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September 2010 | Tennessee Valley | Free TOP WAYS TO PRESERVE YOUR HARVEST feel good live simply laugh more HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

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

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September 2010 | Tennessee Valley | Free

TOP WAYS TO PRESERVEYOUR HARVEST

FEEL GOOD FILMS UPBEAT AND LIGHT-FILLED

EXPRESS YOUR

CREATIVITYSPECIAL ISSUE

feel goodlive simplylaugh more

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

2 Tennessee Valley(256) 412-4896 www.healthsource.saladmaster.comwww.healthsource.saladmaster.co®

®

3September 2010

Greetings Natural Awakenings Readers. My name is Tom Maples, and I am the new publisher of Natural Awakenings for the Tennessee Valley.

Why buy a magazine franchise? Why Natural Awakenings?

I grew up in Huntsville and Decatur, and have recently returned to the Tennessee Valley from Atlanta, where I spent the last seventeen years. All I can say is that it feels wonderful to be home. There is nothing like that sense of being where you belong. The Ten-nessee Valley is a special place, and I feel very strongly that it is my place to be here and to help people succeed. Publishing Natural Awakenings is an ideal way to do that, both as a uniquely trusted source of information on natural healthy living, and as a vital community resource guide connecting the right services to the right people. I am right at home with the core ethos of Natural Awakenings in regard to taking charge of one’s own health, taking care of the earth, taking respon-sibility for one’s own spiritual evolution and thereby taking part in the slowly but steadily accelerating spiritual evolu-tion of humanity. Since I moved back home to the Tennessee Valley, I have tapped into a vein of alternative, inte-grative healthcare consciousness that I had only been vaguely aware of before in much-more-metropolitan Atlanta. To me, these practitioners, and the innova-tive thinking that they personify, stand out like a bright jewel on the flag of Alabama. It is these very characteristics of open-mindedness, tolerance, self-reliance, curiosity, and commitment to humanity, health and healing for which Natural Awakenings is both caretaker and concierge in the Tennessee Valley. I can’t imagine a more rewarding role, for me, than to have a hand in growing and solidifying that enterprise.

Publisher/Editor

Tom Maples

[email protected]

Cell: (404) 395-9634

Fax: (256) 217-4274

New Business Development

Advertising Sales

Cindy Wilson

[email protected]

Cell: (256) 476-6537

Fax: (256) 217-4274

Design and Production

Karen Ormstedt

(256) 997-9165

Alabama Awakenings

14 Woodland Ave

Trinity, Alabama 35673

© 2010 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

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

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

SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions are available by sending $15

(for 12 issues) to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy- based ink.

contact us

publisher’sletter

What do you bring to the table? Why do you think you can help?

My career field has been Advertising, on the creative side, as a copywriter and Associate Creative Director. I know what makes a good ad, and what goes in to making it. Regardless of the scope or scale of a single ad or campaign, or the size of its target audi-ence, advertising is a focused fusion of message content and its delivery form, precisely calibrated to grab attention, communicate, and persuade. I know how to write a standalone ad or a full ad campaign for clients both large and small. I plan to bring what I can of the “Madison Avenue Mindset” to you, our readers, and you, our current and future advertisers. You deserve the best, most creative, most impactful, and most engaging advertising that you can get, the kind that is not often available at an affordable price in local and regional advertising. You deserve a voice, a plat-form. Natural Awakenings is the voice, the pulse, the standardbearer for the best stuff going on in the Valley. To help each one of you get out the good word, I am pleased that we will be offering listing options as low as $10 per month. Please feel free to drop me a line with any questions you may have. I look forward to serving you as editor and publisher of your Natural Awaken-ings magazine.

Tom [email protected]

coverartDANCE by Diane WhiteheadTo view portfolios of Diane Whitehead’s work, visit:www.ArtByDianeWhitehead.com www.TheRedstoneGallery.com

28

32 8 SAVORING THE SUN Three Ways to Preserve Summer’s Goodness by Judith Fertig

10 HONORING THE FOUR-LEGGED AMONG US by Gloria Agrelius

12 GOING DEEPER WITH ASHIATSU ORIENTAL BAR THERAPY by Sharon L. Bryant, LMT

14 TITANS OF YOGA Lessons Distilled From a Lifetime of Disciplined Practices by Johannes R. Fisslinger

20 FUN FALL MIGRATIONS A Perfect Family Field Trip by Martin Miron

22 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Instrument of Healing by Mary Beth Maziarz

25 EARTH MUSIC Soundscapes of America’s Quiet Places by Susie Ruth

28 STEP UP TO GOOD GROOMING by Morieka V. Johnson

32 LIVING ART Creativity Inspires Community by Kirsten Broadfoot

35 FEEL GOOD FILMS A Conversation with Producer Stephen Simon by Ellen Mahoney

contents

advertising & submissions

www.nahuntsville.com

26

8 consciouseating

14 fitbody

15 e-commerce directory

16 healthbriefs

18 who’swho

20 healthykids

22 healingways

25 inspiration

26 globalbriefs

28 naturalpet

35 wisewords

22

16

HOW TO ADVERTISE Display Ads due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. To ad-vertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 404-395-9634 or email.

Email: [email protected]

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS*Newsbriefs due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. Limit 50-250 words. Content limited to special events and other announcements. No advertorials, please.

Articles and ideas due by the 5th of the month, 5pm CST. Articles generally contain 250-850 words, with some excep-tions. No advertorials, please. Email: [email protected]

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendars and Ongoing Calendars due by the 12th of the month, 5pm CST. Calendar - Limit 50 words; Ongoing Cal-endar - Limit 20 words. Up to three Ongoing Calendar entries per organization. Please follow format found in those sections.

Email: [email protected]

* All submissions are subject to editing and will be printed at the pub-lisher’s discretion. Article space often fills in advance. Deadline dates refer to the month prior to next publication and may change without notice due to holidays, shorter months, or printing schedules.

20

35

5September 2010

www.cslhuntsville.org

308 Lily Flagg Rd.883-8596

Rev. David Leonard

ONGOING SERVICES AND CLASSES!

A Spiritual Communitysupporting the practice of knowing God in the heart

of every person.

New Thought ClassesTuesdays, 6:30-9:00pm

Wednesdays,10:00am-12:00pm

Revealing ServicesSundays 9:45am

Celebration ServicesSundays 10:30am

MeditationTuesdays & Wednesdays

6:00pmSundays 8:30am

SatsangWednesdays 6:30pm

Transforming Livesand Making the World

a Better Place

A Spiritual Community

newsbriefs

The Yurt Garden RetreatSeptember Workshops

On Saturday Sept. 11th between 4pm and 5:30, a

Butterfly workshop for all nature lovers will be held. Bring the kids and learn how to attract butterflies to your garden as well as play amongst them! Nets will be provided to catch and release. We'll also learn about their life cycles and which ones overwinter here. We'll be on the lookout for Monarchs as they stop off to feed before their migrate back to Mexico. Cost is $20.00 including a zinnia to take home to plant. Please e-mail to reserve your place. Saturday Sept. 25th from 10-11:30 Yoga and Fall Gardening. The first half of the class will teach yoga stretches to help prevent injuries while working in the garden. The second half will be devoted to learning how to grow an organic fall garden from conditioning the soil, water requirements, pest man-agement, and what greens and other garden vegetables are best suited for our area. Cost is $20.00 a person, including seeding up a small flat of lettuces to plant at home. Please e-mail to reserve your place. See CRG page 39.

Animal Blessing Event at the Center for Spiritual Living in Huntsville

The Animal Blessing is a celebration of the love we have for our pets, and an opportunity to

hold all animals around the world in conscious-ness and prayer. Our mission is simple: raise awareness about the interconnectedness we have with animals and everything in life.

There will be a brief talk on proper care for pets and how we, as a community, can work together to bring down the number of homeless animals in our area. Adoptable pets will be on site. We invite you to bring your best behaved pet to the blessing. There will be an altar for pictures

of pets that have passed and for pets that are not able to attend the blessing. Jodi Rutenberg, licensed practitioner and spiritual coach through the International Centers for Spiritual Living, will facilitate the annual Animal Blessing. Jodi volunteers at A New Leash on Life, an animal welfare and rescue organization in Huntsville, and provides foster care for animals in her home. Jodi is committed to a life in service to the well being of our four- legged friends and serves in the animal ministry at the Center. The annual Animal Blessing: September 26, 2010 @ 10:30 am, The Cen-ter for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, Huntsville, Al. 35802; Contact: Jodi Rutenberg@[email protected]. See ad this page.

Terry Wingo, RPh Ginny Isbell, Pharm D

The Physician’s Resource

256 . 837.1778

Seminars and WorkshopsDate: Thursday, September 23, 2010

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Madison Drugs

Instructor: Terry Wingo, RPh

Topic: Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue

Cost: $20 – General Admission $30 – C.E. (nurses & pharmacists).

R.S.V.P. @ (256) 837-1778

Wellness CounselingWe perform intensive one-on-one evaluations covering your health history and current health problems. Take control of your life today, and schedule an appoint-ment with our trained and qualified staff.

??Ask the Pharmacist??Terry,For the past 2 years I have been exhausted and nothing seems to help. Some days it’s hard for me to get out of bed. My doctor has diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia. Is there a cure for this?

The Pharmacist Says...In our experience the symptoms of fi bromy-algia are generally reversible when under-lying functional endocrine imbalances are corrected. Dietary and lifestyle changes along with nutritional support tailored to individual needs strengthen our body’s heal-ing processes, enabling our recovery. We’ll discuss our approach in detail in our next class- why not call to reserve a seat?

• Pet Compounding Pharmacy

• Massage Therapy

• Healthy Eating & Weight Loss

• Book CenterNew Releases & Favorites

7September 2010

UA Ministries On Sept 12, 2010, UA Ministries will begin an 11-week

series titled “Learning to Love” geared toward creating and sustaining meaningful relationships with others. This series can and will benefit couples; however, loving relation-ships are not limited to only spouses or significant others. Anyone wanting to improve any relationship in his or her life will find this series useful and liberating. “Learning to Love” is not designed to be a band-aid approach to loving others; instead it is a dramatic life-changing experience. This series will be taught by Jadon Cascio, the founder of UA Ministries. Jadon’s background is in ministry and social work. Jadon has written and taught this series as a workshop in many churches across the United States. He has also been able to use and share this information with families in crisis, including, but not limited to, those who have been court appointed or mandated to attend due to domestic violence. Jadon is passionate about each person’s responsibility to par-ticipate in the healing of their own broken and incomplete relationships. He believes this is how the world is healed, one person at a time. So, we invite you to join us for “Learning to Love” at 10:30 am at the Radisson Hotel located at 8721 Madison Boulevard in Madison, AL beginning on Sept 12th. For more information you can visit our website at www.uaministries.com or you can call 256-653-3896. There is no charge, and you may attend as often as you are able. See ad page 24.

The Center for Spiritual Living

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION. The Center for Spiritual Living in

Huntsville presents this four-week class on Mindfulness Meditation, begin-ning Tuesday evening September 7, at 6:30–8:30 pm., explores mindfulness

practices as taught by Jon Kabat Zin, author of the book Wherever You Go, There You Are. Each week individuals go deeper into meditation practic-es and discover the natural peacefulness that is already there. These techniques have been offered in corporations, hospitals and schools as they reduce stress and promote a balanced inner health. Susan Gilbert has studied with the author and offers this class on a donation basis. She is a yoga teacher in our com-munity and a long time student/teacher of meditation. Classes will be held at the Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville, AL 35802. Contact Susan at 256-656-5704 or email her at [email protected]. see ad page 5.

