Bill Ellis has taught adult education classes in writing for over 30 years. He has published two novels: Second Chances (2001) and Leading Voices (2004). Bill's essays and stories have been published in several local magazines and he is a frequent contributor to the Open Forums in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call. In 2002, Bill joined AmeriCorps in Grand Junction and became a writing mentor to at-risk students at alternative schools. Through his coaching, students at both the Fruita Alternative School and the Grand Junction Detention Center, wrote, edited and published newspaper-magazines. Currently president of the Longmont Writers' Club, he has worked to publish the club's latest anthology, Reflections of the Longmont Writers' Club. Working with the St. Vrain Valley School District's Secondary Literacy Coordinator, the Club recently announced its first writing contest open to all high school students in the District. Bill has been a volunteer speaker in Mrs. Linda Bartlett's Health Quest class and at Mrs. Lorynda Sampson's Young Writers' Institute. He is currently volunteering as a writing coach for Mrs. Bartlett's language arts students at Sunset Middle School. Watch the Health Quest Online web site for frequent updates on his coaching presentations.

Dr. Brian Luke Seaward is renowned nationally and internationally as an expert in the field of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and health promotion. In the role of traveler, visionary, mystic, healer and mentor, he has created a legacy in the field of wellness and health promotion for all to share. A humorous and inspiring educator, Dr. Seaward believes teaching is healing, and through his teachings, he offers a unique synthesis of insights blending the "ageless wisdom" of human spirituality with the topic of stress. Dr. Seaward has taught at several universities including the University of Colorado and the University of Northern Colorado. His corporate clients include Hewlett Packard, Procter and Gamble, Conoco Oil, Quaker Oats, John Deere, BP-Amoco, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Maxtor-Seagate, Organic Valley Dairy, and many others. A popular and entertaining speaker, he reminds us, stress knows no demographic boundaries. As one of the pioneers in the field of mind-body-spirit healing, Dr. Seaward has authored the popular best sellers, Managing Stress, Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backward, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart, and the acclaimed book, Stand Like Mountain , Flow Like Water: Reflections on Stress and Human Spirituality, now released as a 10th anniversary edition. Find out more at Dr. Seaward's website: Brian Luke Seaward.net.

Presentation Descriptions: January 16, 2007: The Wellness Mandala: Introductory class where the concept of holistic wellness is introduced as the integration, balance and harmony of mind, body, spirit and emotions where the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts. Definitions of these four components as well as stress defined from each of these quadrants is the focus of this presentation.

January 17, 2007: Chronic Stress: Stress is a stranger to no one. Stress is called the equal opportunity destroyer. The association between stress and disease is about 80-85 percent. Many researchers are of the opinion that it is not just an association, but a direct causal link. This presentation looks as the dynamics of the mind-body-spirit equation and how unresolved chronic stress (fear and anger) lays the foundation for chronic health issues.

January 23, 2007: The Hero's Journey: Through the wisdom of renowned mythologist, we will learn of the three stages of the hero's journey: 1) the Departure, 2) the Initiation, and 3) the Return Home. Through examples of classic stories in literature and film, students will learn these stages as well as learn to identify the stages of their own hero's journey.

January 25, 2007: Meditation: Meditation is best described as increased concentration that leads to increased awareness. In the age of high technology and information or sensory overload, TMI (too much information) leads to mental and emotional stress. Meditation is the act of cleansing the mind of ego chitter-chatter so that greater clarity may occur with issues that really need our attention and resolution. Meditation is associated with an increased immune system, better quality sleep, better attention span, better quality of life.

January 29-30, 2007: Art Therapy: Until we can learn to speak the language of the unconscious mind, stress will never fully be resolved. So much of our lives deals with NON-VERBAL communication. Art therapy is a means to decode the symbols of the unconscious mind so that a path to resolving one's stressors can be accomplished.

