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REC NNECTI NS
The Green Brain Initiative
www.green-brain.org
Volume 1 Issue 2
June 2013
Inside this Issue:
Rooted In Relationships
Thailand’s Water Festival
The Green Man
Raw Foods
Losing Weight - Naturally
The Indigenous Spirit of the Hudson
Valley
The Effects of Poor Posture
Demystifying Detoxifying
Hearing Loss In The Workplace
Children and Poverty
Children’s Corner Featuring:
The Power of the Sun
Recycle Craft
And more...
2nd Annual
Sacred Earth Festival
(Celebrating Forests)
Free Admission!
Sunday, September 22
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bowdoin Park
(in Wappinger Falls)
www.green-brain.org
Public relations &
Communications
www.priyacomm.com
Who we are
A team of trained public relations and communications professionals who’ve
been connecting businesses, governments and organizations with
their most valued stakeholders, consumers and constituents for over 15 years.
Find us!
(845) 849-2205
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Reconnections Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2
From the Editor’s Desk
Keep Those Allergies At Bay With Raw Foods!
Yesterday, we saw an enormous bumblebee sampling the nectar of each blossom on
one of the flowering shrubs in our garden. Bees locate their favorite flowers by color or
scent. Remember to keep an area of your garden bee-friendly this summer, to attract
and preserve these valuable pollinators!
On a related note, keep the antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops close at hand
as well. Spring is almost over, but the allergy season will stick around for some time yet.
According to health experts, the allergy season in the US started two weeks earlier this
year, and will stick around until October.
RECONNECTIONS
Designed, produced and published by:
Public Relations & Communications
Telephone: 845.849.2205
Fax: 845.240.1199
Email: ksaroop@priyacomm.com
Why? Changes in climate, like the heavy precipitation we experienced last winter
followed by the billowing warm temperatures shortly thereafter, are producing “higherthan-normal carbon dioxide emissions… fueling pollen production, causing plants to
produce three to five times more pollen than usual.” Not only are there copious amounts
of pollen around us, but it appears to be supercharged as well!
Website: www.priyacomm.com
Advisors to The Green Brain Initiative
Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger
Reverend Gail A. Burger
Grandmother Barbara Threecrow
To a certain extent, seasonal allergies are related to your diet and nutritional level also.
A raw food diet can make a significant impact on your allergies. Raw fruits and
vegetables are charged with antioxidants that help to revamp your immune system.
Organic produce help to reduce your body’s toxic burden and improve its capacity to
fight against allergens.
Blackberries, blueberries, grapes, onions and apples all contain quercetin, a potent
natural antihistamine. So, munching on a few apples a day can help to keep those
allergies at bay! Alyson Chugerman shares more information in this issue of
“Reconnections” about how a raw foods diet can improve your overall health.
Also, in this issue, we explore the cultural, economic and environmental significance of
Thailand’s water fest, Songkran.
Remember that our second annual Sacred Earth Festival will be held on Sunday,
September 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls, and
this year, we’re celebrating “Forests.” The Festival is open to the public, and admission
is free. More information has been provided inside this issue. Spend the day with us and
reconnect with nature again! Bring your entire family, breathe in the fresh air, raise your
serotonin levels, improve your overall wellness, and enjoy all that our Festival has to
offer!
Donna Coane
Amala Balasubramanyam
Editor and Director of Content
Karen Dipnarine-Saroop
Cover Photo: Sudesh Saroop
Contributing Writers
Hesham Abdelghany
Ajamu Ayinde
Howard Brown
Alyson Chugerman
Bridget Doxsee
LisaRenee Fogarty
Pam Foody
Karine Gordineer
Lorraine Hughes
Atticus Lanigan
Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger
Jeffrey Reel
In our September issue of “Reconnections,” we will be celebrating “Forests.” If you
would like to write for or advertise in “Reconnections,” please contact us at
ksaroop@priyacomm.com or 845-849-2205. Detailed information is provided on the last
page of this e-magazine. The deadline for submission of articles, advertisements and
listings for our next issue is August 1.
Victoria Roedel
Sudesh Saroop
Kenneth Solomon
Copyright 2013 PRiyaCOMM.
All rights reserved.
Finally, if you’re on Facebook, join the conversation in The Green Brain Initiative group
by clicking here.
www.green-brain.org
“Reconnections” Reaching Across Borders
We are delighted that our e-magazine is being downloaded daily by local and
international audiences, and the feedback has been tremendously positive.
Here is a breakdown of our audience by country and state within the US for the March
2013 issue of “Reconnections.”
Australia
Canada
China
France
Other
India
Romania
Sweden
Russian
Federation
United States,
68%
Connect With Us!
By Country
Washington
Texas
Pennsylvania
California
District Of
Columbia
Georgia
Illinois
Maryland
North Carolina
Massachusetts
New York, 45%
The Green Brain Initiative
Michigan
Nebraska
New Jersey
By US State
Interested in contributing an article, advertisement
or business / event listing to “Reconnections”?
Please contact us at ksaroop@priyacomm.com
Next deadline for submission is August 1.
See the last page of this magazine for details.
Table of Contents
Section I: Perspectives on the Environment
Songkran—Thailand’s Water Festival
7
Rooted in Relationships
11
Evolution, Technology and the Environment
13
Tips To Help You To Get Ready For A Hike
14
Green Ramadan: When Less Is More
15
The Green Man
18
Small Businesses and Non-Profits: Give Your Balance Sheet a Boost By Saving Energy
21
Get Green With Hypnosis
22
Section II: Healthy Hudson Valley
Local Communities Join Top Wellness Practitioners In A Day of Holistic Health in Poughkeepsie 29
Support Our Partners In Wellness
32
Take the Challenge– Eat More Raw Foods This Summer!
33
The Power of Chewing
35
The Indigenous Spirit of the Hudson Valley (Part II)
36
40
Losing Weight—Naturally
42
46
Postural Awareness Series (Part I)
47
Yoga For The People
49
52
108 In 2013: Give a Gift of Hope
53
Section III: Children’s Corner
The Woodpecker, the Turtle and the Deer
55
Bobber, the Water Safety Dog
56
Recycle Craft: Bottle Cap Coasters
57
The Wonders of Our Sun
58
Sun Safe Play Everyday
61
World Oceans Day
61
Can You Identify These Animals?
62
Print and Color These Pictures
63
PRiyaCOMM and The Green Brain Initiative are not responsible for the opinions expressed herein. No part of this work covered by the
copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or taping of information on storage and retrieval systems—without prior written permission from the publisher. The copyright on each
photograph in this publication belongs to the photographer, and no reproductions of the photographic images contained herein may be made
without the express permission of the photographer. The information in this publication is educational, and should not be used as a substitute
for professional medical advice.
Section I:
Perspectives on the Environment
“It can be 100 degrees
in the shade one afternoon,
and, suddenly, there comes a storm
with hailstones as big as golf balls.
The prairie is all white,
and your teeth chatter.
That’s good—a reminder that
you are just a small particle of nature—
not so powerful as you think.”
(Lame Deer, Lakota)
“The more clearly
we can focus our attention
on the wonders and realities
of the Universe about us,
the less taste we shall have
for destruction.”
(Rachel Carson )
Remember: Recycle. Reuse. Reduce. Replenish. Reconnect.
Songkran—Thailand’s Water Festival
By Karen Dipnarine-Saroop
Every year, at the pinnacle of the summer, Songkran, the
traditional New Year water festival, transforms the streets of
Thailand into a virtual water world. The festival offers a
welcome respite from the heat, and a peek into Thai culture
and traditional practices.
Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word saṅkrānti,
which translates to the astrological passage when the sun
transits the constellation of Aries (meṣa saṅkrānti), the first
astrological sign in the Zodiac, as calculated in sidereal
astrology.
Traditionally, the date of the Thai New Year was determined
after astrological calculations using the lunisolar calendar,
but now, the festival is observed between April 13 and 15
each year.
This period coincides with the end of the dry season and the
hottest time of the year for Thailand. Many countries in South
and Southeast Asia, including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Myanmar and Sri Lanka, celebrate their New Year around
this same time.
“
Songkran gets off to
an auspicious start
with local Thais
“making merit”
by offering food, clothing
and other basic necessities
to Buddhist monks
during their morning
alms rounds in villages
and at the temples.
”
Local Thai offers food and water to a Buddhist monk
during alms rounds on Songkran. Photo by Sudesh Saroop.
Songkran in Past Eras
Songkran has been celebrated as the New Year for centuries
in Thailand. One source notes, “During the Sukhothai period,
the Songkran Festival was practiced both in the royal court
palace and among the ordinary citizens. However, the size of
the celebration was not as elaborate as today. Back in those
days, civil servants and other government officials would pay
homage to the king, and would take the oath of allegiance to
the king or the government, while the king would provide an
annual salary to all officials.”
“Later on, in the Ayutthaya period, the festival was expanded
by including the bathing of the Buddha image. Also, the
festivities would include the forming of sand pagodas and
entertaining celebrations.”
(Article continues on page 8)
Page 7
(Continued from page 7)
“In the Rattanakosin period (including present-day Thailand),
the rituals have been conducted in a similar pattern as those
during the Ayutthaya period.”
Today, Songkran is a time when most Thais return to their
native villages to be with their families and loved ones, and to
pay respect to their elders and receive blessings from them.
“Making Merit” During Songkran
Songkran gets off to an auspicious start with local Thais
“making merit” by offering food, clothing and other basic
necessities to Buddhist monks during their morning alms
rounds in villages and at the temples.
Monks rely on the generosity of the community to sustain
them. Offering alms to monastics is an ancient practice that
continues today in our modern world, which simplifies the
lives of the monks and enriches the spiritual lives of the
ordinary people.
The tradition of giving alms to monks is called pindapata in
the Pali language.
Typically, the monks walk in silence with their heads bowed
and holding a covered alms bowl. Those wishing to “make
merit” on the Songkran, approach the monks, place offerings
of cooked food, fruits, sweets and water in their open alms
bowls and receive blessings from the monks.
Thais also offer flowers, candles, incense sticks and small
bottles of scented water to monks and at the Buddhist temples to gain merit.
Monks rely
“on the
generosity
Scented water being poured on Buddha. Photo by Sudesh Saroop.
of the community
to sustain them.
Offering alms to monastics
is an ancient practice
that continues today
in our modern world...
”
In the olden days, the younger Thais helped the elders in
their families to take a bath and put on new clothing, which
were presented to the elders as an act of respect, on the
occasion of the New Year.
Now, younger Thais sprinkle water, scented with the petals
of flowers and perfumes, onto the palms of their parents and
elders as a symbol of respect, and for blessings during the
festivities.
Scented water is also poured on the images of Buddha at
temples, in homes and at public places.
Page 8
Songkran and Holi
Songkran is the largest water fight of the year, and is
remarkably similar to the Indian festival of Holi.
In fact, one source notes, “Songkran was originally
celebrated in northern Thailand. It is believed to have been
brought over by the Burmese, who in turn adapted it from the
Indian Holi festival.”
It is customary for local Thais to apply white or beige colored
clay/chalk powder mixed with scented water and menthol to
their faces and bodies to refresh their skin during the hot
days of Songkran.
Some smear the scented paste on the faces of random
bystanders as a blessing for the New Year, reminiscent of
the Indian festival of Holi.
This year, Songkhla’s Hat Yai district celebrated the first
“colorful Songkran” to welcome the Thai New Year.
Organizers of the festival imported, from India, the same
colored powders that is used in the Holi festival, which the
Songkran revelers threw on each other in designated areas.
“
Water is
a symbol of cleansing,
so splashing each other
signifies washing away
the misfortunes or bad luck
of the old year
for a fresh start
in the new one ahead.
”
Water wars during Songkran. Photo by Sudesh Saroop.
Page 9
Water Wars in a Parched Environment
While the timing is perfect for a water festival during
Thailand’s hottest month of the year, a strong cultural
significance underlies all the fun. Water is at the very center
of the festival. The festival is marked by the splashing of
water everywhere and on everyone from buckets and hoses
to fancy machine water guns. Water is a symbol of cleansing,
so splashing each other signifies washing away the misfortunes or bad luck of the old year for a fresh start in the new
one ahead.
While Bangkok and Chiang Mai, two nerve centers of the
mega splash festivities, celebrated lavishly this year, the
northeastern province of Khon Kaen was one of the 45
provinces that were declared disaster areas by the Thai
Interior Ministry.
The Royal Irrigation Department recognized, “(In) the
Northeast… there is not enough water for normal
consumption, let alone for celebrating Songkran.”
With soaring temperatures and low precipitation the “water
shortage in Khon Kaen reached a critical level as the water in
Ubolrat Dam sharply dropped to 30% of its usual storage
level - the lowest in a decade.”
This year, the province named the Songkran festival “Sid Tan
Sard” meaning “spray, not splash.”
While Bangkok celebrated with more than 100,000 cubic
meters of extra water added to its tap water supply system
on each day of the Songkran festival, drought-plagued Khon
Kaen distributed 100,000 bottles of water to its revelers over
the three day period.
The Value of Water During Songkran
The Songkran festival is world famous, and is a major source
of revenue, generating over 11 billion baht over five days for
the tourism sector and local businesses in Thailand.
“
(In) the Northeast…
there is not enough water
for normal consumption,
let alone for
celebrating Songkran.
