Jim Cowles & Alan Slobodien

Finally Healthfest

The focus of our March newsletter is on the Greater Vernon Holistic Healthfest. Partly because we have devoted much of the last four months to organizing the event and partly because it really is a unique opportunity to learn about holistic health modalities and what is available locally. To our knowledge this is the only holistic health fair in which a town and its holistic community partner to put one on.

Healthfest is held every other year so if you miss this one you'll have to wait two years for the next one. Its not held annually because we are all volunteers and it takes over a year to forget just how much work it takes.

You'll find much more information below. Beside myself Conscious CT was represented on the Healthfest committee by LEANNE PETERS, who did graphics and ad design, and JEAN EGAN, who designed the website.

With Earth Day coming up on April 22 it seems a good time to shine light on the CT Clean Energy Program and see if the holistic community is really ready to act locally. This is a program where we can make an impact on each of our town governments, prodding them not only toward doing the right thing, but helping them save money and reduce our carbon footprint. The average citizen speaks up so rarely that it doesn't take much noise to get our elected representatives attention; and this is an election year for town officials.

The blog excerpt below introduces the CT Clean Energy Program and the Scorecard we'll host on our web pages. I hope that some of you with strong feelings about cleaning up the planet will want to get more involved. Most towns have not yet signed on to the program.

You are probably aware of the quote by MARGARET MEAD that says, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” She also said, “I must admit that I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.”

» Go to Conscious CT

The 2009 Greater Vernon Healthfest is on Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Vernon Center Middle School in Vernon. This is the fourth Healthfest and it grows each time it's held. This year there will be 79 tables plus 24 workshops and events. Healthfest is held every other year so if you miss this one you'll have to wait until 2011 for another opportunity. Visit our website for information on exhibitors and workshops. There should be something for everyone at Healthfest.

The focus of Healthfest is on holistic health alternatives. If you have any interest or curiosity about the field this is the place to explore and learn more. It's also the place to find who and what is available in this region; you may be surprised at the resources we have nearby. And the hourly workshops are a quick way to educate yourself about many of the different modalities.

But what would a fair be without vendors? At 30 tables you'll find wares including books, CD's, salt lamps, beads, jewelry, crystals, minerals, spa supplies, cookies, fudge, candles, gifts, art, herbs, blankets and angels. You get the idea - there will be a lot of variety for browsing.

Have you experienced energy healing? Wonder if you can really feel anything? In a quieter section of the gym you'll find a number of energy healers, reflexologists and massage therapists offering samples of their work. Learn to let go of stress in the body.

New this year will be another section of the gym with green and environmental information and products. Included will be town activities such as the Conservation Commission and Vernon's CT Clean Energy Program (described below) as well as low energy products, organic lawn care, natural cleaning supplies, and a green co-op.

There will also be a section with activities for children including balloons, face painting and crafts. Children can also participate in a Cultural Dance Performance at 1:00 in the Auditorium and in a Drum Circle at 4:00.

A heads-up for Conscious CT readers. We expect a large turnout which in the past created parking problems at midday. If you can only come for a few hours consider coming early or wait until later in the afternoon. There is overflow parking at a nearby church and Police Explorers will be on-hand to guide you. If you plan to attend workshops save time by making your choices from the website. There you'll find extensive descriptions and speaker photos that are longer than can be included in the program.

» Go to Vernon Healthfest website.

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Other Upcoming Events

April and May bring a lot of workshops and events as those planning them no longer have to be concerned with snow.

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. Towns and schools usually hold a variety of educational programs and clean up events on the weekend before or after the actual day. Check the Earth Day Network website to find some of those in Connecticut. Not all are listed so also watch your local paper.

A new regional holistic group, The Alliance For Holistic Living, will hold its first event for Earth Day cleaning up the Rails-To-Trails path in the Manchester - Vernon area. This is an opportunity for the holistic community to show itself to our communities in a new way. Check our Calendar for specific date and details as the become available. You'll hear much more about the Alliance and its activities in upcoming newsletters.

The last weekend in April, on the 25th and 26th, a two day Expo will be held in Enfield. This will be the Four Seasons Body-Mind-Health Expo at the Crowne Plaza. It will feature two ballrooms with 68 exhibitors who will be showcasing their products, spiritual gifts and services. In addition there will be specialty workshops, classes, readings and lectures held throughout the day. See the Calendar for information.

