Radiant Life - Issue 3 - Preview

RADIANT LIFE N OV E M B E R

The art of living healthfully and beautifully

A Search for Meaning A profile of one of the most popular meditation practices in the world

How Thoughts Become Matter

Emotion-fueled floods of neurotransmitters and hormones are stored in your body as chemical memories

De-Stress Your Diet There’s no question that what we eat affects our mental clarity. Poor nutrition will hobble your brain

Table of Contents

30 Nature 12 Forest Bathing

Immersing yourself in nature can be a great exercise in mindfulness and being present—and it’s completely refreshing.

30 A Search for Meaning

A profile of one of the most popular meditation practices in the world.

38 Make Mindfulness Work for You

Meditation can sound daunting; here’s how to start.

16 Peace Awareness Labyrinth A look at a Renaissance-style mansion’s tranquil garden in the heart of chaotic Los Angeles.

Mind & Body 22 Finding Time for Your Soul

Not having time for mindfulness and meditation is probably the biggest indicator that you will benefit from slowing down.

26 Meditation in the Boardroom Many corporations are implementing mindfulness programs and promoting meditation, and reporting increases in happiness and well-being.

42 What Does It Mean to Be Mindful?

Life is lived in moments, not thoughts. Here’s what mindfulness looks like in action, and how to avoid the distraction trap.

46 The Energy of Meditation

Ancient Chinese medicine is filled with wisdom about the mind-body connection, and how it affects our energy.

50 Mindfulness and Autoimmune Disease

After 20 years of working on complex autoimmune cases, Datis Kharrazian has a lot to say on how the mind affects our health.

56 How Thoughts Become Matter Emotion-fueled floods of neurotransmitters and hormones are stored in your body as chemical memories.

60 Breathe In, Breathe Out

Many meditation traditions focus on breathing—and for good reason.

Lifestyle 64 Slow Food

Eating is often incidental, something we do while doing other stuff—driving, doomscrolling, watching Netflix.

Isn’t it worth savoring?

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66 De-Stress Your Diet

There’s no question that what we eat affects our mental clarity. Poor nutrition will hobble your brain.

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Classic-Style Kitchen

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The Float Spa

68 Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

The kabocha, or Japanese pumpkin, is a flavorful, sweet squash perfect for a creamy soup.

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Designers offer tips on how to renovate your kitchen to give it a classic spruce.

When we deprive ourselves of stimulation, the mind can more easily turn inward.

Arts 82

Our Bookshelf

A few recommendations from our editors.

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Brahms Versus Trend

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The Flower Duet

Brahms was a fierce traditionalist in his music who, unlike other composers, won fame in his lifetime and beyond.

Or the second most beautiful piece of music ever written.

NATURE

Forest Bathing You won’t need a towel after this bath!

Michael H/DigitalVision/Getty Images

By José Rivera

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NATURE

Shutterstock

H

ow many times have you gone out walking only to find that you’ve somehow reached your destination while completely missing the journey? You hardly remember the walk itself because you were too immersed in thinking about trials and tribulations past or future. You missed the way the light played with the trees as they swayed in the wind, the birds singing as you passed them by, or that rich, earthy smell of an autumn afternoon. We go to parks to connect with nature, but many times it’s the last thing we do; we are usually too focused on the day’s happenings, yesterday’s issues, or tomorrow’s potential.

In Japan there is a concept called “shinrin-yoku,” roughly translated into English as “forest bathing,” with “shinrin” meaning forest and “yoku” meaning bath. The Washington Post describes the concept as follows: “In an effort to combat our indoor epidemic and reap these health benefits, a growing number of Americans have become followers of a Japanese practice called Shinrin-yoku. Coined by the Japanese Ministry of Ag-

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MIND & BODY

Finding Time for Your Soul How to bring stress down and raise your soul up

Linda Zhao

By Nisha Jackson

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MIND & BODY

Besides directly countering our stress response, meditation helps us better regulate that response in the face of future “threats.”

“We need to change the delusion that we need to burn out in order to succeed” —Arianna Huffington

O

ne of the biggest challenges to finding time for meditation— and balancing ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally—is the burnout complex. Many of us feel the need and pressure to “operate at maximum capacity” from the time our eyes open until we go to sleep. That doesn’t even make sense for a machine, let alone a human being. You wouldn’t expect a car to run at top speed 100 percent of the time without its engine exploding, so why do we expect it of our minds and bodies?

