanasa, also known as ‘corpse pose,’” she says, adding that students are then led through a progressive relaxation that can last up to 45 minutes. “People who practice Yoga Nidra regularly report relief from health issues such as anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain.” Braverman says that many people think they have to be flexible and agile to experience the benefits of yoga, which may keep some from trying it. “Gentle styles of yoga, such as Kripalu and Yoga Nidra, are perfect for beginners or those who want to balance out a powerful yoga practice or intense exercise routine with a quieter, more meditative class,” she says. “Anyone who suffers the negative effects of a stressful lifestyle can benefit from these practices.”

For more information about the yoga retreat, call 617-529-5079, email [email protected] or visit JillBraverman.com.

newsbriefs

Allasso Chiropractic to Collect School Supplies for Homeless ChildrenAllasso Chiropractic in Newton-

ville is holding its second annual School Supply Drive, which runs Monday, August 29, through Friday, September 16. Anyone who brings in five school supply items and $25 can receive a new patient evaluation, which includes a health consultation, a thorough spine examination, X-rays (if needed) and a health report. This package normally costs $175. All donations will be given to School on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that provides tutoring, school supplies, backpacks and uniforms to homeless children. “We hope people will help these kids while helping themselves and their families to have better health through chiropractic,” says Dr. Robert Mirandola of Allasso Chi-ropractic. He adds that supporting School on Wheels also can reduce the burden on classroom teachers, who often pay for supplies and mate-rials themselves to help their students learn.

Allasso Chiropractic is located at 46 Austin St., Ste. 101, in Newton. For more information, call 617-332-1877 or visit AllassoChiro.com. For more information about School on Wheels, visit SchoolOnWheels.org.

Jill Braverman

New Acupuncturist at Arlington Integrative Medicine CenterThe Rothfeld Center for Integrative Medi-

cine in Arlington is pleased to announce that clinician Stephanie Kula is now a licensed acupuncturist taking new patients. Kula practices Five Element Acupuncture, which views each of the five elements—wood, fire, Earth, metal and water—as representing a separate quality of the life-force energy, or qi, as it flows through people, animals and nature. Kula, who has worked for 10 years as an IV therapist and medical assistant at the center, has already forged strong relationships with patients. “It’s great news for people looking for acupuncture treatment at an established and reputable prac-tice,” she says. “I see acupuncture as a unique way to bring balance, healing and compassion to people.”

The Rothfeld Center for Integrative Medicine is located at 180 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 303, in Arlington. For more information, call 781-641-1901 or visit Rothfeld Center.com.

Stephanie Kula

Dr. Robert Mirandola


Local Ayurvedic Practitioner Now Seeing Clients Veronica Wolff, an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant and

yoga specialist, is welcoming clients to her Yoga Health Life practice. Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old sys-tem of medicine from India that is gaining popularity in the United States. The Kripalu School of Ayurveda at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox is one of the few institutions that educates practitioners in this natural health system. Wolff studied yoga for more than a decade before focusing on its “sister science.” “The ayurvedic definition of health puts emphasis on being happy and seated within the self,” Wolff says. “That resonates with me on a cellular level, leaving me with a sense of truth unlike any other system I’ve studied.” Ayurveda is based on the principle that there are five elements that make up everything in the universe: space, air, fire, water and Earth. “Keeping these ele-ments in balance can lead to balance in our bodies, minds and spirits,” Wolff says. “Ayurveda gives us the missing pieces that help make sense of everything. It really helps us align with our true potential.” Wolff is available for ayurvedic consulta-tions, yoga classes, workshops and ayurvedic bodywork in Arlington and else-where by appointment.

For more information, call 508-596-6664 or visit YogaHealthLife.net.

Deva Premal and Miten Coming to Somerville

Mantra singers Deva Premal and Miten are per-forming in 24 cities across the United States

this fall, with a concert scheduled in Somerville on Wednesday, September 7 at the Somerville Theatre. The couple have been chanting and making music together since they met at an ashram in India 20 years ago. Together, they’ve recorded more than 20 albums, including the jazz-influenced Password, which debuts this fall. Deva and Miten, who count the Dalai Lama among their passionate fans, travel to some 20 countries each year to perform at concerts, benefits and oc-casionally, prisons. “We feel like we’re part of a 5,000-year-old (Hindu) tradition, only now it’s mostly white westerners chanting with us,” says Miten. “We just played to nearly 4,000 people in Moscow, and wherever we go, the theaters are full of people who know our music and chant with us.” The couple refers to their fans as fellow travelers, sharing a spiritual journey and a love of sacred music. “We feel like facilitators of a communal gathering,” says Deva. “We bring the songs and the instrumentation and make a reason for everyone to be together for the evening. Then we just enjoy each other.”

Deva Premal and Miten’s latest CD, Password, debuts this fall, when the duo will be joined by Nepalese bamboo flutist Manose on their tour of 24 U.S. cities. Visit DevaPremalMiten.com.

Veronica Wolff

Miten, Deva Premal and Manose


newsbriefs

Infant Massage and Reiki Certification Classes at New Cambridge LocationDaniel Sharp, owner and operator of Sacred Circle

Healing, is pleased to offer Infant Massage and Reiki Certification Classes at a new Prospect Street loca-tion in Cambridge. “Touch practices have been shown to have numerous physical, psychological and spiritual health benefits for all involved,” Sharp says. “Research shows that Reiki and infant massage may help to relieve pain, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, deepen communication, and support muscular/skeletal health.” Sacred Circle Healing is committed to providing empowering, compassion-ate holistic care to the community. The center offers fun and informative classes to encourage community members to take the power of healing into their own hands. Private and group instruction are available for those who want to deepen their own healing abilities; gain knowledge of techniques, systems and theory; and enjoy the benefits of hands-on experience.

Sacred Circle Healing is located at 126 Prospect St. in Cambridge. For more infor-mation, call 781-412-4325 or visit SacredCircleHealing.com.

Deep Energy Retrofitting Available Through green builders

Boston Green Building (BGB), a full-service green builder and National Grid-approved

contractor, is helping homeowners acquire sub-sidies for super-insulating their homes this fall. The Deep Energy Retrofit Program, sponsored by National Grid, allows consum-ers to receive a 75-percent reimbursement of qualifying energy-related upgrades, with a cap of $35,000 to $42,000, (depending upon square footage). Multi-family subsidies range from $50,000 to $106,000. “This is no small commitment,” says BGB Owner Brian Butler. “The expectation is that the client’s home will need a comprehensive renewal of the roofing, siding, doors, windows and mechanical systems. Still, it’s a major opportunity for the right candidates to super-insulate their homes and improve their quality of life.” BGB, established in 2007, creates healthful spaces that increase the well-be-ing and comfort of individuals and families, while decreasing the operational costs and carbon footprints of their homes. “Lower heating bills are just the beginning,” says Butler. “Higher property value, air quality, and greater recognition as a supe-rior home are the biggest upshot for participants.”

Boston Green Building is located at 218 Lincoln St. in Allston. For more informa-tion, call 617-202-3777 or visit BostonGreenBuilding.com. For more information on the National Grid program, including terms and conditions of the Deep Energy Retrofit Program, visit PowerOfAction.com/DER.

coverartist

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II

(One-Legged King Pigeon Pose II)by Ilene Rubin

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, artist Ilene Rubin won her first drawing award at the age of 9 and has been involved in art ever since, painting murals, boots, purses, a line of wom-en’s and children’s clothing, furniture, walls and even a radiator, using motifs that range from folk art designs to landscapes. She is still painting “stuff,” but now devotes most of her brush-work to landscapes. Working in acrylics, watercolors, pastels and oils, Rubin’s bold and un-abashed explosions of color make her canvases sing. Her pastel, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II, is based upon an image by photographer David Marti-nez that graced the September 2007 cover of Yoga Journal magazine. Rubin, also a published author, plumbs the frailties and depths of the human heart and mind, but most of all, seeks to offer serenity and light. “Through my art, I explore shades and colors of beauty—the tones and silences between what is seen and what is felt,” she advises. “For me, I have succeeded if I have given some-one… a reason to rest their heart and smile—even for one single glance—at a beautiful sight. That is my greatest aspiration and desire.”

View the artist’s portfolio at IleneRubin.com.

Daniel Sharp


ecotip

Brew AhaTempest in a TeapotTea is the second most consumed bever-age in the world after water, and many drinkers prefer the convenience afforded by prepackaged individual servings. The remains, however, add up to 1,500 tons of landfill waste annually. At least there are things to do with an old tea bag before giving it the heave-ho, starting with some surprising natural health benefits.

n Try reusing a tea bag as a compress for bee stings, bug bites, sunburn and bruises. It will ease pain and reduce inflammation.

n Get rid of a plantar wart by pressing a wet, warmed tea bag directly onto the area for 10 to 15 minutes, then let the skin dry naturally. Repeat the treatment for a few days until the wart completely disappears.

n Run bath water over used tea bags to enjoy a soak that will leave skin incred-ibly soft. Green tea works best.

n Revitalize puffy, achy eyes by refrig-erating the tea bags before laying them over the afflicted peepers and let the tan-nin in the tea go to work.

n Got razor burn? Press one tea bag against the skin to relieve the sting and stop the bleeding.

n After an accidental roll in poison ivy, dab skin with a moist tea bag to dry up the rash.

Outdoors, tea bags have multiple uses, as well. Tear open a used bag and work the contents into the dirt of acid-loving plants like ferns and roses. The tannic acid and other nutrients will be released when plants are watered, spur-ring their growth. For healthier potted plants, place a few brewed tea bags over the drainage hole at the bottom of the planter before potting. The tea bags will retain water and leach nutrients into the soil. Finally, it’s good to compost any

used tea bags; just remove any staples first. Speed the decomposition process and enrich the overall compost pile by pouring a few cups of strong, twice-brewed tea into the heap. The liquid tea will hasten decomposition and attract acid-producing bacteria to create an acid-rich compost. That’s not all that tea bags can do. Visit tinyurl.com/45lpesv for more uses, from facials to kitchen cleanups.

Adapted from ChasingGreen.org—show-ing how ordinary people can positively impact our world every day.


healthbriefs

Tai Chi Can Turn Depression Around

A recent study published in the online edition of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychi-

atry reveals that more than 2 million people age 65 and older suffer from depression, including 50 percent of nursing home residents. In seek-ing an alternative to aggressive drug treatments, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), turned to a gentle, western-ized version of Tai chi, a 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art. During the study, 112 adults age 60 or older that had been diagnosed with major depression were treated with a standard antidepressant drug for four weeks. The 73 adults that showed only

partial improvement continued to receive the medication, but were also assigned to 10 weeks of either Tai chi or health education classes. The group practicing Tai chi experienced greater improvement in their levels of depression, as well as an enhanced quality of life, better cognition and more overall energy than the non-practicing group. Dr. Helen Lavretsky, the study’s first author and a UCLA professor-in-resi-dence of psychiatry, says, “This study shows that adding a mind-body exercise like Tai chi, that is widely available in the community, can improve the outcomes of treating depression in older adults that may also have other, coexisting medical conditions or cognitive impairment. With Tai chi, we may be able to treat these conditions without exposing them to additional medications.”

The Write Stuff Eases AnxietyStudents can combat test anxiety and post better

results by writing about their worries just before taking an exam, according to a recent University of Chicago study published in the journal Science. Those prone to testing jitters improved their high-stakes test scores by nearly one grade point after they were given 10 minutes beforehand to write about what was caus-ing their fears. Sian Beilock, an associate professor in psychol-ogy and the study’s senior author, is one of the nation’s leading experts on the phenomenon of “choking under pressure,” instances in which talented people perform below their skill level when presented with a particularly challenging experience. She explains that feeling under pressure can deplete a part of the brain’s process-ing power known as working memory, a sort of mental scratch pad that allows us to retrieve and use information relevant to the task at hand. The writing exercise allowed students to unload their anxieties before taking the test and freed up the needed brainpower to complete it with greater success. Beilock adds, “We think this type of writing will help people perform their best in a variety of pressure-filled situations, whether it is a big presentation to a client, a speech to an audience or even a job interview.”

bETTER boNES FoR KIDS wITH CELIAC DISEASECeliac disease (CD) is an inherited

intestinal disorder characterized by a lifelong intolerance to the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains. Although it can occur at any age, CD most commonly afflicts children ages 9 to 24 months, and one of its common complications is metabolic bone disease. Reduced bone mineral density can lead to the in-ability to develop optimal bone mass in children and the loss of bone in adults, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. A recent article in the journal Nutrition Reviews stated that a gluten-free diet promotes a rapid increase in bone mineral density and leads to complete recovery of bone mineraliza-tion in children. If a CD diagnosis and treatment is established before puberty, children may attain normal peak bone mass, which can prevent osteoporosis in later life. Nutritional supplements of calcium and vitamin D further appear to increase the bone mineral density of children and adolescents. A gluten-free diet also improves, though rarely nor-malizes, bone mineral density in adults with CD. “Our findings reinforce the impor-tance of a strict gluten-free diet, which remains the only scientific proven treat-ment for CD to date,” the authors conclude. “Early diagnosis and therapy are critical in preventing CD complications like reduced bone mineral density.”