TBA: Humor Therapy: Humor (comic relief) is one of the greatest means to cope with stress. Humor decreases pain and increases pleasure. But not all humor is stress-relieving. Sarcasm promotes stress. This presentation highlights 1) the reasons why we laugh and smile, 2) types of humor, and 3) ways to incorporate humor into one's life (including creating a tickler notebook).

Nancy Herbert is the St. Vrain Valley School District's Community Relations Manager. She is married with two adult children and two grandchildren. Grandson Cameron is in 8th grade and granddaughter Abby is in Kindergarten. Since 1979, Nancy has served on 21 separate community boards of directors. She was elected to one four-year term as a City Council Member in 1987. She currently is a member of the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, the Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Vrain Valley Credit Union.

While attending Ft. Wright College of the Holy Names in Spokane, Washington, Nancy's studies focused on English literature and piano performance. She has taught private piano lesson for 25 years.

Her hobbies are travel, writing, reading, gardening, walking, cooking and playing piano.

On February 1, her presentation to the Health Quest students will be designing and writing a fun-read publication.

Michelle is the Manager of Longmont United Hospital's (LUH) department of Complementary Care, which includes both hospital-based therapies and an outreach clinic--the Health Center of Integrated Therapies. The Complementary Care department employs more than 20 practitioners and provides services to persons with chronic health problems and to healthy people who wish to maintain and enhance their wellness. She also manages PrestigePLUS, the hospital's senior membership program, with over 2000 participants.

Michelle initiated PrestigePLUS in 1991 and the Complementary Medicine Department in 1994. With the support and guidance of the community, both programs have received national recognition for their innovative services. Modern Maturity magazine (AARP, July/August, 2001) chose LUH as one of the top 15 "Hospitals with a Heart," and Natural Health (December, 2001) named LUH third in the country for its Complementary and Alternative Medicine program. In 2004, the Health Center of Integrated Therapies was voted "Best Practice" in the field of Integrative Medicine for the Planetree Hospital Alliance of more than 100 hospitals nationally. In 2006, PrestigePLUS, the Senior Wellness program was named "Best Practice" in the field of Health Communities by the national Planetree Alliance.

Michelle received her nursing degree in 1982, became a board certified Gerontological Nurse in 1997 and a nationally certified Acupuncturist in 2001. Also in 2001, she authored a medical text "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Management: Forms and Guidelines" (Delmar Publishers). Michelle was a delegate to China with the American Society on Aging in 1994. In 2003 she was a Colorado finalist for the prestigious Nightingale Nursing award. Michelle holds a vision that the future of healthcare is Integrative Medicine and bringing all age of people together to live, share and learn from one and other.

Program Descriptions for Health Quest submitted by Michelle Bowman: January 18, 2007 Aging In China and Introduction to Complementary Medicine: Overview of how the Longmont United Hospital's Complementary and Alternative Medicine program started. Slide presentation of the investigative trip done by Michelle Bowman to China which was sponsored by Longmont's older adults in 1994. Presentation will include: discussion of Chinese New Year, health trends in China and the programs offered to the Longmont community. Brief discussion of past Health Quest interactions such as Tai Chi, acupuncture, massage, pet therapy.

February 22, 2007 Brain Gym-Keeping the Mind Fit The brain requires exercise just as the physical body does. Brain Gym exercises used by national corporations to keep their employees sharp will be presented. This presentation will be very hands-on or I should say "brain's on", incorporating many fun and stimulating exercises to keep the brain pathways growing.

April 25, 2007 Acupuncture De-Stressing Clinic* Health Quest students will be given the opportunity to experience and Acupuncture De-Stressing clinic. Two RN/Licensed Acupuncturists from Longmont United Hospital will be offering Auricular (ear points) acupuncture and some hand and arm points to demonstrate the body's natural system of relaxing and de-stressing.

Parental permission will be required for all students to participate in the needling portion of the acupuncture presentation.

Dan Overholser is a professional storyteller. Storytelling is a unique art form dating back to the beginning of time. Traditions, laws and information were passed down by word of mouth long before the written word. Shamans, tribal leaders and elders were often their storytellers. Dan's storytelling is reflective of the resurgence of this art form. His tales can make you... laugh, smile, ponder, cry and perhaps heal. Dan's stories include: children's stories, historical tales, Native American folklore, classic folk tales and modern stories. He has told in schools, senior centers, libraries, on radio, for businesses, and at festivals.