”
Photo by Sudesh Saroop
The total daily consumption of water for Bangkok and nearby
vicinities is estimated at 5.2 million cubic meters. During the
summer, water consumption increases to 100,000 cubic
meters per day. As noted previously, during Songkran, an
extra 100,000 cubic meters of water is supplied to this region
on each day of the festival.
The director-general of the Metropolitan Waterworks
Authority said, “You may think that Songkran adds to water
scarcity. But water consumption and demand during
Songkran is a fraction of total water consumption…”
“Water consumption during summer usually increases
because people take more showers, not necessarily
because of the Songkran splurge. The amount of water for
Songkran activities is minimal.”
“Yet, we have to admit that during summer, there is an
overall severe water shortage in the agricultural sector. But
water during Songkran is not just water, it is a cultural object.
So, we regard water as a vehicle to promote culture, and
water also generates income for the tourism industry."
After the celebrations were over in Bangkok, and the revelers
returned home, hundreds of street cleaners used some
60,000 liters of water from the nearby Chao Phraya River to
wash the dirt and powder off the streets.
Karen Dipnarine-Saroop is the co-founder of The Green
Brain Initiative. She holds a master’s degree in Mass
Communications, and Accreditation in Public Relations.
Follow her blog at www.priyacomm.com
Page 10
Rooted in Relationships
By Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger
The phrase translated as “strangers resident with Me” is
perhaps even more subtle than that: ki gerim v’toshavim
atem imadi literally means “you are resident aliens and
temporary residents with Me.”
A ger in Biblical Hebrew is a non-citizen, a non-Israelite,
living among the citizens of the land (the contemporary
meaning is a convert to Judaism, more on that another time),
whereas a toshav can be understood as a temporary settler,
somebody passing through, not living somewhere
permanently.
This is quite striking: even in the land of Israel the people are
to understand themselves as passers-through, not owners
but graced with the privilege of temporary residence on the
earth.
On the one hand, this is all about feeling intense gratitude
for the earth and its glory, and on the other, it’s about the
humility of knowing that we depend on the land and its
blessings, and feel mastery only at our own peril.
The Torah is all about our relationship to the land: from its
beginnings in the book of Genesis, when the story of creation
has us put in the Garden to "till it and tend it," (Gen. 2: 15)
through the many laws of agricultural offerings in the book of
Leviticus to the cycle of land-based holidays in Deuteronomy
16, the constant emphasis is that we must have a
consciousness of our dependence on the blessings of the
land and its fragility, especially vulnerable to an arrogant,
sinful and selfish society. (Cf. Lev. 18:28 among other
places.)
Central to the Torah's conception of our relationship to the
earth is the idea that despite all the laws dealing with buying
and selling property, the land isn't really ours:
“But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is
Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me”. (Lev 25:23)
The verse above is a theological foundation for the practices
of the Sabbatical year (shmitta) and Jubilee year (yovel); the
former is a seven year cycle of debt forgiveness and letting
the land rest, and the latter is a 50 year cycle of returning
land to its ancestral owners and letting servants go free.
More than that, it teaches a central and important truth: we
are tenants rather than owners of the earth.
… think of ourselves
“
as rooted in relationships:
with God, with the Earth,
with each other,
with ourselves—
rather than rooted
in the experience
of possession
of material things.
”
This has profound implications for environmental ethics but
also for personal spirituality, because in a sense we don’t
really own anything, just borrow it for a bit.
Page 11
The sense of attachment, of mastery or command over the
material world is an illusion: we are ultimately attached to
nothing except the Source of our being, as we are ultimately
“residents with Me.”
Read this way, the verse teaches us to think of ourselves as
rooted in relationships: with God, with the earth, with each
other, with ourselves—rather than rooted in the experience of
possession of material things.
Relationships are truly within our power to create and make
part of ourselves; material objects, even the land beneath our
feet, are “ours” only the sense of being entrusted to us for a
particular time and use before going on to somebody or
something else.
I’ve never seen a gravestone mention anything about
property, cars or clothes, because in the face of death,
people know that these things are impermanent and
unimportant.
Relationships are real and ongoing, in life and after death.
Thus, we do well to remember that we are all but strangers
and passers-through upon the land, ultimately resident with
the Source of our blessings, owning nothing but our love and
care, given and received from the Earth, the heavens and
each other.
Knowing this, we care for each other, and we care for the
Earth, because we know that it is not ours to do with as we
please.
We are stewards for others—for God and for future
generations.
“
We are tenants
rather than owners
of the Earth.
Knowing that material possessions just pass through our
hands, perhaps we can learn a lighter and more joyful way
of living, one less oriented towards consumption, and more
oriented towards love and compassion—the ultimate
renewable resources.
”
To put it another way: go to a cemetery, and read the
headstones. The inscriptions often name relationships, like
father, mother, brother, sister, son, friend, and so on.
Sometimes the inscriptions name a role somebody played in
society: doctor, soldier, rabbi, teacher, musician, whatever
people do to serve and provide.
Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger is the Rabbi of Temple Beth-El
and Associate Chaplain of Vassar Brothers Medical Center
(both located in Poughkeepsie). He holds a master’s degree
in Environmental Studies from York University in Toronto,
where his master’s paper synthesized environmental ethics,
Jewish theology, and contemporary environmental
philosophy. Follow his weekly commentary on the Torah at
rabbineal.wordpress.com
Save the Date!
2nd Annual Sacred Earth Festival (Celebrating Forests)
Sunday, September 22, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, NY
Call for sponsors, vendors, performers,
workshop presenters, writers and volunteers.
Contact us at ksaroop@priyacomm.com
For more information, visit our website:
www.green-brain.org
Page 12
Evolution, Technology and the Environment
By Jeffrey Reel
What this means, among other things, is that out of the
1,250,000 species of animals on this planet, we are the only
species capable of making self-destructive choices. We’re
that clever!
And why is that? Well, in the end, it comes down to love, and
the love for truth.
To paraphrase 17th-century Swedish theologian Emanuel
Swedenborg, free will is required to achieve spiritual and
social evolution.
During its first weeks of formation, a chick is provided with all
the nutrition it requires inside its shell. As it develops, though,
it eventually exhausts its supply of fuel and begins pecking
around in search for more, thus creating an opening in its
shell and giving birth to itself.
This is what Buckminster Fuller describes as “precession”
when animals, seemingly inadvertently, but by nature’s
design, are provided for in their stages of development.
Humans, too, are included in this elegant design.
Like that chick, we also find ourselves inside our shell with
dwindling resources: specifically, centuries-old combustionbased technologies that have not only outlived their
usefulness but today degrade all forms of life.
And, like that chick, we have been led, again seemingly
inadvertently but by nature’s design, to the next stage of our
evolution: the discovery and development of unlimited, clean
sources of power.
But unlike that chick, we are not compelled to leave our shell
and embrace this next stage of growth. We can actually
choose to remain inside with dwindling resources. But why?
I believe it is because of our semi-divine nature: that is, we
are blessed and cursed with the ability to exercise free will.
Humans find themselves operating at a level of
consciousness above that of the lowest forms of life – which
live out their lives in predictable and easily recognizable
fashion – but well below the spontaneous exuberance of the
angels.
People have freedom in order to pursue, and love, the truth.
It is only in a state of freedom that truth can become part and
parcel to the man.
Whatever does not enter into a person of his own free will,
will not remain in him because it’s not what he loves, and
what he does not love he will not embrace and incorporate
into his life, and into his spirit.
For example, dictators can coerce but people must
eventually compel themselves and in this compulsion lies
our highest freedom, our evolution and our salvation.
“
The environmental
challenges set squarely
before us today
are not
technological in nature
but, rather, spiritual.
”
This freedom to act, even on our worst impulses, is a
condition necessary for our personal and social growth, and
we rise and fall by it daily, as individuals and as a society.
The environmental challenges set squarely before us today
are not technological in nature but, rather, spiritual.
Page 13
As a result, many people seem unwilling or unable to make
the evolutionary leap we have been led to make.
In terms of human evolution, we have been accustomed to
slow and incremental change, but humanity finds itself at the
threshold of unprecedented technological changes that will
swiftly render many of the technologies we are most familiar
and comfortable with obsolete.
Can we evolve
“
beyond our self-imposed
social and environmental
pressures,
or become fossilized evidence
of yet one more species
that could not?
”
Many people feel threatened by change of this magnitude,
and as evolved as we believe ourselves to be, neuroscientists remind us that we remain at the mercy of the
reptilian part of our brain that, when under perceived threat,
shuts down other functions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex that regulates both short-term and long-term
decision making.
Combine them with those who profit from both those
antiquated technologies and the airwaves they use to instill
misunderstanding and fear, and we stand in peril of our lives.
We need to forgive ourselves for the environmental mess
we’ve created. After all, it was easier to burn coal than it was
to understand the science behind it, and its side effects.
Nonetheless, humanity has arrived at its most important
moment, and faces the inevitable test of whether we can
evolve beyond our self-imposed social and environmental
pressures, or become fossilized evidence of yet one more
species that could not.
This opportunity for unprecedented technological change and
prosperity presents itself to us courtesy of evolution. It has
created an opening in our shell.
It’s done its part. Now we must do ours.
Jeffrey Reel is a writer, and serves as the Sustainability
Manager at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.
He lives with his daughter in Becket, Massachusetts.
Tips To Help You To Get Ready For A Hike
1) Recruit a friend, who likes to hike and whose company you
enjoy, to join you.
2) Decide on where you’d like to hike. What is important to
you on this hike? Landscape, accessibility, marked hiking
trails, the length of the hike, the terrain of the area?
6) Let someone know that you are hiking, where, and how
long you expect to hike. Tell them you will check in with
them when you return. Then check in with that person
when you return.
7) Pack a basic first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes
and tweezers.
3) Pack one liter of water per person per hour of hiking.
4) Wear comfortable layered clothing, and closed snug
footwear with socks. Remember your hat and sunscreen!
5) Pack some snacks that non-perishable, light snacks that
won’t spill when you eat them on the trail. Sandwiches and
bite-sized fruit and vegetables are good choices.
Remember to take your trash with you as you hike.
8) Remember to take a cell phone with you. You may not
receive cell coverage in some areas, so check your
provider’s coverage map before you set out.
9) Take your camera to capture the wonders of nature.
10) Start an exercise program now to begin to condition your
body to hike.
Page 14
Green Ramadan: When Less Is More
By Hesham Abdelghany
(He wants you) to complete the prescribed period (of fasting),
and to glorify Him (for) He has guided you, and perchance ye
shall be grateful.” (Al-Baqara, Chapter 2, Verse 185)
The ultimate goal of the month of Ramadan is to reach the
stage of Taqwah.
Taqwah is the state of heart, mind and soul when all come
together filled with the fear and love of Allah, the Almighty
“God,” and which leads one to reflect upon one’s thoughts,
actions, and his/her relation to Allah, the Almighty, and brings
him/her to the highest degree of honesty, sincerity and
trustworthiness.
Allah, the Almighty, says:
What is Ramadan? What is its significance to
Muslims?
Like in almost all religions, fasting is considered to be one of
most the common practices that followers of every religion
engage in. The practice just differs in some details.
Generally speaking, the ultimate goals of fasting are spiritual
cleansing and the elevation of the soul that come from
abstinence from certain types of foods, drinks, intimacy
between husbands and wives, and unnecessary, excessive
talking that may hurt or bring harm to someone else.
For Muslims, the significance and uniqueness of the month
of Ramadan are attributed to the revelation of the Islamic
holy book, the Qur’an, which took place in this month to
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) on a specific holy
night called the Night of Qadr (or Power).
Allah, the Almighty, says in the Qur’an:
“Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an,
as a guide to mankind, as well as clear (signs) for guidance
and judgment (between right and wrong). So, every one of
you, who is present (at his home) during that month, should
spend it in fasting.
But if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (of
fasting should be made up) on the days later. Allah, the
Almighty, intends (to provide) every facility for you. He does
not want to place you through difficulties.
“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) selfrestraint.” (Al-Baqara, Chapter 2, Verse 183)
In Islam,
“
the whole Earth
is sacred,
and considered entirely
as a Masjid...
”
Islam and the Environment
The Islam-environment bond has always been there.
In Islam, the whole Earth is sacred, and it is considered
entirely as a Masjid (or mosque) where we can pray
anywhere.
You can imagine how sacred a place of worship is, and how
much care should be taken of that place.
The same applies to Earth as it is considered as a big
Masjid, and Masjids are sacred. So, too, the Earth is sacred,
and conserving the Earth’s resources is sacred as well.
Page 15
Here is another example of how Islam regards the Earth. In
the Islamic rules for wars, one can never ever cut a tree,
even if you are in a state of war.
So, apart from not being permitted to touch the places of
worship and hurting non-armed civilians during wartime,
Islam is very strict about the protection of the environment
and animals during wars.
Taqwah requires a change in lifestyle, to advocate what is
right, and avoid what is wrong. This should certainly be
reflected in our daily routines and in our role as stewards of
this Earth to take care of it and leave the Earth a better place
for our children and generations to come.
To this end, we are reminded of the age-old adage, “We
don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from
our children."
