Wellness
What can you expect from a Cuddle Party? Conversations about consent happen before anything else
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES For the Advocate As the sun sets over the Hidden Temple in Florence, 14 adults in their comfiest pajamas sprawl on a generous bed of quilts. Outside on this crisp October Saturday, the foliage is just starting to turn, its pops of color...
This hiking club’s first rule? No diet talk: The Body Liberation Outdoor Club is coming to the Valley
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES For the Advocate The founder of the Body Liberation Outdoor Club saw “The Fat Babe Pool Party” in “Shrill,” the Hulu series about a heavy woman’s journey to embracing her body, and felt like she was in a dream. In the fourth episode of Season...
Emily Nagoski has done the research: It’s ok to love your body
By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate “Emily’s mission in life is to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies.” This sentence mesmerized me. It’s an assured statement about a complicated topic: body image and sexuality, and...
I did ketamine therapy … and here’s what happened: A one-time tripper takes a second psychedelic journey 50 years later
By Bob Flaherty For the Valley Advocate A gamechanger, they call it. A chance to face the challenges of your life head on. To free your mind, unencumbered by old negative patterns. Empowering your life. Re-setting your brain. Though it’s been around for decades,...
‘You don’t look like a doctor’: Documentary film looks at the biases and challenges Black women physicians face
By STEVE PFARRER Staff Writer Dr. Khama Ennis had come a long way in her medical career. Until 2022, the Amherst resident had spent about two decades in emergency medicine, including a number of years as chief of emergency medicine at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in...
How high will you get from weed? Know thyself, not thy THC
By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN For the Advocate When you were studying for your driver’s license exam, you might have had to memorize the claim that a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of tequila would each get you equally drunk. In the years since, you...
In this corner: Champs owner Theresa Allen fighting the good fight: Popular kickboxing teacher opens her own space where everyone is welcome
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES For the Advocate Ten heavy bags stood at attention on Theresa Allen’s front lawn, while 7 women surrounded a card table just off the driveway, wrapping their hands and gloving up. My new cardio kickboxing instructor greeted me warmly and...
Free Will Astrology: You don’t know more than Bohr, Pisces
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You now have the power to make connections that have not previously been possible. You can tap into an enhanced capacity to forge new alliances and strengthen your support system. I urge you to be on the lookout for a dynamic group effort...
Free Will Astrology: Time to be brassy, saucy, and sassy, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): My favorite ancient Greek philosopher was the rascal Diogenes. As a joke, he carried around a lantern during the daytime, proclaiming, “I am just looking for an honest man.” When Alexander the Great, the most powerful man in the world, came...
Free Will Astrology: Find a fellow genius, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) declared that English writer Lord Byron (1788–1824) was the greatest genius of the 19th century. Here’s an interesting coincidence: Byron regarded Goethe as the greatest genius of the 19th...
Free Will Astrology: Be tenacious like Balzac, Taurus
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Comedian John Cleese has an insight I hope you’ll consider. He says, “It’s easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent. It’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to...
Free Will Astrology: Adopt the social habits of John Cleese, Pisces
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, “Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.” I bet you’ll experience a...
Supporting the underserved: Spanish language dementia support group gets financial boost
Members of the Spanish-speaking group Cuidadores Unidos meet once a month to discuss the challenges of being caregivers to family members or friends with a dementia-related disease. At the Holyoke Senior Center, members of Cuidadores Unidos are able to share their...
Free Will Astrology: Work hard like Da Vinci, Libra
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We are all hostages of the joy of which we deprive ourselves,’ wrote poet Odysseus Elytis. Isn’t that an astounding idea? That we refuse to allow ourselves to experience some of the bliss and pleasure we could easily have; and that we are...
Free Will Astrology: Mix and blend like Drake, Scorpio
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Denmark during World War II. In 1943, Hitler ordered all Danish Jews to be arrested — a first step in his plan to send them to concentration camps. But the Danish resistance movement leapt into action and...
