Three years ago, Laura Robinson moved to Scio Township with her husband and two children. For five years before the move, they lived on Berkshire Road, within walking distance of central campus in Ann Arbor. But they wanted a more rural setting. They chose the township for its tranquility, a quality that attracts many township residents. Two years after their move, West Bay Exploration came looking for oil.
An Interview with Psychotherapist César Valdez -- Listening for the Cries from Deep Within
César Valdez, 43, is a local psychotherapist doing cutting edge work with Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, EMDR, trauma and grief work, and with transpersonal approaches to personal development. Trained at U-M’s School of Social Work, he’s been practicing in Ann Arbor for 15 years.
The Art of Mandala ~ Inspiration and Insight for the Inner Artist
The word ‘mandala’ is familiar to many people, and yet it may not be well understood. It has had many purposes, and for each purpose it has its own form and meaning — for meditation, artistic expression, or connecting with the inner self.
Yoga for All Ages: How Peachy Fitness Introduces Family Yoga to Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor can claim a new offering to add to its list of family-friendly activities — family yoga. Peachy Fitness, advertised as an “Ann Arbor Yoga & Dance Studio for children, adults & families,” offers classes for adults, but it is the sessions for children and families that clearly set it apart from the numerous other yoga studios in town.
Love, Health, and Possibility ~ The Kombucha of Unity Vibration
Barrels line reflective colorful walls, and a scent of vinegar hangs in the air. Eccentric cut-outs collaged together create a welcoming and calm atmosphere. Tucked neatly in a corner of Ypsilanti is the warehouse that houses the successful kombucha beer company Unity Vibration and its Triple Goddess Tasting Room.
Plant-Based Nutrition: Reviewing Recent Research
Call me a science geek: I enjoy delving into the scientific literature about topics I'm interested in. This often includes looking at studies from the previous year that relate to plant-based nutrition. I search my favorite database for articles about vegetarian and vegan diets and then settle in for a good read.
The Whole Eater: Nutrition for Individualized Health An Interview with Coco Newton
I first met Coco Newton over a decade ago. Back then she was raising a family, adapting to being a local celebrity (her husband, Roger, was part of the Lipitor team at Pfizer), and creating a nutritional practice focused on individual needs. Over that decade, diet, food, and food systems have been evolving in culture and healthcare.
Jai Uttal Returns to Ann Arbor June 6–7, 2015
Ann Arbor Kirtan and the Crazy Wisdom Bookstore are co-sponsoring Jai Uttal in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at two public events: a kirtan on Saturday, June 6 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Emeth located at 2309 Packard Road and a half-day workshop at 2608 English Oak Drive on Sunday, June 7 from 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor Kirtan: Our Ten Year Anniversary
It’s Friday evening, 7:25 p.m. Across the front of the Friends Meeting House chapel are seven individuals, a cello, two harmoniums, kohl and tabla drums, and a guitar. By the time a short cello invocation is finished, anywhere from 40–90 people have arrived for the monthly Friday evening kirtan, a local tradition that just crossed the ten year mark.
God’s Kid Is Named a Swear! And Other Religious Observations from the Children of Secular America
My five-year-old daughter, Lila, and I were cuddled up at bedtime talking about God, a conversation that, as a non-believer, I can only sustain by relying on the belief systems of others. We were running down the list of people we knew who were religious: our Hindi neighbor, a Buddhist colleague, our Jewish friends, our mixed-bag family of Christians, Pagans, and atheists, and finally Grandma Bird.
The Quiet Season
With a decisive “click,” the storm windows lock into place, and the quiet season begins. The sounds outside fall distant, muffled until mid-spring. The days are cool, the nights dip toward freezing, and the easy, outdoorsy time of summer and early autumn has passed. The leaves have turned. Snow will come soon.
Expanding the Scope of Practice: How University of Michigan Medical School is Training Medical Doctors to Have a Deeper Understanding of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Every July the University of Michigan Medical School ushers in a new class of future physicians. Those students spend a week in September scattered across the area visiting, conversing, observing, and receiving treatments from holistic practitioners to learn about healthcare from their perspectives.
Open Your Mind and Say “Aah”
Reflections from University of Michigan Medical School students after their experience of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) lecture, field visits, and group discussions.
Members of the Zen Community on Zen Meditation and Daily Life
To gain insight into how Zen practice impacts daily life, we asked eight Zen Temple practitioners, each in different stages of his or her meditation practice, the following questions: 1) How long have you been practicing Zen Meditation? 2) How does your involvement or meditation practice at the Zen Temple show up in your daily life?
Questions for Camille Noe Pagán, Author of The Art of Forgetting
Camille Noe Pagán, age 33, is an author and journalist. Her successful first novel, The Art of Forgetting, was published in 2011 by Penguin. The book was met with considerable acclaim from readers and critics, with the Chicago Tribune calling it “a quietly compelling literary debut . . . about the power of friendship and the importance of forgiveness.”
Zen and the Art of Hamster Maintenance: Thoughts on Passion, Purpose, and Parenting
Ten years ago, I lucked into a career in the arts. I say “lucked into” because there are loads of other qualified, experienced, arts-loving, ambitious people trying do exactly what I’m doing. The field is competitive; hundreds of people submit their candidacy for a single part-time opening at some of the organizations I've worked with.
Therapeutic Breathwork Training (a story)
I re-experienced my own birth the other day, for the third time in a week. I was in Milwaukee, at Transformations, Inc., with Jim Morningstar, a dedicated and compassionate psychotherapist, breath coach, writer, and Therapeutic Breathwork teacher. Sitting in Jim’s comfortable office, after a week of intensive breathwork training and experience, we began the session by talking about what I would like to focus on. I asked for inner child work.
Moving Through Moods with Improv
Remember a time when you felt caught in a “funk” — whether you felt gloomy, anxious, irritated, or otherwise trapped in a mood that wasn’t quite “you”? Imagine some words to describe how that feeling-state felt in your body — perhaps you felt a heavy heart, a frozen throat, butterflies in your stomach, or a tight pressure in your head.
Root Medicine and Winter Tonics
The life force in a biannual or perennial plant is evident in the greenness of its leaves and the vibrancy of its flower. As it begins to die back in the fall, that life force is not lost; it is transferred into the root, which embraces it and keeps it safe until the next growing season.
Deepening Your Practice of Wicca
Mastered the basics of Wicca and wondering what’s next? Looking for something to support you as we move deeper into winter and the dark time of the year? You may want to begin working in depth with a particular god or goddess. This relationship can provide powerful guidance and support in your spiritual development, thereby helping you live a richer, more fulfilling life.
