Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

Photographs by Lindsey Ransom

For Daniel Lauter, sound has never been something he simply hears. It is something he perceives everywhere—in the rhythm of footsteps on a city street, in the low hum of stillness, in the slow movement of light across a mountain ridge. For more than 35 years, he has followed that intuitive relationship with sound, shaping a life and practice devoted to music as a pathway to restoration, awareness, and transformation.

Internationally recognized for his immersive sound journeys and sound baths, Lauter is considered one of the early pioneers of modern sound meditation in the United States. In the mid-1980s, while living in Marin County, California, he began exploring the vibrational potential of crystal bowls—long before they became part of mainstream wellness culture. He went on to produce some of the first live-to-digital recordings of these instruments, helping define what has since become a widely embraced healing modality.

Lauter’s foundation, however, is firmly rooted in classical music. He studied clarinet and pursued advanced interdisciplinary work at the Center for Interdisciplinary and Experimental Art in San Francisco. While conservatory training refined his technical skill, an early lesson from a visiting musician—how to tell a story with a single note—shaped his artistic philosophy. That emphasis on simplicity, phrasing, and emotional resonance continues to guide his work.

His musical life unfolded across dynamic creative scenes, from intuitive loft jazz in New York City to experimental collaborations in San Francisco’s Bay Area. Over time, his focus shifted from performance to perception—how sound moves through the body, influences emotion, and creates space for stillness. This inquiry deepened through formative experiences with indigenous elders, including learning circular breathing and Aboriginal Yidaki (didjeridu) within Dreamtime traditions, studying drumming lineages, and witnessing sound used as ceremony and medicine.

Those experiences later informed Lauter’s sustained engagement with Buddhist study, including Sanskrit texts and contemplative practices such as the Medicine Buddha and the Heart Sutra. Rather than existing alongside his music as a parallel pursuit, this training functions as a structural framework for his work, shaping how intuition is held, directed, and expressed.

“My experiences with indigenous elders and ancient lineages naturally paved the way for my formal spiritual training,” Lauter says. “To ground these vast energies, I immersed myself in Buddhist studies, taking refuge with Lama Migmar Tseten at the Sakya Institute, and working deeply with Medicine Buddha practices. That foundation gave structure to my intuitive abilities.”

Today, Lauter’s sound baths are composed live, drawing from an expansive sonic palette that includes crystal bowls, symphonic gongs, Himalayan bells, bansuri, shruti, tongue drum, vocal toning, and mantra. Each session unfolds with a musician’s sensitivity to harmony, rhythm, and spaciousness, offering participants an experience that is both deeply calming and subtly transformative.

That work continues locally and publicly this season, as Lauter hosts a public sound bath series at Winvian Farm in Morris (the next is March 22), inviting guests to experience his signature sound journeys within the serene setting of one of the region’s most distinctive retreats.—meditationdj.com

 By Clementina Verge

Motherhood is the sacred art of creating and nurturing life—a space where strength meets vulnerability, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. In this transformative chapter, holistic healing and body-centered care are not indulgences; they are essential luxuries.

Amoin Chantal Kra, founder of Akwaba, LLC – Massage + Birth in Litchfield, embodies this philosophy.

A licensed massage therapist, birthworker, a healer, and mother, she provides women with the care, grace, and sacred support needed to nourish and honor their bodies.

Kra grew up in Côte d’Ivoire, where care was never solitary. Birth, recovery, and even loss unfolded among women—midwives, aunties, neighbors—bringing herbs, warm hands, nourishing food, and quiet encouragement. 

As a child, she absorbed this truth instinctively, fetching water or cloth, and learning that healing is communal, embodied, and profoundly human.

“I come from a culture where healing is shared,” Kra reflects. “Mothers soothe babies with their hands, aunties support laboring women, and the community holds anyone who is hurting. Healing is relational and embodied, not just clinical. That shaped how I care for women today.”

When she moved to the United States nearly three decades ago, the contrast was stark. Care often felt rushed, stripped of cultural context and tenderness, and women’s voices were sometimes overlooked. In response, she began weaving the nurturing traditions of her upbringing into modern care, restoring dignity, slowness, and ancestral wisdom.