Source: Wiley- Blackwell


globalbriefs

World HarmonySeptember 21 Brings International Peace DaySince its inception in 1981 at the United Nations, Peace Day has marked personal and planetary progress toward peace. Each year, events com-memorating and celebrating peace involve mil-lions of people throughout the world. This year’s 30th anniversary theme, Make Your Voice Heard, pays tribute to the many civil society activists that have lent the strength of their imagination to the institu-tion of peace. Anyone can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon and just sitting in silent meditation. Or, it may evolve into engaging co-work-ers, organizations, communities or local government in a larger event. The impact of coming together for one day of peace is immense. The International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire—both personal and political. Why not take this opportunity to make peace in your own relation-ships as a start to positively influencing the larger conflicts of our time, by holding participants kindly in your thoughts? Imagine what a whole day of ceasefire could mean to humankind.

Visit InternationalDayOfPeace.org.

Jaws CauseShark Protection Going GlobalGovernments around the world are taking action to protect sharks. News from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) points out that sharks are more valuable alive than dead, because they keep ecosystems healthy. Plus, shark-related tourism is becoming a major industry. All of this value is squandered when an estimated 26 to 73 million sharks are killed annually for short-term gain from the sale of their fins. The Chilean National Con-gress has passed legislation that bans shark finning in their waters, even though the country has been a major exporter of shark fins for soup, and The Bahamas recently joined Honduras, the Maldives and Palau in outlawing the practice. Hawaii and Fiji also realize that because sharks swim into unprotected waters, banning the sale and trade of fins is the best way to protect sharks. California is working on a similar approach. NRDC is calling on nations to do what they can by putting an end to finning in their waters or by stopping the trade of fins in their country, prior to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro next year.

Take action at tinyurl.com/3pu3cnp.

Green SealNew Standard Signals Safe Personal Care ProductsThe environmental certification nonprofit Green Seal continues to expand its reach across industries with its latest quality standard for personal care and cosmetic products, such as deodorants, lotions, hair sprays, insect repellants, sunscreens and nail polishes. The new GS-50 standard applies to products meant to be left on the body, a complement to Green Seal’s GS-44 standard for soaps and shampoos, which are intended to be washed off. To receive the Green Seal label, products cannot be tested on animals or contain carcino-gens, reproductive toxins or other compounds found harmful to humans. The list of banned ingredients includes bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and triclosan. Product compounds, with a few exceptions, must readily bio-degrade in aquatic environments. Companies can meet the packaging requirements by having recyclable packaging, a take-back program or packaging made with 50 percent post-consumer material. All ingredi-ents must be listed, with appropriate use of terms such as “natural” and “biobased.” Any business applying for the standard must document energy and water use, air emissions, and trash and wastewater related to manu-facturing processes, as well as the distance and type of transportation used to move raw materials. On the social responsibility side, workers must be given the right to join labor unions, child labor is pro-hibited, and wages and working hours are expected to meet minimum legal requirements or industry benchmarks.

Source: GreenBiz.com


Kids’ active participation in the creative arts helps them develop physically, mental-ly, emotionally and socially—whether

they are painting, drawing, shaping pottery, performing in plays or musicals, dancing, storytelling, or making music. Studies culled by educators at Arizona’s Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts confirm the multiple benefits, ranging from higher SAT scores to increases in self-esteem and improved ability to handle peer pressure. Yet, with shrinking school budgets, cutting back on what are considered non-core subjects such as music and art is the path that many school districts are forced to take, explains Anne Bryant, Ph.D., executive director of the National School Boards Association. Communi-ties, in turn, must find new ways to counter this new financial reality. For example, an elementary school music or art teacher, once devoted to a single school,

now may have to travel to several throughout a district. “Schools are under so much pressure due to dwindling resources and the No Child Left Behind legislation that some-times the children who most need the arts are put in reme-dial classes instead,” says Susan Tate, a former teacher who is now executive director of Kansas’ Lawrence Arts Center. Add in our digital culture—where hands-on most often means a computer keyboard or phone-texting device—and domestic situations in which busy parents aren’t keen to clean up messy finger paints and other craft supplies, and the result is, “These days, kids also are less likely to do hands-on art at home,” adds Tate. At young ages, children are likely to be more passive than active learners, says Sharon Burch, a music educator in Mystic, Iowa. They may listen, for example, to whatever tunes their parents play, instead of simpler, more age-ap-propriate songs. Burch has helped fill the need by providing interactive Freddie the Frog resources for use by parents, as well as in music classrooms. Fortunately, communities across the country have rallied to offer afterschool and weekend arts and crafts programs. Many simple arts participation activities are easy for parents, grandparents and caregivers to do along with the kids.

Developing Mental Abilities“Current studies of brain imaging and mapping show that the active making of music creates synapses in all four parts of the brain,” Burch says. By active, she means physically tapping out a rhythm with sticks, singing a song, dancing to a beat, marching, playing patty-cake or engaging in other age-appropriate, physical movement. “To really light up the brain, you have to do something, not just passively listen.” Making music helps kids think, create, reason and express themselves, adds Burch.

Practicing the art of simple storytelling, as well as having adults regularly reading chil-dren’s literature with youngsters, can also have a profound impact. A 2003 study published in the

American Educator, based on exhaustive research by Ph.D. psychologists Todd Risley and Betty

Hart, showed that by age 4, a huge gap in vocabulary skills exists between

children of different economic levels. Those growing up in a household

of educated, professional people hear a cumulative 32 million

more spoken words (1,500 more per hour) during these early years—and thus have a greater vocabulary—than

those from welfare families. The researchers further documented more than five times the instances of encouraging feedback. They discovered a direct correla-tion between the intensity of these early

verbal experiences and later achievement. Risley and Hart attributed the meaningful

difference to the increased interaction—more

ARTFUL KIDS

Hands-On Creativity Nurtures Mind, Body and Spirit

by Judith Fertig

healthykids


storytelling, reading and parent-child discussions—that typi-cally takes place in more affluent households.

Firing Imagination“Our culture is so linear and lingually driven that it often doesn’t tap into the vastness of a child’s imagination,” observes Anne Austin Pearce, assistant professor of communication and fine art at Missouri’s Rockhurst University. Pearce often works with school children through library events that couple art and storytelling. “Also, there’s pressure to measure results in a culture that tends to label you either a winner or a loser, but art is not quantifiable in that way; art allows kids to develop ideas through the creative process that they can’t do any other way. “When kids are drawing, they often talk as they are doing it,” she says. “You can then engage in a different kind of con-versation with kids, just letting things happen and asking open questions. Kids tell their own stories.”

Confidence-BuildingKids that study and perform at least one of the arts such as dance, playing an instrument or acting in a play, “... will have an edge up that’s so critical as an adult,” concludes Verneda Edwards, executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Blue Valley School District, near Kansas City. “Kids not only benefit academically by engaging in the arts, they also have the ability to get up in front of people and perform. That builds increasing confidence.”

Judith Fertig celebrates the craft of cooking at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com.


America’s resurging interest in arts and crafts today comes at a time when making things by hand seems an endangered activity. Why? In The Craftsman,

sociologist and author Richard Sennett maintains that making things by hand is an, “enduring, basic human impulse, the desire to do a job well for its own sake.” He observes that craft and craftsmanship can enrich modern life in ways that might surprise us. The Arts and Crafts movement, which reigned from the mid-1800s through the early 20th century, was a major response to a commercial trend that steered society away from handmade toward machine-made products in Europe and North Amer-ica. The movement encouraged amateur, student and professional involvement in the making of furniture, decorative glass, textiles, pottery and other forms that are beautiful, as well as functional. Yet today, we face a new barrier to creating more by hand, observes Monica Moses, editor-in-chief of American Craft magazine (American CraftMag.org), published by the nonprofit Ameri-can Craft Council. “Modern life offers a million

Making something by hand—and getting good at it—can add a welcome dimension to our lives. The art of participating in craftwork gives us a sense of competence and completion that may be difficult to find in our digital, ephemeral world.

HAPPINESSA Hands-On Approach to Authentic Living

by Judith Fertig

distractions, a million ways to kill time, or at least stand by idly while it expires,” she says. Mindless television watching, puttering around on Facebook or play-ing computer solitaire add up. “Such semiconscious downtime can become a weekend, a habit, a lost opportunity.” Although many people return to an early love of arts and crafts during their retirement years, the good news is that such creative pursuits are also being taken up by young makers, ac-cording to Moses. “The marvel of it is that young people in the digital age are embracing craft so enthusiastically, not just their iPods and phone apps. We’re lucky to live in a time when engage-

ment with the practice of craft

is expanding.” She cites the popularity of buy-and-sell craft websites

such as Etsy.com, which

reported 2010 sales of more

than $400 million. Moses, who makes jewelry in her free time, values handcrafting for a simple reason: “It feeds my soul,” she

says. “Other parts of my life focus on the end result. When I’m making a piece, I’m

HANDMADE


focused on the process and I’m thinking, ‘This feels right.’” Whether we wake to this artful phenomenon in childhood or later in life, it’s never too late to reap the ben-efits. According to crafters from various walks of life, such hands-on experiences help us to enhance our well-being, ground our everyday lives, and give renewed purpose.

Start TodayLenore Moritz, founder and curator of and blogger at MomCultureOnline.com, took her first jewelry making class when she was single and living in New York City. “I needed something to tether me,” she writes, “and I knew it would get me out of the office at a decent hour at least once a week.” She says that what started out as a whim turned into catharsis. “I loved toting my tackle box of crafting supplies and the act of using my hands to transform a silver sheet into wearable art felt empowering. I became an accidental craftsperson.” She found her best reward in finishing a piece, which she character-izes as, “... a crescendo I never knew in my day-to-day professional life.” She explains, “At the office, my world was nothing but to-do lists and compli-cated, open-ended projects; a sense of completion was rare. But in craft class, it was crystal clear when I had finished a project, and I reveled in that closure.” Jenny Barnett Rohrs spent 15 years as a music therapist in Lake-wood, Ohio, helping people cope with life’s problems. Meanwhile, she loved decompressing at the end of the day by working with polymer clay to make beautiful beads, doll pins, nametags and other decorative items. “I was always a crafty, creative kid, learning to embroider from one grandmother

and how to make seed flowers from the other,” she recalls. “Since both sets of grandparents lived through the Depres-sion, they were always repurposing things, recycling before it was cool.” As she continued to expand her range of crafting skills and interests as an adult, she also started blogging about it at CraftTherapy.com. “I am a self-taught crafter and never met a craft I didn’t like,” admits Rohrs. “I believe that crafting is an extension of yourself and how you view your world. It’s a way of expressing yourself, coping with life and gaining insight.” As Rohrs continued to try out new crafts, materials, products and tech-niques, entries on her craft blog grew to the point that she launched a second one at CraftTestDummies.com, where she shares her evaluations. Earlier this year, she appeared on The Martha Stewart Show. Regular posts track her adventures with various media, including her recent experiences with water-soluble ink blocks for drawing and painting, and making a booklet from envelopes. Other popular pastimes range from scrapbooking and making home ac-cessories using beachcomber finds to gifting baby garments personalized with fabric paint decoration. “I believe that creativity is in-nate,” comments Rohrs. “When you tell your inner critic to shut up, you

In craft and craftsmanship we experience the development of critical thinking, imagination, the ability to play, a source of pride, even validation of our existence.

