February 2013 Green Fire Times Edition

Vol. 5, No. 2February 2013 New Mexico’s FiFth Largest circuLatioN Newspaper

News & Views FroM the sustaiNabLe southwest

heaLthy LiViNg aNd the heaLiNg arts

Green Fire Times • February 20132 www.GreenFireTimes.com

February 2013 • GreenFireTimes 3www.GreenFireTimes.com

Vol. 5, No. 2 • February 2013Issue No. 46Publisher

Green Fire Publishing, LLCSkip Whitson

Managing editorSeth Roffman

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CoNtRIbutING WRIteRSCamille Adair, Janet bridgers, Jaima

Chevalier, Douglas Cohen, Nomi Gallo, Susan Guyette, Jan and Jack Kerr, Dr. Japa K. Khalsa, beverly Kune, Celestia Loeffler, basia Miller, Quita ortiz, Ray Powell, Vicki Pozzebon, Seth Roffman, Delores e. Roybal, Dr. Audrey Shannon,

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© 2013 Green Fire Publishing, LLCGreen Fire Times provides useful information for anyone—community members, business people, students, visitors—interested in discov-ering the wealth of opportunities and resources available in our region. Knowledgeable writers provide articles on subjects ranging from green businesses, products, services, entrepreneurship, jobs, design, building, energy and investing—to sustainable agriculture, arts & culture, ecotour-ism, education, regional food, water, the heal-ing arts, local heroes, native perspectives, natural resources, recycling and more. Sun Companies publications seek to provide our readers with in-formative articles that support a more sustainable planet. To our publisher this means maximiz-ing personal as well as environmental health by minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol.

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ContentsHealtHcare in new Mexico – con alMa Foundation ForuMs 5HealtH equity in new Mexico 5Faircare: a new ParadigM oF Healing in HealtHcare 8green HosPice 9towards autHentic Healing 11Five siMPle ways to live HealtHy in 2013 13HealtH and wellness: snuggle in and cHow down 15skin care and aging in new Mexico 16selF-care revolution 16Body oF santa Fe 17ayurveda: HealtH, wellness Healing and Medicine 18conFessions oF a seiMei Practitioner 19keePing aniMals HealtHy witH acuPuncture and cHinese Medicine 20everyday green: native aMerican integrative Healing 22Healing arts at golden acorns suMMer caMP 23tHe new Mexico solar energy association’s 40tH anniversary 24one HealtH: a new vision For new Mexico’s state trust lands 27ongoing researcH illustrates BeneFits oF acequias 27oP-ed: río grande restoration and recreation Project aPPeal 31tHe local voice: investing in local Food = celeBrating entrePreneursHiP 35newsBites 37wHat’s going on 38

COVER: Celestia loeffler lives HealtHy (page 13) • Photo by Michael French

Green Fire Times is not to be confused with the Green Fire Report, an in-house quarterly publication of the New Mexico environmental Law Center. the NMeLC can be accessed online at: www.nmelc.org.

To navigate the health and wellness marketplace for our families and our selves is an exercise in nearly endless

choice making. Among the many challenges accompanying us is reconciling the conventional assumptions and external messages about healthcare in our culture with the natural, inner guidance system operating deep within us.

I believe that when we can get quiet enough and listen within, we know what is good for us and what is not. Unfor-tunately, there are many barriers in our society to cultivat-ing that inner quietude and access to self-derived knowing. Staying alert and increasing consciousness in our personal and family path-making is an ongoing responsibility if we value true well-being in ourselves and our community.

Having lived in several regions in North America before settling in New Mexico, I appreciate the diversity of the traditional health and mind-body based resources within arm’s reach in several of the more populous areas. This in-cludes the ready access for poor and otherwise challenged

families available through programs such as the Commu-nity Healthcare Assistance Programs and the Indigent Funds (Sandovalcountynm.gov) as well as the array of complementary and alternative medical approaches.

Many of the articles in this edition of Green Fire Times are about bridging inner and outer ways of knowing when it comes to healthcare. These are personal and informa-tive essays from practitioners of long-standing approaches to healing illness and preventive, wellness and longevity-based medicine. Relationship-based wellness comple-ments the dominance of impersonal and Western science-driven treatment. Remember: It’s your choice.

Douglas Cohen - Corrales, NM

Douglas Cohen serves as the membership manager of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (AyurvedaNama.org), co-leads the NM Outdoor Coalition (ActivateNewMexico.org) and is chair of the National Youth Initiatives for the Inspired Futures Campaign (USPartnership.org). Email: [email protected]

Towards Collective Well-Being


As New Mexico’s largest foundation dedicated solely to health, Con Alma Health Foundation brings people together to gather information, discuss

issues and develop solutions that address the state’s health needs. This includes bringing people together to learn more about federal healthcare reform and what it means for New Mexico.

The statewide foundation recently held meetings in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, where speakers provided information about components of the federal Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act such as Medicaid expansion, American Indian eligibility and the health-insurance exchange, as well as proposed bills for this year’s legislative session. About 100 people, representing local and state government, non-profits, educational institutions and other organizations, attended each meeting.

“One of our roles in New Mexico is to serve as a convener and as a catalyst for positive, systemic change,” said Dolores E. Roybal, Con Alma’s executive director. “We think it’s important for people to have the opportunity to network and share information about critical issues, such as healthcare reform and proposed state legislation.”

Presenters included health policy consultants, NM Voices for Children, Doña Ana County Health and Human Services Department, NM Alliance for Health Councils, NM Health Connections, NM Legislative Council Services and Ber-nalillo County Community Health Council.

Sandra Gonzales, director of eligibility and benefits for Families, Youth Inc., attended the Las Cruces meeting. Her nonprofit organization helps individuals access healthcare programs and other resources such as food stamps, disability insurance or heating assistance. “Healthcare reform is going to have a direct im-pact on people we serve, so we need to make sure we know what’s going to hap-pen so we can prepare,” she said.

Gonzales was happy to hear people talk about online registering of people into Medicaid and the health insurance exchange. Already, Families, Youth Inc.’s community health workers go directly to people to enroll them electronically into programs that can help them. “I feel there are a lot of vested partners in this, and they are seriously looking at ways to improve their systems,” she said.

Nikki Zeuner, program director of the Wellness Coalition in Silver City said she gained a better understanding of some of the state’s strategies in implement-ing healthcare reform, including how patient navigators can help people sign-up for Medicaid or insurance through the soon-to-be -established health insurance exchange. “We see ourselves as a curator of information and resources for the nonprofit sector,” she said. “Primarily we want to educate ourselves and make connections with others who are active in promoting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.”

Zeuner attended Con Alma’s meeting before the Wellness Coalition hosted its own seminars on the Affordable Care Act for the general public and small em-ployers. “It was good to connect with people who have been active in the state on healthcare reform,” Zeuner said. “I especially appreciated the advocacy piece from the NM Center on Law and Poverty and Southwest Women’s Law Center. Now we know who our allies are, and we haven’t been connected to that before.”

At the Albuquerque meeting, Pamelya Herndon, executive direc-tor of the Southwest Women’s Law Center, explained how people can be eligible for health insurance through the health-insurance exchange that NM is supposed to have running by October 2014.

In a detailed chart, she showed that families who earn 133 percent of poverty level ($30,657 for family of four) or less would qualify for insurance under the Medic-aid expansion, while families earning up to three times that amount could receive a federal tax credit to help pay for health insurance through the exchange. That means a family of four could earn up to $92,200 and receive a tax credit for getting insurance through the exchange.

She also reviewed the possible penalties that employers and families could face if they aren’t insured by 2014. For example, small businesses that employ fewer than 50 people wouldn’t be penalized for not offering insurance. Businesses that have fewer than 25 people with an average wage of $50,000 or higher may be able to get a tax credit for providing insurance to their employees.

HeAlTHCAre in NeW MexiCoCon AlmA HeAltH FoundAtion Convenes Forums Around tHe stAte

CoNtINueD oN PAGe 6

Economist Kelly O’Donnell, Ph.D. at Con Alma convening

health equity in new MexicoCon AlmA’s roAdmAp — Key Findings1. improved conditions and policies that address Social Determinants of

Health and advance health equity, especially among racially and ethnically diverse and underserved populations, can significantly improve health in New Mexico.

The correlation between poverty, educational attainment and good health is evident when comparing health outcomes for NM’s children and others in the United States. NM ranks 48 and 49 respectively in teen death and teen birth rates.

•Racial and ethnicminorities sufferhigher rates ofmortality and illnesscompared with other Americans and receive a lower quality of healthcare.

•NewMexicohasthesecond-highestpovertyrateinthenation. •The number of households receiving food stamps has almost doubled

during the recession, from 6 to 11 percent. •Childrenages0–5aremorelikelytodie:NMexperienceda20-percent

increaseinyouthdeathratessince2000.

2.Accesstoqualityandaffordablehealth-careservicescontinuestobeabar-rier to good health, especially in rural NM, communities of color and un-derserved populations (e.g. elderly, immigrants, border communities and veterans).

•NewMexicohasthesecondhighestrateofuninsuredinthenation(21.6percent).

•HispanicandAmericanIndianadultswereovertwiceaslikelytobewith-out health insurance coverage as whites.

•NativeAmericanslackaconsistenthealthbenefitspackage. •Thehealthworkforceisneitherdiversenorculturallycompetent.Minori-

ties make up 59 percent of the population, but only 11 percent of the nurs-ing workforce.

Dolores E. Roybal

CoNtINueD oN PAGe 6


HeAlTHCAre for AMeriCAN iNDiANSRoxane Spruce Bly, who runs a small consulting company that specializes in health-policy and American Indian issues, spoke of how the Affordable Care Act treats American Indians dif-ferently. “For non-Indians, it’s critical they understand the fed-eral government has a legal obligation to provide healthcare to Indians because of the millions of acres of land that our ances-tors ceded,” said Bly, who is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.

The federal healthcare reform law specifies that American Indians don’t have to pay penalties for being uninsured or any co-pays or deductibles if they buy insurance on the health-insurance exchange and earn less than 300 percent of poverty

level ($69,150 for a family of four). American Indians will be able to enroll in the health insurance exchange every month. Everyone else can enroll once a year or dur-ing special enrollment periods or life-changing events. “The law is designed to encour-age American Indian consumers to acquire insurance through the exchange,” Bly said.

She added that it will be important that the health-insurance exchange is designed in a way that American Indians can access it. She said she and other members of the Na-tive American Work Group assisting the State’s Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Task Force have requested that the exchange include a Native American Service Center or other smaller centers where people can enroll in person. She also thinks it’s important to have a dedicated advocate or ombudsman who can resolve people’s concerns and obstacles.

Currently, American Indians who don’t have health insurance can only get healthcare through charity care programs or the Indian Health Services, which is woefully un-derfunded, according to Bly. Access to care is especially hard for American Indians who live off the reservation or far from an Indian Health Service clinic or hospital.

“It’s really important for Indian people to look at whether they are eligible for Medicaid or the insurance exchange, even though they are not required to have coverage,” Bly said.

Bly is in the process of updating a “Native American Health Care Reform Guide,” commissioned by Con Alma Health Foundation, which provides information on the implications of healthcare reform on Native Americans in NM.

In addition to discussing healthcare reform, presenters gave information about pro-posed health legislation for the 60-day NM legislative session that started mid-January. Among the proposed bills are a few that aim to increase access to healthcare in NM, including a proposal that would allow anesthesiologist assistants to practice statewide and one that would allow dental therapists to practice basic dentistry. There is also fund-ing proposed to add more medical students to the University of New Mexico’s program.

Other funding requests would support anti-domestic violence programs, school-based health centers, sexual-assault prevention and training, teen-pregnancy preven-tion, adult day care, ambulatory surgical center inspections and telehealth programs. Some bills would expand insurance coverage, including mandatory autism coverage for state employees.

The presenters distributed information at both meetings. Those documents, including some in Spanish, are now available on Con Alma’s website, www.conalma.org

With its initiatives and grants, Con Alma Health Foundation places an emphasis on supporting culturally diverse, rural and tribal communities, as well as the uninsured and underserved. With a focus on achieving health equity, Con Alma defines health broadly: physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, social, oral, environmental, economic and spiritual health and well-being.

As healthcare reform begins to be implemented across NM, Con Alma will continue to support nonprofits as they try to meet the needs of the people they serve. “We will continue to look for opportunities to bring people together so they can share information and re-sources,” Roybal said. “Our goal is to support efforts in NM that will improve health for all.”

Con Alma is scheduling two more meetings in other areas of the state so more people can learn about how health-care reform might affect them. For more information, visit the foundation’s website and become a Facebook friend: www.conalma.org i

A representative from the NM Center on Law and Poverty described specifically how Medicaid expansion for adults who earn low incomes could benefit NM. Since then, Gov. Susana Martinez announced the state will expand the federal-state health insurance program. About 170,000 New Mexicans may qualify for insurance under the expansion.

That decision will have widespread benefits throughout NM, according to econo-mist Kelly O’Donnell, Ph.D. O’Donnell shared information at the meetings about the economic impact of the Affordable Care Act, including federal grants for pri-mary care, small-business tax credits, Medicaid expansion to adults who earn low incomes, and increased productivity and reduced absenteeism due to better health.

“We will see hundreds of millions in new federal funding for health insurance,” she said. “What that essentially means is a great amount of new funds will flow into NM, and that money will stimulate the economy, creating jobs and rippling out through other areas and creating jobs there. Each sector is linked. A newly hired nurse is going to spend her new income on the local economy.”

O’Donnell added that healthcare is one of the only growing segments of NM’s economy, and it will be an engine of economic force, especially in rural areas. “Right now, the job-creation opportunities are in healthcare,” she said. “As a state we need to take all the resources we’ve been throwing at attracting call centers and manufacturers and direct them toward making NM as good a place to grow a healthcare business as possible.”

healthcare in nM continued from page 5

Roxane Spruce Bly

•Thirty-twoof thestate’s33countiesaredefinedasHealthProfessionalShortage areas.

•Substanceabuse/dependenceand/ormentaldisordersaffectmorethanhalfamillionpeopleinNM:24.3percentwillneedhelpfromthepubliclyfunded care system.

•ReturningveteransfromIraqandAfghanistanareexpectedtoincreasethe number of veterans in NM. Veterans, especially in rural areas, lack ac-cess to essential healthcare and behavioral services.

3.Prevention,nutrition,healthpromotionandholistichealtharecriticaltoimproving health in NM.

•Nationally, therehasbeen a shift in the conversation abouthealthcarein the last decade to focus on prevention, access and alleviating equity boundaries.

•Thepercentageofobesityamongthestate’spopulationdoubledfrom1990–2009.Obesitycanleadtoheartdisease,stroke,diabetesandsomecancers.

•Preventativeoralhealthislimited,especiallyinruralareas,whichcanre-sult in impaired general health, particularly impacting the mortality rate due to heart disease at younger ages.

•Healthcarereformprovidesopportunitiestoimplementpreventionandwellness programs.

4. our rapidly changing environment, including demographic shifts, will have major implications in health for the people and communities of NM.

•PeopleofcolorinNMcomprise58.7percentofthepopulationinthe2010Census and fare far worse than their white counterparts across a range of health indicators.

•TheHispanicpopulationinNMincreasedby25percent,comparedtoa13percent increase in total population.

•NewMexicoresidents18andunderaccountforalmostoneinfiveofthepopulation(18percentin2010),andtheHispanicpopulationunder18years of age was 58 percent, the largest percentage in the US.

•Thelargestpercentincreasefrom2000to2010wasamongthose60to64years,at5.8percent.By2030,thestatewillrankfourthinthenationinpercentage of population age 65 and older; currently NM is 39th.

•AlmosthalfofNM’sgrandparentsprovideahomefortheirgrandchildren. •Minoritychildpopulationsshowthemostdramaticshift:almostthreein

four children under five are African American (2 percent), Hispanic (59 percent) or Native American (12 percent).

HealtH equity continued from page 5


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The first baby boomers turned 65 in 2011 and became eligible for

Medicare. By 2020 those same people will be 74 years old. Over the next 20-plus years the United States will expe-rience what has been referred to as the Silver Tsunami. This represents an epic demographic shift, with more elders needing care than has ever been experi-enced in human history.

