Schaefer has practiced Zen Shiatsu since graduating from the Chicago School of Massage Therapy in 1987. She has been practicing here in Tucson for the past 20 years offering her community wonderful ways to heal the body tend to the spirit and release the mind. In fact, she does so well that she has taught this technique at many of the Tucson massage schools.

For those who might not know Zen Shiatsu literally means “meditative finger pressure” in Japanese. It is a modality that is used to relieve a variety of problems including back pain, neck and shoulder problems, stress, insomnia and depression. Zen Shiatsu holds that all health problems are related to imbalances in yin and yang, or disharmonies between the internal organs and blockages to the circulation of energy. It is important to note that this is not just a massage that you get at a spa, rather a complete process that aids in health and healing.

Schaefer believes there are a variety of natural life transitions such as menopause, birth, postpartum, and other issues that block energies. These blocks can interrupt the peaceful state we all deserve to be in and she works diligently to make sure there is balance. Kris uses a technique called hot stones. She discovered them through her own postpartum process. She realized she needed to “ramp up” her energy but she felt like she needed to do things while she was resting. She discovered that using warm stones on the belly created rejuvenation and a healing process that lead her into helping not only herself but others as well.

“I really consider what I do is not just healing, but giving people general information that can help them. I am a person that is more helping people with tuning in with a deeper awareness.” This awareness has helped her business grow as she and her business partner Jeff Rogers, who is a cranial sacral therapist for the past 22 years do so well. They both look forward to teaching worldwide their forms of body work and healing. Both are renowned at teaching these forms of therapies.

Tucson Biz Beat is always happy to salute private businesses and even happier when it comes time to fine-tune the mind the body and the spirit. Therefore hats off  Kris Schaefer and Jeff Rogers for helping educate our community and help people with keeping energy balanced so their physical and mental health shines. Visit them at www.ZenShiatsuTucson.com

Plant Based Nation is a nonprofit organization whose intention is education, community service, and economic development of plant based businesses. The term plant based means a diet mainly of plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, legumes. Why is the so important? Founder Jared Keen says, “Many studies show that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is health promoting and can prevent and even reverse the effects of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more.” Keen explains other benefits. “For people on a budget, eating a plant based diet is highly economical.”

 Plant Based Nation had an incredible start. Jared said, “In the span of 14 months, I lost 120 lbs.” Keen stated, “It transformed me emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.” It was Jared’s journey of transformation that ignited the creation of his nonprofit organization, Plant Based Nation and reaching out to his community.

Reaching out is what Jared and his board of directors are doing. Their organization does wonderful things such as create a produce and organic food buying club to provide affordable options for low income residents. Support local farmers markets and community gardens and provide free educational events in libraries or bookstores and are currently looking for volunteers to help provide plant based meals to the homeless and hungry in Tucson. as well as reaching out into Latino and Native communities to educate about plant based diets

Currently their big project is collaborating with The Tuller School to bring plant based lunches in to their school lunch program. They bring in lunches from Urban Fresh, a new plant based restaurant downtown, and provide the students with a plant based diet. Keen said, “We offer cooking and educational classes to the parents, staff and children at the school.”  In talking with him I could hear the excitement and pride in his voice. He has a real goal. “Our goal is to improve the health of everyone involved in the school.”

Keen’s organization does not stop there. They host a monthly vegan potluck where the curious can come try a wide range of plant based dishes and connect with people living this lifestyle.  In addition, they offer one-on-one coaching for people interested in making the switch who need assistance. Jared is very excited about another new project and that is they have partnered with The Loft Cinema to start a farmer’s market on Saturdays starting March 16.  They are focusing local growers and expect to have about 20 local vendors each week.

If you, the local community want to know more about this inspiriting organization and how it reaches out to the Tucson community, they are having an all-day conference that is scheduled for Saturday, March 2nd – the lineup features local physicians, chefs, health care professionals, fitness experts and more. That information is on Plant Based Nation webpage.