For his presentation February 28, Dan will tell a historical story for the Health Quest class. This is a story about young man who was wrongly accused of a crime. He will then lead you through the research that developed the story. Most of the sources were from newspapers of the late 1800's. Storytelling in health and healing will also be discussed.

Dan is a native of Colorado. He got his degree in Park Management at Colorado State University in the College of Forestry and worked for Colorado State Parks as a park ranger. His work as a naturalist proved to be an excellent background for his pursuit of storytelling.

Pam Mellskog joined The Daily Times-Call in Longmont, Colorado, in 2001 as a staff writer. Since then, she has covered various beats, from Boulder County government to business to general assignment.

Her work at the newspaper has been recognized by awards from the Colorado Press Association, the Colorado Association of Publishers, Editors and Reporters, the Colorado Community Health Network and the Inland Press Association.

Before moving to Colorado in 2000, she worked as a freelance magazine writer and the editor of Minnesota Sports Magazine in Minneapolis, Minn.

Pam also co-wrote two books published by NavPress in Colorado Springs, Colorado-A Patchwork Heart (2002), and Divine Appointments (2002).

Her presentation February 5, gave the HQ Critters valuable background on how to develop questions for an interview and the research involved in preparing to write an article. Her key point was to write about the person in the story. She made it clear that personal stories attracted the reader and stuck with them.

I grew up in a large, cold Victorian house near London, England, and attended a convent school for girls in West London. I disliked school, to say the least, and I was a classic underachiever-often absent, always late and never attentive. I dreamed my days away, my body sitting at a school desk while my imagination whisked me off to the Wild West of America where I rode horses all day over the sunny plains and mountains, and slept by a camp fire after playing soft melodies on my guitar.

I studied just enough to graduate from high school, and went to work in London in various offices and stores. But after a few years of dead end jobs I decided to become a teacher, and thus resumed my education. University was vastly different from the strict convent school, and I gloried in the freedom of thought and expression we were encouraged to explore. I became a teacher of Art and Textile Design at a school in London, and I loved working with the students in a creative environment.

Meanwhile I had acquired a family - a husband and a daughter. My husband was a university professor in London, and when he was offered a position at the University of Colorado in Boulder, we jumped at the opportunity. I was overjoyed that my dream of living in the Wild West would be realized. My family grew by another daughter, and I returned to University to do graduate work in Educational Psychology. I minored in Philosophy. I became certified as a School Psychologist, and have only recently retired from that job.

My family situation changed when my husband died unexpectedly. I joined a grief group and started to write-I had never been encouraged to write before. At the counselor's suggestion I started to write in a journal when I had especially troubling dreams, and also wrote pieces about love, loss, anger, and happiness. I found that others liked my work, so I attended a few writing classes on the weekends. I began to enjoy playing with words and ideas; it was both therapeutic and challenging at the same time.

I joined the Longmont Writers Club and honed my writing skills. The motto of our club is "Honor and Practice Creativity, Craft and Criticism." Criticism of one's work by experienced writers is necessary and valuable. However criticism must always be constructive and helpful, and respectful of others' styles and genres. We published a book of our collected works a year ago, which was a good learning experience. I now write for the local newspapers, and try to write for myself daily, or at least several times a week. I am currently working on a book of essays and poems, and some short stories.

I usually write poetry or prose-poetry, and often, if I write an essay, I will change the format and condense it into a poem. Some of my essays and poems are "finished," but there are others that are always evolving and changing. In addition to the Writers' Club I belong to smaller group of writers. We meet every two weeks, and read and edit each others' work. This frequency of meeting keeps us writing regularly, and I learn something at every meeting-there is always something to learn about the art and craft of writing.

Editor's Note: Angela Elliott will speak to the Health Quest Critters about her poetry April 13.