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Woodson C. Merrell, MD, ScD receives FIONS 2008
Edgar Mitchell Award for Noetic Leadership
On Wednesday, May 14 2008, Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (FIONS) presented the Edgar Mitchell Award for Noetic Leadership to Dr. Woodson C. Merrell.
Named in honor of astronaut and Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) founder Edgar Mitchell, ScD, the FIONS Award for Noetic Leadership seeks to honor an individual who has exhibited an outstanding combination of courage, skill, imagination, and caring in order to create a practical application of consciousness or healing knowledge that benefits the local tri-state community.
Dr. Merrell, a long-time IONS member, passionately believes that integrative medicine is the future. He started one of the nation’s first courses in integrative medicine for medical students in 1994 at his alma mater, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is the Founding Director of Integrative Medicine at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing (CCHH) at Beth Israel Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Merrell has spearheaded the impetus to bring energy healing to patients at Beth Israel Hospital who desire to receive it, and was a key co-sponsor of the ten-day Donna Karen Urban Zen Forum on Integral Health in 2007.
At the award ceremony, Dr. Merrell gave an illustrated talk describing some of the human aspects, from diet to spiritual yearnings, that should be taken into account during a healing visit. He backed up his views with references from scientific evidence supporting such an approach. Dr. Merrell made it very clear that an integrative approach to health positively affects people’s wellbeing, and truly is the medicine of the future.
These video clips of Woodson Merrell in dialogue with Edgar Mitchell were shown at the May 14th ceremony
Organizations You Should Know About - with Volunteering Opportunities!
Renowned entertainer Bette Midler founded the nonprofit New York Restoration Project (NYRP) in 1995 with the belief that clean and green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life, and that every community in New York City deserves an oasis of natural beauty. NYRP partners with individuals, community-based groups, and public agencies to reclaim, restore, and develop under-resourced parks, community gardens, and open spaces in New York, primarily in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Its mission is to revitalize neighborhood parks and open spaces that lack financial and political resources. Since its founding, NYRP has become an important catalyst for sustainable community development. One of the ways in which it serves is by planting trees in someone’s name for a donation of $100.
The NYRP welcomes volunteers to help out in the field on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. You may join for a full day (8:00 am-4:00 pm) or half-day. It’s best to schedule at least one week prior to when you plan to visit. You (and your friends) may schedule a time by calling the NYRP field office at (212) 304-8366 or by submitting the form (click here). If you are interested in helping out in the office, or with educational and/or recreational programs, please call the main office at (212) 333-2552, or contact NYRP at the e-mail address above.
Submitted by Annemarie Colbin
What is community?
Community is a place of belonging, a place where people feel grounded and find their identity. The FIONS community seeks to foster this connectedness in a variety of ways. From formal meetings to spontaneous get-togethers, members share their talents, gifts, and stories. Here in this forum, we periodically spotlight members of our community. We welcome your participation and feedback.
Art & Photography
The photographs on the website were taken by FIONS member Jeffrey Kaufman.
We want to hear from you!
If you are a FIONS member and would like to submit (brief) works of original writing, digital art or photographs, or be featured in an upcoming issue of Community Forum, please contact us by calling (212)741-2207 and leaving a message, or e-mail us at mailbox@fions.org letting us know what you would like to do.
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