Unfortunately, by that time, if current trends continue, more than half of the nurses in this country will have retired and may need care themselves. Mean-while, low retention rates and decreased employee satisfaction resulting from workplace stress and overload has many people avoiding the healthcare profes-sion or leaving the industry altogether. The projected numbers of new nurses will fall far short of the demand. The healthcare industry is clearly ripe for and in need of transformation.

Fortunately, there are people with a practical vision of how to create a sus-tainable healthcare system.

Santa Fean Camille Adair conceived of FairCare™ in collaboration with her colleagues and other healthcare experts. Adair, a nurse and documentarian, has been a thought leader and visionary in the fields of conscious aging, end-of-life care and healthcare reform. In 2008 she developed the Green Hospice Philoso-phy and the Shades of Green Program, with the intention of applying the tri-

FAIRCARE:ANEwPARAdIgMOFHEAlINgINHEAltHCARESeth Roffman

ple-bottom-line, where the relationship of the people, the environment and the prosperity (profit) are interconnected, measure organizational success and drive the bottom line. This has the po-tential to provide a new paradigm for an industry that has been excessively driven by fiscal compliance and productivity, and less by a human context.

FairCare is offering a certification pro-gram to healthcare organizations that could be likened to the healthcare ver-sion of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Along with guidelines and standards for sustainable practices, it provides support and resources to achieve these goals. The certification process begins with an assessment for how to move forward with a customized plan for each business or organization.

FairCare is introduced in three phases, beginning with Planet, where the focus is on the carbon footprint, carbon offset, recycling and eco-friendly working con-ditions. This is an opportunity for brand-ing, building positive community per-ception and increased workplace morale.

The second phase, People, addresses staff retention, recruitment, employee satisfaction and education. The devel-opment of Emotional Intelligence and Resilience Training is a big part of this. It is an approach backed by studies at in-stitutions such as the Harvard School of Business. “Unlike most certifying enti-ties within healthcare,” says Adair, Fair-Care is designed to provide support and solutions, rather than imposing weighty restrictions and regulations that often choke a healthcare provider’s ability to empathize and tap into the true resource of people’s humanity. And people-ori-ented skills can make a positive impact on the financial bottom line.”

The third phase, Prosperity, focuses on achieving sustainability through succes-sion planning, leadership development, cooperative community relationships and transparency.

In addition to taking care of people, FairCare addresses environmental con-

cerns through recycling and carbon-off-set strategies. In partnership with Tree New Mexico, FairCare organizations will donate $1/patient in support of tree-planting efforts in NM. FairCare’s 2013 goal is to plant more than 1,000 trees.

The pilot of the FairCare model in New Mexico is being integrated into a fami-ly-owned and operated healthcare agen-cy, Advantage Home Care and Hospice. Adair is also taking the model to hos-pitals, cancer centers, long-term care fa-cilities, home-care and hospice organi-zations. A group of national healthcare experts is working together to develop a plan for national expansion.

“For some, sustainability in healthcare is a new way of thinking,” says social worker

FairCare TraiNiNgsA group of hospice and healthcare professionals interested in fairCare™ meets in Albuquerque and Santa fe each month. Many of these people intend to train as fairCare facilitators. There will be three emotional intelligence and resil-ience trainings as part of a certification process that is a prerequisite for caregiv-ers who want to work with the model as well as be part of the certification pro-cess. ThosetrainingsareMay23-25andOct.3-5forlevel1,andOct.17-19forlevel 2. Camille Adair, rN, and UNM professor Dr. Amy McConnell franklin, an international expert in emotional intelligence, are developing the training.

Elis Wilson, who works for Advantage. “For Norteños, it is a reminder of our communal, subsistence- and land-based past. For the families of the mercedes (land grants), the ejido provided land for everyone to graze their livestock and cut their firewood. The acequia systems have also sustained the land, people and com-munities in this way. Stewardship, as the FairCare model recognizes, is not just of the land, but also of the community and culture. This model appeals not only to my social work values; it also speaks to my roots in the mountains, streams and communities of northern New Mexico.”

If you are a part of a healthcare business, a sector of government, a healthcare professional, private caregiver or some-one in need of services, and would like to learn more about the movement to shift the healthcare paradigm through FairCare™ Certification, contact Adair at 505.470.3838 or [email protected] i

Seth Roffman, editor of Green Fire Times, is a writer and photojournalist. His work has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Native Peoples, Native Americas Magazine, Weekly Reader, New Mexico Magazine and many other publications.

Advantage Home Care and Hospice team (l-r) Tamara Rodriguez, RN; Elis Wilson, SW; Paulina Jones, RN; Kathryne Lim, SW; Denys Cope, RN.

Camille Adair


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Working in hospice has been one of the great joys and challenges

of my life. I started out at the bedside working as a hospice nurse case manag-er. I was impacted by the sacredness and raw intimacy that is present at the end of life. It is from the dying that I have learned more about living than anything else I have been exposed to. I began to see how the youth- and beauty-driven culture of mainstream America avoids the elderly, the sick and the dying. These people have become our version of un-touchables. By removing them from our lives, we have robbed ourselves of something profound. We no longer have a sense of the cycles that inform the na-ture of our lives and our connection to the natural world.

In the presence of a dying person, quality matters. Quality of relation-ships, quality of intent and quality of presence trump busywork, small talk and superficiality. It no longer mat-ters what kind of car you drive or what your title was at work. Life is close to the bone. Meaning-making, resolution and kindness are what nourish us as we prepare to leave the physical body.

It was the contrast I experienced be-tween mainstream media’s shallow and unrealistic portrayal of death as enter-tainment, and the rich world of human-ity that filled my days in hospice, and inspired me to create a documentary on death and dying. In 2008, after eight years of filming and editing, Solace: Wis-dom of the Dying screened in Santa Fe. Since then, I have directed and produced eleven related documentaries called the Solace Teachings to deepen the under-

standing of healthcare professionals, in-dividuals and community groups.

When we think of dying people we think of illness and are expected to ad-here to medical terminology like fail-ure and decline. The lack of training for healthcare professionals in how to think, feel and work with people at the end of life translates to over-treatment and avoidance of a person’s humanity. This often increases suffering and confusion for dying people and their families.

It is possible to be well and dying, just as it is possible to be “unwell” and physically healthy. We have equated wellness with physical stamina and youth. Palliative care expert and author Ira Byock, MD

once shared with me a question he routinely asks people facing a life-limiting illness, “How are you within yourself?” Through processes of inquiry we are able to address the whole person, not just an illness with symp-toms to be treated.

The second phase of my work in hospice was in education and

management. In my career as a nurse, I experienced hospice managers gener-ally as unhappy, unsupported and there-fore unable to be effective in their role as a leader. I learned that 83 percent of all nurses are first-born children of alcoholics. I was able to identify bully-ing, vertical or organizational violence and horizontal or peer-to-peer hostility that comes from many wounded people working together under stressful condi-tions. As one of the 83 percent, I began a deep investigation into the Greek myth of Chiron, the wounded healer.

In the middle of what I saw as an indus-try of wounded healthcare profession-als and often even more wounded (and wounding) organizations, I saw the need for a new model that addresses sustain-ability. Green Hospice is the result of that investigation that is now part of the FairCare™ model of sustainable health-

care, available to hospice organizations (see article, page 8).

A movement to reclaim death and dying as a normal and sacred part of the life cycle rather than as a medical failure backs the philosophy of Green Hospice. Like birth, death is a rite of passage to be held by the individual, family and community, as it deepens and informs how we live and re-minds us —like nothing else can—of the preciousness of time and the importance of making conscious choices about how we live and how we die.

A Green Hospice is required to provide all patients with information on Green Burial. Green Hospice has partnered with the Green Burial Council, who will sup-ply the education, support and resources on Green Burial options. Green Hospice also requires organizations to incorporate a “saging” program, where seasoned and elder nurses are able to pass their skills and knowledge along to incoming nurses. Physicians are integrated as staff mem-bers rather than contractors with mini-mal impact on the team and organiza-tion. Staffing ratios comply with national standards and groups of interdisciplinary staff form teams to support communica-tion and lateral accountability.

Hospices that become green adopt the philosophy that the people are the prod-uct. Without them, the organization would be unable to provide services. Many hospices, contrary to the spirit of the services provided, disregard the needs of the clinical staff and are closed to the valuable insights and feedback of hospice professionals, even though ba-sic business motivation strategies teach about the relationship between weigh-ing in and buying in.

An alarming number of hospice profes-sionals express their feelings of futility and frustration with their organization. Here the disconnect between the ad-

ministration and the field staff breeds discontent, which impacts the quality of patient care, retention rates and in turn the fiscal bottom line. Green Hospice holds to measurable standards for sat-isfaction and retention within hospice organizations as it speaks of concrete outcomes in business practices and cul-ture that impact the staff, having a ripple effect on the overall industry.

Green Hospice applies the standard of Do No Harm, an ethic held by physi-cians, to be extended to organizations. Businesses whose bottom line comes from serving dying people are faced with high moral and ethical stakes. There are no “do-overs” in hospice, as my friend and colleague, Kim Mooney of Boul-der hospice says. Therefore, a large part of sustainability in hospice lies in rais-ing awareness and committing to ethical practices, which includes careful selection and treatment of staff so that the hospice workers are able to provide responsible and appropriate care of the dying.

Sustainability, like mindfulness is a prac-tice that calls us to wake up and bring ourselves to the present moment in sup-port of positive change. This requires humility, patience, persistence, humor and creativity. It is here that I combine my nursing practice with a daily prac-tice of sustainability. The FairCare™ and Green Hospice models provide the framework. The people provide the change.

Advantage Home Care & Hospice of New Mexico will be the first certified Green Hospice as part of the FairCare™ Certification in sustainable healthcare. i

Camille Adair, CEO of Sacredigm Alliances, LLC, is a healthcare consultant, speaker, educator and filmmaker. Camille is available to provide presentations and in-services on FairCare, Green Hospice, Leadership Development Training for Healthcare Sustainability and film screenings. 505.470.3838, [email protected]

gREENHOSPICECamille Adair

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HealtH & Healing

Today while driving home after adding an acutely ill patient to

my schedule at the end of a busy day, I happened to eye a bumper sticker on the back of a car which my whole be-ing emphatically embraced: “When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power, the World Will Know Peace” (William Gladstone). This ranks up there with some of the best quotes I’ve ever seen. Profound. Simple. True. With this kind of wisdom so freely available, why is it that our nation is reeling from yet another mass shoot-ing, this time involving precious young children at an elementary school? The causes of such tragedies are obviously multifactorial, but they point to a deep imbalance in our society as a whole and in many individuals. The primary goal of all authentic healing is to reestablish inner homeostasis or balance. The body-mind-spirit is exquisite in its capacity to self-regulate. How often do we stop and marvel at its complexity and the undeniable intelligence that governs it? Classical Homeopathy, one of the pri-mary modalities I use in my Integrative Medical Practice, has a name for that intelligent healing force within us—the Vital Force.

This Force can get deranged by a num-ber of factors or insults, rendering it incapable of performing its supreme function—maintaining vibrant health. Examples of such insults include im-proper diet and pesticides in non-organ-ic foods, emotional stress and trauma, environmental toxins, and the Western (“allopathic”) medical emphasis on sup-pressing symptoms rather than uncover-

tOwARdSAutHENtICHEAlINgDr. Stephen Weiss

ing and addressing the root cause of a person’s dis-ease.

Back in 1980, George Vithoulkas, the father of modern-day homeopathy and a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alterna-tive Nobel Prize, predicted a surge in violence in our society from allopathic medical practice. According to homeo-pathic theory, suppressing a symptom rather than treating the whole person drives the disease deeper within, re-sulting in more serious imbalances and diseases. Did you know that many of the mass murderers of recent times, including the Newtown killer, the Au-rora, Colo. theater murderer, the shoot-ers at Columbine High School and the Unabomber, among many others, were on psychiatric medications when they committed their crimes? Many of these drugs have been linked to violent behav-ior, including suicide and homicide. All but one of the medications in a recently published “Top 10 Legal Drugs Linked to Violence” list are psychiatric medica-tions: seven antidepressants (mostly SS-RIs), two stimulants used to treat ADD/ADHD, and one sleeping pill no longer available in the US. Of course, all these killers were mentally deranged before they started their psychiatric meds. How many would have committed atrocities if they had been treated holistically is, of course, not known, but it seems likely that their meds did directly contribute to the blood spilled.

Homeopaths around the globe, includ-ing myself, witness the validity of this theory of suppression regularly in our

practices. When the correct constitu-tional homeopathic remedy is given that most closely matches the totality of an individual’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state, the patient’s psyche and spirit are the first to improve, while certain physical symptoms that they used to have, which were suppressed by drugs, particularly skin eruptions, may tempo-rarily reappear as part of the healing pro-cess. This is known as Hering’s Law of Cure : the body-mind-spirit literally ex-trudes or “spits out” the disease from its deepest recesses to the surface, exactly the opposite of suppression.

I do have a healthy respect for pharma-ceuticals when used judiciously. Steroids, the most suppressive of drugs, and even antidepressants, have saved countless lives. Except in emergencies, suppressive therapies should be used as a last resort and only after more holistic therapies such as Homeopathy, Chinese Medi-cine or Ayurveda have been tried. The breadth and scope of homeopathy is vast. I have seen it positively impact patients with a very wide range of both acute and chronic diseases. In the last week alone I have had the pleasure of seeing several patients with chronic ailments turn their health around using homeopathy. Please see articles I have written about patients on my website.

In Ayurveda, which is derived from the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hindu-ism, spirituality plays a central role. The great Rishis, seers who received the sacred knowledge that forms the ba-sis of Ayurveda, understood that a hu-man birth is a very precious and rare

phenomenon. They taught that the pur-pose of our human life, and of the heal-ing of our bodies and minds, is to grow spiritually and to know God intimately, indeed to become one with God. In order to do this, we must all make the pilgrimage from our egos to the infinite, unconditionally loving Land of the Soul and Conscious Awareness. i

Dr. Stephen P. Weiss is a board-certif ied family physician with a private practice i n H o l i s t i c I n t e g r a t i v e Medicine and over 25 years of experience. Voted one of Albuquerque’s Top Docs in 2006, he is known for seamlessly combining high-tech medicine with numerous safe and effective alternative healing modalities. 505.872.2611, www.holisticmedicineheals.com


Smile, breathe, relax. There. Feel better? Surely it can’t be that easy

to lead a happy and healthy life. But there are a few simple changes we can make in our daily routine to vastly im-prove our health and well-being, and in turn, the health and well-being of our communities. By taking better care of ourselves, we become better parents, spouses, co-workers and stewards of our communities. So what follows is a list of five ways to keep healthy, happy and well balanced in the new year.

1. BREATHE: “When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace,” says an anonymous sage. Learning how to breathe properly is vital for our well-being. Respiration delivers oxygen needed to nourish and purify the body. Our breath also has a major influence on our mind. Calm breath, calm mind. By lengthening our breaths we engage the parasympathetic nervous system, taking ourselves out of “fight or flight” mode and easing into “rest and di-gest” mode. So see how conscious you can be about your breathing patterns throughout the day. And if you find yourself getting overwhelmed, angry or unsettled, try deepening your breath by filling your lungs slowly and deeply from the bottom all the way up, then exhale from the bottom of the lungs to the top again. Repeat this a few times and notice the difference.

2. EAT WELL: We, quite literally, are what we eat. If we consume processed and synthetic foods, our body has to work harder to assimilate what we consume—and often can’t accomplish it—which results in our ailing health. But if we favor local, seasonal, organic,

FIvESIMPlEwAySto lIvEHEAltHyin 2013Celestia loeffler

non-GMO (non-genetically modified organisms), whole—or at least mini-mally processed—foods, then not only do we nourish ourselves, but we also pay respect to the Earth and the resources necessary to get the food to our plate. Buy whole foods. If something has a label, read it. If it contains words that you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, chances are it doesn’t belong in your belly. Shop at your local farmers’ market. And if you can’t, then at least stay on the perimeter of the grocery store, where the food is fresh (not packaged), and there are often local and organic options. And eat less. We Americans have a penchant for doing everything BIG. That includes portion sizes. A simple way to cut our food budget, and a couple inches off our waistline, is to only eat as much as your body really needs. Aim for 1,200-2,000 calories a day. Eat slowly. Taste your food. Savor and enjoy it. New Mexicans are blessed with an abundant local food supply. By supporting your local grow-ers, you support and nourish yourself and your community.

