I’m excited to explore kids’ events with you that are waiting just outside of Ann Arbor. Perfect for this new phase of expansion of the Journal are the fall festivals around Washtenaw County. You can get outside with your kids, eat a caramel apple, and relax in nature for a day of family fun.
Posts filed under Columns
Green Living: Bring Your Own Container, Leave with a New Way to Live
It is a song many of us sing every day: the last swipe of lotion on a dry day leaves a container empty; the final drizzle of olive oil escapes the bottle and sizzles on the pan; the old water kettle stops boiling; it is time to throw it all out and start over with something new.
Out of My Comfort Zone: Living Outside My Comfort Zone
Upon reflecting on “a single time” that I have moved outside of my zone of comfort, I am somewhat stumped. I realized while considering this topic that I virtually live outside of my comfort zone. My life is what I call “living on a prayer.” I work in the healing industry and have been a self-employed woman for well over 20 years of my 23 years of healing service.
Great Tastes in Local Food--Fall 2022
A takeout counter in the back of a party store is not where I expected to find amazing vegan food. But there I was, standing in Lakeside Party Shoppe, located a stone’s throw from the shores of glistening Whitmore Lake, waiting to pick up my order from Eli’s Blazin Wings + Pizza.
Leaps of Faith: Brighton Light House
You read it right. Brighton Light House (BLH) is three words. That’s because, unlike a “lighthouse,” BLH is not a cautionary beacon on a rocky shoreline—a vision that may have come to mind at first glance. Rather, the light radiating from BLH is one that beckons the community toward it with the sole purpose of providing space for individuals to find, nurture, and shine their own light.
Leaps of Faith: Arogyaveda
At the end of a quiet lane, I found the building where Pradeepa Ryasam invited me to meet her. I had asked if she could share her experience as a new business owner offering holistic wellness services at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. As I walked toward the building, I noticed rabbit footprints in the new snow, and several birds greeted me before Ryasam had a chance to open the door to introduce herself.
Random Acts of Kindness: Kindness is Always Possible! Join the Kindness Revolution
I think most people would agree that the pandemic has made a lot of things that we used to take for granted much more complicated. For example: every time I go grocery shopping now, I feel I am putting my health at risk. Because of staffing shortages, I know I’m probably going to have to wait in line for a long time and end up in a DIY check-out lane—and those machines, for whatever reason, hate me. They spew out a constant stream of commands and demands that I can never understand. If I had any feelings of peace and harmony when I entered the store, I know they will be gone by the time I leave.
Sustainable Health: Enhancing Detoxification-- A Path to Lifelong Wellness
The idea of enhancing detoxification to improve health has been known and practiced in the natural healthcare community for decades. Herbs, saunas, activated charcoal, juicing, and body wraps are just a few of the ways practitioners and patients have sought to rid the body of toxins and waste more efficiently. These different approaches have gone in and out of fashion, and with the advent of social media you can find any number of people claiming they’ve got the perfect shake, supplement, or potion for everyone to achieve a cleaner body. Let’s face it, some of them are scams, but the theory is sound—help the body detoxify and you’ll have more energy, clearer skin, better bowel elimination, and avoid chronic illness later in life.
Namaste Katie: Our Fall 2022 Yoga Column
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time,
here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
Weekend Getaways: GilChrist Retreat Center--Nature and Spirituality Intersecting
Over the years, I-94 has been my go-to route to destinations throughout southern Michigan, but this trip I got off the fast-track west of Jackson to see what I’ve been missing. On M-60 I passed through the campus of Spring Arbor University, and glimpsed local museums and farms. Bedroom communities like Concord, Tekonsha, and Union City offered local eateries and attractions missing from interstate rest stops. Accustomed to the relaxed vibe of those villages, the industrial scene of Three Rivers was an unexpected shift—a change experienced by travelers willing to take the less conventional path to Three Rivers’ GilChrist Retreat Center.
Tea Time with Peggy--Home Grown Tea
weekly fertilizing. Early fall is the best time to receive the earth’s bounty. Pumpkins, squash, and assorted herbs are plentiful. Depending upon the richness of the soil, and the amount of water the garden received over the summer months, the taste of the plants grown each year will be unique to that season. These distinctive flavors should be savored. I can think of no better way to show thankfulness for the harvest than to enjoy a cup of tea made from plants and herbs found in my own garden.
Out of My Comfort Zone: The Paradox of Dying
I will never forget the moment when I walked into the hospice home for the first time to see my dad. A palliative care doctor recommended hospice care the day before and he was transferred to this hospice home from a rehabilitation facility. I had been his primary caretaker throughout his rapid decline—navigating the hospital scene, confronting doctors, and aggressively advocating for his care. This situation was without a doubt my comfort zone—having concrete things to fix and fixing them. I was confident in my abilities, and due to an extensive history of trauma, seemingly thrived in the chaos and intensity of the situation.
Sustainable Health: Bacteria and Viruses — Essential to Human Life
Bacteria and viruses have always gotten a bad reputation in our modern society, but these microscopic microorganisms are essential to human life and can quite literally be a key aspect to our optimal health. In fact, trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes live all over our bodies, with the largest concentration in our intestines.
Astrologically Speaking: Pluto Returns to the USA
Everything that has a beginning has an astrology chart: people, animals, relationships, businesses, and even countries. The birth of the United States of America took place with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At that moment, in the heavens, Pluto was nearing the end of its slow transit in the sign of Capricorn. On February 19th of this year Pluto made the anticipated return to that exact same place for the very first time for the United States birth chart. Pluto’s orbit takes about 250 years, which means a person will never be able to experience their Pluto return, but a country can. This creates a unique moment in time to witness the United States from within or without and see firsthand what a Pluto return looks and feels like.
Kids in the Community: The Seelie Court of Ann Arbor’s Faery Artists and Events
What have our fairy friends and their artists been up to during the pandemic? To brighten everyone’s spirits, I wanted to track down some fairy fun this spring for the young ones. Might we see more fairy doors pop up around Ann Arbor? Maybe you’ve seen glimmers of whimsical fun around Ann Arbor in the chalk drawings of the ephemeral and adorable characters dreamed up by Ann Arbor’s David Zinn. It’s almost time for the return of Shakespeare in the Arb, and we’re celebrating with a production of the fairy-packed fun of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ann Arbor is one of the best places around to find events and artists who work on a fairy theme, but like the fae they can be hiding in plain sight. I went searching under every rock and leaf, even a few book jackets, to find you the best fairy-themed events, artists, and authors in Ann Arbor to find while we’re still in need of a little fun.
Healer of Ann Arbor: When is a Massage Not a Massage?
Lisa Teets is a local Bowenwork healer, Tai Chi instructor, and fan of wellness modalities in general. I met her in a local Tai Chi class several years ago, and we hit it off. As many of us struggle with stress into year three of the pandemic, I wanted to learn more about her primary modality—Bowenwork—to ask what makes it different from a massage and how people might know if they would benefit from trying it.
Namaste, Katie...Our Spring 2022 Yoga Column
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time, here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
Great Tastes in Local Food--Spring 2022
Local restaurant reviews, spring 2022.
Crysta Goes Visiting, Spring 2022
In this column, Crysta Coburn writes about crazywisdom-esque people and happenings around Ann Arbor.
Out of My Comfort Zone: In the Space Between My Comfort Zones
Does exhaling take you out of your comfort zone? How about taking a step out ahead of you? How about the first pangs of hunger, or the chill of the air, when you step outdoors on a cold day?