Illustrations by Shutterstock

Why We Need to Slow Down

While real physical dangers are rare today, most of us suffer from internal perceptions that create stress. Our brains are registering these as incoming threats, triggering our body’s fight-or-flight response. This is that jolt of energy you feel at the top of a rollercoaster or when a barking Doberman starts charging toward you. This physiological response narrows our focus and energizes our body to deal with a physical situation. However, for most of us, the threat we face is an urgent email, a heated argument

Two Ways to Find Time Want to meditate but feel like you don’t have the time? Two tips to help get you that valuable opportunity are to set “no fly times” and eliminate your “energy zappers.”

Set and Maintain ‘No Fly Times’

Build intentional downtime in your schedule where you make no calls, texts, or emails. This could be in the morning, at the end of the day, during your lunchtime, anywhere that makes sense for even just ten minutes of a break for your brain and nervous system.

Find and Eliminate ‘Energy Zappers’

So many people, women especially, waste their valuable time on activities, functions, meetings, and so on, that make no difference in their lives.

Try spending less time on things that add no value to your life and leave this space available for more important things. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you build in downtime and cut out non-essential and energy-zapping activities, you have more time and clarity for meditation.

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A woman practices the sitting meditation of Falun Dafa in the full lotus, with the legs crossed on top of each other.

A Search for Inner Calm and Meaning A profile of one of the most popular meditation practices in the world

By Conan Milner

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MIND & BODY

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ake a moment to clear your mind. Let go of the chatter of doubt and obsession, and just be still.

Meditation is a simple idea, yet challenging in practice. In a world brimming with distractions, developing the ability to maintain a clear mind for any stretch of time takes dedicated effort. But those who practice this mysterious discipline say it’s worth the effort they put into it.

Enlightenment has long been the goal of meditation, but the bar doesn’t usually start so high. Today, meditation is often promoted as a drug-free way to relax, reduce stress, and improve mental focus. A number of studies validate the health benefits of meditation. Some doctors recommend it.

But the drive to meditate goes far beyond the scope of modern science. For Nicole Fiene, a sales representative from Massapequa, New York, meditation spoke to a void deep in her soul that she had never been able to fill.

“I was in a constant and seemingly neverending cycle of feeling unfulfilled with everything I did,” Fiene said. “I lived a beautiful life full of fun adventures and special friendships—always traveling to new places, meeting new people, and trying different things. But on the inside, it was never enough; I always wanted more.”

Fiene says that instead of feeling inspired, her constant search for stimulation left her feeling depleted.

She relied heavily on multiple substances just to get through the day.

But when COVID-19 hit last year, Fiene was forced to change her routine. Under lockdown, all the activity and distraction she had grown accustomed to was no longer available. As a result, she could no longer hide from the painful feelings she had previously pushed down.

“Part of me knew that the reason I was going through such pain was because what was about to be next for me would be so extraordinary,” she said. “I knew that if I was going to fix this, I had to get to the root of it, and I knew whatever I was experiencing was spiritual.”

Fiene had no idea where to start, but direction came a day or so later. Speaking to a close business colleague over the phone, Fiene confessed to her emotional and spiritual unraveling during lockdown, and her search for something to cope with it. Her colleague recommended that Fiene try a meditation practice called Falun Gong. Fiene found instructions for the practice on the internet. She tried it and soon felt better.

“I felt a circulation of energy all through my arms, and for the first time in such a long time, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace and safety,” Fiene said.

“I didn’t know anything about the practice, but in my

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heart I knew this was what was going to pull me out of the mental darkness I was experiencing.”

Roots in China

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a meditation practice in the Buddhist tradition. In addition to the classic seated meditation, it also includes four slow, meditative standing exercises. The exercises are simple to learn, but those who practice them say they bring profound peace.

“Sometimes after meditating, I feel this buzz of soothing energy all around my body and mind, and it’s coupled with kindness and calmness,” Fiene said.

Today, Falun Gong is practiced in more than 80 countries, but it started in China—a place with a long tradition of slow, meditative exercises known as qigong (energy practice).