Green Initiatives in Muslim Communities During
Ramadan
Ramadan and the Environment
In the holy Qur’an, Allah, the Almighty, says:
“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every
time and place of prayer. Eat and drink, but waste not by
excess, for Allah, the Almighty, loves not the wasters.” (AlAraf, Chapter 7, Verse 31)
Islam is a religion of modesty in everything, and, as
mentioned in the verse above, Allah, the Almighty,
encourages us to not waste or consume excess in our eating
or drinking by any means.
As mentioned before, the ultimate goal of Ramadan is to
reach the state of Taqwah.
During the month of Ramadan, all Muslim community centers
offer a daily dinner for all community members, which is
called Iftar (or breaking fast).
Taqwah requires
“a change
in lifestyle,
to advocate what is right, and
avoid what is wrong.
This should be reflected in…
our role as stewards
of this Earth
to take care of it
and leave the Earth
a better place for our children
and generations to come.
”
One of the green initiatives for Ramadan this year, as
proposed by Imam Zaid Shaker, is to green our Iftar this year
by reducing our footprint on the environment during the
month of Ramadan by using recyclable materials for trash
bags, plates, and so on.
In another initiative proposed from Chicago, Zaher Sahloul,
president of the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation and
chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater
Chicago, has noted, “Ramadan is the month in which we
make changes to our lifestyles, so it makes a lot of sense for
us to use the month to change our behavior in terms of
consumption, environmental consciousness and
stewardship.”
Allah, the Almighty, says:
“Now, behold! Your Lord said to the angels: I am placing
upon the Earth a human successor to steward it.” (Chapter 2,
Verse 30)
Page 16
Suburban mosques in Illinois and in the Hudson Valley have
already begun to encourage members of their congregations
to carpool, recycle and reduce meat consumption during the
month of fasting as part of a Green Ramadan.
Think globally. Act locally.
At the end, we, as Muslims, as Americans, and as brothers
and sisters on this Earth, understand our duties in the
countries in which we live, and among our neighbors, to work
together for a better brighter future for all of us, and to have a
cleaner, healthier, more peaceful environment for our
children and for generations to come.
Peace Be Upon You. Salaam.
Hesham Abdelghany is an engineer, and a member of Masjid Al-Noor in Wappinger Falls.
Page 17
The Green Man
By Atticus Lanigan
Fran and Geoff Doel (2001), in their book about the subject,
identify this hero of the woods by many names:
Summer King
Jack of the Green
Man in the Oak
Green George
Robin Goodfellow
Wood Wose
The Green Knight
However, the menacing nature of the image contradicts what
we in modern times see as the magical Green Man of the
Forest.
It has left many researchers baffled, wondering how these
beloved heroes connect to the grotesques on medieval
churches.
Are they the same? And, why does it matter?
Two Roads Diverge in a Wood…
As Christendom expanded into Europe during the Middle
Ages, it adopted and enveloped the cosmology of pagan
peoples there, developing dogma and doctrine around not
only the Word of God, but also the story of the Seed of God.
Who’s The Man?
There’s a mysterious symbol that began to show up on
church relief sculpture roughly during the 14th to 16th
Centuries, during the late Middle Ages and into the
Renaissance.
The Earth worship gelled nicely with the Christ myth, which
was one that saw the exaltation of the act of creation. That is,
because God made himself human, he was exalting
humanity to the level of God.
It then follows that when we create life, we create God.
It is a man’s head surrounded by vegetation, shown
repeatedly with said leaves coming out of his mouth, or
disgorging. The symbol was used almost exclusively on holy
structures, often appearing in several places on one site,
suggesting that it was an important archetype for early relief
carvers and architects.
There has been quite a debate over the years as to the
meaning of the prevalent face.
One of their most important characteristics is that are scary,
often called “grotesques,” yet the most intuitive path for those
analyzing the significance of the symbol would be to draw
forth the various “green men” showing up in the folklore of
Northern Europe.
Said doctrine eventually came to be known as prima
scriptura, which stated that scripture was the premier source
of knowledge but the incorporation of these Earth-centric
traditions, the wisdom of mystic and saints, the idea of grace,
divine revelation, etc., is also acceptable in the quest to know
Christ.
we create life,
“ … when
we create God.
”
Page 18
Man
“ …istheanGreen
allegory
of God’s creation,
in that,
mortal man has
a dual nature,
subject to both
the laws of God
and nature.
”
During The Protestant Reformation, some Christians strayed
from this style of worship toward a focus on sola scriptura
(Latin, “by scripture alone”), which directed people to the
Bible as the only source of divine knowledge. And, although
the Protestant Reformation only strengthened the Catholic
Church in its rituals, many of those who were gaining worldly
power in the Western world were influenced by the leaders of
this movement.
As demonization of the natural world spread, evil became
synonymous with earthly delights.
For many, following Christ involved avoiding the erratic
whims of nature, in and out of ourselves, to eventually have a
seat beside him in the afterlife.
Thus, creation and the act of creating took a back seat to
what eventually became an overactive focus on life after
death; not life on earth.
Of course, this brings us back around to the disgorging, leafy
face seen so often put on churches.
One reason he was placed there in excess may have been to
remind early parishioners to suppress their dark, natural
natures. For, as stated by the Doels, the Green Man is an
allegory of God’s creation in that mortal man has a dual
nature, subject to both the laws of God and nature.
They further suggest that the Green Man could have been an
emblem of man’s mortality, which was in direct contrast to
the eternal life promised to us by the church.
The rejection of our green nature is thus the rejection of our
mortality, and is probably why the beloved folk hero began to
take on a much more frightening form.
Simultaneously, humanity grew less dependent on nature for
sustenance, no longer needing to have many children to help
sustain life. And they no longer needed to celebrate the
changing of the seasons in relation to the harvest.
The act of creation, both in human form and in nature,
became less a necessity, and then less revered.
This could be where we trace the roots of the ultimate rift
between our divine and our natural components.
As The Doels put it (2001:117), “the development of
enclosed communities and ‘civilization’ was to some extent a
protection against the excesses of the natural world.”
The reproductive rites to bring on earthly and bodily harvest,
that included the sexual act, were considered a part of said
excesses.
A great example of this would be the Protestant banning of
the Maypole in the 1640s, which has often been categorized
as a phallic symbol.
Page 19
This includes our natural impulses and the Earth itself.
Now, it is important to note that the whole of Christendom did
not perform wholesale rejection of its natural impulses
immediately.
This idea is what eventually formed the basis of what
Catholics see as the inherent free will of all humans, an idea
that is in direct contradiction to that of predetermination set
forth by Protestant thinkers.
As mentioned, it was just as much the modernization of
society into increasingly compartmentalized social and
physical landscapes that did this.
Free will gives us reign here on Earth that determines our
destinies in the afterlife. We choose our paths and we carry
the weight of our decisions, with the help of God’s grace
along the way.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the creative and
scientific innovations of The Renaissance are a clear
indication of what man can do if he sublimates his sexual
energies into other acts of creating.
Yet, as the all sects of Christianity have evolved along with
the rest of society, much of the focus on sublimation has
been lost as a spiritual tool.
In other words, Aquinas taught us that what happens here on
Earth matters; that how we manage all of our impulses,
whether or not we exalt life and the act of creation, how we
treat the most vulnerable among us (including animals and
other organisms), determines what will happen in the
afterlife.
Now, in 2013, we have the benefit of this wisdom plus our
experience of what civilization can be. That is, we have seen
the light and come out the other side, intact.
All Creatures Great and Small
So, why does this matter?
Saint Thomas Aquinas was careful to instruct us, borrowing
from the Aristotelian idea that God makes nothing in vain,
that all things on Earth are made by God and are therefore
important.
We know how to live virtuously, remembering the teachings
of Christ. And we have established dominion over nature,
almost to the point of the annihilation of our connection to it.
Now it is time to once again exalt that which is positive about
our natural impulses while remembering Christ in the face of
the darker ones.
will
“ Free
gives us
To start, go outside. Look around you.
reign here on Earth
that determines our destinies
in the afterlife.
We choose our paths, and
we carry the weight
of our decisions,
with the help of
God’s grace along the way.
”
All of nature is poised in this amazing, glorious, divine focus
on reproduction. It smells beautiful. It looks grand. It feels
inviting and exciting, all at once. And, as much as it can be
destructive, we can rely on it to heal us with its fruits and
steadfast cycles.
It all works in this amazingly complex web of roles and tasks
toward one goal: new life.
Atticus Lanigan works as a promoter for Vanguard Energy, a
solar and wind energy contractor in the Hudson Valley. She
has lived in the Hudson Valley since 1993. She has a strong
devotion to the region that manifests itself through art and
love on a constant basis. She has a master’s degree in City
& Regional Planning, and is a wife and mother. She writes
for two blogs—Geistkleid and Vanguard Energy.
Reference:
Doel, Fran & Geoff. 2001. The Green Man in Britain. Tempus
Publishing: Stroud.
Page 20
Small Businesses and Non-Profits:
Give Your Balance Sheet a Boost
Save Energy With Green Jobs—Green New York
By Bridget Doxsee
A local auditor will complete a walkthrough energy audit and identify
economically viable improvements
that yield substantial energy
savings.
Once you’ve identified the
improvements, you can access
incentives or low-interest financing.
Incentives are available for smallscale lighting, Heating Ventilation
and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
systems, commercial kitchen
equipment, and other categories.
For example, the rebate for an LED
exit sign is $10 per sign.
The New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) can help small businesses and
not-for-profits identify opportunities to improve energy
efficiency and reduce energy costs through the Green
Jobs—Green New York (GJGNY) Program.
If you decide to undertake a larger
project and would like financial
assistance, the Green Jobs—Green
New York Program provides two low-interest loan options to
access upfront capital.
For option 1, NYSERDA partners with local lenders to
provide loans up to $100,000 at half the market interest rate.
GJGNY is a statewide effort to strengthen communities
through energy efficiency by offering access to free energy
audits and low-interest financing.
For option 2, NYSERDA offers On-Bill Recovery financing,
which allows the borrower to repay the loan through a charge
on their monthly utility bill at a 2.5% interest rate.
It enables New Yorkers to make a significant difference in
homes, businesses, and neighborhoods – making them more
comfortable, more sustainable, and more economically
sound.
Some restrictions apply.
If you want to enhance your bottom line, the first step is to
complete a free Small Business/Not-for-Profit Energy Audit
program .
Free energy audits are available to small businesses and
not-for-profits that own or lease a building/space with an
average electric demand of 100 kW or less.
To learn more about these opportunities or to get started
today, contact your local Green Jobs—Green New York
Outreach Coordinator, Bridget Doxsee at:
bdoxsee@rupco.org
845-331-2140 ext. 260
Or visit www.greenjobshudsonvalley.org
Page 21
Get Green With Hypnosis
By Ajamu Ayinde
Mind
The first major obstacle to green living is the mind. The way
we think is actually the biggest barrier to living green. We
resist the change. What if there was a way to make our
brains into green brains?
Hold onto your hat, dear reader, there is!
The green concepts we mentioned before are not instilled in
our minds as a country. When I say mind, I’m really talking
about the subconscious.
We actually have two minds: the conscious and the
subconscious.
When many people think of living more green, they think that
this is a purely physical thing. Living green will definitely help
you to live longer, with a body that feels healthier, with
reduced cancer risks but it goes so much further.
I want to show you how hypnosis is a great tool for helping
make the transition to a greener lifestyle.
Green living has implications for the mind, body, spirit and
wallet. Hypnosis will show you the way to get around the
major objections or barriers we erect to being greener.
It seems these days everyone is talking about green living.
What does that mean?
What are the first things that come to mind when you hear
those words? Recycling? Hybrid cars? Compost toilets?
Fewer chemicals in our homes and less processed food?
Getting our newspapers and magazine subscriptions online?
Those are all ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint.
Why aren’t these ideas practiced more widely? You may be
well on your way toward living green, but what stops our
friends and family members who know about these ideas
from adopting them more consistently?
The conscious mind is used to analyze and criticize, evaluate
and judge. The conscious mind is the source of our deeply
held belief, ideas and feelings. An idea generally starts out in
the conscious mind as an interesting idea, but when that idea
is truly accepted, it is lodged in the subconscious mind.
If you had a way to provide consumers with a lower electric
bill, at the same time relying on more green sources of power
such as solar and wind, rather than purely brown energy
sources such as coal, you might imagine that everyone
would sign up overnight.
The challenge in getting people to embrace green solutions
is that human beings are reluctant to change, even to make
healthy changes.
“
The challenge in
getting people to
embrace green solutions
is that human beings
are reluctant to change,
even to make
healthy changes.
”
Page 22
Everyone has heard about Hybrid cars, but what makes
some people buy Hummers?
I asked myself that question a few years ago. I became a car
salesman to discover the answer. It was a great education in
human psychology.
People rarely buy for logical reasons. They purchase things
based on feelings, and later, use logic to justify the purchase.
Hummers are no longer being produced, but there are still
many on the road. They are expensive cars to buy, and
because they are gas guzzlers, they are expensive for the
entire life of the car.
“
Reducing reliance on
prescription medicine
will reduce
our risk of dependency,
detoxify the body,
lessen potential side effects,
and save us money.
”
Body
Some of the reasons that people buy cars like Hummers,
Jeeps, and Range Rovers are to capture a sense of
adventure, freedom, power and even prestige. People buy a
car based on how it makes them feel when they are behind
the wheel, and how they believe others will perceive them.
