Issue 20 | Face the Current by Face the Current

VITALITY Edition

Issue 20

Summer 2018

fAce the current TRAVEL

CULTURE

MUSIC

SPORTS & FITNESS

HEALTH

The Pursuit of JOYFUL Purpose with X Ambassadors

Revitalize Through Sound Therapy, Somatic Energy, Consciousness and Love With Bruce Lipton

Origin of Elephante: Changing Course to Find Happiness and FulfillmenT

The Secrets to Vitality With Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones + Matt Belair

...inspiring positive change in the world

Roam the Planet: Austria, Namibia, Antigua + Beyond

EDITORIAL

F tC fAce the current

editorial

Issue 20 · Summer 2018

Connect With Us... @facethecurrent @facethecurrent @facethecurrent @facethecurrent

In the Beginning Face the Current was created with the intention to inspire positive change in the world and enhance lives by encouraging one another to relentlessly discover, explore, question and learn from current and emerging information and perspectives. Driven by a deep-rooted love of learning, creative minds and a great appreciation for connection with other individuals who are passionate about what they do, Face the Current has quickly developed into a growing team and global community of incredible people who believe in living life to the fullest and discovering their true potential. “I find it inspiring to connect with others who are following their flow, pursuing and exploring their passions. Their energy is vibrant & contagious and there is often a lot of incredible things to learn from their life experience and the perspectives they have gained.”

Sasha Frate Founder

sashafrate sasha@facethecurrent.com

Cover Image Credits: • Front cover by Alexey Lyakh (@wanderlust on IG) taken on a Phantom IV in between Furore and Positano along the Amalfi Coast. • Back cover by Andrés Frate

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www.facethecurrent.com For advertisement and sponsor inquiries: Annette Krey, Account Manager annette@facethecurrent.com Sasha Frate, Founder & Editor in Chief sasha@facethecurrent.com All Rights Reserved DISCLAIMER The information provided in this magazine is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Opinions and other statements expressed by the kind souls sharing their viewpoint, users and third parties are theirs alone, not opinions of Face the Current. Content created by third parties is the sole responsibility of the third parties and its accuracy and completeness are not endorsed or guaranteed. Face the Current Website and third parties may provide links to web pages, web sites, and various resources or locations on the web. Face the Current has no control over the information you access via such links, does not endorse that information, and shall not be responsible for it or for the consequences of your use of that information. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Face the Current may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this magazine.

vitality Edition Summer is here! The renewal of spring has energized us and we feel vital again, full of life and potential. Having vitality also means maintaining a meaningful existence, flexibility, and positivity in a world that is in constant fluctuation. In the summer issue of Face the Current, we explore a variety of ways to enhance and maintain our vitality. FtC sits down with X Ambassadors who urge us to “Be JOYFUL,” and have the courage to be yourself and care for one another as we discuss their inspiring music, personal values, upcoming festival, and the ways in which they find joy in life by exercising mindfulness. Flowing in the musical current, Tim Wu, known as EDM success Elephante, delivers a lesson in listening to your heart, assessing your fulfillment, and re-directing your life where needed. We glean from the in depth research of New York Times Bestselling authors Dan Buettner and Sarah Wilson to guide our vitality. The Blue Zones author, Dan Buettner provides us with meaningful action-steps from “Blue Zones” around the world that lead to longevity and happiness; and Sarah Wilson aims to ignite change in the world through her new book First,We Make the Beast Beautiful. Her book tells how to leave those quick fixes behind and reveals how we can turn the “beast” of anxiety into something more positive once we realize the purpose it serves and its ability to bring incredible depth, richness, and wholeness to our lives. FtC explores what vitality of humanity looks like with Dr. Bruce Lipton in the second of his three-part interview. “The evolution we should be striving for is not competition, but cooperation. Higher love is recognizing that it’s the love of humanity that we’re supposed to have.” ~Dr. Bruce Lipton Dr. Lipton also discusses factors of our vitality such as piezoelectricity, sound therapy, somatic energy, and consciousness, while investigating karma as a two-way street. Matt Belair shares some essential components of vitality as they apply to sports performance, encouraging us to change our personal world in order to change the planet. Yogis Missy Kai and Woody Woodrow discuss the benefits of yoga therapy, and prAna Ambassador Nathaniel Coleman takes us through his world of climbing with exciting terrain that is paving the way to a bright future! We also revitalize through world travels to Austria, Bali, Antigua, and beyond, following filmmaker Mike Bishop as he highlights vulnerable animal populations that game reserves in Namibia are protecting and rehabilitating. Plus we join Peace for Animals as they visit several African locations to understand more about the vitality of our endangered wildlife. Vitality itself is a multifaceted state, affecting us physically, mentally, and emotionally. We hope this issue uplifts you and inspires you to shake off stagnant habits, open your heart and mind to new sources of joy, and to feel the warmth and satisfaction of living an energetic life. Get out there, it’s SUMMER! Face the Current is stoking its own vitality by moving to quarterly publications! Stay tuned for our exciting changes!

Photo Credit: Tom Archer

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the

team Sasha Frate

Founder and Editor in Chief is a perspective seeker, adventurer, and explorer. She received her Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts and continues to study a variety of subjects within and outside of the academic setting. Sasha brings her personal moonshot approach to life to FtC, aiming to provide an experience for our global community where we inspire one another to stay curious, never stop exploring, and to live on-purpose and to our potential.

Issue 20 · Summer 2018

David Aiello

Chief Operating Officer is an author, musician and photographer based in Portland, Oregon. He has worked with Fortune 50 companies to build their global brands but now applies his natural curiosity to exploring and documenting the world around him.

Andrés Frate

Co-Owner & Photographer

Sema Garay

Executive Designer Sema is the graphic designer behind the development of the image and magazine of Face the Current. He has developed a multitude of projects, including his previous job leading the Creative Department of BG Life Magazine, in Marbella, Spain. Sema graduated with a Masters Degree in Architecture at ETSA of Sevilla and is proficient in a wide range of design software. He is passionate about all kinds of artistic expressions, and when not active behind the scenes of Face the Current design, you’re likely to find him playing music for Beach Grooves Global Radio or local venues along the Costa del Sol.

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Born and raised in Argentina and Italy, Andres became a jackof-all-trades at a young age. Before reaching college he had become a master mechanic in the auto and marine industries and played professional soccer for Juventus. A move to Brazil would have him picking up his third language, Portuguese, and by age 21 he found his way to Hawaii where he acquired English as his fourth language. Always maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit he has owned several of his own businesses over the years. In Hawaii he became a professional karting racer and won the Hawaii State Championships, later shifting gears to become a private pilot. World travel is in his blood and photography has naturally become another talent along the way, leading into one of his roles at Face the Current.

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Annette Krey

Account Manager Coming from the hospitality industry, Annette has successfully and passionately worked in Sales & Marketing both in the United States and in Germany in different industries. A German native, she has lived in the Portland, Oregon area for almost 8 years. There she learned to love the outdoors and the green lifestyle that plays an important role in the lives of many Oregonians. As a mom of two young children a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is now a big priority for her and she teaches her children to live passionately, be open-minded and to be respectful to our planet and all living things.

Ainsley Schoppel Editor

Ainsley is a classical pianist, former figure skater, and loves summers at the lake in northern Ontario. She holds an honors BA in Psychology and Arts & Business, and also earned a graduate degree in Hospitality and Business Management while working at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. After working in Toronto on published women-focused research, she moved outside the city to raise her family. While home with her son, she indulges her love of the written word with freelance editing.

Danny McGee

Brand Engagement & Partnerships

Danny is our lead photographer and filmmaker based out of Colorado. For the past three years he has traveled all around the world taking photos and making films, creating cutting edge photo and drone video content. Danny has been chasing and living his dream, unafraid to travel solo, travel deeper, or adventure to new heights to capture some of this planet’s most stunning landscapes and life’s precious moments in connection with people, place, and culture. His goal is to not only share his vision of the world, but to inspire people to get out and explore it for themselves.

Michole Jensen

Project & Content Consultant

is a journalist, marketer and blogger, Michole is a Northwest native who spent many years directing communications and marketing for a worldclass organization in his home state. Michole’s array of skills, curiosity, and a passion for the environment and community, drive his exploration and immersion in both his professional and personal life.

summer-

CREW David Ryan

is a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles, California and creator of LIFTSTRONG Max Intensity Interval Training. You can get your own personalized HIIT program at www.DavidRyanFitness.com Instagram: @DavidRyanFitness

We are a growing team of Up-standers whose intention is to create positive change in the world, through networking, connecting, supporting and developing at an individual and global community level. We are passionate about building our network of experts and industry leaders to deliver cutting edge information to our global community. This issue’s team and crew are based in the US, Spain, Germany, Canada and UK.

Jeff Granville

is a patented inventor an entrepreneur, owning marine related businesses including his own boatyard. He has spent most of his adult life on a personal quest to explore where science, biology and spirituality merge and currently acts as a family advisor and council member at Seattle Children’s hospital and recently founded a non-profit called Mindful Presents. www.mindfulpresents.org

Jaclyn Schlindwein

has worked as an Environmental Educator in both the Caribbean and Hawaii, including as a Naturalist for JeanMichel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program. After snorkeling coral reefs and hiking through rainforests for nearly a decade, she was called to become a Chinese Medicine Practitioner and is currently developing her practice, Sacred Geometry Wellness, where her mission is to be an advocate for the ultimate happiness, health and wellbeing of her patients.

Jess Phoenix

is a volcanologist and professional field scientist, CEO of Blueprint Earth, and accomplished extreme explorer, who recently ran for Congress in the in the 25th district in California. She’s also a regular featured scientist on Science Channel’s show “What On Earth.” www.volcanojess.com

Tom Archer

is a freelance photographer with a passion for travel. He shoots a variety of work from weddings to advertising, he is completely self-taught and his work has taken him all over the world. He is in the process of building workshops, which will see him teaching landscape and adventure photography in some of the most beautiful destinations on the planet. www.tom-archer.com Instagram: @tomarcherphoto

William Brown

is a Biophysicist and Research Scientist at The Resonance Science Foundation where he performs theoretical and experimental research to better understand the physics of complex, self-organizing systems, particularly the biological system. Within the theoretical purview, this has revealed important new insights into the processes of biogenesis, evolution, biological intelligence and consciousness. His primary objective is to help bring forth new ideas and technologies to assist humanity and advance civilization. https://resonance.is https://academy.resonance.is

Matthew Belair

Beth Bauer

is a travel blogger, yoga teacher, and freelance writer. She is originally from Vancouver, Washington, but now spends most of her time traveling the world. www.thejourneyofbethb.com

Clair Marie

a.k.a “BASEgirl” is a BASE jumper, Skydiver, Mountain bike racer, Rock climber, Motivational Speaker, Keynote, and Model. She is a passionate vegan and a world traveler, with a life goal to inspire others and help them accomplish or find their dreams and passions. After defying the odds and becoming one of the world’s youngest BASE jumpers at 16 years old, she realized how important it is to always follow your dreams, and now she helps others find theirs. https://basegirl.com Instagram: @thebasegirl

is the author of the best selling book Zen Athlete and the host of the top-rated Matt Belair podcast. He is an explorer of the mind and world and has trained with 34th generation Shaolin Masters in China, studied meditation with monks in Nepal and survived a near-death experience trekking Mount Everest just to name a few of his accomplishments. He is dedicated to teaching others how to expand their consciousness, connect with spirit and bring more awareness, love and kindness to the planet. www.ZenAthlete.com www.MattBelair.com

Woody Woodrow

is a touring musician and yoga instructor. On and off the road he enjoys guiding Mike Bishop others through their practice. He believes through relaxation we have no limits is a creative director and filmmaker to what we can accomplish. Woody is hailing from Alberta Canada. After a 200hr RYT and a Strala guide having graduating from British Columbia trained with his friend and mentor Tara School of Technology he now has nearly Stiles. Music is naturally an important part two decades of experience in media of his practice and his classroom setting creation for film and photography. reflects just that. Bishop has won many awards for his www.woodywoodrow.com unique and groundbreaking work in Instagram: @woodywoodrow aerial filmmaking. Currently based in Los Angeles California, he is constantly traveling the world looking for new perspectives and unique stories to tell. www.mikebishop.tv

Katie Cleary

is President and Founder of World Animal News and Executive Producer and Writer of Give Me Shelter as seen on Netflix. Katie got her start on the hit TV show America`s Next Top Model and recently co-starred on How To Get Away With Murder and Two And A Half Men. Katie founded “Peace 4 Animals” in 2012 as an international leader in animal welfare. Katie’s goal is to create positive change and awareness around the globe to protect the planet and its species from extinction. www.peace4animals.net www.worldanimalnews.com

Nick Cisik

is a graduate of New York University where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has enjoyed performing as an actor and musician in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Nick currently resides in northern California where he enjoys the peace and privacy of mountain life. It is here that he is free to read, write, and travel all the while reaping the benefits of clean living and moderate craft beer consumption.

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CONTENT Issue 20 · Summer 2018

COVER stories Origin of

The Pursuit of JOYFUL Purpose with X AMBASSADORS 56

ELEPHANTE:

Changing Course to Find Happiness and Fulfillment 62

ROAM THE PLANET 8

Austria, Namibia, Antigua + Beyond

Revitalize Through Sound Therapy, Somatic Energy, Consciousness and Love With BRUCE LIPTON 102

DAN BUETTNER’S BLUE ZONES: How and Why Some People Live Longer and Happier 110

THE SECRETS TO VITALITY: How Having Energy, Strength and Vigour Changes Sports Performance 6

by MATT BELAIR FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

Summer CONTENT 10. Kingdom of the Wild: Aerial Exploration of Wildlife in Namibia

V RA

16. Antigua: The Jewel of the Caribbean 20. Indulge in Holistic Luxury Nestled in the Mountains at Austria’s STOCK Resort 24. FtC Travel Connection 34. Endangered African Species and the Vitality We Owe Them

LTU

40. The Growing Movement Away From Location Dependent Jobs 44. Space By William Brown, Biophysicist at the Resonance Science Foundation 50. Continual Flux 56. The Pursuit of Joyful Purpose with X Ambassadors

SIC

62. The Origin of Elephante: Changing Course to Find Happiness and Fulfillment 68. Ultra Europe Festival 2018 70. Transcendent Savage. Zack Arnett Finds His Voice in Big Sur 74. The Most Sophisticated House Music 78. Yoga For Musicians: Exploring Music and Yoga Therapy with Missy Kai

s rt s o sp nes it &f

86. The Art of the Climb with Nathaniel Coleman 92. The Secrets to Vitality: How Having Energy, Strength and Vigour Changes Sports Performance 98. Summer HIIT To Keep You Fit With David Ryan 102. Revitalize Through Sound Therapy, Somatic Energy, Consciousness and Love With Bruce Lipton

lth

a he

110. Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones: How and Why Some People Live Longer and Happier 118. Making the Beast Beautiful with Sarah Wilson 120. Vitality Of The 5 Senses

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Our modern take on what is now an iconic style, the Mariner showcases a wide fit and flexible feel, while incorporating a full-grain leather upper, and newly designed open-cell PU leather insole. Ditch the socks and hit the docks in the Mariner and we’re sure you’ll be hooked.

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TRAVEL fAce the current

10. 16. 20. 24.

Kingdom of the Wild: Aerial Exploration of Wildlife in Namibia Antigua: The Jewel of the Caribbean Indulge in Holistic Luxury Nestled in the Mountains at Austria’s STOCK Resort FtC Travel Connection

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FtC travel

Kingdom of the Wild Aerial Exploration of Wildlife in Namibia By Mike Bishop

“

Ecotourism is what funds and enables facilities like Erindi to operate and maximizes the strength of their conservation efforts. It occurred to me that I could create a film highlighting the wildlife they work with in an effort to boost tourism activity. I knew that my film wasn’t going to save the world, but I might be able to play a small role in encouraging and supporting conservation efforts.

“

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As a filmmaker, it’s not often that you have the opportunity to give back through your art. The idea of creating a film that could be more than just another beautiful travel film was something that really interested me. The last short film I did was shot in Iceland and really opened my eyes to the possible audience-base for shortform nature films. It became a goal for me to focus my next project’s intention toward a good cause. I was particularly interested in the

awareness of environmental issues that might be easily overlooked or fail to receive attention at all. Through friends, I learned about some great conservation efforts happening in Namibia, especially at a reserve called Erindi. Erindi is a private game reserve that also includes a massive section of private land that is set aside to protect and rehabilitate vulnerable animal populations while also educating visitors about these animals. I learned that ecotourism

is what funds and enables facilities like Erindi to operate and maximizes the strength of their conservation efforts. It occurred to me that I could create a film highlighting the wildlife they work with in an effort to boost tourism activity. I knew that my film wasn’t going to save the world, but I might be able to play a small role in encouraging and supporting conservation efforts.

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WATCH VIDEO

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I reached out to Erindi as well as the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to find out if they would be interested in hosting us and if they would let us shed some light on their work by filming with their animals. I’m also content-partner for DJI (an aerial camera specialist company), so I approached them with this project idea and the film I was trying to make. All three of the parties were really excited by the concept, and I was quickly on my way to making this dream a reality through their partnership. DJI helped fund the project and determined the necessary logistics for getting the

crew and cameras to Namibia. There have obviously been a lot of animal films done before, but we wanted to have a heavy focus on aerial cinematography while trying to bring a new perspective that hadn’t been seen before in wildlife filmmaking. DJI facilitated this by supplying us with equipment we needed to capture incredible wildlife footage. I also brought out one of South Africa’s best wildlife filmmakers and expert drone pilots, Naude Heunis,

Things were going as planned until Namibia made the decision to enforce new drone regulations the week we were scheduled to leave. We had to go back and ensure that all of our permitting met the new requirements, which was a lot of work. This also meant that we had to cancel the trip two days before we left and reschedule for two

months later. After jumping through the necessary legal hoops to get our paperwork in order, we finally ended up in beautiful Namibia and traveled through the country for two weeks, getting a feel for its beauty, landscapes, and nature. Most of that time was spent in the field with CCF and Erindi, learning firsthand about their work to help save

these animal populations. Cheetahs are indigenous to Namibia and though their vulnerability isn’t quite as severe as better-known species such as black rhinos and leopards, the cheetah populations are steadily decreasing as their safety and habitat is encroached upon by farming and land development.

