Holistic Arkansas Blog

So many changes going on  — so much to learn!

How is it possible that Holistic Arkansas started more than two years ago?

During that time, a lot has emerged, changed, and re-emerged, including this website, its advertisers, and me.

As some of you are aware, I recently worked in ad sales for a print publication. It was a good experience seeing what it was like to work again outside of my home office, as well as the state of affairs in that work setting.

I sincerely hope for everyone at this juncture in our state and nation’s history that we can find new ways work together to preserve and sustain not only our own well-being, but also that of others.

One shining example of this new approach is exemplified in the work of a large group of volunteers called the Faulkner County Supporters of Sustainable Communities (http://www.http://fcssc.org/). Their site helps extend out to information about several other “spin off” programs , including local food supply sources, environmental groups, and other activities.

If history is any indication, we are moving into a period that has already drawn some comparisons to the Depression era.  Difficult as this may be, I feel that we will soon bear witness to some remarkable changes that will, in the long run, be of great benefit in the areas of the environment, in approaches to whole living, and even to the general quality of life (slower, more spiritual).

Many will find that themselves making changes to their approaches to life and work, including taking new forms of transportation (motorcycles, bicycles, buses), sharing transportation with others, as well as working from home.

Even the types of industries in which people will be employed will change over time, as the environmental and whole living facets  suggest the creation of various new types of jobs, such as renewable resources, technology, health care, and the media.

While all of this is going on, please remember to be gentle with yourself. Continue to keep yourself centered in all that you find good and pure in this world, whether that be your philosophy or religion, your friends and family.

And don’t forget about your health - a recent widespread outbreak of salmonella in fresh produce is a loud reminder of the fact that we all need to pay attention to what goes into our bodies, as well as where our food comes from.

We need everyone, and we need everyone as whole and complete as they can be, as we continue to find new ways to work together to help heal the broken world of the 21st century.

Well, must be honest here - don’t know how much (or if) I will be able to continue with the newsletters for Holistic Arkansas, as they are becoming few and far between.

The last one before this one was Jan/Feb., 2008, and although had many good intentions, I am barely able to keep up with once per quarter or so, yet I know that some of you still welcome the newsletter, so don’t want to do away with it entirely.

Part of the change has been that in order to survive financially, I have had to go to work outside of what I was doing previously, and although I am currently employed only part-time, it may go to full time soon, taking the time that I can usually devote to other things such as the website and this newsletter.

Also, it seems that Holistic Arkansas has been “hit” by the other avenues people now have chosen to take to pursue advertising and/or connecting with others re: holistic/alternative healing. Yet, I am not bragging when I say that this endeavor was the first (2005/2006) before any of these other initiatives got started. You learn who your friends are pretty quickly, ya know?

We are also looking at starting a new e-commerce online store on the site, and would love to get natural, holistic and pure products for you to purchase directly, and that can be shipped to you straight from the producer of these natural product(s), or for you to access e-courses, e-books and other learning products from Arkansas’s great life coaches, and other guides, and related services.

Hope to get some feedback on this blog - send me your thoughts!

Miss seeing the holistic community as I did –send me your activities around the state, too!

 Blessings,

 Lisa

Hi everyone,

Just some thoughts and sharing with those who read this very occasional blog (my last post was August — eek!).

First of all there are many changes going on in the landscape of holistic healing and in helping to publicize, market and otherwise promote all aspects of alternative healing and whole healing in the state of Arkansas. When I started this site 2 1/2 years ago, there was almost nothing in the state that provided any venue for healers in Central Arkansas (NW is another story). Now, there is a national franchise magazine, as well as a man who is promoting an alternative healers luncheon on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays.

I see all of this as very positive change. I would also like to see people help me to continue Holistic Arkansas as a viable enterprise, since there are more than 1,000 listings in over 90 different categories on the site. This may not sound like much, but believe me, it is the only place that I am aware of on the Net that contains this much information on alternative healing and whole living in one website.

In addition, I am selling advertising part-time connected with a long-standing publication that wants to start a Mind-Body-Spirit page. This should prove interesting, and will also provide yet another print medium for those massage therapists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and others who want to get their message to more than 120,000 readers in print every week.

For those of you who want to preclude print, Holistic Arkansas is still the best way to go - our site gets an average of 8,000 unique visitors per month, and continues to grow, with people contacting me from various parts of Arkansas and other parts of the U.S., as well, wanting to know how to find certain kinds of resources.

Holistic Arkansas will continue to live up to its motto ” helping you find sources for your wellness” with your help.

all for now - have a blessed winter solstice and happy holidays!

Lisa

Hi all,

It continues to amaze me how long between blogs I go. This is not really intentional, but mostly a function of my natural tendency to gravitate to paper and pen. Some of you know that much of a typical day for me is spent at my computer, on the phone, or both.