~ Suzanne Ramljak, art historian, from an interview with Richard Sennett

can have a lot of fun and learn some-thing about yourself. I especially love to encourage folks to try new things and new techniques, and to push their own boundaries.”

It’s Never Too LateSandra Palmer Ciolino learned to sew as a child, but didn’t maximize the creativ-ity of her craft until her children were grown, when she was in her 40s. For Ciolino, of Cincinnati, Ohio, “Making contemporary quilts satisfies my desire to work in solitude and fulfills my long-ing to create lasting and beautiful art. Creating quilts for the wall marries many things I love—fabric, color, composi-tion, piecing and machine quilting.” Ciolino fondly remembers her mother’s handiwork. “I have a vivid memory of her taking a navy blue over-coat of my father’s and using it to sew me a winter coat with cranberry piping; I was so proud of that coat.” She began by making doll clothes, and then started sewing clothing for herself in junior high school, doing her own garment construction. “The techni-cal stuff came early,” she says. Later on, busy with family duties and teaching elementary school physical education classes, she didn’t take time to turn to quilting until the mid-1990s. At first, Ciolino made her quilts in traditional pieced patterns to hang in her house or share as gifts; but then, something


“Of all our limbs,” explains Professor Richard Sennett, “the hands make the most

varied movements, movements that can be controlled at will. Science has sought to show how these motions, plus the hand’s different ways of gripping and the sense of touch, affect the ways we think.” Sennett expounds at length on this topic in his book, The Craftsman, and teaches sociology at New York University and The London School of Economics and Political Science. He explains that making things by hand engages the brain in special ways. The furniture maker, the musician, the glassblower or any other person en-gaged mindfully in arts and crafts needs to first “localize,” or look at just what is there—a piece of wood, a musical instrument or melted glass. The second step is to question—“What can I do with this?” The third is to open up—figure out

CREATIVE THERAPY

“The hand is the window on to the mind.”~ Immanuel Kant

by Judith Fertig

how to create something unique. “To deploy these capabilities, the brain needs to process visual, aural, tactile and language-symbol informa-tion simultaneously,” says Sennett. Working pleasurably with the hands also helps to enhance brain chemis-try according to author Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., a psychology professor and lead researcher with the Lambert Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory at Randolph-Macon College, in Ashland, Virginia. Lambert, author of Lifting Depres-sion: A Neuroscientist’s Approach to Activating Your Brain’s Healing Power, makes the case for hands-on crafts like gardening, cooking and knitting as antidotes to depression. In a “Recon-sidering Crafts” segment on Wisconsin Public Radio, she remarked: “We’re still carrying around a brain that appreci-ates working in the dirt and planting and hunting and preparing food.” Using both hands to do something enjoyable, like knitting a scarf, entails engaging in a repetitive motion that pro-duces calming serotonin. Lambert adds that counting stitches distracts us from other worries or concerns, and knitting something that we find pleasing and seeing the process through to comple-tion activates what she refers to as the effort-driven reward circuit in the brain. This further prompts the release of the feel-good brain chemicals dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, she adds.

changed. “I began to notice in my photogra-phy that I was most interested in close-ups of tree bark, ripples in water bodies and cracks in the rocks. My quilts then began to take on a more abstract qual-ity,” she says. So Ciolino took a class in Columbus, Ohio, with Nancy Crow, recognized by many as “the mother of contemporary quilts,” and never looked back. She still gives quilts as gifts, but her work is now also exhibited at muse-ums and quilt shows (SandraPalmer Ciolino.com; NancyCrow.com). Like many craftspeople, Ciolino’s process in creating art is part technical skill and part intuitive imagining. When she starts a new quilt, she pulls fabrics from her workroom into groupings that appeal to her. She then takes a black-and-white photo to make sure the values

of light and dark in the fabrics create an interesting pattern. Next, she uses a rotary cutter to cut the fabric by hand—like drawing a line with a pencil—into shapes freehand, without referring to any pattern. Finally, she sews the pieces together in a composition and uses machine quilting to add another layer of textural interest, finishing each creation by hand. “The craft is when I make some-thing as meticulous and impeccable as I can,” Ciolino concludes. “The art is when I bring an authentic version of myself—my voice and spirit—to the work.”

Judith Fertig celebrates the craft of cooking at AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com.

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While some people instinctively know where to turn for creative

inspiration, others may have no inkling of what they’d like to do. For those who are stumped about where their interests lie, or who haven’t done any hands-on art since childhood, collage-making can break through mental roadblocks and get the creative juices flowing. Collage also can help people explore their creativity without investing a lot of time and money on materials. Here’s an easy way to get started:

1. Take some magazines that you’ve al-ready read and quickly tear or cut out all the images and words that pop out at you. Do this without judging the importance or meaning of the words and images. Put them away for a day, filing words and im-ages in separate piles. This activity alone can become a favorite pursuit.

2. Look around your house and in your recycling bin for a flat surface that you

COLLAGE-MAKING STIMULATES CREATIVITYby Jan whitted

can collage on, such as a box, frame or flat board. Next, dig into your odds-and-ends drawer and choose some items (e.g., stray buttons, scraps of fabric) to add to the collection of words and images.

3. Set aside up to an hour for making the collage and start by considering a theme that’s relevant to your life (family, career, play, spirituality, etc.). If nothing comes to mind, choose color as a theme. Sort through your collection of words, pictures and objects and pull out what you’d like to use.

4. Assemble the pieces in a manner that’s pleasing to you. Items can be overlapped or layered, and it’s okay to leave blank spaces. Glue everything in place.

Now stand back and look at your work. What is it saying to you? Are there parts of the collage that work especially well for you or parts that don’t work at all? This is entirely subjective, meant to help you dis-cern your own likes and dislikes. While many people use collage as a tool to dis-cover their passions and interests, it’s also an art form on its own that anyone can do with ease and skill—and it’s a lot of fun.

Jan Whitted is the creative director of Art-beat Creativity Store and Studio, located at 212-A Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington. For more information, call 781-646-2200 or visit ArtbeatOnline.com. Email [email protected] to request a free collage template and advice on collage-making materials.


Yoga, a holistic art and practice that origi-nated some 5,000

years ago in India, aims to integrate mind, body and spirit. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to yoke or unite, and refers to the joining of body with mind and mind with soul to achieve health, balance, tranquility and en-lightenment. Individuals of every age and physical condition can benefit from the regular practice of yoga, which has been proved to enhance flexibility, strength, stamina and concentration. Using a combination of asanas, or postures, and breathing techniques, yoga works to induce deep relaxation and reduce stress, tone the body and organs, increase vital-ity and improve circulation and energy flow. Uplifting and meditative, yoga can be applied as a spiritual practice, as well. Although many schools, or styles, of yoga exist, most differences derive from the primary focus of the practi-tioner’s attention: precise alignment of the body; holding of the asanas; flow between the postures; breath and move-ment coordination; or inner awareness and meditation. No particular style is better than another, and many students practice more than one.

ANANDA: A form of gentle Hatha yoga with an emphasis on meditation.

Ananda combines classic yoga postures with breathing and

silent affirmations to attune with higher levels of body

sense, energy and silent inner aware-

ness. As an inner-directed practice, it has less appeal to those desir-ing a more athletic or

aerobic expe-rience.

ANUSARA: Anusara means “go

with the flow,” and blends spirituality with inner/

outer alignment and balanced ener-getic actions. Developed by John Friend in 1997, this style urges students to think of poses as artistic expressions of the heart. Individual abilities and limitations are deeply respected and honored, so Anusara yoga can be helpful for every-one and is good for beginners.

ASHTANGA: A physically demanding style that is light on meditation, Ashtan-ga yoga employs a fast-paced series of flowing poses to build strength, flexibil-ity and stamina. Developed by Indian yoga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtan-ga’s progressively difficult postures are synchronized with a loud breath (called Ujyaii breath in Sanskrit) and are de-signed to produce intense internal heat and purifying sweat in order to detoxify muscles and organs. The room is usually heated to warm muscles and increase flexibility. Preferred by many athletes, this style is too intense and demanding for most beginners.

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BIKRAM: A strenuous style, designed to make students sweat, taught in rooms heated to a minimum of 105° Fahr-enheit, with about 40 percent humid-ity. The superheated rooms facilitate stretching and allow the body to release toxins through perspiration. Former national India yoga champion Bikram Choudhury developed the style, whose 26 demanding poses are performed in a specific order, to promote optimal health and proper function of every bodily system. Bikram yoga is a good choice for highly fit individuals and seasoned students seeking a challenge.

HATHA: Hatha yoga is the foundational discipline on which nearly all other styles are based. In Sanskrit, ha represents the sun and tha, the moon—hence, the prac-tice is designed to bring the yin and yang, light and dark, masculine and feminine aspects and polarities into balance. Es-sentially, Hatha yoga brings all aspects of life together. A class described as hatha will likely include slow-paced stretch-ing, asanas, or postures, that are not too difficult, simple breathing exercises and perhaps, seated meditation. Hatha yoga classes provide a good starting point for beginners, who can learn basic poses and relaxation techniques.

INTEGRAL: A gentle style of yoga brought to this country in 1966 by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Classes are structured to balance physical effort with relaxation and include breathing practices, chanting and both guided and silent meditation. Integral yoga is suit-able for beginners and helpful for more advanced students who wish to deepen their physical and spiritual awareness.

INTEGRATIVE YOGA THERAPY: Gentle postures, guided imagery, assisted stretching and breathwork help to make this style a useful one for rehab centers and hospitals. Joseph LePage began this therapy in the early 1990s to help promote healing and well-being for individuals facing heart disease, cancer, AIDS and psychiatric disorders.

IYENGAR: Noted for precise alignment and symmetry of postures, the develop-ment of balance, and the use of props such as blocks, balls and belts. The


Once a closely guarded secret in India, kundalini yoga was first brought to the West in 1969 and has been known to help with addictions and releasing endorphins in the body. Kundalini will not appeal to everyone and should be practiced under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY: This style helps release physical and emotional tension through assisted pos-tures, breathing techniques and ongo-ing student/teacher dialogue. A deeper connection to the self is encouraged by incorporating traditional yoga tech-niques with contemporary psychology, which ultimately results in the healing of mind, body and spirit.

POWER: An intense style that creates heat and energy, while developing strength and flexibility. Power yoga evolved from ashtanga yoga and was developed by American Beryl Bender Birch in the early 1990s. Its flowing style requires the strength and stamina of Ashtanga, but doesn’t always follow the same sequence of postures, making it similar to Vinyasa style. Power yoga is usually performed in a heated room. Although Baron Baptiste is a name often associated with power yoga, he has developed his own method, called Baptiste Power Vinyasa yoga, which is taught only by teachers he certifies. Stu-dents that enjoy aerobics will probably favor power yoga.

SIVANANDA: Cultivates awareness of mind and body by incorporating five main principles of proper exercise, breathing, relaxation and diet, as well

Iyengar style of yoga was developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, based on an exceptional understanding of how the body works. Poses are held longer than usual. Iyen-gar is a good style for beginners, but can challenge seasoned practitioners, as well.

KRIPALU: An integrated practice that emphasizes breathing and alignment and coordinates the breath with move-ment. Kripalu, also called the yoga of consciousness, was developed by Amrit Desai, a long time student of Kundalini yoga master Swami Kripaluvananda. This style incorporates three stages of development, beginning with postural alignment and progressing to medita-tion, with longer posture holding, finally creating a meditation in motion, where the movement from one posture to another happens unconsciously and spontaneously. Students are encour-aged to honor “the wisdom of the body” and to work according to the limits of their flexibility and strength. Kripalu is suitable for everyone, from beginners to advanced students.

KUNDALINI: A powerful, enlightening style that incorporates mantras (chant-ing), meditation, visualization, breath-ing and guided relaxation, with precise postures. According to Hindu philoso-phy, kundalini is a concentrated form of prana, or life force, represented by a coiled, sleeping serpent said to reside at the base of the spine. When breath and movement awaken the serpent (energy), it moves up the spine through each of the seven chakras (energy centers) of the body, bringing energy and bliss.

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as positive thinking and meditation. Based on the philosophy of Swami Sivananda, of India, the practice uses chanting, breathing techniques and meditation to help unblock energy and release stress. Sivananda focuses on 12 basic yoga postures to increase strength and spinal flexibility. It is an excellent practice for beginners, those recover-ing from injury or anyone interested in spiritual aspects of yoga.

