Healthy Options | WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives

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Audio archives of spoken word broadcasts from Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill (weru.org)

  1. 12/03/2025

    Healthy Options 12/3/25: Using Somatic Movement to Heal from Trauma, Grief, & Loss

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: 1. What is somatic movement? 2. Using movement to help us through grief, shock, stress & trauma 3. What is fright, flight and freeze? 4. How stress and trauma can affect our nervous system 5. How grief and shock can affect our nervous system 6. What is the difference between depression and emotional dysregulation? Guest(s): Donna Brooks, somatic movement therapist, counselor, coach, and educator, & yoga therapist. FMI: Donna Brooks’ links for info- Original Body Wisdom: originalbodywisdom.com Somatic Movement Therapy for trauma, grief, and loss: originalbodywisdom.com/somatic-movement-therapy-for-trauma-grief-and-loss/ 3 Ways Embodiment Helps navigate loss – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/3-ways-embodiment-helps-navigate-loss/ Creating a GoodLife When a child Dies – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/creating-a-good-life-after-a-child-dies/ Beauty in Grief and Loss – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/like-the-cold-and-sparse-beauty-of-winter-there-is-also-a-beauty-in-grief-and-loss/ 8 Somatic Breathing Exercises to do today – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/8-somatic-breathing-exercises-to-do-today/ Youtube Playlist for Grief: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvXmR7ZSV14&list=PL55fMwRPubVxTexQnuE9fCI9pkrdU2E3y YouTube Playlist for Breathing: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55fMwRPubVyjc8xAK3MVpyBLExkhrFKF About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 12/3/25: Using Somatic Movement to Heal from Trauma, Grief, & Loss first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    1 hr

  2. 11/05/2025

    Healthy Options 11/5/25: AGEISM: Disrupting & Challenging Internal & Societal Beliefs & Actions

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -We ALL will get older; how we deal with this reality is important for each of us to face in a positive, life-affirming manner -Age-positivity & how to reframe aging -Why & how do positive views of aging produce healthier outcomes? -The difference between a “health span” and a “life span” -Pervasive age-related stereotypes in society, systemic ageism, & internalized, self-perpetuated ageism -What is internalized ageism & how is it detrimental to all of us as we get older? -The stigmatization of using the term “memory loss” & how it can be used indiscriminately & incorrectly -How older people are treated differently than middle-aged & younger people in health care settings, based on perceptions of their age, versus their well-being & vitality. -Economic disparities & bias that may manifest as we age, in being female and/or a person of color, resulting in a lack of resources and poverty -Downsides of individual responsibility as we age vs. benefits of collective responsibility in communities -What can we learn from other countries in relation to addressing the needs & credits of older citizens? -How older people who want/need to work, & have skills & experience, can aid the employment shortage in Maine -The Leadership Exchange on Aging as a participatory learning experience for leaders in all fields; 350 have graduated from the program, in Maine (see link, below). Guest(s): Jess Mauer, Executive Director of the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA). FMI: Maine Council on Aging (MCOA): mainecouncilonaging.org Northern New England Geriatric Education Center programs: www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/nnegec/programs#GITT-PC mainecouncilonaging.org/agepositiveme/ Learn about/Join the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging: www.agefriendly.community Leadership Exchange on Ageism mainecouncilonaging.org/leadership-exchange-on-ageism/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 11/5/25: AGEISM: Disrupting & Challenging Internal & Societal Beliefs & Actions first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    1 hr

  3. 08/06/2025

    Healthy Options 8/6/25: The Power of Music & Song as a Healthy Option

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: 1. Experiencing the physiological effects of music & song, and how different aspects of melody & rhythm can resonate with heart rates & the nervous system. 2. Music creating connection & community as well as personal empowerment- even if you were told at any early age you were not a singer. 3. Singing as natural for us as humans, vs. how it has become seen as a business and not as a personal expression to use and share. 4. The power of singing in groups, how it feels to sing with others, and what happens to our emotions as we sing together and experience songs & melodies. 5. Songs can remind us we are not alone, and we are connected to others whether with shared experiences, or with new insights, bringing empathy about others’ lives. 6. How it is used as an outlet to express reactions to injustice, and empowers people who are banding together to work for social change. 7. Effects of various kinds of music on growing plants (“Kids! Try this at home!”). Guest(s): Claudia Schmidt, singer-songwriter, folk & jazz musician, & poet, www.claudiaschmidt.com Claudia Schmidt (with Sally Rogers), sallyrogers.com/concert-booking/sally-and-claudia/ FMI: Giving Voice Chorus. www.givingvoicechorus.org Creating joyful choral communities for people living with dementia. The Healing Power of Music. aish.com/the-healing-power-of-music/ Music Care. www.musiccare.org Music care is the intentional use of music by anyone to improve health and well-being. About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 8/6/25: The Power of Music & Song as a Healthy Option first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    1 hr