Once the belief in a better way of living is established, you
can start a simple practice that will help you purify your body.
Maybe you’ll start to use self-hypnosis instead aspirin for
your headaches. With practice, you’ll develop some skill and
perhaps will apply it to a problem you have with insomnia or
seasonal allergies.
Reducing reliance on prescription medicine will reduce our
risk of dependency, detoxify the body, lessen potential side
effects and save us money.
If hypnosis has all these health benefits why do we not have
more doctors recommending it to patients?
Hypnosis has gone in and out of vogue with the medical
profession of the centuries. Hypnosis is one of the oldest
tools in the physician’s bag.
Hybrid cars offer freedom from constant trips to the gas
pump. They are less polluting, and, most importantly, they
appeal to a sense of caring toward Mother Earth.
In the final analysis, we are social animals, and will always
care what others think of us.
Buying a large, gas guzzling car is selfish to a certain
degree, but changing our car-buying habits to a greener
alternative can symbolize our shift away from pure selfinterest toward what is good for the group, and that feels
good.
When we change our minds and begin to focus on the
emotional benefits of owning a Hybrid, we are much more
likely to buy one.
Did you know that the founder of hypnosis in our modern era
was a doctor?
Franz Mesmer was a physician in Vienna during the 1700s.
He paved the way for the acceptance of “mesmerism,” later
known as hypnosis by doctors throughout Europe and, later,
the Americas.
When chemical anesthesia was invented in the late nineteenth century, hypnosis was abandoned. It was picked up
again by combat doctors during World War I when supplies
of chemical anesthesia ran low. When the supply of ether
was again plentiful, hypnosis was again abandoned.
Page 23
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, hypnosis experienced a
renaissance among doctors and dentists. My mother read a
book on hypnosis in 1967, and used it to give birth without
needing so much as an aspirin. I have helped dozens of
families to have the same kind of birth I did—with a minimum
of chemicals and medical intervention.
It starts at the beginning of life.
Being green is an orientation. It is a belief in other
possibilities, in another way of being in the world.
For some, being green is entering a new Eden. Many people
who are living green are students of history and knew that
many of today’s illnesses are a direct result of the excess
chemicals in the air, water, soil, food and bodies.
When you experience hypnosis you get in touch with power
and greater possibility. You access a place within yourself,
outside of place and time.
Ajamu Ayinde at the 2nd Annual Sacred Being
Health & Wellness Fair at Locust Grove. Photo by Sudesh Saroop.
His theory that the human body has invisible energy field that
can be acted upon by another for the purpose of healing is
not so unlike the theories that support acupuncture, Tai Chi
and even Reiki.
Spirit
The shift to green thinking is often accomplished by looking
to the past.
In the time of Mesmer, medicine was practiced very
differently. There was no clear distinction between medicine
and spirituality.
Patients and practitioners prayed openly before and during
treatment.
Mesmer’s theories were based on a belief in the
manipulation of the invisible human energy field through
what he termed “animal magnetism.”
This theory could not be verified by diagnostic equipment.
green
“is anBeing
orientation.
It is a belief
in other possibilities,
in another way of being
in the world.
”
Because they could not figure out how mesmerism worked,
the scientists and physicians of the day suggested
discontinuing its use.
That was unfortunate, because not everything can be
comprehended with our current level of understanding.
The concept of “Seven Generations” was a part of the
way of life of Native Americans. It means that the actions we
take in the current day have implications that can be felt
seven generations in the future.
That idea guided how they conducted their relationship with
the Earth and its resources.
There was no scientific way to measure how their present
actions might impact the future, but they did it based on faith.
Larry Dossey, M.D., author of “Healing Words,” has been
conducting research on the power of prayer in facilitating
healing.
Studies that have been conducted show that patients who
are prayed for tend to get better quicker than those who are
not prayed for, even when they have no knowledge that
others are praying for them.
Page 24
When hypnosis was discovered in the 1770s, it was used to
address physical, mental and spiritual maladies, and is still
used that way today.
A religion is a collection of ideas that are meant to help us
live better while on the earth.
Spirituality brings health, happiness and hope. Hypnosis is
an altered state of consciousness. It is the same state that is
accessed in prayer and meditation.
Chanting, singing and dancing are a part of all religions.
These practices allow an individual or a group to enter a
state of communion with each other and with the Ultimate
Reality.
“
...attracting more good
into our life
has to do with
making changes
in our vibration… by
adjusting the content
of our dominant thoughts.
”
One of the primary hurdles to being greener is changing your
mind about higher prices.
Once a week or several times a week, people attend
religious services and reinforce their beliefs. Self-hypnosis is
a kind of meditation that can allow you to reinforce the
principles like protecting future generations or being a
vegetarian, so they become part of your core values.
One approach is to use self-hypnosis to boost your selfesteem so you realize that you are worth the seemingly
higher priced organic products.
Money
Hypnosis increases creativity and energy that may be
needed to come up with a cool invention, go back to school
or open your own business.
When you seek out green alternatives online or at the health
food store, the first thing that may strike you is the higher
price.
You can also use hypnotherapy to improve your finances.
Organic products cost more. However, that is not completely
true.
We have all heard of the “Secret,” and realize that attracting
more good into our life has to do with making changes in our
vibration, which is accomplished by adjusting the content of
our dominant thoughts.
Non-organic products are cheap. Cheap is not always less
expensive. Cheap also means lower quality.
Hypnosis is one of the most effective ways to recondition the
mind to accept greater financial abundance.
“Cheap” products are mass produced for maximum shelf life
and profit, not for nutrition and benefit to the consumer.
You may be familiar with some low cost ways to gain access
to higher quality goods and services. We can do this by
reducing, reusing and recycling.
“
Self-hypnosis is
a kind of meditation
that can allow you
to reinforce… principles…
so they become
part of your core values.
”
We have all heard of the slogan but you can employ selfhypnosis to break out of your old ways of doing things.
Remember, you have been hypnotized by the society to
believe a bigger house, or bigger and more material
possessions is always better.
You can even use hypnosis to make personal changes that
limit your “wants” so you can live more simply.
Page 25
By aligning green principles with your existing spiritual
principles through self-hypnosis, you are better able to live
these ideas day in and day out.
Summary
We are all looking for change. Change begins in the mind.
Our thinking must shift.
Hypnosis offers us the ability to shift our thinking from selfinterest to the interest of the planet. From convenience and
“taste” to quality and nutrition.
After the mental shift, we are ready to free our bodies of
toxins through self-hypnosis. As your body becomes
stronger, healthier and younger looking, you embrace better
food choices and more consistent physical activity.
After your body feels the renewal of living green for some
time, you can let these ideas find root in your core beliefs—
what some people call their spirituality.
Lastly, embracing the tool of self-hypnosis can show you how
to increase your income and feeling of abundance,
regardless of your present circumstances or the current
economic climate.
Ajamu James Ayinde, M.A., A.C.H. is a Certified Medical
Hypnotherapist with advanced training in pain management.
He is a Master Practitioner of NLP, and holds an advanced
degree in Motivational Psychology. He has taught hypnosis
across the country and in Canada and England. He was the
2012 recipient of the NATH Outstanding Transpersonal
Contribution award. Contact Ajamu for more information on
the role of hypnosis in sports, academics, or health
enhancement at (845) 240-6470 or ajamuayinde@gmail.com
or visit his website at www.harnesstheadvantage.com
Save These Green Dates!
Saturday, June 15
Global Wind Day
Discover the power of wind and
its possibilities to change our world.
Friday, June 21
Summer Solstice
Welcome to the first day of summer!
Today, the Sun is its farthest point
north of the equator.
Thursday, July 11
World Population Day
Learn about the issues
surrounding the role that
reproductive health plays in
creating a just and equitable world
On these days and every day,
remember to practice the five Rs:
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Replenish. Reconnect.
Page 26
Section II:
Healthy Hudson Valley
“Sacred silence
in the stillness of nature
is inherent in each one of us,
and, in nurturing its flourish,
it ignites our inner potential
to discover the light of
our higher consciousness.
The humdrum of our outer life
tends to drown our deeper reality.
Silence draws us
into the cave of our hearts
where we heal and
embalm ourselves
with its flow of grace.”
(Yogini Shambhavi)
“Give light,
and the darkness
will disappear of itself.”
(Desiderius Erasmus)
Note: The information in this publication is educational,
and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
Local Communities Join Top Wellness Practitioners In
A Day of Holistic Health in Poughkeepsie
The 2nd Annual Sacred Being Health and Wellness Fair of
the Green Brain Initiative was held on Saturday, March 30 at
the historic Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie.
Over 300 local residents came out to sample the products,
services and specials provided by 39 of the Hudson Valley’s
best wellness businesses. Practitioners ranging from
chiropractors to holistic health coaches offered free mini
consultations, Reiki treatments and organic facials
throughout the day.
Many stayed throughout the day to participate in the “Six
Masters, One Day Wellness Workshops,” which offered
classes in holistic nutrition, herbal detox and weight loss,
soap making, aromatherapy and hypnotherapy.
Karen Dipnarine-Saroop, Co-Founder of the Green Brain
Initiative, shared, “This is the second year of the Fair, and we
were delighted by the increased interest of our local
communities to explore the holistic treatment options that are
available to restore and enhance the natural functions of their
bodies, and improve their overall health.”
The pie chart below shows the overall rating of this year’s
Fair. More than 90% of the survey respondents rated this
year’s Fair as “excellent” or “very good.”
Impressions by Vendors and Participants
Both vendors and participants took the time to share their
impressions of the event with the Fair organizers. Here are
some of their comments.
Mary Platt, Peaceful Postures Yoga Center: "Great day for
connecting with people in the community as well as other
vendors!"
Lisa Kadison and Chris Layman, Terralumina: "Thank you for
providing such a beautiful venue and well-organized event. I
especially appreciated the opportunity to lead a workshop on
something about which I am so passionate—aromatherapy.
The overall energy is very compatible with my own, and I will
happily sign on for anything you may wish to organize."
Dr. Howard Brown, Brown Chiropractic: "The Sacred Being
Health and Wellness Fair has become Brown Chiropractic's
favorite health fair of the year. Attendance was great, and the
event's organizer gave a sincere effort to make it a
successful event for us."
Marita Orr, With Seeds of Intention: "Thank you for including
me in the event. I am honored to be included."
Penny Price Lavin, One Light Healing Touch: "(The event
organizers) did a beautiful job with the Fair. It was very well
organized, the location was perfect, and (the) ongoing raffles
added excitement."
Good
Savita Thackurdeen: "Very informative and helpful,
especially as I take an interest in natural treatments."
Very Good
Excellent
Darlene: "I loved the free Reiki and facials! The welcoming
committee at the door were all very nice. I also loved the location."
Virginia Gresko: "I cannot remember a day when I learned
more and met so many fabulous people! I truly had a wonderful experience!"
Kim Breton: "It was wonderful! I loved the classes! All were
very informative, and friendly, and just awesome! I totally
enjoyed the day! Thank you so much for sponsoring this
event!"
Page 29
Photos by Sudesh Saroop
Page 30
Photos by Sudesh Saroop
Page 31
Support Our Partners In Wellness
Looking to improve your immune system, reduce your pain,
gain enhanced mental clarity, or even kick start your weight
loss for the summer? Think local first!
Call or visit our partners in wellness to help to give you the
much-needed care and boost your body craves.
Advanced Health Technologies
Advantage Enterprises
AMPM Homecare & Companion
Archcare at Ferncliff Nursing Home
Attain True Health
Aura’bout You
Beacon Dental
BetterH2O4You
Brandi Nichole's Massage and Wellness
Brown Chiropractic Associates, PC
Hands to Feet Reflexology & Healing Arts
Cafe Bocca
Hudson Valley Concierge Service
ECHO Cottages Ltd.
Hudson Valley Guild of Mental Health Professionals
Empowered By Nature
Intuitive Hypnosis Studios
Feldenkrais Poughkeepsie
Janet Perini, RN/LMT/Reiki Master
Gail Mowry - Arbonne Independent Consultant
Joan Cybulski
Green Girl Herbs & Healing
Joanne DiCesare Health Coach
HagRag
Lindita Dushaj
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa
Lisa Knowles, LMT
Mid-Hudson Reiki
Mimi's Wellness Coaching
One Light Healing Touch
Peaceful Postures Yoga Center
SearchLight Medical
ShopWithDan.com
Solomon Chiropractic & Nutrition
Susan Valentine - Shaklee Distributor
Terralumina and Mountain Mist
Topical BioMedics
Town Center Dental of LaGrange
With Seeds of Intention
Page 32
Take the Challenge—Eat More Raw Foods This Summer!
By Alyson L. Chugerman
If you stick the top part of a pineapple into water, it will sprout
roots. Apple seeds create apple trees. Avocado pits and
mango pits sprout.
Now, take cooked versions of all the above, put them into soil
and see if a plant will grow.
Cooked food does not sprout and a new plant does not come
forth. A food that is cooked cannot create life and cannot
maintain the life-force energy in our bodies.
When you eat cooked foods, you put a heavy burden on your
body, which then has to produce the enzymes missing in the
food.
Most of us are not raw ‘foodists’, which are people that
survive solely by eating raw food or food that is not cooked
above 118 degrees. However, we all eat some raw food,
most commonly in salads, fresh fruits, cut-up vegetables with
dip, etc.
