2011 A NNUAL2011 R EPORT Families for Conscious Living For 15 years, Families for Conscious Living, FCL, has worked as a 501C3 national nonprofit to provide information, resources and support to cultural creative parents who wish to make informed choices for holistic family wellness and create local conscious choice communities.

EDUCATION ACTIVISM CULTURAL CREATIVES BREAKING GROUND GLOBAL VISION GLOBAL OUTREACH

Pathways Connect Holistic Pediatric FCL Sponsors NYC FCL Coordinates First- Wisdom Keepers FCL Launches New Launches Alliance Attends Production of Play Ever Mindful Project is Launched Website This year saw the NCCAM Meeting Birth at the New MOM Mothering Conference Kelly Wendorf is FCL was gifted the launch of the Pathways Lisa Reagan and Jeanne FCL produced the first spearheading this dynamic, international Connect program Ohm, DC, attended the theatrical production of collection of rare and online magazine and utilizing FCL’s invitation-only the internationally needed interviews with community, Kindred, in Gathering Guide to National Center for acclaimed play, Birth in global elders and October. Its founder, create local, conscious Alternative and 2005. We were a proud consciousness leaders Kelly choice and wellness Complimentary sponsor of the play’s FCL returned to MOM in in an effort to collect Wendorf, communities. Over 150 Medicine Stakeholder production in 2011 at November with the world wisdom for joined our groups began this year meeting in Bethesda, the new Museum of Institute for Noetic practical and conscious board of alone, so far... Maryland on April 26. Motherhood in NYC. Sciences for this event. living. directors. Page 6 Page 3 Page 4 Page 4 Page 3 Page 5

Hawken stated in his book, Blessed Unrest: How The Creating Healthy Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, our individual choices Families and a Healthy to consciously create a peaceful, sustainable world World Through are the immune system of the planet at work! In this report, you will find the evidence of our Conscious Living sustainable nonprofit vision, whose creative collaborations have positioned us to help families What an innocent beginning Families for Conscious Inner Awareness for Family Wellness: lay the foundation for lifelong wellness with Living had in 1996, when mothers and fathers began Mindfulness, Worldview Literacy, Innate experienced insights, field-tested guidance and to gather in parks and homes in Virginia to support Intelligence, Insight, Intuition, Wisdom reliable resources. What began as a simple quest by each other’s holistic wellness choices. Because these the emerging energies of Cultural Creatives is now an were the early years of the internet, parents Outer Actions for Family Wellness: international movement with increasing demand gathered in FCL groups with lending libraries of Conscious Conception, Natural Birth, and endless potential for all families for conscious hard-to-find books packed in their car trunks, Bonding, Breastfeeding, Connected living. Xeroxed hand-outs to share for discussions and Partnering and Parenting, Whole respectful support for individual choices. Foods, Chemical-free, Eco-Friendly, Table of Contents Nonviolence, Media Literacy, Our Mission and Vision...... 2 Thanks to the 2000 book, Cultural Creatives: How 50 Re-Envisioning Education Our Partners...... 3 Million People Are Changing the World, four short Educational Events...... 4 years after FCL began we discovered FCL families Mindful Motherhood Sponsorships...... 4 are Cultural Creatives - and that we were not alone. new agenda for the twenty-first century.” FCL has Wisdom Keepers Project...... 5 According to authors Ray and Anderson, “Because worked to connect and make visible these Cultural Kindred’s Online Magazine...... 5 they've been so invisible in American life, Cultural Creative families as well as provide them with 2012 and The Future...... 6 Creatives themselves are astonished to find out how trustworthy information and resources. Financials and Fundraising...... 7 many share both their values and their way of life. In the pivotal year of 2012, we know that our Board of Directors...... 8 Once they realize their numbers, their impact on individual actions and beliefs have a direct effect on International Advisory Board...... 9 American life promises to be enormous, shaping a our children, communities and world. As Paul Families for Conscious Giving...... 10

