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Sweetwater, Tennessee, are being transformed into the Sweet Water Sustainability Institute (SWSI), a nonprofit educational center. There will be workshop space, lodg- ing, a bookstore and gift shop, a pool and hiking trails, a café, and a dining hall serving organic, vegetarian meals made from food grown onsite. “SWSI will offer a curriculum focused on creating unique, sustainable practices for every lifestyle,” says board member Tricia Baehr. “The classes will encompass all aspects of the mind, body and spirit, focusing on health and wellness, creative expression and agriculture, as well as holistic solu- tions for physical and psychological rehabilitation.” While this ambitious project is just getting off the ground, it has great potential to become what its founders envi- sion—the Omega Institute of the South. Sustainability met serendipity when Linda Sechrist, an editor from our Natural


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Awakenings parent company, and Sharon J. Kleitsch, founder of The Connection Partners, announced they would visit SWSI as part of their 11-city Stone Soup Listening Tour to gather stories about sustainability and green initiatives across the nation. The duo will collect a bounty of stories from each community as they travel, contributing them to the next city’s “pot.” “At present, we believe that sus- tainability stories are disconnected and unable to enhance the momentum of the grassroots movement already taking place,” Linda told us. “Many individuals and groups are already hosting conversations to address current issues,” Sharon added. “We’re just connecting the green dots, stirring the stone soup pot, and watching what happens.” When the two stop in Chattanooga on September 23, we will tour SWSI and introduce them to the individuals committed to making Sweetwater a world-class sustainability destination. (See page 6 for more information about SWSI.)


September is National Yoga Month, and our Fit Body column showcases the


wise words of nationally recognized yoga masters. Our area boasts its own “Titans of Yoga,” as growing numbers of East Tennesseans embrace this quiet but power- ful tradition. If you’ve been wanting to try yoga, now’s the time. Check out the Fit Body sidebar (page 23), to find a yoga studio that’s a perfect fit for you. And here’s another worthwhile tradition that’s come to Chattanooga: the


Healthy Living Expo. Patterned on a similar event in Knoxville, which has enjoyed great success since its launch in 2005, Chattanooga’s first annual Healthy Living Expo will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center October 1-2. With more than 200 exhibit booths, food demonstrations, free health screenings and family activities, the Expo has something for every age. Stop and visit Natural Awakenings at our “Healthy Living, Healthy Planet” pavilion showcasing natural health and green products and services. See page 7 for more event details, or visit TheHeal- thyLivingExpo.com.


Have a wonderful month,


vision is coming to life on 144 rolling acres just off I-75, between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Build- ings and land that were once a school campus in


Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy- based ink.


September 2010 5


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