“I bring what I grew up with: hands-on care, herbs, warm oils, breath, and rhythm,” she explains. “None of it competes with modern bodywork. It complements it, returning culture, comfort, and dignity to the room.”

Her philosophy holds that the body carries memory. The hips, in particular, house creativity, sexuality, birth, stress, and lived experience. When tight, women feel constrained; when softened, something awakens. To “awaken the power of the hips” is not merely physical—it is an invitation to embodiment, freedom, and self-remembrance.

This ethos lives fully in Akwaba – Massage + Birth. Akwaba means welcome: to the body, the story, the mother, and the baby. Each session blends modern therapeutic techniques with ancestral practices—warm oils, breath, rhythm, gentle touch—creating a space where women feel seen and supported. Prenatal sessions ease hips, ribs, and the lower back while calming the nervous system. Postpartum care emphasizes restoration, with abdominal and pelvic support, warmth, and sometimes herbs or tea.

Kra challenges the misconception of massage as mere relaxation. Touch regulates hormones, supports digestion, improves sleep, and fosters emotional safety. This under-standing inspired GENTLE Touch Therapy, teaching caregivers and families how soft, intentional touch communicates care without force.

Over the years, Kra has wit-nessed profound transformations:
Anxiety giving way to rest, pain to ease, isolation to belonging. Often, the deepest shift is subtle—the instant a woman’s body finally feels safe enough to soften.

Her dream is to create a sanctuary where bodywork, birth support, herbal care, ceremony, and education coexist under one roof—a place that feels like home. Above all, she hopes every woman leaves feeling rested, held, and more deeply connected to her inner power. —instagram.com/akwaba.massage.birth

By Paula Cornell

Photographs by Ryan Lavine

In 1979, a group of women brought pagers to Sharon Hospital, asking staff to call if they found anyone experiencing abuse who needed a safe place to go. 

That volunteer effort, known then as Women’s Emergency Services, would grow into what is now Project SAGE––a nonprofit providing support, shelter, and advocacy to those facing domestic violence in the region, for over four decades. 

“This passionate, feisty, intelligent, roll-up-your-sleeves group of women in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut got together and were like, ‘We want to do something about this,’” says Project SAGE’s executive director, Kristen van Ginhoven. 

As the work expanded, the name changed to reflect a wider range of services. Project SAGE stands for Support, Advocate, Guide, and Educate—and is a reference and compliment to their clients’ wisdom. 

When the board sat down to brainstorm how to fundraise in 2001, a 26-year-old board member named Naomi Blumenthal suggested doing a plant sale. Blumenthal worked as the head gardener for designer Bunny Williams at the time. 

Williams loved the idea and turned it into something much bigger: Trade Secrets. 

Every year, in May, Trade Secrets offers garden tours and a massive sale of rare plants and garden antiques to some 4,000 attendees, providing about a third of Project SAGE’s annual budget. 

At the second Trade Secrets event, a woman approached Williams and told her she’d called Project SAGE within the past year. 

“She said, ‘I can’t thank you enough for holding this event so I could know about the program,’” recalls Williams. “I realized how important it was to grow the event, and to help what is now Project SAGE become a reality, because domestic violence can affect anybody.”

National statistics from the Centers for Disease Control underscore that fact: One in three women and one in four men report severe physical violence during their lifetime. Litchfield County is no exception. 

When a client walks in their door or calls on the phone, Project SAGE staff help assess their most pressing need and develop a safety plan. That plan could be as basic as a client feeling validated about their experience; but it can also be a longer-term process involving decisions to stay or leave, custody of children and pets, legal issues, financial setbacks, mental health, support systems, and more. 

Project SAGE offers support for every client decision, connecting clients to whatever resources they may need.

Director of client services Virginia Gold has been with Project SAGE for nearly nine years, working with clients through both setbacks and victories over time.

“I am privileged to be invited into people’s lives at some of their hardest moments, and then to see some of their most successful moments as well,” she says.

