Radiant Life - Issue 1 by Bright Magazine Group

RADIANT LIFE SEPTEMBER

Cultivating a healthy mind, body, and spirit

Inside this issue Finding peace and happiness by bringing more nature into your life

In a perfect world, all our food would come from places like

Molovin Farm

Contents Health 22 Reclaiming the Lost Art of the Stroll

Times of stress and lack of inspiration are perfect for sauntering through the neighborhood. Walking aimlessly can help clear the mind and lead to new insights.

60 Nature 10 The Musical Trees

Stradivari crafted exquisite instruments from ancient trees growing in the bitter cold of the Italian alps. His tale captures the magical harmony of natural splendor and human mastery.

12 A Botanical Oasis

Near the Pacific coastline of Corona del Mar, California, lies a quiet sanctuary, ideal for contemplation among abundant flora and fauna.

14 The Earthship

Exemplifying harmonious architecture, these unique structures provide creative ways to upcycle waste while utilizing green energy.

24 What Holistic Medicine Can Do for You Our emotions, habits, diets, and environments are the keys to disease or longevity. Acknowledging this reality is what makes holistic medicine providers unique—and essential.

28 Getting Better Sleep—Naturally If you’re not sleeping right, you’re not living right. Don’t feel bad though; sleep can be hard to come by without some help from good habits and nutrition.

32 Are We Weeding Out Our Future?

One of the most ubiquitous chemicals in our lives may be contributing to a precipitous decline in fertility—and an increasing rate of birth defects.

16 Find Harmony, Outdoors

Studies have proven that engaging in outdoor green activities can significantly reduce anxiety and depression.

18 Peace and Permaculture

Feeling anxious about the state of the world? Grow a sense of security with a self-sustaining edible landscape that needs only minimal maintenance.

58 Recipes: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Make the fluffiest pancakes—for breakfast or anytime.

60 Farmhouse Charm

“It’s easy to buy new, it is a statement to wear old,” says Cas Gasi founder Margaret von Korff, who transformed an 1880 farmhouse into a rustic Ibiza hotel.

Arts 70 Landscapes of the Sublime

Lifestyle 36 Living With Nature’s Balancing Act The family behind Molovin Farm in Arizona seeks to bring harmony between man and nature, through practicing responsible stewardship and respecting Mother Earth.

46 Superfoods for Longevity

Want to supercharge your meal planning? Draw inspiration from regions of the world known to produce many centenarians due to their healthy diets.

54 Recipes: ‘Perfumed’ Grilled Lamb Chops

A scrumptious dish straight from Italy, courtesy of chef Andrea Belfiore.

56 Recipes: Pickled Shrimp

A dish perfect for the summer months—served chilled and super easy to make.

While the industrial age pushed us into cities, the painters of the Romantic movement tried to pull our minds back toward nature with works of transcendental beauty.

78 A Return to Divine Beauty

As far back as Socrates, humans saw a connection between divine beauty and our awakening to higher realms. This is the power of beauty and the ultimate accomplishment of great art.

84 Of Myth and Reason

Christian Dior’s spring-summer haute couture collection contemplates the power dynamics during the Renaissance era—a time of flowy dresses, arts patronage, and mythical tales.

Contents 94 How to Have a Harmonious Relationship

We each carry a version of reality and there’s no way to impose ours on a loved one. So instead of trying, find harmony by expanding your reality— and understanding theirs.

96 Building Joy Back Into Your Marriage

The stress and hectic pace of modern life can make us forget how important it is to nurture our most important relationship. Fortunately, planning and a little TLC can go a long way.

Experiences

106 Family 86 Connect Through Play

It takes time and an open heart to play with your children—and they know it. But play isn’t all fun and games; it fosters development and your parent-child bond.

90 Reclaiming Childhood

Childhoods are disappearing into screens as parent watch their children thumb away crucial development years. It’s a struggle with a clear solution— but it requires a counterculture approach.

100 Sacha Lodge: Where the Wild Things Still Are At this lodge located at the center of an ecological reserve in Ecuador, you’ll get to experience the magnificent rainforest up close.

106 Modern Nomads

A trip through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia provides a glimpse into the nomadic lifestyle.

112 Wheel of Life

A spiritual encounter compelled Rich Lopez to let go of his traumas and turn to art for salvation.

O N T H E C OV E R Photo credit: Jennifer Schneider

RADIANT LIFE PUBLISHER Dana Cheng

E D I TO R I A L EDITOR-IN- CHIEF

Catherine Yang

MIND & BODY EDITORS

Chrisy Trudeau Matthew Little

A RTS EDITORS

Sharon Kilarski Jennifer Schneider

BOOKS EDITOR ENTERTA INMENT EDITOR A RCHITECTUR E & INTER IORS EDITOR

Robert Mackey Ben Zgodny Annie Wu

G A R DENING EDITOR

José Rivera

FOOD & W INE EDITOR

Cr ystal Shi

TR AV EL EDITOR

Car y Dunst

EDITOR-AT-L A RGE

T ynan Beatty

C R E AT I V E CR E ATI V E DIR ECTOR DESIGNERS

Laure Fu Ann Chen Ingrid Phillips Tianzhen Xiong

ILLUSTR ATORS

Linda Zhao Michelle Xu

PHOTO EDITOR PHOTOGR A PHERS

Putu Prawira Adi Duta Jennifer Schneider J. Freishter

C O N T R I B U TO R S Jeff Perkin, A ndrea Parker, Shawna Coronado, Keli Westgate, Carl Honoré, Brandon LaGreca, A llison Williams, Jennifer Margulis, Julie Daniluk, A ndrea Belf iore, Wesley Fulmer, Chris Valdes, Sunny Lo, Eric Bess, Emina Melonic, Jill Xu, Kathy Koch, Melanie Hempe, Nancy Colier, Kevin Revolinski, Tim Johnson, Mark Lentine

O F F I C E & C O N TA C T 229 W 28th St, New York, N Y 10001 General Inquiries: contact@radiantlifemag.com Media & Adver tising: ellen@radiantlifemag.com

Par Fabiane Burja/EyeEm/Getty Images

Publisher’s Note Dear Readers,

adiant Life celebrates the art of living healthfully and beautifully. In this modern world, we can get lost in ever-changing new trends. Too often, we keep looking for novelties in life, but never feel satisfied. What are the basic elements that can keep us grounded and help us live more meaningful lives? Some people hold onto traditional ways of life, resisting the fast-moving trends of the modern world, while others embrace the advancement of technology and believe that a speedy, efficient society is foremost. When these two mindsets contradict one another, which path leads to harmony? Between tradition and technology, we choose to present in this magazine the wisdom of tradition, which is rooted in the best aspects of our heritage, and a lifestyle that can nurture our bodies, enrich our minds, and elevate our souls. Since 2012, the number of people practicing meditation has tripled, according to one survey—and general well-being is the No. 1 reason people gave for meditating. It is believed that globally, between 200 million and 500 million people meditate. The growth of meditation reflects a new awareness among people. It is ancient wisdom that the mind and body are connected. Matter and spirit are one. Our bodies are the homes of our souls. To understand the connection between mind and body, to live more intentionally, more mindfully, is to care for our well-being. Thus, mind and body is a major section of our magazine. Perhaps more than people realize, the classic lifestyle has inspired us time and again. When we say classic, it does not mean old; rather, it often implies gold. Much of the wisdom from long-lived civilizations has stood the test of time. Principles in classic works, which are oftentimes divinely inspired, form

the roots of our civilization and the foundation of our humanity. They set standards, establish morality, and bring about great aesthetic beauty. From the East to the West, the golden ages of civilization were characterized by beautiful lifestyles that set the standards for generations to come, guiding how we should treat each other, how we should regard life, and whether we can preserve what is good from one generation to the next. Life itself is transient, but human beings, by nature, tend to seek out the eternal. We feature inspiring stories of people looking for lives with greater purpose. We introduce arts, literature, and ways of life that are classic. Good works often reflect a spirit that is grander than ourselves. Classic works often uphold moral principles at their core and in doing so connect us with what is best in us. They teach us how to live in a noble, elegant, and more grounded way. We’ve noticed many people around the world have a yearning to get back in touch with nature, to contemplate the greater meaning of life, and to stay healthy in mind, body, and spirit. This magazine will be a guide, and a friend, on your way.

Dr. Dana Cheng

Chan Srithaweeporn/Moment/Getty Images

Tune In

Getting in tune with nature helps us get in tune with ourselves. · Take a leisurely walk · Plant something · Bring the outdoors in · Look up. Take in the vast expanse of sky

Film still from “ Violino.” Inspired Original

The Musical Trees ‘Violino’ reveals the intimate construction of a violin and how a masterpiece is created when cosmic timing, nature, and man are in harmony

Written by Jennifer Schneider

In every sound of the violin there is the breathing of its trees. —Antonio Stradivari, luthier

he story of the world’s greatest violins begins in the musical woods nearly 400 years ago. Standing high atop the Italian Alps, at an altitude of over 5,575 feet, the magical spruce trees grow very slowly. Having endured the bitter cold, these trees only grow for a few months per year, resulting in denser, more consistent wood. In the musical forest, the altitude and climate have been orchestrated to produce timber that resonates with an unusually clear and consistent tone.

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Renaissance luthiers (artisan instrument makers), such as Antonio Stradivari, handpicked the trees that would later become the finest instruments known to man. Inspired Original’s short film “Violino” reveals the intimate construction of a violin and how a masterpiece is created when cosmic timing, nature, and man are in harmony. If we want to go towards the future, we must know where we came from. —Davide Negroni, luthier Antonio Stradivari is heralded as the greatest luthier known throughout history. He constructed

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nearly 1,100 stringed instruments between the late 1600s and the mid-1700s in Cremona, Lombardy (present-day Italy). The golden period for Stradivari violins was from 1700 to 1725, when Stradivari produced his finest masterpieces. About 650 of those instruments have survived. Many current violin models are constructed from Stradivari blueprints, but while the majority of violins manufactured today come from factories, there are still luthiers dedicated to keeping the tradition of Stradivari alive and preserving the art for generations to come. It takes roughly 250 hours of calm focus to build a violin by hand. “You have to live with yourself and your emotions all day long,” says luthier Davide Negroni in “Violino,” “it’s a world where a lot of patience is required.” Stradivari is said to have been a man who was never satisfied, yet the first time he heard his instrument, he smiled. A violin can be an exquisite work of art, but it remains as such until it is played—only

then can it truly fulfill its purpose, enabling the musical tree from which it came to sing. In most cases, it can take more than 10,000 hours of practice for a person to master any skill. For the magical spruce trees, it takes from 150 to 200 years of growth before their wood can be harvested for the creation of violins. The tale of a Stradivari violin begins and ends with patience. A violin’s entire journey, from construction to performance, is characterized by the cumulative efforts of sacrifice, perseverance, craftsmanship, and dedication.

Inspired Original is a platform that aims to build a strong community supporting traditional arts, culture, and education. Their mission is to enrich lives by fostering an understanding of the universal values inherent to traditional arts. “Violino” is currently available for streaming online (InspiredOriginal.org).

Film still from “ Violino.” Inspired Original

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Botanical Oasis Sherman Library and Gardens Written & Photographed by Jeff Perkin

ounded in 1966, Sherman Library and Gardens is a hidden botanical oasis near the Pacific coast of Corona del Mar, California. In an extravagant area where high-priced houses, flashy cars, and busy people compete to fill every square foot of valuable land, the gardens provide space, peace, and the opportunity to slow down in an artfully curated, natural environment. The gardens and library are a gift from successful businessman Arnold D. Haskell, who conceived of the facility and oversaw its construction through a period of eight years at the end of his noteworthy life. His dream was to archive the history of the Pacific Southwest’s development while also celebrating the importance of the natural world. Haskell’s enduring vision pays tribute to his colleague, M.H. Sherman, a successful land and railway developer during the 19th and early 20th centuries, while providing an increasingly rare sanctuary from such developments.

Preserving History and the Environment

Committed to ecological horticulture, the gardens host a wide range of lush plant life showcasing the awesome diversity of nature, ranging from the flora of humid tropical regions to dry desert cacti. The gardens boast over 100 species of palm trees, a vast collection of orchids, and a full-color spectrum of flowers buzzing with bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. One of the most popular areas of the gardens is the tropical conservatory, where plants are kept at 77 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent humidity. Red-eared slider turtles sit proudly on wet rocks emerging from a pond, while koi fish slowly swim around beneath them. Hanging just inches above the water, beautiful Medinilla magnifica flowers provide a stunning pink contrast to the many surrounding shades of green.

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Vibrant exotic orchids grow throughout the conservatory and catch visitors’ eyes as though they were alien life forms in a foreign land. A collection of over 1,000 orchids from around the world is rotated seasonally so that the orchids on display are always in bloom. Some orchids appear sinister and spider-like—but far from being parasites, they are epiphytes, plants that grow harmlessly upon other plants, depending on them for support while getting their moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, and debris.

Formal, Informal, and Intimate Spaces Abound

Outside of the tropical conservatory, visitors welcome the drop in humidity as they walk through areas of formal garden design. Formal gardens feature clear structure, geometric shapes, and symmetry. They’re reflections of Middle Ages monastic, Italian Renaissance, and French Baroque gardens. Sherman Gardens takes it one step further by creating a largely edible formal garden composed of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers planted among the symmetrical hedges. In other areas of the gardens, you might look up to see coconuts in the palm trees, or look down and notice that you’re walking over a variety of colorful succulents that are cleverly planted beneath each stair of a highly photographed staircase. Continuing up the stairs, floating umbrellas provide partial shade in a tea garden with a fountain courtyard where guests can sit and socialize. This time of year, there are sweet fragrances in the air and blooms everywhere you look. Exotic plants attract the attention of guests, while plants native to California’s Mediterranean climate provide important food sources and habitats for local wildlife. Long after visitors have gone home, the garden comes alive with flowers that

NATURE Pincushion flowers, also known as Scabiosa, grow in the mediterranean climate of Southern California.

Varieties of spider orchids, also known as Brassias, are exotic features of the garden's large orchid collection.

Beautiful Medinilla magnifica flowers hang low over the koi pond in the tropical conservatory.

continue to bloom and glow in the dark as they attract nighttime pollinators such as moths and bats. Inside the library, the archival collection features tens of thousands of photos and other documents highlighting the dramatic growth of areas like Los Angeles and Orange County. You can explore the digital collection and plan your visit at the organization’s website, TheSherman.org. The history of the Pacific Southwest is a dualistic

The garden landscape has something for everyone to enjoy.

story of development and aggressive expansion. Sherman Library and Gardens is a fascinating place of contemplative contradiction that catalogs how far we’ve come, while warning us not to forget from where we’ve come. Jeff Perkin is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach available at WholySelf.com

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Earthships

An Example of Harmonious Architecture Written by Andrea Parker

Linda Zhao

arthships look like homes from another planet. They rise from the ground with an inviting organic warmth. They exemplify sustainable architecture that grounds people in their environment by using recycled materials, directional building, and water in creative and harmonious ways. All of this, made out of waste, such as old tires, found abundantly on all continents on Earth. Earthships are called ships because like a spaceship, they strive to meet all human needs in one space. Earthships can be complex, but the core design is simple.

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Facing south, earthships are designed to align to the cycles of nature. This begins with an angled bank of windows at the front of the home and a thermal mass “heat bank” along the back wall. This bank, made of earth-rammed tires and other insulating materials, stores heat from the sun. Because the sun stays closer to the horizon in the fall and winter, this heat bank captures more sunlight at those times of year. As temperatures fall in the evening, that heat is emitted as warmth into the home. Earthships are passive solar homes, though photovoltaic modules can be added to generate electricity.

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Earthships are homes designed to provide heat, water, food, and more as cheaply and ecologically as possible. Shutterstock

Lining the front windows are thriving edible plants that provide oxygen and sustenance. Positioned to receive all daylight, the plants stay healthy and productive. They’re irrigated with treated greywater from the facets and shower, which also flushes the toilets. Water is harvested from rainwater on the roof and held in cisterns. On demand, the water is gravity-fed into a system that filters and pumps it into the home. A symbiosis exists between all organisms living in the home. Even arid areas can support earthships, as their birthplace is Taos, New Mexico. This is where Mike

Reynolds established the Earthship Biotecture Academy. Reynolds’s academy teaches people the philosophy and construction of earthships.

Andrea Parker has a master’s degree in humane education with over 13 years of teaching experience. She met friends in the Santa Cruz Mountains who built their own version of an earthship for under $10,000. Visiting their home inspired her vision of what she wants to create in this world.

The Brighton Earthship was the first built in the UK. Dominic Alves

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How Nature Helps With Mental Health Written by Shawna Coronado

hile more than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, the stresses of life amid the COVID-19 pandemic have boosted anxiety and depression to a crisis level. Meanwhile, finding effective ways to treat mental health issues is critical for long-term success in managing these conditions.

Engaging With Nature

While mental illness has been stigmatized, that stigma is dissipating as more people are engaged with the treatment of depression and anxiety through psychiatric and medical counseling. Because so many medications have side effects, it’s important to discover treatments that are effective, yet limit pharmaceutical dependency. Finding non-chemical ways to treat these conditions often leads to more long-term success. One scientifically proven chemical-free way to improve mental health through the reduction of anxiety and depression is by increasing outdoor green activities. Research shows that increased green activities—or living an active outdoor lifestyle—can reduce the amount of medication required to stabilize many mental health conditions. Regular activity outdoors can often be as effective as medication in treating mild depression. Simply being outdoors working in the garden and walking in the fresh air can be both physically and mentally restorative. Researchers at the UK’s University of Essex discovered that 94 percent of test subjects in a study commented that they felt green exercise had furthered their mental health in a positive way. Participants felt their physical health specifically improved with walking outdoors. Respondents also reported decreased levels of depression, felt less fatigued and tense after walking outside, and noted improved mood and self-esteem.

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In other words, outdoor green activities such as gardening and walking can significantly influence one’s state of mind. These activities, which boost dopamine and serotonin levels, connect a person to the natural outdoor environment.

Brain Neurotransmitters, Sunlight, and Serotonin

Dopamine levels are known to increase in the brain when participating in general outdoor or green activities. Both serotonin and dopamine are pleasure center neurotransmitters that are associated with happiness, joy, pleasure, and love. Serotonin specifically regulates mood, memory, and impulse, while dopamine is closely tied to euphoria, enjoyment, motivation. Dopamine is also responsible for those magical feelings of “falling in love.” When depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, it’s often associated with an insufficient level of dopamine in the brain. Sunlight is a proven serotonin stimulator. By exercising outdoors in the garden or walking outdoors in nature daily, you are exposing yourself to the daylight spectrum. Sunlight exposure also appears to be an effective treatment for winter-based seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This particular type of depression is related to changes in the seasons, starting as the daylight ebbs in fall and stretching through the season until there is more daylight exposure after winter. SAD saps energy and can make you feel moody and sorrowful. Performing green activities outdoors with exposure to daylight has a significantly positive effect on people who suffer from the condition.