However, recently things have started branching out a bit, for which I am exceedingly grateful, especially with such GLORIOUS weather of late (May 14-18, 2007).  For one thing, I was invited to speak not only at the Terry Library back in March, but was also invited to talk to the Arkansas chapter of the National Guild of Hypnosis May 8. This was a real treat, and got to meet a lot of great folks, including Penny Rea, Sharlette Pumphrey, Dianne Beers, Virgil Knuckles, and others.

Holistic Arkansas was also represented at the Senior Health Fair hosted by the Maumelle Chapter of AARP on Tuesday, May 15, and I am also going to be at yet another health fair at the McGee Center in Conway on Tuesday, May 22 (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.).

PLUS there are so many neat, neat things going on - there will be several wonderful happenings tomorrow (Saturday, May 19), including a festival of the arts at the Arkansas Sustainability Network’s headquarters on Victory in Little Rock, and a Chinese Medicine/Yoga workshop at KJS Yoga Studio in Hot Springs from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.  Then on Sunday, May 20, Ann Avant of Cedar Rock Yoga in Conway will offer a yoga workshop on the shoulder.

 So, hope things are percolating along well with all of you, and you are feeling well and happy.

Balance is the key - balance in everything. And although yoga is the physical manifestation of this in my life, I am also working on balancing work and play, rest and activity, and more.

I work out with the Namaste Yoga program broadcast on the Discovery Health Channel almost every day, and they take the Zen Buddhist “gesture of no fear” at the end of several sessions. This gesture indicates giving and receiving equally, balancing the body, but also harmonizing the spirit and the mind.

Health, Well-being and

Namaste,

Lisa Armstrong

HolisticArkansas.com

Helping you find the source for your wellness

I haven’t posted to this blog in a long time, and for that I apologize.

Those of you who are subscribed to the Holistic Arkansas newsletter, Hummingbird Messenger (http://ui.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101137250775&p=oi) know that I went for a detoxification process in June.

Those ten days in the Harrison area were both enjoyable and quite challenging! Since then, things holistic-wise, have continued to roll. For one thing, I have started writing freelance for a weekly community newsletter that focuses on the River-Valley & Ozark area of the state, including Pope, Perry, Cleburne, Van Buren and Faulkner Counties .

One of the recent articles I wrote was about a doula/midwife who has received certification as the state’s first Hypnobabies instructor. That means that you can go through labor and delivery not only awake, but also pain-free! If you are interested in learning more, drop me a line and I will gladly send you more info.

Also, there are lots of neat things happening in the state, holistic-healing wise! I am aware of a lot about the central Arkansas area, but would LOVE to learn more about what is happening in northwest Arkansas, as well! (Come on, Fayetteville and NW Arkansas - send me your events, please!) Some samples of events/happenings statewide in the next few months:

• regular kundalini yoga classes in Mayflower, Arkansas.
• An Aug. 19 benefit for a spiritual documentary on meditation at a Little Rock yoga studio.
• A newly started women’s drumming circle Thursdays in Fayetteville.
• A free energy healing circle once a month in Clinton.
• Best-selling Gary Renard (Disappearance of the Universe/Your Immortal Reality)coming to Little Rock Oct. 27.
• Free Qi Gong classes in Little Rock on Mondays facilitated by a certified acupuncturist.

And this is only a sampling of the activities and events going on. There are, no doubt, multiple activities happening each month and all over the state. This is part of the goal of Holistic Arkansas - to be a major resource to do with learning about, and accessing events and healers who are into natural health and healing in the Natural State.

To learn more, go to our website - http://www.holisticarkansas.com, and browse through the more than 1,000 listings of holistic healers and whole living resources.

Again, I am very much open to adding resources to the database. I am also open to people and organizations that wish to advertise on our site, as this is one of the main sources of my income. Our ad rates start as low as $13.50 per month!

Well, hope that this was not too much of a “sales” pitch. I am very PASSIONATE about helping others access sources for their healing. I hope you will consider either looking or advertising yourself. We want to connect the healers with people who are LOOKING for them!!!

All for now,

Lisa Armstrong - Owner/Publisher

CORRECTION

just got an email from a contact- the psychic fair Maria Shaw is bringing to Hot Springs is set for Saturday, April 28, not the 29th as was previously posted. Sorry for the confusion!

Lisa

Hi all,

Well, I have a goal of sending out my thoughts to you more often, especially as I learn more about how to utilize some of the principles of the Secret. I have been blessed with participating in an online class with Michelle Casto and others - learn more at http://www.holisticarkansas.com/ads/mcasto. Part of the class focus has been on learning to turn off our “default” life and to activate our new Divine Life. It has been, (and is) a real process journeying toward one’s True Self, but one that seems well worth it!

I also can’t help sharing with you some of the wonderful things happening both this month, and in May. For example, Naomi Hall, MTI, NCTMB, was just named Small Business Owner of the Year (2007) by the Small Business Administration! This is, indeed, a wonderful honor! Naomi and her staff at TouchPointe Centre in Little Rock provide a multitude of massage and healing services to others, and with a special heart-centered approach to the medically under-served and needy populations. Learn more about her at http://www.holisticarkansas.com/fpnaomihall.html.