Annually, Project SAGE responds to over 1,900 hotline calls, provides over 1,400 nights of emergency shelter, and offers counseling and other direct services to over 800 people––work that reflects the support of an entire community backing them over the decades.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call Project SAGE’s 24 hour confidential hotline at 860-364-1900.
—project-sage.org

 By Michelle Madden

Photographs by ABC/HEIDI GUTMAN 

Some people have an aura of ease, a gentle calm that makes you exhale and feel safe, as though you are being tenderly held in the palm of their hand. When you are with Tara Narula, MD, you not only sense that she is an exceptional doctor, but that she has a highly evolved soul. It seems fitting, then, that she would write a book called The Healing Power of Resilience (Simon&Schuster).

Narula is a renowned cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and ABC News chief medical correspondent. She has a home in Roxbury and comes there with her husband, David, every weekend to unwind, and give their two daughters and golden retriever puppy a place to run. They were introduced to the area by David’s brother, Ryan Cangello, the owner of the beloved Owl Wine & Food Bar in New Preston. 

Narula was driven to write her book based on a clear pattern she’d observed among her patients. In the face of a medical diagnosis, some were able to weather their situation and even thrive, while others were not. What accounted for this difference? Resilience—the ability to adapt to change. 

This trait was embodied by Narula’s own father—an immigrant, with $50 in his pocket when he arrived, eventually becoming one of the founders of cardiac electrophysiology. She was guided through her life by a message imparted by him: “There is nothing that happens that you can not overcome.” Narula grew up accompanying her father on rounds, and fell in love with medicine, thinking that one day she would become a cardiac surgeon.

The path, however, to becoming a doctor was circuitous and bumpy. Before following her heart, she followed her degree (economics from Stanford) and opened a smoothie shop in Miami. But smoothies never soothed the yearning to heal. Eventually in medical school, her own resilience was tested when she became the patient and went through years of uncertainty as she lost partial vision in her right eye. To give her strength, her mother sent her the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. It became a powerful force in her healing, and taught her the lesson of acceptance, a key ingredient of resilience.

Throughout her career, Narula has realized that resilience is woefully overlooked. Doctors are not taught to consider the physiological toll that stress can have on the body, nor are they taught how it can be mitigated. “The world of psychology and medicine are siloed,” Narula laments.  “We can’t help our patients heal if we are not bridging them.”

Like a willow that bends with the wind without breaking, the ability to embrace change is something that every one of us can develop. It is not a fixed trait. And as Narula lovingly points out, “You are already far more resilient than you think you are.” 

—@drtaranarula

By Clementina Verge

Photography by Ryan Lavine

Darlene Kascak’s sense of identity took shape in kindergarten, when a teacher told her she “didn’t look Native American.” Soon after, her great-grandmother anchored her in something deeper: “You are Schaghticoke; you come from a long line of strong women.” The words stayed with her, guiding her sense of purpose and responsibility.

“To be a citizen of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation is to carry a relationship—to land, to ancestors, to community, and to the generations still coming,” reflects Kascak, a Traditional Native American Storyteller and educational outreach ambassador at The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut. “It’s not a title or a status. It’s a way of moving through the world with a sense of rootedness that can’t be replicated or replaced.”

For centuries, the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation has lived in what is now Litchfield County. Place names—from Algonquin State Forest to the Aspetuck River and Lake Waramaug—trace a history spanning more than 12,000 years. Across that expanse of time, the community has endured displacement and colonization, while maintaining its connection to land and stories.

An anchoring principle is the Seven Generations teaching: Make decisions with those yet to come in mind.

“The Schaghticoke people see the land not as a resource to be exploited, but as a living, breathing partner,” Kascak says. “The land gives us food, shelter, and guidance. In return, we have a responsibility to protect and care for it.”

Today, as a museum professional and member of the Schaghticoke Women’s Traditional Council, Kascak works with journalists, educators, and cultural institutions to ensure Native histories are represented with accuracy and depth. Her work continues a long tradition of Schaghticoke women leading in diplomacy, land stewardship, and community care—safeguarding stories and collective memory.