I would like to offer you a challenge this summer by trying to
incorporate more raw foods into your diet while we have the
beautiful bounty of the summer fruits and vegetables at our
disposal. This is the time of year to take on this challenge
and here’s why.
It is a known fact that raw foods give us more energy than
cooked foods. A complete raw food meal leaves you feeling
light and full of energy.
Our bodies need energy to survive. All the basic bodily
functions need energy i.e. breathing, moving, your heart
beating, your eyes blinking, etc. We get our energy from the
sun and by eating foods and drinking water.
There are so many of us that are always tired, lethargic and
in need of an energy boost. Could it be from what we are
eating?
Cooked foods are missing some very vital elements needed
by the body for its optimal functioning; things like enzymes,
oxygen, hormones, phytochemicals, and life-force. Life-force
means "the energy that is able to create life."
The sprouting ability of raw foods demonstrates the presence
of the life-force within them. All grains, legumes, beans and
seeds sprout. Nuts in the shell sprout. Potatoes sprout and
create new potato plants.
One of the reasons you feel lethargic or sleepy after a
cooked meal is because the body is diverting its energy to
replacing the enzymes that were not supplied.
Each cell of the body is like a tiny battery, and raw and living
foods supply the bio-electricity which charges these
batteries.
“
Uncooked foods digest
in one-third to one-half
the amount of time
than cooked foods.
The stress of creating
and replacing enzymes,
meal after meal,
day after day,
year after year,
greatly contributes
to accelerated aging.
”
Page 33
The enzymes are the indispensable catalysts which enable
the body to utilize vitamins and minerals. (Think of enzymes
as the workmen and vitamins and minerals as the bricks and
mortar. Without the workmen, the bricks and mortar don't get
put into place.)
Just think of all the spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli,
bok choy and other nutrient–dense greens waiting for us at
the farmer’s market!
Enzymes are extremely heat-sensitive, and, thus, do not survive in cooked foods. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food
is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency,
weight gain and accelerated aging.
Raw foods are
“
full of oxygen, especially
green leafy vegetables,
which contain
an abundance of chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll detoxifies
the bloodstream
and every other part
of the body
better than anything else
you could eat.
”
Uncooked foods digest in one-third to one-half the amount of
time than cooked foods. The stress of creating and replacing
enzymes, meal after meal, day after day, year after year,
greatly contributes to accelerated aging.
Raw foods are full of oxygen, especially green leafy
vegetables, which contain an abundance of chlorophyll. The
chemical structure of chlorophyll is almost identical to the
hemoglobin in our red blood cells. Chlorophyll detoxifies the
bloodstream and every other part of the body better than
anything else you could eat.
When you eat raw green foods, you oxygenate the blood.
The bloodstream, through its capillary system, then delivers
this oxygen to every cell in your body.
Alyson Chugerman at the 2nd Annual Sacred Being
Eating healthy means giving your body power foods it can
easily assimilate and use for regeneration and rejuvenation.
Life comes from life. With the summer season upon us, it’s
nice when we don’t have to turn on our oven very much. I
hope that you can think about cooking less during the
warmer months and trying more foods in their natural raw
form. The more foods you eat which are straight from
nature's raw garden, the better you are going to feel.
Alyson Chugerman, CHHC, AADP is a board certified
Holistic Health Coach and Nutritionist who has a private
practice in Beacon. You may reach her at (845) 765-0645 or
Alyson@attaintruehealth.com or visit
www.attaintruehealth.com
Page 34
The Power of Chewing
By LisaRenee Fogarty
Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves
assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum
nutrition from each bite of food.
More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain
chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
It’s also helpful for weight-loss, because when we are
chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
Chewing can promote increased energy, enhanced
immunity, and increased circulation.
When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat
but how we eat it.
The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of
concentration camp survivors who, when others could not,
made it through with very little food by chewing their meager
rations up to 300 times per bite of food.
For most of us, 300 chews is an unrealistic goal.
Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth? Contact
with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break
down food.
Many of us are in a rush. We don’t take time to have an
eating experience we just have to hurry and finish eating to
get to the next activity.
Some of us don’t even know what we just put in our mouths.
We eat while we are distracted—while we are working,
reading, talking, working on the computer and watching
television.
Some of us swallow our food practically whole. On average,
we chew each bite only eight times. It’s no wonder that many
people in our society have digestive problems.
There are so many benefits to slow down and chew your
food.
Taking time while eating a meal, beginning with chewing,
allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the
smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to
show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to
develop patience and self-control.
Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a
sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food
becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets.
I had an Aunt who would tell me to chew my food 100 times
per bite. However, you can experience the benefits of
chewing by increasing to 30 chews per bite. Try it and see
how you feel.
Try eating without the TV, computer, Smart phone, newspaper or noisy company. I take my lunch 2 times a week to my
deck. I have a private practice and it has a deck. I sit outside
in nature and look at my yard and watch the bees and just
chew, in quiet. I just pay attention to the food and how I am
breathing and chewing.
This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are
used to news, email and demands from others. But as you
create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating
without rushing. You have to eat every day—why not learn to
savor and enjoy it?
“I have made it a rule to give every tooth of mine a chance,
and when I eat, to chew every bite thirty-two times. To this
rule I owe much of my success in life.” (William Gladstone)
LisaRenee Fogarty is a Holistic Health Coach. She has been
teaching busy moms and children for 10 years. LisaRenee is
the founder of The Fountain of Health, a private practice that
is dedicated to helping busy mom’s meal plan, lose weight
and learn healthy habits. She also runs a fibromyalgia
support group.
Page 35
The Indigenous Spirit of the Hudson Valley:
How Local Native Americans Worked with the Healing Plants
By Karine Gordineer
This article is Part 2 of a 3-Part series. Read Part 1 for an
Introduction to this series in the March issue of
“Reconnections.”
* Please note that this information is not intended to treat or
diagnose any illness or to replace medical therapy. Please
consult a health practitioner before taking any herbal
remedies. Also many herbs cannot be taken when you are
pregnant. Always consult your doctor before taking any herbs
while pregnant or nursing.
A few of these terms are: native, alien, naturalized, and
invasive.
A native plant is one that is adapted to a specific region, its
climate and hydrology.
When gardening, utilizing native plants in your plan can be a
boost to local wildlife and will often ensure a more successful
garden. Native plants, once established are more droughttolerant, insect resistant and will grow easily in the soil they
have originally evolved in.
Native Americans living in the Hudson Valley utilized plants
in every aspect of their lives; as foods, functional items, body
decoration, art, in spiritual ceremony and for medicines.
They are a plus for the environment since their water
requirements are adapted to the area and will not require
excessive amount of water.
It is well-known that Native American knowledge of the
healing plants is superior in this regard.
An alien is a plant that was introduced from another area
usually another country.
Many have attempted to save this knowledge especially as
we find our modern medicines are often ill equipped to deal
with the illnesses that, ironically, modern life has created.
Much of this knowledge has been lost as most Native
American tribes did not commit this information to the written
word.
Naturalized describes a plant that was introduced but has
become adapted to its new surroundings and does not cause
apparent damage to its native neighbors.
My own entry into herbal medicine began with my father who
was of Mohican (Mahican) ancestry.
When I was a young child my dad began to show me the
healing plants and would often use herbal remedies over
allopathic ones. We spent much time in nature and I learned
to appreciate and respect the natural world all around me.
Through those experiences, I developed a great passion for
medicinal plants and healing. A part of my path is to share
this knowledge of the healing native plants so their wisdom
will be handed down through many generations to come.
What is a Native Plant?
When studying plants, there are a number of terms that are
helpful to know in order to understand their history and when
they came into use by local native tribes.
An invasive plant is a plant that has been introduced from
another country and has taken over an area often crowding
out native plants that many birds, mammals and insects rely
on.
“
Native Americans
living in the Hudson Valley
utilized plants
in every aspect of their lives;
as foods, functional items,
body decoration, art,
in spiritual ceremony
and for medicines.
”
Page 36
These plants can be quite destructive such as Garlic Mustard
(Alliaria petioalata) but often have uses themselves.
This is due, in part, to loss of habitat and difficulty in finding
or identify these plants but primarily it is due to the fact that
the knowledge of how to work with many of these plants is
misunderstood or lost entirely.
One such plant is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). One
of the first flowers of spring, Bloodroot produces a brightly
white, star-shaped flower which gives way to the distinctively
lobed palmate leaf.
Bloodroot received its name because of the red juice that will
drip forth from the root when cut or broken.
Bloodroot was used by local Algonquins for all blood
conditions and as a “love medicine”.
In small doses, this plant has been used to stimulate
digestion, but in large doses, it can be toxic especially to
those taking heart medications.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). Photo by Karine Gordineer.
For instance, Garlic Mustard is a very tasty edible, containing
vitamins A and C, and can be added to salads and other
dishes.
Traditional Native American Herbs
So why do we care to differentiate between the different
types of plants? I feel it’s important because to do anything
else is misleading.
If we want to understand the rich history of how Native
Americans worked with the healing plants and the extent of
their knowledge, having a framework for which plants were
used traditionally and those whose usage was assimilated
later on is helpful not only in understanding the culture but
also in understanding the Valley we live in and its history.
In this part of the series, I’ll be focusing on uses of some of
the local native plants. In part 3 of the series, I’ll share how
introduced and alien plants were adapted and used by local
Algonquin tribes.
The majority of the plants that the Algonquins of the Hudson
Valley utilized as medicines are plants that are rarely in use
today.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). Photo by Karine Gordineer.
Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is another lovely, early
spring wildflower that although difficult to find is worth the
effort.
The mottled leaves are what give this plant its common name
but the yellow, lily-like flowers are distinctively, eye-catching
as well.
Many native tribes used the root tea to bring down fevers and
poultice the leaves on skin sores.
Iroquois women ate the raw leaves to prevent conception.
Page 37
Beebalm (Monarda didymus) has a long history as a healing
plant right up to the present day.
One of the very first spring plants, Skunk Cabbage
(Symplocarpus foetidus) is very proliferous and covers most
swampy areas in the Hudson Valley.
Although I would not advise anyone to eat this plant due to
the calcium oxalate in the leaves which causes intense
burning, and also the fact that the root is considered toxic.
Nonetheless, Native Americans found many uses for this
early harbinger of spring using the root for coughs, as a
vermifuge and for cramps.
The leaves were poulticed on the skin for a variety of
complaints.
Also known as Oswego Tea after the Oswego Indians who
frequently made a beverage tea of the flowers, Algonquin
tribes used the tea to treat colic in infants.
Today, people savor the taste of the flower blossom tea
which is reminiscent of the bergamot in Earl Grey as well as
enjoy the lovely colored hybrid flowers gracing many
northeastern gardens.
Native to both North America and Europe, Raspberry (Rubus
idaeus), has a long history as a remedy for diarrhea,
especially in infants, and as a uterine tonic helpful to mitigate
premenstrual symptoms.
Traditional Native Plants Still in Use Today
Although the understanding and uses of many Native
American plants has been lost, there are still some plants
currently in use that you may be surprised to learn of their
history of use as medicinals.
“
… having a framework
for which plants
were used traditionally,
and those whose usage
was assimilated later on,
is helpful
not only in understanding
the culture,
but also in understanding
the Valley we live in
and its history.
”
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus). Photo by Karine Gordineer.
The fruit of this low growing shrub, although not a true berry,
often collected by wild foodists is a nice trail food, but make
sure to leave some for wildlife who depend upon it.
This is due, in part, to loss of habitat and difficulty in finding
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) grows throughout most
of North America, and is highly prized as a valuable anti-viral,
thereby making it indispensable during cold and flu season.
Although Native Americans used all parts of this plant, today
we primarily use the berry as other parts of the plant are
considered toxic except for the flowers and ripe berries.
The flowers have use as a diaphoretic, furthering this lovely
plant’s reputation as healer of colds and flus.
Page 38
There are many native plants and uses for each of those
plants. This article represents a very brief glimpse into this
fascinating world.
For another look at how the Native People of the Hudson
Valley worked with the local plants be sure to check out Part
3 in this series in the September issue of “Reconnections.”
Karine Gordineer currently lives in the Hudson Valley where
she frequently dreams of bears and her Native American
ancestors, the Mohicans both of whom once roamed freely
and in great numbers. A Certified Plant Spirit Healer, Reiki
Master and Herbalist, Karine stays close to her native roots
teaching classes in herbalism, shamanism and conducting
healing sessions throughout the Hudson Valley. You can
learn more about Karine and her classes and events at
www.greengirlherbs.com or contact her directly at
greengirlherbs@gmail.com to schedule a healing session or
herb consultation.
Page 39
By Dr. Kenneth S. Solomon
We really can’t get rid of them. Over time, we pay a steep
price. Cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes all stem
from an embattled body.
A detox or cleanse can assist with elimination and increase
our chances for health and vitality. A detox plan, from time to
time, is an excellent idea.
If you have gained weight, feel fatigued, experience
headaches, indigestion, brain fog, uneven sleep patterns,
emotional flares, low libido, or any of a host of other signs
and symptoms of decreased vitality, a cleanse may be in
order.
With so many choices available, how do you discern your
best option—the cleanse that will help you the most?
That depends on your own health needs and goals.