3. SLEEP WELL: Quality sleep is es-sential for a person’s optimal health and well-being. Each person has his or her own individual sleep needs, but any less than an average of six hours per night and you deprive your body and mind of the much-needed reprieve from the day’s events. Seven to eight hours of nightly sleep is ideal for most. If you have difficulty sleeping, avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages in the after-noon and evening. Also unplug elec-tronic devices at least an hour before going to bed. If you can, take a few min-utes to wind down before getting ready

for sleep. Meditating and sitting quietly with a cup of hot herbal tea are simple yet profound ways to promote optimal rest. If you can, go to sleep and wake up around the same times every day to tune in with your natural circadian rhythms. Research indicates that getting ample sleep can reduce inflammation in the body, sharpen your attention, aid in healthy weight loss and significantly lower stress levels. Not only will you feel good, you’ll be a pleasure to be around.

4. BE KIND. Being kind to others and to ourselves provides a steady flow of endorphins, the body’s natural pain inhibitors, which can help contribute to our sense of physical and emotional well-being. When we give of ourselves we foster a strong sense of confidence and optimism. Our kindness also in-spires others to be kind, which helps contribute to a stronger sense of family and community. What’s more, we are much more likely to receive the same kindness in return during our own times of need. It might feel counterintuitive at first to smile at or open a door for a stranger. But if you follow the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” you just might find that it benefits you as much, if not more, than those to whom you are ex-pressing kindness.

5. SPEND TIME IN NATURE: The Southwest abounds with wild spaces and nature to explore, and studies show

that spending even 20 minutes outside every day can have a vast impact on our vitality. “Nature is fuel for the soul,” says Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. “Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature,” he says. Spending time outdoors is a natural immunity- and en-ergy-booster. Spending time outdoors contributes to our sense of intercon-nectedness with all beings, which is vital in this age of rapidly evolving technol-ogy. Most folks these days are subsumed with computers and smartphones and would rather Google a ladder-backed woodpecker than actually find one in the wild. But by taking even a few min-utes each day to commune with nature, we are more apt to remember that we are all—from the tiny caterpillar and cholla cactus to the human being—in this life and this consciousness together.

Vast life improvements often begin with small, incremental changes in your daily routine. So even if you can’t log 10 hours of shuteye every night or eat only local, organic meals, don’t give up. If all you have each day are a few 30-second bursts to focus on your health and well-being, then try the “smile, breathe and relax” method. You just might find that those brief, blissful moments have the capability to bring a bit of peace and happiness to yourself and those around you, the effects of which can really add up dur-ing the course of the year. i

Celestia Loeffler is a wordsmith and yoga instructor from Santa Fe. [email protected], www.loreoftheland.org

Spending time outdoors is a natural immunity

and energy-booster.

Sandia Mountain as viewed from Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

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Hibernating is a human thing: We are designed to shift into low gear in winter. Like a farmer tinkering with his tools while snow covers the ground, down-

shifting gives your body time to repair itself. This is your body’s natural agenda.

Given extra downtime and deep nutrition, your body can refill the disks in your back with fluid, rebuild immune system cells and recondition your stressed-out nervous system (among other things). That can mean less back pain, better over-all health and an increased ability to handle hectic lives.

Just like night gives us time to recharge our batteries after a busy day, winter gives us time to restore ourselves after the wear-and-tear of summer.

But if we want any of these benefits, we have to lift our foot off life’s accelerator.

CUlTiVATe lAZiNeSSMainstream culture rewards “doing”; it judges “being” as unproductive and lazy—which makes it extra hard for us to slow down. We think we are relaxing by watching television or drinking and eating with friends—but in reality we need more hibernating: sleep and actual “quiet time.” When we stop doing, our bodies can start repairing. Give yourself permission to slow down.

If you find yourself getting sleepy much earlier in the evening, this is your body’s natural clock giving you extra time to nourish yourself with deep sleep. Stop your activities as early as possible, ideally by 8 pm. Unwind and relax and go to bed by 9 or 10 at the very latest.

To get the deepest sleep possible, have an herbal sleep tea or grate some nutmeg into warm milk, as nutmeg helps maintain a deeper sleep cycle. Give yourself a foot massage with oil and do some long deep breathing before going to sleep to calm your mind.

HOwtOgIvEyOuRSElFANEvENINgFOOtRuBHow can you go to bed earlier and fall asleep easily? Let your body know that you are serious with a foot rub. This stim-ulates special nerve endings in your feet that help calm your mind and shift your nervous system for sleep.

Begin by rinsing your feet in cool water and drying them. Pull one foot towards you and rub a bit of oil on it. Start by massaging around the ankle and down to the heel on both sides of the foot. This area carries the reflexology connection to the sexual organs, so massaging it relaxes this tension.

Next, rub the underside of your foot with several long thumb strokes. If you find any bumpy spots or calcifications, rub harder on those areas until you feel a gentle softening of the tension. Press hard on the ball of your foot and dig deep between the first and second toe in the natural hollow of your foot. This soft spot on the underside of your foot is soothing to stimulate because it is an entry point for energy in Chinese medicine. Stay with it for a minute. Now grab your toes with both hands and stretch and bend them in both directions, towards the sole of your foot and away. You get extra credit if your toes “pop.”

Squeeze your foot with both hands, caressing and massaging it and then switch to the opposite foot. If you have children, this is a wonderful way to unwind them from their day. In reflexology, massaging a child’s heel every night helps them develop a photographic memory. CoNtINueD oN PAGe 33

HeAlTH and WellNeSSsnuggle in And CHow down article and Photos by dr. JaPa K. Khalsa

FORAgINgFORyuMMywINtERFOOdSIn order for your body to carry out quality repairs, you need to eat nourishing foods. Most of us add a few pounds during the holidays, which feature an abun-dance of sweets, carbs and fats. Now is an excellent time to choose nutrient-dense, seasonally available foods that will satisfy without adding weight.

Winter greens such as kale, chard and seasonal lettuce are packed with nutrients like iron, potassium and calcium, which build blood and can help people (especially wom-en) feel more relaxed. Root vegetables make an easy meal, are gently cleansing, and satisfy that urge to chow down. Beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, yams and carrots have a blood-building effect because of all their minerals and are known for a cleansing effect on the liver. Root vegetables that have been harvested in the fall save their en-ergy and potency for the winter and are especially beneficial. Make a root vegetable bake for a simple seasonal meal that is satisfying and chock full of nutrients.

ROAStEdROOtSRECIPETake any combination of root vegetables (beets, parsnips, radishes, carrots, onions, potatoes and yams), chop them into evenly sized pieces and put them in a Dutch oven or covered casserole dish. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and perhaps some basil or oregano and let the roots bake at 375° until tender (45 minutes to an hour).

HOwtOHIdEwINtERgREENSINASMOOtHIEA favorite way to disguise winter greens is in a nut-and-fruit smoothie. The trick is to add a “sweet” item (like dates, berries, oranges or fruit juices) for every ad-ditional “healthy” item (like spinach, sprouts or spirulina) to balance the flavor. Start with frozen berries and toss in a few cashews, almonds or hemp seeds to

help it keep that creamy flavor and add some healthy fats and protein. There are an infinite number of fruits, nuts and veggies to combine.

In Eastern medicine, raw fruits and vegetables are considered hard to digest and are better for the summertime. However, because you are blending them, it breaks through the cell walls and allows all of the dense energy of win-ter greens to penetrate your body. Try this as a breakfast and you will be surprised how ener-gized your day can be. One word of caution: drinking this in the evening might be too ener-gizing. Experiment and see what works for your individual body type.

reCipe (serves 2)rasPberry and raw cacao “green” sMoothie2 cups frozen raspberriesCoverraspberrieswithyourfavoritejuice,thenadd:1 handful of any winter green (kale, chard, lettuce, spinach)1 tsp spirulina1 “splash” of tart cherry concentrate3 Tbsp hemp seeds2 Tbsp raw cacao powderBlend in a good blender until creamy, adding more juice if needed.

Winter Root bake with parsnips, onions, yams, potatoes


oh, Fair New Mexico, we love you so. We love to garden, walk, hike, bike, ski, swim, play tennis, ride horses and fish.

However, New Mexico doesn’t love our skin. As much as we love it here, we live in a very harsh climate, and skin care is not a luxury–it is a necessity. When you evaluate the inevitable age-related changes in the skin, you have to take into consideration both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Individuals age at different rates. Intrinsic aging is the chronological aging deter-mined by the DNA of your skin type, inherited from your parents and ancestors. Intrinsic aging is a function of the body’s metabolic processes naturally slowing down, which decreases the rate of new cell production. Extrinsic aging is biologi-cal aging determined by your lifestyle and environment.

Understanding skin types and skin color is essential for corrective treatment of the skin because individual characteristics determine tolerance for skin rejuvenation. Oth-er factors that can affect skin are sun exposure, air pollution, nutrient deficiencies, ex-treme weight loss, prescription medications, physical activity and emotional health. In New Mexico, wind, cold, low humidity, sun and Ultra-Violet (UV) radiation exposure are the major causes of skin damage and aging.

For every 1000 ft. of elevation, UV radiation increases 10 percent. So in Santa Fe we are at 7,000 ft. and receive 70 percent more UV compared to sea level, or say, Carlsbad, at 3,300 ft., with approximately 30 percent more UV-radiation exposure than sea level. Historically, NM and Arizona have led the US in skin cancer rates because of our elevation, exposure to the sun and lack of humidity.

Our major defense against aging in a climate such as this is to wear sunscreen, preferably a 30 SPF, 365 days a year.

Asofdecember2012,therearenewsunscreenregulations:A. Manufacturers can claim Broad Spectrum for products covering UVB and

UVA at 370 nanometers or more.B. Products can no longer be labeled “waterproof.” “Water resistant” may be used

if the product can be immersed for 80 minutes and retain its stated SPF.C. No claims can be made for SPF above 50 SPF. SPF 30 filters 95 percent of

UVB. Any SPF higher than 30 only protects in small increments up to 99 percent.

If you are using sunscreen and are concerned about not getting enough Vitamin D from the sun, make sure you are eating a healthy diet of red and orange veg-gies and dark leafy greens. Sit outside three days a week mid-day with your palms up for 15 minutes, and keep the rest of you protected. Your palms will absorb enough Vitamin D, and you won’t be damaging your skin.

ANTioxiDANTSMany studies have shown the health-protecting benefits of antioxidants. Anti-oxidants are vitamins or nutrients that protect the body and skin from oxidative stress by fighting off free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can cause damage to the body, especially the skin. Vitamin C is a potent antioxi-dant and a necessary contributor to collagen synthesis and wound healing.

For healthier skin, eat a balanced diet that includes dark leafy greens, red and orange veggies, berries, apples, healthy fats such as avocados and nuts, and lots of water. In the suggested 64 ounces of water intake a day, only 2 ounces actually make it to the skin. The rest is directed to the internal organs. Keep your intake of sugar low, and try to eliminate fructose, high-fructose corn sugar and carbo-hydrates that cause inflammation and cell injury, and you can improve the aging appearance and quality of your skin.

We believe that products that use organic ingredients that come from whole foods and other natural sources can be even more effective because the ratio of vitamins and other nutrients in them is more likely to work in harmony with our skin. As an added environmental perk, the botanicals in organic skin-care prod-ucts must be cultivated in ways that minimize pollution from air, soil and water.

Jan and Jack Kerr own Seventh Ray Skin Care in Santa Fe. They create their own organic skin- and body-care products for their clients’ specific needs. 505.982.9865, www.seventhrayskincare.com

SkiN CAre andAgINgin NeW MexiCoJan and Jack Kerr

Diabetes. Alzheimer’s. Obesity. Cancer. With disease and de-

pression running rampant, it’s not sur-prising to learn that we run the risk of exposing ourselves to over 80,000 toxins in our modern day-to-day lives. Enter the Self-Care Revolution™, an inspiring, educational 12-month series of weekly 60-minute teleseminars, Q&A calls, self-care journals and self-assessment tools.

The series is designed to promote more holistic, patient-centered solutions to the current disease-management model of healthcare. Inspired by Dr. Robyn Ben-son, DOM, a specialist in pain manage-ment, women’s health and family medi-cine, and sponsored by Santa Fe Soul Health & Healing Center, the Self-Care Revolution is bringing together world-renowned leaders in the field of comple-mentary and alternative medicine with those who wish to actively attempt to prevent or reverse disease.

Self-CAre reVolUTioN™ – A 12-MoNTH SerieS“Be your own best health-care advo-cate” is the first of five pathways that Dr. Benson speaks about regularly in order to prevent illness and stay well. The compound effects of self-care choices made daily, which include food, exercise and stress management, have a profound effect on personal health throughout life. “Daily choices that aren’t in alignment with your well-be-ing can ultimately lead to disease which can take years to be expressed,” says Dr. Benson. “Self-care is the true health-care and now is the time to commit to sustainable self-care strategies.”

The Self-Care Revolution connects members with coaches who provide mentoring and guidance. The potential transformation includes such things as fat- and weight loss while learning about foods, reducing the need for medication, improving mental clarity and focus, in-creasing energy and stamina, reducing

aches and pains, and lots of other impor-tant information intended to help peo-ple empower themselves to make wise choices for themselves and their families.

Subscribers to the series receive access to weekly 60-minute teleseminars, Q&A calls, self-care journals and self-assess-ment tools on the following topics:

January

Thoughts and food as MedicineFebruary Heart and Breath MattersMarch

Transmute and release Traumaapril unleashyourBrainPowerMay RestoreyourHealthby“Earthing”June

PowerofRelationshipsJuly exercise As Medicine

august

empowerment through the Balance ofyourFeminineandMasculine

sePteMber

Powerofyou=PowerofCommunityoctober Be fabulous At Any AgenoveMberPowerofgratitudedeceMber CelebratelifeandPayItForwardSeries participants also receive a ticket to a live Self-Care Revolution event sched-uled for June 21–23 in Santa Fe.

As part of February’s topic, “Heart and Breath Matters,” the Self-Care Revolu-tion is presenting author Stig Severinsen and Roy Heilbron, MD. Some of the other presenters throughout the year include Bioneers’ Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, The Secret’s Bob Doyle, Lynn Rose, Larry and Barbara Dossey.

For more information, visit www.JoinTheSelfCareRevolution.com


[email protected]

www.firstaffirmative.com

BOdyof SANTA fe eCo-Friendly, multidimensionAl FACility inspires wellness

Top left: Chef Matthew Fox; Center: Owner Lorin Parrish with Chefs Reuben Guerra and Angel Reyes

Body oF santa Fe is a center for yoga, tai chi and dance, a spa and a child-care center. It is also a clothing store, boutique and café. Located in the

heart of the City Different (333 Cordova Rd.), BODY is known for its ethos of chemical-free living. Lorin Parrish founded BODY in 2004 on the premise of establishing a new paradigm of business: a community center that inspires and facilitates wellness. BODY Yoga School, a Vinyasa teacher-training program, began in 2012.

Pesticides commonly used in cotton production end up in air, water, soil and people. BODY sells organic cotton clothing. “The world is starting to realize that people can wear beautiful designs without subjecting our bodies and environ-ments to the documented dangers of pesticides,” says Parrish. BODY Boutique carries products from companies that engage in fair-trade business practices, in-cluding men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories.

The BODY café, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is known for its commit-ment to sustainable, organic selections of raw and vegan food as well as wheat-, dairy- and sugar-free meals. The café also offers fish and locally raised chicken and lamb, as well as organic wine, beer and sake, veggie cocktails and elixirs.

BODY has been voted by Santa Feans as the best yoga studio, restaurant for vegetarians and best place for a facial and massage. For more information, call 505.986.0362 or visit www.bodyofsantafe.com.


We have many words to express concepts of health and well-

ness. Marketers use key phrases to engage and attract a broad audience. Researchers test products and some-times express their findings within the frame of desired results. Western medical research is often based on the premise that there is little dis-cernable difference between people. This leaves us with unanswered ques-tions about why a product will work well for some people but not others. There is no philosophic underpin-ning to gain insight on why this is.

Ayurveda is a philosophic platform that gives us a sound understanding of how, when and with whom a diet, yoga practice or herbal remedy will yield results. The Ayurvedic practi-tioner provides a platform for bal-ance and wellness of body, mind and spirit. One role of the practitioner is to help the client understand his or her unique make-up, so the individ-ual can determine for him- or herself whether an activity or food choice is

AyuRvEdA:HeAltH, wellness, HeAling And mediCineNomi Gallo

going to enhance wellness based on the qualities present in that choice.