  4. 06/04/2025

    Healthy Options 6/4/25: Music Therapy for Health & Healing

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -How music can help with emotional stability. -The attributes of music therapy in reducing stress. -The powerful & positive effects of singing in groups. -Music & memory. -Therapeutic use of music in addressing cognitive challenges. -Using music with children with autism. Guest(s): Heather Ellsworth, Board-certified Music Therapist & Neurologic Music Therapist, musician, singer and composer. midcoastmusictherapy.com FMI: Maine Music Therapy website (where people can search their specific Maine county for a music therapist): www.mainemusictherapy.com About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 6/4/25: Music Therapy for Health & Healing first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    58 min

  5. 05/07/2025

    Healthy Options 5/7/25: Ticks: Lyme, & other Tick-borne Illness

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -The different ticks appearing in Maine, and the tick diseases being found now. -The vital importance of keeping tick OFF of us! -Poppy-seed size of ticks right now, as nymphs in May, and sesame seed size as adults, and raisin-sized when engorged -Tick-borne pathogens & their afflictions: Anaplasmosis, Babeosis, Lyme (Borellia), Alpha Gal, Erhlichia, Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever, Relapsing Fever (& Powassan Virus, which can cause severe to fatal illness in just 15 minutes after a bite) -The importance of clinical diagnosis, vs. relying solely on the imperfections in analyzing test results, and the significance of a LYME disease rash- which does not present in every tick bite -How to check for ticks in a timely fashion, so an embedded tick has less time to transfer disease from its bite; we do not know how the length of time required for a tick to transmit infection -How to remove a tick safely & what is a risky tick bite (tick broken off, tick on for several hours/days, tick being “annoyed” and spitting bacteria etc. back into the wound from its salivary gland) -Sending ticks for identification as to the type of tick & possible disease carried -What is a PCR test, and what it can show (or not), the issues of interpreting antibody tests, and when to test for Lyme & co-infections -What treatments are commonly used, and the challenges of diagnosing tick-borne illness -How to protect yourself (and your pets) from ticks when being outdoors (high percentage of tick bites recorded, from your own backyard, yardwork, gardening, clearing brush). -Permithrin-treated clothing and effective repellents used on the skin for tick protection -How to make your backyard less habitable for ticks, and migrating birds can carry ticks & spread them onto our property; best to not use bird feeders from April through October Guest(s): Dr. Beatrice Szantyr, Internist and Pediatrician who lectures on Lyme disease and related tick-borne disorders in Maine and nationally, to both professional and community groups. She is an active member of the Maine CDC Vector Borne Disease Work Group, and a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.  Dr. Szantyr also had served on the 2022 Federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, Access to Care and Education Subcommittee. FMI: EPA info on effective repellents www.epa.gov/insect-repellents? EPA info on repellent-treated clothing www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/repellent-treated-clothing? University of Maine Tick Lab?- Protect Yourself from ticks & tick-borne diseases (Identify a tick for free; $20 to ID diseases the tick may contain) extension.umaine.edu/ticks/ Tick testing Amherst MA. (tests for more diseases): www.tickreport.com Maine Tracking Network- Tickborne Diseases Improving public health with better information: data.mainepublichealth.gov/tracking/home Columbia University Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center www.columbia-lyme.org/ Powered by patients. Home of Lyme Times and My Lyme Data: www.lymedisease.org/ TickEncounter  The University of Rhode Island?Tick-borne Disease prevention Education web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ This article is brief enough for a patient to bring to a doctor’s visit for them to consider: The Management of Ixodes scapularis Bites in the Upper Midwest wmjonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/110/2/78.pdf PARTICULARLY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS (& FMI for clients): LymeCME- Free, Evidence-based, AAFP-Accredited Courses Physicians Can Trust www.lymecme.info/ ****************************************************** Previous HEALTHY OPTIONS PROGRAMS on ticks & Lyme can also be found at: archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2024/05/healthy-options-5-1-24-lyme-disease-other-tick-borne-illness-update-for-2024/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/05/healthy-options-5-3-23-lyme-disease-tick-borne-illness-and-how-to-be-tick-conscious-to-protect-ourselves/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/10/healthy-options-10-5-22-the-ticks-are-still-here-what-you-need-to-know/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/05/healthy-options-5-4-22-yearly-update-on-ticks-lyme-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2021/05/healthy-options-5-5-21-ticks-those-blood-sucking-parasites/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2020/06/healthy-options-6-3-20-ticks-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 5/7/25: Ticks: Lyme, & other Tick-borne Illness first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    58 min