Families for Conscious Living 1 OUR MISSION

our conscious wellness choices. FCL's 15 years of FCL acknowledges that everything needed to create Who We Are experience shows that families who seek wholeness wellness in ourselves, our families, communities and wellness enter into the process of “shifting” and world, at this time, exists and is possible to FCL is a 501C3 national nonprofit whose their personal perceptions from a fragmented, bring forward through individual mindfulness, mission, since 1996, has been to provide education unsustainable, industrial worldview to an intentional action and group collaborations. and support to parents who wish to make integrated, sustainable and holistic worldview. It is compassionate, sustainable and conscious choices FCL’s mission to support families who are taking on FCL works with like-minded, nonprofit for their families. Our collaborations with multiple the adventure of conscious living with educational organizations to create educational, outreach nonprofit organizations provide families with outreach, community support and practical projects and conscious living communities who, trustworthy and credible sources of information, resources. together, explore and support individual family supportive local holistic practitioners, and, using wellness choices. our own field-tested Gathering Guide, the resources to create conscious choice communities. FCL’s Vision vision is to help parents establish a supportive foundation for wellness and confidence in their FCL envisions a world of empowered families who innate wisdom. confidently embrace their innate wisdom, intelligence and abilities to acknowledge the wholeness and interconnectedness of life that Mission naturally supports our conscious wellness choices. Our mission and vision will continue to evolve FCL envisions a world of empowered families who FCL believes through this life-affirming awareness to accommodate new information, confidently embrace their innate wisdom, and whole-systems thinking that a foundation for understanding, and collaborations supporting intelligence and abilities to acknowledge the individual, community and world wellness is the growing potential for family wellness. interconnectedness of life that naturally supports possible, and even inevitable.

2 www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org NONPROFIT PARTNERS experience taught us is this: local groups need a A L ETTER FROM FCL’S Pathways to Family way to keep going financially and practically long P RESIDENT after founding families moved or their children Wellness Magazine grow up. The amount of resources and energy to As a mother of four children who spends her “Everyone should read Pathways every day!” create a group once would save everyone from days unschooling and pointing out the -- Joseph Chilton Pearce, The Magical Child "reinventing the wheel." advantages of collaborative “play”, it is no surprise to me that this approach is also the one Pathways to Family Wellness is a quarterly, 72 page With experience as a guide, Pathways Connect is a that works best for our nonprofit endeavors. print and digital magazine. It is considered the turn-key parent outreach and educational program most cutting-edge conscious living magazine that connects families to trustworthy information as From my earliest experiences with FCL in 2004, available to parents today (as evidenced by well as the supportive community necessary to I knew this organization would need to think, endorsements like the one provide a safe, respectful and compassionate place breathe, eat and live outside the box of above from seminal writer to explore conscious choice-making and wellness traditional approaches and yardstick measures of and thinking, Joseph issues. The program is free to parents because the success. During the past 15 years of effective Chilton Pearce). Pathways’ groups are sponsored by holistic practitioner and creative nonprofit activism, FCL has vision states, “We believe members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric managed to become a leader in holistic parent stepping onto our personal Association and the Holistic Pediatric Alliance. education and support by staying true to our pathway to wellness is a Specifically, the materials provided to each core beliefs in sustainability and collaboration. consciousness-raising act Pathways Connect group include everything Through year after year of major transitions in with the power to needed to start a local group. The groups are then our approaches to providing information, regenerate and transform provided with a quarterly Dialogue and Resource resources and support to families, we