Food For LifeNEWtritional Health Care Seminar. Roy Williams CHt,

owner of NEWtritional Health Care in Killen, Alabama, sponsored a health seminar at Foods for Life in Huntsville on Thursday, August 19th at 7 pm. Roy discussed some of the top health issues that exist in our society, while explaining

Jin Shin Jyutsu®

of HuntsvilleAiding Healing through

Body Harmony & Relaxation

SANDRA COPECertified Jin Shin Jyutsu® Practitioner

(256) 534-1794 Office(256) 509-3540 Cell Huntsville, Alabama

how NEWtritional Health Care supplements were designed to supply our bodies with the raw materials, which in turn, heals itself. Many people who attended told how their health improved using NEWtritional Health Care products. Steve Krzyzewski C.E.D.S.A.T. performed free Electro-dermal Stress Screenings for individuals who wanted to see which NEWtritional Health Care products matched for them. Electrodermal Stress Analysis is a product of a 50-year evolu-tion in Biological-Energetic/biofeedback testing. To contact Steve Krzyzewski about Electrodermal Stress Analysis, call 256-679-1997. For more information on NEWtritional Health Care, visit www.myhealthykingdom.com/10003, or call 800-745-4408. See ad on page 11.

Bellydance - Drumming - Yoga

Nomadic Tapestry

1219 B&C Jordan Lane, Huntsville256-318-0169

For class schedules and pricing go to:www.nomadictapestry.com

8 Tennessee Valley

consciouseating

“Being a locavore is fabulous if you live somewhere like California,” says Audra

Wolfe, a co-founder of Canvolution and an expert food preservationist. “But if you live in the Northeast, unless you learn food preservation, you could be eating local turnips and kale all winter,” she notes with a chuckle. The mounting desire to eat locally grown food, know what’s in our food and reduce our carbon footprint, as well as shrinking household budgets, are contributing to what The New York Times recently cited as a renaissance in home food preservation. “In a time of high food prices, job losses and food safety scares, home canning is boom-ing,” agrees June Taylor, a Berkeley, California, food preservationist. Accord-ing to Jarden Home Brands, makers of Kerr and Ball brands of glass canning jars, sales of canning equipment were up 30 percent in 2009. The simplest methods for “putting by” food are freezing, refrigerator can-ning or multi-step water bath canning. Pressure canning, dehydrating and fermenting require special equipment (pressure cookers, dehydrators and large crocks), as well as more advanced knowledge. For most of us, a large pot and some pint-size glass canning jars

with lids and metal sealing rings com-prise the basic equipment we need to get started.

FreezingFreezing can be as easy as rinsing berries in very cold water, pat-ting them dry, and then placing them on a bak-ing sheet in the freezer until frozen solid. Such quick-frozen berries can then be placed in

freezer storage containers and will keep for up to six months. Some foods, like vegetables, need to be blanched first—plunged into boiling water for a minute or two, then shocked in an ice water bath—then allowed to cool before being

SAVORING THE SUNThree Ways to Preserve Summer’s Goodness

by Judith Fertig

placed in freezer storage containers. Cooked sauces, salsas and chutneys can simply cool before being frozen and will also taste best when eaten within six months.

Refrigerator CanningBecause most veg-etables have low acid content, which can invite bacteria growth, canning them also in-volves pickling—add-ing a vinegary brine to increase the acid level. Refrigerator-pickled

cucumbers, Swiss chard stems, green tomatoes, beets and green beans will keep for up to six months if kept cov-ered in pickling brine in the refrigerator.

Hot Water Bath CanningTraditional hot water bath canning creates a vacuum within the jar that works to preserve foods. Basically, the food is packed into clean, hot jars that are filled almost up to the top (the amount of

headspace between the food and the

“The jars are like characters, with story lines that I remember.”

~ Eugenia Bone, author of Well-Preserved: Recipes and

Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods

9September 2010

¼ tsp ground nutmeg¼ tsp natural salt or to taste1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. In a large saucepan, combine the apples with ½ cup of the honey; cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. For chunky applesauce, just mash the apples in the saucepan. For a smoother sauce, press the apples through a conical sieve or a food mill placed over a bowl. Add enough of the remaining honey to sweeten to taste. Stir in the spices, salt and lemon juice. Enjoy just-made or freeze in pint jars for up to six months.

Refrigerator Baby Dill PicklesCrisp and crunchy, these pickles depend on very fresh cucumbers.Makes 2 pint jars

1 cup water1 cup distilled white vinegar1 cup sugar1½ tsp natural salt1 lb pickling or baby cucumbers; trim ends and quarter lengthwise8 cloves garlic, peeled2 tsp black peppercorns2 fresh dill seed heads with some of the stalk

1. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and

salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high

heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Pack the cucumber spears in the jars. Divide the garlic and peppercorns between the jars. Stuff a large dill seed head into the center of each jar. Pour the cooled liquid over the mixture, making sure everything is completely covered with liquid. Seal the jars and refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Keep refriger-ated; flavors will continue to develop over time.

—Source: Recipes courtesy of Judith Fertig

Honeyed ApplesauceDark with spices, this applesauce is a frozen asset.Makes about 2 pint jars

8 cups (about 3 lbs) apples such as Lodi, Macintosh or Lady, cored, peeled and quartered1 cup clover or other mild honey2 tsp ground cinnamon

For more information call16 Main Art Gallery

256.325.4253

FREE ADMISSIONRefreshments and light hor d’oeuvres served

Art ExhibitAnd Book Signing

Art Exhibit

Spirit Nurturing

View Rita’s artwork atwww.NurturingArt.com

Come and Experience theNurturing Message of Unconditional

Self-Love. Learn to incorporate unconditionalself-love into every aspect of your life.

Allow unconditional self-love to heal you,empower you and bring you peace.

A Fundraising Event ForHOPE Place

Domestic Violence ShelterIn Recognition of Domestic Violence

Awareness Month in October

September 30, 20105:00pm - 9:00pm

16 Main Art GalleryLocated at 16 Main St., Downtown Madison,

in the Historical Clay Brewer House.

Featuring the Watercolor Artand New Book

Unconditional Self-Loveby Rita Loyd

Knowledgeable Resources

County extension agencies within each state’s department of agriculture provide

free information on techniques for preserving food, together with recipes and recommended local ingredients. Helpful online sources also

abound; here are some websites to get started.

Audra Wolfe at DorisAndJillyCook.com

Ball Canning at FreshPreserving.com

Canning Across America at Canning AcrossAmerica.com

Eugenia Bone at blogs.DenverPost.com/preserved

Kerri Conan at DinersJournal.blogs. nytimes.com/tag/canning

National Center for Food Preservation at uga.edu/nchfp

U.S. Department of Agriculture at usda.gov (click on Food and Nutrition, then search

Home Canning)

lid is indicated in the recipe). Then, the filled and sealed jars are processed in a hot water bath for a specified amount of time. When they’re removed from the bath, the lids will pop into place as they cool to complete each jar’s vacuum seal. Food canned this way can be stored on kitchen shelves for up to one year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. Today, with more cooks, gardeners and food lovers collectively committed to the revival of the lost art of putting by food, the movement is picking up steam. Can-volution aficionados say that almost half of U.S. canners are now younger than 40.

—Judith Fertig is a freelance food writer in Overland Park, KS; for more information visit AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle. blogspot.com.

10 Tennessee Valley

Whether you’re a pet owner, or you simply love animals, the wake of the recent Gulf oil spill has many of us feeling we need to do something

to make the world a safer place for all living creatures. The magnitude of the devastation can be overwhelm-ing, and we find ourselves feeling powerless to make a change. The great Mahatma Gandhi said: “We must be the change we want to see in the world.” How can we become that change? We may not be able to protect all the animals in the world, but we can find ways to serve and protect the large number of homeless animals in our own backyard. It is estimated that some 9,000 cats and dogs are euthanized in our area every year. While there are many won-derful local rescue organizations such as A New Leash on Life, The Ark, and many others, the task is daunting and the pet population continues to grow. The Center for Spiritual Living in Huntsville has found a way to

“be the change.” The Center is hosting an Animal Bless-ing event on Sunday, September 26, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. The sanctuary will be filled with dogs and there will be adoptable cats and dogs onsite. All the animals around the world will be held in consciousness and prayer as we honor our interconnectedness with all of life. The mission for the Center’s animal ministry is to pay tribute to animals and raise awareness about the plight of so many of our four-legged friends. Although local animal services do a wonderful job adopting out as many animals as they can, the sad truth

is that animals that are too old, too young, or too sick often end up being euthanized. Sometimes when over-crowding is at its peak, there is simply no room at the inn. Such is the story of Magnolia and her pups. Magnolias’ puppies were only a few days old when they were brought to the animal shelter. In the midst of the chaos, Magnolia and the puppies were separated, and because the pups were so young

By Gloria Agrelius

Honoring the Four-Legged Among Us

11September 2010

and had no one to care for them, they were put to sleep. Luckily, Magnolia made it out alive when a New Leash on Life pulled her from the shelter and found her a foster home. It’s apparent to all that Magnolia is still grieving and searching for her pups. It is obvious that animals have feel-ings and their hearts can be broken just like ours. Could her story awaken compassion in all of us? Stories like this one awaken the heart of humanity to the compassion of love and action. We can use our aware-ness and compassion as an opportunity to become creative and find new ways to educate and inform the public. As a community, we can put an end to the overpopulation of homeless animals.

How do we put compassion into action? Let us start with our youth. At the Center for Spiritual Living, our children learn about the responsibility for caring for our pets. They realize the importance of nutrition and water. They learn not to leave pets outside in extreme hot or cold weather conditions. The children learn how important it is to have pets neutered or spayed to help keep down overpopulation of domestic animals. The Center has an outreach ministry that supports A New Leash on Life. This wonderful organization has an amazing record for rescuing and adopting out pets to new forever homes. Every animal rescued is spayed or neu-tered. They provide medical assistance and foster care for abandoned, injured, or unwanted animals all over North Alabama. A New Leash on Life joins the Center for Spiritual Living in promoting humane animal treatment in our com-munity and elsewhere. Many Alabamians are making their voices heard by joining AVRAL (Alabama Votes for Responsible Animal Legislation). AVRAL is a grassroots, non-partisan political action committee that works to influence legislation and supports the passage of policies favorable to the welfare of animals. Contact them at www.alabamavotesforanimals.org. Some people offer support by giving money to animal welfare organizations such as A New Leash on Life. Some will visit animals in shelters to give them love or take caged dogs out for a walk. Some will foster dogs and cats in their homes, while others may help stray cats and dogs make it to the shelters so they can find the assistance they need. Ultimately, the animals are innocent in all of this. They have done nothing wrong. It is up to us to help conditions improve so that useless deaths no longer occur. Each of us can find our own way to make a difference. However insignificant a gesture may appear to be, it will make a sig-nificant difference in the greater body of life. We ultimately change the world one heart at a time. The Animal Blessing will be held at the Center for Spiri-tual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd. on Sunday, September 26 at 10:30 AM. All are invited. See ad page 5.