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After the completion of our work on-location in Namibia, I flew home with about ten days to finish the video edits and stills in time for the project’s premiere at a gallery show at the DJI flagship store in Hong Kong. We also had a screening at the

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New York Drone Film Festival. The film went on to win the grand prize in New York which was an incredible honor and achievement. Subsequently, this film has reached millions of people and has helped us to reach our goal of raising awareness while

promoting eco-tourism to regions where the tourist dollars go toward fantastic animal conservation efforts at amazing reserves like Erindi and the Cheetah Conservation.

ymore info: erindi.com cheetah.org www.mikebishop.tv Instagram: @mikebishop.tv www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

Antigua The Jewel of the Caribbean By Tom Archer

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This wasn’t my first time in Antigua and it will unlikely be the last. I was asked to attend a ‘mini-conference’ organized by the Antigua Tourist Board to market their countries with photographers,YouTubers and bloggers –sharing all the beauty and quirks to their followers. The last time I was here was over 17 years ago when I was a kid. Things were basically how I remembered them, just a little more modern and developed. Antigua is one of 2 major islands that make up the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. This is one of the Caribbean’s most prosperous nations. Tourists have been flocking here for years and there are dozens of high-end, stylish resorts. Luckily, Antigua still proudly holds onto its roots. There are towns full of candy coloured homes which are scattered over the islands. Rum is ubiquitous and steel drum music can be heard floating through the streets full of smiling, friendly locals.

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But the highlights for me and for a lot of the tourists are the beaches. It’s hard to rival some of them. My first walk along Jolly Beach had me absolutely awe struck at its luminous, emerald water over perfect white sand. No photo retouching is required here—the colors really are like that. Antigua and Barbuda have 365 beaches (yes that’s right, one for every day of the year).You will find the most impressive beaches on the

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west coast, many of them watched over by rolling green hills that were just perfect for the drone photos we took. The country has a long history. It was originally settled by the indigenous population almost 4500 years ago. The West then discovered the island on Colombus’ second voyage in 1493 and after that is was settled by the French and Spanish. Later the English

took over and a dark time of slavery and sugar plantations followed. Slavery was abolished in 1834 and finally Antigua gained independence in 1981. Since then they have grown a thriving tourism and financial economy. I always feel safe and at home here and they certainly know how to treat guests.

“

One experience everyone should have is to attend the party at Shirley Heights on a Sunday night. The site has one of the best views in Antigua, looking down onto the famous English Harbour and the bays around it, watching the sun set behind the mountains whilst sampling the delicious local barbeques and listening to a melodic local steel drum band.

“

The conference lasted eight days and during that time we were lucky to be shown around the island, take part in all sorts of activities, such as zip lining, hiking and kayaking, while being wined and dined at some of the nicest local restaurants. I should say we only actually spent two half-days at the actual conference, really the “conference” is an excuse to gather people to showcase the country to the world.

One experience everyone should have is to attend the party at Shirley Heights on a Sunday night. The site has one of the best views in Antigua, looking down onto the famous English Harbour and the bays around it, watching the sun set behind the mountains while sampling the delicious local barbeques and listening to a melodic local steel drum band.

Whether you are more interested in thrill seeking activities like speed boating and zip lining, or you would prefer to lay back over the bleached white sand and crystal clear waters, Antigua certainly won’t leave you disappointed.

ymore info: www.tom-archer.com Instagram: @tomarcherphoto www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

Indulge in Holistic Luxury Nestled in the Mountains at

Austria’s STOCK Resort By Annette Krey

Barbara and Josef Stock have been impressing and spoiling guests for decades. In 1976, they opened a small family restaurant. That effort blossomed into the 5-star Stock Resort, located in the mountain village of Finkenberg, in Austria’s Zillertal Valley. While delivering warmth, charm and unmatched hospitality, the resort was created for

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spa lovers, sports enthusiasts, families, lovers, gourmets, foodies as well as individualists with high expectations. Perfectly situated half-way between the Hintertux glacier and the main valley, this stunning destination presents visitors with year-round activities. During the summer, the area boasts endless trails for

hiking and biking. It is also home to numerous traditional festivals with culinary highlights featuring natural products authentic to the region. In the winter, perfectly groomed slopes with guaranteed snow provide unforgettable moments and make the valley a top destination for winter sports enthusiasts.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE STOCK resort is an ideal destination for singles, couples, and families. Anyone wishing for an outdoor adventure or to simply regenerate and breathe the cool mountain air will find what they’re looking for All 108 rooms or suites on the property have their own story and own personality. The 12 new Alpine Lodge family suites bring refined and sophisticated luxury to life. All the rooms are impressive, equipped with cable TV, spacious bathrooms, plush king-size beds, and incredible panoramic views of the surrounding area. The resort succeeds at providing for both parents’ and children’s interests. Kids will love the amenities the resort has to offer them. Don’t be surprised if they ignore you all day by having a blast in the Aqua Fun Park with a 70m tube slide, or romping around on the indoor or outdoor playgrounds.You might also find them riding a bike at the indoor motor cross trail or “gambling” in the arcade. The hotel’s basketball court and box-fit club with CrossFit area will keep the older kids entertained and busy as well. The smallest guests can enjoy children’s club seven days a week, complete with qualified educators and supervised children’s lunch and dinner. If you care to relax together, the family sauna with herbal steam bath, Finnish sauna and whirlpool, billiards, table tennis, internet corner, alcohol-free cocktail courses, fashion shows, and the player’s lounge with game consoles, make every day a great familyfriendly adventure.

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STAY INDULGED If being pampered is your objective, guests can experience exceptional luxury. In 21 individually designed treatment rooms, among them a romantic bath, Ayurveda rooms and a Shiatsu and singing bowl room, guests can experience exclusive treatments using Stock Diamond products. This is the only place in the world you’ll find them and they are a luxurious addition to an unforgettable well-being holiday. Guests are also free to experience a wonderfully relaxing time in the lavish, tranquil waterbed rooms and in the heated outdoor 25-meter swimming pool. A visit to one of the eleven saunas, including the log cabin sauna, the Kelo sauna and the herb and flower blossom steam baths, completes an inspiring wellness experience. STAY ACTIVE In the STOCK resort wellness hotel, skiing and hiking guides, along with qualified fitness trainers, provide healthy variety in every season. In the new Panorama Fitness Studio, the majestic all-encompassing view, high-end equipment and customized personal training and coaching yield results while optimizing the time you have to devote to your fitness goals during your stay. STAY SATIATED The STOCK resort is always looking to improve their restaurants, with star chefs helming the kitchens and locally grown ingredients bringing a freshness and diversity to menus. Those who appreciate both regional and international cuisine with Mediterranean and traditional influences will love it here! Your day begins with a special balanced breakfast, made using fresh produce from the neighbouring farms. In the afternoon there is an extensive wellness buffet for your enjoyment in the fireplace lounge or on the panorama terrace. In the evening, the first-rate 6-course dinner transforms the resort into a gourmet hub. Most of the food served is organic, with focus placed on health benefits, and is paired with the hotel’s own “Mount Stock” wines. Of course, non-alcoholic beverages, freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, as well as Memon-vitalized water are available throughout the day. Afterwards, you are encouraged to sit back and relax in the Smokers Lounge, take in some live music in the Kaminhalle, or stroll in the expansive garden, enjoying fruit skewers, ice cream or a hand-crafted cocktail. YOU WILL LIKE IT HERE! STOCK resort is many things. It is a wellness and family hotel, a gourmet food and wine resort, a seminar and conference center, a hideaway for special occasions, and a dream location for marriage proposals, birthdays and anniversaries. No matter your intent, prepare to be spoiled as STOCK resort brings together cordiality, charm and tradition, ensuring relaxation for your body and soul.

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ymore info: https://en.stock.at/

Eco-Conscious Products HOLZKERN WATCHES Holzkern encourages you to spend time with loved ones and on meaningful adventures such as travel, spending time amongst the beauty of nature, or simply unwinding and putting your feet up for an afternoon. Holzkern expresses their appreciation for this quality time through the representation of the passing of time in their logo that features the annual rings of trees. They manufacture a unique and personal token of nature for each individual that serves as a daily reminder to make the most of every moment. Holzkern is also an ecoconscious company that gives back. For every watch sold, one euro is invested into reforestation projects in Nicaragua or into employment of people with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities. Regardless of where you are in life, as a product of nature, Holzkern watches are meant to not only help you make the most out of your time, but also to serve as a daily reminder to celebrate the natural world and to reflect on your individuality, while making a positive impact.

ymore info: www.holzkern.com/en/ SOULBOTTLES The mission of Soulbottles is to inspire and enable every individual to live a conscious, sustainable, and happy life. They want to make sustainability easy with products that are good for the planet and people, while raising awareness of the devastating effects of plastic waste in our environment. Soulbottles are high quality reusable bottles made of Venetian glass and 100% plastic-free. The bottles are made in Germany to exacting standards using premium Italian glass that draws from Germany’s long-standing glass-making tradition. Each bottle sports an easy-to-use swing-top cap made of ceramic, stainless steel and natural rubber.Yes, ceramic, not plastic, and the natural rubber gaskets are made in Germany by a family-run business. The bottles come in a variety of designs, plus they give back by donating one euro per bottle to clean water projects. rubber.Yes, ceramic, not plastic, and the natural rubber gaskets are made in Germany by a family-run business. The bottles come in a variety of designs plus they give back—1€ per bottle is donated to clean water projects.

ymore info: https://www.soulbottles.de/en/ www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

FtC Travel Connection Wanderlusters, Adventurers, Explorers, and Travel Photographers –‘Sharing Our Stories’

Brendan Bannister PLACE I Call Home: Bay area, CA Instagram: @brendanbannister

“

I prefer the notion ‘let’s get lost’ because getting lost is where the adventure begins.

Magical Sunsets: Watching the colorful sunset in Southern Bali, Indonesia

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“

ftc travel connection

Perfect sunrise at one of the most incredible lakes I have ever been to. Banff National Park, Alberta How has travel given you a renewed sense of vitality? For me, one of the greatest things about traveling is the friends, connections, and knowledge you acquire. Almost everywhere you go you meet people in different

areas of work ranging from fellow photographers, to investors, to restaurant owners and everything in between. These connections help you learn about the industries and how to use real world knowledge with your own brand or company.

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travel connection www.facethecurrent.com

Do you prefer the notion of “let’s get lost” or “adventure with a purpose” and why? Which is more nourishing to your soul? I prefer the notion “let’s get lost” because getting lost is where the adventure begins. Whether it’s being kicked out of an Uber because of traffic in the middle of nowhere in Cambodia, or getting stuck in China due to canceled flights and incorrect visas. Getting lost is where some of the longest lasting memories are born. Adventuring with a purpose is great for work trips, but I think it is also important to take some personal time to explore, get lost, and get sucked into the culture and lifestyle around you.

Diving in Gilli Meno, Indonesia

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“Your journey is yours alone–not a better version of someone else’s.” Nowadays there’s a sense of competition to share the best photos and captions of travel experiences on various platforms. How might you advise people on how to keep the essence of travel experiences real and authentic, and less influenced by pressure to turn everything into the next best social media post?

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I think if you are traveling with the intention to post on social media you are traveling for the wrong reasons. Stop and ask yourself, “do I want to visit this place to experience it or because I want to get likes and validation on social media?” I often hear people say “that spot is blown out” and my opinion is “so what? It’s an incredible part of the world I want to see for myself.” Travel for experiences and memories, not for validation on the Internet.

Whiteout driving conditions in Iceland during winter. White brilliance.

Into the Sunset: Riding some custom motorcycles in Bali, Indonesia www.facethecurrent.com

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Mindy

PLACE I Call Home: Vancouver, BC Instagram: @mindy mindythelion.com

Latitude Bali

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Cavo Tagoo Mykonos, Greece How has travel given you a renewed sense of vitality? Travel is amazing for summoning new energy because when you’re in a new country, everything is different. Same, but still different - new scents, new faces, new languages, new flavors, new mannerisms. When you’re in a familiar place for a long period of time, things become familiar and it’s easy to go on autopilot. When you’re travelling, you’re constantly re-evaluating everything around you, which automatically puts you in a much deeper state of presence with a heightened sense of awareness. Living in this state, you can’t help but feel energy you’ve forgotten even exists, where you feel truly alive.

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travel connection Water Palace - Bali www.facethecurrent.com

Kirini Mykonos, Greece If you could pick 3 destinations to retreat to for holistic wellness and vitality rejuvenation, where would they be and why? Out of all the wellness retreats I’ve experienced so far, my top three destinations are the Maldives, Morocco, and mama Bali. Many of the wellness activities from country to country are similar, offering meditation and yoga practices, and you can trust that food will be clean and healthy versions of local fare to add nutrients and strength to your physical body, but what sets each destination apart is the dimension of your spirit which is nurtured during each experience. Because the Maldives are in the middle of the Indian Ocean, it’s easy to quiet your mind and focus on receiving energy from the sea, because you know there’s nothing out there for

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miles and miles. To contrast this are Moroccan wellness retreats which feature traditional Hammam therapy, a type of hydrotherapy where you strip down butt-ass naked, stand in a marble steam room, and are scrubbed from head-to-toe by a little old lady (for men it’s a man), for 5-7 rounds using a series of ingredients like sea salt and traditional black soap made from eucalyptus and pressed olive oil, to remove every impurity from your body. After each session you receive a long, slow massage. It’s a vulnerable experience and interestingly erotic, leaving you in quite a sensual state if you’re open to it. In Bali, what I’ve learned is that there is an abundance of treatment therapists who aren’t just massage practitioners that run your body through a rub routine – the Balinese have a knack for intuitive healing, and they feel your body to give you

what you need - pressure point release, movement, whatever your body is asking for. In other words, the experience you seek should play a role in the destination you travel to. Retreat to the Maldives to receive an abundance of ocean energy and feel physically revitalized and energetically reset; retreat to Morocco to feel deeply cleansed, inside and out, and uniquely sensual; retreat to Bali to feel nurtured, grounded, and loved.

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travel connection

Do you prefer the notion of “let’s get lost” or “adventure with a purpose” and why? Which is more nourishing to your soul? My favorite way to travel is actually a combination of both. I love to set out with a general travel route or destination in mind, but to hold no timeline, no agenda in between. For example, if we were to go on a day adventure, my ideal scenario is to pick a destination somewhere down the line and take all day to get there. Whatever happens in between is meant to be. It’s good to adventure with purpose because it gives you something to aim for, but genuine soul experiences don’t usually come out of rigid calculations - they happen out of the blue. That’s why I love leaving room for getting lost, changing plans, and going with the flow. Somewhere in there is the magical realm where soul experiences unfold. Rock Bar, Bali “Your journey is yours alone – not a better version of someone else’s.” Nowadays there’s a sense of competition to share the best photos and captions of travel experiences on various platforms. How might you advise people on how to keep the essence of travel experiences real and authentic, and less influenced by pressure to turn everything into the next best social media post? Everyone experiences the essence of travel differently, and the most important thing is to know what yours is. Speaking as a content creator, one of the things that gives me life is getting an epic shot in an epic spot and being able to share it with the world. Waking up before

dawn to greet the top of a volcano before the sun. It’s the experience of earning the shot, and it’s not about anyone else. If creating content on your travels and sharing your adventures is what you love to do, then that’s the essence for you. On the other hand, if you find yourself traveling to a new country to craft yet another coconut pineapple beach blanket tea party, then it might be worth asking why you came to this country in the first place, if you can do that from anywhere. In my mind that’s the difference between celebrating and forgoing the essence of travel... as well as the difference between being a content creator and an ‘influencer.’ A content creator is someone who’s out there chasing life experiences and sharing them with the world; an influencer is out there

working on their feed. Both are viable businesses nowadays and to each their own, but in terms of keeping travel experiences real and authentic, my advice is to forget about the photograph and remember why you’re traveling in the first place. Go do something that’s new, that’s out of your comfort zone, with people you vibe with. Don’t make the priority documenting yourself in an artificial scenario for the sake of appearing exceptional; make it a priority to seek exceptional life experiences worth documenting.