Dr. Kenneth Solomon at the 2nd Annual Sacred Being
Every day, we hear or read about a new way to detox or
cleanse our bodies. The Master Cleanse, The Apple
Cleanse, the Dr. Oz Cleanse, etc. Everyone is making one
up, and everyone is doing one.
Should you? Which one? Let’s see.
If you live on the Earth, it is likely your environment is not
clean. If you live in the USA, it very likely isn’t. If you live in
New York City, there is no chance.
We are like Sponge Bob, surrounded by a sea of harmful
chemicals in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the liquids
we drink (or imbibe), carpeting, clothing, furniture—
everything.
Our body spends a significant time and a great deal of
energy ridding itself of these pollutants.
Unfortunately, it can’t keep up. Simply overwhelmed by so
many toxins, the body is forced to store a great deal of these
toxins in hope of eliminating them later.
The decision should be made with the input of a health care
provider who is most informed about you.
There are several components that constitute a healthy detox
plan.
“
Cancer, obesity,
heart disease and diabetes
all stem from
an embattled body.
A detox or cleanse
can assist with elimination
and increase our chances
for health and vitality.
”
Please Note: The information provided in this publication is not a substitute for medical advice from your doctor or health care
provider. Please consult with your health care provider with any questions or concerns regarding any health condition that you
may have before starting any exercise program and/or making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Page 40
A successful cleanse should be gentle on your system and
simple to follow. Beware of cleanses that insist on only a
single or just a few ingredients. A good cleanse should be
based on healthful foods with enhancing food
supplementation, and, perhaps, a few herbs, all of which will
enhance the cleansing process.
The liver must be lured and guided through its two phases of
detoxification.
Business Listings
Community Yoga in Poughkeepsie!
Monday and Thursday evenings, 2nd and 4th Sunday
afternoons. Classes will soon be moving outdoors by the
Hudson!
Please check the YogaNut Wear Facebook Page the day
of class, and send us an email to be on our mailing list and
for updates.
Phase 1
yoganut_wear@yahoo.com
Phase 1 is the oxidation or the conversion of toxins to a
water soluble form (most toxins are stored in the more
dangerous fat soluble form).
Suggested donation $10.
Phase 2
Phase 2 is conjugation, where these toxins can now be
excreted through bile, urine, feces or sweat.
Each phase needs different enhancements to be efficient
Short cleanses can be dangerous as they leave water
soluble toxins in the body
Vegetables should be the basis of any cleanse
Fiber should always be added
You cannot go long without protein which greatly
enhances Phase 2
All chemicals should be avoided
Dairy, grain, and even nuts and seeds, will interfere with
the detox process
Water and teas are enhancers as are spices like cayenne
and cumin, and hot peppers
Fruits can be good or bad depending on your glycemic
(sugar balancing) needs
A good program may last for 2-3 weeks. You need that much
time to go through the phases. Time is also needed for
weight loss, fat burning and insulin (sugar) balance. Perhaps,
most importantly, it takes time to learn new healthful habits.
Start a cleanse. It is good for you. Consult with someone for
a choice that fits your needs. Stick with it, feel better, and
move forward on your journey to health and vitality.
Dr. Kenneth Solomon (who has held the hands of more than
300 patients through healthful cleanses) will gladly answer
questions. He can be reached at docsol22@gmail.com, on
Twitter @drsol and on Facebook/docsol.
Reiki—Special Summer Offers!
Wellness for your mind, body and spirit. Reiki is an ancient
Japanese healing art that uses Universal Life Energy to
promote health through physical, emotional, and mental
balance.
Take advantage of our summer specials (in-studio only) at
Mid-Hudson Reiki between June 15 and August 31!
60 minutes of Reiki treatment for $45
30 minutes of Reiki treatment for $20
3 sessions of 60 minutes for $130
3 sessions of 30 minutes for $55
(Note: All 3 sessions packages must be paid for in full at
the time of purchase and are valid until August 30, 2013.)
Our studio is located in Poughkeepsie. To schedule an
appointment, please contact us at:
hvreiki108@gmail.com
Hospice and at-home sessions are also available. Contact
us for rates and to schedule an appointment.
Interested in placing a business listing or information
about an event in “Reconnections”? Business listings
are $5.00 each (or $5.25 for payment by credit card)
for 50 words, and information about community
events can be placed at no cost. Contact us at
ksaroop@priyacomm.com for more information.
Page 41
Losing Weight—Naturally
By Lorraine Hughes
When you embark upon a “weight loss” program determine
first how and why you arrived at your current weight. How
many diets have you tried, and why did they fail?
The main gist of losing weight naturally is to do so without
being hungry all the time, which in turn will reduce the sugar
and salt cravings.
We have been programmed to eat the SAD diet, a.k.a. the
Sad American Diet. You know—cereal with milk , juice,
banana and coffee for breakfast, if that. Usually, people skip
breakfast, or grab a bagel/donut with a coffee on the run, or,
worse, yet nothing at all.
The main gist of
“
losing weight naturally
is to do so
without being hungry
all the time...
”
1) Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day!
Fuel up in the A.M. so that you will have consistent energy
throughout the day.
The majority of us have blood sugar imbalances due to
spiking the sugar levels with our food choices, which results
in obesity, insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes.
It is my belief that the human body has the potential to heal
itself. We were given this amazing gift of life, yet the decision
to perpetuate our own healthy and energetic life force is
always our responsibility.
Therefore, the quality of our short time on this planet is in our
own hands.
Look within. All we have to do as humans is to create selfawareness, and avoid the false promises of fad diets and the
ever elusive “magic pill”.
There is no “quick fix”. Give your body what it needs, not
what you think it wants.
The SAD breakfast is total sugar. Remember that you have
not eaten for 8-10 hours, and the first thing that you are
consuming is sugar.
If you are trying to lose weight, eat a protein (certified
organic / free range / antibiotic free), hopefully from a local
source, and pair it with a fibrous carbohydrate (leafy greens,
broccoli, escarole, green beans, etc).
Fill up with the veggies. Good fats are also highly
recommended, such as ghee, Kelly Gold Butter and certified
organic olive oil.
Page 42
Starches should be avoided. If you must eat a grain, do so
no more than once a day.
2) Maintain Sufficient Fluid Intake
Drink, in ounces, half of your weight (pounds). So, let’s say
you weigh 150 lbs., drink 75 ounces of pure water a day.
Consume this water—between meals. Water should be at
room temperature, no ice, not chilled.
3) Avoid Processed Foods
They are not food anyway! Your digestive tract can only
process what it can identify. Eating processed “foods” really
challenges our internal ecosystems, as well as results in us
consuming foods that are not in sync with our DNA or
ancestral history.
4) Eat a Balanced Meal at Every Meal!
Simply eat one protein and one vegetable at every meal.
Breakfast and lunch should be your heaviest meals of the
day, with women consuming 4-6 ounces of protein, and men
consuming 6-8 ounces of protein, at every meal.
5) Use Spices, Herbs and Plants To Boost Your
Digestion!
a) Drink 10-12 ounces of water with half to one freshly
squeezed lemon first thing every morning.
b) Drink a half cup to one cup of ginger tea before meals.
Europeans are famous for using Swedish bitters before a
large meal.
c) Cook with “carminative” and stimulant spices/herbs such
as cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry, asafetida,
black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, galangal and garlic.
d) Eat the bitter greens that are in season and local—nettles
as a pot herb, water cress, dandelion greens, mustard
greens, fiddleheads, purslane, arugula, broccoli rabe, kale
and collard greens.
“
Drink, in ounces,
half of your weight,
each day.
”
Lorraine Hughes at the 2nd Annual Sacred Being
6) During Dietary Change, Some Dietary and Herbal
Supplements May Be Advised
This may mean that a good probiotic regimen should be
implemented along with omega 3 fatty acids.
Seek the assistance of a trained herbalist in order to
construct your “individualized” herbal protocol.
7) Portion Control
Look at the size of your hand while making a fist. This is the
meal size that your stomach can process efficiently without
stress.
If you find that you are hungry between meals, eat a “mini”
meal as a snack. That means a small meal that can fit into a
cup (an 8 oz. cup that is!).
If you are not drinking enough water, you may just be thirsty
and not hungry.
8) Move!
With mindful exercise 30 minutes every day.
9) Sleep!
8 hours a night.
Page 43
Community Events
10) Be Present in Your Life
Dance, sing and love your inner child !
Lorraine Hughes, RH (AHG) EWCH is a local practicing
Therapeutic Herbalist in Wappingers Falls, NY. For more
information and to contact her, visit her website at
www.empoweredbynature.net
Saturday, June 15 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. at
Appalachian Trail Boardwalk in Pawling
HARLEM VALLEY APPALACHIAN TRAIL
COMMUNITY DESIGNATION CEREMONY.
Hikes, exhibits, scavenger hunt, live music.
Free. Ceremony at 4:00 p.m. features Mark
Wenger, ATC Executive Director and Karen
Lutz, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. Click
here for more information.
Thursday, June 20 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30
p.m. at Family Traditions in the Emmanuel
Shopping Center in Stone Ridge
FREE HOLISTIC SELF-CARE CLASS. How
to keep your eyes healthy naturally with Marc
Grossman. Vision has the ability to improve,
and there are practical alternatives for
helping vision without resorting to stronger
prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact
lenses, or submitting to surgery.
Saturday, June 22 from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at
the Andy Lee Field in Woodstock
BARNFEST 2013 WOODSTOCK. Join us to
celebrate the food, arts and culture of the
Catskills. Featuring two stages of live music,
speakers, theater, film, kids activities, food
and more. This event is free with registration.
Click here to register.
Friday, July 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cary
Institute
A FORUM ON TRANSLATIONAL
ECOLOGY. The forum will provide undergraduate and graduate students the
opportunity to hear first-hand how science is
translated to the public by professionals.
Speakers representing education, policy,
management, media, and public institutions,
will give presentations. Registration is
required for the afternoon session.
List your free community events here at no
cost. Contact us at:
ksaroop@priyacomm.com
Page 44
By Pam Foody
Are you or a co-worker experiencing or creating
communication difficulties caused by hearing loss?
You may not be aware that there are some simple, and often
free or inexpensive, solutions to this issue that comply with
the law.
The intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act, revised
2011, is to protect job security for disabled employees by
enhancing their performance without compromising the
efficient operation of the workplace.
Here are some easy answers.
Changes In The Physical Environment
Locate the employee's workstation away from background
noise
Turn the desk to face the door
Technical Accommodations
Provide captioned telephone and/or online captioned relay
service at workstation
Install induction loop in meeting room
Purchase tabletop microphone/receiver set for use in
meetings
Subscribe to remote captioning service
You will find that most, if not all, of these accommodations
will prove useful to employees, both with and without hearing
loss!
For further information on any of these solutions, please
contact Hearing Loss of America, Mid-Hudson Chapter at
pjfoody@yahoo.com
We are available to talk to you on this or any other concern
related to hearing loss.
Use round or u-shaped tables for meetings instead of a
long straight table
Shade windows to avoid glare and improve lighting so the
employee can lip- or face-read
Changes In Communication Methods
Face the employee when speaking
Speak more slowly and clearly rather than more loudly
rephrase rather than repeat
Use email, live chat or Skype rather than telephone for
remote communication
Send agenda with projected times before meetings
Use handouts and give employee a transcript after
meetings
Did You Know?
There is a direct link between age and hearing loss.
About 18% of American adults between the ages of
45 and 54, 30% of adults between ages 65 and 74,
and 47% of adults ages 75 and older have hearing
impairments.
Page 46
Postural Awareness Series: The Effects of Poor Posture
By Dr. Howard Brown
This article is Part I of the Postural Awareness Series.
* Please note that the information in this publication is
educational, and should not be used as a substitute for
medical therapy by a professional health care provider.
Remember times as a kid when you were instructed to, “Sit
up straight!” Or, “Don’t slouch!”? How about seeing pictures
of models learning to walk on a stage with plates on top of
their heads as they tried to learn better balance?
Growing up, we had constant reminders to keep a good
posture. The average kid followed directions and did what
they were told. That is, until they subconsciously became
tired and started slouching again. As we became older, these
became humorous experiences to look back on.
Most of these instructions to have a proper posture were
aimed to give you a better “body-language.” With that, comes
an improved self image, and that’s important psychologically.
That aspect of posture is more or less common knowledge.
However, the impact of good or bad posture goes far beyond
your body’s needs emotionally.
Posture may be a constant benefit or stressor to your entire
body’s structure.
The structural part of posture for your body is a constant,
often subconscious issue. Having good postural awareness
is an important key better health and aging.
According to the Mayo Clinic, posture is an important part of
preventing problems ranging from back pain to fatigue.
When the back is straight, the spine is supported and
stabilized.
posture is
“an …important
part
of preventing problems
ranging from back pain
to fatigue.
”
Dr. Howard Brown at the 2nd Annual Sacred Being
As you slouch or practice other methods of poor posture,
your spine no longer has the support it needs to stay balanced, leading to many health problems.
Poor Posture’s Results
1) Muscle tension or spasm
This is an effect that you do not actually feel until the
condition worsens over time.
For example, say you are slouching which you sit at the
computer. As your body is stressed (subconsciously), the
muscles involved have to work harder to keep stability and
protection of your body’s core.
