Greetings!

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Uptown Minneapolis Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 10am - 9pm, Fridays noon - 5pm and by appointment (office or on-site)

Available Saturdays after 1pm and Sundays by appointment only.

To schedule bodywork, call Scott at 612-756-2671, or email scott@apeacefultouch.com

So, last week I stumbled upon a book by James E. Miller and Susan C. Cutshall, entitled The Art of Being a Healing Presence. I was hooked by the time I flipped to the table of contents, and had to buy it! Not only is it filled with inspiring messages of healing, but it contains many inspiring quotes as well. At the end of the book, there is a small guide, called Steps for Being a Healing Presence. Here are some of them. I hope you enjoy them, as you strive to become a healing presence for others in your own life!

1. Open Yourself - Begin not with the other person, but with you. Be present to yourself in a way that is honest, insightful, and accepting.
2. Intend to be a Healing Presence - Intentionally decide on this purpose as you share time with another person.
3. Prepare a Space for Healing to take Place - Both within yourself, and among your surroundings.
4. Honor the one in your care - Approach each life with dignity and worth. Honor their individuality, and their humanness.
5. Offer what you have to give - this can be our intention, hope, love, compassion.
6. Receive the Gifts that come - explore your own life lessons, and accept the satisfaction of your own friendships, healing, or successes.
7. Live a Life of Wholeness and Balance - Live your days fully, caring for both your own needs and the needs of others. Set boundaries. Celebrate. Share.

Permaculture is ’Äúthe conscious design and maintenance of productive ecosystems that have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.’Äù

The film festival and workshop are great opportunities to learn about the system of Permaculture, and how to use it in your daily life. This class is ideal for gardeners especially, as "plant communities" and "plant guilds" are discussed quite a bit. Even if you don't garden, you will learn quite a bit about some amazing uses of nature to enhance efforts to sustain and improve the environment (and you'll be hooked like me!).

Dates for the Film Festival and Class are Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21, in Northfield, MN (25 miles south of the Twin Cities metro area).

For more information, and to register for the class, visit The Center for Sustainable Living on the web!

I will be offering Reiki training roughly once per month at Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The location is ideal, as it is centrally located for folks in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, and there are a number of great spots for lunch and dinner in the area. It also happens to be about two blocks from my home!

Here is the schedule for the next few classes I will be teaching:

Saturday, March 24 - 9am - 3pm - Reiki Level I
Saturday, April 14 - 9am - 3pm - Reiki Level I

If you currently aren't on the list to receive notifications of class announcements, please email me, and I will be glad to add you!

Reiki class prices have also been reduced! I'm offering the Reiki I classes for $90 for the day, which includes a detailed manual that you can keep for Level II. Level II classes are also $90.

If you would like to reserve a spot in an upcoming class (space is limited to 6 per class), please Register Online, or mail a Registration form to me for an upcoming class. A $25 deposit is required to hold a spot, and for ordering and shipping costs of a Reiki Manual. For more information, please visit my classes and workshops page of my website.

Jason Bernhagen is participating in the Twin Cities Koman Race for the Cure for breast cancer. I've known Jason for many years, as we've sung together in choirs, and both lived in Madison, WI previously. Please support him in his efforts to raise money for this great cause!

Gil Schwartz is member and employee of Compassionate Action for Animals. Thier mission is: To inspire respect for animals and promote vegetarianism through outreach, education, and community building. I was able to donate a massage for a silent auction they were holding, but it was unfortunately postponed due to heavy snowfall.

If you are looking for ways to advocate for animals, or you are wanting information about vegetarian and vegan food options, please visit their site: www.exploreveg.org.

Do you have a haiku to share? It's a simple formula - 5 syllables in line 1, 7 syllables in line 2, and 5 syllables in line 3. That's it, 3 little lines, 5-7-5. Send your haikus to me at scott@apeacefultouch.com.