This grassroots organization not only deserves a salute, it deserves a standing ovation for reaching out to make the Tucson community healthier and happier. Through their outreach program, their education, and their community service, Tucson has become a much better community. Thank you Plant Based Nation!

Local business is unlike chain stores where they all carry the same things and they all look alike. There is zero personality with chains. I see more and more local businesses in Tucson disappearing and it leaves a social and economic void. That is why Tucson Biz beat is so important to me to write. It is because we are failing to look at the local businesses and artists. No one thinks about it but small businesses contribute to local economies. They do so by bringing growth and innovation, personality so to speak. In addition, these small businesses help stimulate economic growth by providing employment opportunities to people who may not be employable.

Who knew that a popular photographer, Jade Beall, could take images of nursing, pregnant or plump women and turn it into masterpieces and that Cafe 54 employees people recovering from mental illness? Who knew that Create Cafe has some of the best live acoustic music in town free or that Mosaic Cafe offers a great Mexican breakfast or that Stephanie Nelson is one of the best acupuncturists in Tucson? We overlook our local businesses and people that make Tucson the eclectic place that it really is. So today, Tucson Biz beats attempts to look at some of the great businesses over the past year.

Free Acoustic Music

Create Cafe  http://www.createcafe.com/

Arizona Ranch Haven www.azranchhaven.com

Best Variety of Live Music

Boondocks Lounge http://www.boondockslounge.com/

Best local Radio Station

KXCI http://www.kxci.org/

Musician that Does Charity for Tucson

LeeAnne Savage https://www.facebook.com/LeeAnneSavageFans

Best Female Blues Guitarist

Mitzi Cowell http://www.mitzicowell.com/

Best Pancakes

Franks  http://www.franksrestaurant.com/

Mexican Breakfast

Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe http://www.mosaiccafes.com

Unique Mexican Food

Little Poca Cosa http://www.littlepocacosa.com/

Non-profit Cafe

Cafe Cafe 54 http://www.cafe54.org/

Great local Pizza and Environmentalist   

Brooklyn Pizza Company http://www.brooklynpizzacompany.com/

Best burger and Fries TIE!

Hotrods Old Vail http://www.hotrodsoldvail.com/
Lindys on 4th Best tatter tots as well!  http://www.lo4th.com/

Best Italian Bakery

Viros http://www.virosbakery.com/

Best Special Interest Photography

Jade Beall http://jadebeall.com/photography-2/

Best Wellness Center

3861 WellnessFirst  http://3861wellnessfirst.com/

Best Acupuncture

Stephanie Nelson Lion Acupuncture http://lionacupuncture.com/

Best Taekwondo

Victory Taekwondo South  http://www.victorytkdsouth.com/

Best Pho Soup and Milk Tea

Miss Saigon http://misssaigon-tucson.com/

Best Small Market

Time Market http://timemarket.lbu.com/

Best Gelato

Allegro http://gelatoallegro.com/

Best Online Newspaper

Tucson Citizen http://tucsoncitizen.com/

Zach began his career and studying myofascial work since 1995. His extensive education began with a BSME and a BA in Business Administration. He then decided to become a Licensed Massage Therapist and gathered over 10,000 hours of massage, physiology, anatomy, myofascial release, structural integration and more.  His background allowed him to study with a Hellerworker, a Rolfer, a Neurologist, chiropractors, a cardiovascular surgeon and Physical Therapists. He is a certified Holistic Mental Health, which helps him work on people with pain and the issues that arise from pain.

“I love this work it excites me,” states Saber. “The correlations between body movement, lack of movement, pulling, how a persons body compensates rapidly to maintain homeostasis is absolutely an awesome thing to watch at work and then to change!” Zach has much to be excited about, as he not only knows pain, he understands pain and can explain pain so people can understand the pain.

