ALL ONE ERA magazine
January Moon 2016
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
January Moon 2016 - Issue # 5
Publisher Stephen Cipes stephen@alloneera.com EditorEditor-inin-Chief Teena Clipston teena@alloneeramag.com Senior Editor Jessica Kirby Layout and Design Teena Clipston Advertising Patti Shonek sales@alloneermag.com Circulation Manager Tracey Savage Contributors Stephen Cipes Jessica Kirby Sharon e. Davison Autumn la Boheme Dona Sturmanis River Peter Judd Steven Bergg David Suzuki Melissa MacDougall Tony Hetman Cherie Hanson Victoria Fabling Dr. Raj Jheeta Community Gatherings www.alloneera.com Technical Support JensenWorks Technology www.jensenworks.com Cover Photo Josh Kesner Magazine: www.alloneeramag.com facebook/alloneeramag issuu.com/alloneeramag Mail to: All One Era Magazine 4870 Chute Lake Rd, Kelowna, BC V1W 4M3 Love and Light © 2015 all rights reserved. Opinions and perspectives expressed in the magazine are those of authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the ownership or management. Reproduction in whole or part without the publisher’s consent is strictly prohibited.
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Page 22 What are you looking for? by Tara Bradley
Contents: Publisher’s Letter: Welcome! by Stephen Cipes - on page 5 -
The Journey to a Deeper Mel by Melissa MacDougall - on page 16 -
The AllAll-OneOne-Era Manuscript, Chapter 5 by Stephen Cipes - on page 7 -
A Moment with Esther by Steven Bergg - on page 17 -
A Course in Miracles by Jessica Kirby - on page 8 -
Science Matters: We are the World by David Suzuki - on page 17 -
Coming Home to Ourselves and to Community
by Sharon e. Davison - on page 10 -
A Home to Die For by Melissa MacDougall - on page 18 -
Inspiring Sacred Spaces for the Family Home by Autumn la Boheme - on page 11 -
Organic Listings Directory - on page 20 -
Connection: A Key to Happiness by Dona Sturmanis - on page 13 -
The Family Farm by Tony Hetman - on page 21 -
A Name by River Peter Judd - on page 14 -
Going to the Horses by Victoria Fabling - on page 23 -
Point of View: All One by Cherie Hanson - on page 15 -
The Lost Wisdom Newsletter by Dr. Raj Jheeta - on page 24 -
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
Publisher’s Letter...
D
earest Readers,
Welcome to the fifth issue of All One Era magazine and now international blog! I am so inspired by the enthusiasm shared by everyone—thank you! ot only has the Twenty Twenty Vision to take the Okanagan Valley organic by the year 2020, with thousands of signatures including three First ations Chiefs and two mayors, aligned us with two major countries supporting the return to organic, but we are also surging forward with a colossal alignme nt with some of the most celebrated minds in the world, all with a focus on taking back our power and returning to our oneness as grand beings! Issue one brought heart-centred encouragement from ew York Times bestselling author Marianne Williamson. Issue number two brought world renown scientist David Suzuki to bless the All One Era grassroots movement with his wondrous interview with me and with his famous quote, “The environmental movement has failed. We’ve won some pyrrhic battles but we lost the war because we failed to change consciousness surrounding these issues.” The All One Era consciousness naturally merges us in harmony with nature and is powerfully effective, as we all naturally become active environmental stewards of our bodies and of our precious planet. Issue number three brought us to the brilliant nature art of Canada’s national treasure artist, Robert Bateman, with his uncanny divine talent of bringing us in oneness with his animal subjects and his worldwide quest to re-unite youth with nature. The fourth issue brought us in alignment with physics theorist Nassim Haramein who has brought us acknowledgement of the All One Era Consciousness being in concert with his breakthrough scientific discoveries. The excitement and blessing of our pivotal momentum continues with this issue. While there are now many genius contributors, including each of you, to boldly come forth and guide us to our sweeping wave of ascension, the reestablishment of gatherings around the sacred fire with the harmonizing honouring of the new and full moons may be the piv-
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otal triumph for humanity at this precious time in our times. We bring you stories centered on community, family, and moving into the new era with a renewed sense of commitment to love and unity. We look at energy workers and how they can enrich our lives and at divining sacred family spaces in our home. We look at one pers o n’ s t he r a p e u ti c e xperience with therapy horses, and we have a glimpse of using A Course in Miracles to move with bravery and forgiveness as we embrace this prophesied era of grand ascension. The fifth chapter of the All One Era manuscript, is featured in this issue. It reveals how powerful we are. I share how we can all actually change the weather (if I can do it, anyone can!) and many more phenomena! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we have all enjoyed producing this forum for the Grand Teachings. The time is now for these teachings to come out into the mainstream. The most well-guarded ancient secret teachings are now coming forth. Thank you for your enthusiasm and overwhelming support to establish this forum and the magnificent gatherings! We welcome your inspiration and ideas as we serge forth together to dispel chaos and reestablish peace, harmony, and rejuvenation with our glorious Selves as one with the entire universe. With eternal love, blessings and gratitude, Stephen stephen@alloneera.com
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
The All-One-Era Manuscript, Chapter 5 Our Prophesized Homecoming lead from our loving Selves rather than our Ego Selves, and we enter into our awakening as Realized Beings, Grand Ambassadors in the ow of Universal Spirit.
By Stephen Cipes
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he All-One-Era is our longawaited break through. We are opening to Receive the ever-present flow of Guidance from the universe. We are proactively catapulting this new era by returning to our tribal roots of gathering around the fire, celebrating nature with Full and ew Moon Gatherings. In this state of Receivership, we open our electric-innature brains and nervous systems to connect with, and fully know and be one with, the constant flow of energy that surrounds us at all times. This Guidance or Godance, if allowed to speak, transforms each of us from ego-based (which is a normal human state) to being conduits of Spirit, a microcosm of the Loving Universal Consciousness (LUC), as it flows through us, restoring our health, vitality, and our environment. These newly established moon gatherings are honoring the cycles of nature, and reuniting us in her harmony. We now have a physical way to begin our homecoming. In each other’s bands of energy, we are greatly recognizing and enhancing our ability to fully embrace our original sublime purpose, our all-powerful oneness in love as co-creators. Nature and the environment have always impassioned me. As far back as the 1960s, I was crusading for the well-being of our planet as one of the founders of The Environmental Movement. My fellow long-haired hippies and I vehemently protested the burning of number six fuel and coal for heating in my native New York City. Simultaneously, we developed the first recycling models, and spread the wisdom of recycling. In spite of our enlightened visions and efforts, and in spite of gallant recycling efforts almost everywhere, along with great strides in cleaning our air, the state of our Earth has so quickly deteriorated in the decades that followed, and sadly it seems that the pollution is devastating in some areas and actually increasing at alarming rates. Were we just not ready? In 2005, winemaker Dr. Alan Marks and I landed in Beijing on business. We were invited to export our organic icewine to the Peoples Republic of China’s Military for their Lunar New Year celebrations. Upon arrival we were taken to a highly secured military base and later were taken to a nightclub restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful festive banquet, and had the opportunity to share our icewine with our generous hosts. It was almost 2 a.m. when we finally returned to the hotel and I discovered my room was on the twentysecond floor. Terrified of heights, my only reprieve was the thought that perhaps being at such a high level would allow me to clearly see the night sky. Perched in front of that twenty-secondstorey window, I was unable to even see across the street, much less see the stars! In the depths of winter, the air was condensed with thick, dark pollution from the burning
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Perhaps Philip Shepherd sums it up best: “There is a good reason that we talk about 'gut instinct.' If cranial thinking sets us apart from the world, the thinking in the belly joins us to it. If the cranial brain believes itself surrounded by a knowable world that can be controlled, the brain in our belly is in touch with the world’s mystery. The fact that the second brain has been discovered, forgotten, and rediscovered by medicine three times in the past century suggests how complicated our relationship with our bodily intelligence is.”
photo credit: The Human Aura of coal used as fuel for heat. Concern for the environment and our Earth began to fill every electrical atom of every cell of my being. My heart ached and I once again heard and felt the echoed cries of humanity and of our animal and plant species. Removing myself from the depressing view and proceeding into the bathroom, I filled the tub with hot water and lit a candle. As I turned off the lights and climbed into the tub, I experienced instant meditation of grand oneness. A magnificent, pulsing, purple light engulfed me and connected me to multiple dimensions. My soul reached out to the unlimited universe and I became one with all there is. In that fraction of a second of absolute clarity, I consciously decided to become an instrument to cleanse the pollution. Tuning in to my well-practised ritual of consciously whisking away clouds, I began blowing away the dense pollution with the intensity of my whole entire being. It was a moment of oneness with The Soul of the World, taking us all back to the time when our air was pure, species knew no threats of extinction, clean water freely flowed, and we lived in harmony with our Earth. Raising my arms and offering forth the Sacred Breath, I channeled my intentions from the depth of my being and envisioned the dark polluted air outside dissipating. The intent resounded in me so powerfully that it rendered me to feverishly stand up, hold out my hands, and spin round and round. As I stood whirling in a state of profound oneness with all there is, I heard the wind begin to fiercely howl. The gale was so powerful that I was afraid the building would begin to sway. Strangely, I made no immediate connection between the
windstorm and the intentions I had just set forth; all I could do was stand in awe of the deafening torrent outside. The strong currents escalated throughout the night and into the next day. Upon entering the hotel lobby in the morning, I watched the doormen struggle to hold the doors open as guests walked into the wind. Our host had arrived to take Alan and I for a walk along The Great Wall. The gusts of wind were so amazing, we had to crouch down and crawl along a small portion of the large structure. That evening brought forth calming winds, and throngs of people lined the sidewalks in every direction. For the first time, perhaps in many years, they were able to stand out in the streets, look up at the sky, and see the stars. The thick veil of pollution had dissipated. It was a mighty cleansing! I felt a great resurgence of confidence and gratitude. I reflected that indeed we are all conduits and servants. Our Presence in the ow is all we ever need to have. It is by being in such Presence that we reclaim our power. It is within each of us to have such extraordinary experiences, by connecting our greater or higher Selves to the magnificent energy of the universe and by becoming a conduit for grand love and grand purpose. The All-One-Era is upon us, offering us the unique opportunity for rising to our capital S Selves as conduits of Spirit. We can now fully acknowledge our Selves as channels for Receiving the cosmic electrical flow we call Knowingness. We know that when we unite as so, we instigate profound change. We ascend to operate from our hearts rather than our minds, seek truths from our guts rather than our brains,
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As we open to the cosmic electrical flow, we instantly influence the universe and the healing of our Earth. We first need to acknowledge ourselves and realize our worthiness. As we take back our power we realize we are each geniuses, and now are also realizing our intentions become even more so, when we unite and send forth our power as a collective. A glorious New Era has begun! We can establish gatherings all over the world on the powerful days of the Full and New moon, Equinoxes, and Solstices. These pivotal days become the platform to catapult the already warming winds of the All-One-Era. All-One-Era Gatherings are a gigantic step for humankind. They have already begun to take us back to the primary decision that we’ve all grappled with, consciously or subconsciously: whether to give away our power and join in with what all others are doing, or to proactively break away from this fear-based human drama magnet and step into the freedom of Receiving and acknowledging our oneness with the Knowingness, Guidance, and colossal Love that we truly are. As we enter full-heartedly discovering the truths in this new era, we immediately gain the perspective of how trite and wasteful the human drama is, compared to the exaltation of being in a state of love, joy, and oneness, a state that is mostly beyond description in our present, limited three-dimensional language. I’d like to reflect back to 1983 when I had returned to Judaism with the most enthusiasm I had ever felt. I had joined the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) and was attending rallies to raise money for Israel. I was active as the president of the Men's Club in a flourishing Synagogue in Mount Kisco, New York where I met an Israeli architect who had a brilliant blueprint to rebuild the Hurva Temple in Jerusalem by preserving its original state in ruins and replacing the original walls, which had crumbled, with glass. Just at that time, Rabbi Yaakov Rone, our strong leader, invited me to accompany him on a trip to Jerusalem to vacate his mother’s and father’s apartment after they had both, sadly, passed over. I had not visited Jerusalem, and my excitement built as I was presented (Continued on page 8)
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with the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, the place where, miraculously, the almost-extinct conversational Hebrew language had been revived and declared the official language. Rabbi took me to the Wailing Wall (the outside Eastern Wall of King David’s Holy Temple). There, Jews from all over the world came to pray. However, they were not allowed access to the Holy Temple Mount, where the Islamic Mosque now stands. I immediately flashed with interest to the fact that the religion of Islam was born from the same father (Abraham) as the religion of Judaism. I knew that the prophet Abraham had two wives and that from Sarah, the Hebrew Nation was formed, and from Hagar, the Islamic Nation was formed. I couldn’t help feeling a great calling to go onto the Temple Mount to experience the two religions that now held so much tension between them. To the great surprise of Rabbi Rone, I disguised myself and joined the throngs of Muslim congregants climbing the steps to the sacred mount. I felt the exhilaration rushing into every cell in my body! I took out my camera and began taking threehundred-and-sixty-degree photographs in an attempt to capture the bursting aliveness, but the camera could not. As I was walking slowly toward the Mosque, I was overcome by Guidance (Godance) with the message that I was on holy ground, and that I needed to take off my shoes. I was then pulled around, as if by invisible strong hands, to face East, and began chanting the sacred Hebrew prayer, The Shema. Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohano Adonai Ehud (Hear Oh Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is One). Just as I was about to continue chanting more Hebrew prayers, two armed guards came rushing up from behind me, and lifted me up by my elbows, and escorted me off the Temple Mount as they shouted at me in Arabic, “Get off! Get off!” If ever there were a relationship between a force or a deity or an existence of a being outside ourselves, and yet so a part of ourselves, this experience would be its revelation! What was it that physically swung me around, making me face East? What was it that made me take off my shoes and chant that particular Hebrew prayer with such fervor? Interestingly and apropos, if we carefully look at the words of that prayer, and listen to it, as words have a particular vibration, we may see the essence behind it. Interestingly, the Kabbalistic interpretation, or in other words, the sum of the numerical value of the letters of that prayer, come out to be humanity’s oneness with creation, the number thirteen. We have the love within us, and this is ALL we need. It is always here for us to receive and behold; it is the basis of our return to oneness and is a grand refreshment of humanity’s soul memory. The AllOne-Era is the prophesized time when our feminine Receiving ability is refreshed. In this era we are returning home to our realization that indeed we ARE love, we ARE God, in our entire splendor, and yet we are grounded and are as servants of the whole. If we were to boldly re-write the two most revered ancient Hebrew prayers, we might rewrite them as follows:
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THE SHEMA HEAR OH ISRAEL becomes HEAR ALL HEARTS THE LORD OUR GOD becomes THE LOVE, OUR GOD THE LORD IS ONE becomes OUR LOVE IS ONE THE KADOSH HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS becomes HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD OF LOVE THE WHOLE WORLD IS FILLED WITH HIS GLORY becomes THE WHOLE WORLD IS FILLED WITH OUR GLORY
Recognizing the constant synchronicities and the spontaneity, the dreams that guide us and the circumstances that teach us, we enter into further realization of our unlimited genius. We are no longer amused by the coincidences; we are in tune with them. We become one with them and welcome our spiritual Presence and acknowledge our sphere of influence, which is unlimited. For instance, we acknowledge a cat that walks across the floor and gently caresses us at just the right moment, the radio talk show heard in the car that changes our life with a few revealing words shared across the airwaves while we’re sitting at a red light, the little girl who jumps with glee just as you come to visit her, or the special needs person who stops us on the street blurting out a seemingly random line. We come full circle to that which our souls have forever known and we so clearly knew at birth: that we are forever Guided, and all we ever need is to be aware of the ways the Godance constantly comes to us and through us. For so long, we have been giving away our power, and our Earth and we have suffered. We have been conforming to our society and the basic belief system that our thinking is everything. We have, at the cost of our freedom, chosen to give away our opportunity to embrace the love that surrounds us at all times. While we remain naturally respectful, kind, and law-abiding, it is our time to hold to our Original Splendid Intentions—to be free of the myriad of laws and expectations of society, to now experience an organic life of true joy. We have within ourselves all that we require to flourish and heal our world. When we stay centered in our Grand Selves, the seat of our original intentions, we return home to who we really are as forever beings unlimited in our potential, flourishing as one with the Earth and all thereon. Here on our plane of demonstration, we are able to know and love ourselves in our holy bodies. This precious planet, with its ideal living conditions, allows us to individually evolve our souls, like no other place in the universe. We are blessed indeed to have this glorious opportunity. We are blessed indeed to now come forth and celebrate our unlimited abundance. We are all each other’s teachers and everyone has a gift to radiate to the whole. The era of fear-based conformity has ended. This is the time for love. This is the wondrous opening we have been praying for. This loving now is upon us and is us awakening to our eternal Selves, our Loving God Selves.
