Mid year in Tampa Bay brings thoughts of the lazier heat of the summer ahead; time to reconsider good common sense ways to nourish body, mind and spirit.

June is a perfect season to get outdoors and experience nature (and what better place than our beautiful home base arena)? Think of it. We live in the midst of the largest open-water estuary in Florida, with wandering waterways teeming with life. Our coastline sports truly top notch beaches, from Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Park in the north, all the way down to Fort DeSoto Park and Egmont Key at the southern tip of the Gulf Beaches.

In this month’s NA Tampa Bay, writer Linda Sechrist suggests some amazing getaways all across our "Sunshine State", highlighting favorites from each of the 14 Florida magazine publishers for Natural Awakenings. For a more broad-based look at such getaways across the nation, check out "Healthy Escapes", page ??.

This June issue offers special focus on the health of the men in our lives. From balancing hormones to weight loss, this issue covers it all.

With June’s return, it’s again time to consider hurricane preparedness plans for home and work. For comprehensive up-to-date information on the web, visit Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s tampabaydisaster.org, or Hillsborough and Pinellas counties’ emergency information sites at hillsboroughcounty.org/emergency/hurricaneinfo and at pinellascounty.org/emergency.

We welcome the arrival of Summer Solstice on the 21st this month; the first day of summer, the longest day of the year that Tampa Bay is tilting back toward the sun. Life is good.

As always, open your mind and read on.