Posts filed under Columns

Kindred Conversations with Hilary Nichols: Singer, Bandleader, and Performer Dani Darling

Last summer, as she has every summer since 2018, Dani Darling performed at the Ann Arbor Summer Fest. This time she took to the main stage with her identical triplet sisters as guests to drop into an electrifying harmony like it was their first language—maybe because it was.

Sustainable Health: Hypnosis For Peace of Mind

Peace is the felt experience of an inner sanctuary—a place of tranquillity and calm detachment that you can always access. Equanimity is composure under stress. It is a deep internal knowing that no matter what happens you will handle it and be okay.

Weekend Getaway: A Visit to the Maryville Retreat Center

As a center established by the Felician Sisters on over 200 acres, I expected a degree of formality, so I was pleasantly surprised that I could casually enter. Moving from the entrance and through the dining area to reach accommodations, the staff member’s warmth and attentiveness complemented the positive vibes from a fellow retreatant, a repeat visitor who told me she/he planned monthly escapes to Maryville.

Posted on May 1, 2025 and filed under Columns, Issue #89, Travel, Weekend Getaways.

Spirit Seeds: Spring/Summer 2025

I’m feeling stuck in my shadow work, particularly around my past traumas. Are there specific crystals or energy-healing techniques that could help me move forward?

For deeper and more powerful healing, consider using moldavite and black tourmaline. Moldavite is known for its intense, transformative energy often called the “stone of transformation.” It can help accelerate spiritual awakening and deep healing by bringing to light deeply buried traumas. Black tourmaline is a robust, grounding and protective stone that can shield you from negative energies and transmute them into positive ones. In addition to these crystals, energy healing techniques like Reiki and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be highly effective. Reiki helps balance your chakras by penetrating and clearing blockages with pure universal energy promoting overall well-being.

What's New in the Community: Spring/Summer 2025

This ongoing column features upcoming events within Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County and surrounding areas’ Body/Mind/Spirit communities, new (during the past year or two) practitioners and holistic businesses, new books written by local/regional authors, new classes, as well as new offerings by established practitioners and holistic businesses.

Tea with Peggy: Minty Cool

When I think of mint, winter comes to mind—a nice cup of cocoa in which I steep some peppermint tea leaves. It’s invigorating, refreshing, and cooling. Wait a minute... if mint is invigorating, refreshing, and cooling, why am I drinking it in the cold of winter? I should be drinking in the warmth of summer instead!

Posted on May 1, 2025 and filed under Columns, Food & Nutrition, Food Section, Issue #89.

Astrologically Speaking: Fascinating Fun Facts About Astrology

Astrology is an ancient art of divination which interprets the symbolic meaning of the constellations and planets, their cycles and aspects, and the way they interact with people, places, and events. It is the study of the interplay between the orbit of the stars over time and how they reflect our lives. Any person, location, or event, such as a marriage, or start of a business, can be viewed astrologically.

Posted on May 1, 2025 and filed under Astrology, Columns, Issue #89, Metaphysical.