The Heal Thy Self - Natural & Energy Medicine Conference will be held Saturday, May 9 at the University of Hartford. This is a full day conference on natural healing produced by Natural Nutmeg magazine and the University of Hartford. The conference will focus on educating the public about the science behind natural and energy medicine therapies and exploring revolutionary new treatments. It's a full day of lectures and workshops from prominent speakers in the field of Natural Medicine and Energy Medicine who practice right here in Connecticut. For information see our Calendar listing or visit the Natural Nutmeg Booth, #101, at the Vernon Healthfest.

» Go to Activities for Calendar, Classes and Tracks

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Quixote's Blog: One Easy Choice Toward Living Green

Every month you buy electricity. Are you paying for clean, renewable energy produced by wind, water and other sources or are you buying energy generated by oil, coal and nuclear plants? Did you know you have a choice? Here is an easy step you can take that will make a difference in how energy is produced.

CTCleanEnergyOptions is a Department of Public Utilities Control (DPUC) approved program that allows any CL&P customer the opportunity to support clean energy. Customers who enroll, pay a small clean energy surcharge and continue to receive electric generation services from CL&P or an electric supplier. Currently over 20,000 Connecticut consumers have committed to support clean energy.

Once you've made the decision to support Clean Energy you'll want to know if your town is supporting it as well. If your community has joined the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program, you are also helping your city or town qualify for free solar electric systems for a public building.

Only 7 of the 15 towns that Conscious CT covers have pledged to have 20% renewable energy by 2010. Of the 7 only 3, Coventry, Glastonbury and Manchester, have achieved the first stage goal of meeting CCEC requirements and received free systems. With 2010 only a year away that's not very impressive. Our towns definitely need a prod from us. In our towns an average of only 1.6% of the households have signed up for clean energy; best is Glastonbury with 4.1%. To see how your town is doing visit Conscious CT's Scorecard.

To learn more or to sign up for clean energy visit Booth #210 at the Vernon Healthfest.

» Read Full Blog
» Go to Conscious CT Scorecard

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Sponsor Activities

Both Spirit Matters and Breathe...more, LLC are multi-purpose centers offering a range of activities and services. Only four miles from each other they offer South Windsor, Ellington, Vernon and Tolland residents opportunities to be involved in holistic activities. You can meet the staffs and learn more about both centers at the Greater Vernon Holistic Healthfest on March 28. Both centers will also be doing a workshop that day.

SPIRIT MATTERS will be hosting a new series for veterans as well as community members who might be drawn to traditional group work in which healing can only occur when the health of body, mind, spirit and community is addressed and integrated. Coyote Talking Circle will be facilitated by RAY HARDY, ARP, artist and Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran and ROSELLE TERRY, RN, MA, nurse, counselor and spiritual director. The circle is for talking, sharing and healing; and is based on the work of Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD of Cherokee and Lakota Heritage. The circle will explore various healing tools such as deep listening, active imagination, dream work, art, storytelling, music and ceremony. Scheduled dates are Friday, April 24, Monday, May 18, Friday, June 19, from 7-9 p.m. See dates in our Calendar for more detail.

CATHY EWING-RINKER will be in California at the end of March attending the DCGL certification program. This will allow her to offer the Dream Coach method in a group format, at a significantly lower cost than individual sessions.

» Learn More About Spirit Matters

Besides their Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi classes BREATHE...MORE in Tolland offers a number of other events, including retreats for women several times a year. Some are full days, but on Saturday, April 25 there will be a 2 and 1/2 hour mini-retreat which will include gentle yoga, meditation and self-reflection to be followed by a tea ceremony designed to bring awareness to all of the senses. See Calendar listing for details.

Owner CHERIE TRICE is involved in a lot of community work. Last winter she helped raise funds to sponsor a child at the Kaghan Memorial School in northern Pakistan. One of Cherie's students and friends, AMANDA LAWRENCE, has, over the last year, been living in Pakistan and in Mansfield working to raise funds for a school being built in Pakistan, in an area which lost over 80,000 people as a result of a 2005 earthquake, many of them children. In June Cherie has been invited to be part of the 2009 Relay For Life in Tolland, a 24 hour fund raiser for cancer. She will be offering an “Early Riser Yoga Class” outdoors on the track with the rising sun.

» Learn More About Breathe...more

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News Headlines

Each month there is activity in the community that you'll find covered on the News page of the Communication section. If you are a business please send us press releases and photos of your events.

• Dairy & Gluten Free Bakery In Glastonbury
• Ghost Hunters Busy In Area
• Chestnut Restoration Projects
• Community Colleges To Train Students For Alternative Energy Fields

» Go to News Stories

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