One part of Ayurveda that can be easily adopted is using Ayurveda’s 20 Qualities to balance one’s diet (see table). A particular group may advocate the benefits of raw foods such as salad. For a person who is very thin, has dry skin, a mobile mind that is spacey and ungrounded, and if the person tends to be constipated and unable to sleep, this may be a poor choice. According to the Ayurvedic understanding, the dry, light, mobile and clear qualities of the salad are increasing her body/

mind’s dry, light, mobile and clear qualities. These qualities are caus-ing the lightness of the body, dry-ness of the skin, mobile-ness of the mind, and the clear quality that leads to spacey-ness. Even though this diet may have many beneficial qualities in terms of nutrient content,

the symptoms are telling us that it is not properly digested and causing “dis-ease.” So, this diet is not right for that person, although it may be right for a person exhibiting the opposite qualities: oily, heavy, static and cloudy.

My clients generally realize that they feel much better when they begin to apply this concept of opposites in their life. Because people have dif-ferent needs, the conventional idea

of there being a single great choice—of food, herb, drug, exercise—for everyone is in-stantly disproved when we see how the choices themselves are in con-flict.

tHEJOuRNEyOFAyuRvEdA To THe WeSTAyurveda is an ancient medicine. Ayurvedic texts say that Ayurveda is eternal because it provides understand-ing of truth in Nature, which itself is eternal. The systemization of Ayurveda was writ-ten down nearly 5,000 years ago, and it has been in practice in In-dia ever since. It is only in the last 50 years that it has moved west. Ayurveda is relatively new in the United States, so the profession-al structure is still growing, as is the awareness of the medicine itself.

In the year 2000, a group of people committed to the professionalism of Ayurveda in the US incorporated the National Ayurvedic Medical Associa-tion (NAMA). NAMA was the first national, professional association ded-icated to preserve, protect, improve and promote the philosophy, knowl-edge, science and practice of Ayurveda for the benefit of humanity.

NAMA has worked to create stan-dards of competency, relationships with other associations, and a profes-sional network through committees, conferences and communication. This year’s NAMA conference, “Longev-ity Through Ayurveda,” will be held in Albuquerque (April 18-21). It’s a great way to gain firsthand under-standing of Ayurveda. Many of the premier teachers and practitioners in the United States will attend and speak. Visiting the exhibition hall will be free. For more information, visit the “Conference” page at www.AyurvedaNAMA.org

Those who live in New Mexico are fortunate that the practice of comple-

the twenty gunas or qualities oF existence

mentary and alternative medicine like Ayurveda is legal in our state. This law, New Mexico “Unlicensed Health Care Practice Act,” HB 664, was passed in 2009. New Mexico is one of the very few states that have such legislation. Organizers of the legisla-tion created a website that details this initiative: www.nmcaamp.org

To live in a state of wellness, to pro-vide a platform for healing, we must remember that health is not limited to symptoms. Symptoms that are re-occurring are deep. The cause of ill-ness is in the mind as well as the body. Ayurveda shows us the inability to separate the body, mind and spirit. I watch my clients. I watch my stu-dents. I watch all those I meet and revel in their moments of understand-ing about their health and the role they can take in transforming their personal well-being. i

N o m i G a l l o , an Ayur vedic p r a c t i t i o n e r, s e r v e s a s instructor, events c o o r d i n a t o r and seminars coordinator for the Ayurvedic I n s t i t u t e i n Albuquerque (www.ayurveda.com). Email: [email protected]

Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc, teaching informally at the National Ayurvedic Medical Association conference in 2012. Lad’s academic training includes Western medi-cine and surgery as well as traditional Ayurveda.


alternative Healing

i have a confession to make... I can’t stop using Seimei. I use it on ev-

erything and everyone, never ceasing to be astounded at the results. But more about that later.

First, some background. I’m a Mind-Body Integrative Therapist with dual licensure in Clinical Counseling and Bodywork, in private practice for 26 years. I’m also a Naturopathic Doctor. Over the years, I’ve acquired a huge toolbox of specialized modalities that address issues ranging from emotional and psychological distress to trauma and physical pain. These tools have proven quite effective in meeting my clients’ needs.

I reluctantly agreed to study Seimei, a Japanese natural healing method, two years ago, at the continual urging of a friend. I felt I already had adequate tools to take away pain and so on... Why not just deepen the tools I al-ready had? Quite frankly, I was more intrigued by the idea of going to Japan to experience living and studying in a Buddhist temple than anything else.

Well, the rest, as they say, is history. I was immediately struck by the depth of Seimei. It was not just another healing modality, although it certainly did the trick in that department. It turns out Seimei is a form of applied contemporary Buddhism, and can be used in virtually any situation to good result. Seimei means life-force or Buddha Nature, and in order to use it, we first undergo a Buddhist ceremony to “unbind” our Seimei and give it the power to move. For me, life has never been the same since.

Immediately afterwards, one can change the taste of physical substances like juice or wine, and take away pain from others. All this without touch, I might add. Seimei is a hands-off mo-dality. No previous experience or spe-cial gifts are required–anybody can do it. Continued study allows us to clear viruses, toxicity and other forms of stagnation, work directly with organ systems, and work long distance–all with verifiable results. Seimei is im-mediate, with deeper-acting results

CoNfeSSioNS of aSEIMEIPRACtItIONERBeverly Kune

easily transcending the laws, as we know them, of time, space and mass.

Did I mention that results achieved are often almost instantaneous? Quite frequently, someone gets relief from pain, even chronic pain, within a few minutes. I regularly hear the words, “That’s amazing! The pain is gone!” People always feel lighter and more balanced, with results continuing to integrate and develop overnight. And results are not limited to the physi-cal. Seimei is equally effective for the mental-emotional realm as well, ad-dressing states such as anxiety, over-whelm and depression.

Seimei has a cumulative effect: Re-peated sessions go deeper, ultimately helping to shift and resolve chronic conditions. And it is not just the client who benefits. While lots of modalities have a “kickback” effect to the prac-titioners, Seimei’s kickback is instant. The more I practice using Seimei, the better I feel; pain and problems dis-solve as I work. Wow!

But next comes the reason I am seem-ingly addicted to Seimei. Seimei

doesn’t just work on physi-cal issues or mental-emo-tional well-be-ing; my experi-ence has shown me that Seimei actually chang-es the nature of physical real-ity. Remember what I said about the abil-ity to change the taste or na-ture of a bev-erage... pretty amazing. More amazing still is the virtu-ally unlimited nature of ap-plications. I’ve used Seimei for just about

everything from computer and elec-tronics problems to broken commu-nication links between a phone and a car’s Bluetooth; I’ve even used Seimei on a clogged toilet (why call a plumb-er?!). My dogs got skunked one un-fortunate night, the horrendous smell permeating every corner of the house. Seimei to the rescue–dogs and house free from odor. I use it to find things that are lost (including kitties); and even cured severe separation-anxiety and other behavior issues in my res-cue dog. The possibilities are endless, ranging from the tangible to the in-tangible.

The Center for the Practice and Study of Seimei is hosting a unique oppor-tunity to live and study inside a Bud-dhist Temple in Saga, Japan, October 23-29, 2013. You can undergo a special Awarding of Power Ceremony facili-tated by Seimei’s Founder, Toshihisa Hiraki. Once your “Awakened Bud-dha Nature” is unbound, you’ll partake

in powerful healing baths and explore Seimei’s power and potential through practice, ceremonies and unique ap-plications researched and practiced by thousands of Japanese over the years.

Many allopathic and alternative healthcare practitioners have now in-corporated it into their work. Santa Fe is one of two centers in the US for the study and practice of Seimei. (Hawthorne, New Jersey is the other.) Classes continue in Santa Fe for 10 weeks, where you can learn how to use your awakened Seimei. The Center also sponsors a public clinic, Thursday evenings at Santa Fe Budokan,1360 Vegas Verde Drive. Individualized ses-sions are available by donation starting at 6:55 pm. It is requested that people arrive between 6:30 and 6:45. i

For more information, call Beverly Kune: 505.690.5524 or visit www. seimeifoundation.org

The results transcend the laws of time, space and mass.

Fountain outside the Lower Temple in Saga Japan


What does health or healing mean to most of us? Is it just

the absence of disease, or dealing with problems? Or, can we expand health to mean a sense of well-being and vi-tality, as seen in an active, robust ani-mal who is engaged with its environ-ment and with human companions?

Many people who turn to acupunc-ture, herbs and supplements for their animal companions are seeking to not only improve a certain condition or state of disease; they are also con-cerned with their animal’s quality of life.

In acupuncture and Chinese medi-cine, the practitioner looks at the whole body system and considers any external symptoms as manifestations of that system being out of balance. Acupuncture is a tool by which that system can be rebalanced. Much of the time, animals who have been treated with acupuncture have increased vital-ity and energy.

Western medicine doesn’t tend to ac-knowledge things like the vitality and energy of a patient. These things are difficult, if not impossible, to measure objectively. Given the variables of dif-ferent observers’ impressions or un-derstanding of how much better a dog is feeling without being able to ask the dog, subjective observation can’t be quantified very well.

After more than 12 years of using acupuncture to treat animals, I can say that my subjective observations have been that animals benefit in many ways. In addition to increased vitality and energy, benefits often in-clude some degree of resolution of the symptoms or disease process.

KEEPINgANIMAlSHEAltHywith ACuPuNCtuREand CHiNeSe MeDiCiNeAudrey Shannon, DVM

The reason for these improvements is the way the body responds to this form of treatment. Acupuncture im-proves circulation to target areas, as when treating arthritis, as well as to internal organs such as the kidneys or the liver. Increased circulation is ac-companied by increased energy flow, lymphatic circulation and a more bal-anced hormonal and endorphin re-lease, and allows localized areas and the organ systems to function better. Improved tissue and organ function results in the increase in vitality and energy we see. It usually results in comments from the human compan-ions about how their dog or cat seems to feel better and is happier.

There are some instances when im-proved health can be measured by West-ern medicine testing. This may be shown in improved kidney or liver values on a chemistry panel. More often, however, the results are measured subjectively by an improvement in the symptoms of ar-thritis or a decreased reoccurrence of in-fections, or an improved appetite. People notice how much more the animals are engaged and interested in their environ-ment and with their human compan-ions. Their animals are playing with toys, wanting to go on walks, or go on longer walks, have more stamina, and they don’t just sleep all day. The conclusion is gen-erally that the animals are feeling better and that they are happier, healthier and enjoying their life. These are all qualities that humans value and find it difficult to measure in their own lives.

NUTriTioNAcupuncture can be a truly amazing and useful modality for improving conditions and quality of life for an animal. However, probably of equal

i m p o r t a n c e is nutrition. Food is the cornerstone of health. Chi-nese medicine has determined that food qual-ity and source, and the nature of the food, is very important to each patient. In the Western world we are becoming more accustomed to the importance and source of the food we eat and feed to our animals. We look for fresh and natural or organic foods. But this awareness, along with consid-eration of the type of food the patient would most benefit from is really a much newer concept that is common in Eastern medical systems. A young-er animal may benefit from a raw food diet, but an older or chronically ill pa-tient may benefit more from cooked foods.

Other considerations in Chinese medicine are the nature and heal-ing properties of foods that will most benefit a specific condition or organ system. For example, pears are used to improve lung function, and are fed to patients with breathing problems and asthma. Seaweed is used to improve the kidney and urinary tract system, and is included in the diet to prevent urinary tract infections and stones forming. Supplements and herbs are also given to improve symptoms of

Dr. Shannon treating Zena, a 16-year-old New Mexico cattle dog mix, with acupuncture

disease and increase the state of the patient’s health.

Using acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in animals can have many beneficial and rewarding results. It can be used for health maintenance and preventative medicine, or in con-junction with Western medicine to treat chronic or acute conditions, usu-ally resulting in quicker resolution of a problem. Most animal patients, with long-term acupuncture treatment and maintenance, have an increased quality of life, vitality and longevity. Although the sense of improved well-being and general state of health and happiness of an animal is purely subjective, their human companions notice it, and that is what matters most. i

Dr. Audrey Shannon is a Santa Fe veterinarian who practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine on dogs and cats. Dr. Shannon makes house calls. 505.820.2616, [email protected], www.animalacupuncturevet.com

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On Paseo de Peralta (next to Kakawa Chocolates)


Susan Guyette

EVERYDA Y GREEN

NAtIvEAMERICANINtEgRAtIvEHEAlINg

When the Center for Native American Integrative Healing opened in Santa Fe in July, I knew that this, for me, was home. The Centers, in

both Albuquerque and Santa Fe, offer a unique blend of healing assistance, a combination of Native American healing with Western modalities and Vipas-sana Buddhism. I asked the director, Karen Waconda-Lewis (Isleta/Laguna) to explain this innovative approach.

Sg:Howdowesterntherapies,NativeAmericantraditionalcounseling,healing ceremonies and Vipassana Buddhism work together?kWl: Frequently, healing is blocked by stress, deep emotions, re-invoked trauma or environmental toxins. Medications or drugs ingested over a period of years and stored in the fat cells can also block healing. By combining Western massage mo-dalities with Native American sacred ways and healing practices we can open up the body and call on guided spirit for assistance. Traditional medicine plants, such as cedar, sweetgrass, sage and different minerals are used as well. Sometimes vibra-tion energy, with humming, drumming, rattling and crystals is useful—to get back to our Earth vibration or plant vibration, or the vibration of one’s true being.

The center offers a holistic, mind-and-body approach to healing through massage, bodywork, meditation and traditional Native American healing. Our massage incor-porates many therapeutic modalities, including Swedish Massage, Polarity Therapy, Core Synchronism and Myofascial Release, as well as other specialties specific to each therapist. Our emphasis is working on the cellular level, opening up the channels for self-healing—starting with the mind. We often co-partner with Western practitio-ners if the patient desires that form of integrative healing.

The center in Albuquerque will soon have a weekly women’s sweat lodge. It is a purification ceremony to rebirth the spirit, the body and the mind. Through prayers, there can be a transformation inside the lodge for healing. We also offer talking circles—when you actually put out your intentions they become real and can go directly to Spirit. With this natural focus there is reduced burden in the heart, physically in the shoulders, and in the mind there is less pressure—so this assists in the release of illness.

We offer healing ceremonies for individuals, couples or groups that address im-balances. The healer is setting up the channels and gateways, so then the Spirit and minerals can come in and work in a good way. There are usually the four elements to serve as the medicine base—Fire, Water, Earth, and Air—because the medicine is connected with all our relations in nature. Healing sessions are confidential; nothing is shared once the ceremony closes.

Sg:Howdidyoucomeintothiswork?Kwl: I grew up learning the Native American use of flowers and plants for healing. In the Western modality, I started with sports massage, working two times with the Olympic Games, in Spain and Atlanta. My first background is in nutrition, and the athletes wanted someone to teach them to read food labels. Eating well and massage go together for good health, so I ended up working with the athletes in those two combinations. After that, I worked with people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and other disabilities. So, I was able to look at the body in a different way, and then focus on Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Release, Polarity Therapy and acupressure for rehabilitation—working closely with physicians in rehabilitative massages.

Knowing nutrition, anatomy and physiology is useful for tailoring special diets and healing massage treatments. The organs, tissues and blood respond to differ-ent modalities. Additionally, flower essences, homeopathics and gem essences are useful for healing various types of trauma.

As a child, I learned the Pueblo foundation that you are given to be in ceremony in silence—to observe yourself, your space, to have compassion for others, to be respectful and to honor by ob-serving. Observing not only the outside, but also observing the inside, sustains a person during difficult transitions and transfor-mations. In 1997, I began study-ing Vipassana with Joseph Gold-stein, and discovered the benefits of deep breathing and a sense of connectedness gained through meditation—also very beneficial for healing. In 2009, I finished the Community Dharma Leader studies and co-founded the Al-buquerque People of Color, Allies Sangha, and the Native Healers Silent Retreat.

I’ve been teaching in meditation retreats here in New Mexico and at the Oak-land Vipassana Center. Meditation fosters healing through stress reduction and compassion. The two traditions blend together well.

Sg:youarealsosponsoringmeditationretreats.HowdoyouintegrateBuddhism and Native American healing there?Kwl: Our centers are open for weekly meditation sits in Santa Fe on Sun-day afternoons at 2:30 and in Albuquerque on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. The Dharma talks are a blend of Native American and Buddhist teachings.

