Client Spotlight: Natalie Fournier, Healing through Massage Therapy

In these stressful, pandemic-clouded days, I find that I really miss hugging friends when I see them. There’s something about a hug, that hold-tight compression that makes you feel solid, secure, seen, and felt. It’s the antithesis of masking and social distancing! 

So what can you do to feel something similar to that kind of comfort even now, when Covid isn’t done with us yet? Well, how about a massage? 

Massage is physical and emotional therapy rolled into one, a soothing of all the overused and underused muscles, a balm for the psyche as well as the body. Massage helps heal us from the outside in. But, as it is starting a relationship with any health care professional, it can be hard to find a talented, knowledgeable massage therapist who really listens to you and helps resolve all those twinges and pains.

Lucky for us in central Vermont, there’s a new practice in Bethel: Prana Massage Therapy, owned and run by Natalie Fournier. You’ll find her peaceful, comfy therapy space in Bethel Works at the Arnold Block, at 245 Main Street.

Natalie offers Swedish and deep-tissue massage, with add-on options for hot stones and hot towel wraps. She also specializes in pelvic alignment therapy, a physical therapy/bodywork technique that addresses malalignment in the pelvic girdle using pressure points and trigger points. “When the pelvis and hips are aligned,” says Natalie, “all movement is harmonious and pain-free.”

Natalie has New England roots, both personally and professionally. Born and raised in Springfield, MA, she attended college there as well. Her husband’s family lives in Swanton, VT, so the couple moved to Bethel four years ago. Now they live in Stockbridge, about equidistant between both their families. 

Once settled in Vermont, Natalie completed a 630-hour training program at Green Mountain Massage School in Hyde Park to achieve certification as a massage therapist (CMT). She’s been practicing for two years so far. Before that she was a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), and in that role she did lots of manual therapy, a component of PT that she particularly enjoyed. That’s how Natalie fell in love with massage therapy. Through her PTA training she gained a strong foundation in body structure and function — she calls herself an anatomy/physiology nerd, which sounds like just the kind of practitioner anyone would want! Natalie worked as a PTA throughout massage school and ultimately made the transition to doing only massage therapy and body work. She says her PTA training constantly complements and augments her massage therapy work. 

Natalie is excited to have her business at the Arnold Block — its central Vermont location, near exit 3 on Rte. 89, makes it convenient for many of her former PT clients who now see her for massage. Having her practice in Bethel allows Natalie to contribute to the community and grow her business as well as the Arnold Block’s. We’re so glad she’s here!

Prana Massage clients must mask during services, except when lying face-down on the massage table. At that point you can remove your mask, but you’ll still be protected by a pillowcase attached to the face cradle. Natalie masks throughout. New clients are asked to fill out paperwork that includes a health check. Also, all clients must check their temperature before they come in and reschedule their appointments if they have any Covid symptoms.

Natalie’s hours are flexible: she schedules appointments for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but will see clients on other days, depending on their needs. Visit her website, pranamassagevt.com, to learn how to book an appointment and more. You’ll be very glad you did!

HailBrook’s Broken Stove Bakery: Sweetening Up Bethel’s Main Street

Our sincere thanks to you, our community, for helping make all those fun Arnold Block pop-up shops — holiday markets, candy shops, bakeries, toy shops — so successful! 

The support you’ve given to these cooks, artists, and makers has helped many of them attain a level of success that allows them to continue their art and support themselves while doing that. Many of our pop-up participants are now selling their wares regularly at area farmers markets and online and are happy being their own bosses while doing what they love.

The newest entrepreneur alum of the Arnold Block pop-ups is Bethel’s own Ann Fuller, and she has a BIG surprise cooking: Ann will be opening HailBrook’s Broken Stove Bakery, a bakery café, in the Arnold Block this fall! 

Everyone loves Ann’s baking. She’s been making cakes and other sweets as special orders for a while now, and she’ll still offer that service in addition to selling breakfast treats, coffee, and tea daily.

You might know Ann from her work at the White River School cafeteria, a position she left at the end of last year in order to launch the bakery. Ann has lived in Bethel since 2007, and she and her partner of thirteen years have two daughters in Bethel’s elementary school. In fact, the name she’s chosen for her brand-new business, HailBrook, is a combination of her daughters’ names, Hailey and Brooklyn. One night last year when she was thinking about what to call the business, she thought with frustration about her home stove, which was broken and keeping her from doing what she loves — baking. HailBrook’s Broken Stove Bakery was born!