Prophecy Rock (Source: http://www.crystalinks.com/hopi2.html)
The Prophesized Homecoming The ancient chart carved into the rock wall by the Hopi Elders shows a crossroads that divides around the date of December 21, 2012. Please Google “Hopi Prophecy” for more complete details. Interestingly, this date was prophesized eons ago as the beginning of a new era by many separate groups of peoples. It is the time when the elders of the Mayan, Hopi, and many Aboriginal civilizations predicted and prophesized a choice for us to make. The choice is simple yet profound. Are we to continue the line on the rock upwards toward certain destruction and demise with our greedy, selfish, material, and sensual quests or are we now to return to our original glory? There is a veil of ego-driven delusion that is lifting. We are now opening to Receiving the always-present Loving Universal Consciousness (LUC). This shift into the All-One-Era is a time of planet-wide ascension. It is a movement that anyone, of any age, can understand and be one with. We are so fortunate to be in bodies at this most thrilling of all times in our time. A shift! A Total change! A return home to our hearts! We have just entered into an era of opening pure awareness, appreciation, and merger with eternity. This is our time. We can reverse the direction of the increasing material pursuits and of living so absorbed in the human drama. This is the promised renewal of our oneness with all there is and the bringing of our brilliant light to dispel all the darkness that we have brought upon ourselves. Selah In greater and greater numbers, we are sensing the energy, vibration, joy, and confidence to achieve unlimited potentials and to collectively acknowledge multi dimensions, which hover above our three-
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dimensional moon vibrations. We are now, for the first time in eons, opening to receiving the loving Knowingness, this allvitalizing oneness, this consciousness, this glorious state that has existed and exists forever within each of us and within every atom in this world. Continuing our enthusiastic discussion about ascension and the All-One-Era, we are reminded of our reconnection with our intuitive soul memory that we are all one, and the recognition that any and all aggressions against each other or our planet are self-destructive. With this global ascension, we are united in being intolerant to atrocities like child abuse, wife beatings and rape, pornography, child slavery, tyrant leaders, nuclear war threats, government corruption, and any and all fearbased activities. The holistic management of our magnificent planet, our pure heritage, and our Splendid Original Intentions naturally knows such activities as counterproductive. While our drive, relentless ambition, and spirit of competition have brought us to great heights in the creation of technologies, economies, and businesses, they have also come at the high cost of crippling our planet and crippling the very spirit of humanity. We can truly nurture our Earth and ourselves without aggressiveness. We no longer need to impress anyone; just the opposite, we will reach out to everyone! In the All-One-Era, we naturally continue to support our robust economies as a vital avenue to ensure a bright future for humanity and all of nature. This era brings about the flourishing of collective growth through international synergies. Perhaps nations will eventually relax their borders and merge in oneness. Perhaps religions will continue to flourish, maybe not in their present state, but perhaps by emphasizing each of their respec(Continued on page 25)
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
A Course in Miracles By Jessica Kir by
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elen Schucman, guided by an inner voice she said belonged to Jesus Christ, brought the world A Course in Miracles (ACIM) back in 1976 after editing and informal distribution with William Thetford over seven years between 1965 and 1972. Its resonance spre a d ste adily e ach ye ar unt il Marianne Williamson brought the book forward on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992 and sales skyrocketed. Hailed everything from ew Age Psycobabble to The ew Age Bible, A Course in Miracles has remained a steadfast staple in contemporary inspiration reading and has been the foundation of spiritual growth and achievement for millions of people around the world. ACIM brings solace and balance to people’s lives today. Written with strength and vigor in favour of seeing the world as it really is through eyes of love and forgiveness, the book has deep relevance in all times, and is an enticing springboard for moving into a new year with passion and commitment to living a richer life. The book has several main tenets that support the separation of truth and illusion on two levels—all things relating to perception including time and space are an illusion; and, God is the only true, perfect, unchanging, and extending-in-love reality. The time-space illusion is considered a dream outside of which exists eternity, and questions about this system are made under the erroneous assumption that time and space are real. Because people experience themselves within the illusion of time and space, ACIM does delve into explanations for the manifestation of this dream: it was conjured as an act against God in response to humankind’s sin-guilt-fear cycle with God, fuelled by separation, judgement, and attack, and from which ego is born. The only way to escape the unhealthy cycle, says ACIM, also referred to as The Course, is to give up on trying to find happiness in time and space, and to make a fundamental shift from condemnation-outof-fear (mindlessness) to forgiveness-outof-love (mindfulness) since the right, nonego-driven mind exists outside of time and space and cannot succumb to earthly human attacks. The way to happiness is instead to see the face of Christ in all things and eventually awaken from the timespace dream to enter God’s eternity, moving away from individuality and ego and into oneness with God and all things. Accompanying the text is a workboo k containing 365 lessons, one for each day of the year, that help students move into
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forgiveness and love through the attainment of an inclusive, loving perspective. A “miracle,” according to the book, is the conscious choice to make the mind shift, including its non-observable effects on the minds of others. Using the workbook, people are encouraged to see the oneness of all living things for increasing times each day and to work on forgiving one’s self completely by forgiving all things by instruction of the Holy Spirit or Inner Teacher. Also included in The Course is a Manual for Teachers, comprising a collection of questions and answers aimed at motivating readers to become teachers of God, and in the third edition, pamphlets titled “Psychotherapy” and “The Song of Prayer” were added. As we move into the new year, we can look to A Course in Miracles to inspire growth and enlightenment, both through its general messages and through direct references in the text. It is never too late to resolve to be a greater, more loving individual, so take a look at Five Year Long Resolutions Inspired by A Course in Miracles: Accept the holy instant as this year is born. Schucman reports at the end of chapter 15 that the Voice of Christ spoke these words, encouraging her to see joy and freedom in the coming year, and to take her place in the Great Awakening. She, and everyone, was encouraged to make the new year a full, celebratory year but making all relationships Holy and complete.
Sales from A Course in Miracles skyrocketed after Marianne Williamson brought the book to The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992. Photo: Marianne Williamson Photo credit: heidiafrey.com
nity exists outside of this human-made construct. Whether or not that concept appeals to you, there is value in the practice of seeing the forest (eternity) for the trees (time and space) and realizing the dynamic nature of reality. We each choose to guide, measure, and monitor our existence in our own ways, some of which lead to joy and others to sorrow. The universal truth is, however, that all things change, ebb, and flow, and surrender to this cycle brings peace to the heart and mind.
Forgive. This is by far the simplest, but most poignant message from A Course in Miracles. Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive the universe, forgive reality, real or imagined. Regardless of your connection to spirituality and the human condition, there is no decision greater in strength or more powerful at promoting health and inner peace than to forgive, erase resentment from your heart, and let negativity leave you. Happy New Year!
This year determine not to deny what has been given to you by God. Author Robert Perry of Circle of Atonement identified this passage as encouragement to look away from chronic despair at the evidence around you that life is good—and choose happiness. “Let us resolve together,” he quotes, “to accept the joyful tidings that disaster is not real and that reality is not disaster.” This year, invest in truth. The text encourages readers to put faith in Jesus, in The Course, in the true nature of reality, and to stop denying the evidence that these things are the way to joy and freedom. Investing in truth is a valuable resolve by all accounts if we think of investing in the truths that forgiveness trumps resentment, love conquers fear, our strengths are real, and our downfalls are a matter of perception. If we believe in these truths, we can live them. Accept the nature of reality. ACIM says time and space are not reality and that eter-
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
Coming Home to Ourselves and to Community By Shar on e. Davison
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oming together with others in community, we become aware of ourselves as individuals. Going within to explore our individuality is to realize our self as a community. As Einstein told us—all is relative. We do not stand alone but are defined by our relationships. We are always relating and interconnected with life. Yet we tend to think of ourselves as individuals that are solid, unchanging, and separate. This is a paradox in need of exploring. Bringing attention to what we think we know, what others tell us, and to our own experience helps us to look deeply into paradox. To understand our self and our relationship with community better, we can begin with the practice of mindfulness. Drawing our focus inward invites us to come home to ourselves. Through mindfulness practice we spend time looking into and accepting our own experiences, just as they are. We become more self-compassionate and kind with thoughts, words, and actions. Through watching our breath, we deepen awareness of not only our own experience but of how we are relating to the world. As our ability to be with ourselves grows, we feel at home with others and the world. We become comfortable seeing ourselves as something other than a separate, independent self. As we open to the world, we open to being more ourselves. I invite you to begin the practice of coming home to yourself with mindfulness.