SVAROOPA: A style that helps each student discover their bliss. The San-skrit word svaroopa means “the true nature of being,” and Svaroopa yoga is sometimes called the yoga of align-ment and compassion. Attention to alignment in specifically chosen poses helps to soften the body’s connective tissues and ease spinal tension. Blocks and bolsters may be used to allow for deeper muscle release. The style is suit-able for beginners and useful for those recovering from injury.

VINYASA: A challenging style that matches breath to movement. Vinyasa yoga poses incorporate alignment principles and are woven together in a flowing practice that is both intense and dance-like. Translated from San-skrit, vinyasa means “without obstacle.” The style is best suited to energetic, physically fit students.

VINIYOGA: A transformative, slower and more individualized form of yoga that emphasizes gentle flow and coordi-nated breath with movement. Viniyoga yoga is holistic in its approach and teaches the student how to apply the yoga tools of poses, chanting, breathing and meditation. Function is stressed over form in this style. Viniyoga is recom-mended for beginners and seniors, as well as those who are in chronic pain or healing from injury or disease.

PLEASE NOTE: The contents of this Yoga Guide are for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be used in place of a visit or consul-tation with a healthcare professional. Always seek out a practitioner who is licensed, certified or otherwise profes-sionally qualified to conduct a selected treatment, as appropriate.


Annie Hoffman IYENGARA student of Patricia Walden for 24 years, Annie Hoff-man has been teaching yoga in Boston since 1988. In 2001, she co-founded Art & Soul in Cambridge, a studio dedicated to the contemplative and expressive arts. Hoffman’s yoga classes focus on balancing principles of alignment with the nourishment of relational inquiry. As an experienced teacher, Hoffman brings a heartfelt sense of creativity, safety and challenge to her classes, inviting students to explore their connection to self, others, and the divine. Visit ArtSoulYoga.com or call 617-395-4227.

Steffi L. Shapiro, RYT 500 KRIPALU, PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY

Founder and Director of The Well Street Station in Watertown, Steffi Sha-piro is a yoga teacher,

holistic therapist and workshop leader who’s been integrat-ing psychotherapy and other healing

modalities for over thirty years. She’s

also certified in Holistic Health Education and Reiki. Shapiro teaches yoga classes for all ages, helping students to relax, re-energize and revitalize, and she produced the Elder-Yoga video for seniors. Shapiro often presents programs at corporations, conferences, health centers, senior facilities, and educa-tional institutions. Connect at WellStreetSta-tion.com or 617-923-1440.

Carmela CattutiKRIPALUCarmela Cattuti has a unique and effective teaching style that combines over 25 years of yoga study with 30 years of professional nursing experience. Specializing in private sessions, Cattuti provides in-depth yoga instruction to both men and women for reducing stress and harnessing one’s full capabilities of body, mind, and spirit. She offers workshops on youth and vitality yoga and prenatal yoga teacher training. Cattuti’s ebook, How to Stay Young through Yoga, can be purchased on her web site. She also offers video trainings at HarmonysWell.com/carmela. Visit YogaOfTheFuture.com or call 617-970-5320.

Our area is rich with a variety of businesses and

individuals who provide guid-ed yoga direction that can

help us achieve greater well-being and fulfillment.

Here are just a few of the many facilities, practitioners and providers who support

Natural Awakenings’ mission to

“feel good, live simply and laugh more.”

YOGADIRECTORY

Roman Szpond VINYASARoman Szpond of Inner Strength Studios traces his yoga roots to a journey he once took across India, where he discovered the core philosophy he embraces today: every-thing we need abides within us. In their Water-town and West Roxbury studios, Szpond and his team lead indi-viduals through dozens of classes a week. These heated sessions are more than a series of poses to challenge the physical body; they’re an exercise in inquiring within. Inner Strength is also home to acupuncture and massage practitioners and personal trainers. Visit InnerStrengthStudios.com or call 617-924-0111.

Anne Curtis HATHAAnne Curtis studied dance growing up in Berkeley, California, and she began practic-ing yoga in 1996. Curtis did her Iyengar-based teacher training in Palo Alto, Califor-nia, with Larry Hatlett, and she completed her Yoga Alliance 200 hour certification with Val Spies. Curtis’s goal is to provide each student with an individualized path to greater strength, flexibility and healthy alignment. Her students appreci-ate her kindness, wonderful sense of humor, and highly empathic nature. Connect at 617-710-1220 or email AnneLCurtis@ gmail.com.


Diana Cullum-Dugan, RD LDN RYTANUSARAAfter years of bodybuilding and aerobics teaching, Diana Cullum-Du-gan embraced the transformation that yoga offers, becom-ing a registered Anusara-Inspired teacher in 2003. Her flow, private, and re-storative classes invite students to practice with playful-ness while celebrating the radiance of the heart and focusing on optimal alignment through balanced energy. Cullum-Dugan is also a registered dietitian who champions yoga and vegetarian nutrition for health, and she shares Tantric philosophy teachings that lead to the discovery of one’s own truth on and off the mat. Visit NamasteNutrition.net, or call 617-393-2200.

Elizabeth Brown ANUSARABorn into a service-oriented family, Eliza-beth Brown offers her gifts of therapeutic yoga, Ayurvedic counseling and meditation retreats to students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Reflecting more than twenty years of study, practice, and teach-ing, Brown’s classes uplift and transform students to new levels of awareness. She also leads retreats to Vermont, Tulum, Peru, Bolivia, Africa, and Turkey with seva (service) components, seeking to integrate all the elements of yoga into students’ lives and the greater world. For a full class, work-shop, and retreat schedule please visit SteepedIn Grace.com.


Phot

o co

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f Jam

es M

inch

inKnown as one of the most con-

sciously positive artists in music today, Michael Franti has been

practicing yoga for 11 years. The disci-pline resonates with him as a solution to the physical and mental stress he encounters touring on the road, and he has practiced yoga daily ever since his first experience. “I still recall how stiff I was during my first class. I couldn’t touch my toes and I could barely sit with my legs crossed,” Franti reflects. Franti reports that he is in better physical shape today than he was 20 years ago. “The great thing about yoga is that it’s not a competition,” says the 45-

year-old, who grew up in a competitive household with four siblings before go-ing on to play college basketball at the University of San Francisco. “In yoga, you’re not competing against anyone, which has been a valuable, if difficult lesson for me—to stop thinking, ‘I wish I could do a headstand as well as the person next to me,’ but to instead really embrace where I am at that moment.” After suffering from a series of physical hurdles, including joint prob-lems, operations on his abdomen and a ruptured appendix, Franti continues to be grateful that yoga has prolonged his livelihood as an athlete.

He recalls, “There was a time when my body felt like it was breaking down and I thought I was never going to be able to play catch with my son again. But through yoga, I’ve learned that it’s possible to heal my body.” He attri-butes his ability to play basketball and run long distances to the flexibility and strength derived from his yoga practice. Currently performing with guitar legend Carlos Santana on the Sound of Collective Consciousness tour, Franti weaves the yogic philosophy of ahimsa, or the sacredness of life and nonviolence in thought or action, into his music. He explains, “For songwriters, one of the most difficult things to do is to instill all of your ideas into just one phrase, word or melody. When I’m in a yoga class, ideas come because my mind is clear, or because I’ll hear my teacher say something that starts me thinking in a different way. Often, when I practice without any sound at all, I’ll

fitbody

As a long-distance runner, professional singer and songwriter

and worldwide community and environmental activist, Michael

Franti lives a life driven by yoga-inspired philosophies, both on

and off the mat.

SOUND YOGA PRACTICES

by Meredith Montgomery


hear melodies in my head that I’ll sing to myself as I’m practicing. All of these insights find their way into my songs. “I like to rock out!” notes Franti of his preference for nontraditional yoga music during his personal practice. “Sometimes I make playlists that are all loud dance music, or all reggae. I’ll do a whole class to The Beatles sometimes. Today, I listened to singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons.” A supporter of several charities and an environmental activist, Franti also values seva, a yogic philosophy that emphasizes selfless service. “As an individual in this world, I believe that we all have a responsibility to give back to our communities and to the planet,” he says. Ten years ago, he de-cided to go barefoot after playing music for children abroad that could not afford shoes. Since then, he’s remained barefoot, except in airplanes or restau-rants. The artist also collects shoes for Soles4Souls (Soles4Souls.org) at all of his shows. As a touring musician, Franti enjoys traveling to places such as Haiti, Israel, Palestine, Brazil and Indonesia so that he can share his music on the streets, but also so that he can experi-ence unfamiliar settings. “I learn so much when I go outside of my comfort zone. Similarly, yoga forces us to step outside of our comfort zone and look at our self from a different perspective.” Although he enjoys practicing advanced arm balances and inversions, the final pose in every class, savasana, is Franti’s favorite. “It doesn’t matter if I’m at a workshop for three hours and we do 15 minutes of the relaxation pose, or if I just did one side of a sun salutation and I lay on my back for three minutes. Savasana always changes my whole out-look on life, on my day and the present moment. To lay quietly on my back on the floor, close my eyes, breathe deeply and let everything go for a few minutes enables me to then move forward into whatever comes next in my day.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes the Mobile/Baldwin, AL, edition of Natural Awakenings (HealthyLivingHealthy Planet.com). She also serves as direc-tor of donor relations for National Yoga Month (YogaMonth.org).

When yoga practice is combined with travel, the effects of both experi-ences are enhanced. Travel becomes more enjoyable with yoga, as it

supports good physical feeling, sound sleep and better digestion. Practicing yoga in a new environment, especially an exotic one, offers opportunities to celebrate and connect with other people, places and cultures from a yogic perspective. A yoga retreat invites participants to relax into a space and time set apart from everything that is routine and familiar. When people are totally immersed in their own cultural patterns, they can lose sight of the intercon-nectedness of all beings, whereas being on a retreat in an unfamiliar cultural setting allows one to absorb the new environment in subtle ways. Witnessing the natural flow of other cultures, embracing differences and remaining open to the mystery of life moves one toward a more mature perspective. The sense of oneness that is often referred to in the yogic texts can come about quite naturally on a retreat. Many students list yoga retreats as among the most profound experiences of their lives, saying that the time away al-lows them to deepen their experience of life and return to their own respon-sibilities rejuvenated and with new perspectives. “I retreated to advance,” one yoga student remarked after returning from such an experience. TheancientPersianpoetJalālad-DānMuhammadRāmiframedthecon-cept another way when he wrote these lines:

A feeling of fullness comesbut it usually takes some breadto bring it.

Beauty surrounds us,but usually we need to be walkingin a garden to know it.

Billie Jo Joy is a yoga teacher and co-founder (with Annie Hoffman) of Art and Soul studio, located at 91 Hampshire St. in Cambridge. She leads yoga retreats in Italy, Mexico and Colombia, and on Madeline Island in Lake Superior, Wisconsin. The next yoga retreat will be held this fall in Sabina, Italy, from October 8 to 15. For more information, call 617-395-4227 or visit ArtSoulYoga.com.

HAvE MAt, Will trAvEl: The Benefits of Yoga Retreats

by billie Jo Joy


On a recent Saturday morning at 9 a.m., the Down Under Yoga

studios in Newtonville are full of students. Practitioners of varying ages and abilities are here to learn from master teachers who are well known far beyond Boston, including Barbara Benagh, Peentz Dubble, Chanel Luck, Coeli Marsh, Natasha Rizopoulos and Patricia Walden. They came together to create a studio where each teacher is cultivating a different aspect of the students’ practice. “It’s an environment in which the essence of yoga is best represented,” says Rizopoulos. Studio director Justine Wiltshire Cohen is equally passionate about giving Down Under students a well-rounded, authentic yoga education. “We wanted to bring together some of America’s best yoga teachers to ensure not only different generations of stu-dents, but different traditions and gen-erations of teachers,” she says. “After I teach my class, I get on the mat and learn from the teachers who trained me. It also means that students who know how to ‘flow’ but who know nothing about alignment, anatomy, stillness or breath have the opportunity to deepen their practice.” Luck, a veteran Vinyasa teacher, says she makes Down Under her home because of this unique blend of styles and students. “You see my flow students

mingling with seniors or the 7-year-olds emerging out of class, and there’s this wondrous sense of all these yogis con-nected by one ancient practice,” she says. “The teachers love and deeply re-spect each other, too. There’s no other studio like this around.” Down Under Yoga offers new students two weeks of unlimited classes for $25 in order to encourage them to explore different styles, teachers and levels. Classes include Vigorous Vin-yasa, Alignment-Based Iyengar, Heated Flow, Slow Flow, Relax and Renew and yoga for teens, seniors and kids. Doris Fine has been a Down Un-der devotee since 2005, when classes were taught in a local church, before the studio’s move to Walnut Street. She’s participated in the community potluck suppers and charity events, but her real commitment is to her teacher, Wiltshire Cohen, and the practice. “I’m a physical therapist and, when I started with Justine, I could tell immediately that she really knew her anatomy and understood what she was asking people to do,” Fine recalls. “She has a great knowledge base, a commitment to learning and an openness and under-standing that we could learn from each other.” Marsh, a Master Baptiste teacher for more than a decade, teaches a power-Vinyasa style at Down Under.