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34. 40. 44. 50. 32

Endangered African Species and the Vitality We Owe Them The Growing Movement Away From Location Dependent Jobs Space By William Brown, Biophysicist at the Resonance Science Foundation Continual Flux

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Endangered African Species and the Vitality We Owe Them By Katie Cleary, President & Founder of Peace 4 Animals

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To describe the impact that Africa had on me would be to say that I felt like I had come home; home to a place steeped in the historical beginnings of nature. Our first destination on our multistop African visit was Gansbaai, South Africa. Here, we intended to highlight the plight of the Great White sharks and endangered South African Penguins. The predicaments of these two beautiful animals are two of the many issues we are covering in my second documentary, “We Are One.” The shark-finning epidemic has killed an estimated 100 million sharks annually. Shark fins are coveted as a status symbol in Asian cultures, used in soup believed to have medicinal

benefits. These health benefits are wildly false but continue to lead to the capture, maiming, and death of countless sharks. The first goal of our trip was to witness Great White sharks in their natural habitat off the coast of Gansbaai, South Africa. We were filming the work of Marine Dynamics, a part of Dyer Island Conservation Trust. They tag Great Whites to aid in their protection and conservation. Knowing that 97% of sharks have been eradicated from our oceans due to over-fishing and sharkfinning, seeing this stunning, elusive species in the wild was a heartbreaking privilege. I was struck by the tendency of these beautiful, silent creatures to shy away from humans; they are very solitary animals. Their

reputation is that of an aggressive predator but I felt the opposite when I truly observed their nature. It is our responsibility to understand these creatures in the wild so that we can better protect them; the health of our planet and oceans depends on it. While getting close to the Great White sharks in the wild, it was also a privilege working with our expert-team including Director of Photography, Hunter Nolan, Producer, Apolla Echino, Second Camera, Ali Cengiz, and Sound Technician, Eyal Levy. We also worked alongside friends and animal conservationists, Shannon Elizabeth and Simon Borchert to be able to capture the beauty and power of South Africa. www.facethecurrent.com

The message of “We Are One” is quite clear; we are in a race against time to save many species and our planet before it’s too late. This urgency was most evident when we went on an expedition to film the very last of the South African penguins remaining on Earth. South African penguins are an endangered species due to many historical threats. Their eggs were pillaged by humans to be eaten as a delicacy throughout the 20th Century. This practice has only recently changed, though it had already led to a drastic decline in the Cape Coast population. Other human causes such as oil spills and sardine and anchovy fisheries have forced the penguins to search for food further off-shore. This means

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they are forced to alter their eating habits and consume less nutrientrich fish. An important organization founded by Wilfred Chivell called the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, along with the Penguin Research Fund in Port Elizabeth, and SANCCOB (the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, the only official organization mandated by the South African government to respond to crises involving seabirds) are working together to save the last South African penguins from extinction. While searching for the South African penguin off the coast of South Africa, we were saddened to discover that we would only be able to spot three penguins nestled among thousands of Cape Fur seals. We were determined to learn more about this precious species so we

decided to visit The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. This sanctuary was established in 2015 by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust and it rescues injured and orphaned baby South African penguins. They rehabilitate the penguins and release as many as they can back into the wild. Unfortunately, due to injuries sustained from fishing nets and ocean predators, not all of the penguins are released. Some are missing limbs, are unable to walk, and are even blind. Seeing these stunning creatures up-close was another fantastic experience and solidified the fact that if we don’t take immediate action to protect these penguins, extinction will be their definite future. If it weren’t for the dedication of The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, this beautiful species would have disappeared in the wild. I am so

grateful for their passionate work. As we concluded our time in Gansbaai, I realized it was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. Being able to film the plight of such an incredible species is a true honor and privilege. As we continued our journey through South Africa, we visited Care For Wild Sanctuary, the official rescue and rehabilitation center of Kruger National Park. This sanctuary was founded by Petronel, one of the most incredible human beings I have ever met. She and her team, along with a sophisticated canine anti-poaching unit, are the saviors of the last remaining Southern rhinos of Africa. When I arrived at this magical sanctuary, I was overtaken by a feeling of serenity; I knew that this was unlike anywhere

I had ever been. The people who volunteer their time to care for the last of these orphaned baby rhinos are nothing short of angels on Earth. One of the most special connections I made at the sanctuary was with Summer, a three-month-old orphaned Southern White rhino who was found laying next to her murdered mother in Kruger National Park. It was an extreme trauma for this little rhino to witness the death of her mother. Summer was brought to Care For Wild so that she could be nurtured, rehabilitated, and nursed back to health. Her mother, like so many other rhinos, was killed for her horn. Rhino poaching is fueled by a lucrative and superstitious market where buyers believe rhino horns provide medicinal benefits. Of course, rhino horns are made of keratin,

just like human fingernails, and have no impact on human health. When I entered Summer’s boma (enclosure) and looked into her eyes, I felt the sadness and trauma that this poor baby had experienced. I placed my hand on her head and gently kissed her forehead, sending her as much love and as many blessings as I could. I wanted to let her know that she was safe now and no one would ever harm her again. I wish nothing but peace and love for these beautiful, misunderstood, sentient beings, and I pray for the survival of their species. After our experience at Care For Wild, we wished Petronel and her incredible team farewell and we were then off to Kenya. As we touched down, I think we could all agree that our experience in South Africa www.facethecurrent.com

Credit: Dan Richardson

was life-changing but we could not anticipate what awaited us in Kenya. After driving many hours from Nirobi to the Umani Reserve, we arrived at a disabled elephant orphanage run by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. As I walked through the entrance, I felt completely at peace as if I had walked into heaven. We were greeted by the elephant caretakers at the reserve who then took us to meet the orphans in their care. Meeting these gentle giants in their natural habitat was a surreal and heartbreaking experience. Once again, these magnificent animals lost their families because of ivory poaching. Some of the orphans were very interested in us while others were shy; their wariness of humans did not go unnoticed. To cap-off this soul-

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expanding visit, we were invited to partake in a long trek alongside the elephants. These beautifully emotional creatures were so aware and in-tune with our group trek, and seemed to know we were there to help them. Watching them communicate with each other at levels we humans can hardly comprehend is proof that they have much to teach us. After walking next to the elephants and their caretakers for what felt like hours, we arrived at their boma where they found rest for the night. There’s truly nothing in the world that will ever come close to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Umani Sanctuary. We then traveled to David’s Sheldrick’s Voi Sanctuary in Tsavo. Here we participated in a safari-like experience across the stunning plains of Kenya. It

was much different from the Umani forest reserve, but breathtaking just the same. We also met the elephant caretakers at Voi and watched as the orphaned elephants ran at full speed to greet them. Each elephant had their own caretaker who held a large bottle of formula. Some elephants would grab the bottle, wrapping their trunks around it to feed themselves, while others would let their caretakers hold on while they gobbled the formula up in seconds. The orphaned babies need 24 hour care so each of the caretakers dedicate their lives to their orphan’s care until they are strong enough to venture out on their own, reuniting with each other in the wild. These orphaned babies are considered family to the reserve and to their caretakers. The feeling of family and

Credit: Dan Richardson

oneness came over me as I witnessed the amazing connections on the reserve. While the disgusting practice of ivory poaching and trophy hunting continues, there are good people that dedicate themselves to caring for and raising orphaned animals. In the midst of heartbreak there is beauty and light. We said goodbye to the spiritual plains of Tsavo and continued on to the final stop in our journey. We were headed to see the last two female Northern White rhinos on Earth. Sadly, the last male Northern White rhino, Sudan, passed away last month at the age of 45. When we arrived at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, we met CEO, Richard Vigne. Richard is helping to save the Northern White rhino from extinction in the wild. Richard

explained to conservationist and rhino expert Dan Richardson and me that IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) research is the only remaining solution. The looming stumblingblock is that Ol Pejeta has to raise 9 million dollars to conduct the first-ever rhino IVF treatment. It was shocking for us to hear that this is the situation in which the human race has placed the Northern White rhino. It is now our job and responsibility to reverse the damage we have done that has brought about their extinction in the wild. While at Ol Pejeta, we met Zachary and Peter, the former caretakers of Sudan, and it was an extremely emotional and heart-wrenching experience. Zachary shared his connection with Sudan, telling us that

Sudan meant the world to him. Seeing Sudan die made Zachary feel like a piece of his heart went missing. Our trip to Africa highlighted one main commonality for me: the relationships between caretakers and the animals they have saved are unique, beautiful stories. It proved to me that you don’t have to speak the same language or even be the same species to feel love for another sentient being. My heart is and always will be in Africa.

ymore info: www.Peace4Animals.net www.worldanimalnews.com www.Give-Me-Shelter.com www.facethecurrent.com

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The Growing Movement Away From Location Dependent Jobs by Beth Ann Bauer

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One day you wake up and realize that there has to be another way. You dream of living a life full of vitality, one that you don’t need a vacation from. FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

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In 2016 I was laid-off from my job as a software executive. At first, I felt devastated and lost, but then I saw it as an opportunity to get healthy again. I had been working in Delhi, India and the delicious Indian food, along with working 14-hour days, had left me overweight and out-of-shape. As a result, I decided to learn yoga and reevaluate my career. I grew tired of the constant stress and long hours of my previous position and I also hated only having two weeks a year to travel. I soon realized that I never wanted a desk-job again. While I was in India, I started blogging about my experiences as an expat and the blog took off. I realized that if I could write for my website, I could also write for others. Because of this, I returned to the states and sold my

luxury home, I simplified my life, and I made the conscious decision to pursue a career in freelance writing. Now I’m a digital nomad and yoga teacher (I sometimes even write about yoga!) I like the idea of having multiple income streams because I always have a back-up. I spend my days doing what makes me happy; traveling the world, teaching yoga, and writing about my experiences. In fact, I’ve visited over twenty countries in the past two years! It hasn’t been an easy transition, but the best things in life always take tremendous effort. I’ve watched my savings dwindle and more than one person has suggested that I might be a little crazy. I had a lot of guilt finding someone else to care for my dog and selling most of my possessions

was a monumental task. It also hasn’t been easy to find clients; I’ve written more than a few articles for free, just to gain experience. However, I’ve managed to assemble a decent portfolio. Now, a year and a half later, I have many clients that send me regular assignments and I write about a broader range of topics outside of travel and yoga. I’ve written blog posts for clients on everything from how to choose an insurance agent to HVAC maintenance. It’s not always glamorous, but I can do my job from anywhere there is Wi-Fi. I’ve worked from the beaches of Croatia to a little guesthouse in the Himalaya Mountains. I’ve taught yoga at a hostel in Portugal and early next year I’ll be teaching at a youth camp in Costa Rica. www.facethecurrent.com

Most of us were taught to believe in the “American Dream.” We are expected to go to college, choose a career, get married, find a job, buy a car, buy a home, and have children. We are supposed to go to the office Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 5:00, and do that for the next 40 years. Well, in the words of Pulitzer Prize winner and renowned musician, Bob Dylan, “The times they are changin’.” The mid-life crisis is a real phenomenon. It’s usually the result of a mid-life realization that our dreams are not what we anticipated. We suddenly notice that the “American Dream” is not dreamy at all. To many of us, an 8:00 to 5:00 job in an office for 40 years feels like a life-sentence

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According to a February 2017 Gallup survey, 31% of Americans work remotely at least 80% of the time. Terms like digital nomad, telecommuting, and remote worker are becoming more mainstream. As a result, workers are exchanging the business suit for sweatpants and using Skype instead of the conference room.

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of being chained to a desk. With only a couple of weeks a year of vacation, life goes by too fast. One day you wake up and realize that there has to be another way.You dream of living a life full of vitality, one from which you don’t need a vacation. More and more people are joining the movement away from location dependent jobs. According to a February 2017 Gallup survey, 31% of Americans work remotely at least 80% of the time. Terms like digital nomad, telecommuting, and remote worker are becoming more mainstream. As a result, workers are exchanging the business suit for sweatpants and using Skype instead of the conference room.

There are many advantages to working remotely, such as no commute, more free time, fewer distractions, and the ability to provide in-home care for children or aging parents. Benefits to the employer primarily include less overhead. An employee that works remotely doesn’t need an office, parking space, desk or work-station. Many employers report that their remote staff work more hours and are more productive than those that come into the office on a daily basis. Employees that telecommute say that they feel less stress with a remote based job and that the ability to work remotely played a major role in their decision to accept a position.

Are you wondering how you can become a remote worker? How does someone go about transitioning from an in-office job to a remote based position? The first thing you can do is talk to your employer about the possibility of working from home. Often, it starts with one day a week, then two, and develops from there. It depends on the needs of the company and your productivity. If you are looking at making a career change or are just starting out in the workforce, focus on developing job skills that aren’t location dependent. Positions like content writing, sales, web design, and software development are easily performed from just about anywhere. Of course, brick-and-mortar retail and many service jobs require in-person customer interaction. Telecommuting for these types of positions doesn’t make sense. If you want to work remotely, choose a career that is not location dependent and build skills accordingly. Many people are picking a different career path and lifestyle than their parents. We have options.Your “American Dream” can be whatever you want it to be! It doesn’t have to include a desk job, big home, or fancy car. The important thing is to identify what type of career will help you live a life full of vitality, health, and happiness, and then make it happen!

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Space

By William Brown, Biophysicist at the Resonance Science Foundation

Following the progression of scientific theory regarding the ontological nature of the physical world — inevitably leading to theory unified by a ‘connected world-view’ perspective— we get to perhaps one of the greatest factors connecting all things together: space. Because space is the one thing connecting

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all things, it forms the foundation from which a unification of physics theory can be realized. Space is an interesting component to use as the foundation of a unified science, since classically space is empty, devoid of substance—it is a term we conventionally use to refer to a “body” of nothing. This nothingness

is what separates objects, giving material bodies a definitive location in space, thus allowing them to exist as distinct objects. So, shouldn’t physics be focused on the objects instead of their background arena of space, which is fundamentally a vacuum and therefore nothing? Sombrero Galaxy

Well, as 20th century science has advanced it has become an indubitable fact that a true vacuum cannot exist, that even seemingly empty space is full of oscillating fields, phantom particles, and geometrical structure. From an ontological perspective, this should have been obvious from the beginning, because nothing—by definition—does not exist. Space exist, so it can’t be nothing (a vacuum). Indeed, space is quite the opposite of empty. When physicists were first formulating quantum field theory (QFT) they ran calculations for how much energy should be present in the quantum fields devoid of any observable excitation, what should be a vacuum. This vacuum state is the zero-point field, however

summing all of the allowable energy modes resulted in an infinite density for the energy expectation value of the vacuum, supposedly empty space. How could empty space have an infinite energy expectation value? The answer, again, is due to the fact that seemingly empty space is not a vacuum, it is the base of all mass-energy, a quantum vacuum. As physicist Nassim Haramein describes it: “objects do not define space, space defines objects”. Haramein has demonstrated the validity of this statement by showing how mass and the physical properties of particles emerge from the structure of space. The original QFT calculations predicted an infinite energy density in part because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle—a key postulate of the Bohr-Heisenberg

model of quantum mechanics, also known as the Copenhagen Interpretation—which due to its innate indeterminacy required that there must be ever-present energetic fluctuations of the quantized fields, such as the electromagnetic and mass fields, even when there were no apparent source charges, matter, or energetic radiation present. In terms of quantum field theory, this is known as the ground state, or as previously stated the zero-point field, so named because at the ground, or vacuum state there should be zero energy, yet quantum theory stipulates that is not the case. Even at the ground state there will be quantum oscillations, or vacuum fluctuations, also known as zeropoint energy.

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It is a consequence of the Heisenberg uncertainty limit that QFT predicted a non-zero energy value at the ground state of any quantum field, because the famous Heisenberg inequalities restrict the precision with which any two complementary variables of a field or particle’s state can be known. If one tries to describe the dynamical state of a quantum particle by methods of classical mechanics, then precision of such description is limited in principle. The classical state of the particle turns out to be badly defined. It is kind of akin to saying that “well, at time intervals that are shorter than we are able to measure, the energy value can be whatever it wants”. The more common example of this is the inverse precision with which either position or momentum of a particle can be simultaneously known—a high precision in the determination of one of the variables results in a resolution of the other. Now, quantum mechanics does not view the Heisenberg uncertainty limit as a consequence of our technological capabilities to measure the ultrasmall, and ultra-fast; but instead, it is viewed as an inherent property of the universe—that there is intrinsic indeterminacy at the foundation reality. While conventional quantum theory requires there to be a nonzero energy value at the ground state because of the Heisenberg uncertainty limit, unified physics demonstrates that the quantum vacuum energy is not due to uncertainty and indeterminacy, but due to the intrinsic high curvature of micro-degrees of spacetime (the micro-scale in this context refers to sizes around the Planck length 1.6 x 10-35 m), an immanent infinite energy density.

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THE VACUUM ENERGY EXPECTATION VALUE AND THE HEISENBERG UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE Let’s take a closer look at the Heisenberg inequality relating time and energy that underlies the allowance of a nearly infinite range of energetic modes of the zero-point field to exist, resulting in an infinite expectation value for the vacuum energy density:

According to this formulation, energetic fluctuations of virtually any size can occur if they only exist for an exceedingly short period of time. This has important and observable affects, for instance the Standard Model predicts an infinite charge density for the electron point particle, the self-energy of which (the energy contribution of electrostatic force to the mass) produces and infinite mass for the electron. This value is renormalized by calculating the quantum vacuum fluctuations surrounding the electron—fluctuations that are twice the mass-energy of the electron itself, producing electron-positron pairs, that “smear” out the charge density so that it does not contribute an infinite mass to the electron. With several billion of these particle-antiparticle electron-positron pairs fluctuating around the electron proper, the infinite charge is effectively shielded, resulting in a finite value (-1.602 x 10-19 coulombs).While the uncertainty principle is taken to be an intrinsic property of quantum systems, instead of just a statement about the current state of our technological capabilities to observe such quantum systems with determinism exceeding the Heisenberg limit, recent experiments have appeared to exceed the limit stipulated by this principle1,2. 1. New measurements exceed Heisenberg uncertainty limit; is this experimental evidence for non-orthodox quantum theories? Accessible on Resonance.is News 2. Scientists evade the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Accessible on Resonance.is News As such, there is some question of whether quantum indeterminism and uncertainty are intrinsic qualities of nature. If this were the case, there would need to be an alternative explanation for the observed quantum vacuum fluctuations—something other than the idea that a fluctuation of mass-energy of any size can spontaneously appear as long as it doesn’t hang around long enough to be directly observed.

INFINITE CURVATURE AND MULTIPLY-CONNECTED SPACETIME GEOMETRY AT THE MICRO-SCALE

So then, how do we account for the energy expectation value of the quantum vacuum if it is not due to energetic fluctuations that are allowed to occur because they are within the bounds of intrinsic uncertainty? The solution to this quandary is that space (the vacuum) does not have an intrinsic zero-energy value, if it were not for quantum fluctuations. But instead, space is infinitely curved, particularly when we consider the micro-scale (sizes around the Planck length 1.6 x 10-35 m). Now, this is obviously a point of contention, because although quantum field theory calculates a nearly infinite energy density for the vacuum, most physicists regard this as a non-real result, and point to astronomical observations and measurements (relating to the determination of the value of the cosmological constant) that suggest that the vacuum energy density is around 10−9 joules (10−2 ergs) per cubic meter, versus the value of 10113 joules per cubic meter predicted by quantum field theory (the vacuum catastrophe3).

