| ITK in the News! | | The continuing positive feedback Integrative Touch for Kids has received from the community has been tremendous. To add to this success, Shay was recently featured in an hour-long interview on blogtalkradio's Global Voice with Susan Piontek!
This was a wonderful opportunity to share ITK's inspiration and vision with a new audience and reach out to listeners who may want to join us in this journey!
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| Family Bytes |
Testimonials from our June 2010 Retreat
"There are too many people to thank for all of the healing, understanding, and support that my family has recieved this week. Words cannot express the love I feel for each one of you. I am grateful for this experience. It has changed my life."
"To All the Other Families - You all made this an experience for my family that will be with each of us, in some way, forever. Thank you for all you brought, all you gave and who you are. "
"I'm Grateful to ALL the families. It has definitely been a life changing experience for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"I would like to express my gratitude to all the donors of their time and money to Integrative Touch for Kids. Because of the generosity we were able to receive amazing therapies and experiences. Thank you for taking part in making Shay's vision a reality."
"The vision that has guided you to bring together both a remarkable team of healing professionals AND this particular group of families is nothing short of amazing! You embody the highest form of collaborative work. You have managed to lead by example of empowering each & every person around you. For that, and for everything else about this week, I feel profound appreciation and gratitude. Thank you for this depthful, life-altering week!" Retreat Family Updates:
As we mark the one year anniversary of our first healing retreat last July, we thought you might like to hear what everyone from our inagural retreat is up to these days- They say life is full of ups and downs and nowhere do we see this more clearly than with the families we serve.
The Lee's - Logan has had to spend some time in the hospital. The doctors have found out that the same gene causing his Liver and Kidney disease is also attacking his Pancreas. He will be home schooled for the remainder of the year with his best friend through a Christian based school. Shay and many other Healing Arts Practitioners from ITK have been supporting Logan and the family while he was in the hospital. Logan spoke at the April benefit event in Tucson and did an amazing job! Logan's brother Stephen is volunteering and working at the White Stallion Ranch where our 1st retreat was held. He has a real gift with the horses! He is also racing cars and is first in point in his division. The parents, Ty and Rachelle, are well but busy with many doctors visits. The family was able to volunteer at our June retreat and Rachelle was inspired by the gentle touch and massage sessions she observed and has decided to go to massage school. More news on that to follow!
The Dogaru's --On February 25th, Claudia and Alin gave birth to Teodor. At 6lb 13 oz and 19 in long, he has brought much joy to the whole family. Ana and Tati are very proud to be big sisters now and Maria is excited to have a little brother! Ana and Tati have been receiving volunteer massage therapy through Integrative Touch for Kids from our very own Tina Roche! This has been very beneficial for the girls to help reduce some of the physical pain they experience on a daily basis as a result of being conjoined. The family also had an extra special treat when Alin's parents were able to visit for 3 months- they had not seen them for 3 years prior to that visit. Congratulations!!!
Tristram/Wagner's--Chris has been busy working on his music. He says it's been busy at some times and slower at others. Besides working, Janel has been busy tending to her garden. She has also been integrating many of the lessons learned from the retreat and is doing several trades with healing arts practitioners so she can receive ongoing body therapies and treatments. These sessions have made a substantial difference in her quality of life. Their daughter, Caitlyn, is doing well and will start school over the summer. Cindy just keeps growing! They send their love and hope to see us all soon.
Swanson's-- One year after the retreat and everyone is 'breathing' easier, (thanks to Buteyko) and bath salts are an absolute essential. The 3 boys are all in baseball and everyone loves going to cheer them on. Carter is getting ready to celebrate his 5th birthday and they are reflecting on the joy he has brought into their lives. Even though they are hustling everyday to keep up with everyone's schedule, they find themselves a bit more selfish with their down time and they are loving every minute of it!
Turell's--Harvey and Elaine have been very busy recently as Ellie was in the hospital with pneumonia. She received breathing treatments and the family is just grateful that it was not something more serious. They send their love and miss you all and hope to have better news in the following months.
