December Meeting Announcement: Maya Abdominal Therapy

Please join us on Thursday, November 8 for a discussion with Angela Ferri on Maya Abdominal Therapy. Maya Abdominal Therapy is a holistic modality that utilizes herbal remedies, supplements, movement, breath-work, inner work and massage to aid in the healing of many male and female reproductive, digestive and urinary system challenges. The origins, common symptoms and diagnoses improved by this work, and causes of these challenges will be discussed during this meeting. Relevant anatomy and physiology will also be covered. A typical session will be summarized, and discussion of relevant support modalities will be covered. Questions and discussion are welcome!

Angela Ferri is a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, an Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy practitioner and former instructor, therapeutic herbalist, and a contributor to Be Well World publications. Angela has been a student of many forms of dance and movement, including yoga, tai chi, Spiritual Belly Dance, Pilates and Gyrotonics. She has been teaching classes and workshops since 1999. She has recently developed a private retreat program, and is currently co-developing a sexuality education curriculum for pubescent, high school and college age girls and young women. She practices yoga, enjoys kayaking, cycling, and slow food, supports conscious sustainable communities, and is an artist and organic and native medicinal plant gardener.

Our “Maya Abdominal Therapy” meeting will take place on Thursday, November 8, from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Community Room downstairs at the Takoma Park DC Public Library. The Takoma Park DC Public Library is located at 416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

November Meeting Announcement: Boosting Immunity with Essential Oils

Arming Yourself for the Flu Season: Boost Your and Your Child's Immunity, Nip Flus and Colds in the Bud, Squash Chronic Infections before They Begin, and More - Naturally!

On Tuesday, November 1, from 7-9 pm, Izabella Tabarovsky, Clinical Aromatherapist, will lead us in a discussion of boosting immunity using essential oils. Essential oils are nature's most powerful healing agents. Among their multiple properties are antiviral, antibacterial, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, immune-stimulating, as well as calming, sedating, and uplifting. Knowing how to use them will empower you to regain control over your health and the health of your loved ones. What's more, they are fun to use for the entire family! Come to this exciting class to learn how essential oils and essential oils-containing products could help and your child sail through the flu and cold season unscathed. We will talk about choosing the best oils, where to get them, and how to use them safely. You don't want to miss this "playshop"!

Izabella Tabarovsky is the founder of Holistic Health DC. She is a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner, Clinical Aromatherapist, Board Certified Holistic Health Coach, and Holistic Wellness Consultant. She is a speaker and educator. Izabella holds a Master of Arts degree from Harvard University. She has been trained in energy medicine, aromatherapy, holistic nutrition, yoga, meditation, the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and other methods integrating western psychology with the eastern view of the body. She brings these skills and knowledge together to create a holistic healing experience for her clients.

Through her work, Izabella helps clients create optimal wellness and build the best lives they can, wherever they are on their journey. She views her clients as inherently whole and complete and considers them to be active participants in their healing. Her work has helped clients alleviate stress, diminish physical pain, overcome depression and anxiety, accelerate healing, reduce the effect of chronic illness, reconnect with their higher spiritual selves, access deeper levels of awareness, release deep-seated trauma, and create a greater sense of peace and well-being.

Our “Boosting Immunity with Essential Oils” meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 1, from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Community Room downstairs at the Takoma Park DC Public Library. The Takoma Park DC Public Library is located at 416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

**We will be meeting at the Takoma Park DC Public Library from now on, on the first Tuesday evening of each month, unless otherwise noted!**

Kids are welcome!
Share your knowledge, experiences, and questions!

Upcoming Meetings:

**Thursday, December 8, 7-9 pm: “Maya Abdominal Therapy”
Presentation by Angela Ferri, LMT

Tuesday, January 17, 7-9 pm: “SuperFoods”
Presentation by Robin Shirley

**Thursday, February 9, 7-9 pm: “Stress and Children”
Presentation by Emory Luce Baldwin, Parent educator and licensed clinical marriage and family therapist

October Meeting Announcement: Hydroponic Gardening

On Tuesday, October 4, Agnes Traynor, Master Gardener, will demonstrate different ways of growing your own greens and herbs indoors year-round. She will have a hydroponic garden on display and green, nutritious samples to share. This will be a terrific opportunity to learn how to garden indoors when it is too cold outside! She will also discuss microgreens growing. Microgreens are seedlings that have not yet developed their true leaves. Packed with nutrients, they provide a colorful and unique punch to salads, soups, and sandwiches. Some common varieties of microgreens include broccoli, kale, beet, amaranth, and arugula. You can harvest these homegrown greens within 7-10 days of planting and can enjoy them year-round.