have been ourselves, our families, our Guide, created by Lisa Reagan, that allows the careful to take away from all of our experiences communities and our world. With our holistic and groups to discuss the variety of compelling articles the wisdom embedded in this learning process expansive vision as our guide, Pathways to Family in every issue of Pathways. Because the groups are and to apply it to our next level of growth and Wellness collaborates with consciousness leaders, self-directed, group members decide which topics manifestation. cutting-edge scientists and researchers, families on they wish to discuss and explore together. Our current manifestation is the result of our their conscious path, holistic practitioners and cumulative experiences and field-tested insights dynamic nonprofit organizations to bring the most The Pathways Connect You Tube Channel features into answering the basic questions Cultural current insights into wellness to our readers.” 23 videos of conscious living leaders, shot by Creative families have, such as “What is Pathways to Family Wellness readers are encouraged Michael Mendizza and produced by Lisa Reagan, wellness? How do we create wellness in a to find one another to share their inspiration and for Pathways Connect groups to watch and discuss culture that does not support wellness or support for their individual wellness choices as well. informed choice? Where is our/the community through our Pathways Connect community, that will support and respect our individual described below. In bringing together and working This year, the Pathways Connect program is choices?” with a variety of professional and lay expanding to include parent facilitator training and representatives from an ever evolving field of tele-conferences with Pathways‘ authors. See more Our collaborations with the partners listed at personal and global consciousness transformation on page...6 right allow us to answer these questions with through wholeness/wellness, Pathways to Family trustworthy information, local community and Wellness believes the potential for our human practitioner support. Our relationship with family’s expression is inevitable and unlimited. Holistic Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Pediatric Pathways Connect and the Holistic Pediatric Alliance are continually re-envisioned as we Pathways Connect Alliance expand and grow together in our mutual The HPA is a non-profit 501C3 membership missions to support family wellness and organization whose vision is to “influence and conscious choice. FCL's mission has always been to provide the support the transformation of the current practice As I witness daily in my own family, information, resources and of pediatrics into a safe, nurturing and sensible collaborative play IS more fun and more support to families who holistic health care system for families and to honor productive for everyone! We are grateful to our want to explore wellness and respect the innate potential of the child from partners and encourage you to support their and informed choice- pre-conception through childhood and adulthood.” efforts by subscribing to Pathways magazine (a making with a like-minded The HPA provides connection for families and $20 donation to FCL gets you a digital community. This demand practitioners, as well as education and support to subscription), starting a local Pathways Connect for FCL’s experience and both parents and health care practitioners through group, and becoming a member of the HPA! tools took a quantum leap this year as FCL's former Pathways to Family Wellness magazine and Pathways Thank you for joining us on our adventure! Gathering Guide for Parents was transformed into the Connect outreach program. The HPA is dedicated Pathways Connect program and released to integrating treatments that utilize natural worldwide through Pathways to Family Wellness. methods to stimulate healing, recover balance, and Over 150 local, conscious choice communities support the body’s own resilience. have been created in the past year alone! After 15 In April 2011, Lisa Reagan and Jeanne Ohm, DC, years of working with families to create local, board members of FCL and HPA, attended the conscious choice communities, FCL believes we National Center for Complimentary and Liberty Liscomb, FCL President now have a rich and sustainable program to offer Alternative Medicine’s invitation-only Stakeholder parents - for free! One insight our many years of meeting at the National Institutes of Health’s campus in Bethesda, Maryland. www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org 3 EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