Down Under Yoga: Many Traditions, One Essential Practiceby Kim Childs

She says she appreciates the chance to learn from her distinguished col-leagues. “We have glass doors here and there are times when I can look out and see an Iyengar class going on, and there’s something so exciting about that,” she says. “And that’s part of the reason I’m here, because I’m always a student as well.” Marsh adds that the staff and stu-dents at Down Under set a welcoming tone that inspires community. “We all know what it’s like to go in to a studio or class and feel like you don’t be-long, or there’s an inner circle, but that doesn’t happen here. You really can walk in to any class and feel okay with being new to yoga or new to that style.” This communal spirit and respect for tradition are at the core of Down Under’s mission, where the instructors deliberately decided not to sell yoga gear. Instead, they deliver yoga’s core teachings. “In the end, every teacher here is seeking the same thing,” says Wiltshire Cohen. “The quality of your attention, the quieting of your mind.” Down Under Yoga is located at 306 Walnut St. in Newtonville. For more information and class schedules, call 617-244-YOGA(9642), email [email protected] or visit DownUnderYoga.com. See ad on page 25.

communityspotlight


Every September, National Yoga Month (YogaMonth.org) expands awareness of yoga’s proven health

benefits. This 5,000-year-old practice that originated in the East and aims to unify body, mind and spirit, continues to gain popularity in the West as a valu-able tool in preventive healthcare and a complement to traditional medicine. These are just some examples of the multiple health benefits a regular yoga practice can provide.

Improved Balance, Flexibil-ity and Range of MotionHaving the balance to stand on one foot and being flexible enough to touch your toes are often falsely perceived as prerequisites for yoga class. In real-ity, practicing yoga is a way to gain such abilities. The Mayo Clinic further notes that with the improved balance, flexibility and range of motion gained through yoga practice, injuries from other physical or day-to-day activities become less likely.

Increased StrengthAlthough weights are not used in yoga, muscle strength, bone strength and endurance are boosted via the disci-pline’s weight-bearing postures. When

an American Council on Exercise study recruited 34 healthy women to practice yoga three times a week, they could do an average of six more push-ups and 14 more curl-ups after eight weeks than they could before.

Relief from Chronic PainResearch from institutions such as the Mayo Clinic has shown that practicing yoga postures can reduce pain associ-ated with cancer, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases and hyperten-sion, as well as other chronic condi-tions, including back and neck pain. A study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that subjects suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome improved their grip strength and re-ported less pain due to a yoga-based regimen. A nerve test also indicated improvement.

Better BreathingYoga emphasizes slow and deep breathing. Information on Yoga Alli-ance’s educational website (Yoga Alliance.org) indicates that these de-liberate actions are known to activate the body’s parasympathetic system, or relaxation response, while also improv-ing lung function. According to the

YOGA FOR HEALTHby Meredith Montgomery

Northern Colorado Allergy & Asthma Clinic, individuals with asthma re-ported decreased frequency in the use of inhalers, increased relaxation and a more positive outlook on life after participating in regular yoga sessions for four months.

Boost in MoodYoga’s deep breathing, combined with the need for balance and concentration, works to reduce stress, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure levels, accord-ing to research published by the Mayo Clinic. Yoga’s breathing techniques have reportedly reduced blood pressure more effectively than other soothing activities, such as listening to relaxing music.

Weight LossBecause yoga tends to raise awareness of the benefits of healthy living, it also is used to motivate overweight indi-viduals to gain control of eating habits and support their efforts to lose weight. Many teachers offer yoga programs spe-cifically designed for those wanting to shed pounds. A 10-year lifestyle study of 15,500 adults in their 50s, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, found that regular yoga practice was associated with less age-related weight gain.

Meredith Montgomery is a registered yoga teacher and has been practicing yoga for 12 years.


USiNG MEDiciNAl HErbS WitH PEtSby Nancy Anderson

People who add medicinal herbs to their health regimens may want to consider doing the same for their pets. There

are plants for treating every condition and every system of the body, in both humans and animals. While most pharma-ceutical drugs originally were derived from (or inspired by) the plant world, their healing properties often are lost when certain constituents are extracted in laboratories. Harmful side effects also may result from this process, because plants are designed to function as a whole, not as scientifically extracted derivatives or synthetics. In today’s world of lib-eral drug prescriptions, herbal remedies can offer a safer and more natural way to help bodies heal. There are many ways to administer herbs to pets, de-pending on the condition. For example, urinary issues are best treated with herbal infusions or decoctions (concentra-tions). Remedies for intestinal parasites, on the other hand, are best delivered in capsules, which dissolve farther down in the gastrointestinal tract. Pets with gingivitis benefit from a tincture squirted right into their gums. For pets that lick ap-plied ointment from their skin lesions, a poultice may resolve the problem and allow healing to occur. Though herbs may be used for acute conditions, they’re also appropriate for chronic issues and may be used as a gentle tonic to keep healthy pets thriving. Herbs may be used with animals in a variety of ways, including:

n to complement medical treatment (e.g., for Lyme disease) n to address issues such as anxiety that often are overlooked by conventional medicine n to prevent illness (e.g., raw garlic can enhance immunity and combat the overgrowth of micro- organisms such as giardia) n to detoxify a pet from drug therapy

Because herbs can be powerful medicine, pet owners should seek professional advice to determine the correct herbs and dosages. A certified herbalist may formulate the proper pro-tocol, but only a veterinarian can offer a diagnosis.

Nancy Anderson is a certified herbalist in Somerville who specializes in pet health. For more information, call 617-501-9241, email [email protected] or visit CanisMajorHerbals.com. See ad on this page.

naturalpet


Gluten, the pro-tein in wheat and other

cereal grains such as barley and rye, can be a problem for those with celiac disease or some sensitivity to gluten. Preparing food for a gluten-free diet requires experimenting with new ingredients, like alternative flours, and becoming a label reader, says Tina Turbin, an advocate for gluten-free liv-ing at GlutenFreeHelp.info. Fresh fruits, most dairy products, eggs, fresh vegetables, meats, fish and poultry are already gluten-free. The challenge is trying to make pancakes or pizza, or other recipes that normally call for wheat flour. With an estimated 18 million Americans sensitive to gluten in their diet and 3 million more diagnosed with celiac disease, according to the Uni-versity of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, food producers have finally begun to address the need. Gluten-free cereals and pastas, breads, flours and baking mixes, cakes and cookies, snacks and frozen confections are now available in greater quantities—and in much better tasting versions—than just a few years ago. New gluten-free products, such as sorghum flour and specially formu-lated baking mixes, can also help home cooks revamp recipes for family favor-

ites. However, trying to approximate the crust, crumbliness and interior structure of baked goods typically made with wheat flour takes a bit of experi-mentation when using gluten-free ingredients. Sometimes just one

type of flour will work, such as almond flour for waffles, rice flour for cake bat-ter or buckwheat flour for pancakes. Other baking recipes require an assortment of gluten-free flours. Different types can combine to resemble the taste, color and texture of wheat flour, for ex-ample. Most gluten-free flour blends use rice flour as a base, with potato starch, tapioca flour, corn flour and/or corn-starch added for softness. Other flours, such as buckwheat, chickpea (garbanzo bean), millet and sorghum, can improve flavor, color and texture. Xanthan gum, an additive made from corn, typically provides structure for yeast dough made with gluten-free flour. Eggs, vinegar, sweeteners and applesauce or pumpkin purée soften and round out the flavor of the dough. Gluten-free flours, flour blends, and xanthan gum most often appear in the specialty baking section of a grocery or health food store; helpful brands include Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour. Using alternative flours, homemade treats can remain a deli-cious part of gluten-free living.

consciouseating

Gluten-Free-BAKINGThe Scoop on Safe-to-Eat Flours

by Claire o’Neil

“Everyone should have food delicious

enough to celebrate.”

~ Pamela Giusto-Sorrells, founder, Pamela’s Products

(PamelasProducts.com)

Gluten-Free German Apple Pancakes

“These delicious gluten-free yummies should be served as soon as they’re pulled from the oven, as they will deflate soon enough,” says gluten-free health advocate Tina Turbin. “They’re perfect for an easy, laid back brunch.” On her website, GlutenFreeHelp.info, Turbin offers recipes for two home-made, gluten-free flour blends.

Makes 2 large pancakes, or 4 servings

4 large eggs¾ cup gluten-free flour blend ¾ cup soy, rice or almond milk½ tsp salt1/3 cup coconut oil2 medium apples, thinly sliced¼ cup natural granulated or raw sugar¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place 2 round, 9-inch cake pans in the oven.

3. Beat the eggs, flour, milk and salt in a small mixer bowl on medium speed for 1 minute.

4. Remove the pans from the oven. Place 2 Tbsp margarine in each pan. Rotate pans until margarine is melted and coats sides of pans.

5. Arrange half the apple slices in each pan. Divide batter evenly be-tween pans. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp sugar mixture over batter in each pan.

6. Bake uncovered until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Source: Recipe at GlutenFreeHelp.info

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All Calendar events for the october issue must be received by September 10th and adhere to our guidelines.

visit NaturalAwakeningsMCMA.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

calendarofevents

tHUrSDAY, SEPtEMbEr 1Naturopathic Medicine and You – 5:30-6:30pm. Learn the philosophy behind the disease, health and wellness. Learn the role of natural medicine in the 21st century and become more aware of simple, ev-eryday ways to improve your health and wellness with a natural safe approach. Free. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com.

Dental Secrets: A Lifetime of Health – 7-9pm. Good oral health is vital to the functioning of the entire body. A great deal about overall health can be determined by examining the mouth. One of the most important goals of holistic dentistry is to remove any toxicity from the mouth and to use only biocompatible materials. Free. Groton Well-ness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com.

SAtUrDAY, SEPtEMbEr 3Belmont Greek Festival – 12-10pm. Enjoy deli-cious Greek meals and delectable desserts, exciting fold dancers, singers, musicians, actors, cooking demos and a fun children’s area. $5/adults, $2.50/teens, free/under 13. Holy Cross Church, 900 Alameda de Las Pulgas, Belmont. 650-591-4447. GoHolyCross.org/Festival.

MONDAY, SEPtEMbEr 5Trigger Point Workshop – 6-7pm. Attend this workshop and get better faster. Free. Newton Wellness Center, 1280 Centre St, Ste 210, Newton. 617-641-9999. NewtonWellnessCenter.com.

tUESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 6Network Spinal Analysis Class – 7:30-8:30pm. Learn how to get more out of your adjustments and understand how network works. Get back to basics by emphasizing the inherent wisdom and healing intelligence of the body. Free. Newton Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, 345 Boylston St, Ste 300, Newton. 617-964-3332. Rita Clark: RitaC@Well Adjusted.com. WellAdjusted.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 7Sunlight Solar Energy – 6:30pm. Enjoy a free in-formational session on solar energy. Waltham Pub-lic Library, 735 Main St, Waltham. 781-373-3263. SunLightSolar.com/Meet-Us/Local-Events-MA.

The Health Wealth Connection – 6:15-7:30pm. Learn the direct link between health and finances. Uncover the biggest myths about money and bust them. Discover three proven ways to increase your wealth. Free. Holiday Inn, 242 Adams Pl, Boxborough. 978-877-6122. HealthandWealth Revolution.com.