Living Mindfully

One of the great benefits of nature, in general, is that it lends itself to mindfulness. When your mind is filled

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Being out in nature has many health benefits including reducing stress and depression and improving our mood. Getty Images

with all the thoughts about work, finances, and family, there’s no better cure than to weed or tend to plants outdoors, for instance. Gardening when we are distraught or stressed about something that is weighing heavily on us enables our minds to be intrinsically focused on the present. Life’s difficulties and dramas melt away as we address our task. Plants need love. Tending them takes our eyes, our hands, and our hearts. While out in the garden and very focused on our tasks, we hear the birds and wind through the trees, we see the beauty before us in flowers and color, we touch the soil and plants, we smell the magnificence of all of nature on a spring day, we can taste the harvest of a cherry tomato. Whether gardening or bicycling or walking, living mindfully is often defined as “living in the moment.” Spending time outdoors walking in a park creates an environment where one must live in the present moment engaging in an activity that is good for you and nature.

Nature can calm an anxious mind and allow that focus on the present to wash over you emotionally in a way that few things can. Discovering an outdoor place where you can connect with nature therapeutically while performing green activities can be life-changing. These green activities can be defined as anything outdoors in sunlight: walking, running, gardening, and cycling are all good examples. Adding green activities to your medical treatment regimen can contribute to reducing anxiety and depression levels.

Shawna Coronado is an anti-inflammatory lifestyle author, coach, media host, photographer, and writer. She is recognized for wellness and anti-inflammatory lifestyle, organic gardening, and healthy nutrition. Shawna dreams of helping others live a healthier, more active, lifestyle. You can learn more about Shawna at ShawnaCoronado.com

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Finding Peace and Prosperity With Permaculture Learn the basics of this harmonious form of agriculture and start growing your own food forest

Written by Keli Westgate

ithin the first few weeks of taking in a permaculture course or lecture, something powerful can happen. I saw it in the eyes of other participants having the same revelations as me. A sense of despair and helplessness about the state of the world started to melt away as our proverbial tool belts began to fill. “Permies” as they are affectionately called, are bootstrapper-types who focus on positive solutions to the world’s biggest problems. It turns out that the answers can be much simpler than we may have thought. Permaculture started as an agricultural design philosophy based on mimicking nature. It was originally a portmanteau of “permanent” and “agriculture,” but has grown over the years to encompass broader meanings and applications, and is now thought of as a form of permanent culture. Food forests, clean energy, rainwater harvest-

ing, and living a simpler life may not sound like the revolution you imagined, but changing how we interact with land, other creatures, and each other can transform how we spend our precious moments on this incredible planet. Even if you don’t have a large piece of land, you can start small in your own backyard or deck by planting edible and perennial plants to give you a taste of homegrown, organic food. Even one plant in one pot is a meaningful start. If you do, you might start to see the world as full of potential. By installing an edible landscape that continues to produce more food each year— thereby reducing food costs and trips to the grocery store—you become part of a desperately needed transformation. So, what can you do at your home? The answer is far longer than the space of one article will allow for, but this will get you growing in the right direction.

NATURE Learn Your Space

Permaculture starts with observing and interacting with your own outdoor space. Your goal is to align with nature, and to do that, you must first observe it. How and where does the sun move at different times of the year? Where are your hot spots and cool corners? Where does water from melting snow or rain tend to collect? What is already growing? Can you identify the plants, insects, and other creatures that share your space? This is a good time to start with basic plant identification to ensure you aren’t pulling up valuable edibles. Take some pictures so you can look back on how far you’ve grown. When I started my garden, the ecosystem consisted of cigarette butts, dog waste, and ants. Now I am gratified by how far my small yard has come.

Start With the Soil

If your soil isn’t fertile, have some delivered from a local landscape center or add compost to give it nutrients and water-holding capacity. Everything begins with your soil—and sun. But how will you know what “good” soil even looks like? Dig into your ground and take a look. Is it dark and full of tiny insects and fungi? That’s a good sign. If it seems like sand or silt with little else, you’ll want to create an environment for beneficial microbes and tiny worms called nematodes. You can do that by adding organic matter such as compost, worm castings, and mulch.

Grow Some Dirt

If you don’t have a compost system, now is the time to start one. Regardless of your living situation, there is a composter that will work for you. If you live in an apartment, you can start a small vermicompost that uses tiny worms to accelerate the process. Although you can only compost one to two liters of food scraps per week, it will light a spark when you see these tiny wiggly helpers turn your waste into a valuable soil amendment. If you have a larger garden, there are many options, from a tumbler that’s off the ground for tidiness to a three-bin system for high volume.

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Enrich Your Ecosystem

Select a few of your favorite edible perennials. These plants come back every year. To live in harmony with your ecosystem means it’s important to know what already grows there. Edible perennials and plants that are indigenous to the area are ideal. There’s so much to learn from nature, so accept early on that you won’t ever know everything and that’s OK. Also accept that you’ll make mistakes. Just come from a place of honoring the land and caring for the living beings you share it with, and you’ll surely be on the right track. Start by planting higher-maintenance plants in the areas closest to where you often walk and work your way outwards to low-maintenance plants such as garlic. Plant more than you think you’ll need and share the extras with neighbors and friends.

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Want to extend your growing season? Get a small greenhouse for those cooler, darker days in the spring and fall. Plan for the Seasons Ahead

Want to extend your growing season? Get a small greenhouse for those cooler, darker days in the spring and fall. Put it in a place where it’ll get plenty of sunlight during early spring, when the sun hugs closer to the horizon in northern climates. Be careful, though, as even unheated greenhouses can get extremely hot. Keep a close eye and make sure it has airflow. A greenhouse can give you a feeling of having more control over your situation, which is also good for calming stress.

Seek to ‘Stack Functions’

In permaculture, we talk about “stacking functions,” which means we try to work as little as possible and ensure our systems do more than one thing. This is how nature works and it’s what makes permaculture so enriching. To do this, consider the cycles of your ecosystem. Are you planting trees in an area where the falling leaves will provide easy mulch for the next year, or do you have to rake them up and move them elsewhere? Permaculture aims to minimize inputs—including labor—and generate useful outputs that feed the system. Maybe you’ll want to select a coppice tree that keeps growing so you can cut it back and use the wood for compost. You can also plant assorted flowers that’ll bloom throughout the season. This means you’ll have an abundance of pollinators and birds; endless entertainment; flowers to give to friends; and food, such as edible nasturtiums. Flowers also attract people and can spur interactions with neighbors, which creates opportunities to build community connections.

From top: Shutterstock, Shutterstock, Getty Images

Engage in Outdoor Activity and Resiliency

People want and need to be outdoors more. And our outdoors can better support the people in our community. In my hometown, some friends and I have used permaculture principles to plant edible food forests on small plots of city property. These public gardens require minimal upkeep and offer residents a place to get free fresh produce. We all have this inspiring opportunity to make our own hometowns into something better, more thoughtful, and more resilient. It’s been more clear than ever that a change is needed. So if your gut is telling you to grow food, trust it. Those are your survival instincts. The crazy thing is, you may also actually enjoy the simpler life. Keli Westgate is a permaculture designer and owner of Oasis Gardens Consulting. She loves to help people learn to grow organic, local, seasonal foods that will help insulate them and their families in rapidly changing times. You can find her at KeliWestgate.com

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Reclaiming the Lost Art of the Stroll The pandemic has taken much, but it may also remind us how to saunter Written by Carl Honoré

ot long before the pandemic hit, someone reported me to the police. I wasn’t selling drugs or stealing a car or making too much noise in the middle of the night. I wasn’t even breaking the law. My only crime was to stroll through an American neighborhood where walking is not the done thing. “People here drive everywhere,” the policeman told me. “Walking sets off alarm bells.” A joke, right? Wrong. In a world in thrall to cars, walking is often seen as deviant behavior. I grew up in a Canadian city where people would drive rather than walk 10 minutes. My earliest memory of walking to high school was hearing some guy hanging out the passenger side of his friend’s ride, hollering at me, “Get a car, loser!” In many cultures, landing your first set of wheels is a rite of passage, a passport to adulthood. Driving can certainly boost your dating odds. Remember that famous line from Grease: “Tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car?” Small wonder the World Health Organization described walking as a “forgotten art.” To make matters worse, when we do walk, it’s often with a very modern blend of impatience, distraction, and goal-hunting. We use apps to count our steps. We curse anyone daring to dawdle in our path. We spend much of the time staring down at our smartphones. All over the world, distracted pedestrians get hurt walking

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into lamp-posts, fire hydrants, or other distracted pedestrians. Brick Lane, a hipster haven in London, came up with a novel way to curb walk-and-text injuries: wrap local lampposts in foam padding. The truth is, we need to walk more–for our health and for the sake of the planet. But we also need to walk better. The French have a wonderful word: flânerie. It means strolling without any goal in mind beyond exploring, observing, and savoring. It’s the opposite of power walking. When you channel your inner flâneur (or flâneuse), you notice flowers and trees, clouds in the sky and hills on the horizon, how the light dances on water or across the windows of a building. You hear birdsong and the laughter of strangers. You take pleasure in what others are wearing and doing. Walking like a flâneur is a balm for the mind and the spirit. In the 19th century, Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, used his daily constitutional to silence the chatter in his head. “I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it,” he once said. Shakespeare was on the same page. In “The Tempest,” Prospero says, “A turn or two I’ll walk, to still my beating mind.” Walking can even be part of a path to enlightenment. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen master, says that a mind-

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In a world in thrall to cars, walking is often seen as deviant behavior. Walking for the sheer joy of moving through the world can enliven the mind, energize the body, and uplift the spirit. Getty Images

ful stroll can bring spiritual clarity and heal both the walker and the world. Ambling also fires up the imagination. That’s why big thinkers, from Aristotle to Virginia Woolf, have hailed the creative power of a good walk. William Wordsworth composed much of his poetry while wandering lonely as a cloud through the English countryside. “All truly great thoughts,” said Nietzsche, “are conceived while walking.” Nikola Tesla agreed. The inventor of the induction motor had his eureka moment while perambulating in Budapest. “The idea came like a flash of lightning,” he later recalled. “In an instant, the truth was revealed.” A silver lining of the pandemic is that walking is making a comeback. With normal life on pause, people everywhere have embraced it as a way to exercise, unwind, or just get out of the house. I now take a long stroll every day in my corner of London. My route winds

along Victorian streets and through three parks. And I walk it in full flâneur mode. No rush. No Fitbit. No music. No phone. Just meandering for the sheer joy of it. The other day, as I sauntered past a pond in the park, a question popped into my head: Has the pandemic finally made flânerie permissible in that neighborhood where someone dialed 911 after seeing me on foot? I emailed a local to find out. “You’d fit right in here now,” came the reply. “I’m looking out my window, and everybody’s out there strolling around like they have all the time in the world.”

Carl Honoré is a London-based writer, broadcaster, and TED speaker. His bestselling books on the benefits of slowing down and aging have been published in 35 languages.

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The crown jewel of Chinese medicine is the wisdom of viewing life as an integrated and dynamic system. Michelle Xu

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What Holistic Medicine Can Do for You By focusing on the patient first, rather than the disease, holistic medicine offers a path to wellness

Written by Brandon LaGreca

olistic medical providers come in many forms, but what they all have in common is a commitment to treating the person instead of a disease. Their scope of practice may vary widely, from traditional herbalists and bodyworkers to naturopathic physicians and functional medicine doctors. The oldest extant practice of holistic medicine comes from ancient China. Now in its modern form—thousands of years later—traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is more than a mature system of prescribing herbal formulas and administering acupuncture. The crown jewel of TCM is the wisdom of viewing life as an integrated and dynamic system. The health of the environment is reflected in the health of people. So too do thoughts and emotions play a role in the formation of disease. TCM places as much emphasis, for instance, on how aberrant emotions like anger contribute to disease as it does on gross physical causes like overeating junk food. This is an insight that took modern medical researchers much longer to validate. Now we know that the body’s biochemical state changes dramatically depending on whether we’re calm, stressed, depressed, angry, and so on. Emotions have an actual molecular effect and can profoundly shift the expression of different hormones, neurotransmitters, immune function, and more. Yet our body, mind, and emotions don’t explain the origins of all human illnesses. We must also consider the integrity of our environ-

ment to gain a complete picture of human health. This is of critical importance when establishing the root cause of disease. Asthma may be kept in check with suppressive medication, but if the root cause is exposure to small-particulate air pollution, the body may never fully heal. Worse, other health issues may arise as the toxic burden accumulates. The root cause of much of our illness lies in the complex interaction of our genetics, environment, and behavior. This is known as epigenetics. The founders of TCM knew this well and taught the principles of a balanced lifestyle with a focus on preventing disease. Much of modern medical care and research remains inert until disease has progressed to a dangerous state. TCM teaches that the longer we delay treatment, the more difficult the recovery. This isn’t some quaint notion to be relegated to a spa retreat. A global pandemic has forced the world to see how fragile human health can be when the most vulnerable are those with preexisting conditions. Whereas the primary focus of conventional medicine has been on quelling the pandemic with vaccination, public health officials and the media have largely overlooked the importance of providing guidance on building resilience to prevent infection or minimize symptoms. Medical science has historically explained infectious disease through two different paradigms: germ theory and terrain theory.

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Much of modern medical care and research remains inert until disease has progressed to a dangerous state.

Germ theory posits that the microbe causes illness, while terrain theory upholds that the health of the body determines the severity of illness. Both are correct, but terrain theory is largely ignored by a conventional medical model that does its best work by reductionism. Reductionism is the scientific axiom of breaking down areas of study into simpler and more fundamental aspects to aid the understanding and scaling-up of more complex subjects. For instance, understanding the chemistry of a liver cell provides insight into the physiological function of the liver organ as a whole. The downside of reductionism is that it may fail to see how different systems integrate in unexpected ways. If the emotion of anger negatively affects liver function (as is purported in TCM), it takes a holistic perspective to make the connection between psychology and physiology. In terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, if you want an innovative vaccine in record time, you need the scientific method in all its reductionist glory. But if you want to create healthy people over the long-term and without costly medical interventions, allow the wisdom of holistic medicine to have a seat at the table.

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As any good gardener knows, the health of the soil determines the fate of the planted seed. With COVID-19, the virus SARS-CoV-2 is a proximate cause. Emergency room physicians have made the astute observation that those who contract the coronavirus eliminate the pathogen from their systems rather quickly. It’s the downstream effect of the virus on inflammation (called a cytokine storm) and the coagulation of blood that contribute to severe long-term effects and death. From the holistic medical perspective, the state of the body and its ability to fight off infectious disease is just as important as the germ itself. The allopathic axiom of “one bug, one drug” isn’t nearly as effective a treatment strategy when the terrain of human health is disrupted by poor diet, lack of sleep, and being sedentary. In the end, it doesn’t matter if the medicine is “traditional” or “conventional,” “Western” or “Eastern,” so long as it treats the whole person safely, effectively, and compassionately. While we celebrate the technological advances of allopathic medicine in preventing death, holistic medicine offers wisdom that reinforces life and invites us to live in harmony with natural rhythms. When consulting with a holistic medical pro-

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vider, be prepared to answer a lot of questions. Treating you instead of the symptoms affecting you requires a deep understanding of your story. Asking what was happening around the time the problem began reveals hidden lifestyle and environmental contributions. Inquiring about work and home life exposes sources of chronic stress. With each response, the attentive holistic health care provider is establishing the patient’s mindset and gauging willingness to make lifestyle changes. With time and support, getting the patient on an ideal diet with physical activity and plenty of sleep can help them move beyond the healing of symptoms toward an empowered existence. Hopefully we won’t lose the lesson of this pandemic and miss the chance to return to the basics

of human health. We live and work in communities that must heal together to move forward as a more resilient species. As one strand of humanity—one healthy community of engaged people—grows stronger, so too does the rope of our coexistence. This is the promise of holistic medicine.

Brandon LaGreca, LAc, MAcOM, is a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Wisconsin. He has authored two books on cancer, “Cancer and EMF Radiation: How to Protect Yourself From the Silent Carcinogen of Electropollution,” and “Cancer, Stress & Mindset: Focusing the Mind to Empower Healing and Resilience.” He shares his thoughts at EmpoweredPatientBlog.com

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Natural Ways to Optimize Sleep Written by Allison Williams

ood, water, sunlight, companionship, exercise, and sleep are the fundamentals of good health and should be the foundation of any treatment plan. They’re integral to happy and healthy human beings. This is where I start with my patients. And, yet, Americans aren’t sleeping. At least 35 percent report that they are sleeping less than the recommended seven to nine hours. Adults that sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to develop heart disease, Type II diabetes, and obesity. Furthermore, when they are sleeping, many struggle with insomnia, sleep apnea, frequent waking, or poor sleep quality. Insufficient sleep or poor quality sleep can make you irritable, crave carbohydrates, binge eat, gain weight, decrease work productivity, and limit cognitive performance. In a fast-paced society that seems to put constant motion on a pedestal, it’s important to realize and respect the natural rhythms of the body. In doing so, we prioritize ourselves, our happiness, and ultimately ensure we are living to live, not living to work. When we are sleeping, we actually are in motion—biochemical motion. Our body is flooding itself with sleep hormones and decreasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that keeps us awake and alert. Our body sends out chemical messengers called cytokines that act as immune regulators and decrease inflammation. We are filing away new memories and learnings from the day; sleep is integral to how we remember and think. It’s also been well studied in improving muscle recovery, cardiovascular outcomes, and improving mental health. Here I outline four natural ways to start optimizing your sleep.

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Americans aren’t sleeping. At least 35 percent report that they are sleeping less than the recommended seven to nine hours.

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During sleep our body reworks its biochemistry, dialing down stress hormones, cooling inflammation, and more. Shutterstock

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Getting a good night’s rest can transform your waking life so it's worth attending to. Shutterstock

1. Block Out the Blue Light

We sleep better in darker rooms. Reason being is our body’s strong sensitivity to light. Before electricity and well-lit homes, our day was structured according to the sun. When the sun was out at its brightest, we were wide awake. When the sun was down,we were asleep. The sun is one of the most prominent sources of blue-light in our environment. Blue light acts on the photoreceptors in our eyes to trigger a sense of alertness and boost attention. Our bodies work best when they have slowly increasing exposure to bright light (like the sun rising) and then decreasing exposure to bright light when it is close to bedtime. Unfortunately, exposure to phone screens, televisions, and tablets provides these same receptors with artificial blue light. The eye responds to these screens as if this blue light came from the sun and this disrupts natural sleep rhythms. Imagine laying in bed thinking the day was over only for you eyes to think the sun has risen again while you scroll through The Epoch Times on your phone. To sleep better, you can start with downtime from all screens at least an hour before bed. You can also ensure your room is as dark as possible. Most department stores now offer a wide array of black out curtains. Additionally, while this is not condoning blue light scrolling, there are various “blue light

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blocker” apps that you can put on your computer and phone which help diminish the intensity of blue light and may lessen the impact on your photoreceptors.

2. Ensure Adequate Nutrient Intake

In order for the body to produce adequate amounts of melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone, it requires specific nutrients. Folate, zinc, magnesium, B6, and iron are all needed as cofactors for production of melatonin. Cofactors are essentially “helper molecules” that help our body create different things. Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods that contains all of these nutrients. However, for those unwilling to fry up chicken livers there are other options. Beef, pork, poultry, salmon, and tuna are all rich in B6. Beef, nuts, and seeds have large amounts of magnesium, iron, and folate. And most seafood like scallops and oysters are rich in zinc. It’s not enough to consume a couple servings and expect miraculous results. Many people consume enough calories in a day, but most of these calories lack nutrient density. Ensuring regular dietary nutrient density to correct underlying deficiencies will help you over time. I’m a strong proponent of food to heal first prior to supplementation, however, supplements can often be an effective tool. Many

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When we are sleeping, we actually are in motion— biochemical motion.

over the counter sleep aids contain these nutrients in varying amounts.