Either at parks in large groups or at home, Chinese people have been practicing various kinds of qigong for centuries. Tai chi is perhaps the best-known. Falun Gong was virtually unknown until the early 1990s, but it is said to have been around since ancient times. According to Falun Gong’s founder, Li Hongzhi, before he modified it slightly and introduced it to the public in China, it was a lineage-type practice passed from master to student.

Li gave lectures on Falun Gong in a handful of Chinese cities for a few years, and interest in the practice spread—mostly by word of mouth.

In fact, it grew very popular very fast. By 1999, Falun Gong had grown to become the largest and fastest-growing qigong practice in China. The Chinese regime estimated that 70 million people were practicing Falun Gong, including some high-ranking members of the regime. The appeal was clear: Classes were free and open to anyone, and testimonials of positive experiences increased people’s interest. Many reported significant improvements in their health and state of mind from practicing Falun Gong.

Jane Pang remembers first learning Falun Gong back in China 25 years ago. Today, she’s a 45-year-old school principal living in Toronto. Back then, she was attending a Chinese university, where she would occasionally practice qigong with a group of fellow students in her free time. When one of her qigong buddies introduced her to Falun Gong in 1996, Pang knew she had found something special.

“I practiced qigong, but it didn’t feel anything like Falun Dafa,” Pang said. “[Dafa] gave me a lot of inner peace immediately.”

The biggest change Pang first noticed from the practice was that it calmed her down. She was a very dedicated student, but extremely stressed from all the pres-

MIND & BODY

sure she was under, and full of anxiety.

Falun Gong meditation helped her get her anxiety under control.

“Meditation helps me physically,” she said. “I have more and more control of my physical body. I can calm myself down and relax myself. I’m not worried about the results. I think that’s a big change for me.”

At first, the Chinese regime was pleased with the beneficial results people like Pang experienced with Falun Gong. Some officials even noted how it could save money on health care costs. An official from China’s National Sports Commission told U.S. News and World Report that Falun Gong’s influence could save each person 1,000 yuan per year in medical fees, and the benefits could add up.

“If 100 million people are practicing it, that’s 100 billion yuan saved per year in medical fees,” the official said.

But in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) changed its tune.

Top officials suddenly became concerned that Falun Gong was becoming too popular, and feared the influence of such a large segment of the population involved in an activity outside communist control. Perhaps most serious of all, Falun Gong was deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture, something the CCP had worked to destroy since the regime’s founding in 1949. Socialism and atheism effectively became the state religion.

Falun Gong books were ordered burned, the exercises were forbidden, and a major propaganda campaign to demonize the practice was carried out by virtually every media outlet in the country—all of which operate under tight state control.

Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners went to the Chinese capital to appeal what they believed was a misguided decision by the CCP. In 1999, Pang made her way to Beijing to convince the authorities that Falun Gong was good, that it wasn’t political or any kind of threat to the regime. It was something to be celebrated. Like many other practitioners in China at the

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LIFESTYLE

The Antidote to Mindless Eating A counter-cultural movement away from fast food reconnects us to each other—and our food

W

hen a French friend of mine first moved to London, she found one local tradition utterly mystifying. It wasn’t the English penchant for talking about the weather, or for apologizing when someone else steps on their toes. It was that Londoners eat while walking down the street.

“Devouring a Niçoise salad and dodging pedestrians at the same time is not a sign of civilization,” my friend told me, with Parisian hauteur. “It’s a sign that you need to slow down.”

She had a point. In the modern world, the art of eating mindfully has been sacrificed on the altar of speed and efficiency. Everywhere, industrial farms pump out cheap, low-caliber food. Cooking by microwave then adds insult to injury. The act of eating has become a race against the clock. One study found that the average meal in the United States lasts just 11 minutes. Breakfast and lunch can be as short as two minutes.

Eating is often incidental, something we do while doing other stuff—driving, doomscrolling, watching Netflix, walking down the street. Maybe you’re reading this article while dining al desko. This roadrunner approach to food takes a toll on everything from our health and mood to our relationships and the environment.

The remedy? Take the advice of my French friend and slow down.

We already know that farming at the slower pace of nature is better for the planet. By the same token, eating less quickly helps digestion and guards against gluttony by giving the stomach time to tell the brain that it’s full. It

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skaman306/Moment/Getty Images

By Carl Honoré

LIFESTYLE

Tom Werner/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Making a meal by hand, touching the raw materials, feeling your way through a recipe, tasting, adjusting, engaging all the senses, can be a soothing release —especially in dark times.

also allows you to savor what you put in your mouth.