More news coming soon on our June 2010 retreat families who |
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Children's Hospital Training in Chicago | |
In March, Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago hosted a new pilot training for nurses as part of a research study. The training,
provided by our very own Shay Beider and Tina Roche, featured healing touch and massage techniques mixed in with a healthy dose of presence and awareness. It was a practical training where nurses were taught simple techniques they could use in their daily patient care. One of the core messages was that it takes only moments to impart feelings of love, care, and acceptance to hospitalized patients. The nurses were naturals and were open to learning new techniques.The evaluation findings
were incredibly insightful and inspired us to offer similar work in the future. The research team at Children's Memorial will continue to follow the nurses over the next 6-9 months to evaluate the ongoing
effectiveness of the training. A big thank you and sincere note of gratitude goes out to Shay for bringing me on for this experience. Shay worked for over 4 years to get this training in place. It was no small undertaking, but then again Shay doesn't do anything small! |
Gentle Massage
for Children Classes in Tucson! | | Upcoming Massage Therapy Classes by Shay
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There are only a few spots left in Shay's Gentle Massage for Children classes coming up in September! If you are interested in learning to work with children with special health needs, contact us for more information!
Courses and Dates:
September 9th -10th Gentle massage for children in hospice
September 11-12th
Gentle massage for children with cancer
September 13th-14th
Gentle massage for children in the hospital setting
Click here for more information! |
| Modality Awareness | |
| | Pediatric Nursing
In light of our recent training at Children's Memorial hospital in Chicago, we thought we would bring you Pediatric Nursing as the modality we're spotlighting in this issue.
The American Nurses Association defines it as:
"Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations."
Pediatric Nursing involves nursing care of children generally ranging from the ages of newborns up to 18 years of age. Nurses in this field wear many hats in addition to those defined above.
In Pediatric Nursing you are the supporter of not only the child but the family unit as well. You experience these families in the best and the worst of times in their lives. Information is not easily translated with such heightened emotions. One of the main things Nurse's can provide for their families is comfort and education.
Although there are many levels of education and specializations within Pediatric Nursing, all require a high level of compassion for our littlest of patients. As our technology and advancements in care have increased, our time with the patients has decreased. Nurses these days have to juggle many roles and find time for self care in a very fast paced world.
Nurses who practice presence and acceptance make the biggest difference in a patient's life. What good is fixing the hole in your child's heart if we've broken the human spirit in the process? An excellent Pediatric Nurse provides both great clinical and Holistic care despite the increasing demands put upon them. It is a job in which self care is not only recommended but essential for longevity in the field.
Throughout history nurses have been pioneers and inventors of compassionate care. Despite the increased demands in the work force, Nurses make a difference in people's lives every day. It is a personally rewarding field that will continue to grow in our futures! "Have you hugged your nurse today?"....... |
| OUR SPONSORS |
Thank you to Wells Fargo for being a Gold Level Sponsor at our April 2010 Tucson Butterfly Gala!
Thank you to Scott Ellison and Valerie Churchwell of Turner Construction Company for sponsoring the opening night retreat dinner!
 Thank you to Tucson Federal Credit Union for being a retreat sponsor for our healing retreats 2 years running! |
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| Letter from the Editor |
 Integrative Touch for Kids has sprouted new life with the joyous experience of hosting our 2nd Ever Healing Retreat!!
The 2nd retreat was an enormously heartfelt experience. Shay will tell you more in the 'Thoughts From Shay' section below. The retreat was held at the Rex Ranch in Amado, just south of Tucson AZ. Families came from around the country to participate. Many of the families that were retreat participants last summer helped us out this year to make the experience extra special. Their wisdom and experience was an incredible asset to the new families. Our healing arts practitioners and general volunteers were extraordinary and offered profound moments of healing and wisdom. We are very excited to have such an incredible team! We will have many post retreat events and activities so contact us soon if you would like to participate--there are many ways to give of your time and trust me when I tell you that your return will be nothing short of life changing.