3. Stick to a Routine

The body does best with routine. While the human body is drawn to the thrill of new things, it can also be taxing on the body not to have balance around natural biological rhythms like sleep. The nervous system learns the patterns of routine and knows what to expect and how to respond to the day. The nervous system in turn “talks” to other aspects of your body to increase or decrease alertness and arousal. Making sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends, can help improve your overall sleep quality. It can often take up to two weeks to adapt to a set sleep schedule, so give it at least that long.

4. Consider Common Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids

Melatonin is one of the most common sleep aids. If you are chronically sleep deprived, lack essential nutrients, or suffer from a gamut of other factors that cause low melatonin levels, direct supplementation can be helpful.

There are rapid release and slow release forms of melatonin. The latter is often more beneficial to individuals that wake frequently at night as it allows for a more continuous release of melatonin over the course of the night. Typically 1-3 mg is best as larger amounts may impair the body’s natural production. Magnesium is also well tolerated and many stores offer magnesium supplements targeted toward sleep. These are often flavored and become fizzy when mixed with water. There are varying forms of magnesium, but magnesium citrate is the most readily available and often well tolerated. Healthy adults can tolerate 500-800 mg daily. Various herbs offer sleep support by helping gently sedate the body, as well as decrease feelings of anxiety, restlessness, and promote drowsiness. Most “sleepytime” teas contain ingredients like passionflower, lemon balm, chamomile, and kava kava, which all help sedate the nervous system and promote relaxation. For teas to be taken therapeutically they need to be steeped at least 5-10 minutes and the liquid squeezed out of the tea bag. This helps ensure that the active ingredients in the plant are best extracted. It’s also important to make sure your tea is fresh so that the herbs still contain active ingredients. Many of these herbs are also available in capsules or liquid forms, and in combination sleep aid products that often contain melatonin, magnesium, and B6. Your body is constantly listening and responding to the environment and stimuli like food, temperature, and routines. The changes above work best over time as they are not quick fixes. The aim is to retrain the body and nudge it back to its more optimal natural state. Prioritizing your sleep helps prioritize your health and happiness.

Dr. Allison Williams is a naturopathic doctor and professor. She has a passion for helping people improve their health and well-being so that they can live life to the fullest. She works with patients in Arizona and offers consultations out-of-state and internationally. For more information, visit D rAllisonWilliams.com

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Are We Weeding Out Our Future? A ubiquitous chemical has saturated our world, leading to physical abnormalities and a staggering decline in fertility Written by Jennifer Margulis

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usan and Chris Goodwin, who live in Charlotte, North Carolina, started trying to conceive when they were both 26. Though Susan stopped taking birth control six months before they married, they tried for a year without success. The Goodwins’ obstetrician referred them to a specialist but even the reproductive endocrinologists, after running dozens of tests, couldn’t find anything wrong. It was perplexing: The Goodwins were young and healthy. Even so, they endured three years of infertility. A new study in the journal Environmental Pollution has bad news for couples like the Goodwins who want to start a family. Scientists detected glyphosate and its adjuvant, AMPA, in the urine of over 90 percent of the pregnant women they sampled. The more glyphosate found in the pregnant women, the more problems were observed in the babies’ genitals—problems associated with later infertility. Glyphosate is the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. A synthetic chemical patented originally as a metal chelator and antibiotic, this weed-killer can be found in over 750 products. “The problem with glyphosate is that it’s everywhere,” says Mary Alionis, who has been an organic farmer for 30 years and is the owner of Whistling Duck Farm, a 22-acre organic farm in Grants Pass, Oregon. “Even if you don’t use it on your lawn or your garden, you’ve likely been exposed to it. You can’t get away from it. It’s on food, it’s on the roadways, it’s in the parks.” James Neuenschwander, M.D., a family physician based in White Lake, Michigan, agrees. “I can choose

not to use it, and I don’t,” Neuenschwander says, “but that doesn’t mean I can live free of glyphosate, I’m being exposed because my neighbor uses it or the farmer half a mile away is spraying his fields with it. It gets aerosolized and into the water. More importantly, even if I eat nothing but organic foods, it doesn’t guarantee that there’s no glyphosate in it from cross-contamination from commercial fields. I’ve been glyphosate-free for years, but I still have more glyphosate in my system than 60 percent of Americans. Something is definitely wrong with that.” And as our worldwide use of glyphosate has increased, so have our problems with fertility. Indeed, infertility issues are on the rise in the United States and worldwide. Couples wanting to become parents are facing a host of difficulties. “We see a fair number of people with fertility issues, especially men with sperm that are not fully functioning,” says Cammy Benton, M.D., an integrative family physician based in Huntersville, North Carolina. “They feel desperate. And they’re also broke. They’re financially strapped because of all the money they’ve spent on trying to get pregnant.” According to peer-reviewed research published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, sperm counts have declined a staggering 52 percent since 1973. Teenage boys and young adults are being plagued by decreasing levels of testosterone, which can affect sex drive, muscle and bone mass, as well as sperm production. At the same time, according to the Urology Care Foundation, testicular cancer, the most common form of can-

Left Many common weed killers that homeowners use to spruce up their yards contain glyphosate. Shutterstock Right The ubiquitous use of glyphosate in agriculture and weed control means it has saturated our soil and food. Shutterstock

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The average sperm count has dropped by 52 percent since 1973; research suggests that glyphosate and its adjuvants may have contributed significantly. Shutterstock

“The fact that environmental toxins are affecting fertility is no secret.” —Cammy Benton, M.D.

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cer in young people ages 15 to 34, is on the rise globally. According to one 2015 scientific review, “A spectacular rise in testicular germ cell cancer has occurred in all parts of the world.” As if that’s not enough, sexual desire among men is also down. A recent survey, done in Japan and published in Japan Today, found that nearly 45 percent of men ages 20 to 34 who had gone without sex for a year or more admitted they didn’t want or weren’t particularly interested in sex. What does all this have to do with glyphosate? Although we think of testosterone as a male hormone, too much or too little testosterone can also affect a woman’s fertility. One study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that testosterone affects the development of the follicles—the structures that hold and release eggs during ovulation. Ovulation issues are one main cause of infertility in women, along with miscarriage and early-onset menopause. Theories abound about the reasons for the decreasing birth rates and increasing infertility issues. Some pundits have blamed videogame addiction. Why have sex

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when you can live in a virtual world? Others say it’s due to economic instability. It’s hard to justify having a family when you are living with your parents and working a low-paying job. But Benton and other medical doctors and researchers argue that the underlying cause of infertility for both men and women is environmental. “We know that endocrine disruptors affect hormone function and the health of the sperm, in animals as well as in people,” Benton says. “The fact that environmental toxins are affecting fertility is no secret.” Which brings us back to the study on glyphosate in pregnant women. This study, led by Corina Lesseur, M.D./Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine, adds to a growing body of scientific evidence pointing to glyphosate and its adjuvants as the most pervasive environmental cause of the recent decline in human fertility. Female children of women exposed to glyphosate during pregnancy have abnormal genitalia, as measured by the distance between the anus and the nearest point of the genitals. A longer “anogenital distance” is more characteristic of males. In other studies as well, in both mammals and humans, scientists have found an association between maternal exposure to glyphosate and disrupted hormones in their offspring. “Female offspring with this abnormality are over-exposed to testosterone in utero,” says Brian Hooker, Ph.D., Frances P. Owen distinguished professor of biology at Simpson University in Redding, California. “And we know glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor. In fact, it’s known to suppress the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.” This genital defect is also a predictor of a condition in women called polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS is one of the main root causes of female infertility, associated with irregular menstrual cycles and sometimes a total lack of menstrual periods, as well as with excess growth of facial and body hair. In a recent study, women with the longest anogenital distance had nearly 19 times the risk of being diagnosed with PCOS compared to those with the shortest. In addition to fertility issues, women with PCOS are also at an increased risk of autism, both for them-

selves and their offspring. In a 2019 study, women with PCOS were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism, and also significantly more likely to have a child with autism. Another study found a positive correlation between fetal testosterone and autism in school-aged children. Yet another study looked at toddlers and found that children between 18 and 24 months of age who had traits associated with autism (less eye contact, a reduced vocabulary, narrower interests, and less empathy) also had higher levels of exposure to testosterone during gestation. Perhaps surprisingly, glyphosate seems to cause lower than normal testosterone in males as well. A 2010 study on exposure of prepubertal male rats to glyphosate found that glyphosate reduced testosterone production in the testes and reduced the level in the blood. After three years of trying, Susan Goodwin finally held a baby in her arms. A little boy with light brown hair and bright blue eyes. In the interim, she stopped eating all packaged and processed foods. This, she says, helped her have more energy and balance her hormones. Serenity Quesnelle, diagnosed with PCOS when she was 16 years old, hasn’t been as lucky. Quesnelle, who’s 27 and lives in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, has been trying to conceive for nearly four years. “I’ve seen multiple doctors and have just been left with the answer of ‘unexplained infertility,’” she says sadly, adding that she and her husband are doing everything they can to figure out the root cause. Quesnelle isn’t sure but she thinks the infertility stems from a poor diet growing up, along with taking dozens of rounds of antibiotics and other prescription medications. She believes glyphosate, too, is partly to blame. “I’m frustrated,” she says. “So many things that we know aren’t safe are still allowed to be sold, and even pushed on us.”

Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is a science journalist based in Oregon and the author of “Your Baby, Your Way.” Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., is a senior research scientist at MIT and the author of “Toxic Legacy.” Learn more at JenniferMargulis.net and StephanieSeneff.net

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Living With Nature’s Balancing Act Molovin Farm nourishes family and community while practicing responsible stewardship and respecting the harmony of the land Written & Photographed by Jennifer Schneider

e have all heard the classic saying, “you are what you eat”—but the energy in what you eat begins with the farmer. The produce and animals you consume are extensions of a farmer’s worldview. How natural and healthy the food you consume is, directly correlates with the practicing principles of your local farms. “You know what the best kind of organic certification would be?” said Joel Salatin, farmer, lecturer, and author. “Make an unannounced visit to a farm and take a good, long look at the farmer’s bookshelf. Because what you’re feeding your emotions and thoughts is what this is really all about.” Thumbing through the bookshelf at Molovin Farm in Arizona, you can find books such as “The One-Straw Revolution,” by Masanobu Fukuoka; “Folks, This Ain’t Normal” and “Family Friendly Farming,” by Joel Salatin; and

the spiritual book “Zhuan Falun,” by Li Hongzhi. All of these books directly inform farmer Diana Molovinsky’s principles on how to organically align with nature through personal, farming, and family practices, and on how to foster appreciation for the divine thumbprint that exists throughout life. “If you work with nature, it will give you what you need,” said Molovinsky. “Everything was given to us, as human beings, in perfect alignment—if we let it be.” Molovinsky is a mother of five, and co-owns Molovin Farm together with her husband Oren. In September of 2011, they bought 3.5 acres of land in Arizona. What began as a barren land of dust and tumbleweeds has been slowly cultivated into a desert oasis. Now, a decade later, the family has grown an all-natural and sustainable farm specializing in peaches, seasonal fruit, and natural, free-range eggs.

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Diana and her children practice Falun Dafa meditation at their farm. Through this ancient practice, the family has developed greater compassion and respect for nature.

It takes approximately seven years for a new farm to establish and be able to sustain itself naturally without too much human intervention. The goal at Molovin Farm is to create a natural farming production where the plants, wildlife, and animals all work together in harmony. The farm’s 150 chickens are some of its hardest workers. Not only do the chickens nutrify the soil with their own fertilization, they also spread compost and eat bugs, scorpions, and poisonous spiders. The Nigerian Dwarf goats are the walking, talking, and fertilizing weed wackers on the farm. Nature is self-regulating; creating an ecosystem encourages biodiversity among insects

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and animals, which is nature’s best pest control. At Molovin Farm, they rely on the natural process of elimination within their created ecosystem rather than resorting to pesticides or herbicides that kill both good and bad bugs. “I have to have faith that these farmers who have been doing this for thousands of years without pesticides, knew what they were doing,” Molovinsky said. “When we don’t panic and we remain diligent, nature will find a way. It seems like a very intricate process, but sometimes when you step away, it really just takes care of itself.” Nature plays the balancing act throughout the course of organically establishing a thriving ecosystem. When the number of bugs or

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insects increases, an influx of bird species is bound to follow. Where gophers and rodents seem to be out of control, owls and hawks will make their homes nearby.

Principles in Practice

Whether you’re a produce or animal farmer, you’re a soil farmer first. The health of vegetation, livestock, and our human bodies stems from the soil and water that grow our food. The question of how to make the soil healthier is a question that every natural farmer faces. Masanobu Fukuoka was an inspirational Japanese farmer, philosopher, and educator who has inspired Molovinsky’s method of farming. He strategized a technique of farm-

ing, referred to as “do-nothing farming,” that allows nature to flourish with little human intervention. It is not that you literally do nothing; rather, it is simply farming by subtraction. When people supplant and add unnecessary things to the environment, they distance themselves from the true state of nature. By eliminating tasks and thinking creatively, one can lean closer to nature, with fewer actions. He believed that most humans are not able to truly and completely understand nature, and he therefore advocated for a no-till, no-pesticide cultivation of crops. No-till farming is an agricultural technique where crops are planted without disturbing the soil or tilling it. It requires less

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energy input and yields higher production of crops. At Molovin Farm they use a no-till, nodig gardening method called lasagna gardening. Lasagna gardening involves building up layers of organic materials—carbon (mulch, leaves, or cardboard), compost, and amendments (chicken compost)—that break down over time, resulting in nutrient-rich soil. The compost used at Molovin Farm is a local organic compost consisting of worm castings and broken-down vegetation. To build an ecosystem from a barren desert landscape, Molovinsky started by planting rows of peach trees and other fruit-bearing trees. Trees are known to benefit agriculture by providing shelter, moisture, and biodiversity. With rows of a couple hundred trees,

Apple blossoms in full bloom and tomato seedlings emerging from the earth during springtime at Molovin Farm.

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Molovin Farm has become a bird sanctuary, attracting many species of birds, including egrets. The alley of trees also provides shade and shelter for the chickens during the summer months. Trees do well with minimal effort. There’s no need to rake fallen leaves, thin the fruit, or prune the trees. This approach to tree care is inspired by Masanobu’s method of farming by subtraction. There are a lot of nutrients in leaves, twigs, and small branches. When they fall, they feed back into the soil by nourishing roots and underground mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae are symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants. Fungi attach to a plant’s roots either by surrounding the roots externally or by growing inside them. Microscopic fungal threads interconnect un-

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Molovin Farm is home to various fruit trees, and peaches are a specialty.

derground, absorbing nutrients and passing them on to a plant’s roots.

Fruition of Family Farming

Operating a family farm requires teamwork and dedication from all members of the family. Children who grow up on a farm learn lessons in responsibility, teamwork, and problem-solving. The children have farm chores that need to be completed before they can enjoy their free time. This attitude of self-discipline carries over into all aspects of their personal lives, from school to careers and relationships. Children enjoy reaping the rewards of a bountiful harvest when all their hard work pays off. By witnessing the fruits of their labor, children can directly see the correlation between work and gain, which helps to in-

still confidence in their abilities. One major lesson from farm life is that of impermanence. The farm is an ever-evolving ecosystem in which the only constant is change. Children have to learn to adapt, solve problems, and process their emotions. On Molovin Farm, the children have seen the births and raising of goats, the raising of chicks, and also some deaths of their beloved farm animals. Experiencing death and the natural cycle of life helps children become more emotionally balanced and prepared for whatever life has in store for them. “My concern was: Are they going to be desensitized to death if they see it too much, and become little monsters that don’t value life?” Molovinsky said. “But it has been exactly the opposite. When they see a sick chick, they realize that there is a

The children collect eggs and care for the hens. Through caring for animals, children learn to put others’ lives before their own.

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The 150 chickens are some of the farm’s hardest workers.

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One major lesson from farm life is that of impermanence. The farm is an ever-evolving ecosystem in which the only constant is change.

The Dwarf Nigerian goats contribute by grazing, fertilizing the farm, and having fun with the children.

chance it could survive—and what a great feeling if they can help that life survive.” Through caring for animals, children learn to put others’ lives before their own. No matter how tired or upset a child may feel, their livestock need food and water, and it becomes a responsibility. These realizations also cultivate compassion and appreciation toward nature and animals. “We value all life; we don’t take life, but we also don’t intervene too much,” said Molovinsky. “If we are going to live as naturally as we can, death is inevitable.” The children at Molovin Farm have learned that if one of their livestock dies, then perhaps nothing more could have been done—the rest is in God’s hands. Because her family practices the Buddhist/ Daoist tradition of Falun Dafa, Molovinsky’s understanding is that all plants and animals have predestined relationships in this life, and she has developed greater appreciation, respect, and compassion for nature. Out of all the trees and livestock in the world, those at Molovin Farm are the ones that were fated to be raised there. “If there is a tree not getting enough water,” Molovinsky said, “we better figure it out, because that is our tree, and it could have gone to a better home—so if it chose our home, then we better take care of it.” Through the practice, Molovinsky said she was better able to understand the balance of nature as well as God’s hand in it. “All of this is here for us,” Molovinsky said. “The question is whether we squander it and take advantage of it—or do we nurture it and care for it because we appreciate that it was given to us as is?”

Shake the Hand That Feeds You

It is incredibly common that people, children and adults alike, know almost nothing about the sources of their food. If you ask your child where their food comes from, a typical answer is that it comes from the grocery store. When Molovinsky’s youngest child was in preschool, the class took a field trip to a grocery store. When they arrived at the eggs, the teacher asked the students if they knew where eggs came from. Molovinsky’s daughter bit her tongue while she looked in shock at the other children’s puzzled faces. As a young child, she didn’t realize that chicken rearing was not something everyone did. Even among adults, if you ask someone where that head of lettuce in their fridge was grown, they’ll have to look at the label before saying something like “Oh, it’s from Mexico,” or “a product of California, I guess.” “It should be that you know where some of your produce comes from—know some of your farmers,” said Molovinsky. “So hopefully we can make ourselves more accessible too.” Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for people to buy local, seasonal food directly from farmers. Getting involved with a CSA program is a great way to support your local farmers and get connected with the origins of your food. Molovin Farm started its CSA program in the summer of 2020. “People were worried about their food source, and wanted to get a little more connected to their farmers because of COVID,” said Molovinsky. “When people discovered farmers nearby, they were all friends with their farmer.” It’s natural for people to want to have a connection with their food. There is an innate excitement in seeing where food comes from and being able to harvest it. Because many people are growing more concerned with their food quality, dealing directly with a trusted, local farmer is the best option for ensuring your food security. There are CSA programs available throughout the nation. Research which ones are close to your neighborhood—and don’t forget to shake the hand that feeds you!