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As such, although the large energy expectation value of the vacuum is used frequently (to renormalize the infinite charge density of the electron, to account for 98% of the mass-energy of the proton that does not come from the Higg’s interaction, etc…) many physicists will still regard it as foolish to use the large energy density value predicted by QFT for serious calculations. Although there are exceptions, such as the preeminent physicist Dr. Unruh, who using the QFT value of the vacuum energy density was able to correctly calculate the cosmological constant and showed that the huge gravitational force of all that vacuum mass-energy is what is driving the expansion of the universe—i.e. it is the source of dark energy4. So, the value of 10−9 joules per cubic meter, which implies space has a flat geometry, is only an apparent value. Space is, most probably, infinitely positively and infinitely negatively curved. For the most part, the two cancel each other out,

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except in places where there is a large gradient, such as with matter (resulting in a positive curvature proportional to the amount of gradient that is present). At the cosmological scale, however, the two do not completely mask each other— because infinities can have different sizes5. It may be the case that the infinite negative curvature of space is slightly larger than the infinite positive curvature of space, and therefore, there is an accelerating expansion of space (dark energy). 3. The Vacuum Catastrophe and the Holographic Mass. Accessible on Resonance.is Publications. 4. Investigation of the gravitational property of the quantum vacuum may explain the accelerating expansion of the universe. Accessible on Resonance.is News 5. Strange but True: Infinity Comes in Different Sizes. Scientific American. July 19, 2007. So, although from unified physics we see that it is the high curvature of the micro-scale of spacetime

that results in the non-zero energy potential of quantum fields, it is useful to consider the situation from the canonical perspective, where spacetime is flat and smooth, to see how in fact spacetime geometry (gravity) and the fundamental forces, like electromagnetism, are in fact unified. This is most evident at the Planck scale where the quantum energetic oscillations increase in energy so much that the vacuum fluctuations of the quantized electromagnetic field are of the Planck energy E ∼ MP ≃ 1019 GeV, where Mp ∼ 2.2 X 10-5 g (by comparison, ∼1019 GeV is released when one gram of deuterium is converted into helium during thermonuclear fusion, the equivalent of about 145 tons of TNT). This means that photons, or vacuum fluctuations, of Planck frequencies and wavelengths have so much energy that they result in infinitely curved spacetime geometry at the micro-scale—a quantum black hole. Of course, this is occurring on

inconceivably fast time scales and infinitesimally small volumes (hence it is at the micro, or unobservable scale), and is occurring with such great frequency that it results in an ever fluctuating multiply-connected spacetime geometry, a microwormhole network of spacetime at the Planck scale. It is this quantum structure of space that offers the path to unification of the two disparate fields of physics, relativity and quantum mechanics. Because at high-energy scales, like that around the event horizon of a black hole or at the Planck vacuum level, quantum mechanics becomes necessary to explain the behavior of spacetime. And conversely, the geometry of spacetime is influencing quantum behaviors. This unification was first realized by Wheeler in his formulation of quantum geometrodynamics and has led to impactful theories like Hawking-Unruh radiation. Most recently, the multiply-connected geometry of spacetime at the Planck scale has been postulated to engender nonlocal phenomena like quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement seems to

be irreconcilable with the theory of general relativity, because it suggests some form of faster-than-light signaling, or retrocausal signaling. However, there is an object in general relativity that permits such activity, and that is the Einstein-Rosen bridge, also known as wormholes. As such, the quantum entanglement of particle-pairs may be the result of their spacetime connection via micro-wormholes, they are Wheeler wormhole particle-pairs.

engineer this vacuum structure to produce gravitationally-based energy and propulsion technologies. In fact, it has already been shown that the ability to produce a gravitational dipole in the geometry of space can enable superluminal travel, without any violation of the “speed of light limit” set in general relativity. This is known as the Alcubierre warp-drive, something that may be possible in the near future following this new understanding of the fundamental nature of space and how to engineer the vacuum to utilize the nearly infinite energy potential of the zeropoint field.

Furthermore, understanding that the gravitational force—a manifestation of the underlying spacetime geometry and information (entropic) structure—is already present, as well as the “dark energy” that more info: has an antiResonance Science Foundation: https://resonance.is gravitational affect, but that Resonance Science Academy: the two are balanced unless https://academy.resonance.is there is a gradient in the spacetime The Connection Universe Film, a documentary film structure, written and directed by Malcom Carter, narrated by we can begin Sir Patrick Stewart and featuring the research of to postulate mechanisms by physicist Nassim Haramein: which we might http://getconnected.resonance.is modulated, or

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FtC culture

Continual

Flux By Jess Phoenix

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Our planet is, as far as we know, completely unique in the universe. It is a living, changing entity. The lumbering movements of vast, rocky plates are punctuated by great rendings, earthquakes that remind us that the ground beneath our feet is moving, never still. The fiery belches of volcanoes demand acknowledgement that our planet is always creating and destroying simultaneously, never content, never settled. Even the swing from cooler ages to warmer ones and back is always in motion, giant glaciers reminding us that they, too, are impermanent when faced with the inexorable march of time. It is said that the only constant is change, and that is never truer than when discussing our planet and its many faces and forces. Geologic

time is kept in rocks, their records preserving physical evidence of a planet we would never know if we did not take the time to decode their stories. Scientists have learned the language of rocks, and this fluency allows us to piece together dinosaur eras and ice ages.Yes, our planet has always been in flux, its existence dominated only by the certainty that a different state is coming, inevitably. This is the information that climate science deniers have tried to forge into a weapon, to stab at the very real heart of scientists’ calls to address the climate crisis humans are now facing. As a species, we are often uncomfortable with owning our mistakes. Even as young children, many humans fall into the apparent outlet of blaming others rather than

shouldering the burden of personal responsibility. Too frequently shame is the unseen hand that guides our conscious rejection of truth in favor of a much more pleasant fiction. Instead of acknowledging failure or shortcomings, many of us are conditioned to excuse behaviors in ourselves that we would be vocal about denouncing in others. When the mistakes of nations are laid bare, it is as though the same childish reaction occurs on a grand scale, providing cover for individual faults and allowing us to once again avoid accepting the reality and responsibility of our actions. It appears that now, in the early years of the twenty-first century, our scientific understanding of the planet is the most convenient vehicle available for finger-pointing when assigning blame for our climate crisis. www.facethecurrent.com

Yes, the climate is changing yet again. The rock record does not lie. What is different about this change is its speed, scope, and magnitude. The amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased steadily, measurably since the Industrial Revolution and the advent of the combustion engine. Developing nations recognized potential for profit in increased production of food, goods, and labor. Gases that had been sequestered for eons were released in the furnaces of modern humankind, freed of their earthly bonds to join the unseen admixture in the atmosphere. Initially, we did not see the harm. When we

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did, when rickets lay claim to vast swathes of the population in London, it was because children suffered, ensconced so deeply in the smog of urban factories that healthy light could not reach their skin. Now, vast swathes of our global population begin to suffer the effects of artificially accelerated climate change, and too many of us deny the effects of our industry and pin the blame on our planet’s own nature. If we are to solve this crisis – that of it which can be solved – we must become better at accepting responsibility and assigning blame to its proper owner. In the case of

anthropogenic, or human-caused climate change, we must elect leaders who are immune to pressure from lobbies invested in perpetuating profits for companies shackled to the worst greenhouse gas-producing industries. We must educate our youth about the dangers of overconsumption. We must end our love affair with easy, cheap energy that blankets our planet, suffocating those who are least able to protest. We must use the skill that sets us apart in this world, the spark of innovation that has lifted us off of this planet’s surface and carried a select few onto that of our closest neighbor, onto a Sea of Tranquility

unlike any on our earthly home. We are a species that is good at assigning blame, yes, but we are better suited for solving problems – even those of our own creation. It is time once again to sharpen that skill for the very future of our species. The crux of anthropogenic climate change is balance. We must learn to balance our ideals of modern convenience with the practical limitations of a rapidly growing population. We must also balance efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions with concerted research into technologies that will allow us to sequester those gases once again,

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safely in a solid form, where they will be unable to push the equilibrium of our atmosphere off-center. Finally, we must balance our tendency to blame anyone, anything but ourselves for our mistakes. There is no shame in failing, only in failing to continue to try. This climate crisis calls for us to find a fulcrum in the middle of the climatic swing from cold to hot. We can create a still point, a balance between our human world and the natural one. We are the most adaptable, changeable species on a planet that is always in flux. We are home. Now we must discover how to live here.

ymore info: Jess Phoenix is a volcanologist and professional field scientist, CEO of Blueprint Earth, and accomplished extreme explorer, who recently ran for Congress in the in the 25th district in California. She’s also a regular featured scientist on Science Channel’s show “What On Earth.”

www.volcanojess.com

We can create a still point, a balance between our human world and the natural one. We are the most adaptable, changeable species on a planet that is always in flux. We are home. Now we must discover how to live here.

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MUSIC fAce the current

56. The Pursuit of JOYFUL Purpose with X AMBASSADORS 62. The Origin of ELEPHANTE: Changing Course to Find Happiness and Fulfillment 68. Ultra Europe Festival 2018 70. Transcendent Savage. Zack Arnett Finds His Voice in Big Sur 74. FACE the most sophisticated house music 54 the CURRENT MAGAZINE

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FtC music

The Pursuit of JOYFUL Purpose with Interview By Sasha Frate and Ainsley Schoppel Joy is a state sought by many but not experienced by enough.Though they claim not to have any concrete ways to achieve it, X Ambassadors’ music and outlook on life certainly bring joy to their fans. During an intimate chat at The Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon, X Ambassadors gave Face the Current an in-depth look into their lives as musicians and conscious, philanthropic human beings.

56 Photo FACECredit: the CURRENT GrahamMAGAZINE Fielder

Adam Levin

Casey Harris

LA-based X Ambassadors Adam Levin, Sam Harris, and Casey Harris are a platinum-selling rock band, but more than that, they’re family. Sam and Casey, brothers from upstate New York, have been playing together since high-school. Blind since birth, Casey plays the piano, keyboard, and sings backing vocals, while Sam sings lead vocals. According to Sam, the brothers have always been close; “Growing up, I was looking out for [Casey] and in a lot of ways, [he was] looking out for me, too.” The familial musical talent did not germinate unaided however, as the Harris’ mother was also a musician.

Sam Harris

“Knowing that she [was a musician], we knew it was an option for us as well,” Sam shared. “That’s the biggest thing ever; knowing that a career in the arts is possible and having tangible evidence of that is everything.” When asked what it was like to flow together on stage as a band with their drummer, Adam, Casey immediately replied, “It’s still family. Even if one of us might be having a rough night and the other might be having a great night, it all sort of coalesces and balances out across the stage.” With their double-platinum single Unsteady, platinum single Renegades

Credit: Andres Frate

and gold single Jungle, X Ambassadors have undeniably solidified their place in the music industry. “Renegades is one of those songs that we wrote without knowing the true meaning. Through the making of the music video and through our various live performances, it has evolved into a symbol of staying strong and not being afraid to be yourself no matter what. Be yourself no matter what environment you’re in or what other people are saying; at this point, that is what it means to us,” Casey shared. Sam went on to recount a fan’s moving story about her connection to Unsteady. After a show, a woman www.facethecurrent.com

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a relationship that’s breaking apart. Hers was a totally different story, but that’s the beauty of what we do; these songs can apply to so many different people’s lives.” Besides their own studio and live work, X Ambassadors have also performed on NCIS: New Orleans, and collaborated with MGK and Bebe Rexha on Home, a track for Will Smith’s 2017 movie Bright. “It was so fun to be involved with such a massive production,” Sam remarked. “I’m a huge Will Smith and Joel Edgerton fan, so it was a very cool thing to be a part of that.” In Home,

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approached him and said, “My partner and I just adopted a new baby boy and I also just recently came out to my parents. They disowned me and they don’t want anything to do with me because I’m gay. This song has really helped me to figure out what it is to be a parent in my own way, separate from the way I was raised by my parents.” He continued, disclosing, “She got really emotional and I got really emotional, too. [Her situation] has nothing to do with my story behind the song. The song for me is really about our parents’ divorce and about the vulnerability of being caught up in the middle of

Rexha sings about feeling alone in crowded streets. Casey echoed this observation by saying, “I think there’s sort of a conundrum these days as the more people get connected online, the more they seem to ignore the physical world around them. I think that can lead to feelings of isolation in the midst of a crowd. Having people get back in touch with [those] physically around them could really help.” In selecting projects or artists with whom to collaborate, as was the case for Home, Adam stated, “I think having a mutual respect for what the other has done in the past is important.”

Our song JOYFUL is in no way ‘Hey I did it, you can too!’ I have no road map and that’s kind of what the song is; it’s like ‘I’m trying to be joyful! I’m trying to be happy and sunny and bright. I’m trying!’ – Sam Harris

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Photo Credit: Graham Fielder

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Renegades has evolved into a symbol of staying strong and not being afraid to be yourself no matter what. Be yourself no matter what environment you’re in or what other people are saying; at this point, that is what it means to us.

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Their new single JOYFUL (from the album of the same name) is set to inspire listeners to live mindfully, see the vitality in humanity, be uniquely themselves, support one another, and #ToBeJOYFUL. X Ambassadors don’t claim to be experts on joy, however. Sam admitted, “The song JOYFUL is in no way, ‘Hey I did it, you can too!’ I have no road map and that’s kind of what the song is; it’s like, ‘I’m trying to be joyful! I’m trying to be happy and sunny and bright. I’m trying!’” In terms of simply identifying the things that bring us joy, Casey urged, “Realize there are things to be joyful about in life and do your best to be mindful of them as often as you can.” No different than other artists, X Ambassadors hope their art will be impactful and inspiring. When thinking about what JOYFUL can give to the

world, Casey feels that, “Being mindful and being more consciously aware of the world around you; that’s one of the biggest changes the world could move toward.” Unsurprisingly, their JOYFUL tour has also been a well-received success. “The response we’ve gotten, particularly to our new songs, has been really amazing,” Casey recalled. “It’s really gratifying that people have been learning the words to our new singles.” The beauty and success of X Ambassadors’ storytelling is largely due to its roots in reality, lending itself to very emotionally-exposing tracks and albums. When asked whether this was a risky approach, Adam answered, “What is really at risk except your own ego? If people connect with [the music], it’s worth

Photo Credit: Graham Fielder

it. Putting yourself out there in any way is usually really scary, but the downside is ultimately nonexistent.” Unsteady was the track Sam felt most resistant to sharing. “It’s such a personal thing,” he started. “I also felt almost embarrassed that my parents’ divorce had such a profound impact on me; it’s something that a lot of parents go through. Actually admitting that was really hard because it felt petty. I think it’s common that a lot of people don’t acknowledge how much a divorce affects them, regardless of their age when it happens. That was the most uncomfortable song, but those are always the best ones.” While this personal growth and success would be enough for any artist, it’s most definitely not enough for X Ambassadors. When they’re www.facethecurrent.com

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What is really at risk except your own ego? Putting yourself out there in any way is usually really scary, but the downside is ultimately nonexistent.

not topping the charts, they’re using their platform to support causes that amplify positivity, such as the Planned Parenthood concert they headlined that benefitted Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and their donation of all proceeds from their song Hoping to ACLU. “We’ve been very lucky to work with Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Wounded Warrior Project,” Adam revealed. “We try to use our platform to promote these causes while raising awareness and money for them, and we feel like that’s our duty. We would still be doing that on a smaller scale even if we didn’t have the platform.” Don’t go singing their praises though, as Sam was quick to interject, “It’s something that we are often applauded for, but it’s almost

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Photo Credit: Andrés Frate

frustrating because it doesn’t feel like it should be anything that should be commended. It should be everyone’s duty to look out for each other and to make sure our human rights and dignities aren’t being attacked or taken away.” Another organization that X Ambassadors are involved with is Everytown; a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence while building safer communities. “We’ve been working with Everytown for gun safety and gun control. This is an issue that we really, really need to tackle as a country,” Sam said. “Shootings are happening at [concerts]. They’re happening at rock shows where someone brings an assault rifle into the concert and

opens fire on the innocent. It’s very scary and it hits really close to home for us.” For Casey, the issue is even more profound; “What’s scary to me as a blind person is the fact that I can’t drive a car in this country, but I can walk into a [store] and buy a gun; no questions asked. It’s crazy.” In their track American Oxygen, X Ambassadors describe a “new America” and the American Dream. When asked how they would describe the current state of America, Sam thoughtfully replied, “We need to really remind ourselves that this is the land of opportunity, inclusivity, and refuge for people who are escaping persecution. In many ways, this country is built on a lot of pain and suffering, but it’s also built on an

incredibly beautiful, diverse group of people and immigrants. People are looking for a better life and we need to embrace that.” Further musing about the state of the country, Casey remarked, “I think we will get over this period and we will collectively remember that it is diversity and immigration’s pursuit of a better life that has made our country what it is.” Regardless, X Ambassadors are fiercely proud to be American. “We all love our country,” Sam added, “and we won’t let the idea of it be twisted by a single administration or a group of people.”

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In between their music and philanthropy, and somehow finding the time and energy, the band was also inspired to establish a music festival in Casey and Sam’s hometown of Ithaca that would give back to a city that gave them so much Now in its second year, the Cayuga Sound Festival is a weekend-long event that showcases amazing musical talent as well as local food and beverage vendors, with a portion of the festival’s proceeds benefiting local non-profits. “This year it’s us, Matt & Kim,Young the Giant, and a bunch of other amazing acts that are going to perform,” Sam told us.

