Kris Urquhart is the publisher and editor of Natural Awakenings, a healthy living magazine for Brevard and Indian River Counties. Mother of two energetic boys 8 & 10, wife & manager of their household in charge of miscellaneous life duties. Kris is an amazing person, energetic, focused, and always working to promote health and wellness. We spoke with her about Balance.
How do you keep everything together?
As the editor of a natural health magazine the topic of balance tends to surface with many subjects. We try to keep our diets in balance, our work and home lives, our fitness routine, our relaxation time, even our finances. It seems that just the effort exerted to stay in balance is a full time job waiting to happen.
What are the biggest struggles you face?
I chose to be a working mother with a career from home so that I could be there for my kids when they need me, the perfect “balance” between mom and career.
How do you balance publishing a monthly magazine with home, family, health and fitness?
I originally envisioned a scheduled life where I could break up my days into work time, kid time, dinner time, wife time, exercise time and relaxation time. Reality brought me the challenge of being pulled in many directions, at the same time, all of the time. Trying to keep my life in balance is like trying to stand on a large inflatable ball, on one leg, without falling off. I’ve come to realize that balance doesn’t mean everything in equal parts every day, but is more about letting go and adjusting to the flow of life. Each day seems to bring a different schedule demanding total flexibility.
Learning about and working towards balance is a continuing journey. I anticipate that as the years pass and as my life demands change, so will my perception of what is balance for my life. For me, the best thermostat for whether my life is in balance is joy. Do I feel joyful today? Am I living life to the fullest today? If I find myself saying “I’ll get to do that when…” then it is time to re-examine my priorities.
What positive trends do you see?
Natural health, health care, fitness, nutrition – all of these topics are gaining ground in popularity.
It is common knowledge that we have a health care crisis in this country and we each need to take full responsibility for our own health. As a result, people in large numbers are seeking ‘wellness care’.
Those who are battling illnesses as well as those who want to maintain health are turning to alternative and natural techniques to support the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Integrative medicine is a relatively new term and means the blend of allopathic and alternative medicine to achieve optimal wellness. Another way to look at it is blending the east and west for the best of both worlds.
In today’s global climate where technology has enabled us to communicate instantly and easily around the globe information is readily available like never before. People are coming together from all walks of life and all areas of the world to share points of view and create new trends and approaches to wellness. I see a bright future for all venues of natural approaches to health be it herbs, massage, homeopathy, or acupuncture just to name a few. This ground swell is being called the Wellness Revolution and will easily be an area with tremendous exponential growth over the next decade.
What’s your favorite color?
Purple (indigo)
This year marked the third annual Healthy Living Expo, which Kris co-founded. Tell us all about it.
Each year Natural Awakenings Magazine and Conscious Living Partnership come together to create the Healthy Living Expo held in Melbourne at Florida Tech Clemente Center. This year we opened our doors to over 1100 attendees who enjoyed the workshops, information, products and services of over 80 different exhibitors in wellness.
Thanks to our many sponsors we are able to make this event free to the community and share the message of optimum care and wellness through integrative wellness with anyone who wants to attend. This year boasted free organic food samples, free organic beer & wine, free organic chocolate, free massages, free spinal screenings, free dental/jaw screening, make your own trail mix and free educational workshops, and so much more. We are looking forward to another great event on March 4th, 2006
Tell us about Natural Awakenings
Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. Our mission is to provide insights and information to improve the quality of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.
Each month Natural Awakenings advertisers and writers provide the tools you need to assist you on your personal path to wellness. We feature articles by national authors as well as from local leaders in the natural health field. Additionally, we bring you news and events that are happening in our communities—and around the globe.
What will we see in the next five years?
Natural Awakenings is launching a new website which will be an exciting online resource for our readers. You will find monthly articles, be able to search our database of articles to find information on your topic of interest, have access to articles published around the country and much more. Sign up for our online newsletter and get regular health & wellness tips. As we grow over the next five years you can expect Natural Awakenings to grow in size to bring you even more quality articles that you’ve come to expect and enjoy. You will see Natural Awakenings reaching out in many ways and attending community events to share the message of health & wellness.