Meditation Workshop – 7-9:30pm. This evening workshop introduces beginners to the practice of meditation through simple exercises that focus the attention and quiet the mind. $40. Advaita Medita-tion Center, 28 Worcester Ln, Waltham. 781-647-0020. AdvaitaMeditation.org.

tHUrSDAY, SEPtEMbEr 8Team Luna Chix Walk or Run for Fun – 6:30pm. Encouraging Boston area women of all ages and abilities to get out and get moving. An opportunity to get together with old friends and meet new ones. Not a race. Cambridge Common, Harvard Sq, Cambridge. Have2Run.com/Luna2011.html.

SAtUrDAY, SEPtEMbEr 10Empty Bowls Dinner – 5-7pm. Rain date Sept 11. A simple soup supper with pottery made by Andy Scherer. Choose a hand thrown bowl to eat from and take home. All proceeds benefit the hunger relief and food access programs of the farm. $30. Waltham Fields Community Farm, 240 Beaver St, Waltham. 781-899-2403. EmptyBowls.net.

Local Roots Food and Music Festival – 5-9:30pm. Fundraiser to help sustain Groundwork Summerville’s green community efforts and youth gardening programs. Support these and other envi-ronmental activities in Somerville by participating. Donations accepted. Somerville Community Grow-ing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville. 617-628-9988. GroundworkSomerville.org.

SUNDAY, SEPtEMbEr 11Second Annual Running with Friends 5K – 10am. Run to benefit the Council on Aging and Arlington’s dynamic senior citizens. First 150 entrants receive an event t-shirt. $20/advance, $25/day of. Arlington Town Hall, 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. FriendsArlingtonCOA.org.

Body Mechanics with Susan Coffey – 9am-5pm. Workshop designed to help participants enhance their own body awareness by improving body alignment. Explore movement opportunities and options while doing massage and also during daily living activities. $140. Cortiva Institute, 103 Morse St, Watertown. 617-612-6900. Cortiva.com.

The Power of Slow Flow – 3:30-6pm. Slow down and explore this sophisticated, masterfully sequenced class with Barbara Benagh. Meditation to backbending and more. New levels of challenge, subtle alignment and deepened meditative focus for your yoga practice. $35. Down Under Yoga. 306 Walnut St, Newtonville. 617-244-9642. DownUnderYoga.com.

Restorative Yoga – 4-6:30pm. Intended for those experiencing stress, fatigue, sickness, insomnia, in-juries, recent surgery, or seeking a quiet, centering respite. Gentle entry into yoga for beginners. Yoga poses and meditation to assist relaxation. $35. Art & Soul, 91 Hampshire St, Cambridge. 617-395-4227. ArtSoulYoga.com.

MONDAY, SEPtEMbEr 12Chiropractic 101 – 6-7pm. Learn what chiroprac-tic is, how it works, and what chiropractors do. No sales pitch. A fun, informational, question and answer conversation with Dr. Cintron. Refresh-ments provided. Free. Newton Wellness Center, 1280 Centre St, Ste 210, Newton. 617-641-9999. NewtonWellnessCenter.com.

Meditation: The Basics and Beyond – 7-8pm. Learn the basics of meditation, stilling the mind, breathing, relaxation and deeper meditation. Students learn how to ask questions, receive clear answers in meditation and discover new aspects of themselves. $8. The Center of Light, 85 Edgell Rd, Framingham. 617-990-7411. LightLectureSeries.com/Boston.

tUESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 13Creative Arts for Cancer – 6:30-8pm. A creative group for anyone who has been touched by cancer or is in any stage of treatment and would like to meet and be creative. Basic art supplies will be available. Donations welcome. Center for Cancer Support and Education, 180 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. 781-648-0312. CenterForCancer.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 14Introductory Workshop – 6:30-8:30pm. Learn how to start your career as a professional massage therapist. Topics will include career services and placement opportunities, the financial aid process and class scheduling options. Free. Cortiva Insti-tute, 103 Morse St, Watertown. 617-612-6900. Cortiva.com.

Introduction to Meditation Course – Wednes-days, Sept 14-Oct 12. 7-9:30pm. Five-wk introduc-tory course with basic information and techniques related to meditation. Discussions and practical exercises help in finding inner peace and clearer self understanding. $120. Advaita Meditation Center, 28 Worcester Ln, Waltham. 781-647-0020. AdvaitaMeditation.org.

tHUrSDAY, SEPtEMbEr 15Calming Dental Anxiety – 6-8pm. A simple, rapid and effective method of reducing dental anxiety is now available. Learn how to reduce anxiety and have a more healing visit with dental professionals. Free. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com.

SAtUrDAY, SEPtEMbEr 17Somerville Garden Club Perennial and House-plant Sale – 9am-1pm. This annual sale features a wide variety of house plants, perennials, shrubs, herbs and groundcovers. Proceeds support the free lectures and public plantings of Somerville Garden Club. Free. Davis Sq, 1 Davis Sq, Somerville. SomervilleGardenClub.org.

Healing Arts Conference and Expo – 10am-6-pm. A day for education and awareness on healing, education, networking and transformation. Explore body-mind-spirit resources, human potential, holistic wellness, new age products, metaphysical resources, green living and earth consciousness. Marriott Courtyard Boston, 275 Tremont St, Bos-ton. 954-634-7352. HolisticGlobeRadio.com.

Fairies in the Garden – 2-5pm. Rain date Sept 18. Create art, sing and dance in fairy land. Build a fairy house. Come dressed up as fairies, friends of fairies, unicorns, dragons, elves, wizards and


made up creatures. $5-$10 suggested donation. Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville. 617-628-9988. Groundwork Somerville.org.

Introduction to The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity – 2:30-4pm. Exer-cises from this popular book to inspire and guide to a life that reflects passion, authentic tastes and individual expression. $18. The Arlington Center, 369 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. 617-640-3813. KimChilds.com.

SUNDAY, SEPtEMbEr 18Growing in Small Spaces – 9-11:30am. A class for anyone who has a home garden and feels constrained by space. Growing strategies which optimize small spaces while building up quality organic soil. $40/Friends of Farm, $45/general public. Newton Community Farm, 303 Nahanton St, Newton. 617-916-9655. NewtonCommunity Farm.org.

Chakra Balancing – 9am-6pm. Look at four dif-ferent chakra patterns and how they overlap. Gain an understanding of how the body may provide information energetically. Includes a chakra bal-ancing treatment which can be performed by itself or used in conjunction with a massage therapy session. $160. Cortiva Institute, 103 Morse St, Watertown. 617-612-6900. Cortiva.com.

Youth and Vitality Yoga – 10am-12pm. Learn a series of postures that flush toxins from the body and open the mind to change perceptions about growing older. Gain tools to look younger, feel younger, and reverse outdated thinking. $20. Integrated Mind and Body, 304 Columbus Ave, South End Boston. 781-622-0515. Carmela Cattuti: [email protected]. YogaOfTheFuture.com.

Reiki I Certification Class – 10am-6pm. Learn a complete method of accessing healing energy for yourself and others. Receive the channel opening attunements, learn the hand positions, practice giving a complete Reiki treatment, receive a Reiki treatment and learn self treatment. Simple and easy to learn. $150. Arlington Reiki Associates, 366 Mass Ave, Ste 304, Arlington. 781-648-9334. ArlingtonReiki.com.

Spacious and Supportive Hips and Groins – 3-6pm. Mobility in these areas provide pathways toward freedom and support in many other areas of the body, breath and mind. Peentz Dubble guides a deep exploration of where your legs join into your pelvis. Experience both vastness and reflective quietness. $40. Down Under Yoga, 306 Walnut St, Newtonville. 617-244-9642. DownUnderYoga.com.

Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk – Follow the course of the 26.2 mile Boston marathon to honor friends, family, co-workers and patients fac-ing all forms of cancer. JimmyFund.org/Eve/Event/Boston-Marathon-Jimmy-Fund-Walk.

MONDAY, SEPtEMbEr 19Spiritual Ways to Improve Work Life – 7-8pm. Gain tools for career improvement including prayer, meditation and visualization. $8. The Cen-ter of Light, 85 Edgell Rd, Framinham. 617-990-7411. LightLectureSeries.com/Boston.

tUESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 20The Health Wealth Connection – 6:15-7:30pm. Learn the direct link between health and finances. Un-


FriDAY, SEPtEMbEr 23Fall Yoga Escape: Gentle Yoga Retreat – Sept 23-25. Deepen yoga practice and learn more about the restorative effects of yoga and yoga nidra guided deep relaxation with certified Kripalu yoga instructor, Jill Braverman. Includes accommoda-tions, meals, yoga classes, workshops, group hikes, and free time. $379. Dragon Fly Yoga Barn, 280 Bennett St, North Sandwich, NH. 617-529-5079. Jill Braverman: [email protected]. JillBraver man.com. DragonFlyogaBarn.wordpress.com.

Walk into Fire: Sidestepping Fear, Writing Your Heart Out and Letting Your Story Tell Itself – Sept 23 & 24. 7-9pm, Fri; 10am-5pm, Sat. Join best-selling authors and experienced teach-ers Jen Louden, Susan Piver and Patti Digh for a heart-expanding, refreshing day bursting with learning, craft and creativity. $325. The Center for the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Ste 1-A, Somerville. 617-718-2191. JenniferLouden.com/Workshops-Retreats/Walking-Into-Fire.

SAtUrDAY, SEPtEMbEr 24Flexibility and Strength Training F.A.S.T. Therapy –9am-6pm. Learn to assess range of motion limitations, isolate and stretch individual muscle and increase stability through increased strength to assist recovery from disease, disorders and injury. Focus is on lower back, pelvis, hop, leg and foot. $350. Cortiva Institute, 103 Morse St, Watertown. 617-612-6900. Cortiva.com.

Awakening the Dreamer Symposium – 9:15am-12:30 pm. Explore the challenges our culture is facing and what we can do about it individually and collectively. $10-20 donation appreciated. Bristol Community College, 777 Elsbree St, Fall River. Meetup.com/Navigators-Of-Hope.

Reiki 2 Certification Class – 10am-6pm. Learn how to send healing to your loved ones, to situa-tion, to the earth. Increase your healing capability and learn mental and emotional healing. Learn three sacred symbols and the associated healing techniques. Must already have Reiki I Certifica-tion Training. $300. Arlington Reiki Associates, 366 Mass Ave, Ste 304, Arlington. 781-648-9334. ArlingtonReiki.com.

Wine Tasting – 6:30pm. Enjoy wine and cheese along with a glass blowing demonstration. Wine, cheese, crackers and thin meats will be served in our lounge. Taste a delicious selection of unique wines. $35. Diablo Glass School, 123 Terrace St, Boston. Reservations required; space limited: 617-442-7444. DiabloGlassSchool.com.

cover the biggest myths about money and bust them. Discover three proven ways to increase your wealth. Free. Holiday Inn, 242 Adams Pl, Boxborough. 978-877-6122. HealthandWealthRevolution.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPtEMbEr 21Second Chances Clothing and Coin Drive – 5-7pm. Donate your gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to local nonprofit serving the homeless and low income residents in the Greater Boston area. Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville. 617-628-9988. GroundworkSomerville.org.

Sunlight Solar Energy – 7pm. Enjoy a free infor-mational session on solar energy. Lincoln Public Library, 3 Bedford Rd, Lincoln. 781-373-3263. SunLightSolar.com/Meet-Us/Local-Events-MA.

tHUrSDAY, SEPtEMbEr 22Understanding Bioidentical Hormones – 6-8pm. Get an understanding of the hormones, treatments, controversies, risks and benefits of biodentical hormones. Free. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. 978-449-9910. Groton Wellness.com.

SUNDAY, SEPtEMbEr 25Harvest Festival – The biggest event each year. This is the farm’s way of saying thanks for another wonderful season. Live music, activities for all ages, farm tours, a silent auction and farm fresh food. Free. Newton Community Farm, 303 Nahan-ton St, Newton. 617-916-9655. Newton CommunityFarm.org.

Hub on Wheels – 8am. Experience a car free Storrow Drive. Explore hidden pathways and historic neighborhoods and take in views of the Boston Harbor that you’ve never seen before. Ride starts and finishes at City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston. Three routes to choose from: 10, 30 & 50 miles. HubOnWheels.kintera.org.

Hot Stone Massage – 9am-6pm. Learn about the preparation, sanitation and use of hot stones in a full body massage. Covers the basics of the hot stone massage modality at a level appropriate for both new and experienced therapists. $160. Cortiva Institute, 103 Morse St, Watertown. 617-612-6900. Cortiva.com.