Ann grew up in a restaurant family. Her maternal great grandfather — from Collepietro, Italy — opened an Italian restaurant in her home state of Ohio in 1945. Ann is the fourth generation to work in the family business. As a kid, she’d help her grandmother make pasta, pizza, garlic bread, and more. Ann’s father worked in a grocery-store bakery when he was in high school, so that might be where her passion for sweet treats came from; it’s hard to pinpoint. 

Ann started baking when her grandmother decided to sell desserts at the Italian festival that would be right outside the restaurant. Ann asked if she could do the baking, something she’d never done before, and Grandma agreed. So Ann made giant, shareable cupcakes — limoncello, tiramisu, espresso, and cappuccino. They sold out on the very first day. Normally, though, Ann would do various jobs in the restaurant, slicing meats and cheeses, waiting tables, jumping in to do whatever needed to be done. Baking professionally was moved to the back burner.

When she was ready to start a bakery, Ann was met with overwhelming support from both her Ohio community and her community here in Bethel. HailBrook will get under way with some legacy tools Ann received from family as well as various others she bought brand new. Now they are all waiting for that first taste of sugar, flour, and spice.

And Ann has delicious plans: Daily offerings will include muffins; cupcakes; cookies; sweet breads; cakes, whole and by the slice; croissants, plain and filled; focaccia with different toppings; and rolls and rustic loaves. She will also offer gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and vegan options — made with great care to avoid cross-contamination — as well as coffee and tea with alternative milks and sweeteners. 

There will be limited seating, just a couple of small tables to start. Baked goods and drinks will be mainly to-go for now; she’ll consider expanding the seating and the menu once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Look for special pricing for multiples of breakfast treats and cookies. Special orders will be welcome, but they will require 72 hours’ advance ordering.

The buzz is building in Bethel: The grand opening of HailBrook’s Broken Stove Bakery will be  on Saturday, Oct. 2 (the day of Forward Fest!), from 10 am to 2 pm. Regular hours, which will start on Monday, Oct. 4, will be Sunday, 9 am to 1 pm, and Monday through Thursday, 6 am to 4 pm.  Watch Facebook (@arnoldblockvt and @hailbrooksbrokenstovebakery), Instagram (#arnoldblockvt and #hailbrooksbrokenstove), and the Arnold Block chalkboard for breaking news!

This is big news, Bethel! It’s been ages since we’ve had regular access to a wide variety of homemade, from-scratch baked goods in town. Soon we’ll be able to pick up a beautiful cake for a party, grab a bag of homemade cookies to share with kids or coworkers, or indulge in fluffy cinnamon buns for a weekend brunch anytime! Keep an eye open for updates -- and the date for the soft opening. Shop local! Stop in at HailBrook’s Broken Stove Bakery soon!

Ellie Prestridge: Spreading color and joy around town!

Few of us have been on Main Street in Bethel lately, but when you do get there, make you sure you check out all the new artwork. Some very crafty people have turned much of downtown into an open-air art gallery, with artwork left on buildings, in window boxes, on trees, even on the ground. Keep your eyes open next time you stop to pick up a meal, do your laundry, grab hardware or groceries, or when you walk your dog by the Town Hall parking lot; there’s no telling what sort of cool artwork you might find!

But who are these community-minded artists who are leaving gifts for everyone to enjoy? What’s their purpose in decorating Bethel? We were curious, so we followed the clues and learned the identity of one of the mystery artists. Here’s why she’s making art and giving it away.

Ellie Prestridge lives in Bethel and attends White River Valley High School in South Royalton. You might know Ellie from her family’s popular Bethel University classes; she and her little brother, Zac, and their parents have been teaching kids and adults how to do and make cool things for the past several years. A maker and artist who really enjoys sharing her work, Ellie created some of the paintings that have been popping up in unexpected places around downtown lately.
 
I’m betting that lots of people reading this story have been bored the past month or more — stuck at home, unable to see friends — and so was Ellie. To help her get through it, Ellie started painting on canvas, then on boards and chunks of wood. Most recently, at her mom’s suggestion, she moved on to rocks because she had run out of other things to paint.
 
