NEWS

Bravo's Shira Adler leads holistic group in Westchester

Linda Lombroso
llombros@lohud.com
Shira Adler, who appeared on Bravo's "Extreme Guide to Parenting,'' is the founder of a new chapter of the Holistic Moms Network.
  • The Holistic Moms Network%2C founded in 2003%2C has more than 90 chapters in the United States
  • There are two chapters in Westchester and one chapter in Rockland
  • Members meet monthly to discuss a variety of topics related to holistic parenting
  • The new chapter is geared toward parents in Northern Westchester and southern Putnam

Holistic parenting means different things to different people. But a former reality-TV star is hoping to unite local parents, no matter where they fall on the holistic spectrum, with the launch of the Northern Westchester/lower Putnam chapter of the Holistic Moms Network.

"Anyone who is interested in or passionate about holistic health and green living is welcome,'' says Shira Adler, a mother of two from South Salem, who appeared on Bravo's "Extreme Guide to Parenting" last summer.

The Holistic Moms Network, a national nonprofit organization founded in 2003, has more than 90 chapters across the United States, including two in Westchester and one in Rockland. Chapters generally hold meetings once a month, and maintain communication through Facebook, Twitter and online forums.

"Holistic is just about balancing and integrating on a mind-body-spirit level,'' says Adler. "For some of us that means, 'I'd like to reduce the amount of toxic cleaners in my house.' It's not always hot-topic items like, 'Are you pro- or anti-vaccine?' "

Nancy Peplinsky, the organization's founder, describes the Holistic Moms Network as part support group, part resource network and part local community. "We're about embracing this whole natural lifestyle and eco-conscious living, but we all have very divergent opinions on things,'' she says.

Members of the new chapter include holistic health coaches, a yoga teacher, a psychotherapist, a clinical psychologist, a cranial-sacral therapist, a doula, a lactation consultant, a holistic magazine publisher and an early childhood education specialist.

Adler, a writer, healer, cantor and certified past-life regressionist, will speak at the chapter's next meeting, Feb. 26, on "Indigo" children — "square pegs in round holes," she says, who are often labeled with ADHD, Asperger's or other diagnoses. She was selected for the Bravo reality show, she says, because they were looking for someone spiritual who was raising an Indigo child.

Dr. Michael Finkelstein, an integrative medicine physician in Bedford, says he's in favor of groups that offer support to mothers. But he worries about parents sharing information that may be critical to their children's health.

"There's debate about everything, but when it comes to medical questions — 'Should I be vaccinated?' 'My son got bitten by a tick, what's the recommendation?'— these are questions that are serious, and I think there should be some expertise applied,'' says Finkelstein, the former medical director of Northern Westchester Hospital.

"The quality of the answer is dependent on the quality of the question and who you're asking that question to," he adds. "The popular medical establishment is not the best source for holistic medical advice."

Adler, however, takes a different view. "My personal belief is that the joyful challenge of being a holistically oriented mother means I have a responsibility to leave no stone unturned when it comes to seeking education, information and support before making significant decisions on behalf of, and for, the well being of my family,'' she says. "While I feel that information from all reasonably educated sources should be considered and analyzed, at the end of the day the strongest 'expert' is always going to be the parent themselves."

Twitter: @LindaLombroso