Our daily rituals, traditions, practices, and exercises — while personal and involved for some are simply a way to live for others. Rituals can keep us sane, keep us honest with ourselves, and keep us going, whether we are aware of it or not.
Expanding the Scope of Practice: How University of Michigan Medical School is Training Medical Doctors to Have a Deeper Understanding of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Every July the University of Michigan Medical School ushers in a new class of future physicians. Those students spend a week in September scattered across the area visiting, conversing, observing, and receiving treatments from holistic practitioners to learn about healthcare from their perspectives.
Therapeutic Breathwork Training (a story)
I re-experienced my own birth the other day, for the third time in a week. I was in Milwaukee, at Transformations, Inc., with Jim Morningstar, a dedicated and compassionate psychotherapist, breath coach, writer, and Therapeutic Breathwork teacher. Sitting in Jim’s comfortable office, after a week of intensive breathwork training and experience, we began the session by talking about what I would like to focus on. I asked for inner child work.
More Than Just an Exercise: Learning to Breathe with Yoga
By Tatiana Knight | Photos by Tobi Hollander
When yoga became famous in the 60’s in the U.S., it was an esoteric set of poses and breathing exercises to aid meditation. It was initially presented as a map to living our lives by following a kind of yogic 10 Commandments. Not very many people knew about yoga, and those who did were not “normal,” but considered hippies or society’s outliers.
Threading the Eye of the Needle: Navigating Through the World of Conventional and Alternative Medicine
By Brian O'Donnell
In the past four years, I’ve had two serious medical crises that required a choice of how to treat these conditions — using conventional medical treatments or alternative approaches, or some combination of both.
Fresh Air for a Fresh Start
By Melissa Sargent
We've packed up the holiday decorations, our house guests have all gone home, and we are ready to take on our new year’s resolutions. A little power cleaning and a few sprays of a fresh scent might seem like a great way to start anew. But before you pull out the disinfectant or plug in the pine mountain scent, think about what may be sealed up inside the house with you and your family.
The Healing Power of the Right Relationship: How Elizabeth Shadigian, M.D., and WomanSafeHealth Are Raising the Standards for Women's Health Care
By Rachel Pastiva | Photos by Rachel Pastiva, Miriam Holzman & Karina Oganyan
A CLIENT'S STORY
I've known for a long time that I'm disillusioned by our medical establishment. What I didn't realize until recently was just how much. Like many people, I suffer from chronic health issues that traditional doctors don't seem to have the time to address, nor the interest in doing so. I thought I was taking my health into my own hands by seeking alternative health care practitioners, but found the same pressed-for-time, distant attitude that ultimately left me financially and emotionally destitute.
An Interview With Julie Peale of Body Balance and Hellerwork and Structural Medicine
Interview by Bill Zirinsky | Photos by Tobi Hollander
Julie Peale, age 38, owns Body Balance of Ann Arbor, LLC, where she practices a combination of Hellerwork and structural medicine in one-on-one sessions with clients. Initially on a path to become a physical therapist, Julie attained a degree in biology from Central Michigan University, but her desire to help people on a more holistic level pushed her to explore other therapy modalities. Julie lives in Ypsilanti Township with her husband, five-year-old daughter, and two-year-old son.