Zach believes that pain stops us in our tracks. According to the American Chronic Pain Association, pain stops over 86 million people in the United States who suffer from chronic pain. Saber explains that, “Each person has their own concept of what ‘hurts’ them. It’s the leading reason people come to see me. Of course, then they tell me the work I do hurts, however when they get off the table and walk around the room they’re NOT in pain anymore, so they learn that we’re going to PULL that pain out of them and we can’t do that without them feeling part of it.” Zach may be the man that puts meaning into the phrase no pain no gain.

Zach has helped Tucsonans with their pain through his practice at 3861 Wellness First. He has had great success in not only helping people with their pain, but also helping people come to terms with their pain. “I believe for many people with pain that myofascial release along with conversation, and then stretching and understanding the cause of the pain, we can heal the pain and teach someone how to go about living life feeling happier, healthier, more energetic, and alive!”

I have worked with Zach on many occasions and have seen what he can do with pain and have always been surprise with his knowledge of pain. So today, Tucson Biz Beat salutes Zach Saber for all the people who he has been able to deal with pain and move forward.

Let’s face it we all have our favorite, and Brooklyn Pizza Company seems to be many Tucsonans favorite pizza because it always has people standing patiently watching the hand tossing of that wonderful dough as they wait for that mouth watering pizza to create what I call pure palate pleasure. Their pizza is just that good.

What I like about this pizza is there are no frills or lace. There is no stuffed crust, or thin or thick crust. There is no deep dish or any of the other gimmicks out there. No, owner Tony Vaccaro takes the complication away. His pizza is so good he only sells one size and one kind of crust with your choice of toppings. “We don’t try to upscale people,” Tony says, “We want to make it easy.” Tony makes it so easy that people stand in line for a wonderful taste of that pizza.

I like the fact that you can go next door to Sky Bar, which Vaccaro owns. You can sit and watch TV, or listen to music, or be outside on 4th Avenue watching the people. Sky Bar has games, entertainment, telescopes, open Mic night and drinks galore. They make their own lemonade, ginger ale and is home of the perfect cup of iced coffee for a buck! They serve drinks, beers and other alcoholic beverages that go perfectly with pizza.

Still not convinced that Tony has it all going for him? This amazing man, who opened Brooklyn in 1996, decided to make not only Brooklyn Pizza Company solar, he made Sky Bar solar as well. He believes deeply in “doing things creatively that helps the community,” and help the community he does. He employees about 60 part-time people at the pizza place, about 20 people at Sky Bar, and wait a minute, we are not done with this amazing man yet, he also owns 4th Ave Yoga and employees Tucsonans there as well. His business feeds into our community while conserving energy.

How much does he conserve by going all solar? 80,000 gallons of water is saved each year, 29,700 lbs of CO2 which is the biggest contributor to global warming is saved each month and about 160,000 lbs of coal yearly. It took 5 long years and he did in three installments, So why did he decide to do this? It’s simple, he says, “I want to leave this world in a better place than how we found it.” He doesn’t want to see the desert destroyed. He has respect for not only his community, but the environment within his community. I believe this makes his pizza taste even better!

I don’t want readers to think I am biased with Tony, so I asked a variety of people sitting at Sky Bar what they though. I got great feedback like, “Best place to get a buck iced coffee” to “perfect pizza and great people working here.” One person said they came because of the concept. No matter what the reasons are, people come and enjoy these businesses that Tony owns. Even his employees stated it was a great place to be part of. Tony has gained respect from his workers and his community.

I was unsure how to title this story because Tony Vaccaro owns three successful businesses on 4th Ave, and he is respectful of our environment, to our needs and has compassion to this community. “I care,” he says “I care a lot in general.” So thank you Tony Vaccaro for Brooklyn Pizza Company, Sky Bar and 4th Ave Yoga and your deep compassion for the Tucson community. Tucson Biz Beat proudly salutes Tony Vaccaro and his successful businesses on the Avenue. I personally tip my hat to this most wonderful man who is so aware of Tucson and the environment and using creative ways to give to this wonderful community. Thank you Tony!

