By Catherine Fischer
Our children are good! They are inherently generous, sharing, and cooperative. You’ve probably enjoyed seeing your children share and take turns easily when they are feeling relaxed and connected. You have seen how very sweet and tender they can be.
By Angie Martell | Photos by Deborah Marcero
We are all at a tipping point. We are grappling with how to be ourselves, how to find meaning and happiness in our lives, and how to find balance in a very complex world. We meditate, practice yoga, eat healthy, and search for alternative healing methods and for our spirit’s true nature.
By Kathleen Livingston
When most people think of the circus, they conjure up the big top and the three rings of a traditional circus. A caravan rolls into town. A big collared cat jumps through a fiery hoop. A child rides on a saddled elephant’s back.
By Tatiana Knight | Photos by Tobi Hollander
When yoga became famous in the 60’s in the U.S., it was an esoteric set of poses and breathing exercises to aid meditation. It was initially presented as a map to living our lives by following a kind of yogic 10 Commandments. Not very many people knew about yoga, and those who did were not “normal,” but considered hippies or society’s outliers.
By Richard Gull
Karl Pohrt died in Ann Arbor in July of 2013. He was a special presence in our small, Midwestern university city. In some towns and cities, it is a businessman, banker, publisher, university president or a famous author or scientist who is the de facto leader of the community. In Ann Arbor, it was Karl Pohrt.
By Julianne Popovec | Photos by Susie Ayer
Q. Kathy, can you tell us about Sylvan Run Sanctuary?
A. Sylvan Run Sanctuary (SRS) is a gorgeous place, peaceful and inviting — a perfect place to share special celebrations and ceremonies, either in solitude or in community. Located in rural countryside, surrounded by acres of nature preserves, Sylvan Run Sanctuary is halfway between Ann Arbor and Jackson, 16 miles to each city, and only 4 minutes from historic Chelsea.
On a beautiful October morning, I sat outside at a picnic table at the well-loved Deli on Detroit Street and talked to Ari, co-founder and CEO of Zingerman’s. One of Ari’s friends, three-year-old Eli, joined the conversation periodically as he explored the recycle bins and reported his findings to us.
By Rachel Urist | Photos by Edda Pacifico
Ann Arbor’s People Dancing is one of two professional, nonprofit modern dance companies founded in Ann Arbor in 1985 still thriving today. Ann Arbor Dance Works was founded by members of the University of Michigan dance faculty. The company’s dancers are faculty members, guest artists, and select graduate and undergraduate dance students. People Dancing was founded by Whitley Setrakian Hill, who led the group until 1999, when she moved to Nashville and passed the baton to Christina Sears-Etter.
By Richard Gull
Fifty years ago the human potential movement started at Esalen. That same year, 1962, The Port Huron Statement of Students for a Democratic Society appeared, a political manifesto challenging a new generation to live authentic lives in a participatory democracy. I attended both 50th anniversary celebrations in October 2012. I had taken a class on memoir writing at Esalen two years earlier, in 2010, six months after my wife, Sara, died of cancer.
By Brian O'Donnell
In the past four years, I’ve had two serious medical crises that required a choice of how to treat these conditions — using conventional medical treatments or alternative approaches, or some combination of both.
By Sibel Ozer
A non-artist friend asked for help with a painting she had started a year ago. I suggested we do some foraging for inspiration, and we spent a day antiquing, visiting the art museum, stopping by an art store, and hunting for materials in her backyard. Next, we cleared her garden table for a day of painting, where I modeled free expression.
By Melissa Sargent
We've packed up the holiday decorations, our house guests have all gone home, and we are ready to take on our new year’s resolutions. A little power cleaning and a few sprays of a fresh scent might seem like a great way to start anew. But before you pull out the disinfectant or plug in the pine mountain scent, think about what may be sealed up inside the house with you and your family.
By Gary Merel
Since digestive systems, much like finger prints, are unique, the foods that work for you might not work for someone else. However, there are definitely foods and food groups we should only eat sparingly, or not at all. High on that list are refined carbohydrates and grains.
By Roshani Adhikary
Namaste, Roshani,
These winter blues get me every year! I don’t feel like leaving my house to go and practice at a studio, so I've been following a lot of yoga DVDs. Lately, I find that my knees are really starting to kill. I don’t have an instructor to turn to, so I’m wondering if maybe you can help.
By Rachel Pastiva | Photos by Rachel Pastiva, Miriam Holzman & Karina Oganyan
A CLIENT'S STORY
I've known for a long time that I'm disillusioned by our medical establishment. What I didn't realize until recently was just how much. Like many people, I suffer from chronic health issues that traditional doctors don't seem to have the time to address, nor the interest in doing so. I thought I was taking my health into my own hands by seeking alternative health care practitioners, but found the same pressed-for-time, distant attitude that ultimately left me financially and emotionally destitute.
By Lenny Bass
For those of you who are ardent readers of The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal, you will recall an article published a couple years back written by a mad man who talked with a tree while sitting in a hot tub outside a cabin built by his wife’s family in the shadows of the Alleghany Mountains in upstate New York. Well, that mad man is back at it again. The gift of one week of solitude my wife and I afford to one another as our one and only holiday gift has come to pass, and once again I come to rest in this mystical spruce grove.
Interview by Bill Zirinsky | Photos by Tobi Hollander
Julie Peale, age 38, owns Body Balance of Ann Arbor, LLC, where she practices a combination of Hellerwork and structural medicine in one-on-one sessions with clients. Initially on a path to become a physical therapist, Julie attained a degree in biology from Central Michigan University, but her desire to help people on a more holistic level pushed her to explore other therapy modalities. Julie lives in Ypsilanti Township with her husband, five-year-old daughter, and two-year-old son.
By Rachel Urist | Photography by Maureen McMahon and Joni Strickfaden
Over the past seven years the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth has emerged on the Ann Arbor scene as a vibrant place for community events and a dynamic alternative to Sunday worship. Many have discovered the Center by attending one of their public music events, such as engagements with Kirtan singers Shantala or their Café 704 concert series featuring some of the area’s finest musicians. Others may have visited because of their calendar of speaking engagements with popular authors like Judith Coates or Rev. John Mundy.
Death is not an easy topic. No one likes to talk about it, even when it's regarding pets. As a veterinarian, I believe the reason pet parents do not like to talk about death is fear of the unknown. Perhaps they had a bad experience in the past or heard terrible stories from friends, but whatever the case, they are left with a lot of tough questions.
In the wonderful Dr. Seuss books that narrate the adventures of The Cat in the Hat, we are introduced to the Cat’s helpers named “Thing One” and “Thing Two.” When he wants to create maximum mischief, the Cat brings out these two little guys. And do they know how to party! Their antics can go on for numerous pages, involving all sorts of outrageous projects, which always lead nowhere.
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