In institutional spaces, she often encounters narratives that begin too late. Museums frequently frame Native history at the moment of European contact, overlooking the thousands of years of Indigenous governance, innovation, and nationhood that preceded it. Distinct cultures are flattened into generic categories. Objects are displayed as static artifacts rather than expressions of living relationships. The realities of colonization—land theft, forced removal, boarding schools, violence—are softened, and Native voices are sometimes invited in only after key decisions have been made. The result is a focus on loss, rather than on resilience and governance.

To combat this, Kascak works to ensure that Indigenous histories are told in their fullness—recognizing not just loss, but survival, resilience, and the ongoing presence of Native peoples.

For those who wish to support the accurate and respectful storytelling of Indigenous histories, she offers simple advice: “Listen first, uplift Indigenous voices, respect cultural boundaries, and push for accountability within institutions.” These steps, she believes, are crucial in building a more truthful, respectful, and hopeful future.

“Our stories aren’t just tales from the past—they’re teachings about how to live with respect, responsibility, and relationship,” Kascak reminds, emphasizing that those traditions are about more than survival; they shape the world we leave for future generations. —iaismuseum.org

By Maria Mostajo 

Pamela Takiff’s artistic practice reveals the complexities of her unique perspective as both a photographer and human rights activist. An attorney, she has lectured publicly—including before the United Nations Human Rights Council—and advocates for victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence. She has seen the dark side of humanity. Yet she is drawn to beauty and light. Takiff uses her iPhone camera to capture an image or moment in time that she transforms into something she says will “focus the viewer’s eye and inspire their imagination without changing what was there to be seen.”

Takiff, who lives in Sharon with husband, has always had an artistic eye, and was drawn to photography from a young age. Her mother and brother are both sculptors; and her mother paints, and makes jewelry. Takiff has no formal art training, but while in college developed darkroom skills. Later, in New York City, she learned the arts of gilding and decoupage. She is now incorporating these techniques into her photographic work.

As a street photographer, Takiff notices color and shapes in things most of us ignore: deteriorating paper, peeling paint. She hones in, and finds an image within an image. Then, through her editing process, she excavates the context, presenting the viewer with a landscape, form, or structure that allows for the creation of a new narrative.

Takiff is a sensitive and intuitive person. She finds purpose as an advocate for the traumatized, particularly women. She brings that sensibility to her artistic practice. Her newest body of work is partly inspired by the “the silencing of women and the loss of their agency.” Takiff’s females—shown at Le Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris last December, and at Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton last fall, are an assemblage of a powerful gaze, a silhouette revealing physical aplomb and stature, marbleized torsos decorated by Takiff’s tender gilding to accentuate the female shape, or bejewelled armless and faceless mannequins, all hinting to the forms of erasure or the use of the female form as a prop or foil. Takiff’s instinct is to highlight the reductive nature of some imagery while counterbalancing them with a sense of ornamentation that is both dramatic and elegant.

While Takiff does not photograph landscape or nature, she has recently captured reflective blues and grays from dirt or paint splattered indiscriminately on sheet metal at a construction site. She brings forth a palette and light that is painterly, almost abstract, and yet resembles winter scenery or Japanese watercolors of ancient landscapes. 

In keeping with her grace, Takiff shifts attention to others as she raves about the Center for Photography at Woodstock, where she now serves on the board. She joined the membership-based organization looking for community and a way to sustain her practice. Takiff credits the recent transformation of her practice with collaboration with a studio assistant. “We work together on every part of the image, what to keep in, what to edit out, how to improve color and clarity.” —pamelatakiff.art

I’m Coach Heidi Diedrich, and I believe strong bodies build strong lives. As an ISSA- and AFAA-certified trainer with 12 years of experience, I’ve coached everyone from competitive athletes to corporate teams and led 400+ HIIT classes during COVID. Today, I teach progressive strength and agility classes in Washington and bring personalized 1:1 training directly into clients’ homes. I’m sharing the essential pieces I recommend for building a smart, effective home gym. My philosophy is simple: Fuel, Fitness, Focus. Show up consistently. Support each other. Do the work. We are stronger than we know.
—CoachHeidi@co

TRODDEN Stability Ball
This inflatable exercise ball creates an unstable surface that engages your core muscles during movement. Excellent for improving posture and core strength.