Another healing opportunity will start this weekend with “Into the Silence: A Quest for Vision” facilitated by Wind Daughter, the adopted daughter of Bear Heart, and the leader of the Bear Tribe Medicine Society. This event will be held April 15-21 at her center, West Winds, in the Mt. View area of north-central Arkansas. To learn more, go to http://www.holisticarkansas.com/winddaughter/, or http://www.winddaughterwestwinds.com.

And a virtual HORDE of groups and individuals are about to “descend” on Arkansas, (the Natural State) and in particular Hot Springs, with the goal of healing and centering themselves and our state. Later this month, celebrity astrologer Maria Shaw will present a psychic fair in Hot Springs on Sunday, April 29. The fair runs 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m that day, at the Holiday Inn Express on Central Avenue. Contact Maria for more details at mariashaw.com.

In May, things really get going with a Star Quest Seminar: Aligning the Heart to the Crystal Vortex -  May 9-13. Michael and Ronna Herman, along with James Tipton, aka Tyberonn (a native Arkansan, geologist, and an expert on the planetary crystal grid), will be on hand. The group will start out at the new Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, and progress to Hot Springs.  Their stated intent is to activate the hidden crystal grid laying below the surface of the Earth. It should be interesting! For more information, go to Ronnastar.com.

Moving into the Northern areas of the state, the middle of May will be “Yoga-Time” with an Ayurveda/Asana weekend featuring Matthew and Holly Krepps of Barefoot Yoga Studio held at the Wattle Hollow Retreat, near Fayetteville, May 19-20. Although nothing is posted yet on either the Wattle Hollow site or the Barefoot Studio web site, this info will be available soon.

That same weekend, you can get an “Understanding the Shoulder” yoga workshop at Cedar Rock Yoga near Conway. This event will happen on Sunday, May 20, from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., and will feature Iyengar yoga practitioners Ann Avant and Pam Peters, as well as cranio-sacral specialist and therapist Ellen Haverstick.  

If you want further details on any of these events or workshops, please email or call me, or look for further details in the May, 2007 Hummingbird Messenger!

Blessings and Be Well,

Lisa

Well, hope that you are having a healthy and happy spring. There are definitely a lot of changes going on. The folks with the Conscious Living Expo have decided to cancel the May event that was to have happened in Hot Springs. However, out of this unexpected turn of events, it is looking more and more likely that there will be a locally done fair, either fall of 2007 or perhaps spring, 2008.

One thing is for sure– there is a LOT of interest out there on the part of folks, both practitioners and others who wanted to attend, in this sort of thing happening. There are other fairs and festivals in the spring and fall, it is true, but most of these are pretty focused on environmental concerns, which is only  half of the equation, IMO.

And once things get rolling, I truly feel that Arkansas will enter a new phase of its history, not just from some holistic fairs, but from the attitude and heart change of the people, from all of us finding new ways to dialogue with each other, to learn from each other, and to respect each other and the diversity that exists here.

Arkansas is not known as the “Natural State” for nothing - we have much to offer here, both our people and the holistic practitioners that I have come to know within the last year.

God Willing this endeavor will manifest.

Blessings!

Lisa

Well, each step along the journey with Holistic Arkansas is an amazing one, and one that continues to help and to challenge me, both personally and professionally. I am so very excited about the prospects of both another local holistic fair in mid-March, plus the big national Conscious Living fair to be held in Hot Springs in May.

The potential of especially the latter for bringing together healers and conscious business owners who may have not had an opportunity to meet each other, as well as to grow their businesses, learn and have fun are indeed wonderful.

I also look forward to learning more about how to take things one step at a time and one day at a time, as I embark on a six-week Divine Living academy that should prove very interesting, as it uses principles of The Secret and other approaches toward abundance.

God Willing, I may learn more about not only how to put these principles to use in my own life, but also to help share them with others. I look forward to meeting many of you next month and later in the spring.

Happy journeying and many blessings!

Lisa

It has indeed been a while since I have written anything for this blog - kind of a misstep, but part of learning and growing, I suppose. Many things seem to have changed in my life in recent times, including the marriage of my younger daughter last month.

I am also trying to digest the fact that Holistic Arkansas has been around now for a year (we put the site up in its trial version in November, 2005).

Having just completed an eight week course and discussion group on Voluntary Simplicity has also had its effects, including realizing that there are, indeed, other people out there who think and feel much as I do - as if they have always been “outsiders” or somehow didn’t belong. Now, with much of the Earth’s climate topsy-turvy and the resultant changes in our day-to-day lives, we must all do our best during this holiday season about to happen to continue on the path of clarity and focus on these higher goals that will help both the Earth and each other.

Now is the time to be thankful not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year, and perhaps to think about the fact that the idea behind the occasion is to stop and be aware.
To slow down and to be present with our family and friends is a gift of itself.

Hope your holiday is a blessed and a safe one!

L.