Our meditation retreats are offered four times a year, on the Equinox and Sol-stice. We open with a traditional sweat lodge for cleansing and ceremony to em-phasize opening the participant for healing. The following two days incorporate blessings, silent sitting and walking meditation—with a Dharma (teaching) talk on the second and third days. On the fourth day, a talking circle enables partici-pants to speak about their experiences and have closure.

Sg: Who are the practitioners at the Center?kWl: There are two practitioners. I was raised in Native American healing tra-ditions, have a BS in Nutrition and a MS degree in Community Health. Nara Shedd is a licensed massage therapist, a Certified Laban-Bartenieff Movement Analyst and a Certified Core Synchronism Practitioner and has worked with us for five years in this blended tradition. We both are licensed massage therapists, and I am a traditional medicine healer. My daughter, Camille Waconda-Smith, assists with administration. All are welcome! i

Center for Native American integrated Healing227E.PalaceAve.,SuiteB(KrugerBuilding)SantaFe201dartmouthSE,Albuquerque505.503.5093,www.nativeintegrativehealing.com

Susan Guyette, Ph.D. is Métis (Micmac Indian and Acadian French) and a planner specializing in cultural tourism, cultural centers, museums and native foods. She is the author of Planning for Balanced Development, co-author of Zen Birding: Connect in Nature, and the author of several texts for American Indian Studies. www.santafeplanning.com

Native American Integrated Healing staff (l-r) Camille Waconda-Smith, Karen Waconda-Lewis, Nara Shed

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gathering inspiration for her life’s work took a circuitous route for

Helen Wildman Meehan, drawing on travels as far flung as Guinea, Spain, Aus-tralia and England, and drawing upon diverse talents in music, massage and theatre. Born in San Francisco, Wild-man Meehan moved to New England at age 12, where dealing with her mentally challenged mother gave the young girl the gift of compassion for others and a profound understanding of the need for

healing as an integral part of childhood education.

Captivated by sight of c h i l d r e n singing on the hilltops of Austria in the film

The Sound of Music, Wildman Meehan began a life-long passion for promoting the healing arts and, in the process, erasing divisions between subject matters. At the tender age of nine, she imagined a landscape dotted with communities centered around teaching children to draw on their intuitive abilities to become healers. As an adult, Wildman Meehan studied healing arts in England for 15 years; learned Afro-Haitian dance; became fluent in Spanish while working two jobs as an English teacher and as an au pair in Spain; practiced massage for 32 years, and sang with the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus for more than eight years. All of these diverse professional experiences made for a potent blend of talents that ultimately came to fruition in the es-

HEAlINgARtSin a NUTSHell at gOldENACORNSSuMMERCAMPJaima Chevalier

tablishment of Golden Acorns Summer Camp, based in Santa Fe, where Wildman Meehan’s dream of establishing a kind of New World curriculum might strive to supply what was miss-ing in public education.

Golden Acorns Summer Camp, Inc. was officially started in 2009, and became a 501(c) (3) in 2011. The organization is designed to promote living arts and culture for area children age 5 to 11, but the tantalizing course descriptions appeal to all: the village rhythms of Ni-geria (including batiking); Balkan song and dance; dream weaving, meridians and essential oils; the culture and heal-ing of India; Asian healing practices of shiatsu and qi gong; permaculture and herbalism; and urban culture, including break dancing, body percussion, spoken word and graffiti art; the art of clown-ing; the art of storytelling and listen-ing. The one-week sessions presented at area campuses employ a broad range of instructors. The camps utilize student counselors who assist the adult instruc-tors, providing a mentoring experience across the generations. At its core, the curriculum integrates a broad range of instructional areas in healing arts and cultural experiences, including yoga, t’ai chi, meditation, intuitive development, sustainability and so forth, all presented alongside dance, music and story. World culture is a key component of Wildman Meehan’s vision. This year, week-long coursework based on the cultures of Ni-geria, Ethiopia, Korea, Urban and New Mexico (including Native American, Spanish, and Sephardic components) are featured for the purpose of teaching

how cultural simi-larities outweigh differences, and that the beauty of differences is to be cherished, not feared. Wildman Meehan’s child-hood imaginings envision a world without borders, both geographical and cultural.

The cornerstone of Golden Acorns’ in-structional approach is integrating heal-ing arts into all subject matters, based on Wildman Meehan’s belief that the student’s internal environment is the linchpin for creating change in the outer environments—so much so that Wild-man Meehan furnishes scholarships for deserving students. If the child learns methods of calming, curing and control-ling behaviors, that positive energy leads to greater sensitivity and understanding of others, which in turn reduces the ag-gression and conflict. Golden Acorns’ holistic approach takes the healing arts to an additional level; that is, of raising consciousness about global concerns in sustainability.

“Seemingly disconnected things—ev-erything from the tiniest worm to world poverty to understanding interlinked riparian systems—is rolled into the les-son plans,” Wildman Meehan says. “The critical juncture in world history makes these lessons the key to peaceful solutions of the problems we face today.” While the experiences that brought Wildman Meehan to Santa Fe have extremely dif-ferent origins, she believes that Santa Fe is ideally suited for this movement, and that the proliferation of organiza-tions with similar objectives makes an environment ripe for collaboration and formation of partnerships that will bring strength to the overall design.

For more information, visit www. goldenacornscamp.com or contact Assistant Director Caren Gala at 505.795.9079. i

Jaima Chevalier’s work has appeared in New Mexico Magazine, New Mexico Journey, Santa Fe New Mexican’s Bienvenidos and many other publications. She has authored three books on subjects related to her native state of New Mexico.

Helen W. Meehan


on a cold and windy Dec. 9 in Albuquerque, the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) celebrated its 40th anniversary at the South Broadway

Cultural Center. Seventy-five people reconnected with people who have been involved with the organization for decades. What a milestone! Forty years, and the NMSEA is still promoting clean, renewable energy—especially solar energy—through education, empowerment, colla bora tion and advocacy.

Sharon Gross, wife of the late solar advocate and UNM Dean Bill Gross, wrote, “I found the celebration energizing. It was wonderful hearing about new NMSEA di-rections, and learning so much about so many people involved in solar.”

Outgoing PRC Commissioner Jason Marks attended and lauded New Mexico’s ac-complishments in solar and renewable energy in recent years. We received formal congratulations from American Solar Energy Society President Susan Greene via a YouTube video, as well as a congratulatory letter from former US House Rep. and now Sen. Martin Heinrich, who wrote:

Congratulations… Your dedication to promoting solar energy businesses has been an asset in building our nation’s clean energy economy… Thank you also for your work in solar energy education. The future of these technologies is only as strong as the educa-tion we deliver to students today in and out of the classroom…

Following the organization’s annual meeting, a light brunch and toast to both the past and future of the organization, four fully edited episodes of Renewable New Mexico (RNM), NMSEA’s new high-quality TV series, were shown on a big screen. The series features in-terviews with a who’s-who of NM solar energy pioneers, entrepreneurs and educators.

Directed by Toby Younis and produced at the new UPublic community service televi-sion facilities in Albuquerque, RNM marks a new direction for our venerable organi-zation that began in the early ‘70s with conferences devoted to passive solar energy (see accompanying article). The series is concluding its first run on Channels 26 and 27 in Albuquerque, will soon begin playing on public access channels throughout the state, and will also soon be uploaded to the Internet. For more information about dates and times, “friend” NMSEA on Facebook or consult the website: www.nmsea.org

In fulfilling its mission, the NMSEA will continue to produce Solar Fiestas, offer Sun Chaser programs to schools and collaborate with other organizations on renewable energy advocacy.

a MoveMent For this tiMeAll of this, of course, couldn’t come at a more important time, with the accelerating need for renewable energy to avert the worst-case scenarios of changes to the climate that are already stressing the planet’s human and nonhuman inhabitants.

I challenge the idea that the early ‘70s (i.e. 40 years ago) will be regarded historically as the high-water mark in terms of federal environmental legislation and national

tHougHts on tHe NMSOlARENERgyASSOCIAtION’S40THANNIvERSARyJanet Bridgers

environmental con-sciousness. I say we can-not let that be. Though we have already seen unprecedented efforts in Congress to reverse federal legislation to protect land, sky, water and endangered spe-cies, this erosion of our country’s commitment to its environment will only continue if we’re not willing to fight it.

Those of us who were in our teens and 20s in the ‘70s remember the period’s intensity. We were in the streets. And there were many political victories in the same timeframe as the disastrous loss of over 60,000 American soldiers and millions of Vietnamese who died in a war that proved to be one of our nation’s greatest mistakes. The environ-mental movement of that time was fueled by the same intensity. Does it still exist? No. But a new intensity may be emerging.

Though the progressive forces in the US failed to regain the House of Representatives in the November 2012 election, we did see the re-election of President Obama by a success-ful coalition of labor, young people, women and minorities. Despite dissatisfaction with the Administration’s lackluster environmental record, the environmentally concerned joined that coalition and overcame the fossil-fuel industries’ unprecedented political spending.

I think that the people who were smart enough to re-elect Obama are also smart enough to understand that private profit at public cost is no way to fuel econom-ic growth. They are smart enough to understand that we cannot sacrifice precious groundwater or otherwise grant fossil fuel and nuclear power companies a free hand that leaves communities and individuals at risk of the consequences of the poor plan-ning and carelessness that the BP oil disaster and the Fukushima nuclear nightmare so clearly demonstrate.

Those of us involved with renewable energy as advocates, professionals and home-owners are part of a movement with few household names but millions of people. Whether or not we have children of our own, we care about future generations. And now, if those of us who have grey hair (if we have hair at all) will just learn to do social media to stay connected with younger people, if we’ll continue to be active politically despite the maddening frustration of the political system, if we’ll continue to find personal ways to reduce our carbon footprint while advocating for large-scale change in that direction and by supporting companies that are moving the ball, we will even-tually succeed in re-popularizing an ethos of care for the planet. Because we must. i

Janet Bridgers is vice president of the NM Solar Energy Association. www.nmsea.org

Renewable energy producers (l-r) Toby Younis, Janet Bridgers, Monte Ogdahl and NMSEA President Gary Vaughn

Mark Chalom addresses NMSEA party


in 1972, just before the Arab oil em-bargo triggered the first US “energy

crisis,” Peter van Dresser, Steve Baer and Keith Haggard founded the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) and hosted the first “Life Technic” Conference, the “proceed-ings” from which became NMSEA’s first publication.

Soon thereafter, the Sun-dwellings Project was born when the Four Cor-ners Regional Commission (a federal-ly funded agency administered by the governors of the Four Corners states) asked van Dresser to consider a proj-ect to design solar heating units for retrofit to mobile homes. Van Dresser suggested, “Rather than try to solarize house trailers, why not develop inex-pensive, owner-built solar homes?”

The commission approved van Dress-er’s project. He then led a team of architects, engineers and solar ex-perimenters to design and supervise construction of low-technology, so-lar-heated dwellings made of indig-enous materials. The Sun-dwellings design team, initially including archi-tects William Lumpkins and David Wright, engineers Francis Wessling and B.T. Rogers, and NMSEA Exec-utive Director Keith Haggard, asked local people what their needs and de-sires were in a dwelling. They found that individuals who live in the pueb-los and villages of northern NM tend to prefer their traditional way of life.

This meant two things: First, the de-sign team would have to work with classically beautiful Southwestern

tHENMSEA—PERSPECtIvESon a40-yEARHIStORyGary Vaughn

adobe brick walls, flagstone floors and peeled pine roof beams. Whatever kind(s) of solar heating equipment the team decided on would have to be—above all—simple and reliable.

Construction of the four 20’x40’ test units (one featuring a lean-to green-house, a second utilizing a Trombe wall collector, a third unit employing the “direct gain” concept and a fourth to serve as a control) began early in 1976. Mark Chalom, Aubrey Owen and Quentin Wilson served as on-site con-struction foremen for the project and trained workers on solar energy funda-mentals and basic building techniques.

The 16 trainee-workers who partici-pated in the project—all men from the surrounding pueblos and villag-es—did their own millwork, quarried

flagstones, cut tim-ber and made ado-be bricks for each “ S u n - d w e l l i n g ” with materials from the immediate area.

In the early 70s, Doug Balcomb, a nuclear-engineering Ph.D. from MIT, accepted a job at Los Alamos Na-tional Lab to work on nuclear-powered spacecraft. When the

program lost funding, he followed his growing interest in so-lar energy. Dr. Balcomb pioneered early research in quantifying passive solar design performance, including analyz-ing data from the Ghost Ranch Sun-dwellings. He is considered the “father” of the Energy-10 modeling software that revolutionized passive and active solar-architecture design methods. Af-ter serving as president of NMSEA, Dr. Balcomb became the first director of the US National Renewable Energy Lab.

From 1977 to 1982, NMSEA had an executive director and paid staff engaged in cutting-edge “alternative architecture,” sustainable community building and passive solar research, applications and education. NMSEA’s annual “Life Technic” Conferences at Ghost Ranch were well attended and

resulted in publication of thick vol-umes of conference proceedings. One of the regular attendees was a young scientist named Amory Lovins.

Federal support for solar-energy re-search ended in 1983 with Ronald Reagan’s election. 1983 also saw the loss of Peter van Dresser. NMSEA’s paid staff plummeted to zero, and the organization soon lacked funds to publish even a modest newsletter. Dr. Bill Gross, then Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of New Mexico, hosted NMSEA board meetings in his living room. Howev-er, the annual NMSEA Life Technic Conference continued and even ex-panded to include a co-conference—the Peter van Dresser Workshop on Village Development.

Slowly the organization rebuilt itself. In 1994, NMSEA published the first edition of “The New SunPaper.” In the late ‘90s, Karlis Viceps launched the NMSEA “SunChaser” Program, named after a solar-energy demon-stration trailer that he built. The Sun-Chaser trailer roamed the roads of NM for years, delivering hands-on solar energy education to thousands of students.

In 2000, Rose Kern organized the first NMSEA Solar Fiesta, held at the Ber-nalillo High School campus. A com-bination of a “solar trade show” and an educational forum, the Solar Fiesta became an annual event, one which has introduced thousands of New Mexi-cans to a wide variety of solar energy products, ideas and possibilities.

In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, LANL

physicist Ben Luce expanded NM-SEA’s educational reach with an ex-pansive web site, including hundreds of pages of high quality educational documents and informative handouts. He also encouraged NMSEA to be-come more involved in renewable en-ergy policy advocacy.

In the past 10 years, NMSEA has conducted numerous “professional quality” educational workshops de-voted to photovoltaic design and in-stallation, solar hot water system de-sign and installation, biofuels, electric vehicle conversions and home energy-efficiency upgrades.

NMSEA’s SunChaser Program is still alive today. In 2011, SunChaser in-structors made 56 full-day school vis-its, and delivered high quality, hands-on educational content to almost 6,000 students. In addition, NMSEA volunteers manned info tables and waved the solar flag at 28 community events such as energy fairs and Earth Day Celebrations.

In the past few years, NMSEA members have become more active in “advocacy” and “empowerment.” NMSEA has participated in pub-lic hearings on energy efficiency and clean energy initiatives, written op-eds, and authored articles specifically focused on topics related to renewable energy generation and regulated util-ity initiatives.

The beat goes on… i

Gary Vaughn, a licensed professional engineer and renewable energy advocate, is president of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association. www.nmsea.org

Ghost Ranch Sun-dwellings in the 1970s

Solar pioneer and NMSEA co-founder Peter van Dresser


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Fernald has obtained funds to expand his research from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a four-year mul-tidisciplinary effort to model the sustain-ability of acequias. This study views ace-quias as holistic systems that link water,

environment and cultural livelihood. Fernald aims to understand how and why acequias have remained resilient in the face of urbanization, ever-increasing wa-ter demands and climate change. Project partners include NMSU, UNM, New Mexico Tech, Sandia Laboratories and the NM Acequia Association (NMAA).

ecosystem HealtH

one Health is a collaborative decision-making approach that

helps ensure the long-term health of plants, animals, people and local communities. This effort will help the State Land Office optimize rev-enues and create good jobs for New Mexicans while caring for State Trust Lands in a sustainable manner.

It has been proven that states and local communities that take the best care of their natural world have the strongest economies, the best jobs, and enjoy the highest quality of life. Using the One Health approach helps ensure that land-management decisions look at the big picture over a long period of time and thus create long-term economic pros-perity while maintaining healthy lands.