Blazing Trails As Cultural Creatives, We Envision Paths Where No Path Exists and Then Connect and Collaborate to Create the Way, Together

FCL Sponsors Opening of the New Museum of FCL Sponsors First-Ever Mindful Mothering FCL Sponsors Mindful Motherhood Facilitators

Motherhood, MOM, and of Birth the Play in NYC Conference at the Museum of Motherhood in NYC Presenters at the conference included Lisa Reagan, FCL Produced the first theatrical production of Be Here. Be Now. Be You. What are the practical Jeanne Ohm, DC, Karen Brody, and Lu Hanessian. Birth, the play, in 2005 in celebration of the tools and rewards of mindful mothering? In the coming months, the new online Mindful legalization of midwifery in Virginia. We were Motherhood program will be available to honored to sponsor Birth's performance at the The first-ever Mindful Mothering conference, held professionals and parents alike. The book and opening of the new Museum of Motherhood, MOM, at the Museum of Motherhood, MOM, in New York program is based on a three-year intervention in NYC, on Labor Day 2011. Birth, now an City on November 7, 2011, set out to answer this development project and at the California Pacific internationally acclaimed play by Karen Brody, has question; its presenters shared their integrated Medical Center’s Research Institute. The study raised nearly a million dollars for local communities insights developed through professional training showed that participating in the eight-week since 2005. A sold-out audience watched a live, and mothering experiences, and opened the floor to program reduced negative effects and anxiety simultaneous webcast of the internationally interactive audience discussion. Cassandra Vieten, during pregnancy, and held the promise of reducing acclaimed play. The webcast was viewed in twelve Ph.D., author of the research-based and depression and increasing positive emotion through countries and is now available on a DVD. groundbreaking book, Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your pregnancy into the postpartum period. The post-show ceremony honored birth activists Child’s First Year, shared mindfulness basics before “This pilot study showed that it was possible to and presented the godmother of midwifery, Ina May moving on to the more serious implications of her learn mindful awareness during pregnancy and Gaskin, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Ina three-year research project. early motherhood (even with baby in tow!),” said May accepted the award with members of the cast Vieten. “There were also trends toward reduced displaying her Safe Motherhood Quilt on stage. “Mindfulness is a practice of being aware of your symptoms of depression and increased positive Other honorees were: Theresa Shaver, Executive experience, from moment to moment, allowing it to emotion. The women in our courses were from all Director of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe be just as it is without evaluation or judgment,” said walks of life, and most found it an enriching Motherhood; Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, Dr. Vieten. “Over time, mindful awareness of your experience.” producers of the documentary The Business of experiences as a mom, whether they are internal Being Born; Christy Turlington of No Woman, No (mental, physical, or emotional) or external FCL is sponsoring facilitator training for the Cry and Every Mother Counts; Debra Pascali- (situations with your baby or others), allows you to Mindful Motherhood program through the Bonaro of the documentary Orgasmic Birth; and more and more often approach each experience with Goodwill Industries Green Initiatives Center in Kirsti Kreutzer and Anna Van Wagoner of Where’s curiosity and compassion, for yourself and for Bronx, NY. The program is also being introduced to others.” My Midwife? Pathways Connect groups. Holistic practitioners can earn CEUs from the program as well. Read Lisa’s interview with Karen Brody here. Read the event’s review here. Continued...

4 www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

Worldview, Wisdom & The Web This year found FCL expanding our vision of wellness to include personal worldview, wisdom of worldview, and a new website to carry

the message The Wisdom Keeper, painting by Paul Bond

Worldview Literacy Project at the The Wisdom Keepers Project Kindred Community Website Launched, Institute of Noetic Sciences, IONS E-Newsletter Goes to Over 30 Countries FCL created the Wisdom Keepers Project to explore practical ways to support both global elders whose consciousness work and teachings may not be so well known and well- loved and recognized pioneers of the conscious living movement.

In January 2012, FCL sponsored the US Uncle Bob Randall screening of the Dori Koll, Lisa Reagan and Marilyn Schlitz, PhD documentary Kanyini with In 2002, Kelly Wendorf discussion with Tjilpi Elder began publishing a natural As part of FCL’s and traditional owner of expanded vision and parenting and sustainable Uluru (Ayers Rock), living magazine called understanding of family Australia, Uncle Bob wellness, we, as board byronchild in Australia. Four Randall. Later in 2012, years later, due to its success members, look for ways Kelly Wendorf, will begin a to become educated ourselves. Lisa Reagan has and positive endorsements, been a student of the Institute of Noetic Sciences Joseph Chilton Pearce byronchild relaunched as consciousness research and writings for over a Kindred magazine with Lisa series of interviews with decade. She has written about the connection Reagan as its US Contributing Editor. In 2009, Uncle Bob and other between worldview and wellness in her column, Kindred stopped publishing as a print magazine, global elders in the The Conscious Path, and for IONS’ Noetic Now and moved to an exclusively online format. coming weeks to bring to online magazine. This past August, Lisa attended our nonprofit mission a the Worldview Literacy Project facilitator training In October 2011, Kelly Wendorf joined FCL’s dimension of worldview week on IONS’ Earthwise campus in Petaluma, board of directors and gifted Kindred literacy and "conscious California. Lisa’s two part column on worldview Community’s website to our nonprofit. FCL living.” literacy and family wellness was included by IONS entered into the challenge of managing a in the Worldview Literacy Project training. dynamic online magazine with gratitude and This year, FCL’s Wisdom excitement for the expanded educational Keepers Project As Marilyn Schlitz, PhD, president and CEO of opportunity offered by the site. Suzanne Arms supported the IONS has said, “Our research to date suggests the fundraising distribution of autographed copies of most powerful step people can take toward Currently, Kindred hosts a dynamic team of Joseph Chilton Pearce’s new book, Strange Loops and achieving their highest potential is the willingness bloggers and contributors, emails a bi-monthly e- Gestures of Creation as well as the new documentary and ability to understand new perspectives.” Lisa newsletter to over 30 countries, posts to by Suzanne Arms, The Time Is Now. The new film presents the relationship between worldview and thousands of fans on Facebook and Twitter. series and global project by Arms features wellness and the need for paradigm shifting in her interviews with international midwives at a talks and workshops with parents, as well as in her In the very near future, Kindred will be opening conference in the Canary Islands. FCL is listed in writings on the Kindred website. Her forthcoming discussion boards, hosting tele-conferences and the DVD credits. book expands on the need for parent education and webinars and upgrading the front page of the empowerment through worldview literacy. Visit the Wisdom Keepers Project at Kindred. site. Our deep gratitude and thanks, Kelly! www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org 5 GOALS FOR 2012 AND BEYOND