Tucson Biz Beat salutes Nathaniel Thise who is Tucson’s only certified MAT therapist. When Nate was 26 years old, he said he felt like “Superman with a kryptonite necklace around his neck.” Nate was a football player in his youth and was into fitness and in great health, but that did not stop injury.  He graduated high school and joined the military. He was very fit but was still plagued with chronic pain from his football days. He tried everything to find some sort of pain relief. At times he was able to get some relief, but it was normally short lived and the pain came right back.

One day a friend came to him and asked him if he had heard of Muscle Activation Techniques. He stated he had never heard of it. He researched it and began to do some of the therapies. For the first time in years and years his pain went away. Nate, who is a certified fitness trainer at the time, knew he had to learn the technique and help other experience pain relief. He wasted no time and flew to Chicago to get trained and certified. Nate said, “It was everything I thought it would be and more.”

What Nate learned on his journey is that “No one approaches pain the way it should be.” He states that, “It really shouldn’t be where is the pain rather, why is there pain.”  He shakes his head. “Most therapies look at the symptoms instead of looking at the real cause of pain.”  He discovered that muscles give a constant signal however with injury or age there can be a muscular imbalance. “Muscle dictates what the stability of the joint is.” That is the basic concept to MAT.

In short, MAT looks at weak muscles and realizes that it has an influence on adjoining or opposing muscles. This causes these muscles to tighten as they try to stabilize the joint. This can lead to weakness or the development of pain. Since MAT looks at cause of discomfort, and not just the symptoms, relief can be achieved. “You need to have a system of what is working and what is not.”

I put this to the test personally since I have chronic pain issues. I have two bad knees and a lower chronic back condition. After a knee surgery went horribly wrong two years ago and another surgery had to be done to repair the botched surgery, my pain never went away. I do not believe in the use of pain medications and noticed my life was compromised because of pain. I tried many things and temporary relief was achieved but only for a few weeks. Nate put me through the process. What I discovered after the first session was I had a glimpse of what it was like to not have pain. It is not an overnight process, but living pain free can happen with MAT.

So today Tucson Biz Beat salutes Nathaniel Thise for bringing this technique to Tucson and helping our community deal with pain.  He is hopeful others will get certified and be able to reach out and help those who suffer from chronic pain and want to use a drug free method and actually cure the pain rather than mask the pain. If you have question and want to talk to Nate, or set up an appointment, you can email him at nathaniel.thise@gmail.com he is always eager to talk about pain relief.

Today Tucson Biz Beat salutes Hotrods Old Vail. I think Vail and the surrounding areas have been waiting for a good place to eat. In fact, they waited so long that on opening day, there was over 8,000 people. The folks at Hotrods were not expecting this at all. In fact, they had to shut their doors and hire more people and make some adjustments, and that they did. If you ate there when they first opened you may have had a few negative things to say, but today, they are kicking strong and serving happy customers. to hang out for drinks or great food. They are simply different.

I have eaten there on three occasions and have been rather happy each time. On my first visit, I had a salad. It was clearly large enough to feed at least two or three people and I was quite happy with it. The salad was fresh and the ingredients were quality. My second and third time was both burger and fries and it was good. In fact, the double fried fries are the best in town. They were crispy, crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside. I could just go there and eat these fries, but I doubt my new personal trainer would approve, so I have to be careful. The burger is made of 100% Harris beef. What makes this beef so good is Harris beef is minimally processed and contains no artificial ingredients, which made my burger awesome and cooked the way I liked it. Still nothing and I mean nothing could beat the chocolate shake I had. It was simply awesome! Did I say simply awesome? I mean out of this world!