In 2012, the State Land Office gen-erated a record $650 million for our 22 beneficiaries, including our pub-

ONEHEAltH:A new vision For new mexiCo’s stAte trust lAndsNew Mexico State Land Commissioner Ray Powell

lic schools, universities and hospitals, which significantly reduced the tax burden on New Mexico’s families.

I am asking the State Legislature to approve $200,000, from money earned from State Trust Lands, to support our One Health initiative. These funds will help us inventory State Trust Lands and implement a decision-making sys-tem that facilitates science-based land-management decisions.

here are three exaMPles oF how we are aPPlying one health. We are working with other state and federal agencies to remove invasive feral hogs from our state. Seventeen of New Mexico’s 33 counties and nearly one million acres of State Trust Land now have feral hogs, which were brought to the state illegally for hunting pur-poses. These animals can carry 27 in-fectious diseases that can be passed to

native wildlife, domestic animals and people. In addition, they cause se-vere habitat destruction and eat native ground- dwelling wildlife.

I have signed a conser-vation agreement with the US Fish and Wild-life Service to protect the Lesser Prairie-Chicken and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on 250,000 acres of State Trust Lands, while allowing appropriate commercial uses of this Trust Land.

The State Land Office’s Restoration of the Río Grande Bosque has enhanced the natural world while improving lo-cal water quality and availability. Non-native invasive species were removed and replaced with native species that

ongoing research illustrates beneFits oF acequiasQuita Ortiz

continued on page 29

Acequia researcher Dr. Sam Fernald

The village of Valdez, in Taos County, has an acequia system along the Río Hondo (a Río Grande tributary) that is part of an extensive research effort.

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An acequia in northern New Mexico

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for the past decade, Dr. Sam Fernald, a watershed management profes-

sor in the Range Sciences Department at New Mexico State University, has led an effort to research acequias, NM’s centuries-old irrigation and water gov-ernance system, in the community of Alcalde in Río Arriba County—spe-cifically the hydrology characteristics of acequias and how they interact with shallow groundwater. In recent years a land-use-change analysis was incorpo-rated into Dr. Fernald’s research to gain a better understanding of how land-use change can impact water management, riparian ecosystems and acequia culture. Acequias are at particular risk due to in-creasing urbanization pressures and the potential impacts on actual water use, water quality and vegetation along irri-gation ditches and streams.

Dr. Fernald’s early hydrology studies were promising for acequias, indicating a reciprocal relationship between flood irrigating and groundwater recharge as well as benefits to riparian vegetation and diversification of wildlife habitat.

The human aspect of acequias has be-come an important part of this study, as researchers view acequias as sustainable water management systems. They’re be-ing researched on a larger geographic scale by establishing the link between the valleys that acequias irrigate and their upland watershed; not only as the source of water, but also taking into ac-count the land base from which acequia users harvest timber and graze livestock.

The current research effort, now in its third year, expanded the study site from Alcalde to also include acequias along the El Rito (Río Chama tributary) and Río Hondo (Río Grande tributary) stream systems in north-central NM. All three sites support acequia-related activi-ties but differ in their physical geography, water availability and spatial patterns, such as proximity to urban centers.

Threats to acequia communities that have been identified include population growth, climate change and policies that regulate land and water resources. Ace-quias have a good track record for their

ability to adapt to changes that have been induced, largely by urbanization and modified economic structures. But they are now facing increasingly inten-sive and complex challenges, including prolonged drought and determined wa-ter markets aimed at transferring water out of rural communities for other uses.

initial FindingsUsing different modeling approaches, the hydrology results show that seepage from earthen ditches and field percolation re-charge the shallow aquifer. This, in turn, becomes groundwater flow for future use as it holds the water upstream for a lon-ger period. Floodplain models indicate

provide food and shelter for wildlife. The land was also re-contoured to facilitate natural flooding and forest thinning and brush clearing to reduce fire threats to homes and the Bosque ecosystem.

The bottom line is: When we take care of our lands, our lands take care of us. i


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aCequias continued from page 27

New Mexico State Engineer Scott Verhines (seated, front) was the keynote speaker at the 2012 Congreso de las Acequias, presented by the NM Acequia Association.

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that groundwater recharge would be af-fected if earthen canals and their related activities were eliminated, reducing overall aquifer recharge. So even though there are technologies that are intended to con-serve water, they don’t address the fact that there’s a key connection between surface and groundwater supplies. Drip irrigation, for example, might conserve upfront wa-ter use, but it’s also allowing more water to run downstream sooner.

Dr. José Rivera, a UNM professor at the School of Architecture and Planning, has led the socio-cultural research surrounding this study, assisted by retired UNM pro-fessor, Dr. Sylvia Rodríguez and the NM Acequia Association staff. Focus groups were conducted in summer 2012 at the study sites. They gleaned a wealth of data surrounding acequia water-sharing and distribution customs; water governance; food, seed and agriculture traditions; land-use and land-ownership trends; livestock and ranching trends; and mutualism, which involves community cohesion such as shared cultural values and participation in other community endeavors (for exam-ple, livestock associations and mutual do-mestic water associations). In other words, this facet of the research attempts to un-derstand why acequias maintain their tra-ditions despite the many external forces working against rural livelihoods.

Other data that were incorporated into this study include economics and land use. Future steps include integrating all of the quantifiable data into a model, which can then simulate different sce-narios that may impact the sustainabil-ity of acequias. The two major stressors, population growth and climate change, will determine the amount of stress that would impose irreversible impacts to the entire system. Hopefully, this data will provide acequias with a framework that assists them in recognizing steps to help

evade potential negative scenarios, as well as to identify strategies for adaptation to ongoing changes in the areas of econom-ics, resource policy and climate change.

From an academic perspective, we’re be-ginning to understand the relationship between acequia irrigation ditches and the natural environment at the regional watershed scale. Most acequia research endeavors to date have been segregated into different fields—policy, local water governance, water rights adjudication, wa-ter transfers, land-use change, agricultural economics, etc. However, Fernald’s study is the first in NM that views acequias as the complex system that they are. An acequia is not simply an irrigation ditch; rather, it represents a multifaceted system characterized by humans who have his-torically worked with the environment in a sustainable manner by combining water governance, agriculture, resource man-agement and cultural identity.

global acequia syMPosiuMAs part of this NSF-funded research ef-fort, on March 2 and 3, the group will host a symposium, coordinated by Dr. Sylvia Rodríguez, on “Acequias and the Future of Resilience in Global Perspective.” It will bring together scholars from around the world to share research on similar human-environment systems. The symposium will be followed by a workshop featuring panelists who are working on acequia is-sues in NM to discuss the future steps that are necessary regarding research and policy to ensure ongoing acequia resiliency. It will be held at the Las Cruces Con-vention Center. To register, visit http://globalperspectives2013.wrri.nmsu.edu/ If you have questions about this event or the research project, contact the NMAA: 505.995.9644, www.lasacequias.org

Quita Ortiz is the NM Acequia Association’s Communications & Project Specialist. [email protected]


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Río Grande Restoration and Recreation Area near the Buckman Direct Diversion

continued on page 32

A riverside trail through trees and a boat launch on the Río Grande?

An idyllic picture to be sure, but it gives no hint that, as documented by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED)1, plutonium, cesium, stron-tium, uranium, americium and trace and heavy metals—a veritable cocktail of con-taminants from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)—have been found in the soil in this area. Nearby are intake pipes for the Buckman Direct Diversion Project (BDD), from which Santa Fe gets up to 60 percent of its drinking water.

A proposal to restore riparian areas and enhance recreation facilities in the Río Grande Corridor at Buckman is moving through an approval process. In Novem-ber 2012, the Forest Service released a Decision Notice and Finding of No Sig-nificant Impact under the National Envi-ronmental Policy Act. Based on its Envi-ronmental Assessment (EA), the federal agency found “there will be no significant impacts to public health or safety.”

However, Dr. Ann McCampbell, chair of the Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Task Force, Elana Sue St. Pierre, spokeswom-an of Healthy Waters NOW ASAP, Joni Arends, executive director of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) and I, among others, have weighed in with appeals to the decision. We protest that the EA dismissed serious issues that have potentially severe health impacts on wildlife, workers, schoolchildren and other members of the public who would use the recreational facilities.

In her appeal, Dr. McCampbell focuses on the proposed use of herbicides, which are “integral to the project and…[to]

be used repeatedly for years as regular maintenance.” She says, “Even herbicides registered for use by the Environmental Protection Agency and used according to label instructions are hazardous materials for which no claim of safety can legally be made.” Dr. McCampbell alleges that the EA “arbitrarily and capriciously” ne-glects scientific information on exposure to herbicides “through breathing herbi-cide-contaminated air, swimming in or drinking herbicide-contaminated water, or through skin contact with herbicide-contaminated vegetation…”

“What is needed is an in-depth analy-sis of herbicide use on wildlife,” she says, citing the opinion of the Regional Forester who is involved in an Invasive Plant Control Project for the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests. Dr. Mc-Campbell continues, “The Buckman EA falls far short of such an in-depth analy-sis.” Although the plan is to use “typical” rather than “maximum” herbicide ap-plication rates, this proposed mitigation measure “is completely inadequate” to protect, for instance, the Southwestern willow flycatcher habitat, Dr. McCamp-bell says. From her point of view, either a more extensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be completed, or the project should wait for the approval of the draft EIS for the Invasive Species Management project mentioned above.

Joni Arends, of CCNS, is concerned about the health effects of LANL legacy contaminants on “the Río Grande, the people who visit the Río Grande Cor-ridor at Buckman, the animals and bi-ota that inhabit the watershed, and the people who drink the water from the Río Grande through the BDD Project.”

In the CCNS appeal, Arends reviews the ways the area has been impacted since 1943. Between 1998 and 2004, the NMED conducted a study to iden-tify LANL pollutants in the Río Grande watershed. They found plutonium buried in a clay layer about four feet below the surface in the area of the proposed recre-ation site. Also, during the Cerro Grande fire in 2000 and the Las Conchas fire in 2011, new pathways for LANL pollut-ants to migrate through the canyons to the Río Grande in stormwater were cre-ated. Arends says, “With climate change and reduced flows in the Río Grande, the LANL pollutants will become more concentrated.”

Arends notes in the appeal, “Pluto-nium is 100 percent carcinogenic if a particle of a millionth of a gram is in-haled or ingested.” She points out that LANL’s own research shows that bur-rowing animals—pocket gophers, mice and harvester ants—may bring legacy wastes to the surface. One of their re-ports states, “…local burrowing animals can excavate as deep as 10 feet.” This is acknowledged to be a problem at Area G. The clay layer at Buckman where plutonium was found is equally vulner-able to disturbance by burrowing ani-mals. Disappointingly, part of the Forest Service plan is to excavate holes six feet deep to plant new trees in an area along the Río Grande where sampling has not even been done. Arends says, “The danger posed by burrowing animals bringing legacy waste to the surface has been documented throughout the De-partment of Energy complex—it’s not something new.” Her appeal concludes that the EA “has not provided the nec-

essary technical justification for leaving the LANL legacy in place.”

For Elana Sue St. Pierre, the issue in-cludes communication. She points out that safety standards have not been re-vised in decades, in spite of new scientific information. A level of contamination that “meets safety standards” at the pres-ent time, may not meet them 20 years from now. The precise measurements must be maintained and easily accessed by people entering the park. St. Pierre says, “Signs must be posted in the area so that parents and grandparents know what the situation is and will keep their children from playing or digging where it is unsafe.” She considers monitoring of the area to be essential, to assure that people don’t walk in contaminated areas.

St. Pierre also says that if restoration work is planned where radioactive ele-ments are present in the soils at elevated levels, the workers need to be informed. Specifically, the level measured for one heavy metal, manganese, exceeds current limits for construction workers. Workers need to have appropriate training when they come in to contaminated areas.

The next meeting of the Buckman Direct Diversion Board is scheduled for 4 pm, Feb. 7, at Santa Fe City Hall, where some of these issues are expected to be discussed. Time will be provided for public com-ment. The agenda is posted that day at www.bddproject.org. The Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, sponsors of the Río Grande Corridor at Buckman Restoration and Recreation Enhancement Project, will issue their de-cision on the appeals by February 14.

OP-Ed: coMMunity MeMbers aPPeal the río grande restoration and recreation ProJect

Basia Miller

ediTor’s NoTe: RíograndeCorridoratBuckmanprojectmanagerAlanHamilton says that the aim of the project is to help the local community re-establish its connection to the river. Hamilton says that project planners conducted additional test-ing and made changes to their plan to accommodate questions that were raised during the early planning stages about radioactive contaminants.

The review from federal officials found the project will “benefit the environment and local communities without putting anyone working or recreating in the ar-eas at risk.” A number of conservation groups, including Audubon New Mexico, losAlamosStudygroup,RockyMountainyouthCorps,SantaFeConservationtrust,Thetrust forPublicland, andwildEarthguardianshave askedCon-cerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety to withdraw its appeal. A letter signed by those groups reads, “This [environmental assessment] represents more than six years of careful planning, public outreach and coordination and we would like to see this project move forward toward implementation as soon as possible.”

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CommeNTs oN These issues may be addressed To:1) Sanford Hurlocker, District ranger, forest Service española ranger District,

P.O.Box3307,Española,NM875332)TheBuckmandirectdiversionProjectBoard.Emailaddressescanbefound

at bddproject.org. Click “governance” then click “BDD Board.”3) Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety requests copies of comments be sent to

[email protected] (www.nuclearactive.org).

Footnote and reFerences:1 See: www.nmenv.state.nm.us/DOE_Oversight/pubs.htm and scroll down to the 2008 LANL Legacy

Contaminant Study at the Buckman Direct Diversion. See: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/6/e1757.abstract for a recently

published policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics warning of dan-gers of pesticides to children.

See www.pesticide.org for fact sheets on glyphosate and triclopyr.

Basia Miller is an appellant to the Forest Service decision. She is a member of the Board of CCNS and a retired faculty member of St. John’s College-Santa Fe.


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dEEPERNutRItION: HEAlINgCOREdIgEStIONISSuESThese are easy, inspiring recipes, but what if you have more serious issues? Di-gestion plays a critical role in helping the body resolve health challenges. Most people have some digestive complaint like gas, bloating, constipation or acid re-flux that indicates poor digestion. Cleaning up your diet, eliminating processed foods and adding whole foods is very important for digestion (and healing) in the long run.

QuICKtIPSFORdIEtARyCHANgESPeople really struggle with changing their diet and improving their health through eating. It is very hard to eliminate something from your diet, because if you are what you eat, it feels like you are taking away a part of yourself.

This is why it’s important to keep the focus on adding healthier foods to your diet. Instead of removing dessert, for example, add smoothies (see recipe above) or baked apples with butter and cinnamon. Tame your sweet tooth by filling up on fruits. Fruit is the ultimate fast food; it tastes amazing, has zero fat and tons of vitamin C and antioxidants. Fill your cupboards with good quality fruits and prepare them in interesting ways. Focus on adding them to your daily foods and see if you can satisfy your sweet tooth in a way that heals your body instead of sabotaging it.

It is common to slip off the wagon and go back to old eating habits. It takes time to create a change in the body and for the body to accept the new food regimen. One great way to keep yourself on track is through herbal teas. In addiction cir-cles, people talk about alcohol as a “gateway” to other drugs. In terms of food and your body’s addiction to fattening, fast and salty foods, herbal teas are a “gateway” to health food. They encourage your taste buds to adapt and open your palate to real food and better habits.

If you find yourself slipping off the healthy food wagon and veering into processed foods, grab a hot herbal tea on your way down to cushion the fall. The hot water in the wintertime is beneficial for all body types, and the plant medicine avail-able in the tea keeps your body oriented towards real food. Ginger tea is the most obvious, inex-pensive and tasty tea that supports digestion and nerves. You can chop up the ginger root and boil it for 10 minutes or just buy the prepackaged tea.

CultIvAtEyOuRINNERFARMERIf you keep your foot on the accelerator, despite the cold and the snow, your inner farmers will never have a chance to repair summer’s damage. So in these busy times with an overload of food choices, bring it back to the simple pleasures of life: sleeping in, cooking good food and practicing self-care.