LIFESTYLE

Superfoods of the Longest-Living People Lifestyles and foods favored by the longest-living people around the world Written by Julie Daniluk

o you want to live to be 110? You might be surprised by how many people are reluctant to answer that question with enthusiasm. Many fear their final decade will be full of pain. So a better angle would be to focus on one’s health span rather than life span. What if you could live to be 110 with vitality, purpose, and happiness? Why do some people thrive well past 100 years of age with mobility, mental clarity, and energy, while others have their light snuffed out too soon? A supercentenarian is someone who has lived to their 110th birthday or beyond (Jeanne Calment of France still holds the record as having the longest confirmed human lifespan, of 122 years, 164 days). Remarkably, nearly all people who live this long are free of major age-related diseases like dementia, Type 2 diabetes, or autoimmune disease. When they finally pass away, they often go peacefully, during a nap for example. Is it luck? Genes? Or do they have habits that we can adopt that could lead us to this kind of graceful aging? As a holistic nutritionist and anti-inflammatory expert, I have spent my life seeking answers to this question, and the answer is a resounding yes.

Lifestyles of the Longest-Lived People

Contrary to gene theory, it is our lifestyle choices that make the greatest impact on longevity. Dan

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Buettner, a National Geographic explorer and author of “The Blue Zones,” has reported on distinct lifestyle practices that many people living over 100 with vitality have in common. The longest-living people reside in the following regions: Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Ogliastra Region, Sardinia; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Before looking at their diet, let’s review a few of the lifestyle habits that are common among the longest living on earth: Authentic Movement: All long-lived people get lots of exercise from physical work in gardens, farms, and around the house. Dog walking, bike riding, and gardening also contribute to the longevity “healthstyle.” Purpose: Instead of retirement, many centenarians embrace jobs that they love, including managing community gardens or taking care of grandchildren. Love: A cornerstone of longevity is expressing gratitude and sharing love with one’s tribe. The reduction of stress dramatically reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory Food: Menus of the long-lived are packed with anti-aging nutrients that have the power to enhance and extend life. A focus on plants, fiber, and omega-3 is key, and every menu has flavorful fats that make meals taste great!

Living longer is worth it if you’re living well. Getty Images 47

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Foods for Centenarians Let’s take a tour around the world to learn about some of the powerful foods eaten in longevity zones.

Contrary to gene theory, it is our lifestyle choices that make the greatest impact on longevity.

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Cocoa and coconuts keep Costa Ricans healthy and active. Shutterstock

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Costa Rica

Coconut: This fruit has different parts and uses: The liquid water portion contains high levels of B vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamin C; the dried kernel (copra) is mainly fat and used for oil extraction. The fatty-acid profile of coconut makes it one of today’s most popular superfoods. Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fats called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). These MCTs are absorbed and used quickly by the body as a source of energy, or are converted to ketone bodies beneficial for brain health. Coconuts and coconut oil also contain flavonoids and other polyphenols that act as antioxidants, protecting against free radicals, oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and cancer. Cocoa: Not only is cocoa delightful to eat, but contains approximately 380 bioactive compounds such as polyphenols (catechins) and methylxanthines. In fact, cocoa has a higher level of phenols than green tea and red wine, making it a powerful antioxidant. Studies show that regular consumption of cocoa rich in polyphenols is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. The high polyphenol profile increases HDL, decreases LDL, and improves blood sugar and blood pressure.

LIFESTYLE Sardinia

Dandelion Greens: These rank high in overall nutritional value amongst leafy greens and are loaded with antioxidants such as polyphenols, plus vitamins A and C. Their antioxidant potential is of significance for longevity because it decreases oxidative stress (which underlies the disease process) and slows down the aging of cells. Dandelion greens are also wonderful for protecting the liver and supporting its role as the body’s main detoxification organ, clearing toxins that can both age us and increase our risk of diseases. Fennel: In Indian and Greek mythology, fennel symbolizes longevity and immortality. Part of the parsley family, fennel is used both as a vegetable and a spice. It is well known as a natural remedy for digestive disorders and also acts as an anti-inflammatory food, reducing the risk of disease and increasing antioxidant activity in the body. It also affects cholesterol levels by increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and inhibiting the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL). Between that and its high potassium content, fennel can support the cardiovascular system. Sardines: They may be small in size and environmental footprint, but sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients such as vitamin D, selenium, and vitamin B12. The health benefits of omega-3s come from their anti-inflammatory action, which helps to prevent medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease. In fact, omega-3 fatty acids can keep LDL cholesterol in check, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels and nourishing the cardiovascular system.

Sardinia

Dandelion greens and fennel help fuel Sardinia’s centenarians. Shutterstock

Japan

Seaweed: This multicellular marine algae contains many bioactive compounds and polysaccharides that are not found in any terrestrial plant. Studies comparing Japanese to Western diets have linked the consumption of seaweed to a decrease in chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Many seaweed species contain healthy fatty acids like long-chain omega-3s and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are protective for the cardiovascular system. As well, seaweeds have anti-cancer properties as shown by studies linking seaweed to reduced cancer risk, especially breast cancer in premenopausal women via estrogen metabolism. Ginger: Rich in phytonutrients, ginger is frequently used as a spice and condiment to add flavor to food. But flavor and aroma is not the only reason to use ginger; its medicinal properties help to decrease inflammation, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Regular consumption of this herb can also decrease the risk of various cancers such as colorectal, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate. Gingerols, shogaols, and paradols are this plant’s main constituents that work to promote health and alleviate many ailments, even slowing the aging process in cells.

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Seaweed and ginger get some credit for the long lives of the Japanese. Shutterstock

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Garlic: This is a truly wonderful herb with strong healing powers. It can kill microbes (bacteria, fungus, viruses), lower blood pressure and cholesterol, thin the blood to prevent blood clots, and even prevent cancer. What makes it so powerful is its high content of sulfur compounds, which are responsible for its flavor, odor, and medicinal benefits. Another important component is allicin, which is what makes garlic such a terrific natural antibiotic that can kill or inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms including salmonella, E. coli, Staph aureus, and H. pylori, to name a few. Olives: Olives and olive oil are staples in the diets of those who populate the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. These people tend to have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and enjoy increased longevity and life expectancy. Olives are high in oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid) and phenols, which are both beneficial for normalizing cholesterol levels. Olive oil contains more squalene (a plant-based fat) than other seasoning oils. This compound has chemoprotective attributes that help cancer patients weather the damaging effects of chemotherapy. It is also linked to lower incidence of cancers. Olive oil’s components are anti-inflammatory and play a role in decreasing the inflammation involved in bone resorption in postmenopausal women, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis.

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Garlic and olives are staples among long-lived Greeks. Shutterstock

LIFESTYLE California

Avocados: Avocados deliver significant vitamin K, E, potassium, and magnesium. Avocados are also high in B vitamins, choline, phytosterols, and healthy fats that support a wide range of health benefits. Eating avocados every day can help keep cholesterol levels and body weight healthy. Avocados contain vitamin C and E, as well as xanthophylls (a class of carotenoids), which all act as antioxidants to protect against DNA damage. Not only are avocados great at supporting longevity internally, but when applied topically, they also inhibit the aging of the skin, due to highly bioavailable lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which protect against UV damage. Spirulina: This microalgae is rich in carotenoids and antioxidant compounds. Spirulina has been reported to decrease oxidative stress and reduce cholesterol levels. The exact compound in spirulina responsible for lowering cholesterol levels is still unknown but is suspected to be phycocyanin, a protein. Phycocyanin is also important for cancer prevention, along with beta-carotenoids, which can potentially help protect against cancer due to their antioxidant action and immune modulation characteristics. Spirulina is low in calories but high in nutrients, iodine, folate, and magnesium.

Menus of the long-lived are packed with anti-aging nutrients that have the power to enhance and extend life.

Nutritionist and TV personality Julie Daniluk is the award-winning and bestselling author of three books, including “Meals That Heal Inflammation” and “Hot Detox.” Her fourth book, “Becoming Sugar-Free,” will be released in September 2021 by Penguin/Random House. Julie is in her 11th season as the nutrition expert for “The Marilyn Denis Show.” For more information see JulieDaniluk.com, Facebook & Instagram @juliedaniluk

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Avocados and spirulina are popular superfoods in California. Shutterstock

LIFESTYLE

‘Hot Detox’ Fennel Ginger Salad

Recipes and photos from “Hot Detox.” Reprinted with permission from Julie Daniluk.

This salad combines the anti-inflammatory power of fennel with the pungent, digestion-stimulating effects of ginger. • • • • • • •

Serves 8 4 cups sliced fennel 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped 1 large tangerine, peeled and sectioned 1 large pear, cubed 1 large apple, cubed 1 large ripe avocado, cubed

Dressing: • 1/4 cup sugar-free pickled ginger, chopped** • 4 Tbsp grapeseed Veganaise • 4 Tbsp organic olive oil • 2 tsp umbertos plum paste* or 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a cup, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad. Toss gently and serve immediately. *Can be purchased from health food stores or international food aisles at many grocery stores. **Be sure to read the ingredients of the pickled ginger as some companies use food closuring and sweeteners.

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LIFESTYLE

Coconut Blueberry Thrill Smoothie

The blueberries, kale and coconut milk in this nourishing shake will provide you with an antioxidant boost while the hemp seeds offer not only a dose of complete protein but also a rich source of plant-based omega-3s.

Illustrations by Shutterstock

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Serves 2 2 cups frozen organic blueberries 1 cup chopped kale, tightly packed 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup hemp seeds 1 tbsp raw honey or 10 drops of liquid stevia for a low-carb option 1 cup canned coconut milk 1 cup water 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

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‘Perfumed’ Grilled Lamb Chops

J. Freishter

(Costolette di Agnello Profumate)

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From Andrea Belfiore Chef and founder, Italia Like Locals New York City

Back home in Italy, a whole, oven-roasted suckling lamb with potatoes—agnello da latte con patate al forno—was always the centerpiece of Andrea Belfiore’s Easter Sunday lunch. Before he moved to America 15 years ago, his family’s festive gatherings were fueled with as much “fighting” as laughter, and plenty of vino: Rosso Conero, the local wine from his hometown, Ancona. Now, he still likes to roast a whole suckling lamb for his Easter feast, but if the weather is nice, he might also dust off the grill and head to the butcher for lamb chops. What to look for? “The fattier, the better,” he said. He marinates the chops overnight, in a fragrant sauce that draws upon different regional traditions across Italy: “extra-virgin olive oil from Puglia, zest and peel from Sorrento’s lemons, juniper berries from Sardinia, some thyme, and of course tons of garlic and rosemary.”

Serves 4

12 lamb chops (3 per person) 2 tablespoons juniper berries 8 garlic cloves 3 organic lemons (with thick peels, just like the ones from Sorrento) 6 sprigs rosemary 3 sprigs thyme Crushed black peppercorn, to taste Extra-virgin olive oil Salt, to taste

The day before, place the lamb chops into a bowl. Crush the juniper berries with a knife or a mortar and pestle. Crush the garlic cloves, but keep the peel on; we call this “in camicia.” Use a peeler and a grater to get the peel from 1 lemon and the zest from the other 2 lemons. Profumare! Add everything to the lamb: the crushed juniper, crushed garlic, lemon peel and zest, rosemary, thyme, and a bit of crushed black peppercorn. Now add a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix with your hands. Transfer everything into a ziplock bag and let marinate in the fridge overnight. The next day, take the meat out of the fridge an hour before cooking. Turn on the grill—better if charcoal. If you don’t have a grill, you can use a cast iron pan. Add some salt to the lamb just before cooking. Place the lamb on the grill above that roaring fire. Cook 1 to 2 minutes max on each side. Sometimes, while cooking, I splash the lamb with a mix of lemon juice and olive oil. The meat should be pink in the center.

LIFESTYLE

Pickled Shrimp

This recipe is one of my go-to’s during warmer months because it takes little prep work and can be prepared in advance of a cocktail party or family gathering. Remember that once you’ve poached the shrimp for a couple minutes, it’s important to transfer them to the fridge immediately. When ready, you can add the pickled shrimp to your favorite salad or serve it as a standalone appetizer.

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Illustrations by Shutterstock

From Wesley Fulmer Executive chef, Motor Supply Co. Bistro Columbia, South Carolina

J. Freishter

Serves 10 to 12

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2 1/2 pounds (21 to 25) tail-on shrimp 2 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning 1 teaspoon celery seed 3/4 teaspoon red chile flakes 4 juniper berries 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sea salt 6 tablespoons lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 6 bay leaves 1/4 cup picked flat-leaf parsley 1/2 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced

Add Old Bay seasoning to a large pot of boiling water. Let the seasoning boil for approximately 5 minutes, and then turn down to medium heat, or just under a boil. Add shrimp and let poach for about 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are just a little pink and just about undercooked through. Take the shrimp out, place on a sheet tray, and place immediately in the refrigerator. Important: The shrimp need to be transferred to the refrigerator as quickly as possible. Place the celery seed, chile flakes, and juniper in a sauté pan and toast on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, moving the pan back and forth as you go. Remove pan from heat when aroma begins to intensify and transfer spices to the refrigerator to cool. After the toasted spices have cooled, rough chop and place in a container with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt, lemon juice, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, and onion. Add cold shrimp and toss until all are coated and submerged. Use saran wrap to wrap up tightly and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before use.

LIFESTYLE

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

From Chris Valdes Chef and YouTube host, Cooking With Chris Miami, Florida

I’m team breakfast, which means I love making and eating breakfast anytime throughout the day, and I have no shame in it. My lemon ricotta pancakes are the perfect dish to make during springtime: fluffy, with the perfect amount of sweetness and a lemony punch. This dish is soon to be a favorite in your household as it is in mine. Since quarantine began, I had to get creative with our household dishes, and everyone was tired of eating typical pancakes. I added some fresh ricotta and the zest and juice of a lemon to make them bright. The star ingredient is the lemon: It amazes me what the juice and zest of just one lemon can do to a dish. Fresh ingredients will make any spring dish even better. Pass by your local farmers market and pick up a few vibrant lemons, maple syrup, and even some fresh ricotta cheese from the local farm.

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Serves 4 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup whole milk 1/2 cup fresh ricotta 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Juice and zest of 1 lemon (No seeds) Butter, or cooking spray Maple syrup, for topping

J. Freishter

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, ricotta, and eggs. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and zest. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until fully combined. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using a ladle, ladle pancake batter onto skillet. Cook until bubbles start to form, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, another 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup or syrup of choice. Topping ideas: ricotta, milk chocolate, berries, whipped cream, or bananas.

Farmhouse Charm A careful restoration turns a 19th-century country house in Ibiza into an idyllic hotel getaway Written by Beth Hendricks

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The Cas Gasi hotel in Ibiza, Spain. All photos courtesy of Cas Gasi

iles away from the ordinary, yet mere minutes from the glitz and glam Ibiza has become world-famous for, is a quaint hotel in a picturesque valley. Nestled amid sumptuous orchards and olive trees, Cas Gasi is a 19th-century Spanish country house that was transformed from private residence to luxury hotel more than two decades ago. Its whitewashed exterior is surrounded by lush vegetation, while the interior is resplendent in warm hues, handpainted tilework, and Moroccan-inspired textiles. Known for its privacy as well as its proximity to the sparkling nightlife, Cas Gasi is a favorite of loyal visitors who return to the carefully curated 12-room property time and again. “The original farmhouse is from 1880, and it belonged to the family whose name it still has, the Gasi family,” according to Cas Gasi Founder and Director Margaret von Korff. The main house contained five rooms, while adjoining structures included animal pens and spaces to store tools, carts, and carriages. According to Balearic law, the eldest son of the Gasi family would become the primary recipient of the family’s inheritance, including the farmhouse. He eventually sold the property to a person from Mallorca, who later also wished to sell it—looking for someone who would not simply buy the home, but fall in love with it. When von Korff and her husband, Luis Trigueros, entered the house for the first time, it was “love at first sight,” von Korff said. “Was it luck, or was it fate?” she thought. They bought the property, a traditional “finca”—literally meaning estate, a piece of land in the Spanish countryside, usually with a farmhouse or cottage—in 1989. Von Korff described the house as being in relatively good condition at the time. Thick whitewashed stone walls protected it from both harsh hot and cold temperatures. Sabina beams held the flat roof, designed to collect rainwater and move it to a cistern. Small windows let in natural light. Yet the roof required restoration, and humidity presented a problem. Neither of its new owners, with two small children in tow, envisioned the home would become the Mediterranean getaway it is today; they initially thought of it only as a private home.

Above The farmhouse had thick whitewashed stone walls—preserved in the restoration—to protect it from harsh hot and cold temperatures.

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“To build anew is more difficult than to restore,” von Korff said. “The traditional elements and proportions were fundamental to keep the soul of the house. [It was a] partial restoration, lovingly guided ... on a day-by-day basis, with the architect integrating their ideas and points of view.” No effort was too great and no detail was too small, said von Korff, adding that the team wished to stick to the sober character of Spanish farmhouses and avoid fancy elements. Damaged beams were exchanged, yet the originals remained as “an important aesthetic element,” she said. The floors were renewed with handmade terracotta tiles and enhanced with floor heating beneath. Orange groves and almond, fig, locust, and olive trees that were part of the original 9-acre farmland remained—the latter producing organic cold-pressed olive oil for the hotel’s restaurant. The couple also wanted to retain the existing harmony between the property and surrounding countryside, so they added rose orchards, vegetable plots, farm animals, and later, two swimming pools.

Above Fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s orchards and garden are incorporated into its restaurant’s menu. Far left A calming private view from one of the guest bathrooms. Left Cas Gasi’s furnishings feature vibrant colors. 63

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The property is designed in the style of a traditional “finca”—literally meaning estate—a piece of land in the Spanish countryside, usually with a farmhouse or cottage.

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As the idea to build a hotel centered on agro-tourism was born, the goal became to share the beauty of Cas Gasi with travelers from around the world, yet maintain its authenticity, purposeful furnishings, and sustainability. Animal pens were converted into exquisite guest rooms. Gardens, a spa and yoga deck, and a restaurant were added in stages. “It is easy to buy new; it is a statement to wear old,” said von Korff, who herself is well-traveled and has a keen eye for detail. “[I am a] strong supporter of everything which has stood the test of time, since it makes it more valuable. It has something to tell.” To that end, von Korff filled the hotel with antiques from her family home, sourced by her parents from different European countries. Eclectic pieces of furniture include those handcrafted by local artisans, and others collected via a sophisticated shopping scene among Ibiza’s auction houses and antiques shops. Personal touches are apparent throughout the hotel’s dozen rooms, including a

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thoughtfully stocked library, a kitchen that draws from the property’s vegetable gardens, and luxuries beyond the first glance, including feather pillows and luxurious linens. Situated on a sunny hillside, von Korff said she wanted Cas Gasi to represent the idea of “farmers becoming hosts to visitors,” despite the shift toward bespoke accommodations that promise the perfect Mediterranean escape. “We are ambassadors to the island’s culture and bounty,” she said.

To shop for patio furniture and furnishings inspired by Cas Gasi’s aesthetic, turn the page.

Left The hotel restaurant’s design hints at the verdant outdoors just steps away. Below A view of the mountains from one of Cas Gasi’s guest rooms.