Sharon e. Davison B.Ed. (Adult) CMC® Photo credit: Sharon e. Davison As individuals we are facing changes. As a collective we can create a vehicle called community, which brings together varied perspectives and parts of the whole to journey towards the vitality and well-being we all seek. As many traditional cultures and systems know, we are in this with creatures of the land, sea, and air and the Earth herself. What we do impacts or benefits all. Conscious and clear individuals are the foundation of a healthy community. Communities can hold time/space for those who need support and for new ways to emerge. An intelligence that arises within and throughout accepts and
embraces each and every individual as they are. This builds resiliency whether within a spiritual community, a socially engaged community, or an economic development community. I believe we are coming to the realization that the time of the great individual is shifting, and we are entering a time where great individuals need to join together in community for our future to be possible. In organic farming, planting in relationship to the land and the cycles of nature, we see not only benefits for our health but sound economic strategy. We see in the world of career development connecting and networking is essential
with multiple careers in a lifetime and economic uncertainty. Immigration and economic policy merge in welcoming diversity, skills, and the energy new Canadians bring when becoming part of the mosaic of Canada. Our world is changing and so are we. To be the change we wish to see we must look inward to our self and take steps outward into our bigger Self, which is our community. If not there yet, we can support communities emerging as our hearts and minds open to what we are and can be. We are not without resources to find our way. Science tells us neurons in our brains work together forming patterns for thoughts, and our brain is not alone in processing information—our hearts and guts do too, and there is “relative-ness” with all matter within time and space. From ecological activist work, Joanna Macy writes that our self-interest is shifting. Co-extensive with other beings and the life of our planet, she calls this “the Greening of the Self.” Tibetan Buddhism has long worked with the practices of green Tara who represents interconnectedness of all life, healing energies, and ability to step out with compassionate action into the world. Community processes such as the “Art of Hosting,” bring people together for inquiry, sharing, and expression of a collective experience, in whatever way a community wants to focus or work with what emerges. A town hall meeting led by federal cabinet Minister Maryam Monsef, Minister for Democratic Institutions, was based on such a process to empower her community. Community and individuality are a paradox. “Know thyself” was inscribed above the temple of Apollo at Delphi. If we truly wish to know ourselves we will have to know both the “me” and the “we.” This is a way of being that requires we open our minds and our hearts to explore wholeness. The good news is there is no final destination, but there is a journey. To begin, put your feet on the ground, raise your head up to the sky, and bring your attention to your breath. Notice we all share the breath of life and then step compassionately into this world. Welcome home! Sharon e. Davison B.Ed. (Adult) CM C® is a facilitator, coach, trainer, and meditation practitioner. ew to the Okanagan Valley in 2015, sh.e offers courses and workshops on mindfulness meditation for stress reduction and well-being. Sh.e offers money coaching to individuals, and facilitation skills and employment coaching certification training to groups. Sh.e is faculty with the Applied Mindfulness Meditation program at U of T, and has led retreats at the Dharma Centre of Canada since 2010. s ha ro n eda vi son @g ma il .co m www.sharonedavison.com
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
Inspiring Sacred Spaces for the Family Home By Autum n la Boheme
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used to have a corner in my apartme nt that seemed to clutter easily. It was near my patio door and caught the sunlight beautifully in the mornings, but it served no purpose and was not well-utilized. It was just an empty space that I filled with handbags, wrapping paper, folded laundry I had yet to put away, and some dust. The beautiful morning sun had a way of shining on every single particle of dust collecting there or flying by! I decided to turn that area into my family's sacred space where my children and I could enjoy quiet time, burn incense, lay on pillows, wrap up in fuzzy blankets, read books, colour, and talk without distractions or technological devices. When we wake up each morning, before our bodies have had time to adjust to a new day, and usually even before we have gotten out of bed, we are already on our mobile devices or we are running a to-do list through our heads. Minds whirling before we have even taken a deep breath and thanked the sun for rising another day. With so many things occupying our time and our energy, we forget the importance of presence consciousness. We are here to exist. To be. To live and breathe. To think and thank. To create and explore. To live and love. We hear that we should "slow down and enjoy life" but that can be hard to do with a mind and a house full of distractions. This is why we need a quiet or sacred space—a place to contemplate, meditate, feel safe, read, pray, and relax exactly where we are, in the present moment. A sacred space does not need to be separate from your home—it should be integrated as part of your home. In fact, sacred spaces in the family home is one of the best additions or modifications you can make because your home is already your safe place, your sanctuary. What do I use a sacred space for? This is a distraction-free zone, a place to be more present with yourself, your thoughts, and/or your children. Free of devices, this space should be used to reconnect to yourself or your family. If others are sharing this space with you, you may choose to take part in an activity. However, when you have time to be in this space alone, take the opportunity to reconnect to yourself. Use this space to steady your b r e a t hi n g, me d i ta te , p r a y, e x-
January Moon 2016
plore aromatherapy, or practise a ritual or ceremony. What are the benefits? Creating a sacred space is like giving ourselves a gift. It is a physical way to show love to ourselves while honoring our Higher Selves and our Higher Power. Here, we are reminded of our spiritual natures. The benefits of a sacred space are numerous because in calm and quiet, we are free to reach within and reconnect from the inside out—seeking nothing outside of ourselves and our present moment for connection, healing, understanding, realignment, growth, and presence. These benefits include improved concentration, reduced stress, increased selfawareness, slowed aging, and improved cardiovascular and immune health. This is an excellent resource for learning the hundreds of benefits of meditating, which can be one of the best ways to use your sacred space. http:// liveanddare.com/benefits-of-meditation/ Creating the sacred space plan The famous artist Michelangelo once said of his sculptures, "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." This beautiful strategy can be applied to creating a plan for your sacred space. Take everything out of it. Allow it to be an empty space. Begin with a clear space and a clear mind. Take time with this. Remember it is a "sacred" space and nothing sacred is rushed. Study your space. How is natural lighting absorbed or reflected during different times of the day? What is the temperature like? How does the space feel when you approach it? How does it feel when you sit in it? Honor the energy already present, and design around that. Or don't design it at all! Don't feel you have to plan or fill this space all at once. Incorporate meaningful things into it as you feel inspired. Maybe your space will be a continuous work of art. Never finished. Always evolving. Just like you. What are the important elements of this space? Include items in your space that indulge and engage all five senses. Choose lighting you enjoy—natural light is best. For evening time, I prefer low light, candles, or Himalayan salt lamps. Include something that smells good, whether it be incense, herbs, candles (this engages two senses with one item!), or essential oils.
Incense and Mediation Time r. Photo credit: Todd Petit Hang a piece of artwork you love, incorporate nature, feathers, gemstones, crystals, or anything that brings you joy by simply looking at it. Always have water to hydrate your body just as you are rehydrating your spirit and realigning your thoughts and consciousness into the present time. You may also choose to enjoy a cup of tea or warm soup to balance your doshas. Bring fruits or vegetables into your space if you choose, but try to keep food choices as natural (from the Earth) as possible. Turn on some delicious music—something that makes you feel light and present. Steer clear of anything too "hard," controversial, or exciting, but choose something that makes you feel calm and relaxed. This is a time to feel cleared and balanced not anxious or tense. You may include something that is soothing to touch. A blanket, smooth stones, or a feather. While work-related items and technology (outside of music) are not welcomed into this space, I find it helpful to include art supplies and a notebook. I use my sacred space to write in my journal in the mornings and to paint in the evenings. I also have books to read with my children, colouring books, cards, and photo albums—they really enjoy these things, and I find incorporating calm activities into our sacred space/quiet time, they do not get bored or anxious. Lots of beautiful conversations happen here as well. Incorporate elements you love into the space and make it a space you truly enjoy spending time in. It needs to be free of clutter and too many "things" that are of no use. In my first sacred space, I kept books and activities for my children in a treasure chest so our supplies and activities were out of sight unless we specifically wanted to use something. Maintaining the energy of your space By keeping your space clean and filling it with yourself and your family, you are already off to a beautiful start! Let it be known to anyone who will share with you in this sacred space it is a clutter-free zone. This includes physical clutter and
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mental clutter. Set aside worries, tension, disagreements, distractions, and anything that keeps you from being in the present moment. I recommend entering your space with a deep breath and a thankful heart. You may even say a prayer or address a Higher Power as an acknowledgement that this is a place of peace and you will honor that in the time you spend here. Leave your space with the same spirit of thankfulness or prayer as you held when you entered it. My children and I spent evenings in our first sacred space, and before leaving, we always sung a "Moon Song" because it was our favorite bedtime song. In fact, we still sing this song together at night! A note on children Because this space is for a family – and likely children – we cannot expect everything will stay in perfect condition. Toddlers love to throw gemstones, preschoolers eat feathers (I know from experience...), and even grade school kids will take and displace items. It happens. This is a great time to teach your children to respect this space, but remember this very important fact: true sacred spaces reside within you. Objects don't make a space sacred. Remember things can get misplaced or broken, but what you are cultivating within your heart and your children's hearts is what is irreplaceable, so spend more time and energy protecting that than a candle. Outside of your sacred space Living consciously in the moment doesn't need to begin and end in your specially-designated sacred space. You can learn to embody this present way of being into every area of your life, and as you practise, you become more selfaware. Your sacred space will serve as a reminder for you to embrace now. The past is full of memories and stories. The future is full of projections. Live now in your space, and enjoy it fully. ***
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
What’s it to be: Go up the Eiffel Tower again, or look for the meaning of Life? A Guide to Mystical France: Secrets, Mysteries, and Sacred Sites By ick Inman “Why travel in the same old way when there are legendary places to discover in extraordinary ways? Travel need not be routine, touristy, or mundane. It can be a door left open to the possibility of other dimensions of experience that we can access if only we allow ourselves.” Think you know France? Look again. The most visited country in the world is full of secrets and hints of ancient wisdoms. This book explores the legendary sites of Carnac, Mont-Saint-Michel, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Rennes-le-Château, and many lesser known but equally intriguing places. Was King Arthur French? Did Mary Magdalene end her life in the hills of Provence? What did the Cathars and Knights Templar know? Who was Fulcanelli, the elusive alchemist reputed to have discovered the secret of immortality? What do the prehistoric cave paintings of the Dordogne and Pyrenees mean? What was the purpose of the labyrinths in medieval cathedrals? Is the end of the world really foretold by a cryptic cross in the Basque Country? The book works in four different ways simultaneously: • The chapters lead the reader through pilgrimages, megaliths, gods, and other themes • 60 features and boxes deal with a range of fascinating topics including lanterns of the dead, three-faced statues, symbols, the wheel of fortune, tarot cards, and the end of the world • 240 photographs act as a visual reference guide to inspiring places • A travel guide at the end of the book describes 300 of the most mystical places to visit
For 25 years, British-born writer and photographer Nick Inman has been writing classic guide books for publishers including Michelin, Dorling Kindersley, the AA, and Thomas Cook. He is also the author of Politipedia, The Optimist’s Handbook, and Who on Earth are You? Visit mystical-travel.com or findhornpress.com for more information.
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
Connection: A Key to Happiness By Dona Sturmanis
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ne of the most powerful things you can do to increase your happiness is to connect—with yourself, other people, the community, nature, and beyond. Isolation and loneliness are two major reasons people get unhappy and depressed. But when you connect, you are never alone! Happiness is not something you have to wait for—you can make it happen. According to the research, you’re in charge of about 40 per cent of your happiness. While about half of your contentment is due to a genetic set point, only 10 per cent of happiness is due to your circumstances, like a new job, obtaining more money, a super vacation, or a great marriage. Connection is one of the powerful doors you can open to influence your state of mind for that positive 40 per cent, and it also leads to many other happiness doors being opened as well. You + You Connecting with yourself is a good starting point. Do you know who you are and like who you are? A good relationship with yourself is key to happiness. A good place to start is to embrace selfcompassion… this is the idea of accepting you are human, with your myriad of qualities, and like other humans, capable of making mistakes. This opens your eyes to how connected you are with other people—how together we all are in this. When you accept yourself and all your qualities, you’ll find it easier to get to know who you are and like it. You’ll appreciate you for you… you are unique and special, and you can’t compare yourself to other people—it’s not a contest. And naturally, when you start feeling good about yourself, you’ll start feeling better in general. Reflective meditation and non-judgmental mindfulness are great ways to get in touch with yourself. Share the Bliss While solitude has its benefits, connecting with others is paramount to happiness. And when you feel better about yourself, you’ll want to be with others. In person is always best, if it’s possible. Positive, supportive friends and family… your spirits immediately lift when you’re around them. Light banter is cheery and meaningful conversation is important. Share humour and laughter. Nothing brings people together better than a great giggle or
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or listen sympathetically to a friend’s troubles. Be a driver for a non-driver. Offer to teach someone something you know… for free. Find a cause you feel strongly about and become a volunteer. Donate some funds to a worthwhile organization. You can also increase your well being by increasing the number of kind acts you commit for others—it’s a documented fact! Let someone go in front of you when standing in line. Leave a book on a park bench for someone to read. Offer neighbours produce from your garden. Buy someone a coffee or a meal… friend or stranger! Connect with Your Community Stepping outside of yourself and your immediate circle of friends is a powerful step. Become involved with your community on some level and your sense of meaning and purpose will increase. Your sense of personal worth increases because you’re thinking beyond yourself. Connect with your community because you want to make a difference, not because you want personal gain. Check out various initiatives going o n in your community with which you might want to become involved. Is there a group trying to increase neighbourhood safety, create shared commuting, promote urban gardening, increase environmental awareness, or create more community events? Who knows… you may even be inspired to join a larger cause or go into politics to advocate for something you believe in. Go Global Move beyond the borders of your community and become a global citizen. Con-
nect with people in other areas, nationally and internationally. Expand your happiness and your horizons by travelling more often and meeting folks in other places. And if you’re not able to travel, connect with people in other countries online. There are many special interest groups that are international. Not only will you be able to exchange perspectives, but you’ll have new friends to visit and new friends to visit you. Renew in Nature and Beyond Going natural, connecting with the environment, is an instant way to lift your spirits. All it takes is a stroll outside where there is vegetation. A garden, a tree-lined avenue, the woods… you’ll feel better and instantly renewed. Why not go for a hike in the forest or along a river or lake and take a friend? Join a hiking club. Take a couple of days or longer, get out in nature and go camping. You’ll come home in a state of bliss that will linger for quite a long time. Why not start gardening and growing your own produce? If you don’t have a garden, you can plant in pots or participate in the community garden and connect with more potential friends at the same time. As you can imagine, the happiness connection does not stop here. Why not grab a telescope and connect with the universe by inviting a few friends to a stargazing party on a clear night? Wave when you look up at the stars. You never know who might be waving back. Dona Sturmanis is a writer specializing in health, extraordinary people, and food and wine. Her book, I’m Here For the Bliss: Happiness in All States of Health, will be available
in late spring, 2016.
an air-splitting guffaw. And let’s not forget hugs. They feel so good shared with someone you trust, lower your stress, and even help your immune system. You’ll cheer right up when you do things with others—eating, listening to or making music, singing, dancing, drumming, playing a game, doing yoga, meditating… all activities that are relaxing and release your body’s feel good chemicals, contributing to bonding and the feeling of togetherness. Hanging out with a cup of tea or a beer is just fine, too. Connect with someone when it’s not possible face-to-face. Make the effort to have a real conversation on the telephone so you can hear each other’s voices. Better yet, have a Skype or Facetime interchange so you can see each other. If for some reason this isn’t possible (Expensive phone plan? Don’t have the right app?) keep in touch with special people privately and personally through email, texting, or private messaging. Respond to other people’s Facebook postings with a comment instead of just a “like.” On a personal note, why not write somebody a letter? You’ll make someone feel really special because this is such a rarity these days. Cheer someone up by complimenting or congratulating them on something they’ve accomplished, or thanking them for something they’ve done… or why not just for being themselves? When you make somebody feel good, you’ll feel good. You’ll feel happier when you help someone. Clear the table and do the dishes when you’re at someone’s home for dinner. Shovel the snow from an older neighbour’s driveway, bring some soup to a sick friend,
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
A message from Stephen Hawking When we see the Earth from space we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity, and not the divisions. One planet, one human race. We are not the same but we are one. We are here together and we need to live together with tolerance and respect. Our only boundaries are the way we see ourselves. The only borders, the way we see each other. We must become global citizens. Our voices are important. We give our elected officials their power, and we can take it away. Be involved. We are all time travellers, travelling together into the future. But let us make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave. Be determined. Overcome the odds. It can be done.