Gradually, the physical effects grow into tightness and
fatigue. If the poor posture continues, then it can often lead
to sore and tight muscles from the neck all the way down to
your lower back.
Page 47
2) Bone Degeneration
Osteoarthritis is also known as a Degenerative Joint
Disease. It is a condition that develops with aging, and starts
with no symptoms.
While a large cause of developing this condition is a genetic
predisposition, the long term effects can be alleviated with
proper posture.
Primary Osteoarthritis develops from stresses on weightbearing joints as well as hereditary factors.
3) Spinal Curvature and Subluxation
According to the Chiropractic Research Organization, from
the side view, a spine has four natural curves creating an “s”
shape.
Additional shifts in the spine are called vertebral
subluxations. With a subluxation, bones of the spine shift to a
greater to cause stress or irritation with associated spinal
nerves.
Vertebral subluxations have been linked to affecting the
overall body function and disease.
4) Nerve Constriction
When poor posture becomes most severe, it will create nerve
constriction.
The nervous system is the system the that has control and
impact on the entire body. The constriction may become
most debilitating with shooting pain, numbness or tingling.
This compromise not only causes neck or back pain but it
may even cause pain in unrelated areas of the body.
Conclusion
As you read this, try an experiment. Sit upright and look
straight ahead. Pay attention to where your chin is. Now,
slide your chin forward without tilting your head up or down.
Hold this position for 20 seconds.
What did you feel? Probably, it created tension where the
upper back and neck meet. Maybe soreness became a bit
sharp as well. This demonstrated how your body reacts to a
postural imbalance.
The only exception is that when an imbalance develops over
time, it actually feels normal to your body. Likewise, moving
to a better posture will feel awkward.
In my next article, we will discuss techniques of treatment
and share a few tips on managing posture at home.
Dr. Howard Brown is a licensed Chiropractor. If you would
like to begin assessing your posture now, you may visit his
website and view the “3-D Spine Simulator”. It is a free view
of postures seated, standing and even sleeping.
Over time, an abnormal posture will slowly lead to changes in
symmetry.
As the spinal bones slightly shift location, the core abilities for
balance and shock absorption are compromised.
Visit www.DrBrownChiropractic.com, and scroll to the bottom
of the page. Below the list called “Miscellaneous” will be a
choice of “3-D Spine Simulator”. Select this and when you
get to the page, go to the bottom and click on the box with
two standing bodies.
References:
The Mayo Clinic - Back Posture
Mayfield Clinic - Back Posture
Chiropractic Resource Organization - Back Posture
Page 48
Yoga For The People
By Victoria Roedel
Yoga has existed for thousands of years, originating in
ancient India.
The best part about Yoga is that anyone, young or old, can
do it.
It is a series of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines
paired with controlled breathing, focusing on quieting the
mind. Yoga unifies the mind and spirit together to create a
peaceful harmony within the body.
Raja-Hatha
Health Benefits
Why is yoga a great exercise? It makes you feel good!
The practice has shown to have numerous health benefits
including improved flexibility, posture, strength, balance and
more.
Having a hard and stressful day? Hit the yoga mat. Studies
have shown yoga’s mind-body practice helps to relieve
stress and anxiety.
There are many different types and styles of yoga.
A style of yoga called Raja-hatha combines the two styles of
raja and hatha yoga together.
“Raja” yoga concentrates on the connection of mind and
body together to achieve self-actualization.
“Hatha” yoga focuses on modern poses that strengthen and
lengthen the body in connection with deep breathing.
Page 49
Yoga Etiquette
“
(Yoga has) numerous
health benefits including
improved flexibility,
posture, strength,
balance and more.
”
Raja-hatha yoga is a mental and physical practice that
incorporates asanas (postures), shatkarma (purifying
practices), mudras (seal of the hands), pranayama (breathing
exercises), and yantra (preparing the mind for mediation).
What to Expect in a Yoga Class
Hopefully, this article will inspire many of you to try your first
yoga class. If so, then here are some helpful tips about what
to wear, what to bring, and some descriptions of basic poses
to help you prepare for your first time.
Yoga Clothes
Since many yoga poses consist of inverting the body and
raising legs and arms, it is recommended for women to wear
a fitted t-shirt or tank top so your shirt doesn’t come over
your head!
Arrive 5-10 minutes earlier than the class starts so you can
set up your mat in a spot where you feel most comfortable.
After you arrive, take off your shoes and socks, and place
your things off to the side. Also, make sure you place your
mat facing the instructor so you can easily follow their
teaching. It is important to bring water to stay hydrated as
well.
Yoga Breathing
It is common for people new to yoga to hold their breath
during difficult poses. Following the instructor’s guidance,
and breathing deeply through a pose helps to relax the body,
and can make the pose less challenging.
It is also important to breathe in and out at a pace that feels
comfortable for you.
Basic Yoga Poses
Most instructors teach basic poses in beginner and
intermediate yoga classes. The names of some basic poses
are Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, Upward-Facing
Dog, Warrior I and II, and Tree Pose.
The more you practice yoga poses, the easier they are to
perform. Remember don’t forget to breathe!
For men, a regular t-shirt, shorts, or gym pants work fine.
Most women also wear yoga pants or leggings. These types
of pants are tight fitting around the waist and legs. This way,
the yoga instructor can better check the alignment of your
poses.
Yoga Gear
Yoga is most commonly practiced on a yoga mat. Yoga mats
come in different colors, materials and range in levels of
thickness. Also, they are easy to clean with soap and water.
Most yoga studios provide yoga mats, but you should call
and check ahead of time in case you have to bring your own.
Yoga mats can be purchased online or at many retail stores.
We recommend yoganutwear.com for fun, vibrant, extra thick
and long mats.
Page 50
Go Bananas For Your Health!
Shavasana
Most yoga classes end with “corpse pose”, traditionally called
Shavasana.
In this pose, you lie flat on your back with your eyes closed.
This is a relaxation pose that helps you let go of all negative
thoughts and tension.
It allows you release the mind and body of all stress, and
relax for 5-10 minutes of your day.
Community Yoga
I hope this article has inspired many of you to try yoga or
start practicing yoga again in your lives. If you are interested
in taking a yoga class and live in the Poughkeepsie area
please join us!
Classes are held outdoors starting on May 6th at Bowdoin
Park in Poughkeepsie, Mondays and Thursdays from
6:15-7:15 P.M. and run into the fall.
Classes are often held in neighborhood parks to support the
local community. A suggested donation of $10 is
appreciated!
Bananas are one of the most widely consumed fruits in the
world. Recognized easily by their distinctive color and shape,
bananas not only taste great, but provide valuable nutrients
for your body.
Here are some reasons why you should add more bananas
to your diet.
1) They are high in potassium, and help your body’s
circulatory system to deliver oxygen to your brain, and
regulate your heartbeat.
2) They contain vitamin A, which is necessary to protect your
eyes and vision.
Namaste!
3) They are rich in iron, and help to prevent anemia by
stimulating the production of hemoglobin in your body.
4) They are high in insoluble fiber, which helps to prevent
constipation, and restore and maintain a healthy bowel
function.
Men, 17.8%
5) They are naturally sweet and can help to curb your sweet
tooth while you’re trying to lose weight.
Here’s a very simple, healthy smoothie that you can make
with bananas. These are the ingredients you will need for
four servings:
Women, 82.2%
1 banana, cubed
1 mango, cubed
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy this cool, refreshing
drink with your friends on a hot summer day!
Practice of Yoga in the US by Gender (2012)
Page 51
By Karen Dipnarine-Saroop
So, just how many children in the US live below the poverty
line? Well, the US Census Bureau reported in 2011 that
more than 16 million children live in poverty.
They went further to show that 47.6% of all children in the US
with a single mother live in poverty, noting that “the children
of single mothers experience poverty at a rate that is more
than four times higher than children in married-couple
families.”
Interestingly, 72% of Americans believe that though children
experience poverty in childhood, with hard work and
determination, they can become wealthy. But how common
is it for people who experience poverty as children to
experience poverty as adults?
Did you know that, in 2011, federal government spending on
children dropped by $5 billion? In a study conducted by The
Urban Institute on spending on programs such as Medicaid,
the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly, food
stamps), the decline came at a time when total federal
spending increased from $3.52 to $3.60 trillion.
This cutback in spending on children affected by poverty was
the first since the early 1980s.
Childhood is defined as the period from birth to the age of 15.
Recent research has found that there are limitations to
economic mobility in adulthood among this group that may
be the result of diminished cognitive development and social
and emotional well-being, as well as a weakened state of
health. The research also reveals that “although only a small
share of children experience persistent, chronic poverty,
children who do are much more likely to be poor as adults.”
The graph below shows exposure to poverty from birth to
age 15 and the probability of being poor in young and middle
adulthood.
The urgency to develop and implement programs in local
communities to improve the life chances of children who
grow up in poverty and mitigate the long-term impact of
childhood poverty on these individuals has never been more
critical.
Page 52
How You Can Help
The concern over poverty and homelessness in New York
State and the Hudson Valley region is a valid one. It is an
issue that continues to escalate, and brings with it a
multitude of other social problems.
Reducing Poverty in the Mid-Hudson Valley
The Green Brain Initiative has developed a multifunctional
approach to poverty reduction that integrates economic and
social goals. The approach is centered in four areas:
1)
2)
3)
4)
108 in 2013
Give a Gift of Hope
While the statistics on poverty and homelessness in local
communities continue to astound, you can help to bring
immediate relief to a person in need who is struggling to find
the most basic necessities for daily living.
We invite you to help us to provide 108 Care Packets to the
homeless in our local communities this year.
This is an activity that you can do with your children to teach
them about compassion and care for the less fortunate
among us.
Provision of Basic Necessities
Abatement of Barriers to Development
Skill Enhancement
Economic Development
Please contact us at ksaroop@priyacomm.com to learn more
about how you can become involved in this Initiative and help
to fight poverty in local communities.
Give a gift of hope to a homeless person by sponsoring a
Care Packet containing some basic and practical
necessities.
Each Care Packet will cost you about $5 to put together.
Here is a list of travel-sized items that you can provide in a
sealed gallon-sized Ziploc bag:
“
Being unwanted,
unloved, uncared for,
forgotten by everybody.
I think that is
a much greater hunger,
a much greater poverty
than the person
who has nothing to eat.
(Mother Teresa)
”
Soap
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Comb
Trail Mix
Band-Aids
Chap Stick
Plastic Rain Poncho
Small Box or Bottle of Juice
Coupons for Free Meals
Washcloth
Toothpaste
Socks
Granola Bars
Crackers
Antibiotic Cream
Baby Wipes
Feel free to add other non-perishable items that we might
have forgotten to list here.
Please assemble all the items in the Ziploc bag, seal it, and
drop it off at our upcoming public event:
2nd Annual Sacred Earth Festival on September 22 at
Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls between 11:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m.
If you are unable to drop off your Care Packets at this event,
please contact us, and we will arrange to collect them from
you.
(845) 849-2205
Page 53
Section III:
Children’s Corner
“As a child,
one has that magical capacity
to move among
the many eras of the earth;
to see the land
as an animal does;
to experience the sky
from the perspective
of a flower or a bee;
to feel the earth
quiver and breathe
beneath us;
to know a hundred
different smells of mud,
and listen unselfconsciously
to the soughing of the trees.”
(Valerie Andrews)
Note: Please assist your child with the activities in this section.
Page 54
The Woodpecker, the Turtle and the Deer
(The Jataka tales date around the 4th century BCE, and
were amongst the earliest Buddhist literature. This treasury
of tales that recount the previous lives of the Buddha, both in
animal and human forms, continues to delight children
around the world with its timeless messages. The original
Pali version of the tales has been translated into English as
well as various other languages. This story was retold by
Ellen C. Babbitt.)
Once upon a time, a Deer lived in a forest near a
lake. Not far from the same lake, a Woodpecker
had a nest in the top of a tree, and, in the lake,
lived a Turtle. The three were friends, and lived
together happily.
A hunter, wandering about in the wood, saw the
footprints of the Deer near the edge of the lake. “I
must trap the Deer, going down into the water,” he
said, and setting a strong trap of leather, he went
his way.
Early that night when the Deer went down to drink,
he was caught in the trap, and he cried the cry of
capture.
At once, the Woodpecker flew down from her
treetop, and the Turtle came out of the water to
see what could be done.
Said the Woodpecker to the Turtle: “Friend, you
have teeth. You gnaw through the leather trap. I
will go and see to it that the hunter keeps away. If
we both do our best, our friend will not lose his
life.”
So, the Turtle began to gnaw the leather, and the
Woodpecker flew to the hunter’s house.
At dawn the hunter came, knife in hand, to the
front door of his house.
The Woodpecker, flapping her wings, flew at the
hunter and struck him in the face.
The hunter turned back into the house and lay
down for a little while. Then he rose up again, and
took his knife. He said to himself: “When I went out
by the front door, a Bird flew in my face; now I will
go out by the back door.” So he did.
The Woodpecker thought: “The hunter went out by
the front door before, so now he will leave by the
back door.” So the Woodpecker sat in a tree near
the back door.
When the hunter came out the bird flew at him
again, flapping her wings in the hunter’s face.
Page 55
The Deer saw that the Turtle was taken, and made
up his mind to save his friend’s life. So the Deer let
the hunter see him.
The hunter seized his knife and started after the
Deer. The Deer, keeping just out of his reach, led
the hunter into the forest.