Cas Gasi’s hotel restaurant affords a view of the great outdoors. Courtesy of Cas Gasi

Citron Napkins by Williams Sonoma, Set of Four, $39.95, Williams-Sonoma.com These cotton napkins decorated with Meyer lemons will add a pop of color to brighten the table—and the ambience. Manoir Dinner Plate by Villeroy & Boch, $17.99, Villeroy-Boch.com The 270-year-old French-German ceramics manufacturer Villeroy and Boch makes a line of porcelain tableware that is elegant, yet unpretentious.

Los Altos Keeling Woven Side Chair by Tommy Bahama, $829, TommyBahamaFurniture.com These Tommy Bahama chairs let you unwind comfortably. The rattan frames are accentuated by twisted banana leaves bound by leather strapping.

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Italian Washed Linen Napkins by Williams Sonoma, Set of Four, in Verdi and Yellow, $49.95, Williams-Sonoma.com For earthier tones, these crinkle-finished napkins are the ideal choice. They are made by a family-owned company in Italy.

LIFESTYLE Sedona Small Pendant by Capital Lighting, $224, Lumens.com The hotel restaurant has a space that opens outdoors. If you also have a room that opens up to your patio or backyard, consider using this light fixture, which has a weathered texture thanks to the oxidized brass or nickel.

Cas Gasi Hotel Shop the Look With These Products Written by Annie Wu & Sunny Lo

Sunbrella White Sand Patio Umbrella by Crate and Barrel, $459, CrateAndBarrel.com Seek shelter from the sun with this 9-foot-wide umbrella in a chic white shade. The pole is made with responsibly sourced eucalyptus wood.

Valerie Original Dining Table by Grain Wood Furniture, $399, GrainWoodFurniture.com The Cas Gasi Boutique Hotel’s new restaurant space is bright and inviting with lots of wooden furniture, for an idyllic countryside vibe. Made with solid pine wood from Brazil, this table has a rustic finish, as if it belongs in a 19th-century farmhouse.

With these furnishings, Cas Gasi Ibiza’s cozy, rustic settings can be re-created with your own patio, or any other outdoor space—perfect for spending your days soaking in the sun.

Fleur de Lis Hose Pot by Frontgate, $199, Frontgate.com This pot is the perfect way to put away your garden hose; made with a terracotta finish that gives off vintage charm.

ARTS

Landscapes of the Sublime Written by Jeff Perkin

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Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. —William Wordsworth

n times when “progress” charts a potentially perilous course for humanity, it’s the role of art to remind us of our connection to life, both inside and outside ourselves. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as the industrial revolution transformed the human experience in the Western world, artists had serious concerns about its impact on both nature and the human soul. When governments and industries lead humanity forward unconsciously, it’s the individual’s thoughts and connection to the divine that act as a light in the darkness. The scientific rationalism and reductionism of the “Enlightenment” period persuaded a large chunk of humanity that the profound mystery of life could eventually be categorized, explained, mechanized, and reduced in service of man. The pride of man’s intellect, invention, and progress promised dominion over nature and prosperity for all. Artists, writers, and philosophers of the Romantic period were greatly at odds with this way of thinking. For Romanticists, the natural world was a source of sublimely transcendental beauty and meaning. Its mystery and miraculous complexity were perennial contemplative food for the soul. Their works sought to illustrate this belief and restore man’s connection to the divine, inside and out.

Divine Relationship With Nature “Among the Sierra Nevada, California” by Albert Bierstadt, 1868. Oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Public Domain

Artists of the Romantic period in Europe were witnessing a disturbing transformation firsthand. As urban centers grew, severe economic impacts, due to the paradigm shift in production, displaced farmers who could no longer afford the way of life they had always known. Artists such as John Constable, the wealthy son of a rural landowner, painted scenes from agrarian life in an attempt to elevate it in the hearts and minds of people who were seeing it become more endangered. To Constable, “painting is but another word for feeling,” and he clearly shared the Romanticist’s feeling that people needed to be reminded of their intrinsic connection to nature. Paintings like “The Haywain” were a celebration of pastoral life. Figures were not the central focus of his landscapes, but rather part of a larger synergistic whole. People are portrayed as beings interacting within the larger being of the landscape. Great distances and impressive clouds feature prominently as though to invoke a sense of this larger being as the figures go about their work. Light filters from the sky through the leaves and across the surface of the water. Life is imbued throughout Romantic paintings without need for a definitive figurative focus. It was the unity of man with nature

ARTS

that artists like Constable aimed to religiously depict. In their pantheistic view, when nature was abandoned or trampled, the human spirit would also be in turmoil. In Germany, Caspar David Friedrich painted scenes with similar Romantic reformational themes. Among the first northern European transcendental landscape artists, Friedrich passionately stated, “The artist should not only paint what he sees before him, but what he sees within him.” This spiritual and philosophical imperative was indicative of the Romantic commitment to achieving individual states of consciousness that revealed the divine presence in nature. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote at the time that “deep thinking is attainable only by a man of deep feeling, and all truth is a species of revelation.” Friedrich’s most renowned work, “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” from 1818, invites viewers on a quest for revelation through solitary union with nature. The anonymous central figure has his back turned, allowing the viewer to engage him as an archetypal explorer looking out into a mountainous landscape enshrouded in clouds. This solitary figure stands perched above the clouds, looking as though he were ready to step into a higher dimension of existence—to disappear into eternity and union with God. Friedrich’s painting strives to fulfill the Transcendentalist words of author Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote,

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“Standing on the bare ground, my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.”

Romanticism Spreads Westward

America held the promise of a new world full of undisturbed natural beauty and a vast potential for expansion. Proponents of Manifest Destiny held that it was God-given destiny that the new inhabitants of America’s east coast spread westward. A group of Romanticist painters on the east coast, known as the Hudson River School, questioned the morality of America’s direction while also striving to depict the holiness they perceived in America’s breathtaking landscapes. Thomas Cole, regarded as the leader of the Hudson School, emigrated with his family to the United States in 1818. Known best for his allegorical landscapes in both series “The Course of Empire” and “The Voyage of Life,” Cole painted natural scenes deeply imbued with philosophical and spiritual meaning. One of his most famous landscapes is known as “The Oxbow,” and depicts a popular view from Mount Holyoke in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1836. In his “Essay on American Scenery,” Cole stated, “The imagination can scarcely conceive Arcadian vales

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Left “The Hay Wain” by John Constable, 1821. Oil on canvas. Presented by Henry Vaughan, 1886. National Gallery, London. Public Domain Above “View From Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, After a Thunderstorm (The Oxbow)” by Thomas Cole, 1836. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Public Domain Right “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich, circa 1817. Oil on canvas. Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany. Public Domain Next page “Rainy Season in the Tropics” by Frederic Edwin Church, 1866. Oil on canvas. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Public Domain

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ARTS “A Country Home” by Frederic Edwin Church, 1854. Oil on canvas. Seattle Art Museum. Public Domain

more lovely or more peaceful than the valley of the Connecticut—its villages are rural places where trees overspread every dwelling, and the fields upon its margin have the richest verdure.” This sentiment is captured on the right side of his split composition “The Oxbow.” On the left, a dark storm with lightning enshrouds a wild area of untamed beauty. It seems to be a divine warning that humanity dare not take more than what it needs from the natural world. A small self-portrait of the painter can be found somewhat hidden on the mountain, looking back at the viewer ambivalently as if to pose the question, “Can humanity limit its destructive tendencies?” Cole further expresses his respect for undisturbed nature by saying, “There are those who regret that with the improvements of cultivation, the sublimity of the wilderness should pass away: for those scenes of solitude from which the hand of nature has never been lifted, affect the mind with a more deep-toned emotion than aught which the hand of man has touched. Amid them the consequent associations of God the creator— they are his undefiled works, and the mind is cast into the contemplation of eternal things.” According to Associationist doctrine at the time, God was present in the landscape, and this presence could be experienced in America particularly because it was “untamed.” This belief elevated the landscape to a divine being in the minds of the Romanticists, and they endeavored to paint it as such. Nature to them was sublime, which philosopher Edmund Burke defined as “awe mixed with terror.” Foreboding weather and dramatic chiaroscuro enhanced this sense of awe and terror in paintings of Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt. The force of nature commands the respect and humility of humanity while simultaneously providing us abundant sustenance and astonishing beauty. It’s difficult to look at paintings like these and not see the hand of the divine. Portraying the profound beauty of lands west of the Rocky Mountains, Albert Bierstadt gave Americans increased impetus to travel westward. The sublime, almost otherworldly scenes he painted are works that capture the transcendental magnificence of the natural wonders from which he gained inspiration. One can only imagine the revelry these images would have inspired in people who had never seen such sights. In our

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modern times, where every computer comes with Yosemite desktop background options, it’s hard to imagine the overwhelming feeling paintings like “Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains” would impress on viewers. For those that experienced the divine through nature, it must have been akin to religious worship. Like temples of worship, these natural wonders were to be revered and not tarnished. Westward expansion enabled artists to see such sights while also making them apprehensive about humanity’s growing impact on the untamed world. The railway system of trains that spread across America’s landscape was called “a winged horse or fiery dragon” by the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau. The train tore through landscapes in a powerful, loud, and efficient new way. The reality of the conquest of Native Americans must not have sat well in the conscience of many Americans, including Bierstadt, who respectfully painted them at peace amidst the landscape in several of his great works. Nevertheless, “progress” plowed forward, and those captains of industry leading the charge were ironically also the most eager and able to purchase Bierstadt’s paintings.

Protecting Parts of Paradise

Works and words from Romanticist and Transcendentalist artists and writers must have provided some of the momentum toward the beginning of the national park system in the United States. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an ever-increasing need and desire to preserve America’s natural wonders. In 1832, artist George Catlin wrote that these areas needed to be preserved “by some great protecting policy of government ... in a magnificent park, a nation’s park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of nature’s beauty!” It was the fruition of this idea that created protected places where millions of people continue to pilgrimage every year as though to commune with the divine in nature. Frederic Edwin Church ventured abroad in search of the sublime with voyages that took him to the tropics, South America, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Newfoundland, and other places. He brought back wild scenes that were enhanced in sublimity by his Transcendentalist imagination. “Rainy Season in the Tropics” is a masterful tribute to the creative beauty of nature heightened for dramatic effect. A double rainbow

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and a dreamlike, light-filled landscape give the viewer the sense of a land of Edenic beauty. Church was also highly regarded for American scenes such as “A Country Home,” depicting an area on the edge of the Hudson River. In true Romantic form, small figures are painted as details in a grand, harmonious environment. Small children are seen fishing with their mother waiting on shore for them to come to dinner, and a colorful sunset embraces everything approvingly in its warm glow. Cows graze in open grass, and the natural world is enhanced and largely undisturbed by the presence of the people therein. Transcendentalists felt humans were at their best in a state of self-reliance and freedom. They believed that society corrupts individuals and removes them from a natural way of life; an ongoing source of contemplation and struggle. Perhaps for this reason, these paintings continue to call out to the human spirit in a time when a significant number of people are exiting large cities in search of a more agrarian lifestyle.

Society has parted man from man, neglectful of the universal heart. —William Wordsworth Romantic and Transcendentalist paintings hold a timeless significance for humanity. They remind us that the human experience is so much more than staring at screens. For them, a larger being not only created the world, but is the source of life within it. As humanity enters a “fourth industrial revolution,” an “internet of things” composed of radiation-based technologies further threatens the natural world; birds, bees, trees, humans, and all. It would serve us well to consider the cumulative impacts of our actions, and our addictions, on the world and on ourselves, both seen and unseen. A more beautiful world awaits our humbled participation. Jeff Perkin is a graphic artist and an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach available at WholySelf.com

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ARTS “Allegory of the Planets and Continents” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1752. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Public Domain

A Return to Divine Beauty

Socrates and Phaedrus Written by Eric Bess

e’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but what does this mean and does it hold weight? In this series, we’ll take a casual look at the philosophical debates concerning our experiences with beauty and art. Through questions and reflection, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of beauty and art and their place in our lives. In 1752, the Italian artist, Giovanni Tiepolo, produced a sketch for the staircase ceiling of Carl Philipp von Greiffenklau, prince-bishop of Würzburg. Tiepolo called this work of art, “Allegory of the Planets and Continents,” and it revealed his ambitious plans for the prince-bishop’s ceiling. The sketch depicts Apollo, Greco-Roman god of the sun, music and poetry, order and beauty. Apollo is shown in the heavens to the left of the composition, and he is about to begin his daily journey carrying the sun on his chariot. He can be seen in the distance, the brilliance of the sun like a halo behind his head and torso. The gods around Apollo also correspond to the movement of the celestial bodies. To the bottom left are Mars and Venus. When together, Venus, goddess of beauty, distracts Mars, god of war, with her beauty, and there is peace as a result. Mercury, mostly known for being god of messages

and communication, is to the top left. To the right of Mercury are Jupiter, god of the sky and thunder, and Saturn, the god associated with time. Tiepolo framed his depiction of the heavens with clusters of high-contrast figures that compositionally appear closer to us. The four sides that frame the composition represent the excellence of the four continents known at that time: Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. At first glance, this sketch simply reveals an imaginative scene in which the heavens and earth coexist; the gods take their course throughout the sky, and humans live out the stories that come to compose history. Upon closer inspection, however, this sketch, in relation to Plato’s “Phaedrus,” opens up a broader discussion on aesthetics and beauty.

Socrates and Phaedrus

In Plato’s “Phaedrus,” Phaedrus convinces Socrates to leave the city of Athens, something Socrates never does, to hear a speech on love. Socrates agrees and follows Phaedrus into the countryside to listen to the clever speech. After listening to Phaedrus recite the speech in his possession, Socrates—claiming to be overcome and inspired by the gods—criticizes Phaedrus’s speech and produces his own speech, one that questions the irrationality

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of love. But his criticism of love does not sit well with him, and Socrates produces a third speech celebrating love as something divine, and parts of this speech will be the focus here. Socrates’s third speech is summed up as follows: The gods ride their chariots to the edge of heaven “where its circular motion carries them around as they stand while they gaze upon what is outside heaven.” What they witness outside of heaven nourishes them, and the circular motion brings them back to where they started. On the way, they view Justice, Self-Control, and Knowledge as they are absolutely, and they drink ambrosia before resting. This is the life of the gods. Souls are immortal and live as if they are pulled by a chariot that has two horses: one rational and one irrational. In heaven, these souls attempt to follow the gods as closely as possible. Only those who make themselves most like the god they follow will be successful. The other souls are unable to control and balance the horses that guide their chariot; they fall behind the gods and are unable to see the truth of things. Unable to gaze upon the truth, the souls are overcome with forgetfulness; they shed their wings and fall to earth. The souls incarnate on earth into animals or humans. Living a human life with injustice will reap the soul a bad fate, but living life with justice will reap a good fate and may potentially help the soul replenish its wings. And here is where beauty comes in: here, on earth, the soul sees the divine in the truly beautiful. Beauty on Earth helps the soul remember the god it followed in heaven; beauty on Earth helps the soul remember the divine path it once took, and such beauty inspires divine love. Here, the memory of heaven is the standard for beauty. Witnessing this beauty, the soul stands outside of human concerns, and Socrates calls this “madness.” He says, “Now this takes me to the whole point of my discussion of the fourth kind of madness—that which someone shows when he sees the beauty we have down here and is reminded of true beauty; then he takes wing and flutters in his eagerness to rise up, but is unable to do so; and he gazes aloft, like a bird, paying no attention to what is down below—and that is what brings on him the charge that he has gone mad.” Unfortunately, though all souls have witnessed a certain level of truth, not all souls are able to be reminded of this truth by way of beauty: “But not every soul is easily reminded of the reality there by what it finds here—not souls that got only a brief glance at the reality there, not souls who had such

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bad luck when they fell down here that they were twisted by bad company into lives of injustice so that they forgot the sacred objects they had seen before.” From this point of view, beauty in an absolute sense is inseparable from justice, which for Socrates is morality. In other words, for Socrates, morality is a necessary precursor to experiencing divine beauty, the type of beauty that overwhelms the human soul making it care more for its memory of heaven than for the world it now occupies. Even in heaven, the souls that see the most of the reality there are the souls that are most like the god they follow. The souls that fall behind are least like the god they follow, which suggests that they are immoral in terms of the standard for that god.

Beauty That Points to the Divine

Returning to Tiepolo’s painting, the people of earth— all races, cultures, ethnicities, and so on—are depicted below the heavens, adorned with cultural elements that make them identifiable. The gods above represent the movement of the planets and stars in the sky, as well as light, beauty, order, communication, love, war, and time. The humans below are unable to escape what the gods above represent. We are all confined to this small planet that is suspended in a space and time that appears to us to be infinite; we are unable to exist absent from the concepts represented by the gods. The cultures found across all of the continents have placed importance on the sky’s movement, to the light of the sun and the illumination of wisdom, to communicating tradition, to the joys of love and the woes of war, all under the banner of a movement we call time. Tiepolo’s painting can “remind” us of this. Socrates suggests that beauty can remind us of heavenly truth. This suggests that culture can be divinely inspired if the arts of each culture attempt to shock the soul into remembering the sights it saw in heaven, which requires that artists contemplate the heavens and what it means to make divinely inspired objects for their respective culture. According to Socrates, if such objects are able to make souls remember heaven, the souls will be overcome with the madness of divine love and potentially regain their wings. Postmodern thought has attempted to deconstruct this absolute view of beauty. How can the beauty of Europe be absolute for the beauty of Africa? How can the beauty of the Americas be absolute for the beauty of China? Admittedly, the enforcement of absolutes across cultures often leads to problems. But this doesn’t mean that each culture doesn’t have a heavenly standard with which they can identify. The

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A detailed closeup of “Allegory of the Planets and Continents.” Public Domain

history of cultures around the world suggests that each has, at one point or another, a golden age that corresponds with an understanding of divinity. Does Socrates’s exposition of divine beauty offer us a way to create beautiful and sacred objects that inspire divine love? Or do his ideas of absolute beauty, truth, and justice inevitably lead to one culture attempting to dominate another with its absolutes? Eric Bess is a practicing representational artist and is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.

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Seeing Beauty Written by Emina Melonic “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction” by Roger Scruton

The idea of transcendental principles in both art and culture is what drives Scruton’s reflections in his book. Without knowing the sacred and the divine, we will have difficulty comprehending the earthly realities of life. In particular, Scruton sees this is in Simone Martini’s painting “The Annunciation” (1333), in which “the experience of human beauty opens to our vision of another realm—divine but no less human—in which beauty lies above and beyond desire, a symbol of redemption.” Great art and beauty awaken us to the reality that the sphere of holiness is something far bigger than ourselves, and yet it affirms our humanity. Thus, viewing Martini’s painting also becomes a spiritual and religious experience, inviting us to reflect on our relationship to God. Scruton is right to point out that beauty inevitably brings forth contemplation. It’s precisely in this moment, when we catch a glimpse of something beautiful, that we may experience pure delight. This contemplative joyfulness connects us to the past and grounds us firmly in gratitude for the present moment. “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction” by Roger Scruton, Oxford University Press, 2011. Emina Melonic writes about books, films, and culture. Her work has been published in The New Criterion, Claremont Review of Books, Law and Liberty, and Splice Today, among others.