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12 Tennessee Valley

(AOBT) seems to fit the bill for many previously unsatisfied clients seeking deep tissue massage. New clients often schedule their appointment skeptical, nervous, and in pain, hoping this exotic-sounding Ashiatsu massage can help. Typically, all they know about AOBT is that it’s a deep-tissue massage, and a friend or fam-ily member had one and spoke highly of their experience. While AOBT is a deep tissue massage, it is also much more. The most notable difference be-tween AOBT and many other massages is that it’s a barefoot massage modality. Disguised in the name of this modality is a literal translation: ashi (meaning foot) + atsu (meaning pressure) = ashiatsu or foot pressure. Thus AOBT-certified therapists use soft, clean feet and par-allel bars mounted into the ceiling to perform a flowing, dance-like massage. The gentle appearance of a trained AOBT provider sweeping and gliding her feet over the back of a client is deceptive. This is a deep massage drawing on the large

Going DeeperWith Ashiatsu Oriental Bar TherapyBy Sharon L. Bryant, LMT

One of the most common complaints massage therapists hear from new clients is that they

have never had a massage that was deep enough. For many massage therapists, this sin-gular and repeating complaint sends them on a career-long odyssey spend-ing tens of thousands in continuing education, all the while searching for the perfect combination of techniques to relieve their clients’ pain and go deeper. While no one massage modali-ty or technique is appropriate for every client, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy

Sharon L. Bryant, LMT,is a master AOBT provider in Decatur, Alabama. harvestmoonmassage.wordpress.com

muscle groups of the therapist’s legs and leverage from their body weight. Many clients arrive for an AOBT session expecting the therapist to walk on them, and thus, give them a somewhat painful and unpleasant massage. The fact that they show up at all speaks to the nature of the pain they are experiencing. AOBT is not about walking on people, though. It’s about relieving pain. Because the foot is a larger instru-ment than the point of an elbow, the knuckles, or thumbs, the client experi-ence of the deep work of AOBT is much more comfortable than the standard deep tissue massage. Accessing the deeper lev-els of muscle tissue, tendons, ligaments, and fascia with little to no pain sets the stage for healing. Most notably, AOBT, when performed properly, has been proven to relieve the pain of irritated spinal nerves. By utilizing the “push-pull-pump” effect of the gliding moves along the paraspinal and lumbar muscles, it enables the intervertebral disc spaces to widen, allowing much sought-after relief for clients with back pain. Along with stimulating the lymphatic and circulatory systems, which help with metabolism and cellular detoxification, AOBT strokes also stimulate the parasym-pathetic branch of the nervous system. In lay terms, it’s a stress-buster. One AOBT-certified instructor, Jeni Spring of San Anto-nio, Texas, believes that one hour of AOBT packs three times the punch of a hands-on Swedish massage in terms of stress relief. AOBT has been successful at alleviating client pain not only from stress, but also

13September 2010

from scoliosis, bulging disks, and sciatica. Unfortunately, AOBT is not for everyone. The founder calls it, “the deepest most luxurious massage on the planet,” but is quick to say it can be harmful if performed improperly, or on clients who suf-fer from circulatory problems, take blood thinners, have had recent surgical procedures, or are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. AOBT can be, and oftentimes is, a career saver to those massage therapists who have spent their career delivering deep tissue massage by hand and now find themselves deal-ing with chronic back pain from bending over a massage table and repetitive use injuries to the hands and wrists. Ruthie Piper Hardee, the founder of AOBT, states, “This form of gravity-assist-ed barefoot effleurage was created to help any massage thera-pist who desires to specialize in deep tissue work without the

tremendous strain on their hands and body.” AOBT also allows petite bodyworkers to deliver massage to large, athletic clients whose size would ordinarily result in a less-than-optimum expe-rience for both the client and the therapist. With the bodyworker in less pain from delivering massage and utilizing the larger muscle groups to perform, he or she is usually able to deliver more hours of AOBT massage per day than using traditional hands-on techniques. This translates to good business for the therapist, but it also ensures that the last client of the day gets the same (and sometimes better) quality of massage as the first client of the day. This feature alone has the potential to eliminate the frustration many bodyworkers face when forced to choose between seeing fewer clients or risking personal injury. Drawing from the Eastern influences of Keralite, Shiatsu, and Thai massage, Ms. Hardee formally developed a curriculum and began teaching AOBT. Her training was the first overhead supported barefoot massage modality approved by the Na-tional Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) and has also been approved by the American Mas-sage Therapy Association. Extensive training is required to become a certified AOBT provider. Master certification requires more than 50 hours of training with an AOBT-certified instructor, and thera-pists must submit to written and performance examinations, ensuring the highest levels of skill and professionalism. Sharon L. Bryant, LMT, is a master AOBT provider in Decatur, Alabama. For more information, visit her online at harvest-moonmassage.wordpress.com or call 256-603-4596. For more information about Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Ruthie Piper Hardee, and local AOBT providers, visit www.deepfeet.com.

“Along with stimulating the lymphatic and circulatory systems, which help with metabolism and cellular detoxification, AOBT strokes also stimulate the para-sympathetic branch of the nervous sys-tem. In lay terms, it’s a stress-buster.”

14 Tennessee Valley

fitbody

The essence of yoga, no matter its style, is a journey of self-discovery and transformation. It becomes a way of life that embraces a system of physical science,

while honoring the quest for mental and emotional stability and balance. Millions of U.S. practitioners of all ages enjoy the benefits of increased flexibility and muscle strength, better posture and alignment, and decreased stress. As their practice deepens, they also experience yoga’s larger gift: a body/mind attunement that nurtures mental clarity, emotional composure and a greater sense of overall well-being. The titans interviewed incorporate various techniques and approaches. Yet, they all agree upon the following handful of principles, designed to inspire, facilitate and heighten anyone’s yoga practice.

Be Present in the MomentYoga… is about the power of now, being present in the moment. Anytime, [you can] take a few deep breaths and find a peaceful space within. ~ Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit

Enjoy the moment; don’t be inhibited by the past or future. You are in a time-less space, connected to the infinite.~ Sharon Gannon, co- creator of Jiva Mukti Yoga

Try this healing exercise: Sit up, put your hands in your lap, close your eyes and watch your breath. Take 30 seconds to enjoy this moment, right now, being present… and connecting with your inner smile. ~ Lilias Folan, called the “First Lady of Yoga” since her 1972 PBS series, Lilias! Yoga and You

Focus on the BreathIf you bring your attention to your breathing, you become present; develop this muscle of being present by focusing on the breath. ~ Bryan Kest, creator of Power Yoga Try this transformative exercise: If your mind becomes rest-less, relax your jaw and breathing, then become aware of the quality of your breath, using a soft inhale and exhale. Feel your belly move as breath enters and exits through the nostrils, like a guest. Choose to observe your breath and it will redirect the mind.~ Lisa Walford, developer of YogaWorks teacher training program

Experience Health and Oneness with the BodyRegular practice is key. Inevitably, if you do the postures enough, there’s magic to them. Even if you [begin with] no intention, yoga leads you to a state of union. Practicing yoga helps you remember that you’re already perfect, already free.~ Sara Ivanhoe, creator of bestselling yoga DVDs

For the first time, orga-

nizers of National Yoga

Month have collected

in one place insights on

health, happiness and

enlightenment from

contemporary practi-

tioners who are deemed

by their peers as world

titans of yoga.

TITANS OF YOGALESSONS DISTILLED FROM A LIFETIME OF DISCIPLINED PRACTICE

by Johannes R. Fisslinger

15September 2010

If you don’t feel good in your body—if you can’t move forward with ease and not dis-ease—how can you feel good about any-thing? Yoga… makes us feel good about the bodies we are in. ~ Beth Shaw

Yoga strengthens our life force and makes us stronger from deep inside; it builds life energy, prana, chi.~ Vinnie Marino, Vinyasa flow teacher who employs music styles ranging from trance to rock

Strengthen the Mind through MeditationThe real power of yoga is in meditation, the qualities of the mind behind the action. Bring these meditative qualities into the physical practice, and it becomes meditation in motion.~ Bryan Kest

Learn to concentrate on your mantra, your sacred words that you recite over and over again. My favorite is, “Let go… just let it go…”~ David Life, co-creator of Jiva Mukti yoga

Practice pranayama [regulation of the breath] and medita-tion to improve concentration and the power of your mind. The mind creates emotions and thoughts; when the mind is healthy, the body and mind connect. Then you really find your soul essence, your consciousness.~ Rajashree Choudhury, teacher of Bikram yoga

Experience Oneness with the SpiritFor energy to be flowing, you have to be in tune and in balance not only with the nature around you, but [with] something that’s deeper inside you. This energy that’s in you, in me, in plants and animals, is the pure energy, the one life that connects us all. Who you are is an expression of con-sciousness, an expression of God.~ Kim Eng, Qi Flow yoga teacher and partner of author Eckhart Tolle

Yoga helps you [let go of] attachment to material things and empowers your soul.~ Rajahshree Choudhury

The essence of yoga is truth and love… willingness to embrace the God that is within, recognizing that we are all connected. ~ Seane Corn, internationally celebrated yoga teacher

Johannes R. Fisslinger is the co-founder of National Yoga Month and founder of Yoga-Recess in Schools. Both initia-tives are coordinated by the Yoga Health Foundation. For information about free local yoga classes and events in Sep-tember and the new Titans of Yoga DVD, featuring 25 masters of yoga and meditation now available through yoga teachers and studios, visit YogaMonth.org.

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Flaxseed a Natural Alternative to Cholesterol Drugs

A new study from Iowa State Universi-ty’s Nutrition and Wellness Research

Center may give men a way to combat high cholesterol without drugs—if they don’t mind sprinkling some flaxseed into their daily diet. In the study, researchers examined the effects of eating flaxseed lignans (natural plant chemicals found in flax-seed) on 90 people diagnosed with high cholesterol. The results showed that consuming at least 150 milli-

grams per day (about three tablespoons) decreased cholesterol in men by just under 10 percent over the three months of the study. They did not see similar results in women. Suzanne Hendrich, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the university who led the study, notes that the flaxseed tablets used in the research are not available in the United States, but sprinkling ground flaxseed on cereal and other foods can provide ample cholesterol-lowering flaxseed lignans. Ground flaxseed will oxidize over time, she says, possibly affecting its flavor as well as omega-3 content, so keep it fresh.

Clapping Hands Sharpens the BrainA new study by Ben-Gurion University of

the Negev reveals that hand-clapping songs boost the development of motor and cognitive skills in children ages 6 through 10. “We found that children in the first, second and third grades who sing these [kinds of] songs demonstrate skills absent in children who don’t take part in similar activities,” explains Dr. Idit Sulkin, of the university’s music science lab. “We also found that children who spontaneously perform hand-clapping songs in the yard during recess have neater handwriting, write better and make fewer spelling errors.” Sulkin engaged several elementary school classrooms in a program of either music appreciation or hand-clapping songs for 10 weeks. With the hand-clapping group, she found that “Within a very short period of time, the children who until then hadn’t taken part in such activi-ties caught up in their cognitive abilities to those who did.” The children’s teachers believe that those who participate in such hand-clap-ping songs also exhibit better social integration.

“Creativity is a type of

learning process where the

teacher and pupil are located

in the same individual.”~ Arthur Koestler

17September 2010

Grapes as MedicineA diet rich in natural

grapes—red, green and black—could slow a downhill progression from high blood pressure and insulin resistance to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Scientists at the University of Michigan Health System believe that grapes’ naturally occurring an tioxidants, known as phytochemicals, help reduce risk factors related to cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, often a Type 2 diabetes precursor.