When the Deer saw that they had gone far into the
forest he slipped away from the hunter, and swift
as the wind, he went by another way to where he
had left the Turtle.
But the Turtle was not there.
The Deer called, “Turtle! Turtle!”
The Turtle answered, “Here I am in a bag hanging
on this tree.”
Then the hunter turned back and lay down again.
When the sun arose, he took his knife, and started
out once more.
This time the Woodpecker flew back as fast as she
could fly to her friends, crying, “Here comes the
hunter!”
By this time the Turtle had gnawed through all the
pieces of the trap but one. The leather was so hard
that it made his teeth feel as if they would fall out.
His mouth was all covered with blood.
The Deer heard the Woodpecker, and saw the
hunter, knife in hand, coming on. With a strong pull
the Deer broke this last piece of the trap, and ran
into the woods.
The Woodpecker flew up to her nest in the treetop.
But the Turtle was so weak he could not get away.
He lay where he was. The hunter picked him up
and threw him into a bag, tying it to a tree.
Then the Deer lifted the bag with his horns, and
throwing it upon the ground, he tore the bag open,
and let the Turtle out.
The Woodpecker flew down from her nest, and the
Deer said to them: “You two friends saved my life,
but if we stay here talking, the hunter will find us,
and we may not get away. So to you, Friend
Woodpecker, fly away. And you, Friend Turtle,
dive into the water. I will hide in the forest.”
The hunter did come back, but neither the Deer,
nor the Turtle, nor the Woodpecker was to be
seen.
He found his torn bag, and picking that up he went
back to his home.
The three friends lived together all the rest of their
lives.
Please click on the icon to view the video.
Bobber, the Water Safety Dog
Page 56
Recycle Craft: Bottle Cap Coasters
Here’s a fun craft idea that you can make using
recycled materials! Save bottle caps and small lids
in other neat shapes and sizes for this project.
Remember: Always used recycled materials
whenever possible! Ask an adult to help you
with this project.
Instructions
1) Use a compass to draw 4-1/2" circles onto the
foam block or sheet. Repeat as many times as
needed.
Adults: Wax serrated knife with candle stub or
paraffin and cut out the circles.
If children are cutting out the foam, have them use
a plastic knife.
2) Sand rough edges with a scrap piece of foam,
and then smooth the edges with gentle pressure
from fingertips or by rolling against a flat surface.
Materials
Styrofoam:
Block, 12" x 12" x 1/2", for one to four coasters
OR
Sheet, 36" x 12" x 1/2", if making large number
of coasters
Green acrylic paint
Green felt, 9" x 12" sheet
Plastic milk jug caps in assorted colors, seven
Serrated knife (for adult use only) or plastic knife
Candle stub or paraffin
Pencil
Ruler
Compass
Flat paintbrush
Disposable palette
Water basin
Paper towels
Thick, white craft glue
(Source: Crafts For Kids)
3) Paint all the surfaces of the foam circles green.
Leave to dry.
4) Arrange six bottle caps around each foam circle,
with a contrasting cap in the center.
Be sure caps do not hang over the foam edge.
5) Carefully remove the center cap on each circle,
apply glue to back edge, then replace on the foam.
6) Press down on each cap, gently yet firmly, until
the edge embeds in the foam surface. Repeat for
remaining caps. Be sure all caps are level.
7) Cut two leaf shapes from the felt. Glue to the
bottom of each coaster. Let dry completely.
Note: Children can safely cut the ½" foam
sheet with a plastic knife. A serrated knife
should be used by adults only.
Do you have an idea for a recycle craft?
Share it with us at ksaroop@priyacomm.com
Page 57
Hi again, kids! This is Professor Green, and I’m
back to share with you more of the wonders of
Nature and our world.
I know everyone’s really looking forward to the last
day of school so you can enjoy all the fun in the
summertime.
Summer is a great time of year, isn’t it? The days
are long and warm, the grass is green and the
flowers are brightly colored, the birds are whistling
their songs every morning, and most of all, the sky
is blue and the sun shines almost every day!
But have you ever stopped to think about what is
responsible for giving us the warm days, green
grass, bright flowers, and blue skies?
It’s all a result of the Sun!
The light from our sun is actually white, but it’s our
atmosphere that acts sort of like a gigantic prism
(for different reasons), and breaks up the sunlight
into the colors we see painted across our skies.
This light is what the plants in our world depend
upon to grow bigger and produce the oxygen we
breathe, and the fruits, vegetables, and herbs we
and other animals eat.
In the image on the next page, we see the Earth
surrounded by our atmosphere (this layer is highly
magnified since, in reality, the atmosphere would
be as thick as one layer of an onion with so much
of the Earth in view) with white light from the Sun
arriving from above.
The outer layer is colored to depict the color of the
sky at points on the Earth at different times of the
day, as indicated by the tick marks.
Actually, all life on this planet and our weather is
due to the light and heat of our sun. But in the
summertime we can really appreciate some of the
benefits of the Sun.
It lights up our world creating blue skies when it’s
overhead and beautiful oranges and pinks when
it’s rising and setting.
For most of the day, the sky receives sunlight from
nearly straight above, and the molecules of air and
dust in the upper atmosphere bend the greens and
blues in random directions, while leaving the reds
and yellows alone.
This makes the sky seem uniformly light blue
except from evening to early the next morning.
Page 58
Image by Sudesh Saroop
This same process gives the Sun its different
colors throughout the day as shown in the inner
ring.
The other obvious fact of summertime is the hot
weather that makes trips to the beach and dips in
the pool so enjoyable.
The heat is a result of the light energy absorbed by
the land, the trees, and our oceans and lakes.
When some parts of the country heat up more than
others, it creates a temperature difference that
causes the local air pressures to vary.
This pressure difference forces the air from the
higher pressure locations to move towards the
lower pressure areas and results in our wind –
from a gentle breeze to a tropical hurricane!
So besides great summers, our Sun provides us
throughout the year with visible light to see our
world, light also to feed the plants, and heat to
keep us from freezing, but also to create the
weather which brings rain to our soil, rivers, and
lakes as well as the wind.
And all of this light and heat, or ENERGY, comes
for free – every day of every year since even
before our planet was formed!
It’s what has made our planet habitable, and our
own lives possible.
Our Need for Energy
Our world and all life on it evolved to utilize the
energy arriving from our Sun, long before the first
human was born.
Page 59
We learned to store mechanical energy in springs
that powered catapults, heat in chemicals such as
gunpowder, and electricity in batteries to power
our cell phones and electric cars.
In 1780, it was discovered that electricity could be
obtained from two different pieces of metal
connected together leading to the invention of the
battery.
One of the qualities that separates us from most
other life forms is our ability to use tools. And
we’ve invented many, many tools to make the
world more comfortable for us – from the wheel to
fire to the hammer to the blade to the buggy to the
train to the airplane, and so on – all of which need
more and more energy to work.
This is due to how easily solid metal atoms leave
behind their electrons to become ions (not onions
– “eye-onz” – or charged atoms) in a liquid, how
much energy it takes to separate these electrons
from their atoms, and other factors related to the
liquid (or electrolyte) they are immersed in.
Basically, we learned how to use the energy stored
in these physical and chemical reactions.
Renewable, Green Energy
Our lives have evolved around the need for
energy, so we invented ways to use resources from our planet, like burning wood,
coal, oil, and gas to create heat.
Then we learned how to use the heat to turn
engines, first with the steam engine in the
1800s, and then with the gas engine in the
early 1900s, and later with nuclear power in
the 1970s.
Each method to extract energy from our planet
comes with waste in the form of pollution and
depletion (the using up) of natural resources. And
each time we try to convert energy from one form
to another, like from heat to motion in an engine or
from heat to electricity in a power plant, some of it
is lost.
All batteries are based on this stored chemical
energy.
Some batteries can be used only once, while
others can be recharged and reused many times,
but eventually even rechargeable batteries lose
their ability to store energy.
We rely so much on energy throughout the day,
and the year, that we have learned to store energy
Page 60
Some rechargeables, like car batteries, can be
recycled into new car batteries, but most batteries
have to be discarded when they’re used up.
Besides adding to the garbage in our landfills,
many batteries contain poisonous chemicals.
So, batteries give us a lot of benefits, but
eventually they get used up and become useless
poisons to our environment.
For several decades now, there have been people
who have been trying to take advantage of solar
energy to heat water and their homes as well as to
generate electricity.
Many towns are setting aside large areas of land
filled with wind turbines or solar panels to capture
the energy of the wind and Sun, and covert it into
electricity. And more and more people are buying
electric cars to reduce our demand for gasoline.
Please click on the icon to view the video.
Sun Safe Play Everyday!
Unfortunately, it still costs a lot compared to the
other forms of energy we have because we still
have more work to do to make these systems
more efficient and cost-effective, and as more
people start buying them, companies will be able
to mass produce them cheaper.
The energy from the Sun, wind, water, and even
the natural heat from inside the Earth are all forms
of energy which do not take away from our natural
resources, and will be around as long as the Earth
and Sun exist – for millions of years to come.
That’s why these are called renewable energy
sources.
We just need to learn how to capture the energy
we need, and store the rest for “rainy days”!
That’s how we can show how much we love our
Earth, and want to keep it the perfect place to live
for as long as we can.
Sudesh Saroop, aka Professor Green, is the
co-founder of The Green Brain Initiative. He holds a
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, and has a
background in Physics. He spends his free time
exploring science in nature.
Summer Solstice is on Friday, June 21, 2013.
Here’s a fun activity that you can do with your Mom, Dad, brother,
sister or friend on the Summer Solstice.
Design a colorful poster showing what Forests mean to you.
Send your poster to us by July 31 to share with others at our 2nd
Annual Sacred Earth Festival (Celebrating Forests) on Sunday,
September 22 at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls.
Ask an adult to mail your poster to:
48 Sutton Park Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Page 61
What Types of Animals Are These? Can You Guess?
2) The other type of animal is native to Africa. It
has a tongue that is 18 inches long, eats up to
75 pounds of food each day, and drinks up to 10
gallons of water a day.
This animal’s favorite food is Acacia leaves. It
has the longest tail of any land mammal, up to 8
feet long, with a tuft at the end. This animal has
a heart that is about 2 feet long, and weighs 25
pounds.
Have you guessed what types of animals are in
these two photographs?
Here are some hints to help you.
1) One is a burrowing rodent that can be found in
the grasslands of North America.
It is a herbivore, and loves to eat grass, roots
and seeds.
This animal’s burrow can be 6 to 10 feet deep
and 16 to 33 feet long.
The burrows contain nursery chambers for their
young, sleeping chambers as wells as air
chambers to protect the burrows from flooding
during heavy rainfalls.
Answers: 1) Prairie Dog and 2) Giraffe
Page 62
Print and color these pictures to celebrate the summer!
Page 2
Partner With Us!
The Green Brain Initiative is a collaborative community-based program that was
established in 2011.
This Initiative was established to elevate the development and progress of our peoples,
our cultures and our natural environment through an open, collaborative, holistic and
unified approach. To this end, we have begun to partner with local community leaders,
businesses, government, non-profit organizations and civil society to elevate the collective
consciousness on critical issues to protect the health and well-being of our peoples and
planet, and to advance societal progress in the Hudson Valley.
The programs of The Green Brain Initiative are centered in poverty reduction, promoting a
healthy Hudson Valley, environmental conservation and sustainability, and preserving
ancient cultural traditions. Learn more at www.green-brain.org
Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities
Become A Program Sponsor
Advertise In This Publication
Reconnect with local communities through sponsorship.
Advertisements
Sponsorship is an excellent marketing opportunity for your
Check
PayPal
Full page (7.5”w x 10”h)
$100
$104
business that will provide tangible marketing benefits in return
Half page (7.5”w x 4.75”h)
$50
$52
for your sponsorship investment, while supporting our unique
Quarter page (3.5”w x 4.75”h)
$25
$26
and exciting community-centered programs. There are various
One-eighth page (3.5”w x 2.25”h)
$12.50
$13
levels of sponsorship opportunities available.
Find out how you can sponsor a program of The Green Brain
Initiative by contacting Karen Dipnarine-Saroop at:
All ads are full color. These prices are valid if you provide us
with your complete and final artwork. If you’d like us to design
an ad for you, there will be an additional cost.
Business Listing
(845) 849-2205
Contribute An Article
Place a 50-word listing about your business for $5.00 ($5.25, if
you’re paying via credit card). Listings that exceed 50 words
will be sent back for editing. We will accommodate listings of
more than 50 words at an additional cost.
Your article must be related to health and wellness,
Deadlines for Submission of Ads, Listings and Articles
environmental conservation and sustainability, cultural
September Issue: Deadline is August 1
traditions, or poverty reduction. (See deadlines on right.)
December Issue: Deadline is November 1
Please let us know what topic you would like to write about
before submitting your article. Once approved, articles can be
about 750 words long. Please include two or three photos or
images with your article. All photos and images must be sent
as high resolution – 300 dpi or higher – jpeg files to:
March 2014 Issue: Deadline is February 1
Please note: There is a small processing fee for all payments
made via PayPal as indicated in the prices above. There is a
$25 fee for each returned check. All artwork must be sent by
deadline as high resolution – 300 dpi or higher – jpeg files to:

rec nnecti ns

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