Upstairs is the over 21 bar. It is a nice bar and the view is even nicer. Their drink menu reads like an auto shop. You can have an assortment of drinks like the toolbox or the sparkplug.  It has an outdoor patio and the good news is they have a variety of things going on at the bar including karaoke night on Wednesday, bike night on Thursdays, and they are even going to start receptions.

Okay so this sounds like a great joint to eat. They have pizza, pulled pork, salads, steak, burgers, pasta dishes and some fun appetizers, and much much more but what makes this place so unique is their huge garage that overlooks the entire restaurant. You can watch the great old cars they are working on and you can call and have your car worked on. In fact, down the road, they are going to have a “lube pit” sort of building going up so you can get an oil change and a burger all at once. They are also opening a body shop.  There are many plans in the making, which also means they are providing jobs for locals.

Manager, Matt, and assistant JJ really have worked hard to bring this new restaurant/bar/garage up to par. They know the first month or so they were getting the kinks out, but I have talked to several people who say they were glad they gave this cool diner and bar another chance because the quality has been great according to customers. They are even open on the weekend for breakfast and Matt bragged about breakfast for a few, which means it must be good. Their prices are comparable a burger and fries are 10 bucks and a shake is 5 bucks.

If you are out by Houghton and Old Vail, it is a great place to have a drink or some great food. The decor is fun and designed to make you feel like you are sitting almost at a racing pit. So today, Tucson Biz Beat salutes Hotrods Old Vail. They have good food and good times at a great location.  Now if you don’t mind, I think I will go get a nice shake…errrr that is a salad I mean, yeah that’s it, I am off to get a salad.

Annie always felt music was healing and took that healing mentality that she so strongly holds and went to school and earned a degree is massage therapy, earned her Master’s in Acupuncture and became certified in a variety of integrative healing modalities.

She believes that an integrative approach to healing is the best way to heal the mind-body and spirit. Annie says she “listens and follows” what the body is saying. Often with traditional healing, we do not pay attention the body as a whole. Whether it is her music background, or her strong intuition, she is able to help facilitate healing by listening to the language of the body.

The modalities that English uses include massage, energy work, acupressure, cranial sacral, Reiki, and listening to the body. These expert modalities helps her heal issues such as addictions, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, PTSD, anxiety and depression, plus much more. Annie spends a few days a week at Sierra of Tucson outside her private practice to help people there.

Annie’s 22 years experience makes her an expert at what she does and people who have been helped by her have no problem singing her praise. Speaking of singing, she believes that music is a huge healing tool and said, “The voice is one of the best healing instruments there is.” She has no qualms about integrating music as part of her healing practices.

Annie states that part of her job is to find out where the “energy blockage is and restoring it.” With passion in her voice she says, “This is teaching people to feel with the heart as opposed to the head.” This attitude has helped English heal many local Tucsonans and assist them in their life with not only walking an improved path, but also walking it with ease and comfort.

If you are like me, you may have heard the name Annie English and related it to the Tucson music folk scene, but Annie English is far more than a musician, she is an experienced integrative healer and works full time in helping people restore themselves back to balance.

If you live in the Tucson Arizona area, by all means, drop her a line at Annie@eastmeetswesttherapies.com and see what all the talk is about. Restoring a person back to their natural balance is a number one hit for Annie English.

Anthony Diaz at Rosa’s

In May of this year, a family event would change my life and my outlook. My mother, who is my 83-year-old father’s caregiver fell and broke her hip. The week before she fell, I told her, I thought she was going to fall and break her hip and to give me instructions if that ever happened. My father has COPD, dementia and a sever anxiety disorder; he is almost impossible to handle. My mother never did tell us what to do, but she did write down a phone number and said to ask that person about a residential home. I wrote it down and found a lifesaver, so today, Tucson Biz Beat salutes, Rosa’s Chante Assisted Adult Care Living.