MONDAY, SEPtEMbEr 26Breast Thermography Appointments – 9am-5-pm. Breast Thermography with Anne Barker BSN, RN, LMT, CTT. Breast Cancer Screening without radiation. Due to limited availability booking your appointment in advance in highly recommended. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. For questions or concerns: 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com.

Chiropractic 101 – 6-7pm. Learn what chiro-practic is, how it works and what chiropractors do. No sales pitch. A fun, informational, question and answer conversation with Dr. Cintron. Refresh-ments provided. Free. Newton Wellness Center, 1280 Centre St, Ste 210, Newton. 617-641-9999. NewtonWellnessCenter.com.

Tools for Healing Depression and Anxiety – 7-8pm. This lecture covers the root causes of depression and anxiety and teaches students how to overcome them. $8. The Center of Light, 85 Edgell Rd, Framingham. 617-990-7411. LightLecture Series.com/Boston.

Network Spinal Analysis Class – 7:30-8:30pm. Learn how to get more out of your adjustments and understand how network works. Get back to basics by emphasizing the inherent wisdom and healing intelligence of the body. Network Spinal Analysis can help you handle stress, improve posture, and make you feel better overall. Free. Newton Chiro-practic and Wellness Centre, 345 Boylston St, Ste 300, Newton. 617-964-3332. Rita Clark: [email protected]. WellAdjusted.com.

bUSiNESS OPPOrtUNitiES

CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – For sale in Birmingham, AL; North Central FL; Lexington, KY; Cincinnati, OH; Tulsa, OK; Northeast PA; Columbia, SC; South-west VA. Call for details 239-530-1377.

EMPlOYMENt OPPOrtUNitiES

FULL-TIME AD SALES REP – Natural Awakenings is now accepting resumes for full commission experienced Ad Sales Reps in Southeastern Middlesex County including: Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, and Newton. Strong organizational and people skills, computer/database experience necessary. Must be a self-starter. We’re positive people looking for positive associates who are focused on healthy living and a healthy planet to reach like-minded practitioners and businesses, and help grow their client base. Flexible schedule with great earning potential, only you set the limit on your potential. Email cover letter and resume to: [email protected]. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE.

FOr rENt/lEASE

TWO ROOMS FOR RENT OR LEASE – Quiet, serene spaces available. Perfect for Nutrition Counseling, Talk Therapy and/or Bodywork in a holistic therapy practice located at Sollievo Massage & Bodywork, North Cambridge. 617-354-3082.

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~John Lennon


Park Spark Project – Thru Sept 25. A scientific-art intervention that transforms dog waste into energy. Artist Matthew Mazzotta has installed the first Dog Park Methane Digester in the United States at Pacific Street Park in Cambridge. As dog owners dispose of their pet’s waste in the Park Spark Digester, it creates a steady stream of burn-able methane gas that powers an old-fashioned gas-burning lamppost in the park. Pacific Street Park, Cambridge. ParkSparkProject.com.

Gore Place Farm Stand – 7am-7pm, Wed-Sat. Fresh produce; lamb: grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone free; eggs: antibiotic and cage free. Located next to the Farmer’s Cottage, Gore Place. GorePlace.org/Farm-Stand.htm.

Run Boston – 10am-12pm. A 5K length group run. Join the group run leader for a run around the Cambridge area every Sun in 2011. Leave from the Harvard Sq Tommy Doyles, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge. MeetUp.RunBoston.org.Charles Square Farmers’ Market – Thru Nov 20. 10am-3pm. Also Fri, 12-6pm. Everything offer is from New England farms: fresh, organic produce, cut flowers, flower bedding, herb and tomato plants, and baked goods. Charles Hotel Courtyard, 1 Bennett St, Cambridge. Facebook.com/CambridgeFarmersMarkets.SoWa Open Market – Thru Oct 31. 10am-4pm. Features 140 indie designers, crafters, artists, mu-sicians, farmers, food trucks and much more. 460 Harrison Ave, Boston. 800-403-8305. SoWaOpen Market.com.Glassblowing Family Experience – 1-2pm. Enjoy a glassblowing demonstration with the fam-ily. A truly unique experience. $15/person. Make pendants for only $10 more per person. Diablo Glass School, 123 Terrace St, Boston. 617-442-7444. DiabloGlassSchool.com.

Kettle Bell 101 – 5:30-6:30am. Also 12-12:55pm, Tues. Learn how to use the latest workout rage. Learn the proper technique for kettlebell exercises such as the Turkish get up, the swing, the clean, the windmill, the clean and press, the snatch and more. $20. Vitality Personal Fitness, 118 Need-ham St, Newton. 617-620-3585. Vitality PersonalFitness.com. Central Square Farmers’ Market – 12-6pm. City Parking Lot #5, Bishop Allen Dr & Norfolk St, Cambridge. MassFarmersMarkets.org.Core Fundamentals – 12:30-1:25pm. Learn how to effectively use free weights, your body weight, resistance tubing and cable exercises to unleash your body’s natural confidence and power. $20. Vitality Personal Fitness, 118 Needham St, New-ton. 617-620-3585. VitalityPersonalFitness.com. Gentle Yoga – Thru Aug 2012. 12:30-1:45pm. Perfect for clearing an injury, giving input to a cranky body, or simple all around nourishing. Im-mersion in healing, community and ease with the Anusara Principles of Alignment. Majestic Yoga Studio, 223 Concord Ave, Cambridge. 617-876-6116. SteepedInGrace.com.Dance Jamz Hip Hop Workout – 6:30-7:30pm. Also 6:45-7:45pm, Wed. A dance class that lets you get your sexy swagger and a fun workout to shed off some extra pounds. Have fun and stay in shape following this Zumba-style class. $10/indi-vidual, $16/two. World Rhythms Dance & Fitness, 313 Highland Ave, Somerville. WRDanceFitness.com/Joomla. Jam’n Java Open Mic and Coffeehouse – 6:30-9pm. First Mon. Tuesday, Sept 6 this month. Sign up to play, or come and listen to talented local performers. Free. Jam’n Java, 594 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. ArlOpenMic.wordpress.com.Lower Body & Core Training Classes – Thru Sept 12. 7-8pm. Designed for walkers and runners as part of a balanced training program. Includes a combination of yoga, Pilates and traditional training modalities. Open to all. Free for members

ongoingcalendarAll Calendar events for the octo ber issue must be received by September 10th and adhere to our guidelines. visit NaturalAwakeningsMCMA.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

of Team core harmony who are preparing for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on Sun, Sept 18. Held at Shiva Shakti Yoga Center, 315 Moody St, 2nd Fl, Waltham. For more info about the Walk & how to register for free training: 617-794-7123 or coreharmony.com/Giving.html.Hatha Yoga at Gallery 263 – 7:15-8:30pm. In-crease flexibility, strength and balance. Relax and recharge mind and spirit. Intelligent sequencing and attention to alignment which will challenge all levels. Emphasizes correct alignment within a flowing sequence that will leave you feeling strengthened and energized. 263 Pearl St, Cam-bridgeport. 617-459-9817. Watertown HolisticHealth.com.

Get Primal – 5:30-6:30am. Shape up with the seven primal patterns of movement: squat, lunge, push, pull, bend, twist, and gait. This eight-exercise functional circuit will bolster your fitness and is a great addition to any athlete’s workout routine. $20. Vitality Personal Fitness, 118 Need-ham St, Newton. 617-620-3585. VitalityPersonal Fitness.com. Stretching for Seniors – 10:30-11:30am. With Sylvia Piltch. Increase range of motion with easy stretching set to the rhythm of big band music. Cambridge Public Library, Main, Community Rm, 449 Broadway, Cambridge. 617-349-4032. CambridgeMA.gov/CPL.aspx.Kendall Square Concert Series – Thru Sept. 12-2pm. A series of free outdoor concerts. Listen to some of the area’s most acclaimed musicians on our open air seated plaza. Free. 300 Athenaeum St, Cambridge. Performance schedule: KendallSquare.org.Farmers’ Market at Harvard – Thru Oct 25. 12-6pm. Fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods, meat, eggs, cheese, pasta, flowers, dips, nuts, ice cream, honey, maple syrup, chocolate, and more. Harvard University, lawn between the Science Center & Memorial Hall, Cambridge. Dining.Harvard.edu/FLP/Ag_Market.html.


Cold Springs Park Farmers’ Market – Thru Oct 25. 1:30-6pm. Farm fresh produce, turkey, beef, fresh fish, cheese, eggs, popovers, baked goods, jams, jellies. There will be flowers, crafters and a local fiddler to entertain. 1200 Beacon St, Newton. [email protected]. CI.Newton.MA.us/Parks/SpecialEvents/FarmersMarket/Farmers Market.htm.Lexington Farmers’ Market – 2-6:30pm. Fea-tures locally grown produce, a variety of meats, fish, baked goods and other prepared foods, and artisan’s tent. 1 Fletcher Ave, Lexington. LexingtonFarmersMarket.org.Vinyasa Yoga – 7-8pm. A style that synchronizes breath and movement. Be instructed to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. Learn proper alignment and how to breathe while gaining strength from the inside and out. $14/drop in, $60/5 consecutive classes. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Groton. 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com.

Nia with Maria Skinner – 8-9am. Nia is the first cardio workout to combine martial arts, dance, and healing arts. An evolutionary approach to fitness and self-healing in a body. An acclaimed practice for over 25 years which is based on the science of the body. A fun, creative pathway to health and wellbeing, regardless of age or physical condition. $16/drop in, $60/5 consecutive classes. Groton Wellness Medical Center, 493-495 Main St, Gro-ton. 978-449-9910. GrotonWellness.com. Kripalu Yoga Levels I/II – 10-11:30am. Join Certified Kripalu Yoga teacher Kim Childs for this mid-week class to refresh, relax, and reinvigorate body, mind and spirit. Beginners welcome to this gentle to moderate style Kripalu class cover-ing warm-ups, stretches, postures, breathwork, relaxation and guided meditation. $17/drop in or class card. The Arlington Center, 369 Mass Ave, Arlington. KimChilds.com.Davis Square Farmers’ Market – 12-6pm. Plump tomatoes, sweet corn and juicy peaches are not the only farm goodies you’ll find (in season) at this weekly farmers’ market. All manner of natural foods and product vendors. Day St & Herbert St, Somerville. 781-893-8222. Somerville.Patch.com/Listings/Davis-Square-Farmers-Market.Arlington Farmers’ Market – 2-6:30pm. Thru late Oct. One of the area’s largest selections of farm fresh produce and locally raised meat, local cheese, eggs, fish, honey, maple syrup and flowers as well as wonderful baked goods from local area

bakeries and restaurants. Russell Common parking lot in the Arlington Center, behind Park Terrace. FarmersMarketArlington.org.Maum Meditation Introduction Seminar – 7-8pm. Also 3-4pm, Sat. Purpose is to bring people out of the false mind world that they are living in that includes stress, anxiety, loneliness, etc., all sorts of pain and burden. Subtracting all these false mind elements can remove the source of all these disturbances and live much better. Even one’s body will become healthier. Maum Meditation, 50 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. 617-272-6358. Maum.org.Advaita Meditation Evenings – 7-8:30pm. Come to meditate and take part in a discussion. Both beginners and experienced meditators welcome; instruction provided for those who need it. Refreshments provided. Suggested donation $15. Advaita Meditation Center, 28 Worcester Ln, Waltham. 781-647-0200. AdvaitaMeditation.org.