Like a bear in need of a good nap, listen to your body this winter and indulge in the sweet escape of sleep. And if you find yourself craving rich foods in this brisk cold weather, pamper yourself with truly nourishing foods that deeply build the cells in your body. Value yourself enough to allow for the natural hibernation cycle to occur, so that in the summer, you may reap your rewards. i

Dr. Japa K. Khalsa received a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and completed her Master of Oriental Medicine at Midwest College of Medicine. She is a Board certified and licensed Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and practices in Española, NM. 505.747.3368, [email protected], http://www.drjapa.com

health and wellness continued from page 15

Ginger root


in a struggling economy, I believe (call me crazy) that starting with the

lowest-hanging fruit is how you rebuild. Our local food movement is booming with more farmers’ markets, more new products on the shelves and restaurants committed to sourcing as local as pos-sible. It’s happening fast and could grow even faster, creating more products and jobs. This could be exactly what we need to rebuild our economy.

The Río Grande Community Develop-ment Corporation (RGCDC) is asking the New Mexico Legislature for $1.4 million over four years (HB56) to build a food-related economic development in-frastructure across rural NM, using the proven Mixing Bowl model. The Mixing Bowl, a kitchen incubator in the heart of Albuquerque’s culturally rich South Val-

ley, works with 250 potential entrepre-neurs every year. It has 120 businesses currently in the de-velopment phase, 60 businesses cur-rently selling prod-

ucts, and another 40 that have gradu-ated from the process over the last six years. With an annualized cost per job of $3,200, the Mixing Bowl has proven to be one of the most cost-effective job-creation programs in the country, and a crown jewel of RGCDC’s programs. After consulting with startup incubation programs around the country, it was pre-sented to standing-room-only audiences at the National Conference on Business Incubation.

U s i n g the Mix-ing Bowl model and providing greater access to markets through De-licious New Mexico (a statewide net-work for food entrepreneurs, with over 50 members already in its first year), this funding will generate 120 new compa-nies, 298 new jobs and $5.485 million in gross business impacts across multiple rural NM communities over the next four years.

“Studies have shown that for every dollar that goes to local agricultural producers, $1.80 is circulated in the local economy,” said Tim Nisly, chief operating officer at RGCDC. “The jobs created by local food and agricultural economic develop-ment should be supported by all levels of government.” This is a local food system in action. It’s about celebrating the best of NM’s food businesses and investing in them now so they may become the state’s employers and training grounds for future generations of foodies.

Through HB56 we can connect these NM foodies to each other and give them better access to business skills and mar-kets. We can celebrate local on a level that it has yet to be celebrated. This is about connecting all corners of the state, and every square mile in between, to the food system. Delicious New Mexico has made great strides in its efforts to reach out statewide in an effort to el-evate the NM food economy but cannot do it alone. Partners, kitchens, business groups, local leaders and dollars are all necessary to keep a network going. HB 56 stands for a food economy like no other we’ve ever seen in NM. It supports a networked group of underutilized commercial kitchens statewide that will help build local food producers—those who are turning family recipes into busi-ness enterprises, or taking a great idea to pair local goat cheese with local herbs in a product you might not have seen on your store shelf yet. These are the food entrepreneurs of NM who will benefit from an appropriation to support com-mercial kitchens, the scaling of locally owned businesses and access to markets.

The food movement is a grassroots movement, but until it is supported by the leaders at the top of our state govern-ment, it will continue to be “your-favor-ite-products-available-only-for-a-limited-time-at-a-Farmers’-Market-near-you” movement. Investing in our local food entrepreneurs all across the state means supporting the very entrepreneurial spir-it that makes NM great, and investing in the recipes that we love to share and enjoy with our friends and family. An appropriation of this size means a com-

mitment from our state that says we are the creators of good jobs, keeping NM’s traditional and most innovative food ideas alive.

For information on The Mixing Bowl, visit www.mixingbowlnm.org and Deli-cious New Mexico at www.deliciousnm.org i

ThE LocAL VoicE INvEStINgin loCAl fooD MeANS CElEBRAtINgENtREPRENEuRSHIPVicki Pozzebon

Vicki Pozzebon is the owner of Prospera Partners, a consulting f irm pract i c ing bold localism. Visit www.prosperapartners.org. Follow her o n T w i t t e r : @VickiPozzebon


JAIN STUDY CIRCULARTHE JAIN STUDY CIRCULAR

HAS BEEN POSTED AT WWW.JAINSTUDY.ORG.

Please go our website and study the articles

presented in the new issue.We welcome your comments

and suggestions.


N E W S B I T E s healThCare iNdusTry Pay iN New mexiCoDespite New Mexico’s significant job losses in recent years, the growth of the state’s healthcare services has made it “recession-proof,” according to UNM’s Bureau of Busi-ness and economic research.

Thelatestavailable(2010)CensusBureaustatisticsoncountybusinesspatternsrankSantaFe92ndoutof695metroandmicropolitanareasonaveragepay($44,300)perhealthcareemployeeinprivate-sectorcompanies.SantaFe’sannualpayrollwas$367.9millionfor8,297employeesat516healthcareandsocialassistancefacilities.

Albuquerqueranked174thonthelist,withaveragepayperemployeeat$42,100forthecity’s 43,338 employees at 2,116 facilities. Albuquerque’s annual payroll for healthcare and social assistance workers was $2 billion. Hobbs, ranked 644th, making it the NM townwiththelowestaveragepayperhealthcareemployee,at$29,200forits2,494em-ployeesin114establishments.Hobbs’annualhealthcarepayrollwas$72.9million.SanJose,Calif.hadthehighestpayperemployeeinthenationat$61,600.

Healthcare and social assistance are lumped together because they are both delivered by trained professionals, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the boundaries of the two activities.

NaTiVe healTh iNiTiaTiVeTheNativeHealthInitiative(NHI)wascreatedin2004whenhealthprofessionalsandtribal leaders sat together to design a partnership to address inequities in health services. NHi currently has projects in four states focused primarily on community building and youth empowerment in indigenous communities. Volunteers and donations make all of NHi’s work possible.

According to Anthony fleg, one of NHi-NM’s coordinators, the initiative is always looking for students, community members and organizations that want to get involved. one of the unique features of the partnership has been NHi’s Health Justice intern-ships during the school year and in the summer. The internships bring students in health professions to indigenous communities to work with tribal leaders on health projects. The deadline for submission of applications for the summer internships is March 1st. For more information, call 505.340.5656, email [email protected] or visit www.lovingservice.us and http://nativehealthinitiative.blogspot.com/

aldo leoPold wriTiNg CoNTesTThe Aldo leopold Centennial Celebration, in partnership with Bosque School, has launched the third annual writing contest for youth in the state of New Mexico. Students in grades 6-12 are asked to reflect on the need to understand the source of our food and energy. The contest requires students to be creative and thoughtful while revealing their understanding of leopold’s land ethic.

Prizesof$500willbeawardedtothefirst-placewinnerineachofthreecategories:grades6-7,grades8-9,grades10-12,andatotalof$500willbegiventohonorablemention(s).Inaddition,$500willbeawardedtotheschoolwheretheoverallwinnerisenrolled.Thewinning authors will be honored at an event at Bosque School in Albuquerque in April. All entries must be postmarked by feb. 22. for details and an entry form, visit www.bosqueschool.org

Aldo leopold is most widely known as the author of A Sand County Almanac. leopold believed “community” should be enlarged to include non-human elements such as soils,waters,plants,animals,“orcollectively:theland.”Hecalledthis“thelandethic”and asserted our economic well-being could not be separated from the well-being of our environment. leopold also stated clearly that an ethic is not something that evolves in isolation but is a “product of social evolution.” “Nothing so important as an ethic is ever ‘written,’” leopold explained; “it evolves in the minds of a thinking community.”

eNergy CoNFereNCe heralds Nm oil boomTheMancosShaledepositwaslaiddown100millionyearsago,whentheCretaceousseaway inundated the general area now known as the rocky Mountains when they were belowsea level.Oil in the region,embedded inahard rock layerbetween5,000and12,000feetbelowground,hadbeenlargelyunrecoverablebecauseverticalwellscouldn’tdevelop the shale economically. Now, however, thanks to new technologies using hori-zontal wells and hydraulic fracturing, the oil reserve in the four Corners region is pro-jectedtoproducemorethan$400billionworthofoiloverthenext50years.

“This is the renaissance of the San Juan Basin,” said Dr. Daniel fine, organizer of a con-ference that will bring together oil companies and investors to present initial findings, discuss the new technologies, as well as the potential for shale gas, geology research and more.BPAmerica,Chevron,ContinentalResources,Canada’sEncanaCorporation,PNMandtheuSdepartmentofEnergyareexpectedtomakepresentations.Thetheme

of the San Juan Basin energy Conference (March 18-19 at San Juan College in farm-ington, NM) is “recognition of the Mancos Shale as the next chapter in the American revolution of unconventional natural gas and oil technology leading to national energy independencein2020.”

The main sponsors of the conference are New Mexico Tech, the School of energy at San Juan College, the farmington Chamber of Commerce and San Juan County. for more information or to register, visit www.sanjuanbasinenergy.org

wiNd eNergy Tax CrediTs exTeNdedAs part of the American Taxpayer relief Act, the tax packagepassedattheendof2012toavoidthe“fiscalcliff,”Congress gave a one-year extension to awindenergy tax credit that was set to expire in January. That means that some wind energy projects being built or already operating can still get 2 cents for every kilo-watt-hour of electricity they produce.

Many production tax credits have an annual cap to re-duce the fiscal impact on government revenues. The production tax credit in New Mexico was initiated in 2003.TheNMwindEnergyCenternearFortSumnerwas the first project of its kind to use the state credits. State credits are capped at 2 million megawatt-hours per year for wind, solar and biomass combined. Solar energy creditscanonlyconstitute500,000megawattsofthetotal.NewMexicocurrentlyhas700megawatts of wind energy capacity, with another 316 megawatts ready to be built.

reNewable eNergy Tax CrediTs iN New mexiColast year, officials from the New Mexico energy, Minerals and Natural resources De-partment awarded nine certificates for solar generators and one for a wind farm during a 12-monthperiodthroughOctober2012.twenty-eightapplications,mostlyfromdoñaAna County, were processed for geothermal credits.

Accordingtoitsannualreport,thedepartmentprocessedmorethan2,200tax-creditapplicationsintendedtomakeresidentialsolarsystemsmoreaffordableandtosupportsustainable building practices. The tax-credit allotment has been maxed-out, but credits issued to older generators will start to be retired in this year, meaning that those funds will be available for new projects.

Thedepartmentalsomanagedmorethan150clean-energyprojectsmadepossiblebyfederal stimulus funds. These included projects at schools, municipal and tribal build-ings, resulting in an estimated $2 million savings in annual utility costs.

fifty megawatts of new wind power have been created, and four times the amount of solar-generatedpowerisinplacesince2011.One-hundred-fifty-twomegawattsofsolarpower are now operating in NM, making the state sixth in the nation for installed solar electric capacity, according to the Solar energy industries Association.

Nmed iN FaVor oF allowiNg CoPPer miNiNg ComPaNies To PolluTe grouNdwaTerThe New Mexico environmental law Center (NMelC) has filed a Joint Motion to Dismiss with the NM Water Quality Control Commission in response to the NM environment Department’s proposed Copper rule petition. The Motion was filed for NMElC’sclients:gilaResourcesInformationProject,turnerRanchProperties,Inc.and Amigos Bravos.

AccordingtoNMElCstaffattorneyBruceFrederick,theproposedrulewouldcreategroundwater “sacrifice zones” at all copper mines, laying to waste thousands of acre-feet of good water. “The sources of pollution at copper mines last forever, and reclamation isvirtuallyimpossible,”saysFrederick. “Ineffect,thedepartmentwantstonotonlyallow but to encourage copper mining companies to use free public groundwater sup-plies as part of their processing and waste disposal systems.” He added, “this not only violates the Water Quality Act, which is the basic state law protecting water quality in NM; it also violates NM water law. if the commissioners deny the Motion and vote to adopt the Department’s proposed rule, they will be the first commissioners in 35 years to adopt a rule that expressly allows water pollution rather than prevents it.”

The NM Mining Association has announced its support of the proposed rule. Copper mining in NM reportedly generates an estimated $326 million of economic impact and supports 4,328 jobs. A decision from the Commission is expected on feb. 12. There are 14commissioners,allappointedbyorunderthecontrolofgov.Martinez.


Feb. 7, 5:30-6:30 PmThe hisToriC Ties beTweeN The JiCarilla aPaChe aNd saNTa Ferailyard ParK coMMunity rooMA presentation by Dr. Veronica Tiller. free. Info: 505.316.3596 or [email protected],www.railyardpark.org/events-calendar

Feb. 8, 5-7 Pm oPeNiNgCommuNiTy gallery FuNdraisersF convention center, 201 w. Marcy“Silver:25yearsofArts in theCommunity”auction/exhibittosupportcontinuedexhibitsandprogrammingattheCommunitygallery.A celebration of the Sf Arts Commission’s 25 years.Allpiecespricedat$25.Through2/22.Artists are asked to donate two original piec-es. [email protected]

Feb. 8, 5:45-9 PmworldQuesT 2013sF coMMunity college JeMez rooMA college Bowl-style game of international trivia, played in teams of eight. Test your knowledgeofworldaffairs.PresentedbytheSanta fe Council on international rela-tions.$40generaladmissionincludesdinner.505.982.4931, https://www.sfcir.org/events/featured-events/worldquest-2013

Feb. 8, 7 PmCoal, a musiCalthe lensicA staged reading, inviting wisdom, heart and courageintothestoryofclimatechange.Pre-sented by littleglobe Center for Community Engagement. tickets: $10. 505.988.1234,www.coalmusical.com/COAl.html

Feb. 9, 10 am-12 PmaNimal suPerPowers½-Mile n. oF cerrillos on cty. road 59explore the link between superheroes and wildlife. learn about animal adaptations and how they are the basis for comic book super-powers.Free.Parking: $5 per vehicle. Info:505.474.0196, www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPd/cerrilloshillsstatepark.html

Feb. 8-10asTroNomy weekeNdghost ranch, abiquiuConnect to the night sky. All-ages course using theghostRanchtelescopeandotherastrono-my tools, as well as Native American spiritual-ityandreflection.$125/personpluslodging&meals. Info: http://ghostranch.org/expansive-skies-an-astronomy-weekend-2/

sTarTs Feb. 12 (six Tues.), 4-6 PmwriTe ouT loudteatro Paraguas, 3205 calle MaríaA creative writing workshop led by Shebana Coelho to “mine” the creative silences within andtransformthemintoshortfiction/mem-oir pieces presented at a group reading. All writinglevelswelcome.$150.Info/Registra-tion: 609.651.5840, [email protected], www.shebanacoelho.com

Through Feb. 13, 5:30-8 PmbusiNess deVeloPmeNT workshoP serieswesst enterPrise center3900 Paseo del sol #361Eight2½hoursessionofferingstart-upsandexisting businesses expert guidance in start-ing smart and planning for growth. Info:505.474.6556,[email protected]

Feb. 28-marCh 1laNd eThiC leaders workshoPbachechi environMental education center, 9521 río grande blvd. nwBuilding leaders, connecting to nature and each other, recognizing common values across divides. Presented by theAldo leo-pold foundation and the McCune founda-tion.Registration: $200. Info/Registration:www.aldoleopold.org/Programs/lel.shtmlor608.355.0279,ext.28,[email protected]

Feb. 28-marCh 1our waTer, our FuTure CoNF:abq Marriott PyraMid north18th annual water conservation conference presented by the xeriscape Council of NM andAridlId.Morethan250landandwa-ter use professionals will attend. Nationally recognized speakers, networking opportu-nities. Info/Registration: 800.262.2043 or505.821.3333,www.xeriscapenm.com

marCh 2-3waTer CoNserVaTioN exPonM state Fairgrounds

marCh 11-15, 9 am-3 PmsPriNg break Farm CamPlos ranchos agri-nature center 4920 rio grande blvd. nwk-5th grade campers will cook food, make crafts, play games, learn about farm animals, work in the greenhouse and fields to learn how food is grown. Visitors from ABQ open Space, Bernalillo County Master Com-posters andvalleyFlowersFarm. $250 (re-ducedpriceforfamilieswhoqualify).Email: [email protected] or visit www.riograndecommunityfarm.org

marCh 16waTer iN New mexiCo CoNF: aN iNTerCulTural dialogueindian Pueblo cultural center 2401 12th st. nwHear water stories and a dialogue with peo-ple from Hispano and tribal communities, as well as other stakeholders. free. registra-tion:www.nmwatercollaborative.org

wedNesday eVeNiNgs aNd saTurday morNiNgs iN marCh masTer ComPosTer Programbernalillo county extension oFFice, 1510 Menaul blvd. nwBecome a master composter who will teach othershowtocompost.$80.Courseinfoandapplication:www.nmcomposters.org

souThwesT barTer ClubHealthcare using Barter Bucks instead of cash or insurance. Access to acupuncture, chiropractic, eye care, fitness and more. 505.715.2889, www.southwestbarterclub.com

SANTA FEFeb. 1 regisTraTioN oPeNsFouNdaTioN oF herbal mediCiNe CourseMilagro School of Herbal Medicine. 250hours of professional training in SW botani-cal medicine. includes field trips, botany, pharmacy and clinical applications. Info:505.820.6321,[email protected]

Feb. 2, 10 am-12 PmCiTizeNs ClimaTe lobby

sF Public library, 145 washington ave.Monthly meeting, first Saturday of every month. Help create the political will for a stableclimate.10-11am:discussionoflocalactions; 11-12 pm: national conference callwith guest speaker Dr. Mark Tresguerres on ocean acidification. Info: 505.570.7586 [email protected]

Feb. 2, 10 am-12 PmPiñoN aNd JuNiPer eCosysTem ½-Mile n. oF cerrillos on cty. road 59What at first glance may appear to be barren hillsides and washed-out gullies is actually home to a surprising diversity of plant and animallife.JoinParkManagerSarahwoodforalook.Free.Parking:$5pervehicle.Info:505.474.0196, www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPd/cerrilloshillsstatepark.html

Feb. 5, 3-5 Pmeldorado/285 reCyClesArea recycling advocacy group monthly meet-ing.Info:505.570.0583,[email protected]

Feb. 6sChool NuTriTioN daynM legislature – state caPitolJoin the NM School Nutrition Association and others for a celebration of school meal programs and nutritional education programs in our schools.