When More isn’t Better

In recent years, multiple studies have touted the benefits of following a diet

rich in antioxidant vitamins such as C and E. Now, new findings show that while antioxidant-rich foods are fine when eaten in large quantities, taking too many antioxidants in supplement form can put our health at risk. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute report that many people take way too many vitamins, believing that if a little is good, a lot must be better—but that is not the case. “If you are taking 10 or 100 times the amount in a daily multivitamin, you may be predis-posing your cells to developing cancer,” warns institute Director Dr. Eduardo Marbán, who led the study.

the huMan heart reneWs itselfResearchers at Karo-

linska Institute, a leading medical uni-versity in Sweden, have demonstrated that contrary to conventional theory, heart cells are able to regenerate themselves. Exam-ining the heart tissue of 50 people over the course of four years, the researchers found that new heart cells appeared to replace older ones at a rate of approxi-mately 1 percent per year in people in their 20s, falling to 0.5 percent per year by age 75. Scientists now hope to find ways to stimulate this natural regeneration of heart cells as a way to avoid heart transplants and help people recover from heart attacks.

This month Natural Awakenings isproud to spotlight Charlie Maples and the

business of Healthsource Systems

All photogragphs © The National Trust for Historic Preservation

InTheValleyby Tom Maples

Tenn

esse

e Val

ley

Meet my Dad, Charlie Ma-ples. He was PhD. Dean of Students, UAH 1973-1981;

Senior Dealer, Saladmaster, 1986-2010; owner of Healthsource Sys-tems, Danville, Alabama; adjunct faculty, History Department, Calhoun Community College; builder; entre-preneur; father; and more. He built his own house, himself, with his own hands. In the woods. By a pond. That can be a very spiritual thing to do. Just read Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. I asked Dad what kind of experi-ence he had in building houses. "None. But I just had this idea that I could do it, along with the inclination. And frankly, I had the time. I was at a transition point in my life, and I needed something to occupy my hands, but leave my mind free to think about what I ought to do in terms of an occupation for the second half of my life. The first half

was academia, university administra-tion, students, and campus life. The second act would be different, a dif-ferent calling, but what? That's what I thought about for the two years I built the house." Whatever he chose for a living, Dad wanted to help people. The no-tion that when we help others, we help ourselves, was a life lesson he taught his children early. The value of knowledge was another. Perhaps the most important one of all was the bold belief that we can do anything we choose to do, and succeed mar-velously at it, by virtue of hard work and our own talents. Nothing else was required. Defining the toolkit for success in that way made it portable. We are never stuck in only one job or one career, despite our education or training, despite the investment of time we have made in it. Our educa-tion allows us to find new training – to adapt, to evolve, to transform.

Saladmaster® Changes Lives

19September 2010

Our Spotlight on Exceptional Businesses In the Tennessee Valley

Dad chose sales as his new career. "I figured if I was going to sell, I needed a great product. That's what took the most time, looking for the right product to represent, the right opportunity. Then I found Salad-master. I thought, wow, this is by far the healthiest, most nutritious, most convenient, and least expensive way to cook. This is a product that can re-ally change lives. And it does. It did. Starting first with me." In 2006, the Saladmaster® Corporation celebrated its sixtieth anniversary as an American busi-ness. Established in 1946 to market the original Saladmaster food cut-ter invented by Harry Lemmons, the company now distributes a complete line of premium kitchen tools featur-ing Saladmaster titanium waterless cookware to a worldwide market. By using the waterless, low heat, fast cooking precision tools, owners enjoy at least twice the health-sus-taining nutrients they would receive from ordinary cookware. Because of the superior engineering employed in the design and manufacturing of Saladmaster, it cooks up to four times faster than ordinary cookware. With this benefit, busy couples and over-worked parents have time to enjoy preparing nutritious meals at home. For three generations, Salad-master has been changing lives and helping families in the Tennessee

Valley save their health, their time, and their money. This has happened quietly, one family at a time, because of Saladmaster’s direct-to-customer marketing philosophy that began with its founder in 1946. Saladmas-ter is shown only in the privacy of a family’s kitchen. It has never been available in stores, or through the In-ternet. The classic method of market-ing the Saladmaster is the traditional dinner demonstration to individuals or groups and through local healthy cooking seminars. As a result of this hands-on method of advertising, Saladmaster is not highly visible. Saladmaster distributors smile when the question is asked if Saladmaster is still in busi-ness. The answer is a resounding yes! Keith Peterson, President of Salad-master, recently announced a “Best Year in Business” for the fourth year in a row! Since owners of Saladmaster may also qualify to sell the product on a part- or full-time basis, lives are positively changed by the opportu-nity Saladmaster offers to experience the American Dream of owning a business. My Dad accomplished his goal … Saladmaster changes lives.

—Contact Charlie Maples of Healthsource Systems at 256-412-4896 and visit his web-site at www.healthsource.saladmaster.com. See ad page 2.

20 Tennessee Valley

and coastlines, yet it’s possible to see migrating animals just about anywhere.

Migration HighlightsEvery year, starting in October, a spec-tacular congregation of 25,000 mon-arch butterflies takes place in Pacific Grove, outside of San Francisco. The overwintering insects’ habits are so reliable that the city calls itself, “But-terfly Town, USA,” and levies a fine for bothering the bugs. Each fall in Ohio, huge flocks of southbound shorebirds put on a show in several areas along Lake Erie known for superior viewing. Observation points include the Magee Marsh State Wildlife Area and Ottawa Wildlife Ref-uge, both part of a national Regional Shorebird Reserve, as well the Kildeer Plains and Big Island wildlife areas further inland. Seasonal residents in Florida aren’t called “snowbirds” for nothing. This sub-tropical peninsula is either a destination or way station for hundreds of migrating species. Fish, too, perform their own an-nual odyssey. Down in the Florida Keys, sailfish, grouper, kingfish and cobia are around in the fall and winter, species that you won’t catch in the summertime. Bison, which once numbered in the millions and roamed the central and western plains from Colorado to

healthykids

This year, why not make the most of a long weekend by taking the fam-ily on a short trip designed to give

kids a new, vibrant connection to na-ture? Everywhere across North America, birds, insects, animals and sea life are repeating their annual rituals of migra-tion, a vital call of the wild that has been enriching life on Earth since long before humans appeared on the scene. This outing doesn’t have to mean sacrifice, either; you can still visit Aunt Stella or go waterskiing. Planning ahead makes it possible to include unforget-table memories of wildlife in action, as adventurous observations of the animals create family lore, educate and perhaps, bring life lessons.

Making PlansFirst, pick a destination. A little research may reveal that you live close to a place where butterflies congregate, birds flock or the antelope play. Start with likely local sources of information like a nature center or county extension service, or even parks and recreation staff, for news of animal activity close to home. The Internet is a great resource to tap into the big picture of animal mi-grations. Good places to look include the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund (WorldWildlife.org; enter “migration” in the Search Site box), the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service (fws.gov; choose a region from the dropdown menu), and the kid-friendly Nature Rocks (Nature Rocks.org), where entering a local zip code pulls up all sorts of nearby resources. Plus, community and school librarians are sure to be helpful. Once you know where you are going and why, a strategy is in order. The best natural migration corridors are along mountain ridges, river valleys

FUN FALL MIGRATIONSA PERFECT FAMILY FIELD TRIP

by Martin Miron

At NationalZoo.si.edu

kids can Search “Wanda”

to help Wanda the wood

thrush find her way home

to her nesting site, and

listen to songs from the

bird of the day.

21September 2010

Texas before being hunted to near extinction, have recovered in managed herds in Yellow-stone National Park and on private ranches. These splendid animals, along with elk, prong-

horn antelope, mule deer and bighorn sheep, undergo an annual altitudinal migration among mountain foothills in the face of winter’s arrival. They do it not so much because of the tempera-ture change, but the impending scarcity of food. Park rangers can tell you the best spots to observe this vanishing phenomenon. Look up over New York and To-ronto to witness thousands of Canada geese making their seasonal pilgrimage in their signature, V-shaped formations marked by unmistakable honking. On their way from Hudson Bay to sunnier

climes, migrating geese can become an iconic symbol for young children, graphically pointing out the way that wild animals move about the Earth. Scores of them land for a pit stop in the Chesapeake Bay region and near Midwest lakes.

As many as 25 migrating species of birds fly to Puerto Rico en route to their winter quarters further south. There, thousands of American coots and American wigeons, northern pintails, blue-winged teals and other waterfowl present delightful displays.

What to BringBinoculars are a must for any wildlife trip, together with a field guide for identification, camera and journal.

Bring along art materials and kids can have fun creating a work of art or sci-ence fair project. Scouts can work on assignments for merit badges, too. Afterward, back at home, review what each child thinks was the best part of the experience and discuss where they might want to go next. You’ll discover that for nurturing a meaningful bond with Earth’s creatures, nothing can replace witnessing nature in the wild.

Martin Miron is a freelance writer in Naples, FL. Connect at emem.creative@ gmail.com.

It’s possible to see

migrating animals just

about anywhere.

Here are some tips for enjoying the passing wildlife this season. Birds — Early morning

often provides great views of birds just finished with all-night flights. As the sun starts to rise, some birds that find them-selves out over ocean waters or above the Great Lakes will suddenly head for the nearest land. Hundreds of birds can come pouring inland at these times, among them thrushes, warblers, vireos and tanagers. During daylight hours, the skies can be filled with everything from white pelicans to bobolinks. Expect lots of shorebirds, cormorants, terns and gulls at the seaside and hawks, swifts, flick-ers, jays, swallows and robins overhead almost everywhere. Butterflies — Most people have heard about monarchs and their fall migrations to the mountains of south-ern Mexico, but lots of other butterflies travel in autumn. Some even head north.

Watch in the same places that bird mi-grants concentrate for American ladies, ques-tion marks, red admirals, and the more abundant monarchs—all moving southward. By contrast, cloudless sulphurs may be headed north in the fall, as their southern populations expand, and painted ladies and common buck-eyes may be flying north or south. Dragonflies — Dragonfly watch-ing is coming into its own on the North American nature scene. Several books have appeared to help folks tell these handsome creatures apart. A small number of dragonfly spe-cies migrate in substantial numbers during the fall. Look for the monster green darner in particular and the world’s most cosmopolitan dragonfly, the wandering glider. Others include

the black saddlebag and the Carolina saddlebag. Mammals — Mammal watching is not nearly as easy as bird or in-sect watching. It usually involves some trekking, and they’re not terribly cooperative subjects. Still, the rewards can be

considerable. Among the migratory mammals worth watching are some species of bats (hoary, silver-haired and red), which can occasionally be seen flying south during daylight hours along shorelines or even over bodies of water. Marine mammals may be observed from boats or coastal promontories. The large baleen whales are evident in good numbers on their southward migration and delight watch-ers even from a distance.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

THE FALL LINEUP

22 Tennessee Valley

healingways

Mounting scientific evidence makes it clear that per-sonal creative expression, once perceived as a luxury, sideline or hobby in our busy lives, is in fact a key-

stone of our most healthy and worthwhile activities. In infinitely varied and pleasurable forms, creative practices can move us beyond artful living to also serve as a vehicle for healing. When we appreciate others’ creativity, or better yet, actively bring creativity to bear in our own experiences, such participation shapes our sense of self and can render physical and emotional benefits. Studies published in Time and Mu-SICA (Music and Science Information Computer Archive), for example, have shown that music is a powerful ally. Listening and playing music not only helps us manage our moods and emotions, it also works to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, repair and regenerate brain neurons, calm anxiety and regulate heart rate.

