Yay, spring is here! I love connecting with nature, be it walking, hiking, biking, gardening or swimming. It reminds me that our Earth is precious and we are its stewards. That’s our April focus: how climate change impacts the planet and our health, and how small shifts that we make in our lives can create a healthier Earth, which in turn can support and sustain healthier people. By making better choices for ourselves and our planet, together we can make a huge difference for generations to come.

Spring is an exhilarating time of growth and newness. I love the longer, warmer days and cool nights. And now that I finally finished moving, I can enjoy them—although I must admit that all the details of moving, while time consuming, have been a lot of fun, motivating me to clear out and reorganize my office. As I happily nestled into my new home, this month’s Inspiration article, “Create a Nurturing Nest” (page 34), called to me, challenging me to say yes to life and renewal and soul nourishment. I consider my home a peaceful sanctuary, a haven for love and kindness and a safe place to relax and enjoy time with my loved ones and friends. I do like to dabble with feng shui and always strive to honor what brings positive energy to our home. I’m already envisioning the perfect spot to start a garden, as I love to grow my own veggies and fresh herbs for scrumptious salads and green smoothies. This year I plan to grow only what we eat the most, as I also enjoy shopping the many wonderful farm stores and markets in our region. 

Speaking of supporting local, we are extremely excited to share news about several upcoming events. We’re a media sponsor for the 2021 Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo set for Saturday, April 17, at Dutchess Stadium (rain date Sunday). Hope to see you there! Other events include the 10th annual weeklong Green Ossining Earth Day Festival, April 17-25, and the 2021 Earth Day Celebration at the World Peace Prayer Society on April 24 in Wassaic. Bedford 2030 is hosting its public Earth Day event on May 2 at the Bedford Hills Train Station. You can learn more about all of these great events in our News Brief and Earth Day sections starting on page 8. Please also check out the community calendars starting on page 40 and the calendar on our website, WakeUpNaturally.com, for even more events. Plenty of cool happenings as the weather warms!

A quick update on my personal 2021 challenge to cook 52 new recipes, discover 52 new hiking trails and read 12 books: To date I have enjoyed cooking 27 new recipes, explored eight new trails and read three books, plus I’ve added extra weights to my exercise walks, alternating with weight-training sessions. And now that spring has arrived, it’s time for me to detox! This month’s Conscious Eating article, “Spring Cleaning the Body” (page 22) features two more delightful recipes I plan to try. My juicer or NutriBullet is on the kitchen counter every morning, and now that I started taking the Cleanse & Detoxify supplement from our advertising partner NuSpecies, I feel wonderful.

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air!

So grateful,

Dana