Agnes Traynor is a Master Gardener and Wildlife Habitat Steward with the National Wildlife Federation. She owns Home Food Gardens, a local business promoting hydroponic gardening and supporting local kitchen gardens. Agnes demonstrates her commitment to urban agriculture by growing food for her family in their suburban front yard garden while supplementing each season with produce grown hydroponically indoors.

Our “Hydroponic Gardening and Microgreens Growing” meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 4, from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Community Room downstairs at the Takoma Park DC Public Library. The Takoma Park DC Public Library is located at 416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

September Meeting Recap: Shamanic Healing

Our September meeting with Contemporary Shaman Beatrice Pouligny was a great success. Beatrice spoke about shamanic healing and how it works, and about her role as a Shaman. She shared what she has learned about helping children physically and emotionally from her role as a Shaman working with children, adults, and families. She also showed us some simple practices and exercises we can do with our children at home to keep them grounded. Thank you Beatrice for an amazing evening. We also thank the Takoma DC Public Library for our new meeting space and look forward to seeing everyone in October!

September Meeting Announcement: Shamanic Healing

On Tuesday, September 6, Béatrice Pouligny, Shamanic Healer, will discuss her work as a contemporary shamanic healer and the work she does with babies and children, which ranges from sleep and behavior issues, to sicknesses that doctors cannot understand, autism, and ADD. Béatrice will talk about how her experience as a shaman as well as a volunteer baby cuddler with babies in great pain have led her to understand key elements that are crucial in her work with kids and that can inform the way parents can relate to their kids and handle different kinds of emotional, mental and physical issues. Béatrice will share concrete exercises, rituals and tools that kids like and respond to, and are beneficial for the whole family, including adults. Her insights and very concrete tips can help mothers to help their kids on a daily basis.

Béatrice Pouligny is a contemporary shamanic healer. She was introduced and initiated to shamanism in different cultures while she was working as a peacebuilder, trying to identify local resources that could support people’s resilience capacities in the aftermath of widespread violence. She was told repeatedly that she was a shaman and needed to “remember”. Béatrice did her apprenticeship in the U.S., with a contemporary shaman, and was given the name “Allowing the Light” because of her deep connection to the Light as the main source to facilitate healing and transformation. She has completed her training with indigenous shamans in the Andes and Amazonia. She has also received some training in cranio-sacral therapy and holotropic breathwork as well as mindful (Vipassana) meditation, which she practices on a daily basis and teaches. She has also been a volunteer baby cuddler at hospitals with babies who are struggling with great suffering in the early phase of their life. She considers her role as a contemporary shaman as one of a facilitator, assisting each person in her own self-healing, self-discovery, and self-opening to new avenues of transformation, growth, and creativity. She pays particular attention to the needs of each person and creates a safe, sacred, and loving space for each session. Béatrice also holds a PhD in political studies and has been working on conflict resolution and peace building all over the world for the past 25 years.

Our "Daily Practices to Support Your Children: Insights from a Shamanic Healer" meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 6, from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Community Room downstairs at the Takoma Park DC Public Library. The Takoma Park DC Public Library is located at 416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

August Meeting Cancelled

Our August 2011 meeting was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. We hope everyone is safe and we will see you in September!

July Meeting Announcement: Lyme Disease

Please join the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network on Tuesday, July 19 from 6:30-8:30 pm for an evening learning about Lyme Disease from Michael Taylor. Michael will discuss recognition of symptoms of acute, late-stage, and chronic Lyme Disease; the safe method of tick removal; prevention of Lyme Disease through nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic support; vectors of transmission; methods to diagnose Lyme Disease through physical presentation as well as lab testing; and treatment options focusing on a non-pharmaceutical approach.

Michael Taylor lives with his wife Kendra and three-year-old son Benjamin at Fox Haven Farm and Nature Preserve where he is currently working with others to develop a Holistic Healing Center that will be rooted in communal living and connection to nature. Michael has worked as a counselor, environmental activist and holistic health practitioner. He is currently employed as a medical assistant for a Holistic Medical Doctor in Washington DC. For the last three years, Michael has been primarily focused on researching Lyme Disease by studying with indigenous peoples, apprenticing with a Holistic MD, and learning through direct experience by working with plants and spending time in nature. Through his work, Michael has found that Lyme Disease is reflective of a much larger problem than the disease itself.

