Natural Living Trend Propels Pathways Expo to Greater Popularity

Just two hours after the Natural Living Expo began Sunday, hundreds of patrons filled the event venue at the Marriott Inn at UMUC.

Organizers were expecting 120 vendors and 2,000 patrons, a far cry from the 60 vendors and 800 patrons at the first expo more than 30 years ago.

Lou DeSabla, publisher of Pathways magazine, which puts on the expo, said the rising popularity and acceptance of natural living has helped the event to grow.

“When we first started, people thought yoga was a cult religion,” DeSabla said. “Now you can take a yoga class in a Baptist church.”

Last year was the best year, he said, with over 2,500 patrons.

The event started at the Armory in Silver Spring, but organizers were forced to find a bigger venue — the Marriott — seven years ago.

“It’s the only green conference center in the area,” DeSabla said. He added that both his readership and the expo’s visitors tend to think in terms of “mind, body, spirit, and green.”

DeSabla said that all the vendors are local. Jim Young of Angel TV network was among them on Sunday, and for the past 15 years.

“It feels like coming home every year,” he said.

The vendors were local, but many of the patrons were not. For the second year in a row, Novell Smith traveled from York, Pa. to attend the expo. Smith, a metaphysical and reike healer said the conference teaches people ways to expand their consciousness.

“More and more people are becoming open to consciousness. They should attend and learn even more,” Smith said.

“It’s really well organized,” he added. “There are a lot of good vendors and seminars.”