(We sure had fun painting horses at the June retreat!) Tina Roche RN, LMT
Integrative Communications Editor |
Thoughts From Shay
Delight. That is the word that kept coming to me as we prepared for our healing retreat. It is sheer and utter delight to be with the families and to be of service. The VALUE OF SERVICE is something that isn't always talked about in our culture and yet the benefits are extraordinary. The benefits we receive from giving of ourselves in this way are greater than any monetary reward that could be provided. Service is valuable on so many levels. Service work allows us to support the needs of those around us and provides perspective on our own lives. I vividly recall that one of the happiest holidays I ever spent was providing gentle touch to a young man who was in the process of dying. He reminded me of the richness of my own life and how much I have to be grateful for. We are able to give and receive in one continuous and joyous loop because the connections among us are so profound. As I reflect back on our retreat week, I feel that one of my lessons learned from this opportunity to serve was the power of love to heal. I have carried deeply in my heart for some time the 'feeling awareness' that love carries the deepest transformative healing powers. It is from a place of genuine love that healing begins. There are many other aspects of healing but this is the one I value most and it fuels my personal journey in this work. Through our service we come to know love more deeply.
I am also very cognizant of the circle of giving. To give truly is to receive. Service work teaches us in a profound way that we are connected and when we give to others completely we become more complete. This is one of the great mysteries of the world in which we live...to receive love on a very deep level, we must tune in to our own hearts and offer love to others...only to find it reflected back to us with the knowledge and recognition that it was with us al along.
May we be reminded of the richness of our hearts and the value of service on a daily basis and may we have an opportunity to give more fully of ourselves from our truest nature.
With delight,
Shay Beider
Founder and Executive Director, Integrative Touch for Kids
(A couple of our "cowgirls" hangin out at the retreat :) | |
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| In the News | |
 The Butterfly Galas Our Chicago Butterfly Gala event is just around the corner! It will be held at the fabulous East Bank Club - Chicago's premiere fitness, sports adn dining facility - "a club in a class by itself," on Saturday October 16th at 7pm. Save the Date!
This Year's 2nd Annual Tucson Benefit Event, The Butterfly Gala, was a big hit! It was a brisk spring evening at the Stillwell House and Garden in downtown Tucson when the magic began. 92.9 The Mountain's own Jennie Grabel graciously served as the MC for the event. Supporters of Integrative Touch for Kids showed up in force even though it was an unexpectedly rainy night. The mood was set as everyone came together to release (and warm up!) the beautiful butterflies. Guests moved inside for light fare and a festive live auction. Logan Lee and Shay reminded us of the importance, the power, and the need for the healing retreats. The excitement of the next retreat motivated donations and auctions bids to soar. The night progressed as the aroma of delectable desserts, donated by local restaurants and bakeries, filled the room. A delightful evening shared by all with common-unity. Through generous donations and auction proceeds, more than 30 thousand dollars was raised to help create the reality of the 2nd Annual ITK Healing Retreat. |
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Healthy Tips for...
Healthy Living
Q: What is one way you can make a positive impact on yourself, your home, and the earth all at once?
A: Spring/Summer Cleaning... | |
What?!?!? "Cleaning" as a way of keeping your Family, your Home, and the Earth healthy? Well it's true, and here are some ideas and facts on why:
The Issues:
Personal Health:
We are what we eat, and we are also what we breath and touch. Two ways the human body absorbs, in addition to the digestive tract, are:
1) Respiratory tract~ through the air we breathe.
2) Skin ~ through the things we touch.
When our houses are cleaned with toxic cleaning agents, toxins fill the air and cover surfaces. These toxins are absorbed, and go straight into our blood stream... Once in our system these toxins can cause a wide array of problems
>> Headaches to Cancer.
>> Allergies to Asthma.
>> Neurological to Hormonal.
And the list goes on...
Stop Super Bugs: General cleaning and hygiene with plain soap is enough to keep most of us very healthy. Overuse of antibacterial soaps and cleaners has created Super Bugs... These are bacteria that have evolved to be resistant to multiple or all antibiotics. It is important to save antibiotics for those who really need them and hospitals. Do your part to prevent "Super bugs!"