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British philosopher Roger Scruton (1944– 2020) was a defender of beauty and traditional art throughout his long writing career. In his book “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction,” Scruton guides the reader through the world of the beautiful: from art to architecture to nature to even the simple pleasures of everyday acts, such as eating. He writes that “we discern beauty in concrete objects and abstract ideas, in works of nature and works of art, in things, animals, and people, in objects, qualities and actions.” Scruton elegantly imparts that art has to contain the notion of goodness and harmony, as opposed to chaos, which turns art into politics. For Scruton, art is not subjective and, most certainly, not everything can be defined as art. This is why intellectual distinctions are necessary. In order to truly see beauty, we must be willing to look beyond politics and other disordered impositions. Scruton draws from the philosophical well of Plato, who partly saw beauty as a human desire to move toward perfection. Beauty is not something that is separated from the human experience. In fact, when we acknowledge beauty, we also acknowledge the depth and breadth of human life. As Scruton writes, “the feeling for beauty is proximate to the religious frame of mind, arising from a humble sense of living with imperfections, while aspiring toward the highest unity with the transcendental.”

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Freedom Through Leisure in ‘Leisure: The Basis of Culture’ A philosopher explains how man’s spiritual nature makes laziness and idleness the complete opposite of leisure Written by Emina Melonic “Leisure: The Basis of Culture” by Josef Pieper

From top: Designed by pch.vector/Freepik, Shutterstock

e are a society that all too often focuses on work, but do we ever stop and think about rest and leisure? What constitutes work, and for that matter, what exactly is leisure? German philosopher Josef Pieper (1904–1997) delves deeply into this question in his classic work, “Leisure: The Basis of Culture.” Here, Pieper demonstrates that “overvaluing the sphere of work” in our lives is detrimental to individual lives and culture at large. He doesn’t suggest there’s no value in labor. However, we do have to ask to what end are we toiling? The culture is affected by an attitude that places work above everything else. In fact, culture ceases to exist if work is the only thing that drives the machinery of life. As Pieper writes, “Culture depends for its very existence on leisure, and leisure, in its turn, is not possible unless it has a durable and consequently living link with the cultus, with divine worship.” The impact of focus on work and a neglect of leisure clearly has spiritual consequences for Pieper. If we fail to nourish the spirit, then work too will become meaningless. Work only has meaning if it contains a link to leisure. There are too many instances in our society in which leisure is associated, if not fully equated, with laziness or idleness. But for Pieper, this kind of state is a complete opposite of leisure because it denies that man has a spiritual dimension to his life. “Leisure,” writes Pieper, “it must be clearly understood, is a mental and spiritual attitude—it is not simply the result of external factors, it is not the inevitable result of spare time, a holiday, a weekend, or a vacation. It is, in the first place, an attitude of mind, a condition of the soul.” Pieper understands that human beings are endowed with interiority, and in order to live a deep life, they must engage

in contemplation. A person who experiences leisure is open to the world, and more importantly, to creativity. When we force rest on ourselves, there is a little chance that our minds will be open to the unfolding reality of life before us. Throughout his book, Pieper conveys the idea that man is a fragmented being if he lives only for work. Leisure is a sphere of life in which “the truly human values are saved.” More than anything, leisure allows man to be whole and free. “Leisure: The Basis of Culture” by Josef Pieper, 1952. Emina Melonic writes about books, films, and culture. Her work has been published in The New Criterion, Claremont Review of Books, Law and Liberty, and Splice Today, among others.

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Myth and

Reason Christian Dior’s latest haute couture collection inspires musings on wealth and patronage with its Renaissance theme Written by Jill Xu

tarot card comes to life. Masculine and feminine energies meet. A clown-like character laughs as a flurry of ruffled skirts and Renaissance-inspired dresses float by to a score of enchanting orchestral music. The Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2021 launch video integrates fashion into a world of whimsy. The artistry of film, music, makeup, and fashion are held together by magic and myth. It’s a stunning work, a display of the highest order of competence and creativity. The concept harks back to the Renaissance high age of patronage, just as Marcel Boussac, a wealthy horse breeder, textile manufacturer, and media baron, provided Christian Dior with the financial backing and network of support required to start a fashion house. In 1946, Dior was born. As the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes said, wealth is power. But the Scottish economist Adam Smith reminded us that it’s not so much power as the means of obtaining power; money is what sparks generosity, creativity, freedom, and moral sentiment. In the case of most, Dior included, it may be the means to these things. History, however, is full of well-financed fashion designers who failed. Dior demonstrated both talent and courage in focusing on pinched waists and an emphasis on bust and hips—creating a powerfully feminine silhouette. This silhouette defined an era of fashion and firmly established Dior as a serious contender in the

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fashion world. 75 years later, after numerous changes to head designers, business models, and visions, the spirit of Dior remains. It’s not a tale of an ambitious designer who became powerful, corporatized, and defensive. Instead it’s the tale of a commercially successful design house that provided creative talent with the financial freedom to challenge convention. Today, as colorful characters dance their way across the tarot-themed collection by Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, echoes of history, patronage, and power lurk in the shadows. One can almost imagine Fanny Heldy, Boussac’s opera singer wife, humming to the orchestral score in the concept film directed by Matteo Garrone. The darker themes also bring to mind the story of how Boussac escaped from France to the UK as his home country was occupied by the Nazis—he bribed a British Royal Air Force officer to secretly fly him to England. In the shadow of power, corruption, corporate interest, art, and culture is a small collection of striking dresses and suits, recalling the freedom that inspired powerful silhouettes across three-quarters of a century. Jill Xu is a fashion industry expert, having worked at the Australian fashion line Carla Zampatti for 30 years. In 2015, she taught storytelling with design at Sydney’s Whitehouse Institute of Design.

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Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring–Summer 2021 Elina Kechicheva for Dior

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Parents can bond with their children and help them develop in important ways through play Written by Kathy Koch

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Connect With Children Through Purposeful Play

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Play for the Mind All kinds of play are good for the mind. Children—and adults—are smart in eight different ways. Through a variety of play, each intelligence can be awakened and strengthened. Knowing and planning for this adds value to our play. Remember, no one “just plays with their kids.” When you play with them and plan various rich play experiences for them, you’re increasing their intelligence.

Word Smart

The word-smart part of the brain uses words. Play word games, talk and listen, read together, enjoy learning and using new words, write and produce plays and skits, read and listen for enjoyment and to learn from different websites, and more. Go to the library and bookstore.

recently asked a friend what she had been up to and she answered, “Not much. I’ve just been playing with my kids.” I asked her to restate her answer without “Not much” and without the word “just.” With a quizzical look, she obliged. I then asked her, “Didn’t that feel better?” She agreed that it did. You might be surprised at the power of play. Even when we’re busy—and who isn’t busy—play can be a priority for our children and us. “I’ve been playing with my kids” is a goal to set and meet. What do you think of when you think back to your childhood? Many of us think of the many “little” things that made up quality family time. Some big things will make the list. For me, being shocked with the gift of a viola when I was 12 is on my list. After renting one for a while, my parents knew I was serious about learning how to play and improving my skill. Buying me my own viola communicated their belief in me. That was more valuable to me than the gift itself. But it’s the consistency of “little” things that are actually “big.” These experiences, like playing with siblings and parents, school performances, family dinners, and holiday traditions, define childhood for most of us.

Logic Smart

The logic-smart part of the brain uses questions. Play games that require factual recall, cause-andeffect thinking, and predicting; enjoy nonfiction books and presentations on sites like YouTube; read mysteries, building things and asking questions while you do; enjoy i n venting a solution for something; and more. Go to museums.

Picture Smart

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Children Should Play Now

Many children, regardless of age, haven’t been able to live as children during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve had to learn online, isolated from friends. They’ve had to work at home, rather than play at home. In addition to typical chores, many cared for siblings and helped their parents, who were distracted and extra busy working from home. Having parents close-athand but unavailable can be confusing for a child.

and craft stores.

The picture-smart part of the brain uses your eyes and pictures. Color, create, play games that require visual recall, read picture books and talk about the illustrations, build and design everything from the doll’s bedroom to an organizational system for the laundry room, and more. Go to art museums

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This summer, let’s give them back their childhood. We can’t allow children to be defined by what they lost during the COVID crisis. Let’s give them a summer to remember, one that they’ll want to look back on. Lately, Fred Rogers’ statement, “Play is the work of childhood” hasn’t been true. Let’s change that going forward.

Play With Children

One of my saddest encounters with a child occurred when I researched how children believe parents’ phones affect them. At a park play area, a young boy’s countenance changed from happy-go-lucky to sad as he shared, “I wish my mom played with me instead of taking pictures of me playing.” I’ve heard this echoed by many, many children throughout the years. Some people have said, “Love is spelled T-I-M-E.” To a large extent, that’s true. “Like” is also spelled T-IM-E. Children frequently tell me, “My parents have to love me. I wish they liked me.” They follow this with, “My dad sometimes plays with me, but I don’t think he wants to play my game with me. I wish he wanted to,” and, “My mom tells me to ‘go play,’ but I like playing best with her. She’s always busy. If she liked me more, maybe she’d want to spend time with me.” I respect that you’re busy. I fully recognize you had to think about whether you had the time to read this article. Every minute matters to busy parents. That’s why saying “yes” to our children encourages them deeply. Playing with them communicates both love and like! When children invite us to play with them, they notice when we stop working, reading our book, or visiting with a friend to say “yes.” When we initiate play without them asking, they notice. When we prioritize them, they feel loved. They know they’re loved. But it goes deeper than that. They also feel liked. What’s the value of your children knowing you like them? They’ll feel known, which is the heart’s desire for everyone. They’ll feel wanted, which meets a need

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we all have. Because they’re known and wanted, they’ll feel safe with you. This makes everything more positive. Children’s behavior will be more consistent. Security also increases cooperation, confidence, and obedience. But there’s still more. When we prioritize liking children, we’ll have meaningful and personal conversations instead of interrogations. Thoughts and feelings tend to merge during conversations stimulated by play, and both are strengthened. They get to know us just as we get to know them a bit better. Because we’ve gotten to know each other beyond “mom, dad, and child,” children will discover what they have in common with us. “Mom, you liked games like this when you were my age? Cool! And your mom played with you? We’re like you and your mom except now you’re the mom!” or “Dad, I liked playing catch today and hearing your great baseball story. I didn’t know you weren’t a very good player at the beginning either. Now I can believe you when you say I can improve.”

Play for the Heart

Through play, parent-child relationships can again be defined by joy and togetherness rather than disappointment and separation. In addition, by simply prioritizing play, frustration, fatigue, and anger can decrease. The mental health benefits are real. Playing to take a break from technology and the intensity of work is good for everyone. It leads to more rest. Stress lifts and confusion dies out. Contentment and clarity result. Loneliness and isolation are replaced by renewed relationships and fellowship. Character can grow. When children only play games by themselves on their devices, they can quit games they might lose, develop pride when they win, and get angry when they don’t. When children play with others, they’re more likely to develop self-control and learn humility when they win and patience and teachability when they lose. They

FAMILY Music Smart

The music-smart part of the brain uses rhythms and melodies. Make noise, sing songs, write and perform funny musicals for relatives, play instruments, compare ringtones and alarms, and more. Go to musicals, concerts, and music stores.

Body Smart

can learn sacrifice, selflessness, and respect for others as they let siblings choose what outdoor game to play, help younger siblings learn new board games, and celebrate someone else’s victory. Learning resiliency, helping children to bounce back quickly from disappointment and defeat, might be among the best reasons to prioritize play this summer and beyond. Our children have experienced a lot of loss. Negativity and fear are common. We can’t allow children to be so overwhelmed by it all that they’re defined by loss. When children aren’t chosen first, or a sibling knows more than they do at a museum, or they accidentally knock over their carefully built tower, our presence helps them mature. We can encourage them to try again, play again, ask again, and show up again. They can develop resilience.

Play On Purpose

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Some children and families have done better than others during the past year. No matter your situation, remember that play has purpose. Relationships, the heart, and the mind can all be strengthened. Don’t “just” play with your kids. Play!

Dr. Kathy Koch (“cook”) is the founder of Celebrate Kids and Ignite the Family, a faculty member at Summit Ministries, and the author of five books including “8 Great Smarts” and “Start with the Heart.” Dr. Koch earned a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University.

The body-smart part of the brain uses movement and touch. Make designs with sidewalk chalk, play old-fashioned tag, play catch, ride bikes, “wrestle” with dad, build tall towers, join a sports team, create dance movements, and more. Go to sporting events and the playground.

Nature Smart

The nature-smart part of the brain uses patterns. Hike, fish, go camping, walk around the neighborhood, garden, read books about animals, spend time outside, play games that use patterns, collect things according to their designs, and more. Go to the zoo, park, pet stores, and animal shelters.

People Smart

The people-smart part of the brain uses talking with other people. Invent something together; tell people why you like the music, art, and games you do and learn what they like; teach someone to play one of your favorite games; spend time with people; and more. Go listen to speeches and debates.

Self Smart

The self-smart part of the brain uses reflection. Play by yourself, make choices, do quiet activities, write poems and songs that express how you’re feeling, and more. Go where they want to go—a museum, park, store, etc. 89

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How We Save Childhood One of the biggest challenges parents face is watching helplessly as their children lose themselves in screens. Fortunately, there’s another option. Written by Melanie Hempe

arents across the globe are struggling with what some call the biggest parenting challenge of all time: how to control a child’s overuse of addictive technology—primarily video games and social media/smartphones—in a culture where they have constant access to it. Teens are binging on YouTube and video games throughout the night, sending racy photos to people they don’t know, and seeing therapists for social media-related anxiety and depression. They are even dropping out

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of college due to an inability to leave the virtual world long enough to attend class. Parents are in shock and wondering what to do. Why are so many families in conflict? Why are we losing our kids to this virtual world?

Kids’ Brains and Screens

The first reason this struggle has become so overwhelming for today’s parents is that they lack a basic understanding of the physiological effect that excessive screen

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use has on kids’ brains and the continuing impact it has on their development into adults. Parents don’t understand why their kids are so focused on screens, and they fail to see the lasting consequences of screen overuse. Gone are the days when normal cultural patterns assisted parents with the task of building their kids’ brains in healthy ways. As children, many of us played outside until the streetlights came on, learned new skills at clubs after school, rode bikes everywhere, played a musical instrument at school, and enjoyed pick-up games (or “free play” as we now call it) in the cul-de-sac. But today, prisoners are required to spend more time sleeping, socializing, and enjoying the outside than the average teen chooses to spend on such activities. As kids, our parents used to be our natural moral compass. They were strict yet loving—just like our coaches. We had solid boundaries, which allowed us to develop our potential. And like good coaches, parents were in charge and respected by their children. Today, game consoles and smartphones are crowding out parents’ voices, and peers have become the new source of authority in the average child’s life.

One distressed mother recently commented that her 14-year-old daughter’s phone was her best friend. The concerned mom said, “My daughter spends so much time on her phone, I feel like she doesn’t even live here anymore—it’s like she has already moved out of our house.” To successfully raise our kids in our screen-saturated culture, parents first need education. A simple understanding of the physical, chemical, and behavioral effects of screens on our kids’ brains can get us reoriented and ready to move in the right direction again. Research continues to emerge about these effects, providing parents with new insights and better options to solve the screen dilemma.

Role Confusion

The second reason parents struggle with their kids’ screen addictions is role confusion. The notion that children are little adults contributes to parents’ inability to manage this issue. Parents can’t be the strong guides they need to be when children are allowed to call the shots about their screen usage.

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Science tells us that a teenage brain isn’t just a smaller version of an adult brain, and intelligence does not equal maturity. The idea that an adolescent child can be expected to use an addictive screen wisely with just a little encouragement or training is a myth that often leads to disastrous consequences. It’s not uncommon for parents to see a shift in the climate of their homes when they reverse this thinking. For example, the mother of one 8th-grade boy reported that her son secretly asked her to keep his phone for an additional month, following the loss of his phone privileges the previous month. “He actually wanted me to take the phone away—I think deep down it was really causing him a lot of stress,” she said. A teen may score in the 99th percentile on his PSAT, but because the brain’s judgment center is not fully connected until the mid-20s, he or she still does not have the executive function skills required for healthy screen use. Impulse control, the ability to plan ahead, an understanding of delayed gratification, and flexible thinking are just a few of the skills that are still developing in teenagers. Even with a brain that is still under construction, children can be trained to appropriately use certain technology—write a paper with Microsoft Word, create a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, and enjoy a family movie—but their brains can’t be fully trained to resist the temptations and distractions that addictive tech brings. And, in fact, the lure and hold of addictive technology are working against the executive function development that’s still underway. Our kids are being set up for failure before we even put those protective screen covers on their new smartphones. Are we actually protecting our kids’ devices more than our kids?

Cultural Pressure

Finally, the biggest reason why parents struggle to help their kids manage screen time is that they’re pressured by the culture around them to think they have only one choice when their kids are begging for screens. Despite what their instincts are telling them, they feel they must hand screens over to their kids at certain ages or be guilty of “sheltering” their children. Parents are led to believe that every kid needs constant access to popular gaming and social media platforms to stay ahead, have friends, and be accepted. Making matters worse, parents have blind spots when it comes to their kids. For some

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reason, we believe that our child will be the one in a million that’s “more mature” or is a “good kid,” and therefore will not fall into the same screen traps as other kids. A juvenile probation officer experienced these blind spots firsthand. “I’ve had many parents calling me in tears because their child erupted in violence against them. One mom bought her son a phone as a reward because he was doing so well in school. When his use got out of control, she tried to take the phone away, and he hit her. A lot of kids find their way into the juvenile justice system this way.

A Better Path

Many parents are beginning to realize that there is another choice available to them. Despite what the culture promotes, there is a countercultural approach that is minimizing the screen struggle—hitting the pause button on video games and smartphones. Having an intentional plan to delay screen usage that is addictive and potentially toxic can have a life-changing positive effect on our kids’ development. Parents who choose this path put their kids on a more balanced, healthy trajectory. They realize that violent video games are not healthy, and social media was not designed with a teen’s best interests in mind. They know that time spent consuming inappropriate content makes inappropriate use and inappropriate actions more common. As we learn more and more about the effects that screens have had on this generation of kids, parents are choosing the countercultural path and raising screen-strong kids all around the world. The effects of making this choice are more dramatic than we realize. Kids raised with screen-strong principles are comfortable in their own skin and are usually more socially advanced than their screen-immersed peers. They are more likely to show respect for authority—the adults in their lives. Screen-strong kids and teens grow up with less stress, less porn, less anxiety, and less fear. They have better friends and become more confident as they stand out from the crowd. Since screens don’t dominate their lives and their time, space once again exists to master new hobbies and learn the life skills they need to develop into healthy adults, develop strong leadership skills, and enjoy future life success. When parents choose a screen-strong path, they give their children the freedom to develop their potential, as well as a much stronger attachment to family.

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Screen-strong kids can experience the benefits of technology without the risk of addiction and the exposure to toxic content that excessive use can bring. We don’t have to be victims of this screen culture. When parents get educated, reclaim their leadership role in the home, and choose the countercultural path, they can win the screen battle and get their kids back. Parents have the power and responsibility to choose how they will raise their kids in a screen-obsessed culture. This refreshing choice has the potential to save our kids from significant anxiety and pain, while freeing them to get ahead and develop into healthy and balanced adults. It’s time to stand out from the crowd, stand up for our kids, and become screen strong. If you want to learn more about how screens affect healthy brain development and arm yourself with in-

formation about how to raise screen-strong kids, visit ScreenStrong.com. You will find solutions to childhood screen dependency, including the “ScreenStrong Challenge," a 7-day digital detox for kids.