Become a Global Citizen at ONE.org The following message is the voice-over from Stephen Hawking to open the encore tour in innocence + experience of the band U2.
Photo of River Peter Judd
A Name When I was 0 years old I was completely aware, including where I came from. When I was 10 I had been told where I came from—the Garden of Eden, and all that. When I was 20 I didn't believe anything my elders said anymore. When I was 30 I realized this meant I didn't know where I came from. That became a gnawing, irritating problem as I really wanted to know the answer. How could someone not know? Was I just a bubble of psychology riding around in a flesh robot? Without knowing, many daily questions cannot be answered, like "why am I here?" and "what is important to do today ‌ and the rest of my life?" Sensibly, I retreated into engineering to avoid the topic. When I was 40 someone cautioned me to be selective in choosing a God or equivalent since the limits of whatever I chose would by definition become my own. When I was 50 it was too late: I had already reached Heaven; that is, I was long settled as a Gulf Islander, and my life was thus complete and serene. Yes? No? Then at 60, I fell off the meditation incompetence branch I had been glued to all these decades and into communities of people listening to the 13.7 billion year unfolding of Everything! Now this science of Everything struck me as a rather suitable zone in which to choose a suitable God empowered
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By River Peter Judd with the nifty attribute of Evolution, a deliciously open-ended reality that was the opposite of limiting. The story goes: Long ago, it seems there was a rather cataclysmic disturbance in the status quo of the Nothing that existed back then, before Time, that produced a billion year-long maelstrom of churning energy long before fire was invented, which in turn settled into swirls of quarks and atoms, which coagulated into the hot and heavy bellies of stars, within which all our present atoms were pressed into existence. After billions more years of churn and uncountable twists of fate, that space dust was seen putting down roots, inventing rebellious leaves and the at-the-time poisonous gas we now call oxygen and, and voila, this One Big Thing! is now singing country & western and paying down VISA debt. So I thought of this giant flow, this river, of which I must be a part. But as a farmer I found you can't have a bee without a flower and apples don't come from trees; they are actually trees in the process of apple-ing. In the same way we are the product of the Universe in the act of people-ing. That is: I'm not just flowing in a river of inventive support, rather, I Am this River; We Are It; Our one enormous body, the Big Bang still banging outward in THE ONE BIG EVENT! So now I'm at home again. And when people call me River I remember I am home, and turn to the important practice of unremembering the now nutty idea that we could ever be separate from the One Big Everything Event! River Peter Judd
January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
Point of View with Cherie... All One By Cherie Hans on
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he topics of family, community, and health are closely intertwined. The social aspect of an individual aligns with his or her physical health and lowers stress. The big three hormones that are the major blocks to longevity with wellness are cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Fear, anxiety, and stress cause a flood of these destructive hormones. Rather astounding statistics have being collected by Michael Marmot of the University College of London. His report “The Status Syndrome,” found that the higher an individual’s social position, the greater the likelihood for excellent health. Findings indicate the higher the rank a person achieved in the British Civil Service the lower the death risk. Actors who win an Oscar live statistically four years longer than actors who do not win. In a massive study of the entire population of Sweden, the results demonstrated that people with PhD degrees lived longer than those with an MA; M.A. degree holders lived longer than those with a BA. The over-all conclusion is, it is the stress arising from a sense of inability to control the environment, to participle fully in society that mobilizes the hormones that shorten life. Ameliorating factors can change the effect of the Status Syndrome. The first is by a well-honed social network. If an individual feels supported and is encouraged to fully participate in society, the stress response is damped. Julianna Holt-Lundstad, associate professor of psychology at Brigham Young University in Utah, said people with stronger social relationships had a 50 per cent increase in likelihood of survival. A good social network is so important that the lack of it is as deleterious to health as smoking or alcohol consumption. A person with a rich social life has more immunity from infectious disease, and better cardio-vascular health. Being married is linked to stronger lung functionality. An individual who has a perception of a strong social network and maintains close connections with others is also more physically active. Individuals who are more physically active have a more vast and rich social network. Again, it is hard to determine which is cause and which is effect. And the mindset of the individual is vitally important, as well, reports Luisa Salaris in her compilation of studies under the title: Searching for Longevity determinates: following survival of new borns in an inland village in Sardinia (1866 -2006). The book published by Presses universitaires de Louvain, [2009] indicates that centenarians have a higher openness, conscientiousness, and extroversion than is average. Healthy centenarians also had higher levels of spirituality and private religious practices. According to Claudio Franceshi, Professor Emeritus, University of Bologna, Italy, genetics account for only 25 per cent of physical health, disease, and longevity.
January Moon 2016
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100 year old woman. Photo credit: Bored Panda “Genetic Disposition” is more relevant. He said.,“Individuals who live longer are assumed to be capable of optimizing the stress response mechanism rather than having negative stimuli.” People raised in a family that taught them how to stay out of drama were given a great gift. Watching and being raised by optimists gave them skills at being in the world. However, if a person has not been given an advantage to lower stress responses with his or her genetic disposition, he or she can change the functionality of his or her brain. Mindfulness practice and meditation can actually repair cognitive and physiological stress-induced damage to the brain in the following ways: gray matter becomes denser; the connection between lobes shows repair; the anxiety center of the brain fires less frequently and becomes smaller; and, the cortical thinning shows repair. Meditation practice rebuilds the brain and quiets anxiety. A calmer, more confident individual is more outgoing and active. A more active person has a greater and richer social network. He or she stays connected to family and gets health benefits from showing love. Issues such as status no longer create a script of “I have no control.” This mindful, exuberant person knows how to avoid victim-hood. As the happiness expert Shawn Achor says in his book Before Happiness: “A positive mindset results in 23% greater energy in the midst of stress; 31% higher productivity; 40% higher likelihood to promote and improve our longevity.” He writes the prescription when he says, “[There are] two decades of research showing that two minutes of a positive habit, such as writing a positive email to someone in your social support group or meditating, can literally rewire you brain and change your baseline [for happiness].” And with increased optimism comes a closer connection with family and friends. In a life with increased happiness the individual is more likely to be healthy, live long, and prosper. It is all one. Cherie Hanson holds an MA in English from UBC Vancouver. She has written poetry which appeared in literary magazines, has a blog with 38,000 subscribers at www.cheriehanson.com and is a visual artist. She resides in Kelowna.
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
The Journey to a Deeper Mel: One Girl's Expedition into Herself
Photo credit: Apaguha Vesely
By Melissa MacDougall
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n 1997, the always hilarious Seinfeld aired an episode aptly titled “The Summer of George” where we saw Mr. Costanza choosing to make the most of his time off from work. His goal: Make it me morable. In his terms, 'memorable' equated to three months spent lazying around his ew York apartment in his pajamas in his ever-typical George demeanor. With the conclusion of 2015, I've decided to adopt a similar mindset, though instead of being inactive, I've decided to be as active and globally conscious as possible. I want to make moments count, to be part of the solution, to go outside of the world I know and discover things and places and people I never before knew existed. I suppose if I believed in 'resolutions' this would be mine, to implement New Age practices into my life and to find peace and beauty in the simplest of things. I am determined to look back on 2016 and feel accomplished not for the traditional goals one sets at the beginning of the new year of losing weight or giving something up. Instead I want to give something back. I want to learn and grow and share what I've learned and how I've grown. I believe that inspiration comes from a place of truth, the more real we are with ourselves the more likely we are to inspire real change to take place. This is me being real with you, and with myself. The Challenge (I've chosen to accept): Throughout the following year, I will select something to try each month, be it a New Age practice or a way of living and thinking. Whenever, whenever possible, I will encourage friends and family to join in, to learn and grow along with me, and, of course, I welcome your participation as well. Many of you may already integrate these practices into your daily lives, others, like myself, may just be starting out on this journey. Wherever you might fall on the spectrum of healthy, mindful living, I think we all can agree that there is power in numbers. Honest to goodness change can happen when we are unified, when we understand what it means to support one another. Following the hectic holiday season, I
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thought it best to begin with something that, initially, sounded easy to implement into my daily routine—meditation. I was wrong, so very wrong. I believed that if I sat quietly, that I would just softly tumble into a state of peacefulness, not taking into consideration how difficult it is to actually relinquish our brains to serenity. Rather than experiencing the sensation of calm, I was inundated with thought-after-thoughtafter-thought. Rampant and exhausting, I was suddenly reminded me of the laundry that needed to be folded and the groceries that needed to be picked up. It seemed impossible to dial down the volume of messages being transmitted through the recesses of my mind and what I've heard to be so wonderfully relaxing turned into anything-but. It never occurred to me that I would struggle to meditate, that being quiet and still would be a challenge. It never occurred to me why meditation is a considered a practice. I realize now that my inability to silence my thinking is evidence of how desperate my body is for the benefits of meditation, that the chaos of the world is so prevalent that I need to teach myself how to be and breathe. There's an old Zen proverb that states “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes a day. Unless you are too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” I never understood what this meant until a dear friend explained it to me; when we exist only to be shuffled from one activity to another, when we can't find time in our heady schedules for peace and tranquility, that's when we need meditation most. If nothing else, we must remember that all of this, life included, isn't a race but a journey instead. We must remember that, like anything, there are tasks that are easier for some people than for others and that effort can be as important as achieving ideal results. I will learn to become more accustomed to being silent and present in my body, it will only take time and practice to get there. As for what I have planned for February: Random acts of kindness. Melissa MacDougall Writer, mother, wife, lover of shoes, handbags, and bacon.
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
We are the world; we must act on that understanding
A Moment with Esther… By Steven Ber gg My wife Annette comes from a large Danish family. Both her mother and father immigrated with siblings to Canada in the late 50s. By the time I arrived in the early 90s from England they were a very large clan spreading over several generations. One of my favorites among the group was Annette’s Aunt Esther. Esther was the life and soul of every family gathering, always lighting up the room with her energy and infectious charm. Towards the end of a party she would often try to get me to put on Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest hits and sing along with her. Of course, I was always talked into it. She could talk me into just about anything. How could anybody say no? She was so much fun and exuded such kind energy. Knowing how bright her life force was, it was all the more disturbing when she contracted ovarian cancer. For those who do not know this particular strain of that most dreaded disease, it is one of the worst. I say this because it can grow for a long period of time undetected and as such is often very advanced upon initial discovery. Unfortunately, Esther’s tumor was indeed advanced when we first heard of her diagnosis. Despite this she fought hard for several years and there were several periods during those years in which we got to enjoy her as she had always been. Minus the hair of course! However, eventually it became obvious to all of us her time was limited. Very limited. Over the years I have found that to spend time with someone with little left is indeed a privilege. True it is tainted by a yearning similar to that which accompanies the last days of summer—we long for just a few more weeks, though the passing of a dear one is much more than the passing of a season. This makes those moments all the more precious. One day just a few months before her passing I was invited over with the family to the house for lunch. I confess to be a very fast eater, which is a habit best restrained at times. But this time it was too my benefit. Esther did not feel strong enough to eat and so once I was finished, we found ourselves alone in the living room adjacent to the throng of the family still dining. I took the time to ask a few questions that had been on my mind whenever I had seen her most recently, but I had not wanted to address with others present. One question in particular had plagued me since she was first diagnosed… Esther had often spoke of how she planned to travel the world when she and her husband retired. He was famously conservative and as such they spent very little over their married life, but saved a small fortune. She had big plans on how they would spend it travelling the globe. She spoke of cruises, safaris, and all manner of wonderful excursions on her “bucket list.” Now, just months, if not weeks from death, I was curious why she had not been jetting around the globe during the better
January Moon 2016
By David Suzuki
T spells of the last three years? Sometimes over those few years several months would pass for her without the burden of treatments or drugs and yet she did not take any of her dream vacations. I felt sad she had not done the things on her list. Why was this? Esther’s answer was enlightening… “I have planned for a long time to see all of the wonders of the world in my twilight years. In fact, I had a lot of things I wanted to see and do. However, now I know I will die soon, and find that I have a different perspective altogether. The places I wanted to see, the things I wanted to have, and the experiences I longed for are all unimportant. I am now most amazed, enchanted, and in awe of the very simple things. Like the nature I see out of my window, the sun on my face, and time spent with those I love, just chit chatting about everyday things. The gift my illness has given me is a true appreciation of the incredible wonder in the smallest things we normally take for granted. I have no need to go and see Rio or the Great Wall of China. I am so grateful and joyful to spend time with you, or to just sit and watch the birds outside. “ We sat for a while longer, and all the while I was totally captivated. This Danish lady in her early 60s had found more joy and wonder in her few years of illness than most do in 80 years of living. By walking in the shoes of someone who knew she was dying very soon, I was taught how to be truly alive. Esther had reached a state of enlightenment and contentment I am sure many practising monks spend years trying to attain. I was so grateful to spend that time with her. Nothing brings life into focus as sharply as death. Just being in her presence was both beautiful and calming. I sometimes think back to that day many years ago and how in her time of suffering she was filled with such a sense of awe and gratitude. We can be, too, in just about any moment. We just have to make a choice to be mindful of what is truly important to us. Because those things are around us all the time. My life is very busy and as our real estate practice grows I find I am often scheduled day and night. It is sometimes hard to be mindful and enjoy the moment. But I do make a special effort to enjoy nature as I drive around the beautiful valley in which I live and work. I take time to enjoy meeting everyone we deal with. No matter how busy you are this week, stay mindful and take time to enjoy the simple wonders of life.