Sharing food brings people together, too. It’s no accident that the word companion derives from the Latin for ‘with bread.’ Oscar Wilde noted that breaking bread together can help us bond even with those we find hardest to stomach: “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”

Having a regular family meal can even improve children’s behavior and academic performance.

Alice Waters, the legendary American chef, put it best when she said that “only slow food can teach us the things that really matter—care, beauty, concentration, discernment, sensuality, all the best that humans are capable of, but only if we take the time to think about what we’re eating.”

That’s why people everywhere are finding ways to build a slower, more mindful relationship with food. Look at the renaissance of the farmers market.

The artisanal boom in everything from beer and bread to cheese and chocolate.

The trend for eating local and organic.

The rise of vegetable gardens and cooking classes.

The international slow-food movement, which stands for everything that fast food does not, has grown briskly.

The pandemic supercharged this trend. During the long months of lockdown, many of us found solace in devoting more time and attention to food. Making a meal by hand, touching the raw materials, feeling your way through a recipe, tasting, adjusting, engaging all the senses, can be a soothing release—especially in dark times. Preparing and then lingering over dinner was the highlight of the day in my locked-down home.

If you’re like me, your feed is now rammed with images of friends and family pickling vegetables or feeding sourdough starters.

Though the pandemic shone a light on the chasm between haves and havenots, eating mindfully need not be a luxury for the rich. As Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the 19th-century French gastronome, put it: “The pleasures of the table are for every man, of every land, of every place in history or society.” Translation: Slow food doesn’t have to mean a handmade banquet worthy of a Michelin star. You can prepare a simple pasta or soup in less time and for less money than it takes to order in pizza or noodles.

But don’t lose heart if you fall short of the slow-food ideal. Nobody’s perfect. And I mean nobody: The last time

I saw my French friend, she was dashing down the street chewing on a bagel.

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.

Tips for a More Mindful Relationship With Food •

• •

•

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Grow a few herbs, like mint, rosemary, or thyme, in the garden or on the windowsill.

Buy fresh ingredients.

Turn cooking into a moment of restorative metime.

Alternatively, make cooking a communal affair by getting others to help chop, grate, stir, simmer, taste and season.

Eat together around a tech-free table so you can relish the food and let the conversation flow.

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ARTS

‘Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson’

Mitch Albom learns to transcend the greed and selfishness of the world through human goodness as he absorbs the life lessons of his favorite professor, Morrie Schwarts, in the weeks before Schwarts dies of ALS.

‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’

This exemplar of the self-help and personal-productivity genre gives readers timeless advice with universal appeal.

Centered around an ethos of the ends are deserved through ethical means, Stephen Covey offers guidance to achieve goals and life success through a focus on character.

‘Everything Is Figureoutable’

Marie Forleo, born and raised as a Jersey girl, became a selfmade millionaire through hard work, unshakable optimism, and her mantra: “Everything is figureoutable.”

Forleo shows you how to face problems with a creative, goal-oriented outlook that can make chasing dreams a practical pursuit.

‘Who Moved My Cheese?’

The key to success in any business is to understand how to manage change. This book uses a distinctive story to understand the ways people react to change and to see the outcomes of the choices they make. Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese?” helps you understand how being calm and thinking through things can turn challenges into opportunities.

20 B.C. to A.D. 270

596 to 667

1000 to 1399

Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, left writings on “spiritual exercises” related to what we would today call mindfulness and meditation.

By the third century, Roman philosopher Plotinus wrote in “The Enneads” about his three principles, “the One, the Intellect, and the Soul.” Regarding henosis, he wrote, “you must set free your soul from all outward things and turn wholly within yourself, with no more leaning to what lies outside, and lay your mind bare of ideal forms, as before of the objects of sense, and forget even yourself, and so come within sight of that One.”

Daoxuan took the concept of “ding” (concentration), a form of meditation, as a method that both Buddhist and non-Buddhist practitioners could use for different spiritual purposes.

Christianity developed its own version of meditation during this time. Practitioners would vocalize the same word or phrase repeatedly, chanting while contemplating their relationship with God. Shortly before the 13th century, Carthusian monk Guigo II wrote about meditating on Bible passages, in his book “The Ladder of Monks.”