The Future

As FCL moves into 2012, we are staying true to our roots and our mission: parent education and support for wellness. As Pathways to Family Wellness’ parent education consultants for Pathways Connect, we will be partnering with Michael Mendizza at Touch the Future to design a multi-level conscious parenting community group facilitator training program. Over 150 Pathways Connect Community Groups were started by holistic practitioners internationally in 2011.

Parents Need Local, Like- FCL’s Gathering Guide is Community Groups Are Community Group Parent HPA Collaboration Brings Minded Support for Transformed Into the Sponsored by ICPA and HPA Facilitator Training Program Tele-Conferences and Toll- Conscious Living Pathways Connect Program Members free Hotline to Parents

"WE WERE NEVER MEANT After 15 years of working with FCL and Pathways Connect TO DO IT ALONE." families to create local, will be collaborating with FCL continues to collaborate -- Robin Grille, author of conscious choice communities, advisory board member and with HPA, bringing the Ask Parenting for a Peaceful World FCL’s insights have helped to Pictured above is Andrea Pathways to Family Wellness Dr. Feder’s advice column to create a rich and sustainable Marconi, DC, a practicing contributor, Michael our website as well as FCL's mission, from our turnkey program, that is FREE chiropractor, new mother and Mendizza, to create a parent bringing Dr. Feder to tele- beginning in 1996, has been to for parents! Our many years of sponsor of the Northern community group facilitator conferences and in-person provide the information, experience taught us that local Virginia Pathways Connect training program in the workshops beginning in resources and support to groups need a way to keep Community Group that meets coming months of 2012. February 2012. families who want to explore going financially and in the NOVA Natural Birth Michael Mendizza is the wellness and informed choice- practically long after founding Center. It is the committed FCL also continues to take author of Magical Parent, making with a like-minded families moved or their and enthusiastic members of questions and point parents to Magical Child and the CEO of community. This demand children grew up. The amount the International Chiropractic resources by manning HPA’s Touch the Future. He has took a quantum leap this year of resources and energy to Pediatric Association, ICPA, parent hotline in our office, compiled an extensive as FCL's former Gathering create a group once would save and the Holistic Pediatric 1-866-530-8279. collection of personal Guide for Parents was everyone from "reinventing the Alliance, HPA, who are interviews and essays with transformed into the Pathways wheel.” The Pathways Connect sponsors of the Pathways As board members of HPA, leaders of the conscious Connect program and released program is sponsored by Connect program/group. Lisa Reagan and Jeanne Ohm, choice movement in the last worldwide through the holistic practitioners, who are Watch a video of three DC, attended the National 30 years and will be sharing conscious choice magazine, given turn-key materials and a practitioners discussing why Institutes of Health’s Center his materials and expertise Pathways to Family Wellness. fresh Dialogue and Resource they feel committed to parent for Complementary and through a media center and Alternative Medicine’s Over 150 local, conscious Guide with every issue of education and support on the ongoing classes for parent choice communities were Pathways magazine. Read Pathways Connect You Tube Stakeholder meetings on the facilitators. started internationally in 2012. about the turn-key program... Channel. NIH campus in April 2011.

