This month’s issue is packed with more local content than usual—and we’re very pleased about it!

First, our feature on Atlanta healing centers includes a directory of 15 locations. Directories have always been popular with readers. We’ve published directories for Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), farmers’ markets, retreat facilities and wellness spas. Like our wellness spa directory, we’ve crafted a definition of “healing centers” for a Goldilocks effect: Not too many and not too few centers need to be listed. In other words, many other Atlanta businesses might meet readers’ definitions of “healing centers,” so this list is only definitive within our own narrow definition!

Since taking over as publisher of this magazine, one of the more confusing aspects of pursuing holistic health is the plethora of modalities that present themselves to the general public. A longstanding marketing “commandment” is to talk about benefits instead of features. For example, energy healing can reduce stress and induce peace of mind, as opposed to reiki practitioners, who channel energy through their hands without touching. The thing is, the list of modalities that claim similar benefits is quite long; readers and the general public are left to consider which of many modalities might best help relieve their stress, reduce brain fog, increase energy or improve sleep.

Well, healing centers don’t necessarily provide an answer, but they do offer multiple practitioners and modalities at the same location. So, at a minimum, convenience is a factor, and we all welcome more convenience in our lives.    

Second, we shine a light on Alive! Expo, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary at the end of this month. Natural Awakenings shares a couple of major characteristics with Alive! Expo. For one, a primary motivation is to share knowledge about health and wellness with readers/consumers. Alive! Expo founder Patrycja Towns used to work for Better Nutrition magazine! Another thing we share is that we focus on smaller, local businesses. While that is a worthy focus—promoting small, local businesses not only enhances the uniqueness and diversity of the Atlanta economy, it does the opposite of concentrating wealth into fewer and fewer hands—it also presents the challenge of having customers with small marketing budgets and practically no marketing staff. And yet, we’ve persisted to this point. [Disclosure: This magazine is and has been a media sponsor of Alive! Expo for many years.]

Third, we’re highlighting three outstanding yoga teachers this month. Since I’ve been publisher, we’ve assiduously avoided “best of” lists that are decided by popular vote since we believe such lists are only popularity contests and do not honestly speak to “best.” Instead, our yoga editor, Patricia Schmidt, defined “outstanding” as the ability to teach to anyone and everyone who shows up for a class, regardless of what was planned for a class. We then asked for nominations among those who know many yoga instructors and know a lot about teaching yoga, such as local studio owners and a few universally recognized excellent Atlanta teachers.

The result is hardly a list, just a sample. We’ll likely conduct this exploration again in the future as we’re certain there are many more outstanding yoga teachers in Atlanta who deserve wider recognition.

Finally, this is the second consecutive month in which we’ve published eight or more News Briefs. I love that! As a franchise, our first and most important contribution to editorial is reporting on local organizations and events that can have a positive impact on you, our readers. Inexplicably, some months we’ve only been able to publish two briefs. I definitely believe that Atlanta is large enough that we should never have that problem.