Feb. 6, 6 PmsaNTa Fe greeN driNkssweetwater Kitcheninformal networking event for people in-terested in local business, clean energy and other green issues. A mixture of people from businesses, NgOs, academia and govern-ment. find employment, make friends, hear presentations, develop new ideas. Meets the firstwednesdayofeverymonthatdifferentlocations. Hosted by the Santa Fe greenChamberofCommerce.Info:[email protected]

Feb. 6, 7 PmmouNTaiNFilm oN Tourthe lensicScreen films, from mountain sports to amaz-ing wild places with festival director David Holbrooke.tickets $15: 505.988.1234, REI orwildearthguardians.org;Info:505.988.9126,ext.0

Feb. 7-8, 9 am-4 PmgraNTwriTiNg workshoPsFcc Fitness center, rM. 2008Securing resources for Nonprofit organi-zations with richard Marchese. $135 plus textbook. Info/Registration: 505.428.1270,www.sfcc.edu

Feb. 7, 5:30 PmCamiNo de Paz sChool iNFo NighTdowntown library, Marcy st.Montessorimiddleschoolprogram.Power-pointpresentationandQ&A.RSvP:[email protected], Info: 505.231.2819,www.caminodepaz.net

Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, 5:30-7:15 PmsFPs adelaNTe Programortiz Middle school caFeteria, 4164 s. MeadowsJuntos los Jueves, a weekly program and free dinner for your family, including groceries, clothing and books. Art class and childcare for children and self-empowerment classes forparents.Reservations:505.467.2524

What's Going On! Events / Announcements

ALBUQUERQUEFebruary-marChreTroFiTTiNg buildiNgs For eNergy aNd waTer eFFiCieNCyCertificate course offered by the Assoc. ofgeneralContractors,uNM’sdiv. ofCon-tinuingEducationandglobalEnergy.de-signed for building and facility managers, building owners, contractors, engineers, architects and the trades that support them. learn how to analyze a building and its sys-tems, how to identify the best savings op-portunities, how to write a retrofit plan. free to most trainees. for eligibility and enroll-ment, contactMargoMaher: 505.842.1462or mmaher@agc-nm

Through February100 years oF sTaTe & Federal PoliCy: its iMPact on PueBlo nations

indian Pueblo cultural center 2401 12th st. nwexhibition reflects on the human experience behind enacted policies and laws, adding to awell-documentedhistoryofPueblo resil-ience since the time of emergence. Indianpueblo.org/100years

Through marCh 14, eVery Th. From 3:30-5 Pmla moNTañiTa Co-oP VeTeraN Farmer ProJeCT 2013nMsu abq caMPus4501 indian school rd. ne, rM. g106These courses provide technical and busi-ness planning resources to new and experi-enced farmers growing diverse produce at a small scale. All veterans, active service and National guard are welcome to come tothese free farming and gardening classes. rides available. Contact robin Seydel at 505.217.2027, toll free: 877.775.2667 oremail [email protected] or contact JohnShieldsatthevAat505.256.6499,ext.5638 or email [email protected]

Feb. 7-8, 7 am-4:45 PmThiNk Trees CoNFereNCecrowne Plaza, 1901 university blvd. neUrban tree conference promoting education, training and appreciation of arboriculture and horticulture throughout NM and across the Southwest. Nationally recognized speak-ers and local experts. $170/$70. Registration:505.243.1386, Info:505.476.3332,[email protected],www.thinktreesnm.org/

February 15-16Nm orgaNiC FarmiNg CoNF.Mariott albquerque PyraMid northA gathering of organic producers, research-ers and those who help move food from farm to fork.PresentedbyFarm-to-table (www.farmtotablenm.org), NM Dept. of Agricul-ture (www.nmda.nmsu.edu), NMSU Coop-erative extension Service (www.aces.nmsu.edu). Registration: $100 (2-days) or $65(one-day).Info:505.473.1004,ext.10(SantaFe);505.889.9921(Albuquerque)


Feb. 16“ride-a-ThoN” FuNdraisersPindoc bicycle shoP, hwy. 285/ old las vegas hwy. intersectiongrand opening and benefit for world Bi-cycle relief fund, which distributes bikes in 3rd World countries. Info:505.466.4181,505.603.6112,chandler@ spindoc.com, www.spindoc.com

Feb. 16, 10 am-12 PmloVe your riVer daySantaFeRivercleanup.RSvPto505.820.1696or [email protected].

Feb. 16, 6:30 PmFarmers’ markeT ProJeCT ParTyMarKet Pavillion, 1607 Paseo de Peraltafundraiser for the market’s new café. Dinner and dancing with music by Brian Wingard andtheHaikuCowboys.Food&drinksbylocalrestaurants.Adults:$25advance,$30atthedoor.Kidsunder10:$10.tickets:www.santafefarmersmarket.com

Feb. 19, 6 PmNew mexiCo agFesTsF convention centerAn opportunity for legislators to learn about NMagriculture.AgFestwascreatedover20years ago by the NM farm and livestock Bu-reau for producers and agricultural groups to mix and mingle with legislators in a relaxed atmosphere. Approximately 800 people at-tend annually. There will be 45 agri-producer and educational organization booths. Tick-ets limited. for info, contact Benjamin Sego-via:[email protected]

Feb. 20, 12-1 Pmdwi marCh oF sorrowstate CapitolAdults and youth march in remembrance and in hope of a brighter future. Info:505.231.2252,[email protected]

Feb. 20, 12-1:30 PmwesTward ho! liVes aNd dia-ries oF womeN goiNg wesTnM history MuseuM, 113 lincoln ave.Brainpower&Brownbags lecture.vanAnnMoore recreates historical characters.Enter throughwashingtonAve.doors.youcanbringalunch.Free.505.476.5100

Feb. 20James haNseN wiTh subhaNkar baNerJeethe lensic Climate scientist Hansen will present the latest climate information and the move-ment for the revenue-neutral carbon tax. 505.988.1234,www.ticketssantafe.org

Feb. 20, 7-9 Pmgary liss zero-wasTe leCTuresFcc JeMez rooM$10. Info: 505.819.3828, 505.913.2877 orwww.carboneconomyseries.com

Feb. 21-22, 9:30 am-4:30 PmNo more garbage: zero wasTesF coMMunity collegereview global zero waste principles and learn how communities have adopted zero waste plans. Presenter gary liss has de-signed and implemented zero waste pro-grams in l.A., Austin, Telluride, england, New Zealand and Canada. $250./discountavailable. Info: 505.819.3828, 505.913.2877or www.carboneconomyseries.com

Feb. 21, 6:30-8:30 PmbeyoNd “Normal”: why “sChool smarTs” isN’T The oNly way To measure iNTelligeNCethe May center For learning460 st. Michael’s dr., ste. 603Come discuss your interpretation of “nor-mal” when talking about student achieve-ment. Community members invited. 505.423.2384,www.maycenter.org

Feb. 22-24arTsmarTvarious locationsWeekend of fine art, food, fashion and home tours benefiting Sf school art programs brings together educators, schoolchildren, galleries, artists, restaurants and busi-nesses. Info: 505.982.9404, artfeast.com or505.699.9144,factsantafe.org

Feb. 26, 6:30 PmCommuNiTy homesTeadiNg PoTluCkwhole Foods (st. Francis) coMMunity rooMCool season seed exchange. Bring seeds and envelopes. Community Farm update. Pre-sentedbyHomegrownNM.505.473.1403,[email protected]

Feb. 26, 6:30-9 PmFiNdiNg The hiddeN giFT oF disorieNTaTioNacadeMy For the love oF learning, 133 seton village rd., seton villageAn evening of exploration with Aaron Stern, Patty Nagle and lisa Faithorn. An intro-duction to the Academy’s learning model. Free. Space limited. Info/registration:505.995.1860

marCh 1, 9 am-3 PmreNewable eNergy day aT The rouNdhousewest hall, state caPitol buildingA variety of organizations, from nonprof-its to colleges to industry groups will share information and activities on solar, wind and other renewable energy technologies in NM. There will be a press conference at 1 pm. Info: [email protected] or505.820.1696

marCh 7, 5:30-6:30 PmimmigraNTs aNd The railroadrailyard ParK coMMunity rooMDr. lois rudnick and Marcela Díaz ex-plore the historical and cultural founda-tionsofimmigrationinnorthernNM.Info:505.316.3596, [email protected], www.railyardpark.org

marCh 8, 17, 30, 9 am-2 PmTrail workdaysdead dog trail, oFF old bucKMan rd. in the caJa del ríoenjoy nature while volunteering to help with projects including switchback, retaining wall and new trail construction. 505.753.7332, [email protected]

marCh 15-17PermaCulTure booT CamPsF coMMunity collegelearn the basics of permaculture design, its core values, application of natural patterns and the indicators of sustainability. leave the workshop with an initial permaculture plan foryourownsite.PresenterIginiaBoccalan-dro is the founder of the Carbon economy Series. Info: 505.819.3828, 505.913.2877 orwww.carboneconomyseries.com

marCh 16, 9 am-3:30 PmgardeNiNg 101: basiCs oF gardeNiNg iN sFcenter For sPiritual living505 caM. de los MarquezTaught by Tracy Neal and Jannine Cabossel. Presentedby theSFMastergardenerAssoc.$45. Info/registration: 505.471.6251, www.sfmga.org

marCh 16greeN CaFé eldoradoThe first in a series of conversations. “engaging Change as a Community” facilitated by Don McAvinchey, founder, Sustainable eldorado residents Alliance. [email protected]

aPril 27-28solar FiesTasF coMMunity collegeexhibits and workshops on renewable energy topics for children, homeowners and job seek-ers. free. Sponsored by SfCC and the NM SolarEnergyAssociation.Info:505.246.0400,[email protected], www.nmseaevents.org

saTurdays, aPProx. 2 PmmeeT your FarmerJoe’s dining, rodeo & ziaA lunch experience. An opportunity to ask questions about farming, enjoy a local meal and meet farmers who grow NM foods. Ven-dors from the farmers’ market have an after-marketlunchandmeetthecommunity.Info:[email protected]

saNTa Fe CreaTiVe Tourism workshoPs, Classes aNd exPerieNCeshttp://santafecreativetourism.org/

desigNiNg your well-liVed FuTure workshoPsAre you a single, working parent or retiring Boomer looking for community and a simpler, walkable lifestyle? Joinaseriesofplanning/designsessionsaimedatdevel-oping floor plans, shared amenities and cluster possibili-ties where residents get more from sustainable designs. Tour a cohousing community and develop ideas of alter-nativestocurrentsuburbanchoices.Info:505.310.1797, [email protected] or visit www.sustainablesantafe.com

HERE & THEREThrough oCToberdiabeTes PreVeNTioN Courserío arriba health coMMons, 2010 industrial ParK rd., esPañola, nMlose 5 to 7 percent of your bodyweight andmaintain at least 150minutes of exercise perweek. Classes limited to 15 participants. Spon-sored by the NM Department of Health. free. Info:[email protected]

Feb. 4-5Nm Chile CoNFereNCehotel encanto, las crucesinformation for growers, processors and pro-ducers. Topics include biotechnology, fungi-cides, food biosecurity, marketing and laws governing food safety and labeling. $110.Presented byNMSu. Info/registration:www. chilepepperinstitute.orgor575.646.3028

Feb. 9, 10 am-4 PmsusTaiNable homes Tourlas vegas, nMSelf-guidedtourstartingattheArtsCouncil(140Bridge St.) sponsored by Sustainable las Vegas highlights a passive solar residence, photovoltaic arrays, a geothermal heating and cooling system, domestic water heating, energy efficiency mea-sures including leD lighting, and financing op-tions. experts will be on hand to explain systems. For info, contact Emelie Olson: 505.454.3920,

[email protected], www.nmsea.org/ Chapters/las_vegas.phpwww.synergyfest.com

Feb. 17, NooNClimaTe Crisis rallywashington, d.c.free bus ride to D.C. from ABQ and Santa fe. organizers will also provide temporary housing. Volunteers and donations of food andfundsarewelcome.Info:[email protected],http://www.350.org

Feb. 18, 10 am-12 Pmguided hike oF Cerro la JaraMeet at valle grande staging areaJoin los Amigos de Valles Caldera on a 2-mile snowshoe hike. $20/$25. RSvP:575.829.3885,[email protected]

Feb. 22 deadliNealdo leoPold wriTiNg CoNTesTSeenewsbiteonpage37.

Feb. 22-24goT PaiN? yoga TheraPyghost ranch, abiquiuyoga practices offer opportunities to workwith physical challenges. $195 plus lodging &meals877.804.4678,ghostRanch.org

Feb. 26riPariaN resToraTioN TeChNiQues workshoPlas CruCesSouthwestern riparian tree& shrub plant-ing methods that require minimal or no ir-rigation. Presented by the NRCS los lu-nas Plant Materials Center and Partnersfor Fish andwildlife Program. Free. Info:505.575.835.1710,ext.109or575.525.4350.

Feb. 26 early regisTraTioN deadliNeglobal New eNergy aNd maNuFaCTuriNg summiT the broadMoor, colorado sPrings, co.FormerSen.JeffBingamanishonorarychairofthis April 14-16 summit, which will empasize what role the energy sector can have in sustain-ablejobcreation.Info:505.412.8537,[email protected], www.gnemsummit.org

marCh 1-3orgaNiC beekeePers meeTiNgoracle, arizona topicstobecovered:breeding,fieldmanagement,microbial conditions in the hive, top-bar beekeep-ing, warre hives, apitherapy, mead-making and more.Contactdeelusby:520.398.2474

marCh 2-3global aCeQuia symPosiumconvention center, las cruces, nM“Acequias and the future of resilience in global Perspective” Project partners includeNMSU, UNM, Sandia laboratories and the NMAcequiaAssociation.Info:505.995.9644

marCh 6-7susTaiNabiliTy summiT & exPodelta center, MilwauKee“AnEconomic&EcologicImperative”Key-note speakers include James e. Hansen, Will Allen, ed Begley and Michael Mann. www.sustainabilitysummit.us

marCh 8-10Taos Pueblo arTisT wiNTer showCaseMillicent rogers MuseuM, taosopening reception March 8 (ticketed event) Presented by the Millicent RogersMuseum and taos Pueblo tourism. Info:575.758.2462,www.millicentrogers.org

February 2013 Green Fire Times Edition

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