“It’s going to be in September, so get your tickets!” Whether you catch them live or vibe to their music alone in your car, X Ambassadors will undoubtedly move you. It’s their assured hope however, that they will move you to do good in this world while also capturing your own joy. That’s the beauty in this life; that’s X Ambassadors.

ymore info: www.xambassadors.com Social: @xambassadors www.cayugasoundfestival.com

Raising awareness for causes is something we’re often applauded for but feel like it shouldn’t be commended; it should be everyone’s duty to look out for each other. – Casey Harris

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Photo Credit: Catie Laffoon

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FtC music

The Origin of

Changing Course to Find Happiness and Fulfillment Interview By Sasha Frate Tim Wu’s early life was fairly typical and not altogether unique. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan,Tim was a classically trained pianist and a singer-songwriter. He pursued this natural talent for music by playing in several bands in high school and college. College life also saw Tim excel at Harvard University and most people in Tim’s situation would have been fulfilled and satisfied with the consulting job Tim found himself in upon graduation. For Tim, it wasn’t something that spoke to his soul, but unlike most people, he decided to do something about it; Tim quit his job and pursued his passion. Tim, now known as Elephante, is one of the most exciting producers in dance music. Garnering rave reviews from SiriusXM, Beats1, Billboard, and Rolling Stone,Tim has hooked fans from all over the world. Released in September, 2016, his first EP I Am The Elephante now has over 60 million Spotify plays. With past festival performances at New York City’s Electric Zoo, and Billboard Hot 100, Elephante will also be performing at upcoming festivals like EDC Las Vegas,Tampa’s Sunset Music Fest, and Seattle’s Paradiso.Tim is also a resident DJ at Hakkasan Las Vegas alongside Calvin Harris, Zedd, and Kaskade. Set for release on June 15, his new album titled Glass Mansion has already seen millions of streams on its released singles. Elephante is a lesson in listening to your heart, assessing your fulfillment, and redirecting your life.Though difficult, changing course can be the most rewarding decision one can make. Please enjoy these personal contemplations and lively industry insights as Face the Current gives you,Tim Wu.

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Sasha Frate: From Harvard University to a solid start in your career, you were on what the conventional world would consider the “road to success.” As you looked ahead to your consulting job’s destination, how did you discover that you weren’t happy with its future and why did you ultimately

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choose to step off that road to forge a new path for yourself? Tim Wu: It was just something that happened over time. I was very fortunate to have the work that I had, but there was this voice inside me that told me “something isn’t right.” I tried to ignore it for a very long time and be grateful for what I had,

but after a while, I just couldn’t take it anymore. Deep down, I always had a dream of making music and that finally won out. I knew that if I didn’t give it a shot, I’d wake up at 50 and hate myself. SF: What’s it like to be “the elephant in the room” and then own that fact?

There was this voice inside me that told me ‘something isn’t right.’ I tried to ignore it for a very long time and be grateful for what I had, but after a while, I just couldn’t take it anymore. Deep down, I always had a dream of making music and that finally won out. I knew that if I didn’t give it a shot, I’d wake up at 50 and hate myself.

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TW: I think I’ve always felt a little different than other people and a little out of place. For a long time, I wondered if there was something wrong with me; why couldn’t I just be normal like everyone else. It took moving away from my friends and everything I know, across the country to LA, to really start over and start being myself. At first, it was terrifying. A lot of people in my life thought I was making a huge mistake, but at that point I didn’t care. One day I realized this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and all of sudden I was starting to be the person I wanted to be. SF: You’ve said that the focus is

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always on the success of the “hit song,” but people are missing out on “the songs before the song.” What did you mean by this? TW: I just think the idea of an “overnight success” is super misleading. When many people see a musician become hugely popular off of one song, they think, “Wow, all it took was that one hit, huh? I can do that.” I definitely fell into this trap when I started off. I thought, “Man, all I have to do is make one Levels and I’ll be as big as Avicii.” The thing is, you don’t realize how many years they’ve worked and how much music they’ve made to get to that one song. The

Beatles were overnight sensations in the US, but they spent years playing tiny clubs in Germany. So yes, one great song can change your life, but you can’t get to that one great one without making a hundred bad ones. SF: Since the pathway to achieving and maintaining success in your industry is not linear, what has been your way to remain fluid, flowing with your career path while also staying focused on achieving your goals? Are there any strategic career moves you’ve made to pursue your passion and make it lucrative?

TW: Honestly, the biggest thing for me has been to stop chasing trends and trying to fit my music into what’s popular at the time. All the songs I’ve tried to make to be “the single” have ended up being pretty trashy. The songs I’ve made just for myself, without thinking about genre or which DJ would eventually play them, ended up being the most successful. I’m also lucky to work with an amazing team who figures out the business side of things, because honestly, I’m pretty terrible at that. SF: Once you embarked on the musical career path, how and why did you make the leap from being a classically trained pianist and singer-songwriter to EDM?

TW: I made the leap when I realized I wasn’t going to be John Mayer. He was my idol growing up. I was playing open-mics and writing acoustic songs, and let me tell you, there is nothing more soul-crushing than playing open-mics to zero people. I started making dance stuff for fun because I heard Skrillex for the first time and my head exploded. I was watching a bunch of YouTube videos and teaching myself. I started to fall in love with it. I think my music still has the same soul as before, but now, instead of just voice and guitar, I have the whole universe of sounds, including sounds that had never been made before. It was kind of like going from only drawing with pencils to suddenly having paint in every color.

SF: What has been the greatest influence on your innovative approach that has led to your constant creation of genredefying hits? TW: I think part of it is that I had different musical influences growing up, so that naturally leads to some different-sounding stuff. I actually don’t know where any of my ideas come from; sometimes it feels like they’re just delivered from somewhere. I spent years learning everything from Jimi Hendrix, to Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Eminem beats. I think it’s just this weird concoction of sounds that I like and it’s melded into a new, weird vibe.

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When I started off. I thought, ‘Man, all I have to do is make one Levels and I’ll be as big as Avicii.’ The thing is, you don’t realize how many years they’ve worked and how much music they’ve made to get to that one song.

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I feel like we all have these animal emotions inside of us, underneath our ‘awake’ brain. ‘The Zoo’ is all about tapping into that and embracing all the primal feelings we have.

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Photo: The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

SF: What’s the story behind The Zoo Volumes, your “zoo world,” and Animals Wanted concepts? TW: Listening to mixshows was hugely inspiring for me. I had always wanted to have one of my own, but I also wanted to make it a little different. I didn’t want to just put a bunch of songs back to back, so I tried to make The Zoo a little different. I wanted to make a mix with 60 minutes of music that I absolutely loved, giving each song its own little twist. It’s all just an extension of the idea of Elephante. Not to get too “new-agey,” but I feel like we all have these animal emotions inside of us, underneath our “awake” brain. It’s about tapping into that and embracing all the primal

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feelings we have. SF: Can you share how you began fostering a young elephant through The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Tsavo National Park, Kenya? TW: It started with a friend gifting me a foster elephant, Jotto, as a birthday gift. I thought it was an amazing program and so I’ve just continued with it. I get weekly updates on how he’s doing and all the mischief he’s stirring up. It’s weird; I feel very connected to him even though I’ve never been there, and I really encourage everyone to check out the program. SF: You described your song

Plans, featuring Brandyn Burnette, as the most simple, yet the most emotional, you had ever made. Why was this song particularly impactful for you? TW: A lot of songwriting nowadays tries to be “cool” or “swaggy,” but Plans is really straightforward and heartfelt. There’s not a lot of sincere music now and I feel like the song really just puts its heart on the table. It doesn’t try to dress-up or hide anything, so it feels really brave. Brandyn is an amazing artist; the lyrics just hit me in the chest the first time I heard them. On the production side, it’s the simplest song I’ve ever done. It has the fewest layers and sounds and there’s a lot of space. It was a really powerful lesson to me

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I recently did a photo-shoot where we just drove into the desert without a plan until we found an absolutely gorgeous deserted place. It’s really great to do that kind of thing to ground you and give you a different perspective. It’s especially helpful in the dance music world because of all the lasers and lights we’re constantly surrounded by.

SF: You’ve called yourself a “nature boy” and last year you spent a day on the farm teaching gardening, cooking, and mindfulness in support of underprivileged youth in Los Angeles. What are some ways you like to connect with nature and community? TW: I think Los Angeles and Southern California in general are really underrated for their natural beauty.You can drive an hour from the city and all of a sudden you’re in a different universe. It can be deserts, forests, or mountains, and that’s hugely inspiring to me. I recently did a photo-shoot where we just drove

into the desert without a plan until we found an absolutely gorgeous deserted place. It’s really great to do that kind of thing to ground you and give you a different perspective. It’s especially helpful in the dance music world because of all the lasers and lights we’re constantly surrounded by. SF: Your new EP “Glass Mansion” Prologue is out now with the full EP released on June 15th! What’s inside the “Glass Mansion?” TW: The EP has 9 songs and I’m incredibly proud of it. It was inspired by staring up at the Hollywood Hills at night and thinking, “Man, I want one of those so bad.” The “Glass Mansion” is this imaginary place

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that sometimes more is not better.

inside everyone’s head where we’re trying to build something. It could be a dream job, art, wealth, a better relationship–whatever the case may be.You try to make whatever you’re building more and more beautiful and you think your life will be complete once it’s finished. However, at the end of the day, what you’ve built is still incredibly fragile. The EP is the story of trying to build the mansion and coming to terms with the notion that life is about the journey of its construction. Life isn’t about having a pretty thing for everyone to look at.

ymore info: www.elephantemusic.com Social: @iamtheelephante www.facethecurrent.com

FtC music

Ultra Europe

Festival 2018 By David Aiello ULTRA Music Festival, an annual electronic music event, has had people dancing in picturesque Miami since 1999.The event, which took its name from the 1997 Depeche Mode album, “Ultra,” started as a modest one-day festival in 1999 and grew into a two-day weekend event from 2007 to 2010. In 2011, the festival grew to three-days and now easily draws more than 150,000 people to Miami’s Bayfront Park every March. Ultimately, Miami couldn’t contain the beats and Ultra has now blasted across the globe to more than twenty countries including Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Bali, Australia, China and Japan.

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ULTRA EUROPE With its roots in the warm sands of Miami, Ultra Europe burst into the European music scene in 2013 onto the exquisite beaches of Croatia. It quickly established itself as one of Europe’s best electronic music festival, attracting the biggest names in EDM, house and techno music. In the last few years, the festival has seen up to 150,000 party-goers from all over the world descend on Split for the three-day event. Ultra Europe returns to Split for its sixth year, July 5 - 11, 2018, with plenty of exciting events planned.

This year’s edition Of Ultra Europe will see sets from the likes of David Guetta, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren, Eric Prydz, Hardwell, Galantis, The Chainsmokers and more! Held inside the city’s historical Stadion Poljud, Ultra has become known for its high-energy shows, and incredible productions. While most festival activities will take place here there are plenty of other happenings that stretch out the festival to a full week. These include an opening party in Split and after-

parties on some of the best-known Dalmatian islands. Getting to Split is easy too. There are many flights from the UK to Split during the summer months, with air links from numerous other European cities as well.

ymore info: https://ultraeurope.com/

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Transcendent Savage Zack Arnett Finds His Voice in Big Sur Interview By Nick Cisik | photos by Eliot Lee Hazel Big Sur is located on the central coast of California. It marks the midway point between Northern and Southern California — two contradicting regions, both culturally and geographically.These stark contrasts of regionality clash here on this cherished coastal town; just like the waters which fall upon its jagged, rocklined shores. It was here that Zack Arnett, after deciding to take to the road in his van (which would double as a recording studio), stopped to produce what is undoubtedly his most penetrative work to date. Big Sur, the namesake of his band SUR, provided him with the isolation, detachment, and subsequently, the connection he required to reflect and exhale in the way he knows best, through his music. What he documented there, beneath the lush canopy of central coast Redwoods — the soft roar of the Pacific serving as a constant informant — would make for the sonic fabric used to record his new EP entitled Savage Beast. On it, Arnett fights the good fight, disarming his listener through the use of an edgy sonic palate, heavily laced with tribal rhythms, rife with lo-fi howling. His lyrics are proportionately provocative, exploring an array of controversial themes, sure to challenge in their piercing universality. We caught up with the artist recently to discuss the benefits of psychedelics, the need to accept darkness in the pursuit of enlightenment, and how a constant recalibration of values is critical as we struggle to hold humanity true. As Arnett states, “Balance is key.”

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Our world is flying through space at a thousand miles an hour and we’re just along for the ride. The most powerful shift we can make is in our head, in the way we perceive what we are, what we want to be, and what’s most important to us during the journey.

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Nick Cisik: While on your twomonth-long recording journey you’ve said you weren’t thinking much about accomplishing an album so much as surrendering yourself to a more spontaneous creative process. As you put it, you were “submitting” to what you were feeling in the moment, not concerning yourself with a result. In your life, do you try to adhere to that “living in the moment” mentality and, if so, what do you feel are the benefits?

NC: While on that journey, where did you travel to? Besides Big Sur, what was your favorite place to visit or that you found most inspiring?

Zack Arnett: Our world is flying through space at a thousand miles an hour and we’re just along for the ride. The most powerful shift we can make is in our head, in the way we perceive what we are, what we want to be, and what’s most important to us during the journey.

NC: Do you feel like there is a city out there — even internationally — that is a hot bed for music and arts right now? For example, New York City in the 70’s or San Francisco in the 60’s.

ZA: We went to Death Valley, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Ojai, and a couple small towns along the way. I can’t say which I liked best, but I will say that I did the most writing and recording in Big Sur. It was winter, so there weren’t a lot of humans around. It felt like we had the place to ourselves.

ZA: I would cut off a limb to kick it on Haight & Ashbury circa 1972. I want to feel the current of electricity that it had. I want to know what it was like. I feel like we’re missing out on a lost vibe that was created in that place during that time. NC: What are you reading currently? ZA: I mainly read with my ears because my brain has trouble processing information from the written word. I tend to see shapes in the negative space behind the letters and I start to drift out of concentration. There’s a really good book called “Addicted to Love” by Jan Geurtz that I’ve been getting into — not done yet — but it’s an eyeopening look inside.

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NC: It’s pretty amazing what can happen when you pull yourself out of your daily routine and go on a solo journey.You don’t talk as much to other people because you are alone, which gives you time to reflect and organize your thoughts.There is something about being alone, however, that can be terrifying. Why do you think that is? ZA: Did I say that?? Ummm… Psychedelics have taught me a lot. One of the most valuable lessons is to never sit still for too long because the idol mind can be a dangerous thing. NC: The video for “Lean Back” is great. It’s provocative on many levels and is laced with several controversial themes. I particularly like the poem read at the beginning. One of the lines in the poem is “I am my God.” I find the concept of taking ownership over oneself through a transcendent breaking down of the artifice we exist in to be extremely intriguing.There is a lot of that liberating philosophy in your lyrics. Would you agree? ZA: So glad to see you’re paying attention! I found myself late one night in the desert and I understood that within us all are these make-believe concepts of Heaven and Hell. Without one there is no other. Balance is key. Pray to yourself and believe in your power. NC: On that note, the video is definitely dark thematically and visually. Do you feel like darkness must be explored in order to enlighten?

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Our consciousness is being robbed by the overstimulation of the internet. Art is suffering because it’s so accessible. Cameras are being turned in the wrong direction and the depth of who we are is draining with every quick swipe to the right. It’s all good though, we’ll figure it out again.

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ZA: Absolutely…It’s a dark time now. Our consciousness is being robbed by the overstimulation of the internet. Art is suffering because it’s so accessible. Cameras are being turned in the wrong direction and the depth of who we are is draining with every quick swipe to the right. It’s all good though, we’ll figure it out again. NC: I understand you are a painter and former graffiti artist. Who are some of your favorite artists? ZA: That’s a tough one. I was privileged enough to be surrounded by a lot of talent growing up. My late brother Shaper was probably the most influential artist to me. Love you J! NC: One of the tracks off the new EP is entitled “Stix + Stones.” It is a soaring and heartfelt tribute to love, yet the title contradicts, as it alludes to the “breaking of bones” that can

occur in romantic relationships. Can you elaborate on that? ZA: Love will bring out the best and worst in people. Just hold on tight and enjoy the good times. NC: You have some tour dates coming up which will take you up and down the California coast. Being a California native makes you familiar with the state. Do you like living in Los Angeles? From a cultural and social standpoint, what do you think defines that city? ZA: I love LA! She’s one hell of a bitch, but god damn she’s gorgeous. NC: What can people expect from a live SUR performance and how will they feel afterwards? ZA: I hope that you walk away feeling something, anything, everything.You gotta sing along with us sometime, we’d love to see you.

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music

www.soundcloud.com/semagaray www.facebook.com/semagaraydj www.mixcloud.com/semagaray beachgrooves.com/portfolio-item/ sema-garay/

the most sophisticated house music by Sema Garay presents his favorite current and upcoming new house music releases with a Top 10 chart that includes a variety of styles from deep house, soulful, afro, and nu-disco, to tech-house and more. Tune in to these tracks by clicking the image or scanning the QR code!