Melanie Hempe, BSN, is the founder of ScreenStrong, an organization that empowers parents to help their children to gain the benefits of screen media without the toxic consequences of overuse that threaten healthy mental and physical development. The ScreenStrong Solution promotes a strong parenting style that proactively replaces harmful screen use with healthy activities, life skills development, and family connection.

Harmonious Relationships Without a Shared Reality A relationship builds from our willingness to understand the other person’s views, whether we agree or not Written by Nancy Colier

ames and Anna came to see me because of a big fight they were embroiled in. The issue was money, which I learned was something they had been arguing about for years, with no resolution. They had vastly different ideas and values around money, different narratives on its importance and meaning, and what it represented. Within a few minutes, however, it became clear that money was not their only—or actual—problem.

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FAMILY Sometimes it can feel like we are from different universes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t share a life together. Getty Images

My work with Anna and James, as I saw it, wasn’t just to mediate their current and ongoing struggle but to create relational harmony between them and to help them be together in a way that was indeed harmonious. So then, the question begs, what is harmony in a relationship? We use the word a lot, usually to describe a relationship in which people seem happy and their interactions are easy and relatively conflict-free. We consider two people in harmony when they fit together like concordant notes in a pleasing musical chord. And yes, all this is true. Such relationships are harmonious. But there is one element of relational harmony, which may be the most important and defining one, that we deeply misunderstand and that causes much of our unhappiness in relationships. We think of harmony as agreement between two people. Consequently, we spend our time and energy trying to agree on some version of what’s true, one that we can both agree with. We fight until we determine this shared reality. And yes, agreeing with another person’s version of the truth (their ideas and values and belief systems) certainly makes things easier in a relationship. But in fact, deep and lasting emotional, mental, and spiritual harmony requires something different than just agreeing on a shared experience. Harmony in a relationship means understanding—not just agreeing. We don’t need to agree to be in harmony, but we do need to be willing to understand another person’s experience and to actually hear their truth. From the time we’re born, we’re conditioned to believe that our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs define us; they’re who we are. At the same time, we’re trained to believe that our thoughts are true—not just true, but fundamentally true. As in, the truth. If someone disagrees with us or experiences something differently, it can feel like our identity—our very existence—is being threatened. How can we exist harmoniously with this other person if they don’t agree with us, don’t see and live the way we do? This implies that they don’t agree with who we are, which means that there can be no harmony between us, and furthermore, no harmony within ourselves. We must get this other person to agree with us and our experience; we must win the battle of whose version of reality is true so that we can feel better and find harmony again, at least temporarily. Returning to our couple, Anna and James were in a state of disharmony when they first came to see me, not because they didn’t agree on the role that money

should play in their relationship, but rather, because they were unwilling to listen to or even try to understand each other’s experience around money. They were locked in a brutal fight to determine whose version of reality was right, whose experience was going to be allowed to exist as valid and real. And they were in my office for me to serve as the judge and jury in their battle, and award one of them with the badge of truth. What this couple needed wasn’t to agree on who was right— since they both were right—but rather to learn how to listen to each other, to hear and understand each other’s truth—to coexist in disagreement and, simultaneously, in harmony. Harmony in a relationship, whether romantic, platonic, professional, familial, or any other kind, stems from our willingness to understand another person’s truth, without judging them or defending ourselves. We let their truth be true for them, and therefore, be true. Harmony is born from our desire to genuinely know what another person’s reality looks and feels like, through their eyes and heart—not ours. We seek to understand their truth beyond what we think of it. Harmony blooms when we have the courage to stop hearing another person’s experience solely through the lens of what it means about us. Like grace, it appears when we listen in order to know another human being— not as they exist in relation to us, but as they are. At the most profound level, harmony in relationship doesn’t mean that we agree with each other on the contents of life, on what should or shouldn’t be, or what happened or didn’t happen—in other words, what’s true. It does mean, however, that we share an intention in the relationship to understand and know each other, in agreement, disagreement, and everything in between. In service to our desire for harmony, we can start by learning to ask harmonious questions: What is this like for you? How do you experience this? What does this mean for you? And not just to ask the questions, but to set ourselves aside long enough to really listen to and hear the answers. And ... to let them be. Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, public speaker, and author of “Can’t Stop Thinking” (2021), “The Power of Off: The Mindful Way to Stay Sane in a Virtual World,” and “Inviting a Monkey to Tea.” For more information, visit NancyColier.com

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Building Joy Back Into Your Marriage Written by Jennifer Schneider

We find peace when we see people as God sees them and discover people are more than the sum of their mistakes —Marcus Warner

hen your marriage has fallen into a state of disrepair, it can feel like the light is going out on your most important relationship. Feelings of sadness or resentment may edge out those of love and happiness. Especially when we’re distracted by the responsibilities and stresses of everyday life, it’s easy to overlook the people we hold dear—but relationships need attention and appreciation to thrive. Just like a little TLC can take a drooping houseplant and perk it right up, a renewed attempt to see and genuinely care for your partner can rebuild joy and love in your marriage. Recent breakthroughs in brain science reveal that joyful attachment is the most powerful motivator in life. According to attachment theory, the primal part of your brain that grows in the womb is wired for attachment and relational bonding. From the brain’s perspective, there is no greater force than attachment, and consequently there is no greater pain nor joy than the emotions that result from those attachments. The more joy you and your partner can grow in your marriage, the more those feelings of being in love will stay strong. Falling “out of love” results from the absence of joy. Marcus Warner (president of Deeper Walk International) and Chris Coursey (leader of THRIVEtoday) are co-authors of “The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages.” To help couples remember the four pillars for building more joy in marriage, they also created the acronym PLAN: Play together, Listen for Emotion, Appreciate daily, and Nurture a rhythm.

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Habits form through repetition—the more often you practice something, the quicker it becomes a part of your subconscious routine. It can take up to 30 days of practicing an activity before your brain begins to rewire itself. Within 90 days, the brain fully forms new pathways and a habit is established.

Playing Together

Thinking back to the honeymoon phase of your marriage, you and your spouse might remember that play was abundant. Smiles, laughter, and touch all produced overflowing joy in the brain that flooded the body with hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin. Play is essential for maintaining a stimulating bond in your marriage. Finding ways to connect through laughter and activity keeps the circulation of relational joy from stagnating. Activities like building new hobbies together, weekly dates, and planning vacations all give you something to anticipate and share. House boundaries are important to keep play and problem-solving separate—the last thing you want to do is make a habit of bringing problems into the bedroom. With busy work lives, it’s all too common that the bed becomes a place where couples unload their complaints and stresses. It’s recommended that you discuss problems in the general-purpose areas of your home, limiting bedroom activities exclusively to play and sleep. Warner and Coursey created two rules for the end of the day:

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We will stop talking about problems and tasks 30 minutes before we go to bed. We will play together and share appreciation before we turn off the lights.

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Recent breakthroughs in brain science reveal that joyful attachment is the most powerful motivator in life. Jennifer Schneider

If you feel that the relational spark has been dimmed in your marriage, invite your partner to reminisce on shared memories together. Taking a moment to reflect on enjoyable recollections will rouse sentiment, laughter, and most importantly appreciation. When couples don’t actively stay engaged in relational bonding, they can become like two strangers living under one roof. This is one reason why it’s important to plan time together. Start taking an interest in the hobbies and activities your spouse enjoys, and make a habit of participating on occasion. When partners feel their interests can’t be shared or understood, resentment can grow, breeding avoidance and isolation.

Listening for Emotion

When one spouse expresses a problem or concern to another, most likely it’s in seeking emotional support. If your first inclination is finding a solution to the problem, it can come across as apathetic and inconsiderate—nobody wants to feel like a problem that needs fixing. Validating your partner’s emotions before trying to help solve a problem is crucial for compassionate communication.

“Validation doesn’t mean agreeing with what someone is feeling ... You simply need to acknowledge that they are, in fact, feeling that way,” writes Warner. Counterfeit validation, on the other hand, is when you don’t name your spouse’s emotions accurately, instead replying, “I understand.” Bypassing your spouse’s emotion by responding with a counterfeit validation is like saying, “Shut up! I’m tired of listening.” VCR is a simple acronym that Warner created with Dr. Jim Wilder (founder and chief neurotheologian of Life Model Works) to help couples remember the correct sequence of communications—validate, comfort, repattern. First, validate your partner by listening patiently before naming his or her emotion. Next, offer comfort by suggesting strategies and perspectives for problem-solving. Repatterning is the process by which you, yourself, can become more comfortable with responding to your partner’s emotions. Through practicing validation and comforting your spouse, you’ll build the emotional intelligence necessary to support your significant other.

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Appreciate Daily

Spousal appreciation directly correlates to the amount of joy a marriage can hold—resentment replaces joy when appreciation fades. Gratitude can be considered the currency of marriage. When we give, receive, and trade fairly, harmony and balance stabilize. For impoverished marriages, there is little of this currency to support emotional stability. Fortunately, we can all grow appreciation through daily exercises that train our brains to recognize blessings instead of fixating on solving problems or avoiding pain. After studying the effects of appreciation and gratitude, Warner created an exercise that he and his wife practice, calling it the 3x3x3. “First, we take turns sharing three things from our day that we appreciate. Second, we express three qualities we appreciate about each other, including examples of these qualities ‘in action.’ Finally, we highlight three qualities we appreciate about God.” We all desire to feel appreciated and honored, especially by our significant others. Verbalizing the qualities you appreciate about your partner can foster more admiration, respect, and secure bonding. When too much time is allowed to pass between moments of relational joy, couples may start feeling numb to their adoration for each other, and even forget what they once appreciated about one another. A good exercise to practice with your partner is remembering each other as the people you were when you fell in love. When did you both discover you were in love, and which of your partner’s characteristics did you appreciate and adore? Another great way to build the habit of appreciation is by putting it into writing. Remembering and writing down thoughts of appreciation for your spouse allows you to slow down and dwell on the associated feelings and reasons behind your appreciation. Five categories Warner and Coursey created for reminiscing over joyful memories include vacation memories, holiday memories, memories of falling in love, romantic memories from after the honeymoon, and joyful parenting memories.

Nurturing a Rhythm

If we can nurture routines that allow for rest as

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well as play, we can create a fertile environment for growing joy. When we don’t make time for activities that feed the soul, we wilt. Likewise, when you don’t make time for relational bonding with your spouse, your marriage suffers. Developing a rhythm with your partner keeps the foundation of your marriage strong and helps to carry it through difficult times. Couples who begin and end their days by focusing on their relationship can dramatically increase their capacity for joyful bonding. Nurturing a rhythm can be as simple as waking up and having coffee together before work, eating dinner together as a family, or even enjoying evening walks in the neighborhood. Since everyone operates on a different schedule, the point is to find a common time with your spouse where you can both plan and anticipate social routines together.

A Little Joy Goes a Long Way Romance is about taking the time to be together and making a plan is about dedication. —Marcus Warner The goal of cultivating these four habits is to minimize the gaps between moments of shared joy. When a couple builds enough joy in their relationship, they generate more security in their marriage, recover more quickly from conflicts, and embrace spending more time together. Nobody said relationships are easy—but they don’t need to be too complicated, either. We’re all born with similar attachments and desires for relational bonding—we all need to feel secure, loved, and appreciated. When we get pulled along with the current of daily stress, we can lose sight of the bigger picture, and we’re more likely to neglect or even take advantage of those we hold dear. Relationships need attention and appreciation to flourish. By taking a step back and viewing your partner and yourself with a fresh pair of eyes, you can learn to see and compassionately care for your partner with more gratitude, validation, and joy!

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A couple sharing a happy moment together. Olya Kobruseva

Sacha Lod Sacha Lodge Where the Wild Things Still Are Written by Kevin Revolinski

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La Balsa, an al fresco lounge area with relaxation and dining amenities, situated on Lake Pilchicocha, at Sacha Lodge in Ecuador. All photos courtesy Sacha Lodge

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fter a breathtaking ride over the snowy peaks of the Andes Mountains, the turboprop plane descended from thin air to the thick, humid atmosphere of the jungle. Below us, a muddy river coiled through vibrant verdant forest—until the thick tangle of trees gave way to the dull brown patchwork quilt of agriculture. Ahead lay the airport runway of the city of Coca, near where another river merged and created an even wider winding flow. Beneath me was the Amazon basin, but still a long way from Brazil. It takes a lot of water to feed the world’s largest river by volume. Ecuador is home to a mere 2 percent of the big river’s source waters, but the three nights I spent at an eco-lodge along the Napo River would be unforgettable. But first I had another two hours of travel on a long and low river launch before I could check in.

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A steel catwalk 150 feet in the air stretches out across the rainforest treetops.

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A Private Reserve

Sacha Lodge sits at the heart of a private 5,000-acre ecological reserve along the diminutive Pilchicocha Lagoon. Nestled into the surrounding rainforest, a short hike from the banks of the Napo River, the thatched-roof central building and family cabins are modestly woven into the landscape. All brought to you by Coca-Cola, you could say. Well, sort of. A Swiss citizen, Arnold “Benny” Ammeter used to work in distribution for the soda company and found himself deep in the remote markets of Ecuador. He became enamored of the beauty of this region and eventually returned to open an eco-lodge. After a short time, he didn’t feel the resort was remote enough, so he searched for and found land even deeper into the wild, down the Napo River. With the assistance of local workers, he built Sacha Lodge, and over the years he purchased more acreage. Thanks to a commitment to hire locally, Sacha Lodge is the largest tourism-based employer in this entire region of Ecuador. The guides are primarily local as well, many of them able to draw upon not just typical naturalist knowledge but cultural learning, such as the medicinal uses of plants along the trails.

Into the Wild

“Wake up call is at 5:30,” we were told during the new arrival briefing. “So early?”

“Because that’s when the animals get up.” We rest at midday, once again, just like the animals. Boardwalks connect all the rooms and lodge buildings, which rise up on stilts above the mix of terra firma and marsh waters the color of sarsaparilla. Trails, muddy paths, or simple plank walks lead out into the forest. Umbrellas, ponchos, and, thankfully, knee-high rubber boots are provided by the lodge so guests don’t need to pack special gear. They don’t call this a rainforest for nothing. Depending on the season, rain can affect the day’s activities. Downpours can be sudden and torrential, or the gray can come in almost as fine as a mist and last the entire day. But if you don’t mind getting a little damp—and you will—the hikes go on regardless. Under the forest canopy, the rain can be less intense. Otters swim in the lagoon. Eight species of monkeys make their homes in the trees, from the world’s tiniest, the pygmy marmoset, to the Pavarotti-aspiring howler monkeys, whose call is so deep and resonant it can be heard a mile away. The abundance of avian life draws birders from far and wide, and during a typical stay, one is likely to see more than 200 species. The lodge guides have recorded nearly 600. We gathered again in the evening for a night hike. We all carried lodge flashlights, but the guide could spot animals deep in the bush off the trail even in the dark. They know where to look. A special frog on a certain tree; a

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An aerial view of La Balsa, with a boat dock and swimming area.

snake that frequently appears near another. Dinner at the fine-dining restaurant offers a scenic overlook of the lake. At night, the stars reflect in the water, clear enough to see the constellations—many of which may be unfamiliar to northerners. The Big Dipper and the Southern Cross face each other on opposite ends of the balance of the heavens. During the day, some guests swam a bit or napped in hammocks. I watched a local man on the dock drop a line in the water and asked him what he was fishing for. “Piranhas,” he replied. What? Where we swim? Caimans—small crocodiles about a meter long from snout to tail—also call the little black lake home, and on barbeque night when dinner was moved from the lodge dining room to the grill in the dockside pavilion, one apparently had made reservations, snapping up pieces of chicken and pork dropped over the rail by servers.

Beyond the Lodge

Back out on the Napo River, the launch took a group of us to other sweet spots: A butterfly farm featuring exotic local varieties in a shelter where you can step in and join them. Also along the river is a clay lick, a favored spot for parakeets and macaws. They come at unpredictable times, but they came that day. A flurry and blur of

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iridescent blue, green, and bits of scarlet as countless birds swooped in and clung to the mud cliff, eating the clay, which is believed to counterbalance the acidity in their other foods. And then there are the sights above the lodge. A short hike away into the rainforest, there’s a series of towers. Steps lead to the top, where it breaks through the canopy, and a steel catwalk 150 feet in the air stretches out across the treetops, offering closer views of the avian residents. There’s really no need to make much effort to find more birds: Even just outside the rooms, there are oropendolas, crow-like brown birds with golden tails, building their pouch-shaped nests dangling from a large kapok tree in the center of the compound. Their call, not unlike the cool tinkle of water drops in a pool, adds an exotic twist to the white noise of insects and frogs, a soundtrack worthy of an Amazon experience. Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home cooking fan. He is the author of 15 books, including “The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey” and his new collection of short stories, “Stealing Away.” He is based in Madison, Wisconsin, and his website is TheMadTraveler.com

A scenic view from one of Sacha Lodge’s guest rooms.

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Modern Nomads Finding ancient mobility in a global world Written by Tim Johnson

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Traditional white tents, called “gers,” on the grasslands of Mongolia. All photos courtesy of Three Camel Lodge 107

t’s a moment of uncertainty. As I hold the bowl just below my chin, the fragrant, clear liquid is close enough to sniff. It smells earthy, like an animal. My friendly host stares at me, intently, a little confused, all of us frozen by my indecision—to drink, or not? “Just half, this time,” my guide, Ankhmaa Baatartsogt, whispers into my ear. This will be the final chaser, after an afternoon of strange, fermented drinks. Having powered through one bowl of this “vodka,” my Mongolian host waits for me to down my seconds. I’m in the South Gobi Desert, visiting with nomads. Mongolia is a country where people are still tied closely to the land, where some one-quarter of their population of three million continue to follow their sheep and goats across seemingly endless horizons. With no fences for hundreds of miles, they’re always making their way to greener pastures.

Nomadic Cultures

The persistence of nomadic cultures in a modern world has long fascinated me, as I’ve traveled the globe. In Sweden’s far north, I dogsledded across the snowy landscape with the Sami, near the world-famous Icehotel. Learning how the eight seasons of these northern indigenous people remain defined by the grazing, breeding, and calving patterns of their reindeer, I jumped at the opportunity to hand-feed some of the herd. In the rugged deserts of Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Reserve, I took tea and made bread over the fire with a family of Bedouins, whose people have long roamed across the Middle East. My host explained that, in a place where survival can depend on the kindness of your neighbors, hospitality is baked into their culture, with visitors able to stay for days without any question from their host. But the best examples are perhaps here in Mongolia. On my first visit to the country, more than a decade ago, I chugged through on the southern arm of the Trans-Siberian Railway, spending time in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Home to about half the country’s population, at that moment, it was a city bursting at the seams, with glassy, half-finished office towers mixing uneasily with austere and shambling Soviet apartment blocks. Seeking an education for their kids, and modern employment, many families were in the process of moving off the land, bringing their portable, circular dwellings with them, forming a rambling neighborhood called the “ger district.” Lines of these white tents (which in

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Clockwise from right Inside a Three Camel Lodge ger; there is a breed of horse in Mongolia that is said to remain unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan; Three Camel Lodge’s reception ger; the Flaming Cliffs of the Gobi Desert.

other places, are often called “yurts”) spread across hillsides, stretching for miles. Coal smoke rose up from the stoves set up inside for cooking and warmth, and by evening, a heavy canopy of smoke hung low in the sky.

