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Articles
Published: February 2010 By Wendy Kagan THE yoga world has its own particular brand of fame, bringing the salutations of adoring disciples in body-skimming clothes. To be a guru among these limber spiritual seekers is a responsibility—and one that Sharon Gannon and David Life do not take lightly. They created the Jivamukti Yoga Method—a physically rigorous and intellectually rich practice rooted in ancient wisdom and scriptures—in 1986; ever since, they've been honing their message that yoga is about much more than being able to wrap your foot behind your head. read more
"Local Luminary: Mary Riley" in Chronogram Published: January 2010 By Wendy Kagan ALL ACROSS the Hudson Valley, swollen-bellied women are treading the ancient path from labor to birth—some with animal intensity, others with focused calm, and many with Mary Riley at their side. Through touch, emotional connection, and an uncanny knack for saying exactly the right thing that a laboring mother needs to hear, Riley has established herself as a diva among doulas, or birth assistants. Over 25 years, Glenford-based Riley has attended some 1,600 births, bringing wisdom, respect, and nurturance to families at a time when traditional doctors and midwives are hardpressed to offer more than catch-the-baby services in a medical world saddled with liability issues, paperwork, and brimming maternity wards. read more
"Grass, Food, Lodging" in Garden Design Published: October/November 2001 By Wendy Kagan HOWARD LASHER runs his Connecticut garden like an all-you-can eat buffet. Beyond his neat beds of irises, peonies, and buddleia, away from his tidy rock and shade gardens, Lasher keeps a lush, untamed banquet awaiting bees, butterflies, and songbirds. He bolts orange wedges to trees for the Baltimore orioles, sprinkles cracked corn for the wild turkeys, scatters apples and pears for the deer. His bird feeders bulge with suet and seed to satisfy any avian appetite. Lasher isn't interested in just attracting these colorful creatures—he's trying to save them. A Wall Street broker who escapes to the country on weekends, Lasher is part of a growing league of nature lovers who are refashioning their gardens into safe zones for wildlife. Two years ago, Lasher officially converted his 20 acres into a sanctuary, then certified it as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Since 1999, more than 6,000 like-minded Americans, from high-school teenagers to corporate executives, have done the same. And the number is growing, thanks to the Internet. BirdSource, which monitors North America's avian population, nets an average of 100,000 hits a day. NWF's website draws about 10,000 visitors a day. read more
By Wendy Kagan AMID Manhattan’s water towers, high above the honking horns and car alarms and sirens, tens of thousands of diligent bees are busy reducing the metropolis to a sweet, fine essence: honey.
An apiary publicity stunt? Not at all. Massachusetts-based beekeeper David Graves insists that his rooftop endeavor is purely practical: In the rural Berkshires, where Graves lives, bears tend to smash beehives to bits; that’s why he started moving them to the tops of local buildings. Then one day, while selling his family’s Berkshire Berries jams and jellies (and honey) at a Manhattan farmers’ market, it occurred to him that the city’s rooftops would make an even more bear-safe expanse for beekeeping. read more
"Hudson Valley Traveler: Apple Picking in the Empire State" The Putnam County News and Recorder Published: October 31, 2001 By Wendy Kagan WE'VE heard a lot lately about our patriotic duty to fly, and, as New York City’s mayor urges, to shop and dine in Manhattan restaurants. I believe it’s my duty to pick apples. New York State’s orchards—some 650 of them—are among the most glorious patches of earth you’ll ever find, and they yield perhaps the finest tasting apples. Yet competition from other states and other countries, combined with unfriendly weather, high overheads, and tight government regulations, has led to the demise of about 150 of these fragrant havens in the past few years. New York’s apple growers seem to need us now more than ever, and I, for one, am happy to help out. read more |
"Local Luminaries: Sharon Gannon & David Life" in Chronogram
