Rooted in Community, Growing in Wellness

What makes a community healthy?

Jordan Peschek, RN-BSN, Publisher
Natural Awakenings Twin Cities

Of course, access to nutritious food, opportunities to move our bodies and quality health care all play important roles. But I think there is something deeper, too. Healthy communities are built through connection: to the land, to one another and to a shared sense of purpose.

That spirit is woven throughout this summer issue of Twin Cities Natural Awakenings.

Our feature story, “Wellness Without Walls: Outdoor Connections for Body and Spirit,” celebrates the many ways nature supports our health. Summer also offers an abundance of fresh, colorful foods. Inside this issue, you’ll find ideas for vibrant salads, a fresh look at blueberries and other foods that support brain health, and practical wellness tips for the season. 

This month, however, I find myself especially inspired by the people and places featured in our local stories.

A Local Lens

We sit down with the owners of Mastel’s Health Foods, a beloved St. Paul destination that has spent decades helping community members navigate their wellness journeys through thoughtful guidance and carefully curated wellness products that support everything from gut health and hormones to energy and brain health.

In Stillwater, we learn how Healing Waters Health Center approaches wellness through the interconnection of physical symptoms with emotional or energetic patterns, providing support for anxiety, liver and detox issues, heart palpitations and integrative cancer care.

And at Seeds of Change Holistic Healing, we explore what can happen when practitioners ask deeper questions to uncover what lies behind symptoms, helping clients with nervous system dysregulation, headaches, brain fog, sensitivity to light and sound and much more. In addition to adults, owner Dori Brown works with children who have skin conditions, digestive issues and other unexplained symptoms.

We also bring readers to Viroqua, Wisconsin, where generations of farmers, entrepreneurs and families have helped create one of the Midwest’s most distinctive centers for organic agriculture, sustainability and holistic living. 

While each story is unique, they all remind me of the same truth: Health is rarely built through a single choice or quick fix. Rather, it grows through relationships, habits and curiosity. It grows when people care enough to listen, ask questions, share knowledge, support one another and create spaces where healing can flourish.

As you enjoy this month’s issue, I hope you discover something that inspires you, whether it’s a new place to visit, a new perspective on wellness or simply a reminder to spend more time connecting with the people and places that nourish your life.

Wishing you a joyful, healthy and adventure-filled summer,

Jordan Peschek, RN-BSN, Publisher