Our "Lyme Disease" meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 19, from 6:30-8:30 pm at Seekers Church in Takoma, DC. Seekers Church is located at 276 Carroll Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and Seekers Church is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

Holistic Moms DC Moves to Takoma, DC!

This summer, Holistic Moms DC is moving from our location in Cleveland Park, DC to Takoma, DC. For our July and August meetings, we will be meeting at Seekers Church in Takoma. Please note that due to summer schedules, our July meeting on Lyme Disease will take place on Tuesday, July 19 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Seekers Church. Our August meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 2, also from 6:30-8:30 pm at Seekers Church, topic TBA. Please join us!

Seekers Church is located at 276 Carroll Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20012. Seekers Church is metro-accessible via the Takoma Station stop on the Red Line.

We hope to see you this summer!

June Meeting Recap: Lacto-Fermentation

Thank you to Monica Corrado for coming to speak to us in June about Lacto-fermentation! Monica discussed the importance of caring for our digestive system, and talked about some of the problems the modern American lifestyle and diet create for our digestive flora. Lacto-fermentation is a method to create live beneficial bacteria in some of the foods we eat (such as ketchup!) that help our body to digest. Monica demonstrated how to make ketchup full of good bacteria, and then gave a taste test. It was delicious and incredibly easy to make! Thank you Monica! Information from this meeting will be available to members on our Yahoo Group list. Hope to see you next month!

June Meeting Announcement: Lacto-Fermentation

Please join the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network on Tuesday, June 7 from 6:30-8:30 pm for an evening on Lacto-Fermentation with Monica Corrado. Lacto-Fermentation is an age-old technique reborn into a modern day miracle cure. Lacto-bacilli are the “gut good guys” found in live foods that are full of enzymes (lactic-acid producing bacteria). Every child needs them, and Monica will show us how to make foods you use everyday into nutritional powerhouses for your family. Come learn how ketchup can be a superfood!

REAL Food Chef and Certified Nutrition Counselor Monica Corrado started her own “REAL Food Revolution” in 2006. Since then she has taught hundreds of people how to cook nourishing, traditional food. Monica helped found one of the first CSAs and owned one of the first organic catering companies in the DC metro area. Her current work focuses on helping children come to balance through food, including those with AD/HD and on the Autistic Spectrum. Monica teaches cooking classes around the country and works with clients in her private practice in Takoma Park, Maryland, as well as by phone.

Our "Lacto-Fermentation" meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 7, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

May Meeting Announcement: Attachment Parenting

Please join the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network on Tuesday, May 3 from 6:30-8:30 pm for an evening on attachment parenting with Heather Phipps and Allison Hughes. Heather is a homeschooling parent to an almost six-year-old daughter, and served on the Takoma Attachment Parenting Board for two years in 2009 and 2010, where she is still a volunteer and member. Heather and her husband have been practicing attachment parenting since their daughter was born. Heather views attachment parenting as a way to respect as well as connect all members of a family, and to provide a path to finding strategies that meet the family’s needs. Rather than seeing attachment parenting as some type of perfect formula, she looks to it as a support structure to achieve family harmony and balance. Allison has two children and has practiced many tenets of attachment parenting over the years. Her overarching philosophy is to listen to what her children say, take it seriously, and give them the same respect she would give any other person. Heather and Allison will together discuss the philosophy behind attachment parenting, and the spectrum of ways in which families can practice AP. There will be ample time for questions!

Our "Attachment Parenting" meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 3, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

April Meeting Announcement: Medicinal and Recreational Raw Food!

Please join the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network on Tuesday, April 5 from 6:30-8:30 pm for an evening with Lisa Wilson, Certified Health, Nutrition and Wellness Counselor and Founder of The Raw Food Institute. Lisa will discuss the medicinal and recreational use of raw foods in our diets to keep us healthy and treat a variety of common ailments. She will also show us how to make crazy healthy snacks for our kids!

Our "Medicinal and Recreational Raw Food" meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 5, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

Osteopathy for Children Meeting Recap!

Thank you to Dr. Christina Steele for a very informative evening of osteopathy for the family! Dr. Steele led us through the basics of osteopathic medicine, including the differences in how osteopaths treat patients as compared to M.D.s. She also discussed how there are large differences in how osteopaths themselves treat patients. Dr. Steele then discussed a variety of common childhood ailments (such as earaches and asthma) and how osteopathy can be used to treat them. Finally, she broke out her treatment table and showed us how to perform some simple treatments on each other. She also gave a few lucky members treatments for headaches! Thank you Dr. Steele!