Everyone BenefitsKids clearly benefit from the time they spend on creative pursuits. Beyond being great fun, arts education and creative activities help kids develop confidence and discipline, build mental acuity, increase problem-solving skills and shape more powerful futures. A study done by the University of California-Irvine, for example, proved that an important link exists between exposure to music and human intelligence, stating that, “Music trains the brain for higher forms of thinking.” A concurring report by the American Music Conference concluded that kids who play a musical instrument are 52 percent more likely to go on to college. Today, children who study the arts continue to outperform non-arts students on Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) by an average of 59 points in verbal skills and 44 points in math skills, according to a College Board study compiled in 2001 by the Music Educa-tors National Conference. As well as helping the young to mature, creative outlets help the mature stay young. “A lot of our brain is devoted to movement,” notes Kelly G. Lambert, a professor who chairs the psychology department at Randolph-Macon College, in Ashland, Virginia. “Thus, hobbies and activities that use our hands are engaging in more of our brain’s real estate.” Experts theorize that hands-on activities such as cooking, gar-dening, making jewelry, crocheting and sculpting may work to enhance mental clarity, because they activate additional parts of the brain. As we age, managing life’s challenges becomes espe-cially important to overall health and well-being. A regular creative practice helps, according to Manhattan psychologist Dr. Joseph Cilona. “Creative activities can be highly benefi-cial in the management of stress,” he believes, “particularly the stressors associated with chronic life issues, such as cop-ing with physical illness, a demanding job or troublesome relationships.” As a result, he says, “Individuals can experi-ence a decrease in stress, anxiety and uncomfortable physi-cal symptoms and improvement in symptoms of depression.”

Help for FamiliesArt-based projects open a channel to express difficult feel-ings and insights. These can be especially helpful for indi-

viduals facing conflict or transition, for those recov-ering from substance abuse and for victims of abuse or trauma. Art therapy—a guided, clinical application of creative practices—is one of therapeutic medi-cine’s fastest growing fields. “Art therapy enables cli-ents to express themselves non-verbally, allowing for subconscious wounds to be expressed via drawing, painting, making masks,

CREATIVE EXPRESSIONInstrument of Healingby Mary Beth Maziarz

We all feel drawn by enticing creative projects we’d like to try. Now we know why…

23September 2010

ways of thinking that allow individuals to find resourceful new ways of being in their world.”

Plus, it’s FunWhile any facet of creativity enhances daily experience, focused creative endeavor soothes our bodies, nurtures a rich sense of personal identity and advances the success of our children. When we commit to pursuing a form of art, attend community arts events, vote yes on public referendums for arts funding and support the arts with our time and donations, we keep creativity alive and kicking, making its wonderful works and wider benefits available to all. Happy creating!

—Mary Beth Maziarz is an author and professional song-writer whose songs have appeared in 50 films and television shows. Her most recent book is, Kick-Ass Creativity – An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers, and Creative Profes-sionals. Connect at [email protected].

creative writing and meditation,” observes Candice Christiansen, a li-censed profession-al counselor and clinical director at Journey Healing Centers addiction treatment facili-ties in Arizona and Utah. “Art therapy

gives clients a way to explore their painful histories in a safe, more comfortable forum.” Rachel Brandoff, a licensed art therapist and co-founder of the Creative Arts Therapies Center in New York City remarks, “I’ve seen families be drawn together through their own creativity and develop abilities to overcome difficult and often dividing circumstances. Creativity can foster new

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CREATIVE ExPRESSION . . .

A SAMPLING OF ARTS COMMUNITIES

Alliance of Artists CommunitiesAdvocates for support of artists’ communities. www.ArtistCommunities.org

Creativity PortalCreativity coaches, artists, writers and business profes-sionals share their knowledge and expertise. www.Creativity-Portal.com

Little Kids RockBrings free musical instruments and instruction to public school children across the country. www.LittleKidsRock.com

The Sellecca-Tesh FoundationProvides board-certified art therapists, live music and movement classes for seniors as a way to bring them joy, promote successful aging and improve their quality of life. www.SelleccaTeshFoundation.com

25September 2010

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EARTH MUSICSOUNDSCAPES OF AMERICA’S QUIET PLACES

by Susie Ruth

inspiration

“Silence is like scouring sand,” says Gordon Hempton, an award-winning acoustic ecolo-

gist. “When you are quiet, the silence blows against your mind and etches away everything soft and unimportant. What is left is what is real: pure aware-ness and the very hardest questions.” It’s not easy to find silence, which is facing extinction in the modern world. If a quiet place is one where you can listen for 15 minutes in daylight hours without hearing a human-created sound, there are no quiet places left in Europe. There are none east of the Mississippi River and perhaps 12 in the American West, includ-ing one square inch in the Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park, now officially recognized as the quietest place in the United States (OneSquareInch.org). In defending this exemplary spot of silence, Hempton is effectively protecting the soundscape of about 1,000 square miles of surrounding land. Hempton defines silence not as noiselessness, but “the complete absence of all au-dible mechanical vibrations, leaving only the sounds of nature at her most natural. Silence is the presence of everything, undisturbed.” Silence, he would concur, is notthe absence of sound, but a way of liv-ing—an intention to make of one’s own ears, one’s own body, a sounding board that resonates with the vibrations of the world. Silence creates an opening, an absence of self, which allows the larger world to enter into our awareness. It

brings us into contact with what is be-yond us, its beauty and mystery. Hempton encourages us all to join in the self-discovery of nature. He’s found, “All we have to do is listen.” Sounds, more than sight, connect us, he observes. In learning to listen to nature’s nuances, we also learn how to listen to one another. His favorite time of day for listening to nature is 30 minutes before sunrise. When the atmosphere is still, “It is not unusual to hear many square miles at once.” Astonishment and gratitude illumi-nate our being when light breezes play across leaves and set them in motion, chirruping night insects wind down and the birds’ dawn chorus begins. When our moving a stone in a creek bed alters the water music, it is we who are moved. No one knows why natural sounds speak so directly to the human spirit, but we all acknowledge, in silent

thanksgiving, that they do.

Gordon Hempton, of Port Angeles, WA, is an acoustic ecologist whose award-win-ning recordings of America’s

vanishing natural soundscapes support his campaign to protect the silence of our national parks (SoundTracker.com). Over the past 25 years, he has circled the globe three times in pursuit of environmental sound portraits. Read One Square Inch of Silence: One Man’s Search for Natural Silence in a Noisy World and voice support at One SquareInch.org/links.

“Silence is the think tank of the soul.”

~ Gordon Hempton

“A hunch is

creativity trying

to tell you something.“

~ Frank Capra

26 Tennessee Valley

News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all. The International Day of Peace is September 21.

globalbriefs

Sound PlayBirds, Like Humans, Sing Just Because They CanAnimal researchers like Gisela Kaplan, Ph.D., and Irene Pep-perberg, Ph.D., have deter-mined that birds not only sing to communicate daily needs, many engage in sound play, most often when they’re alone, but sometimes also when hu-mans are present. Some species continually improvise their singing with new elements, phrases and sequences, reports Kaplan, a professor at the Research Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour at the University of New England, Australia. Nightingales and canar-ies are among the avian virtuosos, reinventing their repertoire in each successive season, while the brown thrasher may hold the record at close to 2,000 song types. Nightingales, she notes, organize their compositions according to rules of construction similar to the way humans use syntax. These birds even create distinctive phrases that identify them as individuals. Kaplan’s own recordings of Australian magpies reveal how the bird’s voice moves across four octaves, varies its phrasing between staccato and legato, and embellishes sequences with vibrato, trills or deep overtones. More, it will close a completed song with a signature phrase, in much the same way that a painter initials a finished canvas.

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27September 2010

Mental VideosDaydreams Have Everyday BenefitsScientific interest in daydreaming was kicked off a decade ago, when Marcus Raichle, a neurologist and professor with Washington University in St. Louis, discovered that sev-eral parts of the brain become unusually ac-tive metabolically when the brain is thought to be idling. His findings further showed that daydreaming is the mind’s default mode... and that’s not a bad thing. Today, researchers know that day-dream content pretty much maps onto people’s everyday goals, aspirations and apprehensions, rather than being exotic meanderings. For the average person, daydreaming typically represents a kind of mental rehearsal, maintaining the brain in a state of readiness to respond. As pioneering psychologist Jerome

Singer pointed out, “You can engage in trial action without any conse-quences. Such fan-tasies may fulfill a psychic need.” In Psychology Today, author Josie Glausiusz reports that daydreaming seems to be an essential human activity. Day-dreams help us

generate our sense of self, hone social skills and serve as a font of creativity for those who pay attention to them, all of which make us feel vibrant, aware and engaged with life.

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Entrance ExamCollege Applicants Leverage their CreativityTufts University, in Medford, Massachu-setts, now invites prospective students to submit an optional, one-minute personal video to supplement their admissions application. The purpose is to discern the student’s creative side, which they may also display by way of an essay or by creating something using a single 8½-by-11-inch sheet of paper.

—Find videos at YouTube.com, search Tufts Admissions Videos.

Park ArtArtist-in-Residence Programs Available NationwideHundreds of artist-in-residence programs at sites across the country also include those at 29 national parks. The National Park Service offers opportunities for qualifying two-dimen-sional visual artists, photographers, sculptors, performers, writers, composers and craft artists to live and work in the parks from several weeks to several months of the year.

Learn more at nps.gov/archive/volunteer/air.htm as well as MesArt.com/art/Resources:Artist-in- Residency_Programs.

28 Tennessee Valley

naturalpet

Let’s face it, a smelly pet can put a serious damper on cuddle

time. Proper grooming can help dogs not only look good, but feel better, as well. “Extreme matting can cause a health risk to pets,” explains DeAndre Upton, a registered veterinary technician in Conyers, Georgia. “Dogs have a natural amount of yeast and bacteria on their skin, and matting causes moisture to be trapped under the coat, leading to hot spots and ex-cessive itching, which increases the risk of staph infections.” Perhaps that’s why pet owners today spend billions of dollars on grooming products, according to the American Pet Products Association. “People just look

at pets differently today; they are members of the family now,” remarks

Michael Bryant, owner of

Snazzy-Pet Full Service Mo-bile Grooming, in Atlanta. “People realize that it’s im-portant to do the right thing for them.” But how often should the family dog get a sudsy

rubdown? That depends on the dog, Upton says. “Dogs that stay in the house don’t need baths as frequently as dogs that spend more time outside. Once a month is a good general rule of thumb; your nose will tell you when it’s time to take action.” Here are the professional tips Bryant follows to make bath time bet-ter for everybody: Comfort is key: Create a comfort-able workspace. Place necessary items within reach, including shampoo, a rub-ber brush for massaging the animal and a towel. “Bathing two big dogs back-to-back can easily leave you with an achy back,” Bryant observes. “I sit pets on a small, sturdy table in the shower so that I can do much less bending.” He also suggests attaching a hose to the bathtub or shower faucet, making

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sure to monitor the water temperature. In warm months, bathing the dog out-side means less mess and a shorter dry-ing time. “I set the nozzle to mist and let the water fall onto the dog’s body,” he advises. “This helps his body more easily acclimate to the cooler water temperature.” Take your time: Some dogs just don’t like bath time, no matter how much you coax or cajole or crank up your temper. To handle fussy dogs, ap-ply plenty of patience. It also helps to have a few of the animal’s favorite treats on hand. In working with bath-shy dogs, this professional groomer finds that gentle and slow is the way to go. Regardless of how messy the pro-cess gets, avoid getting excess water in the dog’s ear canal, because it can lead to ear infections. Bryant recommends drying the dog completely before clean-ing its ears. Use an ear cleaner with a drying solution to remove wax or debris. Don’t neglect the paws: Keep nails trimmed regularly. Bryant notes that many pet owners are anxious about clipping a pet’s nails and fear acciden-tally cutting off too much. He suggests seeking professional advice. Ask your groomer or vet assistant for a five-min-ute lesson on the finer points of using pet nail clippers to deliver a clean cut. It can save a lot of anxiety. Longhaired dogs also need the hair trimmed between their paw pads. “Most people have hardwood or tile floors, and it can be difficult for a dog to get around on those hard surfaces if their hair is too long,” he cautions. Use a good shampoo, followed by a thorough rinse: A dog’s skin has a different pH level than ours, so avoid

using human hair care products. Instead, Bryant suggests selecting shampoos that contain oatmeal or tea tree oil, which address a range of skin issues and have soothing properties, and follow with a good rinse. “Remember, the most important part of any doggie bath is to thoroughly rinse all shampoo from the dog’s body,” he says. Conditioner is not essential unless the pet has long hair or is prone to matting. Dogs with long hair also need a good combing while the fur is still damp; otherwise, they are ready for a thorough rubdown with a thick towel. Finally, a gentle doggie massage helps end bath time on a soothing note. It pays to hire pros: Getting your dog groomed can be a costly invest-ment, but the price includes more than a fluff and cut. “Each time your pet is professionally groomed, he is actually examined from head to toe,” Bryant reports. “I have discovered teeth prob-lems, joint problems, and hair and skin problems that many of my clients never would have noticed.”

