Welcome to the premiere issue of Natural Awakenings, Middlesex County edition! We are thrilled to present this new, free magazine for healthy living in our community, and we aim to help you improve the quality of your life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Each month, we’ll bring you valuable articles by national and local experts with cutting-edge information on health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, personal growth, creative expression and environmentally friendly living. Our local news briefs will update you on events and announcements in our area, and monthly calendars will enable you to learn and network with others in our growing healthy living community. This magazine is also your primary resource for local wellness practitioners of integrative and alternative healing arts, here to help you take control of your own health and well-being.

I plan to share my exciting journey to becoming a fan of Natural Awakenings next month. This month my letter is dedicated to the light-hearted spirit my brother Rick brought to every part of my life and especially to the launch of this magazine. Sadly, Rick passed unexpectedly on February 10, but I still smile inside remembering how he often called to check on his baby sister’s progress. He was as excited about my giving birth to this incredible community resource as I am.

In his own way, my big brother epitomized the Natural Awakenings tag line: Feel Good ~ Live Simply ~ Laugh More! Always quick with his Irish wit, his heart and home were open to all he touched. He gave a grin to everyone he encountered. He shared his love for life freely and never failed to yell “I Love You” across crowded rooms, parking lots, supermarkets, even a major concert hall when he spied me on a stairway. I am comforted by my faith and Teilhard de Chardin’s maxim: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Rick’s spirit lives on in my heart and will guide me along this publishing journey in ways he couldn’t even when he was here.

This premier issue is packed with articles especially for you. On page 18, “Five Steps to Better Health” explores how integrative medicine can make health care simpler, more effective and more affordable. In our local feature article, on page 26, Herb Pearce explains the power of the Enneagram, a personality decoding system that may help you understand yourself and improve your relationships.

Special thanks go to our advertisers, writers, contributing local practitioners and distribution locations for your enthusiastic participation. Our advertisers are the reason we can bring this free publication to the Southeastern Middlesex community. Please remember them when you shop for products and services and add your thanks for their support.

We are eager to hear from our readers, so please share your ideas and feedback with us. Send your news, and local story ideas to [email protected] In the meantime, we invite you now to open your mind, settle in, relax and read on.

Wishing you peace and wellness,

Maisie Raftery, Publisher