Expo to educate about holistic healing

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — An apple a day may actually keep the doctor away, according to one local herbalist who will host a holistic life and health expo this weekend.

Lisa Brown, founder of Herbal Offerings LLC, will host the expo on healthy and natural living at the VFW in Kendall Park this Sunday.

The seven-hour event will kick off at 11 a.m. and will host a myriad of holistic practitioners, healers and vendors that will educate the public and offer inexpensive samplings of their services. Although the event is free, all are encouraged to bring a toy to benefit children in the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

"The expo is about community building, while bringing to others opportunities to explore healing through the integration of mind, body and spirit," Brown said. "[It's] an affordable way for people to explore holistic ways and to help with the general stress of our daily lives."

Brown started the expos a year ago after several people inquired as to the different ways of holistic healing. Although the event started as a small group gathering, it has blossomed into a large all-day event with more than 15 participating vendors.

"It's about bringing awareness of ecologically responsible choices with Mother Earth, about empowerment through knowledge via lectures and about exploring additional modalities of healing that support conventional healing methods," Brown said. "It's about educating the public about health and the different ways of living."

The participants will provide information on their contribution to natural and healthy living and charge a small fee for a sampling of their services. There will also be two lectures, including "Manifesting Money, Prosperity and Abundance" at noon and "Neuroemotional Technique" at 2 p.m.

"It's educating the public on the different ways of holistic health," Brown said. "People, for example, don't know that going to a chiropractor or getting a massage can help you with your allergies."

Brown said holistic healing doesn't imply that doctors are irrelevant; it just means there are certain things a person can do to ensure a healthy lifestyle without having to immediately run to the doctor for an antibiotic.

"If taken and used the proper way, you can live a healthy lifestyle," she said. "If you can go on a healthy way of living, you can go on without really getting sick."

The expos were previously held at the Princeton Racquet Club but were recently moved to the VFW off Henderson Road, primarily due to parking issues. This weekend's expo marks the first in Kendall Park and it will be the last until February of next year.Brown said she received help from local resident Ellen Walker who helped unite her with the VFW.

"It's a perfect location," she said.

The Sunday's participants include Beth Baldino, a certified holistic health counselor; Bob Kishtok, reflexologist; Diann Gomez, of Enagic Kangen WaterGomes; Dolores DeGiacomo, an empowerment and life coach; Dr. Jennifer Redmond, of Neuroemotional Technique; Donna McGrath, of Medical Intuitive Readings and Healings; Ellen Walker, of Green Solutions; George Street Natural Foods Co-op; BioEnergy Protocol, based on nutrition, diet, consulting, shiatsu and holistic physical therapy; Karen Todach; Natures Jewels; Lauren Curtis of Body Be Well Therapeutic Massage; Naurene Antoniotti, a Tarot reader and Reiki master; Rochelle Andrejco of Gentle Healings; Shari Lynn, a psychic reader; and Jozef Pinter.

"It's like going to school — you're learning but you can try out a sample too," Brown said. "Come out and meet the modalities that are out there and have a day of fun."

Brown's company, Herbal Offerings, was founded in 1997. Products sold online and out of the company's home base at the Princeton Holistic Clinic include soaps, lotions, ointments, bath products, facemasks and even mosquito repellents. The all-natural no-chemical products range in-use from adults, to babies, to animals and custom orders are accepted to hone in on specific needs.

Brown started the company after studying herbalogy and making her own natural products for her children who were prone to allergies. After realizing the in-store products from large corporations were not in line with the needs of her children, she decided to start making her own products. She is currently studying to become a master herbalist.

For more information about Herbal Offerings and the expo, visit herbalofferings. com.

Contact Jennifer Booton at

jbooton@gmnews.com.