By the 14th century, another meditative practice, hesychasm, had become a tradition within the Eastern Orthodox Church. Based upon an interpretation of Bible scripture, hesychasts seek to still themselves and quiet their senses, such that they might become closer to God.

653 to 700 Buddhism took root in Japan, and the first meditation center was opened.

By the eighth century, Buddhism was firmly established—it truly flourished in the 11th century and beyond.

A History of Meditation

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Courtesy of (from left): Mitch Albom; Simon & Schuster; Portfolio; Adult Putnam

Our Bookshelf

Courtesy of (from left): Penguin Random House; Hay House Inc.; Broadway Books; Baker Publishing Group

ARTS

‘A Whole New Mind’

“A Whole New Mind” explores the concept of “right brain thinking” and how making use of it can give you a very clear advantage in the workplace. Moving from the information age into the concept age requires being able to go beyond data and facts, and into telling stories that will move people to action.

From sales to the classroom, the ability to go beyond the data and tell stories that can move people to agree, make purchases, or learn from those stories will become the competitive advantage in the future.

‘Limitless’

A head injury left Jim Kwik “the boy with the broken brain.”

School troubles drove him to learn how to learn. Now one of the world’s pre-eminent brain coaches, Kwik shows you that with the right motivation, mindset, and methods, you can make learning your superpower.

It’s the difference between a trained and an untrained mind.

‘The Power of Meaning’

“Meaning” can sound like such a vast and abstract concept, but the truth is that there are sources of meaning all around us, and Emily Esfahani Smith brings the “four pillars” of meaning to life with stories of people’s lives transformed through dinners, stargazes, community, storytelling, and more.

Her uplifting book draws on ancient wisdom and shows how it plays out in our everyday lives.

‘On Reading Well’

This is a book that should be gifted to every student. Each chapter takes on a classic virtue as Karen Swallow Prior recommends 12 classic works and shows why it is not just what you read, but how you read that cultivates virtue.

Great literature can be transformative—if you read well.

1760 to 1899

1960s to Present

Meditation spread to the West as the Industrial Revolution made intercontinental travel more accessible to everyone.

Interest in meditative practices has increased in the West. A cofounder of Contemplative Outreach and an American Catholic monk, Thomas Keating wrote: “The rush to the East is a symptom of what is lacking in the West. There is a deep spiritual hunger that is not being satisfied in the West.” Keating helped pioneer a meditative method of contemplative prayer known as Centering Prayer.

These days you can find apps to help you begin, train, or improve your meditative habits and practices. There are meditation classes inspired by and focused on traditions from all over the world. People also gather to meditate together at a variety of locations on a regular basis.

1927 The first English translation of the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” was published, increasing awareness and interest in Eastern meditative and spiritual practices.

Meditation is as old as civilization: it was around long before any formal writing system, as evidenced by cave art dating to 5,000 B.C.; it has for millennia been practiced in almost every culture and country in some way or another; and religions typically make some form of meditative practice available to their adherents.

Meditation requires us to be present in the moment, not focusing on the past or future. It’s a way for us to center ourselves, let go of the inconsequential trivialities of day-to-day life, and reconnect with what’s important in our lives—reaffirming our lives’ purpose.

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Public domain

ARTS

ARTS

The Sweet Melancholy of Foretold Destiny The Louvre’s chief curator of 16th-century Italian paintings, Vincent Delieuvin, had the opportunity to witness the restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Virgin and Child With Saint Anne.” He tells us why this is his favorite of the Renaissance man’s works

The interview with Vincent Delieuvin below has been edited for brevity and clarity.

T

his subject, this composition, “The Virgin and Child With Saint Anne,” is really very symbolic. Leonardo da Vinci spent nearly 20 years conceiving it. From 1500 to his death in 1519, he never stopped perfecting every detail, and transforming his ideas.

For him, every part of the painting was fundamental, because he really wanted to portray something very particular—the very moment when the Virgin agreed to let Jesus go to his destiny. It is something very subtle that reveals it: a movement, one could say, between the moment Christ returns to the arms of the Virgin, and the moment she lets him go toward his destiny.

