Conscious Choice Seattle: May

May 2004 | Evergreen News

May

Expanding the Attention Span of Parents, Not Just Kids

As an instructor who wants to make it easier for parents to summon “spontaneous loving for our children,” Laurie Reipe figures to attract some loyal followers. She will begin a “Conscious Parenting” class May 7, 9:30 a.m., at the new The Art of Wellness center on Capitol Hill.

“We will be discussing real-life examples from one or two class members each week as a sort of case consultation,” says Reipe, a psychotherapist with a Fremont-based practice that specializes in adolescents and couples counseling. “The most powerful experience is when people bring real-life problems.”

But Reipe doesn’t plan for the two-hour monthly morning class (the June class is on the 18th) to become some sort of unloading session for parents. Quite the contrary. She wants to help parents become more introspective about raising children.
“The class will look at where we get stuck as parents in the process,” says Reipe, married for 20 years and the mother of a 17-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old boy. “It’s about understanding the focus is not only about the child’s behavior. One question is, ‘What can I do with myself to act differently?’ ”

One problem is parents are not always attentive or “conscious” about how they address or treat the children they love so much.
“Left unchecked, we can act unconsciously and our kids won’t call us on it like adults would do,” says Reipe. “When you criticize most children, they think your anxiety is about them, not about you or your stress level.”

Reipe explains “we have a higher degree of responsibility as parents” to know when we are upset with ourselves—maybe a spouse or our life situations—but take it out on children. She plans to help parents with kids from babies to teens gain insights from ancient spiritual texts, yoga and meditation practices (both subjects she has taught previously) and “contemporary modes of psychotherapy.”

Most of all, she won’t be judging parents who admit to losing their composure—or good intentions—with kids. Yelling at the preschooler or high-school freshman are common and forgivable reactions.

“Parenting is stressful and we need to normalize that,” says Reipe. “Sometimes we have good reasons for getting upset with children. But if you can’t intervene [with yourself and stop acting in ways you don’t like], then it’s time to look more deeply at your conscious and unconscious actions.”

But just to “bring up the problems”—or attend Reipe’s new class—“deserves applause.”

For more information about Reipe’s class or other Art of Wellness classes (such as Mindful Eating, Seasonal Menu plans, Food Sadhana and Yoga and Digestion), call 206-325-9400 or check out www.artofwellness.biz.

—Bob Condor

Buzz Alert: A New Movie Focuses on Science, Religion

If you don’t think a film about quantum physics can be compelling—or even keep you awake—it is time to recalibrate your thinking. The Seattle premiere of “What the #$*! Do We Know!?” is about to change minds throughout the Puget Sound area. It ambitiously examines the inner workings of the universe with a compelling story line that is simpler to see and experience than it is to describe.

A central question: Can science and religion be on the same path?

The answer is unveiled beginning May 14 at the Loew’s Cinema/Uptown (511 Queen Ave. N, advance tickets available, 206-285-1022). Filmmakers William Arntz, Betsy Chasse and Mark Vincente will be attending the local showing of the movie to discuss their work, which includes some dramatic visual effects and animation along with interviews with leading scientists and mystics.

The film has won rave reviews from fans in Tacoma (Grand Cinema), Portland, Bellingham and other locations in the Northwest. Most every theater is holding over the movie for weeks longer. To find out more, visit www.whatthebleep.biz.

—Andrew Mulholland

A Healthy Surprise About Green Home-Building

Here’s a surprising report from the opening-weekend showing of the Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home at Issaquah Highlands earlier this spring. Visitors were surveyed about which “green” features they valued most in the Idea Home.

The top vote-getter? Items that provide health benefits, such as advanced ventilation systems that create cleaner air or low-emitting paints and finishes. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be up to three to five times more polluted than outdoor if certain air conditioning and heating systems are used. One benefit of a “green” ventilation system is it regularly removes stale air from the house.

Less surprisingly, the No. 2 and 3 benefits were cost savings and environmental benefits. Nearly 5,000 King County residents visited the Idea Home.

—B.C.

The Next Frankenfood?

St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. is responsible for creating controversial farm products such as bovine growth hormone and Agent Orange—and for upsetting farmers around the globe with its “frankenfood” concoctions. Its latest product, the genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready wheat, has North Dakota farmers rebelling.

A large contingent of conventional and organic farmers in North Dakota and neighboring states are working to pass legislation against Monsanto to keep Roundup Ready wheat off the market. Acting on fears that foreign buyers won’t buy the gene-altered wheat and therefore take their business elsewhere(a charge Japan has already confirmed), farmers have gone so far as to call for federal regulations and moratoriums on the crops.Monsanto developed wheat crops resistant to Roundup, a herbicide popular among farmers that kills weeds efficiently and also kills conventional crops. But studies have shown GE wheat to be unsafe to the environment, economy and human health.

