Her work blends metal with metaphor, craft with compassion, and art with empathy. It’s unexpected, both in subject and design, and frequently demands a second look. That’s perfectly fine with artist Anne Mondro, an associate professor at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan.
What Propels a Journey? The Peripatetic Career of Kate Soper
Kate Soper came of age in the early 1960s. She is part of the generation that ushered in a new wave of women. She is a quiet but active feminist.
The Crazy Wisdom Interview with David Lawson on the Founding of Still Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center
David Lawson and a number of other experienced meditation teachers and practitioners have begun a new Buddhist meditation center in town, Still Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center. David was a meditation teacher for many years at the Deep Spring Center, and The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal published an article by him on meditation just two years ago.
Field Notes from an Elder-in-Training
It was the fall of 1994. I was living and working in Maryland, just over the DC border. Faced with the possibility of a hysterectomy, I sought spiritual solutions along with mainstream medical advice.
Active Dreaming and Messages from the Birds
I’ve been a dreamer as long as I can remember. Not just a night dreamer, but a day dreamer —one who notices signs, synchronicities, and coincidences from the universe. Like many of you, as a child I would share my dreams and experiences to little acknowledgement. For me, the dreams continued to come, and I longed for an understanding of the messages they were delivering.
Did You Ever Want to Be a “Birder”?
“It’s a Black-And-White-Warbler,” he slowly said to me.“I heard you the first time,” I wanted to say but didn’t. I really didn’t want others to notice that I was the only one who couldn’t see the birds.
Where the Beers Are: The New Blue Front
An interview with Adam Gottschalk, owner of the Blue Front at State and Packard. Gottschalk is a Certified Cicerone (sommelier of the beer world) and took an old party store in a fresh direction when he opened the new Blue Front as a fine beer and wine shop in July 2014.
The Therapeutic Power of Memoir Writing
Writing my memoir, What You Feel Is Real, took five years to complete as I moved through various stages of emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. By tapping into my most intimate and deepest feelings, I knew it was a safe way in - as well as a safe way out for releasing anger and resentment.
Intuition: Everyone’s Got It!
Everyone has intuition or the sixth sense — men, women, young, old. And it is never too late to discover it! It is our “inner GPS” and our birthright. You’ve heard of the term “mother’s intuition” or “women’s intuition”? Well, it’s not just for females anymore!
Fishing for Papa
There are three ponds on my in-laws’ property in northern Georgia. Each was stocked decades ago with largemouth bass and bluegill, and since then, the fish populations have flourished. I’ve seen them from the water’s edge, sleek shapes among the weeds, under overhanging branches, and near the pilings of the old dock.
Too Close for Comfort: Citizens for Oil-Free Backyards
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.
