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Stellaria Natural Health NewsJuly 3 2007Support and Transition
Summer is a time of transition. Perhaps a legacy of years of school vacations, perhaps an effect of the plants progressing from flower to fruit all around us, but so many of us are pulled to change our lives during this season.
Some transitions are anticipated and welcome: retirement, graduation, marriage. Others are unasked for, dismaying: job loss, the death of a loved one, a breakup. All transitions bring us face-to-face with our yearnings, needs, and fears. We feel out of control, ill-equipped to deal with our changing situation. We wonder who we really are when cast adrift from our usual moorings of work and relationships.
Sound familiar? These are normal responses to the stress of change. We may think we're isolated by these feelings, but there is no need to stand alone. Transitions are a perfect time to reach out for support.
This summer, Debbie McDermitt and I (that's us in the picture above) will be co-facilitating "Changing Woman", a group especially for women dealing with transition. You can read more about it below.
In this issue, Debbie writes about the importance of Support. We encourage each of you to reach out in your time of need, whether to friends, family, or to us.Quick Links
Our Website
Stephanie's Blog
Stellaria Meditation Challenge Yahoo GroupSubscribe to Our Newsletter!
Our Practitioners
Stephanie Draus, ND
Debbie McDermitt, LCSW, CYT
Kim Sullivan, LAc
Therese Holland, LMT, CYT
Arlene Faulk
We will be continuing the challenge for the month of July. If you would like to join us, send me an email or click here to join our Yahoo group.
Support
by Debbie McDermitt, LCSW, CYT
Support is a word we are all familiar with, but it has different meanings in different contexts. As a yoga teacher, I encourage people to use the proper amount of support to make a pose more accessible due to limitations in the body or due to injury. Sometimes this support is concrete, like a block or a strap. Other times it is less overt, such as breathing or knowing when to back off of a pose. Sometimes it is knowing when to ask for help with a pose. As a therapist, I frequently (read constantly) encourage clients to seek more support in their lives. This can also be concrete, such as writing reminder notes or making a to-do list. More often though, it involves reaching out to other people. It might be asking a friend to help with packing or listen to a frustrating situation. It might be having someone hold your hand while you make a difficult phone call.
Although most of us are more than ready to reach out to help a friend, this is often what people tell me is difficult to do for themselves. As friends and neighbors we may find it more difficult to ask for help than to offer it. It can be easy to think we should be able to handle things by ourselves, judging ourselves as inadequate or weak for asking others to support us. I often ask people to consider how good they feel when being asked for support by a loved one or friend. Asking someone else for support gives her or him the chance to experience a sense of importance and generosity.
One of the great gifts of being human is having the opportunity to communicate with others and form communities. These opportunities are part of what we are creating at Stellaria Natural Health. This is especially true of our new women's support group, "Changing Woman". We are looking for women who are making changes in their lives and would like the chance to seek support in a new way. The group will run for six weeks, from 6:00 to 7: 15 on Fridays, July 13 through August 17, 2007. The cost is just $30 for the entire session. Call or email us to reserve a spot.
Women's Extravaganza!
We are thrilled to be hosting a Women's Extravaganza this Friday, July 6, from 6:00-9:00 pm., in celebration of the beginning of the Changing Woman program.
Join us to gather, connect, and shop!
We will be featuring a bevy of talented artists and craftswomen, offering handpainted glass, beaded and silver jewelry, handspun yarn, and more... Browse their wares, sip some wine, make new friends!
Complimentary:Wine by Provenance Food and Wine
Refreshments by NoFriction Cafe
Tea by Stellaria
The event will take place at our office, 2755 W Logan Blvd, Chicago.
Suggested donation for the evening is $5.
Please call or email us for more information.
Feel free to invite your friends!
July 2007 Classes
T'ai Chi
Mondays, July 9-30, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Instructor: Arlene Faulk
Fee: $60 for the session
Belly Dance for Beginners
Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Stephanie Draus
Fee: $12 per class, $10 each for 4 or more classes (if paid in advance)
Yoga Fundamentals
Thursdays, July 5-26, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
and
Saturdays, July 7-28, 9:30-11:00 a.m.
These classes are FULL; look for a new session beginning in August.
Meditation...will return soon.
I hope all of your transitions this month are welcome and easy. Please consider joining us for a class, a group, or one of our personalized services this summer. We are always happy to see you.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Draus, ND
Stellaria Natural Health 2755 W Logan Blvd
Chicago, Illinois 60647
773-486-3797