Morieka V. Johnson is a freelance writer who frequently writes about pet issues and shares her Atlanta home with Lulu, a precocious pooch. Her weekly advice column on reducing carbon footprints, one toe at a time, appears on MNN.com. Email [email protected].

“In most cases, no other pet care professional will spend more one-on-one time with your pet than your groomer. Each time your pet is profes-

sionally groomed, he is actually examined from head to toe.”

~ Michael Bryant, professional dog groomer

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However, a larger creativity comes alive through collective art making, where the creative impulse requires interac-tion between the artists and audience. Such animating experiences, which often take flight from the creation of familiar objects, bring people together in body, mind and spirit, and work to keep us connected.

Yielding to the Moment of Creation

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”~ Pablo Picasso

Communal creativity exists along a continuum between spontaneity and structure, and gives birth to myriad forms that are sometimes stunning in

their simplicity. The most poignant of these remind us of just how very human we are. Take, for example, the fourth plinth (think pedestal) raised in 2009 in London’s Trafalgar Square by Antony Gormley. This piece of public perfor-mance art, entitled One and Other, en-couraged anyone interested to ascend

and stay atop the empty plinth

for an hour to get a different view of the world. For 100 days, contributing individuals could do whatever they liked for the assigned hour, but the most astounding revela-tion for all was the ways in which life came to life before their eyes (OneAnd Other.co.uk). Consider the inspired vision that prompted residents of Fort Collins, Colo-rado, to devise a traveling pop-up art gallery that transforms empty downtown storefronts into vibrant art spaces until tenants are found. Since 2009, The Art Lab has filled Old Town with art, innova-tion, music and smiling faces. Anyone can come and create in the space, dis-play their arts and crafts or just sit, talk, brainstorm and share the good energy. This laid back, yet intimate, contribu-tion to community life ranges from plays and exhibitions to communal paintings (ArtLabFortCollins.org). Tom Borrup, a creative commu-nity builder in Minneapolis, sees such everyday cultural expressions as crucial reservoirs of community spirit (Com-munityAndCulture.com). He notes that festivals, recurring gatherings in parks, gardens or community centers and artistic activities of all stripes that gener-

Living Artcreativity inspires communityby Kirsten Broadfoot

“All creative people want to do the unexpected.”~ Hedy Lamarr

When we say someone or something is creative, do we mean

imaginative, innovative, inventive, artistic or fantastic? Creativity

is about being inquisitive and open to new ideas as well as new

ways of putting those ideas together. Individual artists, who are

naturally inventive, are central to sustaining the creative spirit

for society as a whole.

33September 2010

ate and sustain group traditions build community and contribute to every-one’s quality of life.

Working with the Senses

“Art has been the means of keeping alive the senses of purpose…”~ John Dewey

Artful togetherness is woven into the very fabric of community life through what often appears to be everyday utilitarian activities, such as group gardening, sewing, building, painting and cooking. In sharing time and space, we gain a sense of nurtur-ing and realize ways to hold onto the distinction of a place. In the best scenarios, we honor cherished tradi-tions and remain open to learning and reinvention by accepting and incorpo-rating new ideas from unlikely places.

… Putting our hands to work

Visitors are likely to be surprised by the hive of activity they encounter in local sewing and knitting supply shops lately. Take the Yarn Shop and Fiber Place, in Bozeman, Montana, for exam-ple (BozemanYarnShop.com). The own-ers host monthly knit-alongs, spinning and weaving circles and knit-for-a-cause events. In New Jersey, a community of volunteers with the Blankie Depot has crafted some 147,000 blankets and other comforting goods for needful youngsters since 1999 (BlankieDepo.org). The Sew-ful Austin group in Texas, on the other hand, just gets people together to have fun and share ideas for sewing projects (Meetup.com/Sewful-Austin). Coffee shops, too, can get in on the act. Dogleg Coffeehouse, in Bandera, Texas, (DoglegCoffeehouse.com) is the site of a free monthly art class led by local artists. They’ve sparked a growing community of folks creating new life for repurposed and re-found items. Spontaneous expression is com-monly found in open studios or houses, as groups of artists and others meet to paint, draw, sculpt or mold. Community art collectives like Rock Paper Scissors, in Oakland, California, are hot spots for activities ranging from art walks and

talks to writer readings. A volunteer-run organization, RPS fosters all forms of community arts, crafts and perfor-mances through collaborative sharing of ideas, skills and resources aimed to strengthen a sense of community (rpsCollective.org). Other artists, like Susan Wood, of SusieQ Art based in Fort Lauder-dale, Florida, move outside the studio to facilitate the co-creation of art in public spaces (SusieQArt.com). Her favorite sites include parks, science museums and natural health expos. Anyone within earshot can get a no-cost creative charge by simply picking up a paintbrush to “add a dab.” To date, the largest ad hoc painting party was 115 people strong, all venturing beyond self-imposed boundaries.

… Unleashing indwelling voices

Beyond the creative command of our hands, it also feels good to unleash our bodies and expand the scope of our voices. The modern-day resurrection of drum circles, for instance, is giving new life to dance socials. Based upon one of humanity’s most ancient forms of gathering and sharing within and across communities, loosely structured drumming events around the world leave plenty of room for spontaneous jamming. Fans view the drum as an espe-cially powerful instrument relating to

the human body, as it mimicks the beat of the human heart. Waleska Sallaberry relates that their Natural Awaken-ings’ Drumming Circle in Puerto Rico tops 600 par-ticipants a month. (Find existing drum circles by state or find out how to start one at DrumCircles.net/circlelist.html.) Another ancient and global form of community building resides in the power of words—whether sung or spoken. We have come to understand that stories sustain our values, myths and belief systems. The National Storytelling Network helps locate master storytellers in the community (StoryNet.org). We can also create a storytell-ing event of our own. Ask any informal gathering of new and old friends to each create their own six-word memoir in a round robin event and be amazed at what memories are instantly cre-ated. Enjoy checking out and sharing such six-word autobiographies at Smith Magazine (SmithMag.net). Finally, there are celebratory events at which all kinds of vibrant creative forms come together in one place. In Naples, Florida, Live Art meets in vari-ous places around town for on-the-spot performance music, painting, fire-spin-ning, poetry, dance and body

34 Tennessee Valley

painting. It’s a constantly evolving work in progress, sometimes scheduled and sometimes spontaneous, but always full of people having fun together. In New York, the Horse Trade Theater Group is well known for its independent talent and events, featur-ing open mic, improv, dance and other “drafts in development,” as they nourish the organic advancement of community (HorseTrade.info). The Windmill Mar-ket, in Fairhope, Alabama, offers yet another twist—bringing food, textiles, film, antiques and plants together. Part farmers’ market, part craft fair and part community garden, it’s all about nurtur-ing the fiber of community (Windmill Market.org). Of course, the ultimate in structure and spontaneity may be the extraordi-nary Burning Man Project, an annual art event and temporary community based on self-expression and self-reliance in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. This year’s theme is “Metropo-lis: The Life of Cities.” (For details of the August 30-September 6, event, visit BurningMan.com.)

Expanding and Amplifying Interconnections

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”~ Albert Einstein

While the Burning Man Project is significant for its magnitude and sheer eclecticism, it is temporary, its existence imprinted mainly in the memories

of participants. But most creative communities exist like Russian dolls, nested inside other communities and networks of cre-ative activity. These orchestrated inter-community initia-tives can transform a neighborhood’s or city’s well-being on multiple lev-els. Vehicles vary widely, but here are a few examples to get the creative

juices flowing. One Book, One City local read-ing programs, like the ones in Chicago, Denver, Malibu, San Diego, Philadel-phia and Seattle, engage a whole community in choosing a book to read over a period of time. Readers then come together to participate in a variety of related events. The idea was the 1998 brainchild of Nancy Pearl at the Washing-ton Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library. Many communities choose to feature a local author, and this decision is often socially transformative. At the other end of the spectrum, Flash Mobs entail large groups of volunteers who appear to spontane-ously perform a clever act of theater in a public space for a brief period of time. Initially designed as a combined social experiment and form of performance art, the first flash mob occurred at Macy’s in New York City in 2003, organized by Bill Wasik, of Harper’s Magazine. Flash mobs have since appeared all over the country; some more struc-tured than others, but always evoking the feeling that they are happening on the spur of the moment. Whether dramatic or musically inclined, they’re

always designed to make us become truly present in our environment; their brilliance is the connection they spark between the actions of the mob and the place we inhabit as an audience. (See YouTube.com, search Frozen Grand Central Station.) Public participation is the name of the global game with International Pillowfight Day, as communities come together with pillows to play. Part of the Urban Playground Movement, the idea is to reclaim public space for play, away from advertising and consumer-ism (PillowFightDay.com). Taking a cue from “A Day in the Life” photography projects, World Pinhole Photography Day (PinHoleDay.org) recruits everyday people to create a pinhole camera and take a picture of something in their local community. It happens on the same day, usually the

last Sunday in April. Everyone then loads their images onto the collective website to beget a global gallery of images. Finally, the Global Mala Project demon-strates what can be accomplished with a world-wide, inter-com-munity, con-sciousness-rais-

ing event (GlobalMala.org). Here, yoga studios from many nations gather local individuals to form a “mala around the Earth,” as they perform ritual practices based on the sacred cycle of 108, to raise funds and awareness for pressing global issues. This year, the mala will be held September 18-19. Tune in for an “Om” heard ‘round the world.

Kirsten Broadfoot has lived and worked in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Japan and the United States, granting her a profound appreciation of community life. She has created and coordinates two online communities, the Good Work Circle and COMMUNEcation, and has written numerous conference papers, academic articles and essays. Connect at [email protected].

35September 2010

What is the difference between a spiritual and a religious film?

Mainstream media uses the words spiritual and religious as synonymous terms, but they are not. A religious film would be like The Passion of the Christ or The Ten Commandments, whereas a spiritual film would be like Whale Rider or What Dreams May Come. I believe spirituality is a personal and private experience, where you have your own relationship with whatever you might call the Divine. You might call this God, but you also might call this spirit, life, the universe or nature. You can be a spiritual person but not be religious, yet I firmly believe that spiri-tual and religious people have much more in common than they differ.

Has mainstream America been receptive to this spiri-tual movement?

