A new store is opening in Worth, and it's offering a variety of items you may not find elsewhere.
It's called Mind Over Matter, and it was recently opened by a practicing psychologist who specializes in the field of human relationships. Not coincidentally, a big part of her new store is devoted to books about relationships and human sexuality issues. The owner (who didn't want her name mentioned) is making the jump from the office to retail business because she found that so many people felt the standard, traditional field of psychology was failing them.
In addition, Mind Over Matter is going to fill its shelves with items that other area stores may not carry such as massage videos, lotions and oils, incense, candles, and Catskill Mountain chimes. Plus, they'll carry natural pet care products like herbal vitamins for dogs, books about animal telepathy and pet massage, natural bathing and flea products, dog detoxifiers and hard-to-find pet magazines. Wolf Clan, a holistic dog care magazine, will be a regular on the shelves, as well as holistic cat care magazines.
Eventually, Mind Over Matter will offer workshops, readings and healings.
So, if you do card reading, palmistry, healings, or have workshop ideas, give them a call. They're looking for good people to participate.
The doors are now open, but the Grand Opening celebration of Mind Over Matter takes place the weekend of August 30th-September 1st. Stop in for color harmonic and vibrational healing demonstrations by Star Flower Enterprises and other grand opening activities. Or, just stop in to get a big wet smooch from Lance, the canine mascot.
Mind Over Matter is located at 11242-A Harlem in Worth. Call (708)923-BOOK for more information.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, is a motto that applies well in business ventures such as this. Whole Foods has acquired the entire Fresh Fields chain of 22 stores in a recent merger. The purchase of Fresh Fields stores, which have been mainly located on the east coast, now creates a seventh U.S. region -- the Mid-Atlantic -- for Whole Foods Market and brings their new total of stores to 70.
Whole Foods has acquired four Chicagoland Fresh Fields stores which include those in Evanston, Naperville, Palatine, and the Chicago store on Elston. The Elston store is the only one slated for closing. Other Fresh Fields stores have been in New York, Charlottesville, Maryland, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Final approval and the actual changeover will take place in late September.
Having a hard time sleeping? Can't remember your dreams as well as you'd like? You may want to try a dream pillow.
According to Dale Kemery, dream pillow entrepreneur, dream pillows have been shown scientifically and historically to promote sleep, due to the aromatic herbs that fill them. He says that people in Victorian England used rose petals to promote sleep and that Abraham Lincoln preferred hops, which have been known for centuries as a sleep promoter. More recently, Kemery says, medical studies in the United Kingdom revealed that lavender can help people fall asleep without pills.
But the secret, according to Kemery, is in the formulation. "The trick is to have the active herbs in sufficient quantities to work, and other herbs to buffer them and make them smell good." After a year of research and experimentation, Kemery feels he's got his formulation perfected.
His four inch by four inch fragrant pillows are stuffed with herbs such as chamomile, hops, passionflower, roses, mugwort and sweet woodruff, and are placed next to you or hung above you for night-long aromatherapy. His dream pillows are known for their ability to stimulate dreaming, and his sleep pillows are reported to induce sleep. I tried a sleep pillow, and must admit I did have a couple of very restful nights' sleep.
But, Kemery adds, dream pillows do affect everyone a little differently. "People are different. Your mileage may vary," he jokes. But from the stories he's been hearing from his customers, his dream pillows work. (Maybe that's why his company is called DreamPillow Works.) Lately Kemery has been researching aphrodisiac herbs and hints that Love Pillows may not be too far behind.
Currently, dream pillows from DreamPillow Works are available only through Dale Kemery. Call (847) 392-7878 for more information.
The National Health Federation, the world's oldest consumer health organization, will host the annual Chicago '96 Natural Health Show on August 24 & 25 at the Ramada O'Hare in Rosemont. The weekend event will gather over 100 exhibits, 100 lecturers and 25 interactive workshops on alternative medicine topics ranging from natural cancer prevention to ayurveda to holistic dentistry. The focus of the event is to educate the American family about all the natural and alternative therapies available to them.
"America consumes a record 60% of the world's prescription drugs throughout the world," says Patrick von Mauck, chairman of the 41-year-old not-for-profit National Health Federation. "It's time that we realize that popping the latest prescription drug -- whether it's an abundance of antibiotics, Phen-Fen, or Ritalin to mask the latest ailment -- does not solve any health problem, not to mention the immediate side effects and possible future consequences. It's time for a 'Natural Health Revolution'." Keynote speakers at this year's Natural Health Show include the well-known Harvey Diamond, author of You Can Prevent Breast Cancer as well as Fit For Life which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 straight weeks; Rick Nappi N.D., whose celebrity clientele includes supermodel Linda Evangelista; Alvenia Fulton, Chicago's "queen of nutrition"; predictive medicine expert Jacob Swilling, Ph.D., D.P.N.; Luke Chan, master of Chi Lel Qigong; David Christopher, M.H., master herbalist and director of The School of Natural Healing; Morton Walker, D.P.M., recognized as the world's leading medical journalist specializing in holistic medicine; and the legendary "vitamin doctor," Jonathan Wright, Harvard-educated M.D. and President of the National Health Federation; as well as many other well respected authorities in natural and alternative therapies.
The Natural Health Show will be held at the Ramada O'Hare, 6600 N. Mannheim Road in Rosemont. Show times are Saturday, August 24th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, August 25th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call (818) 357-2181 for more information.
Marie Ostarello is a writer/producer who has been involved in the Chicago new age community for the past ten years. If you have any local new age news for this column, call her at (312) 409-6204.