Sharon Muzio hopes attendees at the sixth annual Spirit of Oneness Expo, in Harrisburg will get a chance to explore new practices to benefit the mind, body and spirit. The Expo will be held at Zembo Shrine, in Harrisburg, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., October 1 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., October 2. The Expo will feature holistic practitioners, healers, psychics, artisans and musicians, plus live demonstrations and experiential workshops.

Muzio, the Expo’s founder and organizer, says this year’s event has a theme of collective collaboration. Part of that collaboration will be the creation of a prayer flag mobile. Each vendor, artisan, musician, dancer and attendee will be invited to create their own flag using materials supplied at the event.

“In other countries, prayer flags are very popular,” Muzio says. “The idea is to create the flags to send our prayers to heaven. You make each flag with a prayer and intention – asking for good health, peace in your home or peace on Earth.”

During the two days of the Expo, vendors will offer workshops to give attendees a chance to experience something new. This year will feature a crystal healing workshop and a local Indian dance troupe that will perform and offer an explanation of the dances and their cultural meanings. Music on both days will be coordinated by Native American flautist David Rose, and will feature drum circles and sitar performances.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will support the Nobody’s Cats Foundation, a Camp Hill-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing the stray cat population by providing spay and neuter services. On Sunday, the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank will be on hand collecting donations of blood for a very special reason.

“This year, we found out about Liam, a 5-year-old boy in Chambersburg who has a brain tumor,” Muzio says. “He needs transfusions a few times a week, so his treatment requires a lot of blood. Blood is just like medicine; it’s not free. Every pint that is donated at our event is in his honor.” For every pint collected at the Spirit of Oneness expo, Liam’s family will receive a credit toward one pint from the blood bank.

Muzio hopes that by providing visitors access to more than 60 different vendors, exhibitors and practitioners, she can help to educate people about the work they do. “Holistic practices are sometimes still stigmatized, or people have misconceptions or misgivings,” she says. “But the more you make it available to people, the easier it is for them to give it a try. When you can come in and be exposed to all these different types of things, it’s easy to show people that these alternative treatments and options are available in Central PA.”

Performances, workshops and demonstrations are all included in the price of admission, which is $7 for a one-day pass and $12 for the full weekend, with free parking. Zembo Shrine is located at 2801 N. 3rd St., in Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-221-0133 or visit SpiritOfOnenessEvent.com. See ad, page 15.

Kate Morgan is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.