  6. 04/02/2025

    Healthy Options 4/2/25: Building Resiliency to Trauma

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: Using the Trauma Resiliency Model to stay resilient and centered during this exceeding stressful time The differences between fight, flight, & freeze as reactions to stress “Toxic stress”,“tolerable stress”, & “positive stress”, and what may be helpful- or harmful- to us How can we regulate our nervous system in reaction to stress & trauma? What are some techniques to deal with stress, be resilient, and stay/become centered? What are some specific strategies to use when you are scared or agitated? How being aware of sensation (body awareness), helps in handling and reducing trauma, and how you can help yourself return to a feeling of well-being when you are out of balance & feeling beset by stress Personal, societal, and political stress and the challenge (and imperative) to stay centered & be resilient What is the iChill app and how can it help in times of unease & stress? What are Tracking, Resourcing, Grounding & Gesturing, and how are they used in the iChill app to help with managing stress? Guest(s): Elaine Miller-Karas, MSW, LCSW, trauma therapist, co-founder & former executive director of the Trauma Resource Institute, a non-profit dedicated to promoting resilience and trauma-informed care, worldwide. Elaine Miller-Karas is the author of “Building Resiliency to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models®”, and the host of the podcast, “Resiliency Within”. She has led projects to help communities in the recovering process from mass shootings, and leads the Ukraine Humanitarian Resiliency Program which provides support to teachers & children amidst the country’s conflict. She is currently working in Los Angeles with survivors of the recent wildfires. FMI: Trauma Resiliency Institute www.traumaresourceinstitute.com iChill is a free app from the App store, or try it online, at ichillapp.com Psychology Today- Article by Elaine Miller-Karas Dialogue, Dignity, and Democracy Personal Perspective: We can nurture our humanity in the face of inhumanity Psychology Today 2/25/25 www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-resiliency-to-trauma/202502/dialogue-dignity-and-democracy **************************************************************************************** Previous HEALTHY OPTIONS programs on the work of the Trauma Resource Institute: Restoring & enhancing resiliency & balance after shock and trauma archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/11/healthy-options-11-1-23-restoring-and-enhancing-resiliency-and-balance-after-shock-and-trauma/ Building Resiliency to Trauma archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2021/03/healthy-options-3-3-21-building-resiliency-to-trauma/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2017/10/healthy-options-10417/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2014/09/healthy-options-932014/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2010/12/healthy-options-12110/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2009/9/healthy-options-90209/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 4/2/25: Building Resiliency to Trauma first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    1 hr

  7. 03/05/2025

    Healthy Options 3/5/25: “It’s a Scientific Fact”: The Imperative of Medical Info & Research

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: The serious implications of the loss of funding for medical/health research & the curtailment of health data available for the public. The importance of “doing good science” as a research scientist, & the scientific method as it pertains to medical research. Current & historical perspectives on vaccination vs. herd immunity. Is herd immunity relevant/effective for any/all infestious diseases? The role of bioethics & vaccines, & risk-benefit analysis. The importance of the “Yuck Factor.” Are there songs that can help us understand & appreciate science? Guest(s):  Dr. Miryam Wahrman, biomedical researcher, bioethicist, biochemist, and director of a research laboratory in microbiology at William Patterson University, where she is a professor of biology. Dr. Wahrman discusses the importance of scientific process in medical research & our health, the impacts of curtailing studies on infectious disease and other serious illness, and the current challenges we face as important health information becomes restricted- and misinformation & disinformation is rampant. She is the author of the book, The Hand Book: Surviving in a Germ-Filled World, which explores hand-washing & hygiene, cross infections, and simple ways to stay healthy & reduce/prevent the spread of disease. Previous interviews with Dr. Wahrman: archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2020/11/healthy-options-11-4-20-current-scientific-thinking-about-covid-19-health-strategies/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2020/03/healthy-options-3-4-20-interview-with-dr-miryam-wahrman-author-of-the-hand-book-surviving-in-the-germ-filled-world/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2019/02/healthy-options-2-6-19/ FMI: DNA testing information on YouTube: Inadequate advice can mislead and harm the public onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jgc4.1375 Escherichia coli on the internet: The power of YouTube to educate and influence consumer behavior regarding pathogenic bacteria www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S246804511930001X Glove Changing When Handling Money: Observational and Microbiological Analysis www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26463082 About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 3/5/25: “It’s a Scientific Fact”: The Imperative of Medical Info & Research first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    59 min

  8. 02/05/2025

    Healthy Options 2/5/25: The Feldenkrais Method

    Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: 1. The origin & principles of the Feldenkrais Method. 2. Exploration of how its practice has been shown to improve movement, posture, balance & coordination. 3. How it may help to reduce pain, and improve range of motion & flexibility- and how Deborah Darr utilized Feldenkrais in her own recovery after a serious injury. 4. Listeners can experience a shortened Feldenkrais session led by Deborah Darr during the last third of the interview. Guest(s):  Deborah Darr, Feldenkrais instructor, physical therapist, & dancer. FMI: Feldenkraisproject.com movementandcreativity.com/tiffanysankary About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition. The post Healthy Options 2/5/25: The Feldenkrais Method first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

    1 hr
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Audio archives of spoken word broadcasts from Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill (weru.org)

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