ARTIST Dj Godoy, Vanna Vee TITLE Masquerade (Original Mix) label Audiometrica genre R&B / House Release 2018-06-11

ARTIST Ruben Mandolini TITLE Romantica (Original Mix) label Lapsus Music genre tech house Release 2018-06-08

ARTIST Alberto Segador TITLE Swing Like That label Guerrilla Records genre Jackin House Release 2018-06-25

ARTIST Fred Everything, Sio, Andre Lodemann, Fabian Dikof TITLE by Day (Andre Lodemann & Fabian Dikof Remix) label Lazy Days Recordings genre deep house Release 2018-05-25

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ARTIST Hollis Parker TITLE Have You label SoSure Music genre DEEP House Release 2018-05-28

ARTIST Cee ElAssaad, Jackie Queens TITLE All On You (Voodoo Mix) label Merecumbe Recordings genre afro HOUSE Release 2018-06-01

ARTIST Saison TITLE I Need Ya label No Fuss Records genre DEEP house Release 2018-06-08

ARTIST Freiboitar TITLE Blew My Mind label Exploited genre House Release 2018-06-04

ARTIST Niko Bellotto, Naile Sosa, Kiko Navarro TITLE Barasuayo (Afroterraneo Version) label Afroterraneo Music genre afro house Release 2018-06-08

ARTIST Dario D’Attis & Definition, Dario D’Attis, Definition TITLE So Long (Original Mix) label Hive Audio genre Afro House Release 2018-05-21 www.facethecurrent.com

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sports & FITNESS

78. Yoga For Musicians: Exploring Music and Yoga Therapy with Missy Kai 86. The Art of the Climb with Nathaniel Coleman 92. The Secrets to Vitality: How Having Energy, Strength and Vigour Changes Sports Performance 98. SUMMER HIIT TO KEEP YOU FIT with David Ryan 76

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Yoga For Musicians Exploring Music and Yoga Therapy with

Missy Kai Interview by Woody Woodrow

In this installment of Yoga For Musicians Musician and Yogi, Woody Woodrow, talks to Missy Kai about the energizing effects of yoga and music and how the focus, practice, and technique required for both can make them mutually beneficial. After quitting her successful accounting career, Missy Kai started her own yoga therapy business in 2016. A trained drummer into her teens, Missy knows firsthand the symbiosis that yoga and musicality share. Missy now teaches yoga therapy, improving her clients’ lives through functional movement principles and has helped many professionals to improve mobility, relieve pain, and reduce stress. Missy is also a champion of gender equality in yoga participation and is working to open the door for more men to discover its amazing benefits. Roll out your mat, put on some music, and enjoy an intimate chat with Missy Kai.

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Woody Woodrow: Missy, can you start by telling everyone what inspired you to start playing drums? Missy Kai: I started playing drums when I was about six. My father had a recording studio in our basement. He played in a band and his drummer had the drums at our house so it was always something that was available to me. Musically though, I didn’t really start with drums. I actually picked up the bass guitar first, but I have these tiny little hands and I was this tiny little girl. I asked my Dad how I was supposed to play it and he said, “Honey, I think that’s a little bit big for you. Let’s try something else.” So, I traded it for a drum set and he and his bandmates showed me a couple things. I would wander downstairs

and play with their band. I started getting pretty good to the point where my mom bought me some drum lessons when I was 12 years old. I took lessons all the way up until I was 18 and going off the college.

wanted to rock out! So I got special permission to go to the all-boys school and play in their jazz band.

WW: What type of music do you prefer to play?

MK: Yoga came into my life when I was in Barnes and Noble shopping for a present for my Dad’s birthday. I saw a yoga DVD in there and I took it home (I think it was Rodney Yee). I followed the DVD and it just felt good.Yoga was very much a physical practice for me at that time and it was something I had always wanted to do. I just flirted with it on the surface until I got out of university and was starting a public accounting job with a lot of stress involved. I needed an outlet, so I just decided to take my yoga practice more seriously.

MK: I studied everything but was always very much into rock. I started with pop-punk and then I got more into alternative music. From there, I got into the “screamo” thing that was getting big around that time. I then made my way into metal and heavy metal, but in the meantime, I was also playing in a jazz band at my high school. I went to a Catholic girls highschool and they didn’t offer any music classes aside from choir and violin. I didn’t want to sing in the choir; I

WW: Rock on! So, when did yoga come into your life?

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For my whole life, I was always told, “You’ll be on medication for the rest of your life. You are always going to be sick. There’s something wrong with you.” Coming into yoga after university was the first time I got the message that there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m a whole, integrated being and there are imbalances that I can work on with yoga. It worked better than anything else I’d ever done.

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Luckily, my teacher at that time was a very traditional Ayurvedic practitioner and very traditional Ashtanga practitioner. She introduced me to the eight limbs of yoga, the yamas, the niyamas, and just this other side of yoga which has a lot of healing benefits. As somebody who was very sick with digestive issues at the time, Ayurvedic yoga worked when nothing else did. For my whole life, I was always told, “You’ll be on medication for the rest of your life. You are always going to be sick. There’s something wrong with you.” Coming into yoga after university was the first time I got the message that there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m a whole, integrated being and there are imbalances that I can work on with yoga. It worked better than anything else I’d ever done.

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WW: That’s super cool. Did you have a lot of obstacles on your path to live your passion for yoga? MK: I had a lot of resistance every step of the way because I went to business school and I was working in accounting. I have a very systematically trained mind and so, by profession, accounting is just what I did. That’s how I used to think about things; I thought there was a right and wrong way. My breaking-point was when I was still working my full-time accounting job. I had a panic attack outside one of my client’s offices. It was so embarrassing. I went home that day and just cried, and cried, and cried. At that point, I knew for sure that I would be going to yoga classes six days a week. I had been reading all

these blogs, I was following lots of people, and I was really into yoga. At the same time, I was in denial about my life and that panic attack was my breaking-point. I thought, “My body is literally allergic to this physical environment and something has to change.” That started a four-year journey of transitioning from what I thought I wanted to do with my life to what I’m doing with my life now. WW: Amazing. What exactly is Yoga therapy? MK: I’m so glad you asked.Yoga therapy is a different profession, field, and industry than yoga itself and this is evidenced by the recent split between Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. It really is its own unique profession.Yoga therapy is distinguished in several ways. There’s

additional training you need and a separate credential for it.Yoga therapy is a 1000-hour certification whereas the base certification for yoga teachers is 200 hours.Yoga therapy also has many different fields of teachings. My fields include chiropractors, yoga teachers, physical therapists, and psychotherapists. To distill it, yoga therapy is essentially the combination of modern evidencebased medicine with the Eastern principles and approach of yoga and Ayurveda together as a holistic, complete healing system. We have the ancient Eastern perspective and modern Western science and we’re combining them together; it’s very cutting-edge. WW: Sounds like the ultimate yoga, considering yoga means

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“To bring together.” You are “yoga-ing” Eastern and Western philosophies.You’ve also started a series called “Yoga for Men.” What made you start that and what were your intentions? MK: I love getting guys involved in Yoga practice because, through my research and through my experience, I’ve seen men fall in love with yoga. Once men get over the initial learning curve and discover what yoga is and isn’t, they learn that it can be a really effective practice. From there, it becomes a lifelong routine. In the West, yoga is a very feminized thing. I did a research survey asking men all over the world what their impression is of yoga. Around 80% of them agreed with the statement that yoga is for women.

It’s understandable why people think that way because of the ways in which yoga is marketed. Look at who is on the face of yoga magazines and other covers; most yoga teachers are slender, white females. I myself fit that stereotype but I’m very sensitive to gender inclusivity. I started noticing that there were so many women in my class. Where were the guys? I was really curious about it. As part of my yoga therapy training we had to write a research paper on something we learned or something we were interested in as it pertained to yoga therapy. I started doing research and I realized that there’s almost no high level, quality, scientifictier, academic research on yoga for men.

Yoga therapy is essentially the combination of modern evidence-based medicine with the Eastern principles and approach of yoga and Ayurveda together as a holistic, complete healing system. We have the ancient Eastern perspective and modern Western science and we’re combining them together; it’s very cutting-edge.

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Conversely, there are oodles and oodles of research papers on yoga for women’s health. I wanted to know where all the men were in this narrative. Where are the guys and why are they being left out of this great, beneficial, healing thing? It just drove me crazy. I started asking and getting a little nosy. Yoga journal published a study in 2016 about yoga in America and its participants and practitioners. It found that only three out of every ten practitioners are men. It’s headed in the right direction because that’s up from four years ago where it was two out of every ten practitioners, but ideally it would be 50/50. Yoga is truly for everybody. The whole point of yoga therapy is to adapt a practice to the person so there is no reason any one person shouldn’t be able to practice yoga. The result of that survey was just fascinating. I wanted to help change the perception that yoga is largely for women and that it’s mainly for flexibility and physical practice. The other impression I got was that it wasn’t that men didn’t want to do yoga; it was that there were other psychological, sociocultural barriers getting in the way. For example, there are not as many yoga pant companies for guys. I started wondering why there weren’t better yoga-wear lines for men; it just didn’t make any sense to me. Speaking in generalities, men also have an aversion to looking incompetent and, because most men are not as flexible as women, they don’t want to feel embarrassed in class; they want to be seen as strong. Additionally, yoga can feel feminized because it’s about connecting with your body, emotions, spirituality, and your sense of connection with yourself and to the world. That can come off as too intimate for men, alienating them in a way. I think that yoga is

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Yoga can feel feminized because it’s about connecting with your body, emotions, spirituality, and your sense of connection with yourself and to the world. That can come off as too intimate for men, alienating them in a way. I think that yoga is not being taught or offered in a way or language with which men can resonate.

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I asked a lot of my friends to help share this message because I think it’s so important for many, many reasons. The first reason is that guys need to balance their bodies. A lot of men are working with common imbalances

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WW: So, in your experience,

if you could choose one piece of powerful advice that you received on your journey, what would it be? MK: Individualize your practice. Personalize it, make it work for you, and make it simple. A yoga practice does not have to look like an hourlong Vinyasa class; we have to keep reminding ourselves of that. It could just look like a five-minute meditation or breathing exercise and that’s okay; you’re still doing yoga. Along those lines of personalizing your practice, it’s critical to take intimacy into account. I feel like a lot of musicians (and men in particular) are missing that in their life. They’re missing an intimate relationship with themselves and an intimate relationship with others around them, from a real, true space of heart connections. In terms of personalizing your practice, allow this to be an invitation toward greater intimacy with yourself, because that will spread to others areas of your life as well.

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not being taught or offered in a way or language with which men can resonate.

in the hips, shoulders, neck, and lower back areas. These are very easy to heal with yoga. The second part of it is getting more in touch with the sensations in their bodies and interpreting that as biofeedback. There are many times that guys try to push through things; push through workouts, push through the tour, push through the workday. Everything is very ‘go, go, go;’ very competitive and hyper-masculinized.Yoga flips that paradigm and says, “Now you have space to just feel.”

Individualize your practice. Personalize it, make it work for you, and make it simple. A yoga practice does not have to look like an hour-long Vinyasa class.

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There is so much potency and power in that, because you’ll be moving from a more authentic and connected place within yourself. Making big decisions, knowing what kind of song material you want to write, managing difficult situations on tour, that’s all going to be easier.You know what your practice is, you’ve adapted it to yourself and it’s always going to be there to anchor you. Just create your own practice; stay open. WW: So where can people connect with you and find out more about your yoga therapy work? MK: I do have a website and social media, but the best way to stay in touch with me is just to hop on my email list.You can also visit my website at www.missykai.yoga and visit me on Facebook and Instagram under Missy Kai Yoga. I do encourage

you guys to get in touch with me; I always offer a free 30 minute phone consultation. I’ve talked to people all over the world and I love doing that; it’s fascinating. I love to offer my time in that way because I want to give freely from a place of service and even if we never formally work together, those 30 minutes are often enough to at least get somebody started. That’s always my goal; what can I do to get you started? What are the first steps to take? Don’t overcomplicate it; sign up for the email list or give me a call. Just turn here; you can talk to me. WW: Thank you for taking the time to chat and thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. MK: Thank you so much. WW: Namaste.

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FtC sports

The Art of the Climb with

Nathaniel Coleman Interview by Clair Marie

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Credit: Dave Burleson

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The difference between artificial and natural climbing is very hard to get used to at first. Simply finding where the handholds and footholds are takes time and experience; using these holds with proper technique is an art that takes years to refine.

Most young boys have a natural inclination to climb everything in sight.Trees, fences, and rocks become a personal challenge with victory and pride waiting at the top. For some, the drive and desire to climb never diminishes, it only intensifies with strength and experience.This was true for Nathaniel Coleman. Coleman began climbing at an indoor gym at the age of 9 and has not stopped. Among many podium finishes, he

has earned four gold medals at the USA Climbing Youth Bouldering Nationals and 2 at the Open Nationals. With these achievements, Nathaniel has solidified himself as one of the top climbers in the country. Coleman’s success and dedication to the sport has earned him the opportunity to experience worldwide climbs and has even garnered the support of some of the top brands in the outdoor-adventure space such as prAna, Petzl, Five

Ten, and Friction Labs. Most recently, Nathaniel traveled to India with prAna to experience some challenging climbs in new and exciting terrain. With a bright future in front of him, including a potential trip to the Olympics, Nathaniel’s star is only beginning its climb. Leave your ropes on the ground and hang on tight as Face the Current presents Nathaniel Coleman. www.facethecurrent.com

Clair Marie: You started climbing indoors as a child; at what point did you decide you wanted to pursue competitive climbing?

myself. When I turned 15, I took 4th place at a Youth Bouldering National Championship and after that I knew that I was going to pursue this as more than a hobby.

Nathaniel Coleman: To be honest, competitive climbing was never something I dreamed of doing, it was just what my team was focused on. From the start, I was pursuing competitive climbing to challenge

CM: Indoor climbing and competing have their own special feel to them. When did you venture outside for climbing and what were some of the biggest differences or challenges

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you encountered? NC: I had been climbing strictly indoors for 2 years when I first went outside. The difference between artificial and natural climbing is very hard to get used to at first. Simply finding where the handholds and footholds are takes time and experience; using these holds with proper technique is an art that takes years to refine. Generally, a

V5 climb outdoors (the Vermin climbing scale rates difficulty from 0-17) will feel MUCH harder than a V5 climb indoors, so this presents a challenge to the ego with which I and many other gym climbers struggle. CM: You have numerous podium finishes under your belt. How did you maintain your personal balance between juggling competitions with your desire to push yourself and enjoy the outdoor aspect of climbing? NC: I’ve always been most driven by the rewards of competitive climbing and have largely sacrificed my time outdoors for the sake of training. However, this isn’t completely sustainable; comps are draining in a way and time-off can be the key. Occasionally, I’ll change my routine to focus on outdoor climbing with friends and this gives me what I consider to be a recharge. CM: You recently traveled to India for a climbing expedition with Paul Robinson and prAna. What was your driving force to choose India as your next adventure location? NC: I’ve been inspired by the climbing in India for years, but never thought I would get to go there so soon! When prAna told me they were trying to plan a trip to India, I was really psyched. The trip seemed so spontaneous that it felt unreal. CM: India’s landscape looks stunning and also intimidating. What did you do to prepare for an adventure like this and was there anything that surprised you during the trip that you didn’t prepare for? NC: Before the trip, Paul and I researched the climbing there to find inspiration and things we wanted to climb. I had been training for competitions after the event, so in preparation for India I changed my training a bit to better suit outdoor granite climbing. Salt Lake City is lucky to have granite bouldering 20 www.facethecurrent.com

minutes away from the valley, so I made many trips there. If there was one thing I wasn’t prepared for, it was the heat and humidity; it made friction almost non-existent. CM: What are the top three locations you would like to visit and explore? NC: 1. South Africa, because of the massive amounts of bouldering there. I haven’t been yet, but I already have a list of climbs that I want to try. Many people consider it to be the best bouldering area in the world!

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2. Japan is the leader of competitive climbing at the moment and has the highest density of climbing gyms in the world. My hope is to go there to train in as many of these gyms as I can and to learn from the highest-end climbers who live and train there. 3. New Zealand. Since I was a kid, the landscape of New Zealand seemed to be another planet. I want to go not only for its fantastic and unexplored climbing, but for the beauty and culture to be experienced there.

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A climber’s mind can either be a roadblock or a driving force and rarely does it feel like a choice. I combat negativity by trying to accept and be humbled by my weaknesses.

CM: Anyone who has traveled for a sport or an activity knows how things don’t always go as planned. Did you encounter any resistance or struggles and how did you work past them? NC: If you plan for things to go wrong, things always go according to plan! Yes, we had to work through struggles within our own group. Paul and I just wanted to climb, but photographers and organizers had an agenda to fulfill media needs. We had to balance work and play, but whatever we ended up doing was incredible since we were experiencing India!

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Boundaries have never been an enemy; they’re just another chance to test myself and grow.

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CM: Bouldering, although often done in groups, is a very solo sport. At the end of the day it’s just you, the rock and the problem. Do you ever feel like you mentally get in your own way and if so, how do you address that? NC: A climber’s mind can either be a roadblock or a driving force and rarely does it feel like a choice. I combat negativity by trying to accept and be humbled by my weaknesses. I understand that on some days my climbing is affected by things I can’t control and don’t understand. Whether I’m feeling like crap or having the best day ever, I try to find motivation in the challenge that best suits me. By keeping this mindset, I find that I mostly avoid the downward spiral of negativity that can result from high expectations and frustration. CM: You’ve said, “Pressure, Expectation. Worry.These are your enemies when climbing.” Do you experience these often and what do you do to address them so you can focus on each moment and each move? NC: I do experience the full spectrum of these emotions to varying degrees. I find that when in competition, I can channel my anxieties into a kind of battle-ready excitement. With this mindset,

being present happens naturally. It’s a much different mindset when training or trying a project many times outside. I don’t think there’s any trick or treatment that can eliminate emotions that hold one back. It’s crucial to realize that mental strength can be considered a muscle and like any muscle, with deliberate exercise, it can become stronger over time. Ideally, one can build a mind that can observe emotion and process it advantageously rather than succumbing to it. CM: Most adventure sports athletes have a very strong will and mind, and do well with pushing through the boundaries they face. What other mental road blocks have you faced throughout your career and how did you address and push past them? NC: Like most climbers, I needed to get used to heights. It took some time and encouragement from those around me, but I got used to it. There is also a general wariness of things unknown, especially in outdoor expeditions or foreign travels. This fear is similar to one of heights in that with exposure and experience over time, it becomes easier. I suppose that patience has been my greatest tool to overcome these challenges. However, I don’t want this to give the wrong impression: boundaries have never been an enemy; they’re just another chance to

test myself and grow. CM: Being strong and active is a critical part of your life as a professional climber. What do you do to balance this out and recover, and what are some of your favorite non-active hobbies? NC: Training has always been important, but rest days are what I’m best at! I believe that every physical or mental challenge can make me better at climbing, so I never feel like I’m sacrificing training time to pursue other things I enjoy. Days in the park are my favorite. My friends and I will set up slacklines, play with kendamas (Japanese skill toys), and do acro-yoga. Sometimes if I’m feeling lethargic, I’ll take a bike ride to the grocery store or just around the neighborhood; it never fails to reset my attitude. Other times, I’ll just take an entire day and do nothing. This too can be a reset in a different way. Above all else, I love spending time with my girlfriend Jane. Whether we’re hiking peaks in the Wasatch or reading on the couch, it’s never a wasted moment.

ymore info: www.instagram.com/nathaniel.coleman www.prana.com/life/ambassadors/ nathaniel-coleman www.facethecurrent.com

FtC sports

The Secrets to Vitality

How Having Energy, Strength and Vigour Changes Sports Performance By Matt Belair

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The first and most important thing to realize is that by changing your world you literally change the world. By being the living example of vitality you change your universe, and it’s the only thing you have any control over.