6 www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org FUNDRAISING

FCL F INANCIALS AND Pathways F UNDRAISING to Family This year, FCL has retained an investment Wellness consulting firm to manage gifts to our endowment and is prepared to accept and manage large Good Search, Donations over $20 to donations, legacy giving and grant monies. The Families for Conscious investment firm uses an endowment discipline Good Dining Living receive a free based on Yale University’s endowment model. and Good Shop year’s digital Information is available on this model upon subscription to the request, [email protected]. Free and Easy Ways to Support Families for conscious choice magazine. The magazine Conscious Living Every Day serves as the foundation for the parent Families for Conscious Living’s operating budget educational and outreach program, Pathways has always been below $25,000 a year, as our office We registered Families for Conscious Living Connect and is a partner with FCL. space and equipment are donated and our main with GoodSearch.com, a company that helps and major expense, of professional salaries, have non-profits like ours raise funds through the always been contributed by volunteers. However, everyday actions of our supporters. Amazon Book Store as our conscious living adventure continues to Here is how you can help: FCL’s extensive online bookstore features grow and expand, it is our financial goal in the hundreds of books and coming years to fund a small staff to manage our Use GoodSearch when you search the DVDs ranging through ongoing and expanding projects. interent – they will donate a penny to us every topic of every time you do conscious living from Most of the fundraising projects on the right also Attachment and Brain support our mission by providing educational Use GoodShop.com when you shop online – Development to Whole products. However, the income we are able to they work with more than 2,500 major Foods Cookbooks! create with the standard fundraising programs brands, have over 100,000 coupons and Browsing the bookstore listed here does not create an income stream donate a percentage of every purchase you is an educational experience alone as it familiarizes reliable enough to expand our operating budget to make to us the visitor with the far-reaching topics of conscious include salaries. Please visit our DONATE page living, including Big Picture seminal works. Visit in this report to discover the many ways available Enroll in the GoodDining.com they will the online bookstore. to become Families for Conscious Giving! donate up to 6% of every dollar you spend when you eat at one of 10,000 participating restaurants Cafe Press Please join our community on The Cafe Press store GoodSearch.com and help us raise money for offers FCL supporters a our mission. Get started by clicking the way to advertise their FCL is listed with Guidestar and Guidestar’s “Become a Supporter” button on our profile values and our nonprofit Directory of American Charities. FCL has also page at http://www.goodsearch.com/ with apparel and bags filed tax returns with the Internal Revenue nonprofit/families-for-conscious-living.aspx! featuring the FCL logo by artist Richard Service, IRS, since its establishment in 1996 and Stodart. Watch the Good Search video. has always been and is currently in good The logo store features standing. organic t-shirts, hats, babywear, mugs, FCL LEADERSHIP Kindred’s Community buttons, signs, clocks Lisa Reagan, one of FCL’s co-founders, has worked and a pet t-shirt! Visit as a free-lance journalist for over 22 years. Her MarketPlace Cafe Press. flexible schedule and in home office allows her to Our online store donate considerable time and expertise to FCL’s features a variety of Google Ads nonprofit needs. Lisa served as FCL’s president goodies including from 2000 to 2009. She is now Kindred’s amber teething FCL is currently exploring Executive Editor, focusing on developing the necklaces, organic ways to monetize our new website for a potential future income stream for toys and clothing, website at Kindred. In FCL. She continues to lead and run FCL as its kitchen wares, herbal teas, gardening seeds consideration and trial are acting Executive Director as an unpaid volunteer. and supplies and the Google Ads program, as homeopathic remedies, well as an in-house ad As FCL moves into a future filled with just to name a few! The program customized for opportunities, offers and requests for leadership shop is fun and easy to small businesses, and collaboration in family wellness, Lisa is navigate. Shoppers use sustainable goods and services and work-at- committed to seeing FCL through this next and their Amazon account. home parent offerings. exciting phase of growth. Read more about Lisa, Visit the Community and her articles, on the Kindred website. The Kindred site has a variety of monetizing Market Place. Organic Cloth Toys options not currently visible, so stay tuned! www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org 7 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meet Our Board of Directors

Families for Conscious Living’s board of directors have all contributed unpaid, volunteer labor and insightful energies to moving FCL’s mission and vision forward over the years. We continue to cherish our tele-conference board meetings and brainstorming sessions together. All of our board members write for Kindred’s online magazine and all have attended or coordinated an FCL in the past year. Lisa, Jeanne Liberty and Rachel have all facilitated local, FCL community groups.