Vital TRX Cross – 6-6:55am. Also 9-9:55am, Sat. A revolutionary method of leveraged bodyweight exercise, which allows you to safely perform hundreds of functional exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and prevent injuries. $20. Vitality Personal Fitness, 118 Need-ham St, Newton. 617-620-3585. VitalityPersonal Fitness.com. Anusara Inspired Yoga – 9:30-11am. Explore Anusara’s Universal Principles of Alignment to awaken, align, and move into an uplifted state of being. Samadhi Yoga Studio, 796 Beacon St, New-ton Center. 617-243-0034. SteepedInGrace.com.Belmont Farmers’ Market – 1:30-7pm. Now featuring local wineries. Fresh, local items directly from local farmers and producers: vegetables, fruit, baked goods, meat, cereals, honey, jam, eggs, cheese, sauces, plants and more. Cross St & Chan-ning Rd, Belmont. BelmontFarmers Market.org.Reiki Healing Circle for Women on a Healing Journey with Cancer – 4-6pm. Once a month. Sept 22 this month. Women trained in Reiki and at various stages in their healing journey come to-gether to support each other. Uplifting, life affirm-ing and healing. $35. Arlington Reiki Associates, 366 Mass Ave, Ste304, Arlington. 781-648-9334. ArlintonReiki.com.Journey of Divorce Base Camp – Sept 29-Nov 3. 5:30-7:15pm. Six-wk workshop series for those divorcing or newly divorced. Topics addressed include nurturing yourself, grief and loss, getting

unstuck, dealing with anger and sadness, and improving communications with your ex. One Journey Consulting, 75 Claypit Hill Rd, Wayland. 508-276-1764. OneJourneyConsulting.com. Zumba Rumba Thursdays – 6:30-7:30pm. Benefit mentally, emotionally and physically from the dance workout that has caused such a sensation all over the world. $12/class. Corpbasics Fitness & Training Club, 73 Bow St, Somerville. 617-968-1695. ShapeUpPersonalTraining.com.HypnoBirthing – 6:30-9pm. In this class, you and your birth companion will learn relaxation techniques of Hypnobirthing. This is a technique for achieving a safer, gentler and more comfort-able birth. $235/couple. Mount Auburn Hospital, 330 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge. MountAuburn Hospital.org.Somerville Road Runners Night 4.13 Miler – 7:15-8:15pm. It may be snowing. It may be raining. The SRR Thursday night run will happen every week, no matter what. Free. Casey’s, 171 Broadway, Somerville. SRR.org/Events/Thursday- Night-Race.

Art Fridays – Thru Oct 14. 11am-6pm. Open air market featuring handmade arts and crafts spon-sored by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Summer St, Downtown Crossing. BostonBid.org.

Newton Summer Farmers’ Market – Thru Oct 7. 12-5pm. Farm fresh produce, turkey, beef, fresh fish, cheese, eggs, popovers, baked goods, jams, jellies. Flowers, crafters and a local fiddler to en-tertain. American Legion Post 440, 295 California St, Parking Lot. CI.Newton.MA.us/Parks/Special Events/FarmersMarket/FarmersMarket.htm.

Charles Square Farmers’ Market – Thru Nov 18. 12-6pm. See Sun listing. Also Charles Hotel Courtyard, 1 Bennett St, Cambridge. Facebook.com/CambridgeFarmersMarkets

Glass Beadmaking – 6:30pm. An evening of glass, friends and wine. Spend three hours in one of our studios to experience an introductory taste of working with hot glass in glassblowing and bead making. $75. Diablo Glass School, 123 Ter-race St, Boston. 617-442-7444. DiabloGlass School.com.


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Open Garden Saturday – 9am-12pm. The Center is open for visitors to enjoy. Helping hands always welcome. Opportunities for volunteers to steward the garden throughout the season and Sat mornings are a great way to get your hands in the dirt. Dona-tions accepted. Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville. 617-623-3521. TheGrowingCenter.org.Union Square Farmers’ Market – Thru Oct 29. 9am-1pm. On the Union Square Plaza, Somerville. UnionSquareMain.org/Food/Farmers-Market.Winchester Farmers’ Market – Thru Oct 29. 9:30am-1:30pm. Town Common, Church St & Waterfield Rd, Winchester. WinchesterFarmers Market.org.Broga Yoga – 10-11am. A yoga class geared for men, but open to all. Strong, energetic, and challenging, it uses traditional yoga postures and fitness movements for an amazing workout. Less flexibility intensive than other forms of yoga, broga teaches to men’s natural physical strengths such as upper body and core muscle groups. $10 recommended donation. The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville. 617-207-9374. BrogaYoga.com.Cambridgeport Farmers’ Market – Thru Oct 29. 10am-2pm. Everything offer is from New England farms: fresh, organic produce, cut flowers, flower bedding, herb and tomato plants, and baked goods. Morse School Parking Lot, Magazine St & Memo-rial Dr, Cambridge. Facebook.com/Cambridge FarmersMarkets.Greenway Open Market – Thru Sept 17. 11am-5-pm. An open air arts and crafts market on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Wharf District Parks, between High St & Atlantic Ave. 617-292-0020. Greenway OpenMarket.com.Maum Meditation Introduction Seminar – 3-4pm. See Wed listing. Maum Meditation, 50 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington. 617-272-6358. Maum.org.

Run Boston – 10am-12pm. A 5K length group run. Join the group run leader for a run around the Cambridge area every Sun in 2011. Leave from the Harvard Sq Tommy Doyles, 96 Winthrop St, Cambridge. MeetUp.RunBoston.org.Charles Square Farmers’ Market – Thru Nov 20. 10am-3pm. Also Fri, 12-6pm. Everything offer is from New England farms: fresh, organic produce, cut flowers, flower bedding, herb and tomato plants, and baked goods. Charles Hotel Courtyard, 1 Bennett St, Cambridge. Facebook.com/ CambridgeFarmersMarkets.SoWa Open Market – Thru Oct 31. 10am-4pm. Features 140 indie designers, crafters, artists, mu-sicians, farmers, food trucks and much more. 460 Harrison Ave, Boston. 800-403-8305. SoWaOpen Market.com.Glassblowing Family Experience – 1-2pm. Enjoy a glassblowing demonstration with the fam-ily. A truly unique experience. $15/person. Make pendants for only $10 more per person. Diablo Glass School, 123 Terrace St, Boston. 617-442-7444. DiabloGlassSchool.com.


HEALTHy HoME

ENERgy CoNSERvATIoN DESIgNPeter Brooks617-833-0087P.Brooks@verizon.netEnergyConservationDesign.us

A home consultation will: Reduce your carbon footprint and save energy; Increase comfort and air

quality through diagnostic testing, air sealing and insulation.

HoLISTIC boDywoRK

bARbARA goSSELIN, PT393 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA781-507-4226HolisticHealingPT.com

I’m a Physical Therapist with 20+ years experience helping people recover from pain using gentle, effective Bodywork techniques including Craniosacral Therapy and Fascial Mobilization. See ad page 21.

MyERS boDywoRKLexington, [email protected]

Tamar Myers, in practice since 1992, offers comprehensive bodywork. Her expertise in a wide variety of modalities allows her to design sessions unique to each individual’s needs.

DANIEL SHARP126 Prospect St, Cambridge MA781-412-4325SacredCircleHealing.com

Experience a deep sense of Self and true healing from the heart. Daniel offers Reiki and Infant Massage classes, Crystal Healing, Reiki treatments, and massage.

ACUPUNCTURE

ACUPUNCTURE TogETHER2464 Massachusetts Ave, Ste 420Cambridge, 02140617-499-9993AcupunctureTogether.com

Affordable acupuncture, excellent care. Dozens of conditions treated safely and effectively in a comfortable community room. Sliding scale for everyone. $35-55

first visit, $20-40 follow-up.

DAvIS SQUARE ACUPUNCTURE & HEALINg ARTSLisa Desrosiers, LAc617-548-8167DavisSquareAcupuncture.com

Effective, gentle, compassionate healthcare for optimal health and wellness. Treatment for stress, mood, pain, injuries, headaches, immunity, digestion, women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, and preventative care.

CHIRoPRACToR

NEwToN CHIRoPRACTIC AND wELLNESSJulie Burke, [email protected]

We are an integrative holistic wellness center. Our caring team consists of chiropractors special-izing in Network Spinal Analysis, massage therapists and Shiatsu and Reiki practitioners. See ad page 19.

wALTHAM CHIRoPRACTICDr. John C. Duffy, DC781-894-4270WalthamChiropractic.com

Activator methods, manual adjustments, massage, exercise therapy, spinolator roller tables, hydro-massage. Applied Kine-siology Testing for nutritional support, pediatric, pregnancy, whiplash, sports injuries. Major health insurances accepted. See ad page 11.

CoMPoUNDINg & wELLNESS PHARMACy

JoHNSoN CoMPoUNDINg AND wELLNESS CENTERStephen Bernardi577 Main St, Waltham, MA 02452781-893-3870Fax: [email protected]

JCWC is the only sterile and non-sterile PCAB-accredited pharmacy in Massachusetts. In addition to our compounding service, we offer a full range of nutritional supplements,

natural products, homeopathic remedies and home health care equipment. See ad page 37.

CREATIvITy CoACHINg

THE ARTIST’S wAy Kim Childs617-640-3813KimChilds.com

Kim coaches groups and indi-viduals in the life-changing prac-tices and principles of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Group intensives offered each spring and fall. See ad page 33.

DENTIST

JoSEPH MANISCALCo, DDS19 Chestnut St, Arlington, MA 02474 781-643-2344Fax: [email protected]

Our Practice centers on your comfort, your convenience, and on dental excellence, always. We believe everything we do here should enhance your lifestyle and your health. See ad back cover.

communityresourceguideConnecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource guide, email [email protected] to request our media kit.


NUTRITIoNAL SUPPLEMENTS

MoNA vIE INDEPENDENT DISTRIbUToR Dawn McGee781-308-3071TheMVAcai.com

Providing products and personal-ized services dedicated to helping you improve your health. Serving New England and 18 countries around the world.

PHySICAL THERAPy/SPoRTS MEDICINE

CAMbRIDgE PHySICAL THERAPy & SPoRTS MEDICINE1000A Cambridge St.Cambridge, 02141617-492-6600CambridgePTSportsMed.com

Specializing in outpatient orthopedic rehabilita-tion and treatment of sports, dance and work injuries. We also treat computer/musician overuse injuries, carpal tunnel, and injuries from motor vehicle accidents. See ad page 15.

ERIC M. voLKIN [email protected] EVCMassage.com

Receive a massage experience that is unequaled, combining strength, gentleness, knowledge and experience with an acute sen-sitivity to minimizing pain and stiffness. By appointment only. See ad page 21.

HoLISTIC HEALTH CoACH

NINA MANoLSoN, MA, LMT, CHCCertified Health CoachSmokin’ Hot Mom Mentor & Family Wellness [email protected]@HealthyYummyKids.com

Nina helps busy moms prioritize themselves so that they look and feel their very best. She also teaches families how to make the shift to healthier eating habits. Free get acquainted session avail-able. See ad page 23.

HoLISTIC PET

CANIS MAJoR HERbALSNancy [email protected]

Helping to bring dogs back to wellness using medicinal herbal-ism for health conditions and Tail Hikes for exercise. See Canis MajorHerbals.com for more info. See ad page 30.

INTEgRATIvE THERAPy

boDyMIND RESoURCINgAlison Shaw APRN, LMT, CEH393 Massachusetts AveArlington, MA [email protected]

Your symptoms are trying to tell you something… Listen! Your body, emotions and thoughts are constantly interacting and affecting each other. Using my in-novative blend of Body-Centered Counseling, Bodywork and

Energy Medicine, I will help you discover and release the underlying mind-body patterns that may be interfering with your health and limiting your life. See ad page 35.

INTEgRATIvE vETERINARy MEDICAL CARE

MASH MAIN ST ANIMAL SERvICES oF HoPKINToNMargo Roman & Deborah Grady72 W Main St, Hopkinton, MA 01748508-435-4077508-435-4204Fax: [email protected]

A full-service integrative veteri-nary clinic offering caring and healthful options and modalities like acupuncture, functional nutri-tion, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbs, ozone therapy, surgery and dentistry. See ad page 30.

MUSIC LESSoNS

IN HoME MUSIC LESSoNS Johan Narsjo617-968-3646Narsjo@hotmail.comInHomeMusicLessons.orgJohanNarsjo.com

Guitar, Bass and Piano lessons for all levels and ages. Study in your home with an experienced teacher. Personalized lesson plans with a focus on creative expression utilizing a variety of contemporary and traditional

techniques. Learn how to maximize the practice time available to you by finding the perfect bal-ance. See ad page 15.

NATURAL HAIR CARE

FUTURA bELEZA [email protected]

Spazzolla Pro-fessionale is a keratin smooth-ing system 100% free of harsh chemicals.

Made for professional salons only. Distributed in the USA exclusively by Futura Beleza,Inc. See ad page 5.

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Natural Awakenings Boston September 2011