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In today’s world of sports performance, athletes are bombarded with supplements, biohacking secrets, and more variations of pills supplements than anyone can keep up with. In our pursuit of performance, becoming a champion and being the best, the Western world seems to focus on external training hacks and ideologies. While those may slightly enhance your performance, I’m going to invite you to entertain an entirely different perspective that has the real potential to dramatically increase your performance. We tend to think of sport as very finite and specific in the sense that we want to run faster, jump higher and perform better. This is a part of the equation and when you scale out slightly, you then realize that

everything in your life and who you are as a human being affects your performance. It is commonly known that stress is a major factor in decreased performance, physically, emotionally, and spirituality. Peak performance and flow state are a result of a calm and confident readiness; an ability to surrender completely while having full trust in the body. Our ability to perform and achieve our best will be a direct result of our body’s vitality and energy. This article is about thinking about sport from a holistic perspective and seeing your performance from an entirely new lens. What if you could be the best version of yourself and change the world for the better by living a more

vibrant, healthy and energetic life? (Not in some sort of “Pollyanna” or mystical sort of way, but in a very real sense.) Would that add new meaning and importance to how you live? When I was growing up, I used to cry watching the news on T.V. or when I’d see people starving to death. I couldn’t understand how humanity couldn’t sort this problem out by working together. I still hold that same level of empathy and compassion for those suffering on this planet. When I told this problem to one of my mentors, David Lonebear Sanipass who is the native elder of the Mi’kmaq nation, he taught me about spiritual mass and shepherding.

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When a star moves through the universe and passes other stars there is a shepherding effect and stagnant stars get pulled by the force of the passing star. In the same way as we go about our daily lives, we create a shepherding effect as we are observed by every person in our reality, even those who you don’t think are watching.

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He explained that when a star moves through the universe and passes other stars there is a shepherding effect and stagnant stars get pulled by the force of the passing star. In the same way as we go about our daily lives, we create a shepherding effect as we are observed by every person in our reality, even those who you don’t think are watching. Many people are looking for the quick fix, secret pill, lose-weightwhile-eating Cheetos-on-the-couch type of solution. On the other hand, some of us feel like the entire world is on our shoulders; how could it be possible for us to change anything? It is easy to get depressed and defeated when you understand the kind of problems and suffering that exist. Let’s pretend you want to change the world for the better and live a more vital, energetic and happy life; what could you do? The first and most important thing to realize is that by changing your world you literally change the world. By being the living example of vitality you change your universe and it’s the only thing you have any control over. When you

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take accountability for your life, you start being the example of your world changes but you also begin the shepherding effect and your family, friends, co-workers, and observers in your world receive the benefit. It is the most powerful and productive thing you can do; furthermore, it’s the only thing you can do. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi If you were to imagine the entire world was overweight with health problems and you wanted to help, you could write books about exercise, diet and nutrition, and speak until you were blue in the face, or you could be the first person on the planet that was fit, strong and vibrant. By setting that example, you make an infinitely larger impact than if you were to preach about it. What are the secrets to vitality? There is no secret. We know the “secrets,” but too many of us want the pill or trendy #biohacking method. Here are some timeless and simple secrets to living a more vital life.

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Alan Watts says that once you realize that you will die, life becomes deathly serious or a fun game; each individual gets to decide what perspective they would like to live by but impermanence is a guarantee.

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Decrease stress: Stress is the number one thing that causes illness and disease in the body. If you can decrease stress you will become instantly more vibrant. The best way to reduce stress is through mastering your perspective, not sweating the small stuff, exercise, and doing things that you think are fun. It’s not rocket science; you just may need to reprioritize some things. Alan Watts says that once you realize that you will die, life becomes deathly serious or a fun game; each individual gets to decide what perspective they would like to live by but impermanence is a guarantee. Perspective: In Viktor Frankl’s incredible masterpiece, Man’s Search For Meaning, he says, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in

any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” You can choose to stress over everything or nothing; you can actually decide to never stress out again. I was invited to a wedding at Burning Man last year and the Best Man was speaking about his brother. He said that his brother had always impressed him but he did something truly remarkable a couple years ago. He said his brother was in the kitchen stressing over some business stuff one day and he looked at him and said, “You know what? I’m not going to stress out anymore about anything!” His younger brother said it had been two years since he made that statement and he had never observed his brother stress out since - not even a little. The famous author of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle has a similar type of story. Bottom line: it’s possible.

Take Care of Your Temple: It’s almost frustrating to even write this section because it’s so obvious and so few people do it. We sacrifice our health for so many reasons. Make health, fitness, and vitality a part of your existence.Your body is your home and temple, so take care of it. Find something that’s fun that you love to do and stay active. I don’t need to go on, just do it! The Big Four: As with all things in the universe, vitality is vibrational. We’ve all seen those people who glow, regardless of age. They seem to have that sparkle in their eye and it’s unmistakeable.Vibrations are moods or feelings. Stress, anxiety, fear, doubt, complaining, negativity, seriousness, and anger are all lower vibrations. On the flip side, the highest vibrational states are love, kindness, compassion, joy, and happiness. www.facethecurrent.com

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If your example allows one other person to change their life for the better, then you will have succeeded in changing the entire world for at least one person. That is powerful, meaningful, and may carry an impact that is far greater than you could possibly imagine.

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You have an opportunity each day to impact yourself and the world. The most important thing to remember is that when you take action, your world changes and that’s ultimately the only thing of which you have control.Your daily example is the shepherding effect to your loved ones, community and world. Over a lifetime of these day-to-day choices and actions, you will have shown the world who you truly were and ARE; your legacy will have been written. Practice kindness and compassion daily to yourself and to everyone you meet. Do things every day that make you happy; it’s a measurable vibration.

Do an act of kindness everyday and watch how the universe responds through undeniable messages and synchronistic events. Many of us are guilty of wanting to change the world but forgetting to support those around us in need. As you move about your day with the intention and spiritual direction to be as loving, kind, compassionate and happy as possible, you’ll have a meaningful direction to steer your life.You will inevitably become more vital. If your example allows one other person to change their life for the better, then you will have succeeded in changing the entire world for at least one

person. That is powerful, meaningful, and may carry an impact that is far greater than you could possibly imagine. It can be useful to understand that through surrendering to what is and choosing an empowering perspective in all situations, we move toward a more empowering life experience. It’s not what happens to us in our life that makes us who we are, it’s how we respond to our experiences. The glass being half-empty or full is simply a matter of perspective; half-full just feels better!

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When we make external validation, acquisition of objects or success our main focus we will always carry more stress because we move about our days thinking the external achievement is what will make us worthy, fulfilled happy and complete. Instead when we flip the lens and operate from joy, self-care, service, kindness we are already complete.

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Our daily performance in sport and life comes down to our energy levels and perspectives. The more we can be in a vibrant state of joy, service, certainty, and connection, the more energy will run through us and the better we’ll perform. When we make external validation, acquisition of objects or success our main focus, we will always carry more stress. We move about our days thinking the external achievement is what will make us worthy, fulfilled, happy, and complete. Instead, when we flip the lens and operate from joy, self-care, service, and kindness, we are already complete. This removes

stress from the body, allows us to experience more energy and vitality, and we perform much better. Put in the simplest way possible, if your self-worth relies on your success or being the best, if you have poor relationships in the world, if you don’t have a balanced life that brings you joy, it will affect your ability to perform. Take some time to reflect on what is truly important in life. Many of you will find that you are giving a great deal of time, as well as mental and emotional energy, to things that are not important.You can choose to make your health, vitality, fun and

life experience on this planet your number one priority. Equally, you can make your mission about the accumulation of wealth, winning, and living with a false sense of security. Life is an extraordinary miracle.You have the power to create worlds. When it’s all said and done, live a life of which you are proud. The universe is on your side. Don’t compromise for anything. Be the example. Change the world- YOUR WORLD!

ymore info: https://mattbelair.com https://zenathlete.com www.facethecurrent.com

FtC fitness

SUMMER HIIT TO KEEP YOU FIT with David Ryan Summertime is here and that means it’s time to get that summer body! What better way than an outdoor High Intensity Interval Training workout using just your bodyweight. No equipment is required so you can do this workout at the park, beach, back yard, or just about anywhere! The 5 exercises here combine strength training and cardio, working all your major muscle groups. This results in maximum calorie burn and residual afterburn effect. Additionally, being outside in nature has been shown to immediately improve mood and energy. Try incorporating this workout into your fitness routine once per week to keep things fresh.

3 Rounds For Time 10 burpees 10 plank jacks 10 mountain climbers 10 squats 100 yard run

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Outdoor summer body workout FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

100 yard run

Get in the best shape of your life this year with David Ryan Fitness

10% off with code FTC10 W W W. DAV I D RYA N F I T N E S S .C O M www.facethecurrent.com

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HEALTH

102. Revitalize Through Sound Therapy, Somatic Energy, Consciousness and Love With BRUCE LIPTON 110. Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones: How and Why Some People Live Longer and Happier 118. Making the Beast Beautiful with Sarah Wilson 100 FACE the CURRENT 120. VITALITY OFMAGAZINE THE 5 SENSES

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Revitalize Through Sound Therapy, Somatic Energy, Consciousness and Love With BRUCE LIPTON Interview By Sasha Frate and Jeff Granville

In the first installment of Face the Current’s three-part series with Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Lipton shared his thoughts on the need for amalgamation between science and spirituality in humanity. He also recounted his realization of the homology between the cell membrane and a computer chip. We were additionally enlightened on energy entanglement, surrogation, epigenetics, and Dr. Lipton’s early research on the effects of environment on stem cells. In this thought-provoking continuation, we will hear Dr. Lipton’s considerations on piezoelectricity, sound therapy, somatic energy, and consciousness in the field. He’ll also lead us on an expedition to delve into karma as a two-way street and the ways in which we can experience higher love through selflove.

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“Playing music to impact the vitality of your plants will be most influenced by your field, ie. whether or not you like the music being played.” Face the Current: During one of your interviews on sound healing, you exposed many people to the “piezoelectric effect” on the crystalline structures in our bodies. Can you explain the implications of this and how the piezoelectric effect contributes to our overall health? Bruce Lipton: Piezoelectricty is electrical activity from the extraction of energy from crystals. Crystals bind energy and if you can extract their energy, they become akin to a battery. How do you extract energy from a crystal? Well, gas stoves, and cigarette lighters are called ‘crystal lighters’ because they do not contain flint. New lighters are piezoelectric. When you push the lighter button down or you turn the stove on and you hear “click-click-click,” that’s a hammer hitting a crystal. When the hammer

strikes the crystal, the electrical activity of that crystal becomes excited and “jumps out,” resulting in a spark. If all cells were to be removed from the human body, the remaining structure would resemble a wire frame. This framework would be a complete mesh of collagen fibers. Just like steel fibers, collagen fibers are proteins that anchor and hold a system together, giving it shape. In this way, collagen fibers are also molecules that are piezoelectric. When individuals need physical adjustments, the electrical activity of the body’s fibers are not in alignment. Whether its reiki, chiropractic, or another form of physical adjustment, you’re realigning the energy to support the harmony of the system. Adjusting the body’s physicality can change the function of the body. Piezoelectric potential travels through crystals into bone, cartilage,

and collagen, and uses the orientation of this information to reorganize the structure and function of the body. FtC: What are some of the best types of sound therapy for regaining continuity and conductivity throughout our bodies? BL: There are variables that affect our consciousness. Some people say, “I played rock music to my plants and they all died, but I played Mozart and they thrived!” Remember, the rock music and the Mozart was YOUR choice–it was what you liked and didn’t like, and this in turn influenced the expression of the plants. If your interest is Led Zeppelin, you’ll be happy when you play it and your field will be stronger, resulting in healthier plants. If you hate Led Zeppelin, you’re obviously not supporting the field and the plants will reflect that. www.facethecurrent.com

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If you want to change the field, we can do so through consciousness, but we can also achieve change through movement of the body. When we move and change our bodies through these methods, we are altering the field itself. I also believe that directly accessing the field through the conscious and subconscious will enhance our ability to create change.

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FtC:Various somatic studies throughout recent history have shown how bodily movement has offered a completely new language of consciousness and body wisdom through selfawareness and self-guidance, including Ideokinesis, the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique (AT), and Body-Mind Centering (BMC) as well as ancient practices like yoga, tai chi, chi gong, massage, craniosacral therapy, and somato-emotional release. How do you explain somatic energy and how the historical practices of somatic-“trauma”release have been scientifically substantiated?

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BL: I want to focus on a quote from Albert Einstein: “The field (which means the energy) is the sole governing agency of the particle.” The particle is matter. The energy (the field, spirit) is the sole governing agency of matter. By realizing this, we can recognize that our body is a perfect complement to the field. If you want to change the field, we can do so through consciousness, but we can also achieve change through movement of the body. When we move and change our bodies through these methods, we are altering the field itself. Not only is the field giving shape to the body/particle, the particle is influencing the field. When we adjust the body, we are nudging

energy back to equilibrium. The body is strong, however the field is stronger. While bodywork is excellent at alleviating issues of the field, I also believe that directly accessing the field through the conscious and subconscious will enhance our ability to create change. FtC: As an example of our quantum entanglement, will you explain how our transmission and reception of biophotons give us intuition, and sends our intent out into the environment while contributing to our perception of it? BL: Quantum physics is different than Newtonian physics. Newtonian

physics separates universe into polarities (matter and energy) with an emphasis that they’re not well suited to interact together. Therefore, a body made of matter would be affected by matter; drugs, chemistry, and surgery. Quantum physics reveals that while we perceive an atom to have structure, it does not contain any physical elements. Matter is just an illusion of another form of energy. This understanding is critical. Our thoughts generate fields; if you put wires on a person’s head and you

read their EEG’s, you are reading the electrical fields generated by thought in their brain. With this paradigm, the belief is that our thoughts are contained in our heads. There is a new technology called MEG (magnetoencephalography) that, without physically contacting the head, records magnetic fields produced by electrical currents within the brain. The conclusion here is profoundly important: your thoughts are not contained in your head; they are broadcast in the field. In this light, our thoughts are creating

the field. The basic principle in quantum physics is that the reality we’re experiencing is an illusion of consciousness. The consciousness you perceive in your mind is not in your head, it is being broadcast into the field. That consciousness is manifested in the experiences we have in life. At its core, consciousness is the broadcast of field influencing the experiences we have in the physical world.

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There is a new technology called MEG (magnetoencephalography) that, without physically contacting the head, records magnetic fields produced by electrical currents within the brain. The conclusion here is profoundly important: your thoughts are not contained in your head; they are broadcast in the field. In this light, our thoughts are creating the field.

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The human body is like an Earth rover. We’re being directed by Spirit and by consciousness, wishes, and desires, and we’re sending the results of our experiences back into the field causing alterations. This is called karma and it’s a two-way street.

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FtC:You described the new physics as a provision of “a modern version of ancient spirituality, (where,) in a universe made out of energy, everything is entangled; everything is one.” Through this entanglement, the DNA in our cells responds to and transmits our thoughts and emotions. What is serving as the “antenna,” and how does this entanglement and oneness happen? BL: This is my analogy: since we cannot go to Mars, we send the Mars rover. It is equivalent to a human even though it looks like a go-cart with antennas and screens. However, on Mars, the rover uses

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human-like sensory devices to read the environment by using cameras, temperature sensors, chemical sensors, air sensors, etc. NASA sends a signal which is received by the rover antenna and the rover gathers data by moving around on the surface of Mars. The collected data is then sent back through the same antenna to NASA. This method allows NASA to have the indirect experience of what it’s like to be on Mars. The human body is like an Earth rover. We’re being directed by Spirit and by consciousness, wishes, and desires, and we’re sending the results of our experiences back into the field causing alterations. This is called karma and it’s a two-way street.

FtC: In your revolutionary book The Biology Of Belief, you partially give credit for the success of your scientific career to the failure of your music career. What instrument did you play and most importantly, did your involvement in music play a role in your future understanding of how harmonious frequencies contribute to relaxation, rejuvenation and holistic health? BL: I didn’t play any musical instruments. I had a very bad experience as a young kid in my school’s music class. My teacher asked me not to participate in the choir because of my singing voice and then, even though I loved it, I

shied away from active participation in music. I ended up producing a show instead and in doing so, I found a musician that has since become famous in the U.S. He was a college student studying psychology and when I heard him play music, I provided him with support, bought him new instruments and produced a new show with him. His name is, Yanni. Although I was unable to play music, I created a laser show because I saw the value in it. The audiences became mesmerized and hypnotized.