Home Health:
Whether you live in the city or a rural area, the quality of the air in your home is on average 2-5 times more polluted than the air outdoors. Main contributors to poor indoor air quality are VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are chemicals such as benzene (in cigarette smoke) and formaldehyde (very common, found in particle board and plywood furniture, cleaning products, tap water, and much, much more). Biological Pollutants such as dust, mold, animal dander and others also make the quality of our indoor air poor.
Earth Health:
Save our non-renewable resources and Keep toxic chemicals out of the soil, the air, and the water supply....
Oil - most commercial cleaners use oil (petroleum) based surfactants...
"if every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 28-ounce petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with a vegetable-based product, we could save 82,000 barrels of oil a year"
Phosphates -->Water -->Algae grow -->decrease of oxygen in water -->Death of fish and other organisms in natural waterways.
Solvents and Surfactants - some of these chemicals in cleaning products take a very long time to biodegrade and/or are changed to more toxic chemical once in our water supply and soil.
Here are some ways to improve the environment, your home's indoor air quality and your health when cleaning:
Some Solutions
Increase ventilation:
Open windows and door to allow fresh air to move through the house, and always Smoke outside. That "new smell" is usually toxic VOCs (new furnishings/new toys/new car/dry cleaning)... Let it "off gas" outside in the sun before bringing items into the home... Better yet, buy products made of real materials such as wood, glass, metal, natural fibers, etc. without VOCs or added toxic chemicals.
When Buying Cleaners:
Avoid
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Labels with "danger" "warning" or "caution,"
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Products that do not list ingredients, or long lists of unpronounceable, unrecognizable ingredients
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Anti-Bacterial cleaners
Look for:
Safe Green Cleaning and more cleaning Recipes (click on links)
This has been Spring/Summer-Cleaning 101 for a healthier person, home and earth. So roll up your sleeves, open your windows and clean away...
Enjoy your cleaning!
Dr. Angela Wojtowicz N.MD.
Aw4health@gmail.com
P.S. Let me know the Health topics you are interested in learning about for future newsletters!! |
| Community Member Spotlight |
 Marco Prado
This issue's Community Member Spotlight features Marco Prado. Marco has been active with Integrative Touch for Kids since our 1st Tucson announcement dinner back in September of 2008. He is a Shiatsu and Craniosacral practitioner, as well as a design consultant through a practice called Vastu Shastra.
"Vastu" means environment, one's home or land; "Shastra" is science. Vastu Shastra, or "Vastu" as it is commonly called, is the Vedic science that identifies the energetic effects of the environment on an individual. The concepts of Vastu eventually traveled from their birthplace in India throughout Asia and finally to China and Japan where they provided the base for the development of what is now known as Feng Shui. It is more than just aesthetics. It is the art of creating attractive, harmonious designs that support physical and spiritual health.
It is this beautiful art that Marco has been providing for Integrative Touch for Kids in helping to design the treatment rooms for our retreats and creating the special look and feel of our events.
Marco studied Industrial Design in his homeland of Brazil before moving to New York City to further his education in Vastu Shastra and Shiatsu. He has studied with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic School in Albequerque New Mexico and currently has lived in Tucson AZ since 2002. His practices stem from not only his work in Shiatsu and Craniosacral but experiences in Reiki and EMF (Emotional Freedom Technique) as well. Marco strongly believes that it is not one particular modality that he performs at any given time but a combination of all his experiences that shows up in everything that he does. He calls his shiatsu practice 'Feng Shui for the body.' It is the combination of all of these experiences that make him a fantastic, intuitive practitioner.
We are grateful for the care and amazing volunteer work Marco has provided for Integrative Touch for Kids! His creativity is legendary and he has a heart of gold. If you see a car driving around Tucson with the license plate vastu 4 u, be sure to give him a wave!
You can view Marco's work and amazing photography collection @ www.envisionsforliving.com or by phone @ 520-275-3096.
Tina Roche RN,LMT |
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