Liberty Lisa Jeanne Rachel Kelly Liscomb Reagan Ohm, DC, is Ernst Wendorf is the current is a a practicing mothers president of co-founder chiropractor two is a writer, FCL. Liberty and past in a family, children author, mothers four president of wellness- entering public children in FCL. She is based speaker, Harwinton, currently the practice kindergarten and first grade facilitator Connecticut, and works to associate editor for Pathways since 1981. in an urban Waldorf school. and social revive and evolve a more to Family Wellness magazine Jeanne is the executive Together with her husband entrepreneur. Having spent self-sufficient and and the executive editor for coordinator for of thirteen years, they have much of her life between sustainable family and Kindred’s online magazine. the International Chiropractic lived near and far from the Native lands of the community life, beginning She has served as the parent Pediatric Association and the family in Michigan, Chicago Sangre de Cristo with her own. Her children representative on the board executive editor of Pathways and Minneapolis. As a mountains, to the spend their days world- of directors for the Holistic to Family Wellness Magazine. nuclear family discovering devotional places of India, schooling alongside her, Pediatric Association since She is an international the context within which and finally the vast expanse collectively following their 2006. She is the author speaker on chiropractic and they have grown up, they of Australia, she has spent own interests, and learning of Pathways' ongoing the family wellness lifestyle. seek out new ways to create years exploring the more about the world as column, The Conscious Path. Jeanne has been an ongoing community. Rachel's practical application of they go. She is the co- She has served as the judge continuing education involvement with FCL has spiritual awakening to founder of the Connecticut in the Society for instructor for state helped her discover answers daily life, social change, FCL group, a La Leche Professional Journalists’ associations and chiropractic to questions she didn't sustainable business League Leader and former Mark of Excellence Awards colleges since 1997 on the know she had, to discover practices and innovations Bradley Childbirth in 2007 and 2012. She serves subject of Chiropractic the lens through which in community Educator. Liberty on the advisory board for Pediatrics and Pregnancy: she views the world, and to learning. This lead to her moderated the US the new and first-of-its- Technique and Case embark on consciously work as founder of Kindred screening of the kind, Museum of Management. She is the shaping her own experience magazine, and eventually documentary Kanyini and Motherhood, MOM, in New co-developer of the ICPA of parenting and the Kindred online live discussion with York City. In 2011, she Practiced Based Research relationships. Through her community. She is also the Aboriginal Elder Uncle became a trained facilitator Network and the author of involvement with FCL, editor and contributing Bob Randall at The of Worldview Literacy numerous published research Rachel hopes to encourage writer for the anthology,

Graduate Institute in through the Institute of papers on chiropractic care other parents to build their Stories of Belonging (Finch Connecticut in January Noetic Sciences, IONS. Lisa for children and in own strong family Publishing). More recently, 2012. The event was in is a Reiki Master Teacher, pregnancy. She also serves attachments, and to find and Kelly co-founded The collaboration with the former organic CSA farmer, on the board of directors for build community by Institute of the Southwest Institute of Noetic Sciences and lives with her family on the Holistic Pediatric nurturing themselves and along with her husband Central Connecticut their small farm in Toano, Alliance. See Dr. Ohm's others. Read Rachel's Wayne Muller, an Community Group. Virginia. complete bio here. Kindred blog here. educational organization. 8 www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org ADVISORY BOARD Welcome to Our New International Advisory Board Members