Free Will Astrology: You’ll be more grounded in 2020 than Igor Stravinsky, Libra
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The English word “hubris” means prideful, exaggerated self-assurance. In the HBO TV series Rome, the ancient Roman politician and general Mark Antony says to his boss Julius Caesar, “I’m glad you’re so confident. Some would call it hubris.”...
Free Will Astrology: Free yourself like Conan O’Brien, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Nobody knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information,” he continues. “One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I...
A champion of the heart: Local woman joins organization to provide heart disease information and support to women
When Lynette Bloise would tell her husband, “It’s happening,” he knew exactly what that meant: a trip to the emergency room. Before May 2018, Bloise would have cardiac episodes stemming from conditions that caused her heart to suddenly beat erratically, alternating...
Free Will Astrology: Cultivate Leonard Cohen’s state of grace, Leo
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In composing this oracle, I have called on the unruly wisdom of Vivienne Westwood. She’s the fashion designer who incorporated the punk esthetic into mainstream styles. Here are four quotes by her that will be especially suitable for your...
Free Will Astrology: Be responsive like Beethoven, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Humans invented the plow in 4500 BC, the wheel in 4000 BC, and writing in 3400 BC. But long before that, by 6000 BC, they had learned how to brew beer and make psychoactive drugs from plants. Psychopharmacologist Ronald Siegel points to this...
Free Will Astrology: Are you ready to be transformed by love, Leo?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Beware of what disturbs the heart,” said Ibn Mas’ud, a companion of the prophet Mohammed. “If something unsettles your heart, then abandon it.” My wise Aries friend Artemisia has a different perspective. She advises, “Pay close attention to...
Free Will Astrology: You’re fermenting, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): If there are any potential Aries heroes or leaders or saviors out there, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to fully bloom and assert your practical magnificence. The lessons you have learned while improvising workable...
‘A more calming experience’: Holyoke Children’s Museum holds monthly ‘Sensory Sundays’ for sensory-sensitive kids
On a typical day at the Holyoke Children’s Museum, there is a hustle and bustle as small children run around role-playing as police officers and firefighters, flashing lights from a replica ambulance and occasional dings coming from a small room with percussive...
Free Will Astrology: How do you want to smell, Libra?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries psychologist James Hillman said we keep “our images and fantasies at arm’s length because they are so full of love.” They’re also quite flammable, he added. They are always on the verge of catching fire, metaphorically speaking. That’s...
Free Will Astrology: What the stars say you should be for Halloween
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you have any skill in fulfilling the wishes and answering the prayers of your allies? Have you developed a capacity to tune in to what people want even when they themselves aren’t sure of what they want? Do you sometimes have a knack for...
Free Will Astrology: Your own demons are enough, Virgo
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We can’t change anything until we get some fresh ideas, until we begin to see things differently,” wrote Aries psychologist James Hillman. I agree. And that’s very good news for you Aries people. In my view, you are more attracted to and...
Free Will Astrology: Have sex like you’re not in Singapore, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Singapore has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. A few years ago, this state of affairs prompted the government to urge Singaporeans to have sex on an annual holiday known as National Day. A new rap song was released in the hope of...
Free Will Astrology: Are the barbarians coming, Taurus?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself,” wrote poet André Breton. I think that’s an excellent principle to put at the top of your priority list in the coming weeks, Aries. To be in maximum alignment with...
Wellness: How to Beat Fall Allergies
As the days become shorter and the weather cools down, a new crop of allergy symptoms gives an uncomfortable, irritating experience, turning the autumn season into one marked by sneezing, scratchy throats and itchy eyes. However, Dr. Denise Kearney, a specialist at...
Free Will Astrology: LeBron sleeps 12 hours a day; you should, too, Cancer
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1956, the U.S. federal government launched a program to build 40,000 miles of high-speed roads to connect all major American cities. It was completed 36 years later at a cost of $521 billion. In the coming months, I’d love to see you draw...