People all over the country paint “kindness rocks” that offer encouraging messages or sayings. They leave these rocks anywhere they think someone will find them — on a hiking trail, in a schoolyard, anywhere. Whoever finds the rocks can take them home to keep, leave them where they found them, or move them to another spot for someone else to find. Ellie says her rocks are more “boredom rocks” than kindness rocks, but she’s happy if they go home with someone and brighten their day. Painting rocks has become a new hobby, and Ellie hopes that her rocks will spread some joy and color downtown.
 
She says that she paints whatever inspires her, but sometimes a rock will have a certain shape that reminds her of something and the rock itself becomes the inspiration. For instance, there’s a rounded rock depicting a fierce-looking shark coming up out of the water, and a rock that looks just like the avocado that’s painted on it! Enrich your walk through downtown by trying to find them.
 
If, like Ellie was, you’re bored with being at home, she suggests that you go back to a hobby you tried a while ago, maybe something you have the materials for already, and try that again. Or just try something totally new! Making art is a great way to deal with the boredom and anxiety of being in quarantine, but making music, running and walking, reading and writing, and cooking and baking are too. We hope you’ll be inspired by Ellie to do whatever appeals to you to help you get through this tough time. And if you want to tell us what you’re doing to fight boredom while you’re stuck at home, send us an email; maybe we’ll publish your ideas in a future newsletter!

Community Spotlight: Olivia Halsey Perez

Olivia is an elementary school student at the White River Valley School, Bethel Campus. To celebrate Black History Month, Olivia asked permission to share information during morning announcements. She spent hours researching facts and recruited a group of friends and teachers to join her in reading the facts over the month. Thank you, Olivia, for reminding us about the importance of facts and the history of our country. May we all remember the incredible contribution of African Americans to our history every day, and work towards equity and justice for all.

Olivia’s Black History Month Facts

1.    Despite a difficult history, Black people have still managed to overcome and make countless contributions our culture. There are classic books, beauty brands, musicians, athletes, poets and Black Girl Magic (think Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Michelle Obama, and Beyonce).

2.    Most people think of Rosa Parks as the first person to refuse to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. There were actually several women who came before her; one of whom was Claudette Colvin. It was March 2, 1955, when the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl refused to move to the back of the bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ stand that launched the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette Colvin’s stand didn’t stop there. She was arrested and thrown in jail. Later she was one of four women who challenged the segregation law in court that successfully overturned bus segregation laws Alabama.

3.    Did you know that the most famous parts of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech were unplanned? As he stood at the podium in front of 250,000 people, he pushed his notes aside. The original speech was more political and it did not include any reference to dreams. His improvised speech given on that hot August day in 1963 was not considered a success immediately.  But today it is recognized as one of the greatest speeches in American history.

4.    Quakers, also known as “The Society of Friends,” have a long history of standing up against slavery. In 1688 a group of “Friends” protested the slave trade as a grave injustice against their fellow man and used the Golden Rule to argue against such inhumane treatment; regardless of skin color, “we should do unto others as we would have done onto ourselves.”

5.    Did you know that one in four cowboys was black, despite the stories told in popular stories and movies? In fact, it's believed that the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. Reeves had been born a slave but escaped West during the Civil War where he lived in what was then known as Indian Territory. He eventually became a Deputy U.S. Marshal, was a master of disguise, an expert marksman, had a Native American companion, and rode a silver horse. 

6.    The cartoon character Betty Boop was inspired by a Black jazz singer in Harlem named Esther Jones. Esther never received any payment for the character made after her.  Sadly, she never had mainstream fame and she died unknown.  But a piece of her lives on in the iconic character Betty Boop. 

7.    The first licensed African American Female pilot was named Bessie Coleman. Born in Texas in 1892, Bessie Coleman grew up in a world of harsh poverty, discrimination and segregation. Wild tales of flying adventures from returning WWI soldiers first inspired her to explore flying, but she faced a double stigma in that dream being both African American and a woman.

In America she was not allowed to learn to fly.  So she saved all her money and in 1920, she crossed the ocean and got her pilot's license in France.  When she came home, Coleman performed at many airshows, performing heart thrilling stunts and encouraging other African Americans to pursue flying.  She refused to perform where Black People were not admitted.