What is fundamental for Leonardo, is the expression of feelings, and especially a perfect correspondence between the movement of the body and the movement of the mind. Here, the three protagonists, Saint Anne, the Virgin, and the Child, unfold differently.

We see that Jesus takes hold of a lamb, the symbol of his approaching death, the sacrificial animal. He turns, and with a bit of mischief, he smiles. It looks like they are playing with the animal, but in fact, he looks back at his mother and grandmother to see if they understood the true meaning of this gesture, this game that was the announcement of his death. Then he smiles too, in a way, to reassure them.

There are two different reactions to this moment. Saint Anne, the grandmother, already knows. She knows that this death is essential for

the redemption of humanity, and therefore, she decides not to intervene. She looks passive but bares a broad smile that shows she knows it was destiny, certainly tragic, but at the same time, wonderful.

On the other hand, the most ambiguous expression, the most subtle—the most moving too— is that of the Virgin, who is presented in a physical and spiritual moment of conflict with herself.

And this is what da Vinci places at the center of his composition. She is in a particular moment— between wanting to hold her son, to separate him from the lamb, and therefore, keep him alive. And yet, there is a smile on her face in which we guess is a little melancholy, and it expresses her acceptance. She is accepting this destiny, and she is going to let him go to his future death. So, it’s something very subtle, and that is what makes “Saint Anne” the great masterpiece in the expression of human feelings, and also, in the expression of movement.

Here is a world that includes everything: sweetness, joy, melancholy, and movements partly contradictory, but that are nevertheless resolved in a rather joyful atmosphere at the end. And the landscape is a character in and of itself.

It’s a wonderful and scientific representation of nature, but there are also elements in this landscape that are both extremely calm, reassuring, and distant—a great sense of perspective that invites us to see things with a long view. And when we approach the painting, we see this great cascade of water, absolutely extraordinary, which shows that this journey will also be strewn with pitfalls, in particular by the death of Christ. R

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RELATIONSHIPS

Beyond Gift Getting The holidays prompt children to focus on themselves, but parents can show them the true spirit of the season

By Kathy Koch

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RELATIONSHIPS

A

s the holidays approach, the issue of gift giving looms large. Marketers will do everything they can to get your child longing for their newest toy or game. And while those gifts may delight your child, there are ways to deepen the meaning of the holiday and broaden it beyond the narrow focus of gifts. Here are some tips to do just that.

Use ‘Want’ and ‘Need’ Accurately

Words are always powerful, and during this season, two of the more important words are “want” and “need.” Make sure you use them correctly; teach your children the difference and correct them often when they misuse them. Do they “need” a new phone or “want” one? Do you “need” another cookbook or “want” one? Show them, through your conversations and decisions, that you’re more committed to meeting their needs than to giving them everything they want.

Prepare Children to Give, Not Get

Let’s talk more with our children about what they’re going to give others than about what they want to get. Ask them to think about what their siblings, other relatives, and some friends might need and want.

Ask them to spend a few days observing people. Suggest that they ask themselves questions about each person as they watch: What do they love that is old now? What could they do better or more often if they had something else? After they’ve observed, ask your children what they think would be great gifts to purchase. Make a big deal out of putting others first. Make the shopping trip and wrapping the gifts a part of the fun.

mihailomilovanovic/E+/Getty Images

Give Away What You Have

We all have things we’ve outgrown and things we won’t use again. To increase other-centeredness and decrease self-centeredness, everyone in the family can choose used-but-nice things to give away in the weeks before Christmas.

You can choose clothes, toys, games, DVDs, books, kitchen supplies, tools, office supplies, decorations, and more. This is a sure way for everyone to come face-to-face with the reality that they already have a lot, and yet they’re going to get more in a matter of weeks. The family can clean everything and decide together where to donate it all. School administrators often know

families in need. Your church might, too. And there are local ministries and non-profits who can accept and distribute used things. Celebrate giving!

Three Gifts

In Luke 2:11 of the Bible, we learn that the Wise Men brought three gifts to the Baby Jesus. Based on this, many parents choose to buy three gifts for their children. You could buy them something to read, something to play with, and something to wear. Or something to learn from, something to play with, and something to wear. Another option could be something to enjoy alone, something to enjoy with others, and something to wear.