he coming year looks bright with the promise of change after a difficult decade for environme ntalists and our issues. But even with a new governme nt that quickly moved to gender equity in cabinet, expanded the Ministry of the Environme nt to include climate change, and offered a bravura performance at the climate talks in Paris, can Canada’s environme ntalists close up shop and stop worrying? Of course not. The nature of politics includes constant trade-offs, compromises, and disagreements. Even with a government sympathetic to environmental issues, we won’t act deeply and quickly enough or prevent new problems because we haven’t addressed the root of our environmental devastation. The ultimate cause isn’t economic, technological, scientific, or even social. It’s psychological. We see and interact with the world through perceptual lenses, shaped from the moment of conception. Our notions of gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, and the environment we grow up in all limit and create our priorities. If we were to examine the anatomy of human brains, the circuitry and chemistry of neurons, or the structure of our sense organs, nothing would permit us to distinguish gender, ethnicity, or religion because we all belong to a single species. But if you were to ask a man and a woman about love, sex, or family, answers could be quite disparate. A Jew and Muslim living in Israel might respond differently to questions about Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem. A Catholic and Protestant living in Northern Ireland might hold radically different outlooks about their country’s history. We learn how to see the world. That, in turn, determines our priorities and actions. The world has been overwhelmed by the belief that our species stands at the pinnacle of evolution, endowed with impressive intelligence and able to exploit our surroundings as we see fit. We feel fundamentally disconnected from nature and therefore not responsible for the ecological consequences of our actions. Even at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, the sense of urgency about climate change was dampened by the perceived equal need to protect jobs and to consider the economic costs of aiding vulnerable nations and even ways to continue exploiting fossil fuels, the very agents of the crisis. We can’t just look at the world as a source of resources to exploit with little or no regard for the consequences. When many Indigenous people refer to the planet as “Mother Earth,” they are not speaking romantically, poetically, or metaphorically. They mean it literally. We are of the Earth, every cell in our bodies formed by molecules derived from plants and ani-
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David Suzuki mals, inflated by water, energized by sunlight captured through photosynthesis, and ignited by atmospheric oxygen. Years ago, I visited a village perched on the side of an Andean mountain in Peru. People there are taught from childhood that the mountain is an apu, a god, and that as long as that apu casts its shadow on the village, it will determine the destiny of its inhabitants. Compare the way those people will treat that mountain with the way someone in Trail, BC, will after being told for years the surrounding mountains are rich in gold and silver. Is a forest a sacred grove or merely lumber and pulp? Are rivers the veins of the land or sources of power and irrigation? Is soil a community of organisms or simply dirt? Is another species our biological relative or a resource? Is our house a home or just real estate? Once we learn that our very being, essence, health, and happiness depend on Mother Earth, we have no choice but to radically shift the way we treat her. When we spew our toxic wastes and pesticides into the air, water, and soil, we poison our mother and ourselves. When we frack our wells, we contaminate the air and water on which we depend. When we clear-cut forests, dump mine tailings into rivers and lakes, and convert wilderness into farms or suburbs, we undermine the ability of the biosphere to provide the necessities of life. Is this how we treat our source of survival? Until all of society understands this and acts on that understanding, we will not be able to act fully to protect a future for ourselves. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suz u k i Fo u n d a t i o n . Le a r n mo r e at www.davidsuzuki.org.
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
A Home to Die For – The Truth about Indoor Air Pollution
It Could Happen to You By Melissa MacDougall In March of 1986, parents James and Nancy Chuda, welcomed the birth of their baby girl, Colette. James worked as an awardwinning architect where he'd begun implementing green initiatives into his practice long before it became trendy to do so, and Nancy, a journalist, volunteered in petition against pesticides. They knew early on the importance of maintaining a healthy environment, for each other and for their children and did so by only cooking organically-grown food.
By Melissa MacDougall
I
n our world, the house we reside in is more than just shelter; it is more than a roof to keep the rain off. In our world, the house we live in becomes our refuge, the place where we raise our children, watching them take their first steps, a cozy nest of comfort and memories. Whether we decorate the walls with family portraits or fine one-of-a-kind art, the idea is the same: home is where the heart is. It is also where we are exposed to air pollution, and the air is, as stated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), often two to five times worse than that which greets us at our front door. Many of us don't know how prevalent the issue of pollution is within our home and what and where these toxins are. Sure, we've been told time and again how danger exists outside, and news broadcasts flash hazy images of China and India, with orders to their residents to stay indoors. The problem is we are setting ourselves up for failure—failure to our immune systems, that is. We are setting ourselves up for potential cancer diagnoses, allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to name a few. It doesn't help the situation that Canadians spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, upping the risk factors considerably. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have seen a 60% increase in cases of child-
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Photo credit: smallfootprintfamily.com
hood asthma from 1980 to 2003. Further to that, in 2012 the World Health Organization released data showing household pollution was directly related to 7.7% of global mortality. The EPA put out a list of ten of the most common indoor air pollutants, some of which will require professional removal to eliminate further exposure. The culprits? Radon • Tobacco smoke • Biological contaminates (such as: pollen, dander, mold, bacteria, and dust mites) • Heating and cooking devices • Household products (such as paints, cleaners, air fresheners, candles, personal care products) • Formaldehyde (often found in pressed wood products) • Pesticides • Asbestos • Lead •
While the data is as heavy to process as the toxins we are inundating our lungs with day-in and day-out, rest assured there is help out there. Jeff McArthur of Pure Air Experts is the first in Canada to provide a comprehensive package that includes air quality testing, the very best Canadian-made air purifiers, and state-ofthe-art pure air duct cleaning. Through his own battle with illness, he discovered that it takes a healthy home to maintain a
healthy body. Following extensive testing in quality control, Pure Air Experts stumbled across the ultimate air purifier, the HEPA 1000UV Air Filter System, which effectively offers a five stage filtration successful in removing even the finest particles, bacteria, mold, and viruses. Pure Air Experts is more than just good, clean air. The company stands for something, believing in and offering Healthy Home Makeovers, a design model that clearly defines the basis for health and wellness, all with a satisfaction guarantee. Pure Air Experts’ services include: • Free Indoor/Healthy Home Consultation • Professional installation • An all-in-one maintenance program that works • 5-year warranty on all units Jeff's dedication to healthy living doesn't begin and end with Pure Air Experts, though. He takes to the radio waves live from Toronto on Corus Radio Network's AM640, offering advice on how best to achieve a lifestyle that promotes wellness, both internally and externally. His hourlong broadcast encourages listeners to call in to share their stories with others, advocating a return to health through environmental changes. Call toll free: 1 888 433-3033 or visit pureairexperts.com for more information.
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Colette outgrew the pinkness of a newborn, trading it for a sprinkling of freckles across a rosy cherub face and a headful of bouncing, coiling curls of a child. She had a deep understanding of the world around her, an appreciation for animals and nature that seemed to extend far beyond her young four years of age. Then, life took a drastic turn for the Chuda family when little Colette was diagnosed with a Wilm's tumor, a rare form of nonhereditary cancer. Within one short year, James and Nancy lost their daughter to the battle she fought valiantly. They would later discover that the most likely cause of their daughter's death was due to a fumigation in their apartment while Nancy was pregnant with Colette years before. It is thought that the pesticide entered Nancy's bloodstream before permeating the womb and beginning its assault on her unborn child. James and Nancy Chuda formed Healthy Child Healthy World in 1992 and have since been a reliable access point for parents to turn to for critical information on how to help reduce toxic chemical exposures. Visit Healthy Child Healthy World online at:
www.healthychild.org
January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine
January Moon 2016
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ALL ONE ERA magazine 250-540-3744 www.deerfootfarm.ca www.facebook.com/deerfootfarm Farm fresh veggies including potatoes, carrots, and more for sale. Farm raised chickens and turkeys for sale. Eating Clean John McInnis 250-550-7137 Vernon, BC www.eatingclean.ca www.facebook.com/eatingclean Getting back to basics, using whole foods and spices in daily cooking to create healthy and nutritious meals.
Anita’s Organic Mill John and Dani McKenzie 7697 Lickman Rd. Chilliwack, BC 604-823-5547 www.anitasorganic.com www.facebook.com/anitasorganic Family run business producing organic dried fruit, flours, hot cereals and mixes, legumes and peas, rolled flakes and bran, and whole grain. 4-Elements Farm Sarah Martel / Michael Weinman 5737 Back Rd. Westwold, BC 250-574-2338 www.4elementsfarm.ca www.facebook.com/4elementsfarm Certified organic vegetables from a small family run farm. Bella Stella Cheese Andrew Smit 428 Whitevale Rd. Lumby, BC www.bellastellacheese.com www.facebook.com/bellastellacheese Organic cheese – formaggino, formaggella, montagna, ricotta, quark. Cedarstein Farm Heidi and Helmut Lang 2041 Mabel Lake Rd. Lumby, BC 250-547-6253 www.cedarstein.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/cedarsteinfarm Certified organic vegetables, natural unsprayed apple juice. Choices Markets Head Office 8188 River Way Delta, BC (604) 952-2266 www.choicesmarkets.com www.facebook.com/choicesmarkets Western Canada’s largest organic and natural foods grocer with seven stores across Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan, a floral shop, and a rice bakery specializing in gluten-free backed goods. Deerfoot Farm David Doran & Shelley Baumborough 4420 Hullcar Road Armstrong, BC Deerfoot Farm.
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Echo Valley Farm 432 Creighton Valley Rd. Lumby, BC 250-547-6394 www.echovalleyfarm.ca www.facebook.com/echovalleyfarm Homegrown natural beef for your family, from our family, since 1977, offering pet food products from our naturally raised stock and coarse ground beef. Farm Bound Mireille Gourlay and Jaye Coward 1935 11th Ave. Vernon, BC 250-938-1540 www.farmbound.ca www.facebook.com/farmbound Organic, fresh produce delivered to communities throughout BC and Alberta. Festers Organics Doug Haggarty 3226 Myers Rd. Oliver, BC 250-498-6520 www.festersorganics.com www.facebook.com/festersorganics Fester’s Organic’s has been growing quality vegetables for over a decade, supplying some on the Okanagan’s finest restaurants and wineries with the cleanest and freshest organic vegetables is as rewarding as the season’s first harvest. Fieldstone Organics 4851 Schubert Rd. Armstrong, BC 250-546-5448 www.fieldstoneorganics.ca www.facebook.com/fieldstoneorganics Providing homes and businesses with certified organic whole grains. Fresh Valley Farms Steve Meggait 1346 Mountain View Road Armstrong, BC 250-546-1101 www.freshvalleyfarms.com www.facebook.com/freshvalleyfarms Nestled in beautiful Armstrong, Fresh Valley Farms grows local, naturally grown, top quality meat. Green City Acres Curtis Stone Kelowna, BC 250-899-4835 info@greencityacres.com www.greencityacres.com Green City Acres is a commercial urban farm based in Kelowna, BC. Farming on 1/3 acres, we service restaurants and a Saturday Farmer’s Market. Green Croft Gardens Wolf and Gabriele Wesle
42 Meadowview Rd. Grindrod, BC 250-838-6581 www.greencroftgardens.com www.facebook.com/greencroftgardens Green Croft Gardens is a certified organic farm since 1988 and located on 20 fertile acres bordering the Shuswap River. Harkers Organics 2238 Hwy 3, Cawston, BC 250-499-2751 www.harkersorganics.com www.facebook.com/harkersorganics A 5th generation family farm located in the heart of Cawston, Canada's Organic Capital. Healing Tree Harmonics Braden Karringten 250-503-7658 P.O. Box 22054 Vernon, BC www.healingtreeharmonics.com www.facebook.com/healingtreeharmonics The healthiest honey on the planet! Herbal honey blends with superfoods. Hillview Farms 106 Dure Meadow Rd. Lumby, BC (250) 260-4400 www.hillviewfarms.com www.facebookcom/hillviewfarms Holistically grown apples, peaches, grapes, apricots, raspberries, juice, and dried fruit. Jersey Land Organics Box 1468 2690 Almond Gardens Rd. E. Grand Forks, BC 250-442-8112 www.jerseylandorganics.ca www.facebook.com/jerseylandorganics Dairy products made from certified organic whole jersey milk from our own dairy herd. Monashee Community Co-Op 778-473-2230 P.O. Box 495 #3-1965 Shuswap Ave. Lumby, BC http://monasheecommunityco-op.ca www.facebook.com/ monasheecommunitycoop Strives to provide the community with wholesome food and crafts, which are produced locally whenever possible.
www.oldmeadowsorganics.com www.facebook.com/ oldmeadowsorganicfarm Our certified organic fruit and vegetable farm and market is open from June-October. Quality Farms / The Cluck Stops Here David Scherle 4090 June Springs Rd. Kelowna, BC 250-258-7818 www.thecluckstopshere.ca www.facebook.com/thecluckstopshere Educational hatch kits, mobile chicken coops, free range poultry, farm fresh eggs, wheatgrass starter kits. Quality Greens Farm Market Head Office 101-1889 Spall Rd. Kelowna, BC 250-763-8200 www.qualitygreens.com www.facebook.com/quality-greens-farmmarket Organic foods and natural grocer and proud member of the Okanagan community for the past 15 years. Rancho Vignola Box 397 Armstrong, BC 1-877-639-2767 www.ranchovignola.com www.facebook.com/ranchovignola Seasonal business specializing in new crop nuts and dried fruit, fresh from harvest. Seasons Harvest Dave Kyte Produce Kelowna, BC 250-575-1972 www.seasonsharvest.ca www.facebook.com/seasonsharvestbc Seasons Harvest Company is a purveyor of British Columbia produce, based in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. Sproule & Sons Farm Neil & Jacqui Sproule 4590 Allison Road Oyama, BC 250-548-3387 www.sproulesredbarn.com Certified Organic Fruit specializing in apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, nectarines, plums, and prunes.
ature’s Fare Markets Head Office 101-4201 25A Ave. Vernon, BC V1T 7G8 20-542-5910 www.naturesfare.com www.facebook.com/naturesfaremarkets BC’s largest natural and organic foods grocer and biggest seller of vitamins and supplements.