8.    Interracial marriage in the United States was banned in the United States until 1967.  In 1967 the Supreme Court ruled that banning marriage between white and black people was unconstitutional. In 2000, Alabama became the last state to officially legalize interracial marriage.

9.    In 1992 when the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off on its second mission, it carried the first African American woman into space. But Mae Jemison is more than an astronaut — she's also a physician, a Peace Corps volunteer, a teacher, and founder and president of two technology companies. In addition to English, she speaks Russian, Japanese and Swahili.  After retiring from NASA she became a teacher at Dartmouth College, just down the road from us!

10. White families hold 90% of the national wealth and black families hold 2.6%. Not only that, the Great Recession hit minority families particularly hard and the wealth gap has increased. Think about this: for every $100 white families earn in income, black families earn just $57. That’s almost unbelievable—and it’s a huge racial-justice issue.

11. The unemployment rate for black people is twice that of white people.  According to the data, black people with college degrees are twice as likely to be unemployed as all other graduates. That may be because job applicants with white-sounding names get called back about 50% more of the time than applicants with black-sounding names, even when they have identical resumes.

12.  Even though Black people make up 13% of the population, they represent about 40% of the prison population. Why is that? Perhaps because if a black person and a white person each commit the same crime, the black person has a better chance of being arrested. It’s also true that, once arrested, black people are convicted more often than white people.

13. Black history didn’t begin or end with slavery. Africa is a vast, diverse continent with long, complex history. For example, did you know that the Mali Empire, was one of the world’s most powerful in the 14th century? It’s is said to be the richest person in ALL of history? The Kingdom of Aksum, located in what is now Ethiopia, is considered one of the most powerful in history—a rival to the Greek and Roman empires. In addition to the trade of valuable resources, a number of African empires gave the world unique art, mathematical and technological innovation, and academic scholarship.

14. The media focused on the Black Panthers for their Afros, dark apparel, and willingness for self-defense.  What is less known but more important was work for to launch programs that benefited Black communities nationwide, like free dental care, breakfast for low-income children, even drama classes.

15. Before he was a blockbuster actor, Will Smith was a rapper.  He and his partner Jazzy Jeff, won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance. They boycotted the awards because the category was barred from television.

16. Architect Paul Williams mastered the art of drawing upside down so that he could sit across from — not next to — white clients who didn’t want to sit side-by-side with a Black person.

17. Athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith made history — and headlines — when they raised their black-gloved fists on the awards stand at the 1968 Olympics. Both also wore Black socks and no shoes on the podium, representing Black poverty in America.

18. After retiring from baseball, Jackie Robinson helped establish the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank.

Arnold Block Member Spotlight: Dayna Sabatino

After two years of building their home, Dayna, her husband Scott, and their children, Sadie and Samuel, have finally settled onto their land. The house is not entirely finished yet, she says, but people and livestock are in place and ready for their first winter in Bethel. She might have just moved to town but Dayna has been participating in the Bethel community for several years now. She took part in the first holiday pop-up shop and in subsequent ones, taught a mosaics class at Bethel University, and donated the resulting work of art to the community. You can see it hanging in the Arnold Block.

Dayna studied stained glass in the East Bay of California, working under some of the best glass artists and crafters in the country and learning all aspects of the industry. She says she fell into her calling, just by being where she was supposed to be when she was supposed to be there. The craftsmanship of building a work piece by piece appealed to her; as she writes on her website, “My hands were meant to work with these tools. Within my first few years in the field I found myself building commissions, teaching classes, restoring windows and lampshades and creating my own pieces of glass art.” Eventually Dayna moved back East, drawn by her love of the changing seasons, history, gardening. She settled in Vermont, married, and became a mother. A teaching artist, she travels to various art schools and other locations between Maine and Vermont with a set of courses she developed. Dayna feels incredibly grateful to be able to do what she loves in a place she loves.

Dayna will be teaching two more classes at the Arnold Block during our Art & Appetizers series: On December 5 it’s Ephemera Jewelry & Keepsake Ornaments, which uses a stained-glass method to press vintage paper ephemera and collage between sheets of clear glass. On February 20 she’ll be offering her popular Mosaic Jewelry class, in which you’ll employ mosaic techniques to create beautiful, unique pendants out of tiles and pottery shards. Learn more about all of the classes and register here.