Free Will Astrology: A beach bonfire of Scorpio secrets
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Comedian John Cleese speaks of two different modes toward which we humans gravitate. The closed style is tight, guarded, rigid, controlling, hierarchical, and tunnel-visioned. The open is more relaxed, receptive, exploratory, democratic,...
Free Will Astrology: Be pure as peanut butter, Virgo
ARIES (March 21-April 19): We’re in the equinoctial season. During this pregnant pause, the sun seems to hover directly over the equator; the lengths of night and day are equal. For all of us, but especially for you, it’s a favorable phase to conjure and cultivate...
Free Will Astrology: Stop worrying, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Hi, I’m your sales representative for UnTherapy, a free program designed to provide healing strategies for people who are trying too hard. Forgive me for being blunt, but I think you could benefit from our services. I don’t have space here...
Free Will Astrology: Leo, Visualize Ancient Rome
ARIES (March 21-April 19): John Muir (1838–1914) was skilled at creating and using machinery. In his twenties, he diligently expressed those aptitudes. But at age 27, while working in a carriage parts factory, he suffered an accident that blinded him. For several...
Free Will Astrology: Relax and recharge, Gemini
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are examples of activities I recommend you try in the coming days. 1.) Build a campfire on the beach with friends and regale each other with stories of your most interesting successes. 2.) Buy eccentric treasures at a flea market and...
Free Will Astrology: Let Frederick Douglass be your guide, Taurus
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s not cost-efficient to recycle plastic. Sorting and processing the used materials to make them available for fresh stuff is at least as expensive as creating new plastic items from scratch. On the other hand, sending used plastic to a...
Free Will Astrology: You’re a grown up person, Pisces
ARIES (March 21-April 19): How did sound technicians create the signature roar of the fictional monster Godzilla? They slathered pine-tar resin on a leather glove and stroked it against the strings of a double bass. How about the famous howl of the fictional character...
Free Will Astrology: You’re in for natural highs, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When it came time to write your horoscope, I was feeling unusually lazy. I could barely summon enough energy to draw up the planetary charts. I said a weak prayer to the astrological muses, pleading, “Please don’t make me work too hard to...
‘Resisting a Culture that Says I Don’t Belong’: Local joins group of large-bodied women to hike Kilimanjaro
A Franklin County native along with 19 other plus-size women known as the “Curvy Kili Crew” recently hiked one of the largest mountains in the world: Mount Kilimanjaro. For seven days, Eve Bogdanove of Greenfield and her companions traveled the Rongai Route, an...
Free Will Astrology: Let Scott Hamilton inspire you, Virgo
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Dear Diary: Last night my Aries friend dragged me to the Karaoke Bowling Alley and Sushi Bar. I was deeply skeptical. The place sounded tacky. But after being there for 20 minutes, I had to admit that I was having a fantastic time. And it...
Free Will Astrology: Prepare for a ‘lovequake,’ Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): After analyzing unusual animal behavior, magnetic fluctuations, outbreaks of mayhem on Twitter, and the position of the moon, a psychic has foretold that a moderate earthquake will rumble through the St. Louis, Missouri, area in the coming...
Free Will Astrology: It’s a bad time to set forest fires, Aquarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): An Aries reader sent me a boisterous email. “I was afraid I was getting too bogged down by my duties,” he said, “too hypnotized by routine, too serious about my problems. So I took drastic action.” He then described the ways he broke out of...
Free Will Astrology: Roller coasters can be problem solvers, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re in the Land of Green Magic. That’s potentially very good news, but you must also be cautious. Why? Because in the Land of Green Magic, the seeds of extraneous follies and the seeds of important necessities both grow extra fast. Unless...
Free Will Astrology: Be versatile like SpongeBob, Cancer
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When the universe began 13.8 billion years ago, there were only four elements: mostly hydrogen and helium, plus tiny amounts of lithium and beryllium. Now there are 118 elements, including five that are key components of your body: oxygen,...