From the moment I went there, Anthony Diaz gave me hope and made me feel that my father would be okay. There was so little work that I had to do because Anthony made sure I had the help. I was concerned because my father gets upset easy, and has sundowners, which is a confused state and extreme agitation once the sun goes down. He assured me that they could handle it, as Rosa’s did what other places do not do; they specialize in dementia and the outbursts and aggressions that go with it.

What I loved even more about this nine bed adult care home was that they worked with these behaviors without over medicating their clients. Staff are trained to work on calming techniques rather than drugging techniques with the residents. Diaz called it “redirection therapy.”  This really worked because each time I visited my father, it was quiet and calm and I visited daily and different hours.

When you first walk into this beautiful home, there is elegance to it, yet a homey appeal.  I felt right at home. I did not feel like I was at a nursing home. There was nothing there that resembled a nursing home at all. It felt like just being at a friend’s house.  Anthony’s goal is to give elderly people a home environment versus an institutional environment. I might add he does a wonderful job.

Anthony says Rosa’s is “one stop shopping” for his residents. Whether it is haircuts, medical treatment or other services, most services come right to the home. They have a holistic health consultant, people who help with grief and loss and even a library that comes to the house. They offer pet therapy, encourage independence while building self-esteem and a caring home atmosphere.

My father tends to “wander” and so I was pleased that they had security in place for those who wander. I felt safe with my father being there and knew he would get his needs met. Rosa’s employees round the clock staff and adds to the Tucson economy. It is a family run business and is very family orientated.

Finally, what I really honored about Rosa’s is the fact the Diaz goes out of his way to talk with families and friends about the aging process and he knows the process well after twenty years of experience. In fact, this September Rosa’s will celebrate twenty years of being opened and they have a lot to brag about.  They offer so many services and an affordable price. They are a long-term care facility that helps people age with respect and dignity.

My father is home now, but I still go to Rosa’s Chante Assisted Adult Care Living to visit Anthony and their staff and residents. I still enjoy the fact that every time I go there, it is quiet, clean, and a sense of being home.

So today, Tucson Biz Beat salutes Rosa’s Chante Assisted Adult Care Living and Anthony Diaz for going out of his way to provide long-term care for the elderly. He is always available to talk with families and caregivers if they are looking positive options for their aging loved ones including respite care, and believes in keeping it local and real. Thanks Anthony for all you do for our elderly community in Tucson.

Roberts diversified work experience can give you the leading edge on your taxes. You may not think it is important, however, if a person is good at taxes they not only can save you money, they can get you more money back. However, you need a sharp mind and someone who is qualified. That where Robert comes in because he is knowledgeable and can get Tucsonans what they need, good reliable help.

He is an active member of The Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants (ASCPA), so he is held to high standards and must maintain 40 hours of continuing education yearly. This keeps him current on all tax laws and he has a real focus on Arizona tax laws.

Studinger has spent over 28 years in Tucson. He came from Pennsylvania and he came here packed with an assortment of knowledge. He stated that what he noticed about Tucson is the people are open to new ideas, and he had great tax ideas that can help Arizonans and he has been doing so for many years.

Robert believes that Tucson has some great advantages and is excited to be in Tucson. He thinks the growth in Tucson opens opportunity for small businesses, and enjoys helping people set up their finances for their new growing business. He enjoys being in Tucson as it is conducive to one of his favorite past times, when he has time, and that is riding his ATV and sitting atop of a hill and looking at this beautiful city that he is part of.

Studinger also enjoys Cinnamon, the tax dog, and takes her for long walks as well as to work every day. She is simply part of the business. Robert takes real pride in making sure people are at ease and stay calm when it comes time to their taxes and financial status. He is like Prozac for the tax mind and has the ability to calm people so they are free from worry. These small joys offer him comfort and make him feel good about what he does.

Therefore, Today Tucson Biz Beat salutes Robert Studinger CPA for owning a small business and helping people in Tucson finding solutions to not only their taxes, but also their small financial business needs.