Finding Your Mojo -- through Yoga

Beth Umba is excited to be teaching yoga!

Beth Umba is excited! After over 20 years of yoga classes and practice with local yogis, Beth recently completed 500 hours of training to become a yoga instructor. She began teaching her own classes in May, and we’re so happy that she’s teaching them at the Arnold Block.

A little background: Yoga means “union” or “yoking.” It is the unification of the Self (soul) and the self (ego). The Self guides the self, and that creates gratification as the self is recognized and given attention.

In yoga practice, as in life, when you split your focus and pay too much attention to what others are doing, what you’re doing isn’t yours anymore and you lose your way and your balance.

According to Beth, yoga provides an opportunity to get your Self and your self back into your body. “You tune back in and, when you do, you discover how your body communicates with you. Yoga practice restores your ability to listen to what your body is telling you. That’s my role as teacher – to get you back into your body so you can understand how you feel.”

Beth’s style of yoga is a melting pot, taking the best parts from several traditions. The slow flow class she offers on Wednesday evenings is informed by Vinyasa. She also leads a meditation class on Wednesday afternoons. She says, “Yoga to me is any and every time you ‘presence’ yourself in your body, every time you make the effort to consciously inhabit your body, whether in movement or stillness. Meditation is yoga because you’re bringing your presence to bear on everything you do.”

On Saturday mornings Beth offers Whole Body Wisdom Yoga, where participants are led through a series of poses and encouraged to work through any discomfort (which is not to be confused with enduring pain). Whole Body Wisdom Yoga is for all body types and all eager yogis looking to get back or deeper into their bodies. In all her classes, Beth will tailor her approach to the students present and will adapt her instruction to their abilities, modifying poses as needed for different ages and levels.

In her teaching Beth will also call upon her 20 years of experience doing bodywork and as a “desire” coach for women. She looks forward to finding the synergies that will naturally arise from teaching, eager to see “what comes up.”

“There’s something that happens when people come together in a class, breathing together, moving together… We become a community through our shared experience. The commitment we see in other students also helps us follow through with our own practice.”

What if you haven’t practiced yoga in a while? Or if you’re new to it? “Come!” says Beth. “If you’re not experienced, you might feel uncomfortable at first, but just keep trying because you will improve. Surrender to the uncomfortableness because it’s gonna be there with yoga just as it is with every new thing we try. Understand that even deeper than the pride you feel when you try something new is the reciprocity with your whole self that comes from committing to something – really showing up has big rewards.”

Beth’s classes are…

Deep Relax & Rejuve: Attain a blissful deep state of relaxation, where you'll have the opportunity to recalibrate and create for yourself, through guided meditation, a fresh state of rejuvenation. Wednesdays at noon.

Slow Flow That Moves Your Mojo: A Vinyasa-style practice. Slow Flow connects accessible yoga postures with breath & fluid movement for a well-rounded practice. Wednesdays at 5:15 pm.

Whole Body Wisdom Yoga: WBW yoga is a practice for all levels, with optional modifications in most poses. Through poses, breathing, and tidbits of wisdom from Beth’s life experiences, students will follow a sweet sequence that leads to both challenges and empowerment. Saturdays at 8:30 am.

Coworking Spotlight: Kristy Burrell Photography

Kristy Burrell Photography - Photographer, Educator, and Brand Strategist

Kristy, one of the Arnold Block’s newest Bethel Works members, specializes in modern and lifestyle portrait photography. She is also a consultant for small businesses, covering brand strategy, social media, and business growth. Kristy's award-winning newborn and family portraits have received accolades from Dear Photographer, Looks Like Film, and Tones of Grace.

Kristy also works as a one-on-one photography mentor to help new and aspiring artists find their own voice in the medium. Her individualized education sessions focus on customized learning, giving each student in-depth instruction and constructive advice on a variety of topics, including studio and in-home settings, lighting styles, and editing.

To round out her professional skill set, Kristy is a brand strategist who works primarily with small businesses to build marketing action plans, portfolios of cohesive aesthetics to assist in brand growth, and social media strategies.

You can check out her portfolio here.

If you’re ready to expand your photography skills or push your business to the next level, email her directly to set up a consultation! hello@kristyburrellphotography.com