I started to recognize that between the vibrations, colors, light, and sound, people were having out-ofbody experiences. There were no images actually used in the show, but audiences described the various things they saw –they were creating images between the words, music, and the abstract light. In 1985, as I started to understand the nature of cells and the nature of environment and signaling, the significance of the laser show became very profound to me. I recognized that, during those shows, we were shifting consciousness.

FtC:There is the notion of “vibrating higher” in relation to energy and consciousness. Would you say there is also a “higher” love that humanity can be experiencing? BL: Absolutely, yes! In the first 7 years of life, when we “download programs,” our parents act as our coaches. Coaches usually try to improve their players through critical assessments. The issue here is that children under 7 cannot interpret the meaning behind their parents’ comments. Instead, what is recorded

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in their being is exactly what their parents said. These words are often perceived as hypercritical. We have found that between 8090% of all participants in a class experiment will not test positive for the concept “I love myself.” If you cannot love yourself then, by definition, no one else can love you. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in that behaviors derived from a lack of self-

love will ultimately prevent others from loving you and you can then point to that failure as evidence of your unworthiness. Once we can start loving ourselves, we can truly begin to love other people. We have to recognize that our evolution, based on Darwinian Theory, provides us with a culture based on competition. It’s survival of the fittest and a struggle for life. To

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some degree competition is helpful, but it’s actually sabotaging evolution on this planet right now. The evolution we should be striving for is not competition, but cooperation. This is the new leading insight into evolution. All of us are cells within the body of a super-organism called, “humanity.” We have to recognize that the evolution we’re facing is a breaking-down of the borders and

We have found that between 80-90% of all participants in a class experiment will not test positive for the concept ‘I love myself.’ If you cannot love yourself then, by definition, no one else can love you. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in that behaviors derived from a lack of self-love will ultimately prevent others from loving you and you can then point to that failure as evidence of your unworthiness. Once we can start loving ourselves, we can truly begin to love other people.

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To some degree competition is helpful, but it’s actually sabotaging evolution on this planet right now. The evolution we should be striving for is not competition, but cooperation. Higher love is recognizing that it’s the love of humanity that we’re supposed to have.

barriers between people around the world in order to recognize that all people are part of the same body. Killing, hurting or damaging another human is the same as an autoimmune disease in the body; it’s a self-destructive process. Higher love is recognizing that it’s the love of humanity that we’re supposed to have, but you can’t achieve that if you can’t first love yourself. After you do, you start to love your partners and your community, and as the community grows, the love grows. This is actually a very significant element of our evolution –we acquire our community based on love. Look for the continuation of this interview in the upcoming Fall edition of Face the Current Magazine.

ymore info: www.brucelipton.com www.facethecurrent.com

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Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones

How and Why Some People Live Longer and Happier Interview By Sasha Frate Living a long and happy life is a ubiquitous human goal. When we think more critically about this objective, what does “long” actually mean? What does happiness actually look like? Dan Buettner, the founder of Blue Zones, has dedicated the past 15 years to finding these answers. Dan is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and an award-winning journalist. In his travels, he discovered 5 areas in the world containing high concentrations of centenarians living happy, healthy lives. Dan dubbed these areas “Blue Zones” and founded his network to study this phenomenon. In sharing his discoveries, Dan is also a New York Times bestselling author. His three books, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way, and The Blue Zones Solution have all enjoyed success at the top of the charts. Dan has also been a longevity expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, ABC World News, CBS’s The Early Show, and CNN. His TED talk has likewise received over 2.9 million views to date. Using sciencebacked programs and lifestyle management tools, Blue Zones is seeking to provide meaningful action-steps to bring longevity and happiness to more people around the world. Face the Current is honored to bring you Dan Buettner’s insights into living a longer and happier life.

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The key to health and happiness is not a silver bullet but instead a silver buckshot. There is no fountain of youth or magic pill that we can take to live long, healthy, happy lives. It takes many small changes to create an environment that curates healthy living and there are populations that have achieved the outcomes we’d like.

Dan Buettner: That the key to health and happiness is not a silver bullet but instead a silver buckshot. There is no fountain of youth or magic pill that we can take to live long, healthy, happy lives. It takes many small changes to create an environment that curates healthy living and there are populations that have achieved the outcomes we’d like. SF: Something that Blue

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Sasha Frate: While researching to write the original Blue Zones, what was the most surprising thing you discovered?

Zones has shown is that diet, while a highly important factor, is not the only thing contributing to our vitality. What are some other highly impactful sociocultural practices that you discovered?

don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.

DB: We found 9 evidence-based common denominators among all the “Blue Zones” areas. We call them the Power9. Only three of them focus on what you eat and drink.

2. Purpose

1. Move Naturally The world’s longest-lived people

The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida.” For both, it translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy. www.facethecurrent.com

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Even people in the “Blue Zones” experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap, and Sardinians do happy-hour.

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3. Down-Shift Even people in the “Blue Zones” experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longestlived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap, and Sardinians do happy-hour. 4. 80% Rule “Hara hachi bu” is the Okinawan, 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals, reminding them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap

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between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight and gaining it. People in the “Blue Zones” eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.

and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine) with friends and/or with food. (And no, you can’t save up all weekend and have 14 drinks on Saturday.)

5. Plant Slant

7. Belong

Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz.; about the size of a deck of cards.

All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. Denomination doesn’t seem to matter. Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.

6. Wine at 5 People in all “Blue Zones” (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately

8. Loved Ones First Successful centenarians in the “Blue

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There are great advances in technology but they set up our environments to make the unhealthy choice the easy choice instead of the healthy choice the easy choice. Zones” put their families first. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home. This also lowers disease and mortality rates of children in the home, too. Centenarians also commit to a life-partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love. In turn, children will be more likely to care for their parents when the time comes. 9. Right Tribe The world’s longest-lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported healthy behaviors. Okinawans created “moais”–groups of five friends that committed to each other for life.

Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness is contagious. It can be seen that the social networks of long-lived people have favorably shaped their health behaviors. SF: The original “Blue Zones” included Ikaria, Greece, Loma Linda, California, Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, and Nicoya, Costa Rica. Have these zones changed since you did your initial study, and have you discovered other “blue zones?” DB: We are looking into an emerging Blue Zone Area”, but you will have to wait for the next book! Yes, Western diet and practices are endangering

existing “Blue Zones”. Modern society has been set up for convenience.You can jump in your car and go get fast food, which is much easier than getting healthy fresh produce. Communities favor cars instead of pedestrians. Candy and soda corporations run environments. We have also replaced face-to-face gatherings with Facebook and can do almost everything around our home with the push of a button. There are great advances in technology but they set up our environments to make the unhealthy choice the easy choice instead of the healthy choice the easy choice. We are seeing this become true in the original five “Blue Zones”Areas. www.facethecurrent.com

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SF: You incorporated science into your research in addition to observed traditions and sociocultural studies. As if the living proof is not enough, the science supports the evidence. There are some fairly simple practices that science has shown to have significant impact, such as “G-BOMBS” to prevent cancer (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds. Eat them almost every day.”—Dr. Joel Fuhrman) and the notion that food truly is medicine – it can do things that drugs cannot when it comes to our health. A lot of dietary recommendations claim

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a reduced risk of illness from 30-40%, but how much of your findings propose a risk-reduction down to potentially… zero?

optimism most days and a doggedness which allows me to do things that most people consider impossible.

DB: Not Zero. But eating a whole food, 90% plant-based diet of mostly beans, whole grains, greens, nuts and tubers (and avoiding sugars) can significantly lower the risk. Physical activity, social engagement, stress management, cleanliness of the environment and purpose all figure in as well.

SF: How much of the diet is plant-based and what are the benefits in a reduced intake of animals and their products?

SF: According to your research, how do our daily emotions affect our vitality? DB: I was blessed with irrational

DB: A meta-analysis of dietary surveys done in all five “Blue Zones” hotspots over the past century reveals that the average longevity diet is 95-100% plant-based, and 65% carbohydrates (i.e. complex high carb). SF: Fasting has gained traction with increased recognition in the

multitude of its benefits to our health. What has your research revealed on fasting and what is a “Fasting Mimicking Diet?” DB: Most people in “Blue Zones” endured protracted times of forced fasting. I do believe that favored their longevity. When the body is in fasting mode, mitochondria produce less oxidative stress for the body. Most of us would be better-off if we could cut about 20% of our daily caloric intake. SF: There is a Vitality Test on your website which is a 3 minute Q&A to calculate life expectancy and how long you’ll stay healthy, with a personalized recommendation for getting

more good years out of life. I took this test and it revealed that I had the potential to add more than a decade to my life with some simple changes! What are the basic factors from which this test is calculating and what are the top ways that people are typically able to make changes (not only to add years to their life, but quality years)? DB: The True Vitality Test was developed in partnership with the University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health. The test uses the most up-to-date life tables available as well as an algorithm specifically designed using our research on the “Blue Zones” areas. It gives the user

customized recommendations to add years to their life including suggestions such as getting a dog, eating more vegetables, spending more time outdoors and many others. SF: You have curated a vast collection of Blue Zones recipes and everything looks incredibly delicious! Do you have a favorite recipe? DB: Yes, Sardinian Minestrone. SF: There is now a “Blue Zones Project” where people can transform their community. What led to your idea for establishing this project and what are the basics for participation? www.facethecurrent.com

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After traveling to all of the “Blue Zone” locations and seeing existing health instead of the residents actively pursuing health, we thought, ‘why can’t we have that here in the US?’. Measurable success was achieved by integrating healthy environmental interventions in four areas: inner self, habitat, social network, and community.

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DB: After traveling to all of the “Blue Zone” locations and seeing existing health instead of the residents actively pursuing health, we thought, “why can’t we have that here in the US?” So in 2009, Blue Zones, along with AARP, led a pilot in Albert Lea, Minnesota, to determine if the benefits of lifestyles in the world’s “Blue Zones” could be achieved in communities at home. Measurable success was achieved by integrating healthy environmental interventions in four areas: inner self, habitat, social network, and community. Just one year later, Blue Zones partnered with Healthways® to replicate the Albert Lea experience in three California communities: Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach, also known

as the Beach Cities. By 2012, these cities saw remarkable reductions in obesity and tobacco usage while also increasing healthy behaviors. The initiative has since expanded to include 42 communities in nine states, impacting more than 3.3 million Americans SF: The “Blue Zones Project” takes approximately 3-10 years to implement the changes and see the impact. This is a relatively short timeframe considering the level of transformation that can, and has, taken place. Which cities have taken this project on and seen measurable results so far? DB: Our main focus now is how we can bring the Blue Zones principles

to communities around the US and create our own Blue Zone Communities. We work with policy makers and government to help create an environment that nurtures a healthy lifestyle. This approach takes the pressure off of the individuals to make large changes and puts it on the community as a whole to make small changes. We have seen great milestones such as the smoking rate of the Beach Cities of California dropping 30% and obesity rates dropping 14% in a short time. SF: How did the original Blue Zones lead into your recent book The Blue Zones of Happiness and can you share a bit of insight into how the three strands of happiness—joy, purpose, and satisfaction—weave

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After spending over a decade trying to reverse-engineer longevity by finding parts of the world that statistically live the longest and then studying them, I decided to turn my attention to happiness. Using the same methodology, I studied the happiest places in the world and in America, because ‘what’s the sense of living a long time if you’re not enjoying the journey?’

DB: After spending over a decade trying to reverse-engineer longevity by finding parts of the world that statistically live the longest and then studying them, I decided to turn my attention to happiness. Using the same methodology, I studied the happiest places in the world and in America, because “what’s the sense of living a long time if you’re not enjoying the journey?” Happiness and being happy is hard to measure as it is really a combination of health, emotions, how you evaluate your life and if you are living out your values.

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together in different ways to make Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore some of the world’s happiest places?

If you have life satisfaction and feel that you are living out your goals while laughing and smiling then you are happy. We found this to be most common in Denmark, Costa Rica and Singapore. SF: You’ve accomplished a lot with Blue Zones since the publication of the original book. Where would you recommend as the best place to start for someone who is new to it all and wants to dig into it further from here? DB: First, surround yourself with other like-minded, healthy friends who eat-plant-based food, whose idea of recreation is biking, playing tennis or gardening, and who challenge you to keep your mind engaged. If your

three best friends are obese, there’s a 150% better chance you’ll be overweight, so hang out with people who have the health you aspire to. Start moving naturally, take multiple trips up and down stairs for laundry, have walking-meetings at work, garden and shed some stress doing what you love. As you continue to make these small changes over time, you will curate an environment that promotes your health and wellbeing.

ymore info: www.bluezones.com www.facethecurrent.com

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Making the Beast Beautiful with

Sarah Wilson By Sasha Frate and Ainsley Schoppel

Anxiety is a beast. It can be all-consuming and paralyzing, eating away at the people we once were and the lives we once led. For many, it’s a dreaded inner-creature waiting to pounce and drag us away from the light in our lives. Not so for Sarah Wilson, author of “First, We Make the Beast Beautiful.” Sarah describes her daily experience with anxiety as a relentless background buzz; it’s always there and she’s constantly aware of it, keen to stay away from triggering scenarios. It’s a fine dance to keep those around her from knowing about it or being affected by it. Through her research, however, Sarah has discovered that anxiety has served a purpose throughout human history. Many inventors, creators, and leaders lived with some variation of anxiety or bipolar disorder. In this way, Sarah chooses to see the beauty in the beast, reframing her thinking to view anxiety as something that will fuel her success. In her daily life, Sarah has 3 key strategies to keep her anxiety from becoming over-powering. First, she is a strong advocate for routine. Through her research she has learned that the decisionmaking portion of the human brain is interconnected with the anxiety center. By making fewer decisions during the day, we’ll be better able to manage our anxiety. Secondly, morning meditation is a must; even a poorly executed meditation is better than no meditation. Thirdly, walking is an essential daily activity. The act of walking is a science-backed method of shifting the anxiety center of the brain.

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For those readers who may not personally live with anxiety but have a friend or loved-one who does, Sarah wants you to know 5 important facts: 1. Anxiety feels like a giant knot inside your chest. Thoughts and feelings become entangled and overwhelming, leading to a panic-inducing tightness of confusion and worry. 2. Help out someone with anxiety by making decisions for them. Don’t give too many choices to a person with anxiety; making decisions for them, even small ones, can remove an immense amount of pressure. 3. Depression and anxiety pull in different directions and are not the same thing. Anxiety is often about future-thinking issues, looking for solutions to problems. 4. If someone you know is having an anxiety attack, it will usually last 20-30 minutes. Don’t panic about the panicking! The physical symptoms will subside. 5. Your friend or loved one can actually thrive with anxiety! Anxiety and excitement can feel similar, so help someone with anxiety to feel inspired instead of weighted-down by anxious feelings. In many ways, our culture and society are filled with “quick-fixes” that are intended to help us recalibrate or improve particular areas of our lives. The problem is, these rarely work and only leave us searching for the next promising fix. Sarah believes that sitting in your personal discomfort is the only way to find the closest thing to joyful, happy purpose. We have to go inward to understand anxiety

and become still within ourselves. Sitting in pain and finding peace can be convoluted, but it’s a necessity to understand what life is truly about in each present moment. Another source of modern-day anxiety is the tendency for us to yearn for something else. Sarah discusses several “something else’s” including yearning for a connection to a higher power, a sense of self, purpose, and direction, and a desire to be authentic.Yearning for something concretely immeasurable will feed the beast. Although challenging to accept, digging into anxiety can help us to become vulnerable and open to the reality of peace.

“First, We Make the Beast Beautiful” is a personal story for Sarah Wilson, but it’s also for those living with anxiety to know they are not alone. We are all wearing masks and it’s a refreshing comfort to see others’ masks slip, knowing we are not alone in our struggles. No one has the master “HowTo” book of life; realizing we’re all finding our own way in this world is spectacularly freeing. This book is an encouragement and a call-toaction to use our beautiful beasts to bring incredible depth, richness, and wholeness to our lives.

ymore info: www.sarahwilson.com www.facethecurrent.com

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VITALITY OF THE 5 SENSES By Jaclyn Schlindwein Sometimes it can be a challenge to find the energy necessary to reach the purpose-filled existence you are meant for. Modern day lifestyle can leave you feeling drained of the exuberance and zest necessary for achieving well-being. Incorporating small yet highly impactful changes in your daily life could be exactly what you need to boost you from surviving to thriving. Soothe your senses by adding the following items to your wellness tool box and you are sure to be on your way to tapping into your vital energy!

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where to find these products: click on the image or scan the code

SIGHT Color Therapy Glasses with Yellow Lenses by Rainbow OPTX

They say your outlook can change everything. Discover the power of color and its influence on your mood. These frames will have you feeling golden as the color yellow is said to awaken your sense of happiness, confidence and optimism. rainbowoptx.com

HEARING Fire Element Koshi Chime by FeelTone

A magical chime meant to awake and revitalize by inspiring the quality of fire!

www.feeltoneusa.com

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SMELL Inspiration - Esthetic Essential Oil Blend by Snow Lotus

Essential oils have long been used to enhance emotional and spiritual wellbeing. This tropical and floral blend of tuberose, sandalwood and jasmine is said to uplift and inspire. Ethically wild harvested and sustainably cultivated, these artisan essential oils are some of the finest on the market. Place a few drops in an essential oil diffuser and be prepared to feel refreshed! Esthetic Essential Oil Blends are available in a number of different varieties. www.snowlotus.org

TASTE VitaliTEA by Bohdi Organic Tea

As the name suggests, this minty tea with soft undertones of ginger and orange is full of powerful adrenal supporting herbs and was created with the purpose of boosting your energy.

www.bodhiorganictea.com

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TOUCH Acupressure Mat and Carry Bag in Turquoise by Pranamat ECO

An eco friendly mat covered with dozens of lotus shaped massage stimulators that apply gentle pressure to your back. Based on the concept of acupressure, it is said that laying on one of these handy devices can not only stimulate energy, but also help with alleviating pain. pranamat.com

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