Tocino Alpacas Craig & Heidi Bacon 6851 30th Avenue SW Salmon Arm, BC 250-804-2511 www.tocinoalpacas.com www.facebook.com/tocinoalpacas Superior quality alpaca farm; promoting alpacas and alpaca products through farm visits, numerous farmers markets, and craft and Christmas shows.
Okanagan Greens Society Wendy Wright Okanagan Greens Society PO BOX 20103, Kelowna, BC 250-469-1881 www.okanagangreens.ca www.facebook.com/okanagangreenssociety Working together in our community for a healthy environment, happy people, and a sustainable local economy.
Urban Harvest Organic Delivery 806-A Crowley Avenue Kelowna, BC 250-868-2704 www.urbanharvest.ca www.facebook.com/urbanharvest.ca Serving up fresh, healthy, local-whenpossible, organic produce to Central Okanagan.
Old Meadows Organic Farm & Market Jeff Farmer 4213 Gordon Dr. Kelowna, BC 250-764-0931
Vale Farms 106 Dure Meadow Road Lumby, B.C., Canada 250-547-2382 www.valefarms.com
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January Moon 2016
ALL ONE ERA magazine www.facebook.com/valefarms Certified organic dairy broths, organic 100% grass-fed beef broth, organic pastureraised turkey and chicken broth. The Wild Moon Organics Co. Richard Quiring 1199 Mountain View Rd. Armstrong, BC 778-212-0032 www.wildmoon.org www.facebook.com/thewildmoonorganicsco Berkshire heritage pigs, certified organic, pasture raised, family farmed. Wise Earth Farm John Hofer & Brenda Paterson 2071 Fisher Rd. Kelowna, BC 250-869-6539 www.wiseearthfarm.com www.facebook.com/wiseearthfarm An all season vegetable farm in the Mission gateway of Kelowna growing a variety of vegetables using organic principles and French intensive methods. Young Agrarians 1661 Duranleau Street, 2nd Floor Vancouver, BC 1-888-730-0452 www.youngagraians.org www.facebook.com/youngagrians A movement for the next generations of farms and food lovers in Canada. Your Local Farmacy, Inc. Nevin & Shauna Gavigan 250-547-2400 714 Mabel Lake Rd. Lumby, BC www.yourlocalfarmacy.ca www.facebook.com/yourlocalfarmacy Specializing in high-quality, fresh, local organic produce and garlic and CSA Food Box Program.
January Moon 2016
The Family Farm By Tony Hetman
F
arming is a significant part of our Canadian heritage. In the early part of the 20th century, promotional material was sent across Europe, encouraging people to immigrate to Canada, “the land of milk and honey,” and settle and farm the land. And they came by the boatload! Some settled in established farming communities and others travelled farther west to carve out new homesteads. It was a time where people from various cultures worked together. It was true multiculturalism before multiculturalism became popular. For these immigrants, farming was a way of life and a means to put food on the table. When parents got too old to do the hard work, the children took over and this pattern of succession continued. Unfortunately, the “land of milk and honey” appeared to have some drawbacks. Besides the hard work involved, farm families experienced low or no wages, and innumerable hardships when pests, diseases, droughts, and hail storms ruined their crops. The family farm is a story of hard work, social responsibility, community spirit, and acceptance. My dad, Joseph Hetman, was a pioneer who started his homestead in northern British Columbia in 1930. Dad tells the story of his first winter in North Pine where he would have had a pretty sparse winter in the food department, had it not been for the local First Nations band members who left some moose meat on his doorstep. Later, as he developed his land, he would trade grain with the band for moose meat. Moreover, he was always sure to give band members a ride when they were hitchhiking, and often hired them during the busy harvest season. In his early homesteading years, dad did a lot of bartering. He would build log homes and barns in exchange for livestock, seed grain, butter, milk, wagons, equipment, and other supplies. You relied on your neigbhours as they relied on you. If farmers wanted a school for their children, or a church, or even a community hall, they pooled their resources and built one with their own labour and money. Most of us in my era (1960s) who grew up on a farm learned first-hand about hard work. It wasn’t about sitting behind an airconditioned tractor or combine, but rather, strenuous physical work done by hand. This included pitching and stacking bales, picking roots and rocks out of the field, cleaning out pens, feeding livestock, shovelling snow, stooking sheaves of grain to air dry prior to feeding them into the threshing machine (yes, I did catch the tail end of that era), hauling water, putting up firewood, and the list goes on. Of course, it almost goes without saying, I walked two miles to school and three miles back. One of the things I remember is we never locked our doors to buildings, equipment, or vehicles. There was a sense of trust in the community. Indeed, locking
The homestead. Photo credit: Jessica Klein the door to your house meant a neighbour couldn’t get in if he or she was stranded on a cold winter day and you were away. Also, when a neighbour dropped by at mealtime (this was before telephones) you set another plate on the table. If a neighbour or even a stranger got his or her vehicle stuck in a ditch, you started the tractor or got a team (horses) and pulled them out. There was no money exchanged; it was just the right thing to do. These values of hard work, sharing, love, and giving are the essence of a farm family. Children learn by example, and if they are given strong values and love at an early age, they will in turn pass those values and love along to others in the community, and to the next generation. The generations of farm families in the area formed a solid community. I remember interviewing the owner o f a manufacturing business a few years ago. When the question of hiring employees came up, he said if the prospect grew up on a farm, he would hire them. I inferred he was speaking of the hard work ethic of a farm kid and he affirmed my thoughts. But, he stated, it was particularly because they would stop a piece of equipment when they heard something that didn’t sound right and have it repaired before it became a major issue. A farmer depends on their equipment, and they can't afford to let it run until it breaks—an occurrence which could cause a week or two of down time during a busy season. When a family farm is passed down from generation to generation, it may mean more than the passing down of land, equipment, and buildings. It may also mean, and perhaps more importantly, the passing down of values that contribute to the well being of the family and the community in which they live. Something happened in the 1960s, however, that changed the traditional family farm succession—almost forever. Some farm kids wanted a different way of
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life; they were tired of the hard physical work with low wages and chose different career paths, be they in the oil and gas industry, university education, forestry, or whatever. The 60s also found farmers struggling to make ends meet. Both of my older brothers as well as our neighbours had to work the oil patch and elsewhere in the winters to pay the bills the farm accumulated. The face of the family farm I grew up with has radically changed. Today, the family farm is much larger as far as land goes. There is less physical work, as modern equipment has replaced the need for some of the laborious manual work. However, what hasn’t changed is the strong values I still see when I visit friends and family. What is the future of the family farm? According to Statistics Canada in 2011, farmers over the age of 55 made up over half of all farms. Twenty years earlier, only 37 percent of farmers were over the age of 55. Statistics Canada also revealed the number of farms is decreasing but the size of the farms is increasing. This is due to the fact that some of the smaller farms cannot compete and are being bought up by larger farms. Today, some young people who ma y have left the family farm earlier are being lured back by better crops prices and greater returns. However, some are also being drawn back to experience a valued life style that they have remained attracted to. As the saying goes, “you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Tony Hetman is an artisan, educator, and writer having published over 200 articles and technical documentations. He is a winner of three first prize awards for playwriting, and also had his plays produced by CBC.
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? By Tara Bradley
U
ltimately, we will find what we look for. The Universe is excellent at generously heaping upon us that which we seek. The Universe does not discriminate; it simply answers us in the same way a mirror answers our physical questions. It reflects back to us what we focus on, both consciously and subconsciously, and it sends to us those things at a vibration that matches our own. Though Jim Carrey’s main contribution to society has been through comedy, I have found him to also be exceptionally wise and awake. During a Larry King Live interview he once said, “… that is exactly how the universe works. It gives you whatever you are in alignment with, and it’s all designed to work on the weakest link you have.” His words echo the ancient principle, “like attracts like.” Accordingly, it behooves us all to be discerning and aware of what we are looking for and manifesting. We need to be conscious of the weakest links as we seek out our path and our answers. During this exciting and unprecedented time, when Earth is in the midst of incredible transformation and when our planet is vibrating at a higher energy frequency than ever before, there is a revolution of consciousness. This revolution is bringing about great change in the fields of human endeavors of science, religion, politics, war, education, art, medicine, and all the other things we have built systems around. This Shift has woken many sleepers. Their very being has responded to the Earth’s increased vibration and they find they no longer resonate in the places and systems they hitherto had resonated with. Consciously and sometimes subconsciously these awakening people are seeking systems, resources, and solutions that are operating at a higher vibration than the present mainstream systems are offering. These seekers are looking to understand and resolve a myriad of life issues including those of emotional, spiritual, physical, mental, genetic, and historical natures. They are looking and they are finding people like me. Who are the people like me? Like you, perhaps? We are, and always have been, those seemingly elusive and magical beings throughout history. We are healers, intuitives, psychics, guides, and teachers. For efficiency’s sake let’s call us Energy Workers. In one way or another we awoke to that higher vibration and we responded. By various paths we came to a place where we committed to help bring about The Shift in ourselves, in the world, and in others. Most of us work within what is known as high energy vibration, but a few do not. Discerning seekers want to focus on and surround themselves with the highest vibrations possible. But when they first awaken, they don’t know what that looks or feels like. Often, they don’t know that “energy vibration” is even a thing, let alone how to be aware of it. Because many seekers are just beginning their awakening and are new to this world of energies, they often don't know to think of being cautious and discerning when it comes to finding energy workers to help them on their journey to health, wellness, and enlightenment. Those of us who awoke earlier are more
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Photo credit: everydaypowerblog.com in touch with our instincts and intuition. We have more clarity and focus and can often pick up on other people's energy vibration level more easily. We can intuitively, and sometimes even physically, feel the energy is vibrating at a certain high or low frequency and can 'know' who is 'safe' to work with for healing and life change. So, what do newly awakened seekers or those who are unfamiliar with energy healing need to know? They need to understand everyone has aspects of light and dark within themselves. You do. I do. Everyone does. Every culture has identified this archetypical force in its own way. Light and Dark. Positive and Negative. Good and Evil. Yin and Yang. How we present to the world, and how the world and the Universe responds to us depends on what we do with our light and our dark. Many of you are familiar with the old Cherokee legend of the two wolves. But for those who aren’t, let us digress slightly for a moment and I will tell you a story. An old Cherokee and his grandson were sitting by the river. The old man had much wisdom about life to impart to this young man. "A fight is going on inside me," the elder Cherokee said quietly. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." The young man looked at his grandfather. The old man dipped his hand into the flow of the river and softly continued, "The other wolf is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too." The grandson thought about these words for a minute and then asked his elder, "Which wolf will win, grandfather?" The old Cherokee looked into his grandson’s eyes and simply replied, "The one I feed."
You may be tempted to see the wolves in the story as two separate entities. They are not. We are the wolves. We are both aspects of those wolves in one self. And just as the Universe gives us what we focus on, so, too, do we become more of the wolf that we feed. Some people who have decided to use their intuitive talents and abilities to work with others have not spent enough time and energy feeding the “good” wolf. Their energy vibration is low on the scale. Some know this about themselves and deliberately go into the world with less than pure intent. Others haven’t stopped to think about this low energy vibration and what they may unwittingly be giving off or attaching to others when they thoughtlessly interact with seekers. Both can cause damage. When we work at a high energy vibration and with a high level of integrity and consciousness/ we healers, intuitives, psychics, guides, and teachers can help facilitate great and empowering changes for the better in people’s awakening journey. But when integrity is compromised and deliberate or unconscious low vibration choices are made then greater separation, harm, and detriment to others is caused. On a practical level when seeking out a healer, energy worker, intuitive, psychic, guide, or teacher here are some suggestions you may want to consider:
gaging in gossip? Are they generally negative in their responses? Are they being vague? Are they acting impatient? These are low energy frequencies you want to avoid.