Free Will Astrology: Six fortune cookies for all
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Discipline your inner flame. Use your radiance constructively. Your theme is controlled fire. AUGUST: Release yourself from dwelling on what’s amiss or off-kilter....
Free Will Astrology: Time for a spanking, Aquarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Orfield Laboratories is an architectural company that designs rooms for ultimate comfort. They sculpt the acoustic environment so that sounds are soft, clear, and pleasant to the human ear. They ensure that the temperature is just right and...
Free Will Astrology: Alien life is closer than you think, Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): We may not have to travel to other planets to find alien life. Instead of launching expensive missions to other planets, we could look for exotic creatures here on earth. Astrobiologist Mary Beth Wilhelm is doing just that. Her search has...
Free Will Astrology: Who needs credentials, Aquarius?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I don’t think we were ever meant to hear the same song sung exactly the same way more than once in a lifetime,” says poet Linh Dinh. That’s an extreme statement that I can’t agree with. But I understand what he’s driving at. Repeating...
Free Will Astrology: Sing 1000-year-old songs, Pisces
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks it will make good sense for you to travel down winding paths replete with interesting twists and provocative turns. The zigzags you’ll be inspired to pursue won’t be inconvenient or inefficient, but rather will be...
Free Will Astrology: Ally Yourself With Pirates, Leo
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, I suspect you will have the wisdom to criticize yourself in constructive ways that will at least partially solve a long-standing problem. Hallelujah! I bet you will also understand what to do to eliminate a bad habit by...
Free Will Astrology: Be Candid With Acute Vigor, Cancer
ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to humorist Dave Barry, “The method of learning Japanese recommended by experts is to be born as a Japanese baby and raised by a Japanese family, in Japan.” As you enter an intensely educational phase of your astrological cycle, I...
Free Will Astrology: Can you be as efficient as a firefly, Taurus?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Time to shake things up! In the next three weeks, I invite you to try at least three of the following experiments. 1.) See unusual sights in familiar situations. 2.) Seek out new music that both calms you and excites you. 3.) Get an...
‘Recovering Out Loud:’ At RX Drug & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, nonprofits show pathways to support lifelong recovery
As co-founder of the Kentucky-based Voices of Hope, a nonprofit that promotes and supports lifelong recovery, Alex Elswick, a former heroin user who now says he is “recovering out loud,” knows the hard way about substance misuse, addiction, sobriety and recovery. At...
Free Will Astrology: Manatees Are As Lovely As Mermaids, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “How prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. “How slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!” Your first assignment in the coming days, Aries, is to devote yourself to quenching the...
Free Will Astrology: Learn from ‘Cards Against Humanity,’ Aries
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the U.S., the day after Thanksgiving typically features a spectacular shopping orgy. On “Black Friday,” stores sell their products at steep discounts and consumers spend their money extravagantly. But the creators of the game Cards...
Free Will Astrology: You’ll Soon Transcend Jane Austen, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): French writer Simone de Beauvoir sent a letter to her lover, Aries author Nelson Algren. She wrote, “I like so much the way you are so greedy about life and yet so quiet, your eager greediness and your patience, and your way of not asking...
Free Will Astrology: Libra, take the advice of Ovid … and Pat Benatar
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Qing Dynasty controlled China from the mid-seventeenth century to the early twentieth century. It was the fifth biggest empire in world history. But eventually it faded, as all mighty regimes do. Revolution came in 1911, forcing the last...
Bringing Homeopathy Out of the Shadows
You’ve probably heard of homeopathy, a popular yet controversial alternative medicine practiced all over the world. But, besides being a hot button topic, what exactly is homeopathy and how does it work? Abby Beale, a professional classical homeopath practicing in...
Free Will Astrology: Gemini will meet people even Hemingway could stand
ARIES (March 21-April 19): A mushroom shaped like a horse’s hoof grows on birch trees in parts of Europe and the U.S. If you strip off its outer layer, you get amadou, spongy stuff that’s great for igniting fires. It’s not used much anymore, but it was a crucial...E-Edition
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