RAGE FITNESS Steel Box
This anti-slip metal platform supports jumps, step-ups,  single-leg lifts, dips, and stretching—essential for cardio and explosive training.

SPRI Braided Resistance Bands
Provides smooth consistent tension movements ideal for full range of movement. Loop them around a pole or door to mimic a cable machine.

Resistance Bands by RENOJ
Great for lower body glute work and upper body pushing and pulling.  Easy on the joints and effective for building muscle.

FEIERDUN Adjustable Dumbbells
This adjustable system changes weight fast, saving space and supporting strength gains.

At the Center for Natural Medicine in Watertown, wellness is anything but one-size-fits-all. This family-run practice brings together top practitioners across many modalities, including movement, medical care, mental health, and coaching, to craft personalized treatment plans. Every protocol is tailored to the individual, blending expertise and attentiveness to support long-term healing. Founded to bridge the gap between mind, body, and spirit, the Center is driven by a team dedicated to guiding each patient toward true, lasting well-being. Patients often arrive seeking answers after feeling unheard elsewhere, and discover a collaborative environment focused not just on symptom relief, but on restoring energy, resilience, and balance for everyday living.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

At the Center for Natural Medicine, we start by meeting patients where they are. If someone comes in seeking medical healing, we begin there. As they experience progress, we explore other areas of life that may be out of balance, helping them consider what changes feel achievable and meaningful. Our goal is to guide patients toward holistic well-being without overwhelming them.

What Does “Whole-Person Care” Look Like?

Treating the whole person means considering physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It’s about walking alongside patients, helping them tune into their body and intuition, and offering guidance so they can make informed choices. Every interaction is grounded in empathy, curiosity, and support for how each individual learns and grows.

Most Popular Services

Every service we offer is in demand at different points in a patient’s healing journey. There’s no single path—what matters is finding the right combination of therapies for each individual.

Your First Visit

New patients undergo a comprehensive one-hour evaluation, including medical history, lab work, and any needed diagnostics. Physicians may prescribe natural medications or therapies, always aiming for the least invasive, most cost-effective solutions.

Personalized Treatment Plans

Treatment plans are tailored to the patient’s goals, schedule, and budget. Providers regularly check in to adjust care based on progress and feedback, ensuring patients remain empowered and comfortable throughout their journey.

Nutrition and Lifestyle

Lifestyle and nutrition are central to healing. We emphasize consistent, sustainable habits that fuel the body and support long-term wellness. Even small steps, when aligned with your goals, can have a meaningful impact.

Chronic or Challenging Conditions

We approach all conditions with the same principles: thoughtful guidance, clear communication, and continuous support.

Acupuncture and Energy Work

Acupuncture offers biomedical benefits, while energy work supports subtle mind–body connections and emotional healing. Many patients benefit from combining them. Together, these modalities reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance vitality, support emotional well-being, and cultivate a mindful relationship with health.

Who Benefits Most?

Naturopathic care is for everyone—whether managing or preventing chronic disease, seeking insight into wellness, adopting sustainable habits, or supporting mental health and motivation.

Looking Ahead

Our mission remains to provide the highest-quality, individualized care while empowering patients every step of the way.
—centerfornaturalmedicine.net

[Sponsored]

The Spa at Litchfield Hills provides holistic healing through world-class beauty, health, and wellness experiences. Current treatment offerings include massage and bodywork, medical-grade skincare, hair, and nails, with more to come in late 2026 with the unveiling of their newly renovated destination wellness property. 

Business entrepreneur and founder Megan Harpin acquired The Spa at Litchfield Hills in 2004, while attending Babson College. Harpin has built The Spa over 21 years from a small startup into the local institution and award-winning spa destination it is today.

Megan, will you describe the spa?

The Spa at Litchfield Hills is located off Route 202 in Litchfield. Our facility features a brand-new nail salon, clean beauty wellness boutique, temporary therapy rooms, and hair salon. All of these will be
expanded upon with the completion of our renovated space and new treatments in late 2026. Our remote location and scenic property offer a unique opportunity to integrate nature into our facility, enhancing its serenity. We’re creating an outdoor oasis with treatments, lounge areas, and more, overlooking our pond and the White Memorial nature preserve. Additionally, we’re developing state-of-the-art medspa facilities and introducing biohacking services focused on holistic wellness.