Talk with them in person or over the phone first. A reputable energy worker conveys honest and straightforward information. They will answer your questions with directness and clarity. They will not make you feel foolish for asking anything and will be gracious and understanding.
If you are still unsure, request a mini session first. Most of us are more than happy to do a shorter time (for a smaller cost) to help you decide whether you and they are a good fit.
Ask them all sorts of questions. You want to get a ‘feel’ for their responses. Ask them how they got into their line of work, ask what their experience has been, ask about other energy workers in town, ask about the best parts and worst parts of what they do, ask how long they have been doing what they do, ask what techniques or other modalities they use, etc. What they are saying is important but so is how they are saying it. Are they trash-talking others? Are they en-
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Do a few Internet searches. Check out their websites or professional pages. Check their LinkdIn profile. Put their name (and their business name if they have one) into a Google search. Also, do a search within your favorite social network site (ie: Facebook). Type in their name and see what comes up. Is it positive? Are the things they are putting out into the world resonating at a high vibration? Are they happy people? Are other people saying good things about them? Who are their friends and colleagues? Do they seem like good people? Ask for references and testimonials. Yes, quality energy workers are going to have these. Many of us are listed in practitioner network search engines or professional ‘finder’ sites. Reputable energy workers are happy you asked and happy to provide you with the information. Poll the public (or your friends) and find out who they recommend and what their experiences have been. Many social networking sites have community forums you can join and ask questions.
Attend fairs, trade-shows, or other events where energy workers are in attendance so you can get up close and personal to get a feel for their energy vibration. Do they make good eye contact with you? Are they respectful of your personal bubble? You can talk with them there and maybe even get a mini-session or schedule an initial appointment. Ask about their prices. Reputable energy workers will charge a fair price for their service based on skill and demand; not a
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ALL ONE ERA magazine super low price designed to get you on the hook for more expensive services. They will be interested in what your needs are and how they can help you. If you start feeling like a cash cow and sense they may have dollar signs in their eyes, pay attention. They do not use fear to manipulate their clients into spending more and more money. Ask about their qualifications. Most good energy workers are interested in growth and learning. We take training courses, study under masters, expand our knowledge, and thereby expand our abilities. Many of us have business licenses and practitioners’ insurance. Not all skilled energy workers choose to have these qualifications, etc. under their belt. They are still very capable. But those who do take their work seriously and you know you can, too. Do what it takes to increase your energy vibration to a higher level. Remember, like attracts like. When you are resonating at a higher frequency, it’s not as likely you will attract those who are at a lower frequency. They will simply stay away most of the time. Certainly, at a higher frequency you are far more likely to be able to quickly recognize who is vibrating at your same frequency and who is not. You will then be able to consciously take steps to guard yourself if necessary. The world of energy healing is a wonderful and effective world to explore and embrace. When satisfactory answers and solutions aren’t being found in treatments coming from the “old” systems, many are finding their healing, growth, and wellbeing with high energy vibration energy workers. As the old systems fail and fall away, this new system within The Shift blooms and flourishes with vibrancy and health. More and more people seek this beautiful path. As in any industry there those who are skilled, integral, and working for the benefit of others. At the same time there are those out there using their abilities for nefarious purposes or recklessly engaging in energy healing with little regard for the ill effects they may have. Be on guard so you don’t fall victim to the latter types. Most importantly, trust YOU. Everything you need to know is within YOU. Spend some time learning how to trust the signs and signals unique to your own intuition. You will find an energy worker who is aligned with the light and is living life in a high energy vibration state who seeks to empower you to make good decisions that will benefit you and, ultimately, humanity. Tara Bradley is the owner of Earth Water Light, a company committed, “To give peace. To reveal truth. To inspire growth.” She is an Intuitive therapist who currently uses tea leaf reading, among other modalities, to access the psychic portal between mortals and the energies of the Universe. During her readings, Tara delivers to you the messages the Universe wants you to know right now. She also incorporates ThetaHealing® and Reiki when needed, to support her clients during their sessions with her. Though life can be complicated, Tara’s readings can create true clarity and focus, which is so very healing.
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Going to the Horses By Victoria Fabling
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t’s the end of 2015, and I’m getting ready to move house. Moving involves packing boxes and carrying them. I’ve done this before, and I have pride d myself on being capable, strong, and fit. If I have experienced physical pain in the past, apart from eczema and boils on my skin, then I’ve forgotten. Two days before we’re to visit the horses, though, I can hardly bend over. The pain in my back and hips makes it very hard to get in and out of Pamella’s car, yet I am so excited to be going to the horses. We arrive on time: 11.30 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2015, and after we’ve all met Tina Barnes, our group is asked to congregate near the tipi, which is close to the barn, so the horses can come out and get to know us, and what we’ve come to share. The horses at Thirteen Moons Farm are healing horses: they were born to offer their gift and Tina is their very able facilitator. She hears and sees what they do, and can interpret this into human-speak. I was glad Tina mimicked what many people do when meeting a four-legged animal—she went up to Estelle, with her permission, and started stroking her face. She then asked if we would like this done to us. I said “no way” and my body arched backwards. As a baby, I would let people know if I didn’t appreciate their advances to coo and pick me up. And I am a selective hugger. I do like it, when I like the person’s energy. The eagles started circling a big tree close by, and Venus Dreamwalker made contact with me by coming out into the pasture in front of her part of the barn. I told Estelle she would be working with me. We were a group of eleven, including Tina, so that could have seemed like an assumption, yet it was simply Truth. Today was a magical day. I could feel it and this was confirmed when I saw the word Kinetic on a building in West Saanich. There are words that act as totems, and this is one of mine because Telekinesis and I were playmates for a couple of years before I entered regular human school and schedules. Tina shared that her right eye cries for the emotions she feels for others, and I smiled inside at her description, because I cry from my right eye, too, in the presence of Grace. She also showed us how to warm up by bending our torso forward to converting the blood flow into energy flow. As we stood in the circle, Tina asked us to articulate what we hoped to receive from the horses today. Some of the group said simply they enjoyed being with the horses. I asked for relief from the intense physical pain around my midriff, and my sadness around living on this Island where I felt displaced and alone. I knew the horses had already sensed this. We then moved into the barn and were given some Native tea, which was very tasty and warming. The barn was cold, yet we all had blankets and I was wearing a fur
Photo credit: Kim Hill hat, sensible boots, and a ski-suit. I only mention this as I rarely wear sensible footwear. I thought Tina was very brave to mention that her horses came from the stars, specifically Sirius. Emboldened by this, I said, “So did I,” and she nodded. “You knew?” I asked. “This took a lot of courage, because each time you moved west you accelerated your (soul’s) progress,” said Tina (and the horses.) “You knew what you were doing but no-one told your heart.” Suddenly I started squeaking like a rusty, erupting volcano, with real tears acting like lava. I have rarely cried in this life, and I didn’t know I could in public. The group didn’t seem to mind. “The pain round your midriff is part of the healing process,” Tina explained, “because you need to bring the flow (of life energy) from the bottom half of you to the top.” I was obviously releasing because I had to excuse myself from the circle and leave the barn to cry more in the bathroom. Outside the barn, I yelled out to Great Spirit and whoever else could hear that this emotional pain of being on Earth is too much for me without a male soul mate. I also called out for my birth father to join us. He was affectionately called Horse in the army, and he had horses at home. I thought he’d enjoy the experience of joining us. The healing circle wasn’t just about me. When I was outside, I also saw the two singing eagles being chased by a red hawk (one of my totems.) I hadn’t associated the beautiful singing we could hear from the barn with the eagles, and so was thrilled to have learned that from sitting in the circle with the group. “Maybe living on the Island isn’t as bad as all that?” That was a silent question. Wit, the male horse, heard, though, and snorted. As the healing circle was coming to a close, I asked a multi-layered question about horses along the lines of, “I grew up with horses who lived mainly outside and never had colic, and how come I hear of people’s horses having to call the vet so often for stomach-related issues?” Tina replied that a horse doesn’t have a stomach, just a long oesophagus, a small stomach pouch or cecum, and an intestinal
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tract, so they need to graze constantly. Horses that get fed three times per day are experiencing a cycle of feast or famine that isn’t comfortable for their insides. Today’s children have similar digestive systems, geared to graze rather than to eat three square meals. Tina then explained the body language of her horses and primed us for how to conduct ourselves when she opened the individual barn door. We were told not to offer an open palm as if we had a treat because her horses have no concept of this behaviour. We were also asked to remove hats and gloves. First, the doors on the left hand side of the barn were opened and the horses approached some of the group and touched a few people. I stood back and held space. I didn’t approach any horse, yet somehow I was in the right place at the right time when Tina started opening the doors on the right hand side. Venus Dreamwalker’s nose homed into my midriff and, for quite a while, journeyed up and down my left side before seeking out my hands, bringing them to her so she could nuzzle away the inflammation and reassure my skin that the suffering would pass. I gazed into her eyes, marvelling at her beauty and her level of confidence. I felt understand and helped, the more so because I hadn’t gone to her stall expecting anything. I knew the whole herd of horses was helping our whole group, yet I had asked for healing and here it was being given, to the parts that were sore. The healing session with the horses came to a natural close, whereupon we thanked Tina before getting back into our cars to go in our different directions back to separate lives. I had the thought that we are herd animals, too, yet we separate. Odd things, humans! I will keep the connection with the horses. As healers, they made more sense: no wasting of time, energy, or words. There was no marketing or competitiveness. They demonstrated how to access pure Spirit easily and with pleasure. ©Victoria Fabling 29th December 2015 www.myspiritualmentor.com
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
The Lost Wisdom Newsletter: Post-Christmas Weight Loss Strategies and Mistakes By Dr . R aj Jheeta
ideal weight and body composition is to a have a diet of adequate caloric intake. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats should be combined with regular moderate-level exercise five days a week while, optimally, avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. Throughout, it's vital to remain patient. I so often hear people say, “Doctor, I have gained 20 pounds in one year!” yet they want to lose all 20 pounds in 30 days.
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s the ew Year's resolutions start to roll in, more often than not they revolve around weight loss. We often see patients following an extremely low calorie diet program right after the Christmas holidays, which sometimes involves a near-starvation diet of 600 to 700 calories per day. Based on what we know, 2000 calories is the standard healthy daily caloric intake. This type of starvation diet, however successful in terms of weight loss, can cause serious body composition issues. As we starve our bodies, we not only lose fat but also muscle. You will definitely thinout fast, similar to what those '30 Pounds in 30 Days' diet commercials advertise. Unfortunately, the major drawback is that muscle loss is a destructive catabolic process! It is important to remember maintaining optimal muscle on our bodies is essential for good health, strong immunity, and overall fitness. In addition, gaining and maintaining lean muscle requires hard work and all around discipline, which includes good dietary habits. So the question is, why would anyone starve themselves to create an illusion of good health? After weeks or longer on a starvation level diet, most return to a more normal caloric intake, at which time they will probably gain some weight back, likely in the form of fat. The result: they will have a greater fat to muscle ratio than before they started the starvation diet. This is potentially dangerous. Since upon return to their normal caloric intake fat begins to accumulate in the abdominal cavity, this is also referred to as visceral fat. Visceral fat is suggested to increase the risk of heart dis-
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Dr. Raj Jheeta, author of ‘The Doctor of the Future is Here’ ease, diabetes, and even cancer, but this may very well be the beginning of the issues. As fat is metabolically inactive, weight gain may continue even after lowering calorie intake once more. How can that be? The answer is simple: muscle is dynamic. It moves, it has rich blood supply, and it burns calories. A low muscle to fat ratio means you require fewer calories to function. This is frustrating to our patients as they complain of eating less food and gaining more weight.
How many times have you heard opportunistic companies promising you just that? In my experience, it's neither healthy nor realistic. I help patients regain control of their lives through a simple diet evaluation, at which time we discuss the benefits of learning portion control. We teach our patients how to manage their caloric intake effectively and efficiently, so not to cause them to inadvertently break down muscle, leaving them able to target fat. I teach patients how simple lifestyle changes, such as improving sleep habits and lowering stress, can actually improve body composition all while increasing healthy caloric intake. If patients truly have metabolic issues, we can then, of course, do an assessment by taking simple blood, urine, and/or saliva samples. Then, if needed, we can make the necessary changes to optimize their metabolism. Don't make unrealistic goals for weight loss as this can lead to disappointment and may even cause a disease process. True lasting weight management comes from education and permanent lifestyle changes. So, remember: Educate, evaluate, and empower yourself!
What is the lesson here? Short-term gain can lead to long-ter m pain. Clearly, the best strategy to attain
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Who is Dr. Jheeta: By Melissa MacDougall
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fter receiving his undergraduate degree in biology and botany from UBC and a doctoral degree in naturopathy from the ational College of aturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Raj Jheeta returned to British Columbia in 1987 where he has been a practising D ever since. As a member of the College of aturopathic Physicians of BC, and with 26 years as an international lecturer recognized both by the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Canada and the American College of Surgeons and Physicians, Dr. Jheeta has formally presented on topics relating to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, drug-induced nutrient depletion, and herbal medicine interactions. He has also lectured on prescription medication and anti-aging breakthroughs. Dr. Jheeta is recognized as a specialist in preventative health care and wellness and has recently released the book, The Doctor of the Future is Here, where he discusses how to properly implement his Unified Wellness System.