Mongolia

Now, years later, here in the Gobi, I have a chance to get a tiny glimpse of the way these nomads have lived life for centuries. After flying down from the capital to a small landing strip, my guide Baatartsogt and I hop into a Land Rover. We roll into a world with no roads, racing across open plains while emitting a long rooster tail of dust behind us. I’ll spend the next three nights at the legendary Three Camel Lodge, where the rooms repli-

cate gers. But here, the tents are kitted out with cushy, comfortable beds, and big bathrooms. Plus, there’s a spa on site. First, we search for dinosaurs, at the Flaming Cliffs, about 12 miles east of the lodge. Here, in the 1920s, archaeologists found a valley literally covered in bones. The richest-ever discovery at the time, it included the world’s very first dinosaur egg fossils. With rumors that odd prehistoric pieces will still pop up from the blazing sands, we search intently, to no avail, settling to watch a big orange sunset, with a glass of red wine in hand. On our day trips, I’ve spotted white gers all around. On our drive back to the lodge, I ask Baatartsogt whether it might be possible to have a look inside, and

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Mongolia is aptly known as the “Land of the Eternal Blue Sky,” where pristine natural beauty can be observed day and night.

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pay a visit? She nods, promising to make a few inquiries. The next day, we’re welcomed into a series of homes. Some of the basics of the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle, including a clan structure, were set as far back as the 3rd Century, BC. Tribes were formed from clans, with the strongest unit providing the tribe name, but weaker clans allowed to retain their own leaders and livestock. For thousands of years, these nomads roamed a vast territory, following their sheep and goats, which provided all the essentials for their families. Wool for clothing and mats and blankets, milk to drink and make cheese. Plus, skins for the walls and roof of the tents, and steaming bowls of mutton for nourishment in a harsh, often inhospitable climate. Dried dung was (and is, still) even used as fuel for fires. Camels and horses provided transportation, with mares milked more than half a dozen times a day, their milk fermented to create airag, an alcoholic drink still popular today. Hemmed in by mountains to the west, wetlands to the north and desert to the south, these natural features also provided Mongolians with formidable natural barriers against potentially hostile neighbors.

Genghis, National Hero

Genghis remains the national hero. Born into a nomadic family in the 12th century, his success in laying the foundation to the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world lay in his ability to unite these tribes. Khan’s portly statue occupies a prominent place in front of the parliament in Ulaanbaatar, and another one, astride a horse, 13 stories high, sits just outside of town. His image adorns the state currency. But those statues are a long way from where I stand today, although Khan might recognize the scene before me, all these centuries later. The space inside the ger isn’t subdivided, and everything surrounds a stove in the center of the large, round room. Beds line the walls, and the few pieces of wooden furniture are painted in bright, intricate patterns. When the host couple offers us a drink, Baatartsogt

is unfazed. Though she’s a modern young woman who lives in the capital and wears western clothes, like many urban-dwelling Mongolians, she’s not so far removed from the land. “I’m an airag girl,” she tells me, and indeed she seems to enjoy her bowl of fermented milk. I’m a little less certain, but Baatartsogt whispers in my ear that our host will be greatly offended if I refuse it. “Three sips,” she tells me, sotto voce. It’s not so bad, milky and slightly sour. Proceeding to our next stop, we exit the Land Rover and pass a big herd of camels, entering a ger similar to the last. Here, the welcome drink is made from camel’s milk, and it’s rather thicker and less pleasant than the straight-up airag. It’s followed up by the “vodka,” clear, with tiny bits in it. “This time, you must drink the whole thing,” the always-helpful Baatartsogt tells me, breaking the bad news with a smirk. And so, down it goes. I power through the whole allotment in a few hearty gulps, relieved that I’ve finished until I see our smiling host refilling the bowl. “She’s misunderstood,” my guide tells me. “She thinks you loved it. That you want more.” In the end, I drink just half. Taking my bowl, we sit on a mat, Baatartsogt translating. We chat for hours, me learning about the hard, beautiful, simple life of following the rains, and raising both a family and livestock, in this Land of the Blue Sky. No, I’m not cut out for it. But returning to the lodge, I’m just a tiny bit tempted to make my nightcap a glass of airag.

Toronto-based writer Tim Johnson is always traveling, in search of the next great story. Having visited 140 countries across all seven continents, he’s tracked lions on foot in Botswana, dug for dinosaur bones in Mongolia, and walked among a half-million penguins on South Georgia Island. He contributes to some of North America’s largest publications, including CNN Travel, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail.

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Wheel of Life Rich Lopez has faced devastation all his life, and death three times. But art—and three angels—saved him Written by Mark Lentine

n the creative process, we find freedom, relief, release, expression—and redemption. But for noted Southern California ceramicist Rich Lopez, the creative process and the hummingbird ceramic that became a part of his identity had to wait. He had to die first, to experience this new creative life. “That second time, I tell people I committed suicide. It wasn’t an attempt; I died that day,” he said. Lopez, whose life had become a series of short “highs” followed by deeper and protracted “lows,” had given up on life—twice. “The first time I tried to end my life, I was driving on the freeway. A huge semi was coming right at me. At the last second, I guess I swerved. I don’t remember swerving, don’t remember moving my hands, but I ended up in a ditch. I don’t know what saved me.” Lopez grew up in an explosively abusive household with a brother who used him as a punching bag and a father who had been irreparably scarred by World War II. “My father would run the neighborhood naked and terrorize the neighbors while alternatively terrorizing me. He passed that trait of abuse on to my brother. I had to learn to fight to be able to beat up my own brother, just to survive. I met my wife Cheryl when I was 16. I turned 65 this year, and through all but the last 20 years, I was constantly abusing drugs, alcohol ... and my family,” he said. Cheryl Lopez had known and loved Rich since their sophomore year in high school. “I remembered the night-school pottery classes we took as kids,” Cheryl says. “I remembered how Rich loved working with the clay and the wheel. I thought that maybe he could use it to help himself. He was in such mental pain, and I didn’t know how to reach him.” Cheryl’s seemingly small act of hope led to

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an amazing transformation in her husband’s life. But that transformation did not come easily ... or quickly. “For years, the wheel just sat there,” Cheryl says. Lopez tried everything to stay clean and sober, just as he had tried everything he could think of to hold onto his job. Nothing worked, though he kept trying. Then came The Haven incident.

The Angels

“It was about 18 years ago, and my wife and I had just moved to Beaumont, a neighboring city of Banning. The city of Banning was attempting a revitalization. My wife was not very happy with having to drive all the way to Fontana where she was a special education teacher. “We were arguing, and Cheryl said, ‘Why on earth did we move here?’ I began to get nervous. I really needed a drink. I nervously picked up the newspaper, and read about a revitalization project in Banning. A voice in my head said, ‘Drive there. Go to the city hall.’” When Rich Lopez hears voices or sees visions, he follows them. “I just blurted out, ‘This is why we moved here. Let’s take a ride to Banning.’ I had no idea why I was going, but it broke the tension.” When Lopez and his wife arrived in Banning, that same voice said, “Ask for the mayor. But talk to whoever you can.” The mayor wasn’t in, but the city manager was. That meeting eventually led to Lopez’s being promised 3.5 million dollars for a “downtown arts district,” and coming up with the idea for revitalizing what the city manager called “the ugliest building in Banning.” Lopez said, “We’ll call it The Haven, and it will be a place of peace and revitalization.” A church was chosen to share The Haven. The city gave the church, which seemed to be the perfect place to entrust such funds, control of the 3.5 million dollars.

Rich Lopez found salvation, redemption, and miracles through working with the clay. Jennifer Schneider

The funds were unfortunately misused, and the entire revitalization project was scuttled. A broken, seething, disgusted Lopez walked out of the meeting after cursing all involved. He couldn’t think clearly. In desperation, Lopez decided to end his life for a second time. “I was never taught how to cope with setbacks or anything negative, so one day, while no one was in the house, I drank two bottles, two full fifths of alcohol, and I downed a bottle of pills. The last thing I said was, “Let’s do this.” Enter an angel. “Suddenly, I wasn’t upstairs sprawled out on my bed anymore. An angel had taken me downstairs to show me what was going to happen. He said, ‘You’re going to be a well-known artist.’ I said, ‘I’m a coffee salesman, not an artist.’ He quieted me with a finger, brought me downstairs, and showed me the wheel that my wife had bought years before. He reminded me that I loved to work with pottery as a child.” Ever the salesman, Lopez made a deal with his angel. “He showed me the wheel, he showed me the

sequence of events, the actual places where these things would play out ... even the museum where I would have my own show, but I didn’t believe it. I didn’t know where I was at the time. I said, ‘If all of this is real, and I wake up, prove it to me. Let me wake up without a hangover.’” Lopez soon awoke needing none of the alcohol, drugs, or the many medications for PTSD-related stress, depression, and diabetes that he had needed to help keep his then-400-pound frame going. “I woke up and I felt fine. I was amazed. I rushed to tell my wife that I was done with the alcohol, the drugs, and the abuse.” Lopez’s wife was not so amazed, or amused. “I told Rich, ‘Show me, don’t tell me.’ That was pretty much the overall feeling and what I said and how I felt. I had heard those words so many times before, that I gave up on hoping and believing,” says Cheryl. The drugs and alcohol stopped immediately. The need for psychotropic drugs ended four years later. The worst case that many people, including

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Coming to grips with his blindness, the hummingbird had special meaning for Lopez. “Even in the most turbulent winds, a hummingbird finds stability and peace. So do I.” Courtesy of Rich Lopez

many of his doctors, had ever seen, was and still is now, alcohol- and drug-free. He’s also down more than 200 pounds. “My comeback started the minute I sat down at the wheel. To me, the wheel is life itself, playing out in front of me.” That first night, Lopez sat at the wheel hour after hour, “throwing” a total of 200 pounds of clay. When he was finished, at nearly 4 in the morning, he had made figurines, bowls, pots, and dishes. “I looked at my wife and said, “Honey, you bought me a wheel ... now you have to buy me a kiln. I smiled. She didn’t smile.” Lopez had somehow managed to learn and remember his craft through every gin and drug-soaked meeting with many ceramic masters. “Somehow I retained it all, and never forgot a thing. Within months, I was selling my art at the Village Fest in Palm Springs,” he said. Still, Lopez’s wife and children were skeptical. The weight of all the years of broken promises, shattered hopes, and bartered dreams littered the floor of Lopez’s life like bits of clay thrown from his potter’s wheel. Lopez applied specially created paints to his artwork. “I learned that life is like the clay: it’s in my hands— but I can’t force it or I’ll destroy it. I had to learn to work slowly and use my very life as the persuasive proof that I had changed. I tell people that I don’t mold the clay into shape. I persuade it.”

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Lopez had gotten financial support from his rightly skeptical wife—but little else. “She had to learn to trust me, but it was painfully slow. She couldn’t trust me, and I understood why, but that realization was so painful. I began to feel as if I was going to crumble, feeling like I would never be the artist I wanted to be—feeling that I had failed. I lost hope in my ability. I lost my confidence. I began to cry. It was right there at a show, at my booth, surrounded by all the other vendors. I just started to cry, and I felt disgusted with myself.” Lopez was all alone with his thoughts; all alone ... or so he thought. “I don’t know why I said it, but I looked up, and I said, ‘God, if you told me the truth, that I was going to be an artist, I want to make $376 today.’ I still have no idea why I picked that number. It was crazy: the most I’d ever made at a show was 75 bucks. But I just sat there angry, disgusted—and crying.” Enter angels numbers two and three. You see, in Rich Lopez’s world, angels look just like ordinary folks ... and two of them approached his booth that day. “They were an ordinary-looking couple, but I knew when I saw them. I felt it. She said to me ‘Why are you crying?’ I looked up, aggravated, and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She said, ‘I’d like to buy that piece—it’s beautiful. And I’d like that piece.’ They were $40, $50, and

EXPERIENCES $75 pieces! She said, ‘And I’d like that piece as well.’ When the woman was finished, the husband spoke up. “I was in shock,” Lopez said. “The husband said, ‘Honey if you’re done, I’d like to get one or two pieces.’ I couldn’t speak. As I was totaling everything up, she said, ‘Will you take a check?’ I just looked up, tears in my eyes, and said, ‘Are you two angels?’ They both smiled. I said, ‘You’re angels!’ She said ‘No, we’re not, but you’ll be fine.’ When I totaled it up, it came to $375. When she handed me the check, I was shaking and crying, and I just said, ‘Thank you, thank you,’ over and over again. They waved goodbye and kept walking. “My wife came back to my booth and said, ‘Who are they?’ I said, ‘They were angels,’ My wife looked at me as if I was back on the stuff. Then she looked at the check and said, ‘They spent $376?’ I said, ‘What? What?’ I looked at the check: the woman had made a mistake and had written out the check for $376. Three hundred and seventy-six dollars!!” “When I told my wife what had happened, we were both in shock. Every time we looked at the check, we just shook our heads. Neither of us wanted to cash the check. We finally cashed it after almost a year. My wife began to believe in me then,” Lopez said with a broad smile. But as we’ll see, an artist’s life is not always easy, nor is it a straight line from failure to success.

The Hummingbird

“I was feeling frustrated because my artistry seemed to be stalled; after such a rocket of a beginning, I felt blocked. My friend, mentor, and Chaffey College ceramics teacher Crispin Gonzalez said, ‘This is California. There are a thousand guys doing pretty bowls. Claremont is filled with people who have style. You have to find your own niche.’” Cue another important dream— and another angel. “I had this dream: I saw myself hovering over baskets and holding a unique tool. An angel showed it to me. It was a tool that’s not made for the trade. I knew it didn’t exist in real life. I immediately woke up, took a steak knife, ran to my grinding wheel, and fashioned the tool that I now use to make the striations in the clay that mimic a woven basket. It came to me in a dream. It works like no other ceramics tool ever invented. But it was the angel in the dream who showed it to me.” Even when viewed up close, Lopez’s “baskets” of pottery look as finely woven as any handmade Native American basket on the market. After his dream, things moved quickly for Lopez, a one-time student at Mount San Jacinto and Chaffey Colleges. Lopez had his work featured at many exciting venues, including the Western Science Center in Hemet and many homes and galleries around the country. His artwork now fetches as much as $3,000 for one of his signature ceramic “woven baskets.” Lopez even put in time at reservations to watch local artisans. “I am half

Indian, and I spent over a year on the reservation learning the art of basket weaving. It’s those ceramic ‘woven’ baskets that were featured in my first major show at AMOCA,” he said. AMOCA, The American Museum of Ceramic Arts in Pomona, is the premier ceramics gallery west of the Mississippi and home to some of the country’s most exceptional ceramics exhibits. Lopez may have been one of the first ceramicists to have a show of his own, but it was the second time he visited AMOCA that left him speechless. “When I walked in that second time, I began to cry. I realized that everything looked exactly as I remembered it in my first visit with the angel, when I almost died. I knew the walls, the floors, the steps, the furniture. I had been there before. I was too busy to realize it that first time, but suddenly I realized it. The angel and I had been there together. I began to shake and cry.” But no story of success is without its final act of drama, and heavy-duty drama was waiting just around the corner for Rich Lopez. Just as he was beginning to establish himself as a major regional artist who was on the verge of achieving national success, the comeback story of all comeback stories held one last ugly, dramatic hurdle to overcome. “I hadn’t been feeling right, but I never told my wife or anyone else. My eyesight was giving me problems. And the minute Cheryl would leave for work, I’d collapse on the bed from fatigue. The only time I’d get up was to vomit. Then I’d crawl out of bed two minutes before she came home, so she would think everything was all right.” “The Hummingbird,” unfinished, became the symbol of Rich Lopez’s comeback from almost dying—a third time. Everything wasn’t all right. “I hadn’t taken care of my diabetes, hadn’t taken the meds ... and hadn’t been drinking water as I should have. My liver and kidneys weren’t happy. Neither was Cheryl,” said Lopez. “But I realized I wasn’t out of the woods. After two days of keeping quiet, I could no longer hide the fact that my vision was damaged. They knew something was up when I tried to pour myself a glass of water, and I spilled it all over myself.” Rich Lopez had endured a diabetic seizure and was blind in his left eye. “I was pretty much devastated—and angry. I had already suffered from depression and anxiety on and off my whole life. I shut down. I stopped making art. I was miserable,” he said. “Somewhere in all that darkness of the soul, slowly, I realized that my entire life was like one of those Etch-a-sketch boards. Every time I had gotten too complacent, life came and scrambled the whole thing. Like shaking that board. And every time it did, I reimagined myself. I redreamt a new life, new art. I said to myself, if I’m going to be a one-eyed potter, I’d better damned well get started.” And get started he did. Lopez sat at the wheel, ini-

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Rich Lopez puts his story and soul into each piece, turning tragedy and triumph into something uplifting. Jennifer Schneider

tially intimidated. “At first I was almost scared of the clay, but as I worked it, felt it in my hands, my muscle memory took over. I began to smile,” he said. “Then I cried. I was back.” Lopez said that in that moment, he felt inspired again, to give his life to his art. “The first piece I tried was the hummingbird. I had read somewhere that, for as small as it is, no amount of turbulence can shake the hummingbird. A hummingbird is at peace in the eye of any storm.” The first piece Rich Lopez created after coming to grips with his blindness was “The Hummingbird,” now a finished piece of art. “I chose to carve a hummingbird, because, even in the most turbulent winds, a hummingbird finds stability and peace. So do I.” As Lopez worked the clay with a renewed feeling of love, peace, and centeredness, he remembered his early years. “When I was a student, I felt blessed to have so many people sharing their knowledge with me. I had an overwhelming zeal to create art, and to create it in their honor. One of my fellow students once said, ‘Man, you have this power in you when you work the wheel. It’s like some—force.’ And that’s why I created [my work] Artforce, to bring artwork to children. It’s a life-

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long passion. I need to feed my soul, and the souls of all those kids who might be hurting—and searching.” Looking at the peaceful, vibrant, contemplative, artwork Rich Lopez has created in the almost 20 years since his epiphany, one would never realize the hurt, the pain, or the tragedy and triumph behind each piece. And for Lopez, that’s just as well. “I sit at the wheel for hours on end. I tell the clay my story. It answers back, and I give thanks. When people see my work, they see a bit of me in every piece. I want them to see a part of themselves too—the best part. My world is now filled with art and, once again, with peace.” And when you’re near Rich Lopez in his studio, you see the natural hues, the sun-baked umber, the call of something deeper and more timeless than the ageless act of a potter creating at his wheel; you feel the ancient peace of the calm after the storm. And in that calm, there’s redemption. Rich Lopez can be reached at RichLopezClayArtist.com A native of South Philadelphia, Mark Lentine has written for and helmed publications on both coasts. He now resides in Hemet, California.

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A sunset view atop Fronalpstock after riding a chairlift from the village of Stoos, Switzerland.

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