Lauren Feder, M.D. Sarah Buckley, M.D. Linda Bonvie

Lauren Feder, M.D. is a nationally Sarah J. Buckley is a trained GP/family Linda Bonvie (pictured with her cat, recognized physician who specializes in physician with qualifications in GP- Stevia, is a journalist, author, and primary care medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics and family planning. She is the consumer advocate with 20 years of homeopathy. Known for her holistically mother of four home-born children, and experience around food safety issues. minded approach and combining the currently combines full-time motherhood She has written articles for major ‘best of both worlds,’ Dr. Feder is a with her work as a writer on pregnancy, newspapers and national publications frequent lecturer for parents and birth, and parenting, around the country, including USA professionals and has been seen Today, the New York Times, NBC- nationally on various health-oriented Dr Buckley’s work critiques current TV’s Dateline, the New Yorker, television and radio programs including practices in pregnancy, birth, and the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, The Doctors, Oprah and Friends parenting from the widest possible interviewed by Dr. Mehmet Oz. She is perspectives, including scientific, New Age Journal, Vegetarian Times, the president of the Holistic Pediatric anthropological, cross-cultural, and more. She lives in Little Egg Alliance, author of Natural Baby and psychological, and personal. She Harbor Township, New Jersey. Childcare and The Parents’ Concise Guide to encourages us to be fully informed in our Childhood Vaccinations, and is in private decision-making; to listen to our hearts Her books include Chemical-free practice in Los Angeles. You can read her and our intuition; and to claim our Kids: How to Safeguard Your Child's advice column, Ask Dr. Feder on rightful role as the real experts in our Diet and Environment,Chemical-free Kindred’s website. bodies and our children. Kids the Organic Sequel, and The Stevia Story, about the FDA’s failed Lauren was raised by her parents, Ellie Her bestselling book Gentle Birth, Gentle attempt to suppress the natural herb Davis a devoted stay-at-home mother Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Stevia and the controversy that and the late Dr. Robert J. Feder a Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting stemmed from a trade complaint renowned ear, nose and throat surgeon Choices, published by Celestial Arts (US, reportedly filed by its competitor, and voice specialist. During her teen 2009), builds on her acclaimed first NutraSweet. years she underwent two thyroid edition, published in Australia as Gentle surgeries and was placed on daily Birth, Gentle Mothering: The Wisdom and She is a regular contributor to Food medicine. While doing her residency in a Science of Gentle Choices in Pregnancy, Identity Theft, by Citizens for Health. decade later, Lauren consulted with a Birth, and Parenting One Moon Press, holistic practitioner and was able to Brisbane, 2005). You can also read her blogs on discontinue her thyroid medication altogether. The results astounded her, and You can read Sarah’s articles and Kindred’s website at led her on a path of discovery in the field occasional blogs on Kindred’s website at www.kindredcommunity.org. of holistic healing and homeopathy for www.kindredcommunity.org. herself and her patients. Lauren is married to chiropractor, Dr. René Haarpaintner. They have two sons who T O SEE FCL’S COMPLETE ADVISORY BOARD, VISIT US ONLINE. were born at home with midwives. www.FamiliesforConsciousLiving.org 9 DONATE Families for Conscious Giving Because we encourage your giving to be on par with your values and hopes for the future, we have created a multi-level donor commitment scale as well as the opportunity to give to just one of FCL’s many programs and creative outlets.

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Why Conscious Giving is Good for YOU That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something good isn’t all in your head, it is also in your cells and can contribute to your happiness and longevity! “When you do something for someone else, your brain produces hormones,” says Dr. David Hamilton, author of Why Kindness is Good for You. Contact Us

“Dopamine – which makes you feel happy, and gives you the feeling that what you are doing is right – and opiates, the body’s own secret L ISA R EAGAN stash of heroin and morphine are also attributed to longer lives.” K INDRED’ S E XECUTIVE E DITOR Several studies, including one sponsored by the University of British Columbia, provide evidence that people who give are happier than those who don’t. In the UBC study, donating as little as $5 helped INFO@ FAMILIESFORCONSCIOUSLIVING. ORG people feel better.

Another study sponsored by the University of Oregon demonstrated that for many T OLL- FREE HOTLINE: 1-866-530-8279 participants, giving activates the same pleasure centers of the brain as receiving—which are L OCAL LINE: 1-757-566-7224 also the same brain centers involved with addiction.

Furthermore, people who leave money to charity in their wills live three years longer than O UR S NAIL M AIL IS: those who don’t, according to a 2008 study by the U.K. based Fire Services National Benevolent Fund. (FCL is prepared to accept your legacy giving for an endowment fund.) FCL In 2012, we know that our individual actions and beliefs have a direct effect on our children, P.O. B OX 3653 communities and world. As Paul Hawken stated in his book, Blessed Unrest: How The Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, our individual choices W ILLIAMSBURG, VA, USA, 23187-3653 to consciously create a peaceful, sustainable world are the immune system of the planet at work! Help us to carry FCL’s vision of empowered, healthy families now!

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