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tive lofty roots, and reducing their differences. The basic realization that the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – is also the golden thread that ties them all together. Masters' teachings and scriptures, some of which have been kept highly secret, can now be revealed. Known teachings can be revived and revised to eliminate any fearbased dogma that evolved long after their teachings were originally written or expressed. There exists an unprecedented opportunity today with our tools of communication, to clarify the original Knowing Messages and merge them with everyone, everywhere. As we open to the Loving Universal Consciousness (LUC), we come into our own as genius-level Ascended Beings. We are electrical in nature, comprised of billions of atoms, each with protons revolving around a neutron, exactly as in our solar system. We are natural Receivers of the electoral charge that manifests as LUC. There are no greater, smarter, or more Knowing entities than we are… indeed, we are all one, all-Knowing, all-loving… no separation. There are now millions of us who are dedicated Light Workers, individuals who are coming forth and uniting in their expression of glorious universal truths. Please check the website (www.alloneera.com) for links to the magnificent individuals and companies that are enriching and expanding our mighty worldwide network. Please join us! We are all always highly honored and enriched to welcome your Presence! We are sharing what we already Know… we are consciously touching the world. We are going within in our own precious unique yet connected vessels, each emitting the brilliance we have to share. Male or female, any race, age, or religion, we are collectively entering a new era, where we are quickly uniting instinctively as all-powerful receivers and conduits of Holy Guidance… fusing far beyond our physical senses. The rustle of the wind, the growth of plants, and the cries of populations around the planet resonate within each of us. To experience the true depths of fifthdimensional love is to hear the love we pour into our music making, to smell the aroma of the love we pour into our wine making and cooking, to feel the love we have for each other in love making, to speak and whisper the love we have for nature, and to shriek out our exultation to be alive when we smell the fresh air from the lush green trees. We pull the moon, our enchantress, into our bodies, under our rib cages, and into our organs, and feel her pulse with our every heartbeat, moving through our cycles and her cycles, because the moon is we. We are the sun, the planets, and all the constellations. They call to us, we call to them, we feel them, and they feel us. We realize the universe’s complexity and yet also the simplicity, as it is brilliantly reflected within each of us. We are conduits of all universal loving energy, and can now, at long last, joyously come together to amplify our possibilities to heal our glorious Earth and, simultaneously, our glorious Selves. There is an organic formula for the transition to achieve planetary harmony. In the All-One-Era, unlimited universal truths abound. The first and foremost truth is to
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Summerhill Pyramid Winery. The Pyramid. Photo credit: www.lakeshorewineries.com be one with our inner Knowingness and trust this Holy Guidance. This aligns us with our most powerful and splendid state of Pure Love. The second, is to strive to maintain our bodies as pure vessels through highest conscious choices. This restores our ultimate physical and planet health and vitality. The third, is to proactively embrace self-healing and rejuvenation and our unlimited potentials by returning to tribal gatherings around the sacred fire. We are forming wise and joyful councils that are connected worldwide. We can embrace our leadership and surrender to and be driven by our Knowingness! We have a grand mission. It is up to each of us to go within and know ourselves, to create a vision that is in full alignment with the needs of our planet, and to align ourselves with those who can help us bring it all fully alive. Within our precious bodies, we carry our forever consciousness, our universal Knowingness. It is up to us to tune back into that original heritage and intention of a pure, organic nature, and to expand it worldwide. It is going within that restores harmony and abundance, not politics, economic restraining solutions, or threats of war. We all come from tribal beginnings and this lofty awakening has the makings of major grassroots ascension into harmony. All we need is to remain open and have patience, fortitude, conviction, courage, and confidence. Once we have recognized our own ancient, intricate, Receiving Selves, we can then be beacons of light to ourselves and instantly to others. Our awareness and our coming together as a conscious collective is now unfolding and we are re-structuring with Guidance. We, who are laying the foundation, are the prophets, the saints, and emissaries of peace that we have all eternally admired. This is the Age of Aquarius, the promised Messianic Age, the Christ Conscious-
ness Age… the All-One-Era of mergence with Loving Universal Consciousness that we ARE… the very cosmic consciousness energy we create from moment to moment, eternally. A time for reflection Please allow me to reflect on how my dream for us to share a revitalization of our collective soul memories evolved. In 1984, shortly after my loving dad made his transition at age 81, I knew we needed a model, a place, a venue for gatherings, a place to share the Grand Teachings. Since first setting my eyes on the magnificent perch of the Summerhill Vineyard in 1986, with its expansive view for over thirty kilometers up and down pristine Lake Okanagan, I knew it would be an ideal place of inspiration. I knew it could one day be the ideal location, in this glorious wilderness vortex of mountains and lakes, for an awakening that would help to connect us all. Having rediscovered a true oneness with the Earth and all her mighty energy, I began to align with my true purpose in this lifetime. The messages that continued to echo back have always been the same: I was to provide the forum, The Venue For The Grand Teachings! One night in early 1987, while on a visit to Thailand’s sanctuaries, and shortly after purchasing the Summerhill Vineyard, I experienced a most mystical dream. With my own hands, I had constructed a pyramid of Divine proportion through a formula gifted to me. So bright and glorious was the structure that it was not possible to look at it without its shining light blinding my eyes. It was sacred in its geometry, and it was powerful. Standing within the pyramid, I found myself surrounded by others, both of this human dimension and of spiritual realms beyond. It was a holy shrine, welcoming the presence of entities that
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arrived ethereally whenever they were called upon. I felt so thrilled and honored to be in the company of these spirits. As I began to awaken from the dream, I felt the intensity and vast importance of their rendezvous. The true sensation of awe and excitement did not leave me, and I knew that the dream must be preserved and honored and become a reality. I felt exhilarated, in spite of the daunting nature of accepting such an assignment. There was only one real choice: to create a sacred structure, which provided a forum to catapult the Grand Teachings. This was my calling! Manifestation was in process! A simultaneous economic reason to build a sacred geometry structure immediately evolved! It would be the ideal place to allow the then-planned production of sparkling wines to emulate the historic European Champagne Tradition of placing each bottle in sacred geometry chambers for the “marriage period”—the first thirty days after the dosage is added to the original cuvee! France, Germany, Italy, and Spain all produce sparkling wine and they all widely use the miles of underground Roman Arch Cellars, which have the properties of sacred geometry… voila! The word pyramid (py ra mid) means fire in the middle. It is the ultimate representation of the fire we each have in our souls. Pyramids are our hearts and souls represented in a structure. Our very DNA strands and all the atoms that make up our cells are related to the pyramid shape. The four sides are the four directions and the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Each of the four sides has three points, for a total that equates to the twelve houses of the zodiac. Often called ascension chambers, a precision pyramid, built without ferrous metals and oriented to True North, provides intense clarifying effects. It is most (Continued on page 26)
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ALL ONE ERA magazine (Continued from page 25)
probable that the ancient Egyptian and Mayan civilizations and many other civilizations that built pyramids that stand to this day, knew they are clarification chambers to communicate with “those beyond the sun.” It was that Guidance and my dream in Thailand that moved me to construct a sacred geometry pyramid on the grounds of the Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna, British Columbia, second only to the Great Pyramid of Giza with its absolute precision and alignment. Interestingly, just as my Thailand dream predicted, the formula was gifted to me while on my third trip to Cairo to study The Great Pyramid. I had observed the open frame wooden pyramid models we had built to test the effects of sacred geometry on water, milk, wine, and juice and on plant growth patterns had all been conclusive. The liquids were widely documented as being clarified! I then got the message to build a fused-frame pyramid with absolute precision out of continuous solid stone, just as The Great Pyramid is built with fusedstone technology we don’t have today. Almost all of the precision cut stones are too heavy for us to lift with our present technology, much less place with absolute perfection to fuse without mortar with the neighbouring stone! I was Guided to design concrete forms to permit one continuous pour of highest density concrete and to use fiberglass rebar so as not to introduce ferrous metal. I was Guided to make the frame the same proportion to the wooden frame pyramids we had such conclusive results with in spite of the daunting expense, as they are so big. The Summerhill Pyramid is second only to The Great Pyramid for precision and alignment and effectiveness as a sacred geometry chamber and is perhaps the most conducive chamber in North America in which to “go within.” A dome, a pyramid, a Roman Arch, or any structure that contains the Golden Means Geometry and is both Pi and Phi and is in true relation to a circle, has the properties of a sacred geometry chamber. In Summerhill’s twenty-five-year experiment on the effect of sacred geometry on liquids, we have made a breakthrough discovery. Water, juice, milk, wine, and we humans, who are mostly liquid, become clarified. That is to say, the essence of the liquid, the characteristics of it, become known. We cellar all Summerhill wines in the pyramid chamber and have proven conclusively that they become clarified. If we put a wine with flaws in the pyramid, the flaws become accentuated while a wine with pure characteristics becomes enhanced. We have hosted blind side-by-side tastings of the same wine, served at the same temperature, for over twenty-five years and each and every time have the astonishing results: more than ninety-five percent of the tasters declare the pyramid cellared wine seems softer, cleaner, and more aromatic. The most memorable taste test was broadcasted internationally on CBC Radio where a pitcher of frozen organic orange juice had been made the night before and two glasses were poured from the pitcher. One was placed in the pyramid chamber and one was placed in the office of the winery. During the live broadcast, ten people blind tasted from the two glasses and each one chose the pyramid juice as tasting and smelling more like fresh squeezed juice. The Summerhill web-
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site has a section about the pyramid with many fascinating details. The experiment continues actively with new scientific lab equipment being introduced so that sensory evaluation is not the only criteria for judging the remarkable results.
“The Summerhill Pyramid is second only to The Great Pyramid of Egypt for precision and alignment. Its sacred geometry chamber is perhaps the most conducive chamber in %orth America in which to ‘go within’.” We have recently developed a new Pyramid Experience tour where, at the option of the tour guide, the group is invited to turn off their cellphones and take deep breaths before entering the chamber. They are reminded that we are electrical in nature and that as we relax our thinking by focusing on the breath and “letting go,” we come into our hearts. We suggest they enter quietly and take a seat with their feet on the floor and their eyes closed and just sit for a few minutes in total silence with the guide gently breaking the silence. For most, entering a space of sacred geometry induces an instant meditation and an invitation to be in total peace, as though stepping into a different world. The most voiced comments are that the guests feel removed from all distractions and influences. It is most often compared to a return to the womb, a homecoming, a place where we want to be, and don’t want to leave. Many want to just stay in the pyramid. This is when the guides have to joke with them and coax them to come for the “best part” … actually tasting the energized wines! One of the many extraordinary happenings in the pyramid occurred in 2001. I invited the Rosicrucian Grand Masters from around the world to enjoy Summerhill as the venue for their annual Grand Masters Gathering. While I was not yet a fellow Master or even formally a Rosicrucian, they honored me with an invitation to join them. There, the Senior Grand Master led us through a guided meditation. Step by step, she led us through our bodies, from our toes to our feet, and then from our feet to our knees, and up through our legs to our core centers, and then upward through to our hearts, neck, jaw, eyes, crown chakra, and then to the apex of the pyramid. At the very moment when she brought us from our crown chakras to the apex of the pyramid, there was a giant crack of thunder! The skies opened up immediately and heavy rain began pouring through the vent holes around the apex! The angle of the rain must have been perpendicular to the apex to allow it to come gushing through the vents, which has never happened before! This astounding cleansing phenomenon will be remembered and shall be on the lips of thousands of Rosicrucian’s all over the world, for all time. Introducing sacred geometry to classrooms, nursing homes, jails, hospital rooms, housing, offices, food and beverage producers, and most of all, meditation
spaces, is a passion with a foundation based “not upon sand.” We are ready now to respond to nature’s calling for us to open ourselves and to provide her with a cleansing. Like us, she is naturally resilient and healing, and is ready to bounce back. The silver cords that tie us to her and all there is have shrunk, making us more and more oblivious to our polluting, destroying, and ravaging her. Our awakening opens and allows us to embrace and express a gigantic wave of gratitude. She feels and desperately needs this gratitude now as she is so actively displaying her cleansing. All she needs are our thicker cords and our commitment to being deeply rooted with her and as one with her. It is we who can bring in the great winds of change, clear the polluted air, and initiate the incredible cleansing. It is we who are now scientifically proving that our intentions affect nature and each other in a profound way. Dr. Masaru Emoto has astounded the world with his extensive lab tests using electron microscopes to show the molecular structure of frozen water crystals before and after caressing the water with our intentions of love and gratitude vs. yelling obscenities. Please see the website for a link to his pivotal work. Lynn McTaggart has also proven the effects of intentions with her life work and there are links to many others who have achieved scientifically proven results, including our own pyramid documentations. Please visit the All One Era website at www.alloneera.com for more examples that prove how powerful and effective our intentions are.
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Stephen Cipes, ambassador and visionary for the All-One-Era. We look forward to sharing chapter 6 of the All-One-Era manuscript on the next full moon. Or, you may request to purchase your copy on our website. Footnotes: Frightening recent reports indicate pollution in Beijing has reached record levels. As stated in a January 16, 2013 article from www.thediplomat.com, a study by Greenpeace, along with Peking University's School of Public Health found, “last year thousands of premature deaths in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, and Beijing could be linked to PM2.5 air pollution.” http://thes unma ga zi ne.or g/issues/448/ out_of_our_heads This is a direct follow-through and complement to the Grand Teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) and his ever-flourishing Self Realization Fellowship.
If you are interested in forming an AOE Branch, complete with an open-frame pyramid with a fireplace in the center, WELCOME! Please follow the l i n k i n t h e we b si t e www.alloneera.com
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ALL ONE ERA magazine
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