The food industry isn’t conceding to Monsanto either. In the past, companies such as J. R. Simplot, a major supplier of McDonald’s French fries, and Frito-Lay have rejected biotech crops such as potatoes and corn. General Mills has reportedly warned Monsanto that they plan to avoid Roundup Ready wheat and ask their suppliers to do the same.

According to Craig Minowa, environmental scientist for the Organic Consumers Association, Roundup Ready wheat not only harms crops but also nearby water supplies due to pesticide runoff. “I think [the North Dakota movement] is great,” he says. “We’re looking to join in on that coalition to keep this mess from happening.”

—Dan Cohen

FDA Says It’s Tough Enough

At a recent hearing in Washington, D.C. to review the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made it clear that it needs no further authority in order to adequately regulate supplements.

The FDA pointed out its recent ban on the herbal supplement ephedra proves DSHEA works—and that’s good news to millions of American consumers who rely on dietary supplements, according to Ana Micka of Citizens for Health.

“This shows that the FDA feels it has authority [to regulate supplements], shushing those who say DSHEA doesn’t give the FDA enough authority,” says Micka.

Now, here’s the bad news: Those on the march to regulate herbal and natural supplements are still crusading. Legislators such as Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) and Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY) continue to make waves to increase legislation of supplements. Recent articles in some mainstream media beat a strangely similar drum, according to Micka, suggesting that a carefully orchestrated public-relations campaign is out to sway the FDA’s opinion to regulate, regulate, regulate.

—Mandy Burrell

Punk Rockers Alive and Voting

What do nearly 200 punk-rock bands have in common? No, they’re not all headlining this summer’s Warped Tour. They’re part of Punk Voter, a coalition trying to register half a million progressive voters before November’s election.

The group’s Web site, www.punkvoter.com, receives over 200,000 hits daily and contains a jam-packed collection of political news, guest columns, cartoons, downloads and links for voter registration.

The coalition’s member list is an all-star lineup of punk’s past and present, like Green Day, Foo Fighters, Bad Religion and Pennywise, along with dozens of record labels.

Look for the Punk Voter tour to stop at college campuses and nightclubs through mid-May. The bands are blasting audiences with political messages and they’ve teamed up with organizations such as NARAL Pro-Choice America and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to provide concertgoerswith additional messages.

—D.C.

Magic Johnson Goes “Alternative”

Former NBA star Magic Johnson is dishing out assists in a different arena these days: natural health. Johnson is now a spokesman for “My Defense,” a natural nutritional supplement by Natrol that boosts the immune system. Ever since contracting HIV in 1991, Johnson has become an active supporter of urban community issues, including affordable health care.

“The next logical step is letting people know how nutritional supplements can augment and support a healthy lifestyle through immune support,” he says.

The active ingredient in My Defense is harvested from the stumps of larch trees, left behind as waste by the lumber industry. “That’s kind of the icing on this whole cake,” Johnson says. “Not only are we helping people feel better by supporting healthier lifestyles, we’re doing so in an environmentally responsible, efficient way.”

—D.C.

Creating Underwater Mausoleum

Burial by sea has taken a new turn: People now can transform their loved one’s ashes into coral reefs.

Eternal Reefs, Inc. combines cremated remains into an environmentally safe cast of concrete, creating a marine habitat for sea life.

“Cremation itself is on the rise, and plot space is running out,” says Amanda Leesburg, company spokesperson. “[Our practice] is becoming more and more popular because lots of people love the ocean.”

Leesburg adds the reefs, which last up to 500 years, help to memorialize loved ones. Twelve states throughout the U.S. allow folks to use the ocean as a graveyard. To date more than 250 memorial reefs have been placed off the West Coast. For more details, visit www.eternalreefs.com.

—Renee Edlund

Solar Surfing

Internet service provider AOL promotes its expansiveness with recent TV ads featuring a man skyrocketing into space from “the power of the Internet.” But a new Internet service provider on the market, Solar Data Centers (SDC), is using an even greater energy source: the sun.

SDC is the world’s only company that uses solar energy to power every aspect of an organization’s Internet operations, making it an ideal option for sustainable businesses.

“We’ve developed an easy-to-use set of technology tools for our customers to access, maintain and update their own Web sites, without having to rely on expensive Internet programmers and consultants,” says Steve May, SDC president. “And they can feel good knowing where the power to run the system comes from.”

Web sites created through SDC exist permanently, creating a lasting online record. The program also provides a virtual filing cabinet for off-site employees to store and retrieve data and documents from anywhere over the Internet.

—D.C.

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