Talk with them in advance so they have realistic expectations for Christmas morning. Of course, they’ll most likely get gifts from siblings, grandparents, and others, so this isn’t all they’ll get. It’s just that parents can model personal, intentional, limited giving. Giving fewer gifts can decrease entitlement and increase gratitude.

Buy Their Own Gift

As my brother, cousins, and I got older, it was harder for our grandparents to choose Christmas gifts for us. One year, our grandparents had a fabulous idea. They gave each of us money on Thanksgiving so we could buy ourselves a Christmas gift. We chose what we wanted, wrapped it, put it under the Christmas tree, and opened it in front of everyone.

We were the only ones who knew what it was.

It seems so backward, but it was fun. It helped us understand the value of the money and was less stressful for our grandparents.

I remember my cousins often buying expensive athletic shoes. I purchased pieces to my first nativity set, which began my collection, and finished it after several years. I now own 143 nativities from around the world and display them all year-round in my home and office.

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 holds a doctorate degree in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University.

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EXPERIENCES

The Ancient Legend of Uluru

By Fu Yao

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EXPERIENCES

T

he Uluru in central Australia is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, with its striking magnificent natural form, unpredictable colors, and divine inspiration. These features draw the hearts of explorers to the dreamlike wonderland. The origin of the rock is also shrouded in mystery.

Uluru, a Sacred Place of Origin for Aboriginal Culture

All photos by Shutterstock

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is one of Australia’s most famous landmarks. It’s located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and stands 1142 feet high, two miles long, one mile wide, and boasts a circumference of 5.8 miles. Some people have alluded to Uluru as a “land iceberg” because the visible portion is only the portion showing above the earth’s surface. The vast majority of it lies hidden deep underground—an estimated 3.7 miles below the surface. Geologists believe that Uluru is 550 million years old, and Australian Aborigines consider it to be one of the oldest rocks on Earth.

Whether from a frontal or bird’s-eye view, Uluru looks magical, lying quietly in the middle of the Central Australian desert. It is unique and distinctive compared to the surrounding rough wilderness. In the morning, when the sun shines, Uluru glows red; in the evening, when it sets, the red glow becomes darker and richer. What’s even more amazing is that the rock’s color changes with the weather and is thus sometimes unpredictable.

However, at closer proximity, one can see that Uluru is actually brown with a grayish tinge.

The explanation for Uluru’s bizarre color may be found in its composition: sandstone that contains iron powder. After oxidation, the iron powder turns red, giving Uluru its red appearance and its coined name as the “red heart” of Australia.

According to archaeological speculation, the Aboriginal people of Australia have been living on the surrounding land for 60,000 years, making them one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the world. The Aboriginal people of this area, the Anangu, practice a set of ancient laws and hold rev-

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still in better shape than me. We walked the reservoir, the rocky path by the lighthouse, the wooded valleys, and the beach on St. Brelade’s Bay. As we walked, we talked about the war. We talked about how she patched up her shoes with bits of old tire, about my grandad’s photography shop, which was bombed by the Germans. She talked about what it felt like to go to sleep hungry, about wearing the same clothes from age nine to thirteen because there was such a shortage of supplies on the island.

Other days, I walked with my husband. We set off from my aunt’s flat in St. Mary’s right after breakfast.

Some days, we went east, toward the beach and lighthouse in St. Ouen. Other times we went east, making it all the way to Gorey Castle, where we rewarded ourselves with an ice cream made from the milk of Jersey cows and ate it in the cool summer wind, watching the waves splash against the shoreline. Some days we did only a few miles; other days we hiked up to 20 miles, landing in St. Mary’s pub those evenings, with sunburnt faces and legs feeling like jello.

On every walk, I imagined the Jersey my granny and my other interviewees had described to me: the beaches off-limits, food strictly rationed, no wireless sets or connection to the outside world. I thought about how much the island meant to all of them, how after the war, every single person I had interviewed stayed.

I had always known Jersey was beautiful. But exploring the island on foot that summer, while writing down the war stories of occupation survivors, I realized the island has a kind of magnetic pull. Jersey has a rich history, quaint shops, and good ice cream, but that isn’t what makes people stay. In different lights, at different tides, the island is full of new wonders, only available to those who put in the time—and miles—to discover them.

Rachael Dymski is an author, florist, and mom to two little girls. She’s currently writing a novel about the German occupation of the Channel Islands, and blogs on her website, RachaelDymski.com

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