Integrative Nutrition: The education that changed everything

I'm not one for nostalgia, but admit I felt some last night. I was at the Integrative Nutrition fall gathering in New York City. It was here that hundreds of sharply-dressed holistic health counselors came together, to reconnect, munch on carrot sticks, and introduce others to this world-class education.

You see it was at this school, three years ago, that my life changed. I came into the school a lost soul. I didn't know much about what I wanted to do with the education. All that I was certain about was I wanted to quit my job - a corporate marketing gig that was lucrative, but left me unfulfilled.

I had flown in from San Francisco months before enrolling to attend one of the school's orientation sessions. I heard about Integrative Nutrition from a friend and thought it was worth checking out. Little did I know I'd be signing up before the end of orientation. I had grown interested in natural foods and holistic health in the Bay Area, and there was something about the school that 'clicked' with me. And after a year of searching for my next act, I knew this would be it.

The signs were all there. I had met Dr Andrew Weil at a conference on holistic health in British Columbia months before the orientation. It was literally the first time in my life where I liked every single person in the room (good luck finding that in the corporate world). And guess who would be teaching at Integrative Nutrition? Yes, Andrew Weil himself, as well as Deepak Chopra, Paul Pitchford and a host of others I admired.

But perhaps the biggest draw for me, was the founder of the school, Joshua Rosenthal. To this day he remains one of the most inspiring people in my life - a visionary who 'gets it.'

I was reminded of this last night, when I stood listening to Joshua's remarks. He spoke about a recent visit to Bonobo's, a raw foods cafe in Midtown. It was there he was served by two individuals, one natively from Bosnia and the other Croatia - two countries that were recently engaged in a civil war. Thousands of miles from their homeland, these two were able to come together over warm coconut chai and raw nutmeat patties. And it was no coincidence. They believe the world would be far more peaceful if we ate differently - as modern factory farming and industrialized meat production have lead to aggressive behavior. It was remarks and stories like this that drew me to the school - beliefs that cannot be proven by science, but still need to be heard. I knew we were dealing with more than food here.

Joshua likes to say that Integrative Nutrition is not only a school, but also a movement. I've seen countless graduates go out and do amazing things with the education. Some have written books, others have created natural food products (like an agave-sweetned ketchup, flax crackers, or energy bars). Most though go out and become holistic health professionals or complement their existing health-related work. Regardless, everyone leaves with an amazing experience - either improving their own health or finding a new career that energizes them. Some lucky individuals manage to do both!

I could really go on singing the praises of this school. However, I must stop. (I think I've exceeded my 300-word blogging limit.) If you think you might be interested in learning more about Integrative Nutrition, I'd be happy to answer any and all questions. Either post a comment here or email me.

If you are interested in enrolling, Integrative Nutrition is offering a $500 scholarship. Just mention my name when you enroll.

The invisible life

Writing. I love it. I hate it. I have always had a conflicted relationship with the craft of self-expression.

Yesterday, I turned a major corner. I started my Introduction to Magazine Writing class put together by Mediabistro. It was the first time I have formally taken a class on creative writing.

Admittedly, I was very nervous before the start of class. Was I just indulging in a fantasy? Do I have the skills and experience to be a writer? Was it even something I wanted? I had considered pulling my registration for my class. Fortunately, I stuck with the plan.

Then class began and my thoughts soon changed. I instantly felt this camaraderie with 11 others I barely knew. Our teacher, Virginia, had a presence about her that instantly made me feel at ease. We soon began pitching our ideas. She had this remarkable ability to visualize whether our idea stood a chance for publication and the names of the magazines that would be interested. My classmates were also very supportive and encouraging. In the presence of such creative energy, I instantly felt a sense of excitement and possibility - like something had been awakened deep inside of me. I had come home.

For much of my life, at least subconsciously, I stayed out of writing in order to play safe. In college, I chose to work production on the school newspaper. I helped other writers look good, while my efforts were largely invisible. I even chose classes in which I wouldn't have to write a paper!

I only chose to embrace writing again after becoming a counselor. I felt I had so much passion and excitement around food and health, that the best way for me to share would be through writing. I have learned that through writing I have the power to connect. And now by writing for magazines I am looking to bringing even more people into my life.

That said, it still doesn't make hitting the 'publish' button any easier. I guess I will just have to live courageously then. :)

The upside of a rainy day

It was cloudy yesterday in Brooklyn. And rainy. My Sunday plan of spending some time outdoors was ruined. I was bummed.

Moments later I had a phone session with a client. She had expressed disappointment of being passed over for a promotion. The news happened earlier in the week, and she was still disappointed. I asked her to think "how might this incident be serving you?" At first she was confused, didn't quite get it. So I asked her to consider what comes with a promotion. More compensation, sure. But also more responsibility and stress, which she already had a lot of in her life. I told her that maybe this was an opportunity for her to get a handle on her current workload. You could even call it a gift. She instantly felt more at peace.

So often our disappointment comes from not seeing the bigger picture. I tried to apply this same perspective to my own life. How might my rainy day might be serving me? Well, it gave me the opportunity to take care of some things I had been putting off - phone calls, writing in my blog, reading, etc. But it also would be a benefit to my farm! As a member of the Park Slope CSA, I get a fractional portion of whatever my farm harvests for the season. So perhaps this will lead to more strawberries! Or zucchini! Instantly I too was at peace. :)