I don’t believe in the word mainstream. To me, it means that entertainment has lost all of its individuality. When you try to attract everybody, you have to be concerned with not offending anybody, and that is not what art and filmmaking is about. Spiritual filmmaking is definitely a niche. We have subscribers in nearly

Among Stephen Simon’s many ac-claimed films are the Academy Award-winning What Dreams

May Come, Somewhere in Time, and the groundbreaking Conversations with God. He also co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle in 2004 with relation-ship experts Gay and Kathlyn Hen-dricks. As a subscription-based monthly DVD community, Spiritual Cinema Circle offers viewers a continuous array of upbeat and inspirational films that help us feel better about being human.

Why did you decide to produce spiritual films?

I’ve always loved films like It’s a Won-derful Life, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, that have a spiritual content to them, even though Hollywood refers to them as fantasy films. My dad was a big comedy direc-tor in the 1930s and 40s, and I always knew spiritual movies were the kinds of films I wanted to make. When I was about 30 years old, I read this extraordinary book called Bid Time Return, by Richard Matheson, which I went on to produce as my first film, called Somewhere in Time. What Dreams May Come was also based on a Matheson novel. Later, when I read the Conversations with God books by Neale Donald Walsch and we became good friends, I just knew the story of his life would lend itself to film.

100 countries around the world and the primary demographic of our audience tends to be more adult. What we offer strongly appeals to individuals who are looking for this kind of transformative entertainment that both enlightens and allows them to feel better about them-selves and the world.

Which filmmakers are producing films that are right for your audience?

A filmmaker produces a spiritual movie because it’s in his heart and it comes from his soul. We have a number of filmmakers we’ve nurtured whom I think are wonderful. For example, we’ve dis-tributed five films from Santa Fe-based Scott Cervine and four films from Geno Andrews, headquartered in Los Angeles.

What are your overriding goals and hopes for Spiri-tual Cinema Circle?

When Spiritual Cinema Circle films help our community of viewers feel better about being human, that makes me happy. There is enough media that look at the dark, ugly, negative, violent, greedy sides of humanity, and there is no question that these dark elements seem to be part of human nature. But there’s little light shown on the beauti-ful side of our nature—the side that consciously evolves, forgives and loves. Spiritual films allow us to look at our humanity when we operate at our best. This is what we look for when qualifying films for the Spiritual Cin-ema Circle. The films we choose are dramatic and the characters experience difficult challenges, but at the end of the day, there is always transcendence, a powerful transformation and a pathway through whatever the darkness may be. Our hope is that viewers are pleased with our movies and feel better at the end of the film than they did at the start.

Visit SpiritualCinemaCircle.com for a free trial.

Ellen Mahoney teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Email [email protected].

wisewords

FEEL GOOD FILMSA Conversation with

Producer Stephen Simon

by Ellen Mahoney

36 Tennessee Valley

ongoingevents

SUNDAYMeditation: 8:30am, Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, 883-8596

A Course In Miracles Study Group: 9:15am. Shared reading and group discussions. Extra books available. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Avenue, 895-0255. www.lightofchristcenter.org

Unity Church Service: 10:30am. Practical Chris-tianity from a Transformative New Thought Meta-physical Perspective. Our Doors are Open with Love for ALL. 1328 Governors Dr. SE. Info: www.unitychurchonthemountain.com

Celebration of Spirit: 11am. A different service each week including ritual, music, and a message in an open, loving environment. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave 895-0255

Kadampa Meditation Group: 3-4:30pm. Sunday book study class. Books-A-Million on University Drive, except for 3rd Sundays at Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr. SE

Power Yoga: 3:15-4:15pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 653-9255 or 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth: 4:30-5:45pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 653-9255 or 533-7975, www.yogacenter-ofhuntsville.com

Basic Belly Dance for Teens: 6-7pm. For ages 13 to18. Beg. American Tribal Style Belly Dance: 7:30- 8:30pm. Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Lane. Class info: www.nomadictapestry.com

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 885-0323. www.aahunts-villeal.org

MONDAYSpring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules at www.springcity.org

Reduce Stress with EFT: Private phone sessions. Information: www.tapintohealing.com. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 774-3392.

Yoga with Mitzi: 1:00pm. YOGA FUNDAMEN-TALS — all levels welcome! Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd. More info: http://Mitzi-Connell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Yoga with Mitzi: 6:00pm. CANDLELIGHT YOGA — all levels welcome! Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd. More info: http://Mitzi-Connell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Level 1 Pilates: 7-8am. All Levels. Michelle Camp-er. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Slow Flow Yoga: 8-9:30am. Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglo-tus.com

Beginner Springs and Pulleys: 11:30am. Use re-sistance training to deepen the sense of your “core” and develop longer and leaner muscles. Body Lan-guage Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com.

Energy Lunch Lift: 12pm. Group Resonance Healing. The Center for Directional Healing, 3322 South Memorial Parkway, Suite 532. Donations accepted. 882-0360

Woman Supporting Woman’s Dreams and Goals: 1-3pm and 6:30-8:30pm. Madison. Love donations accepted. Dixie: 325-7486. [email protected]

Intermediate Mat class: 5pm. Work at a faster pace incorporating exercises that will challenge your strength, flexibility and coordination. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com.

Kundalini Meditative Yoga at the Dreammaker Shop: 5-6pm. $40/month. Focus on amplifying en-ergies in the chakras through spinal alignment and meditation. For any age or skill level. Location: 4004 Triana Blvd. Pre-register: call Jessica: 529-8117 or email [email protected].

Intro to Yoga: 5:30-6:30pm Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglo-tus.com

Basic Bellydance: 5:30-6:30pm. Monday-Thursday. Intro to basic bellydance technique. Nomadic Tap-estry, 1219 B&C Jordan Lane. Class info: www.nomadictapestry.com

Affinity Circle: 6pm. A safe space where individuals can open up and reveal what they are experiencing in life. Confidentiality is assured. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, 883-8596

Wake Up Now Classes: 6:30pm. Exploring the impact of awakening within our lives & living consciously. Love offering only. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, 883-8596

Level I Yoga: 6:30-8pm. All Levels. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

NEWtritional Health Care Conference Call: 7pm. Listen to Roy Williams,Owner of NHC, talk on the weekly health topic. Ask him questions on how NHC products can help you reach your opti-mum health. Call 1-760-569-6000 and enter PIN number 411810 #. To hear previous week call: dial 1-760-569-6099 and enter PIN number 411810 #, visit www.myhealthykingdom.com/10003 (Invita-tion # 10003)

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 885-0323, www.aahunts-villeal.org

TUESDAYSpring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules at www.springcity.org

Reduce Stress with EFT: Private phone sessions. Information: www.tapintohealing.com. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 774-3392.

Sierra Club Hikes: Visit www.alabama.sierra-club.org/na.html for Tuesday night ‘hikes’ around Huntsville.

Pilates: 9-10am. PILATES: 9am to 10am. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500A Pratt Ave, 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Power Yoga: 9:10-10:10am Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglo-tus.com

Level I Yoga: 10:15-11:30am. Tatum Crigger. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave., 533-7975. www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Restorative Yoga: 4:00-5:00pm Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaugh-inglotus.com

Power Yoga: 5:30-6:45pm Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughin-glotus.com

Beginner/Intermediate mat class: 6:15pm. This class adds more exercises from the series and will challenge your mind/body connections. Body Lan-guage Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com

Prosperity Plus Classes: 6:30pm. Created by Mary Morrisey, this dynamic class will expand the con-sciousness of participants of teaching and applying spiritual principles that apply to abundance. Love offering only. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, 883-8596

Beginning Belly Dance Technique: 6:45-7:45pm In-termediate with Zills: 8- 9pm. Nomadic Tapestry 1219 B&C Jordan Lane. www.nomadictapestry.com

Yoga with Mitzi: 6:45pm. CANDLELIGHT YOGA – all levels welcome! The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 Pratt Ave. More info: http://Mitzi-Connell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Metaphysics 201: 7pm. 10 weeks, $100 course fee. The Consciousness Chart, Rev. Will Hoffpauir instructs in clearance work & transmuting human qualities into Divine qualities. Light of Christ Cen-ter, 4208 Holmes Ave. (256) 895-0255

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 885-0323, www.aahunts-villeal.org

WEDNESDAYSpring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules: www.springcity.org

37September 2010

your spine and overall posture. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com

Pilates: 9am to 10am. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500a Pratt Ave, 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Power Yoga: 9:10-10:10am Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

Level I Yoga: 10:15-11:30am . Tatum Crigger. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave., 533-7975. www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

TBE Nooner Toastmasters: 11:45am-12:45pm. TBE building #1, Sparkman Drive/Lakeshore Dr. Practice public presentation and meeting etiquette. Nancy Wade, [email protected] or 797-0700.

Kundalini Meditative Yoga at the Dreammaker Shop: 5-6pm. $40/month. Focus on amplifying energies in the chakras through spinal alignment and meditation. For any age or skill level. Location: 4004 Triana Blvd. Pre-register: call Jessica: 529-8117 or email [email protected].

BellyKids: 5:30-6:30pm. Shahala Liz, Nomadic Tapestry, 1219 B&C Jordan Lane. All class info: www.nomadictapestry.com Mixed Flow Yoga: 5:30-6:45 Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays): 6pm. 2nd Thurs., Huntsville Public Library. Parents, friends, and gay community members welcome. Bring snack. 881-0939.

Level I Yoga: 6:45-8:15pm. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 885-0323, www.aahuntsvilleal.org

FRIDAYSpring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules: www.springcity.org

Yoga with Mitzi: 1:00pm. YOGA FUNDAMENTALS — all levels welcome! Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd. More info: http://MitziConnell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Level 1 Pilates: 7-8am. All Levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Slow Flow Yoga: 8-9:30am Laughing Lotus Yoga , 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

Power Yoga: 9:10-10:10am Laughing Lotus Yoga , 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

Springs and Pulleys: 11am. Enjoy the lengthening benefits of the Cadillac with the balance and strength building of the Reformer in this full-body flowing

Reduce Stress with EFT: Private phone sessions. Information: www.tapintohealing.com. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 774-3392.

Level 1 Pilates: 7-8am. All Levels. Michelle Camper. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Align and Define Yoga: 8-9:30am Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

Level I Yoga: 9:15-10:30am. Erin Kennedy. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500A.East Pratt Ave. www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Science of Mind Classes: 10am-12pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, 883-8596

Prenatal Yoga: 5:30-6:30pm Laughing Lotus Yoga, 303 Second Ave. Decatur. www.yogaatlaughinglotus.com

Tia Chi with Jeff Simpson: 5:30pm. Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr. 1/2 mile up the Mountain from California on the Right

Yoga with Mitzi: 1:00pm. YOGA FUNDAMENTALS — all levels welcome! Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd. More info: http://MitziConnell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Yoga with Mitzi: 6:00pm. YOGA FLOW! All levels welcome! Chiropractic Wellness Depot, 8210 Stephanie Drive, Huntsville. More info: http://MitziConnell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Meditation: 6pm. Center for Conscious Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, 883-8596

Power Yoga: 6-7pm. Marcy White. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975 www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Evenings with Gangaji: 6:30pm. Satsang with a video of Gangaji. Center for Conscious Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, 883-8596

Dream Workshop: 7pm. Learn to recall and interpret your dreams. Light of Christ Center. 4208 Holmes Ave. 895-0255. www.lightofchristcenter.org for more information.

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem. 885-0323, www.aahuntsvilleal.org

THURSDAYThe Search: The Gurdjieff Work in Huntsville. Discussion groups, crafts, meditation. 205-320-0013. www.thegurdjiefffoundationofalabama.org

Spring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules: www.springcity.org

Reduce Stress with EFT: Private phone sessions. Information: www.tapintohealing.com. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 774-3392.