March Meeting Announcement: Osteopathy for Children and Families

On Tuesday, March 1, Dr. Christina Steele, DO, will present an introduction to Osteopathic medicine, and will discuss its benefits for a variety of childhood and maternal conditions. Osteopathy recognizes the healing power of the body, and attempts to facilitate that process. The Osteopathic physician’s goal is to reduce pain and restore motion, as well as help the body heal itself. Osteopathic manipulation is a non-invasive hands-on technique used for diagnosis and prevention, as well as treatment. OMT can contribute to the healing of trauma from both physical and emotional causes. Many old injuries lead either to chronic spasms or contracture of tissues, all of which can cause compensatory problems, leading to chronic pain. An osteopath’s goal is to first of all, restore normal motion and function to these damaged areas, and to improve the vascular flow that is frequently injured by trauma. In addition, Osteopathic treatments often have an additional benefit of alleviating the energy the body has to use to repair and compensate these injuries. Patients often find their treatments lead to an unexpected relief of old long forgotten trauma.

Dr. Christina Steele completed medical school in Los Angeles, California, where she also completed a Masters degree in International Health and Health Education, summa cum laude. After completing a residency in family practice, Dr. Steele completed a second fellowship in Neuromuskuloskelatal Medicine with the American Academy of Osteopathy. She is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Practitioners, and holds an associate professorship in Anatomy at Husson College in Maine; where she previously maintained an independent practice for women and children. She has been a recurring guest lecturer at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine. Prior to her medical training, Dr. Steele worked in the international relief field, primarily in the field of refugee health. Dr. Steele currently practices at Crossings, A Center for the Healing Traditions, in Silver Spring, MD.

Our "Osteopathy for Children and Families" meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 1, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

Extended Breastfeeding Meeting Recap!

On Tuesday, February 1, Mairi Breen Rothman, CNM, spoke to us about extended breastfeeding, which is typically defined as nursing past your child's first birthday. Mairi is a Certified Nurse-Midwife who has breastfed all four of her children into the toddler years. Mairi has also been very active in the breastfeeding policy arena, most notably helping to create a law in Maryland making it legal for women to nurse wherever they want and need to.

Mairi presented a number of studies demonstrating the benefits to mother and baby of breastfeeding, and the ongoing benefits as babies grow into toddlers. We had a terrific group of families present, and there were many questions asked and answered. We also had a great group of toddlers (all of whom were still being breastfed) running together during the meeting. Thank you Mairi for all of the great information you provided! We hope to see you next month for our Introduction to Osteopathy for the Family meeting!

February Meeting Announcement: Extended Breastfeeding

On Tuesday, February 1, Mairi Breen Rothman will discuss extended breastfeeding with the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network. Extended breastfeeding is typically understood as breastfeeding beyond your child’s first birthday. Many people are familiar with the recommendation that, to achieve optimal growth, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. But there are benefits to nursing a child beyond six months. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund recommend nursing for a minimum of two years, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least a year. Mairi will discuss the benefits of extended breastfeeding, and some of the challenges mothers might face who choose to nurse their children into their toddler years. There will be ample time for questions.

Mairi Breen Rothman has been a midwife since 1996. She and another midwife started M.A.M.A.S. Midwifery, a full-scope midwifery practice in the Washington, DC metro area, in 2008, and since that time have helped many women in DC give birth in their own homes.

Our “Extended Breastfeeding” meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 1 from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Community Room of the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible through the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

January Meeting Announcement: Recipe Exchange & Family Traditions

On Tuesday, January 18, please join the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network for an evening of sharing recipe ideas and family traditions. Do you have a recipe for a meal you use to bring your family together? Or a recipe that is super healthy and loved by your children? Do you have a favorite dish that is vegetarian, vegan, raw, or tailored to a gluten-free, dairy-free, or other special diet? Please bring one or more of your favorite recipes to share. While we exchange recipes, we will share family traditions by discussing the ways in which we celebrate holidays, seasons, birthdays, and other celebrations with our families. Recipes and ideas for family traditions will be compiled and available to our members after the meeting. Please join us!

Our “Recipe Exchange & Family Traditions” meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 18 from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Community Room of the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible through the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

Please note that the DC Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month, but our January 2011 meeting is taking place later due to the New Year holiday.