What sets your services and products apart from others in the industry?

The Spa is a conscious brand that evolves with the industry. Our talented team delivers world-class service and wellness experiences—all in one location—with quality rivaling major metropolitan spas. We believe in the healing power of our services and are excited to introduce new offerings. We’re grateful to share these experiences with our community and visiting wellness seekers. Our boutique features brands that not only make you feel good but also do good, offering a unique selection of clean beauty and luxury products not found locally.

What trends have you noticed in your industry recently?

Our industry is constantly evolving! People are more intentional about the products they use and their daily wellness habits. We align with the push for clean, sustainable ingredients and science-backed beauty and wellness solutions rooted in holistic healing.

Our new service menu, launching in late 2026, will
feature sauna therapy, IV therapy, and more—designed to enhance your spa experience and create lasting transformation. The new facility will also expand our Wellness Boutique with 30+ new clean beauty and luxury lifestyle brands. 

How do you define your success?

I define our success through the positive feedback we receive from our guests and our consistent presence in the community. Over the past 21 years, we’ve proudly grown with our community, servicing generations of family members, working closely with other local small businesses, and supporting local nonprofit organizations near and dear to our hearts.
—litchfield-spa.com

[Sponsored]

From the very beginning, Dawn Blom knew she wanted to create more than a salon. Starting her career as part of a high school senior project, she was inspired by the power of beauty to help people feel safe, seen, and confident. That early vision became the foundation for DPZ—a space rooted in care, connection, and community, where giving back has always been central.

Originally Dawn’s Pizzazz, the business evolved organically as clients began shortening the name to “DPZ.” The transition became official ahead of a major fundraiser fashion show celebrating nearly 20 years in business. “It was time to elevate the name,” Dawn says. “The business is about all of us.” The rebrand honored DPZ’s legacy while reflecting the collective heart, talent, and future of the team.

Today, DPZ operates two Connecticut locations—Danbury and Litchfield—and Dawn’s role has evolved with the company’s growth. While she still serves legacy clients on a referral basis, her primary focus is mentoring, leadership, and developing the next generation of professionals. Education is central to DPZ’s philosophy, supported by ongoing training from industry icons and brand partners. The salon participates in conversations and roundtables most salons never see, adopting innovation thoughtfully while always prioritizing the guest experience and ensuring every detail is intentional, from technique to ambience.

At DPZ, technical skill goes hand-in-hand with guest care. Advanced training allows the team to work with precision and confidence so clients can truly relax. Thoughtful consultations and elevated service rituals ensure every guest feels welcomed, cared for, and confident from the moment they walk through the door. Beyond salon and spa services, DPZ provides private wig services and will expand into hair toppers in spring 2026, supporting clients seeking solutions that restore dignity, confidence, and self-expression.

The heart of DPZ is its people. Dawn calls her team family: authentic, supportive, and deeply connected. That includes her son, Pierce, a barber recognized as one of the best in Connecticut and Litchfield County; her sister Debbie, a cornerstone of the Litchfield location; Stefani, assistant manager and guest coordinator; and Rosie, an RN aesthetician bringing advanced MedSpa services to both locations. Each team member embodies the warmth and expertise that has become the hallmark of DPZ, carrying forward Dawn’s vision in every interaction and creating a culture of trust and excellence.

Philanthropy is woven into everything DPZ does. The company has raised and given back more than $1 million to support children and families facing illness, hospice and grief care, youth programs, and mental health initiatives. Beyond fundraising, DPZ provides gifts, complimentary haircuts, and awareness campaigns around mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse. Annual
initiatives like the golf tournament allow this impact to continue year after year, cementing DPZ’s reputation as both a beauty leader and a community cornerstone.

As DPZ celebrates 40 years in Danbury, the vision is clear: a thriving, purpose-driven company committed to developing the next generation from within and carrying its legacy forward through people,
leadership, heart, and unwavering dedication to every guest who walks through its doors.

469 Bantam Rd., Litchfield 

81 West St., Danbury  —Thedpz.com

[Sponsored]