Piliates: 9am. A fusion of Pilates and Hanna Somatic work teaching you to access and strengthen your deepest connections bringing balance to

session. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com.

Public Clearance Session: 7pm. 3rd Friday each month. Learn effective healing through reception and application of Divine energies. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave. 895-0255

Parapsychology Group: 7pm. 4th Fridays meets at Unity Church, 1328 Governor’s Dr. SE. Information: contact Joyce Sons, 852-8994

SATURDAYRenewable Energy (RE) & Off-Grid Living: Take steps to live the dream! Learn RE Basics. Benefit from a decade of experience. See an off-grid home in action! Reduce your carbon footprint. Monthly 1st & 3rd Saturdays. 10am-4pm. $75/class. Giles County, TN. (931) 565.4006 or [email protected] to register.

Feel Good Tapping Party: Be the host of a group tapping session. Information: www.tapintohealing.com. To schedule, call Self Healing Awareness with EFT, 774-3392.

Spring City Cycling Club: Times and schedules: www.springcity.org

Yoga with Mitzi: 9:00am. POWER YOGA – all levels welcome! Maverick Training Center, 9009C So. Memorial Pkwy. More info: http://MitziConnell.com or 256.361.YOGA

Sierra Club: Check out alabama.sierraclub.org/na.html for weekend hike, canoe, backpacking and other activities.

Level I Yoga: 9-10:15am. Tom Musgrove. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500-A Pratt Ave. 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com

Intermediate Mat class: 10am. This group session works at a faster pace incorporating exercises that will challenge your strength, flexibility and coordination. Body Language Pilates, 305 Jefferson St., Ste. C, 704-5080 or bodylanguagepilates.com.

Level I Yoga: 11:30-12:45pm Bobbie Brooks. The Yoga Center of Huntsville. 500-A Pratt Avenue. 533-7975. www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com.

Al-Anon: For those who have a loved one faced with a drinking problem.885-0323, www.aahuntsvilleal.org

ClASSIFIEDS

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ENERGY HEAlINGCENTER FOR DIRECTIONAl HEAlING Susan Spalding, Director 256-882-0360www.directionalhealing.com Free the energy within you! Take your health and your life to a new level with Directional Healing. Clears, cleanses, balances, rejuvenates through resonance healing.

FAMIlY MEDICINEPROGRESSIVE FAMIlY MEDICINEChad Gilliam, M.M.S. PA-C1230 Slaughter Road, Suite C, Madison, AL 256-722-0555.Progressive Family Medicine provides medical care for patients of all ages and uniquely blends Natural and Prescription medicines together to help speed the patient’s recovery. Progressive Family Medicine is the patient’s clinic of choice when they would like to understand how natural medicines work along with prescription drugs.

JARVIS NATURAl HEAlTH ClINIC1489 Slaughter Road, Madison256-837-3448I-ACT Certified colon Hydro Therapists. Do you know that 80% of your immune system is in your colon? Bathe your body from the inside to improve health. Colon irrigation aids in soothing and toning the colon, which makes elimination more effective.

COlON HYDROTHERAPYCENTER FOR OPTIMAl WEll BEING7910 S. Memorial Pkwy, Suite F-2Huntsville, AL 35802256-489-9806 phone 256-489-2873 fax866-488-9806 toll freeThe Center for Optimal Well Being is dedicated to improving your health with colon hydro-therapy and body empowerment services. Sessions are con-ducted in clean, comfortable and relaxing private suites with soft lighting and aromatic fragrances. Our staff is clinically trained and certified by the International Association for Colon Therapists.

IN-HOME MASSAGEClOUD NINEEvening and Weekend Appointments256-337-6989Finally, someone who makes housecalls! Swedish, Ortho and Deep Tissue massage in the privacy of your own home. Gift Certificates also available for any occasion.

JIN SHIN JYUTSU®

JIN SHIN JYUTSU OF HUNTSVIllESandra Cope Huntsville256-534-1794, 256-509-3540Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner. An easy, effective way of restoring health and well-being by balancing the body’s energy pathways to enhance the body’s natural healing abilities.

MASSAGECENTER FOR THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE AND BODYWORk1634 Slaughter Rd., Madison256-430-9756Our vision is to provide professional massage services in a comfortable clinical environment to Madison and the surrounding area. Student massages available for 1/2 the regular rate. Lic. E1311.

HYPNOTHERAPYWANDA ADAM CCHT - REIkI MASTER Light of Christ Center4208 Holmes Ave. NW, Huntsville, AL.205-274-0012 and 205-370-0016www.trinityhealingarts.org

Trinity Healing Arts. Providing private, professional healing sessions including Hypnotherapy, Reiki, and EFT. Specializing in pain management, stress management, relaxation, weight loss, smoking cessation, and self- image improvement.

Classes available. Now, you can develop the tools you need to move confidently forward. CHANGE YOUR MIND – CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

EMOTIONAl FREEDOMTECHNIqUES

SElF-HEAlING AWARENESS WITH EFT Judith Pflum, EFT-ADV Practitioner256-774-3392

www.tapintohealing.comTap into healing. Specializing in women’s emotional /physical issues: anxieties, fears, relationships, stress, weight. Painless, drug-free, easy-to-learn technique. Individual, group, or phone sessions.

FENG SHUI FENG SHUI BY TRUDI GARDNERTrudi Gardner, MS256-772-6999

[email protected] interior design philosophy that reduces stress in your life. Bring positive energy into your home and office to increase Serenity, Balance and Prosperity.

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39September 2010

YOGA YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVIllE500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975 www.Yogacenterofhuntsville.comWe teach yoga postures and principles designed to bring strength, flexibility, openness, and awareness into the body. Classic yoga postures, modifications are introduced to give the student many options in developing a personal practice.

STRUCTURAl INTEGRATIONJACI HOGUE256-656-4108jaci@alabamarolfmethod.comwww.alabamarolfmethod.com

A complete system of body education that balances the physical body, improves posture, and helps resolve chronic pain. Created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf in the 1950s, Structural Integration has been scientifically validated and has withstood the test of time, as millions of

people have enjoyed the remarkable benefits.

SUSAN k. JEFFREYSAdvanced Practitioner Lic.#249Dr. Ida P. ROLF method2336A Whitesburg DriveServing Huntsville since 1995256-512-2094 www.rolfguild.org“When the body gets working appropriately, then the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.” Ida P. Rolf

SPIRITUAl lIFE COACHINGYOUR SOUl JOURNEY COACHINGBecky Waters, Soul Journey Coach,Intuitive Composer / Musician256-348-5236 [email protected]

www.YourSoulMusic.comLet go of fear, eliminate worry, become stress-free, gain confidence and much more. Call for a 20-minutes to a Miracle Quick Start Session to begin your journey to wholeness.

YOGA CENTER OF HUNTSVIllE500-A East Pratt Ave. 256-533-7975www.Yogacenterofhuntsville.comOur focus is on core stability, neutral alignment and patterned breathing. It restores the natural curves of the spine, relieves tension and enhances self-confidence. We feature certified instruction in group and individual training.

PIlATESBODY lANGUAGE, INC.305 Jefferson St., Ste. C256-704-5080sybil@bodylanguagepilates.comwww.bodylanguagepilates.comOur goal is to teach individuals how to take control of their health and well-being through the Pilates method, creating a wholesome person of sound mind, body, and spirit. Private, semi-private and group training on the equipment is available along with group mat classes.

MASSAGE SCHOOlMADISON SCHOOl OF MASSAGE THERAPY, llC1634 Slaughter Rd, Suite C Madison, AL 35758 256-430-9756www.madisonschoolofmassagetherapy.comOur training will change your life forever in a new career as a Professional. Student massages available for 1/2 the regular rate. AL Board of Massage School Lic# S-117 AL State Board of Ed. School Lic# 1200I

NATUROPATHIC DOCTORAlTERNATIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATESDr. Deb Gilliam, N.M.D.1230 Slaughter Road, Madison, 256-722-0555Dr. Gilliam treats a variety of health problems with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, heart disease, hormone replacement and thyroid issues being at the forefront. Dr. Gilliam sees patients from around the world due to the reputation she has earned by treating hard to treat medical conditions. Dr. Gilliam works to find the cause of medical conditions and does not simply treat the patients’ symptoms.

MUSIC THERAPYHEAlING SOUNDS MUSIC THERAPYStephanie Bolton, MA, MT-BC256-655-0648www.imageryandmusic.comHuntsville, AL- based music therapy practice focused on improving personal health and wellness using guided imagery and music techniques. Currently providing workshops and individual consultations.

MASSAGETHE YURT GARDEN RETREATLynn Leach, LMT#1307

256-776-0553www.yurtgarden.comLicensed Massage Ther-apy, Healing Touch and Spiritual Coaching, 20 years experience. Lic. #1307

SHAMAN HEAlERkATY GlENN [email protected] KatyShamanHealer.blogspot.com

Spiritualy Assisted Intuitive Readings, Energetic Healing and Balancing for People and Pets, World Culture Shamanic Training, Spiri t Midwife: Assistance for individual and caregivers during Death & Dying Process. Forty years

of training and experience.

calendarFriday, September 10

Gen Kelsang Mondrub, resident American monk at the Kadampa Meditation Center in Atlanta, will give a free talk on the book "8 Steps to Happiness" at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Books A Million at University and Memorial Parkway. A question-and-answer session will follow the talk. For more information, call (256) 466-1990 or email [email protected].

Monday, September 13Activating And Utilizing Your Psychic Power: Sept. 13th, Monday, 7 pm, 10 weeks, $100. course fee. Techniques for grounding, clearing and cleansing the chakras to develop divine attributes of love, compassion, forgiveness, etc., and awakening your inner hearing, sensing, and vision will be given. Instructor: Rev. Faye Waite-Glasgow, Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave. (256) 881-2658.

Thursday, September 16Health Seminar: NEWtritional Health Care 7:00 pm CST Listen to Roy Williams, CHt, speak about the benefits of NEWtritional Health Care products and ask him questions on how NHC products can help you reach your optimum health. FREE Electrodermal Stress Analysis testing for NHC products will also be offered. Foods for Life, 1407-C Memorial Parkway NW, 35801, 1-800-745-4408, e-mail Roy [email protected] , or visit www.myhealthykingdom.com/10003 (Invitation # 10003)

Planes, Rays, & Flames Study Group. Introduces the seven planes of the Cosmic Physical Plane (Physical, Emotional, Mental, Intuitional, Spiritual, Monadic, and Divine) and how human beings fit into the scheme of things. Also includes the Seven Rays & Flames, their qualities, and how they can be used as healing tools. Love offerings accepted. 7pm Thursdays beginning September 16, for 7 weeks. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville, AL 35816, (256) 895-0255

Tuesday, September 21Astrology 101. Introduces the basic of Astrological charts, interpretations, and forecasting. Course fee: $120 7pm Tuesdays beginning September 21, for 12 weeks. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville, AL 35816, (256) 895-0255

Wednesday, September 22Autumn Equinox Service. 7pm Wednesday, September 22. Celebrating the Sacred Gate of Autumn, and anchoring the balance of Libra. Love offerings accepted. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville, AL 35816, (256) 895-0255

Sunday, September 26The annual Animal Blessing service. September 26, 2010 @ 10:30 am, The Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Road, Huntsville, AL 35802; Contact: Jodi Rutenberg, [email protected]

As long as there is life and hope, your body can do Miracles

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