HempStar Magazine by HempStar

2010 MAGAZINE©

Many images in HempStar are a courtesy of Microsoft Office.

8 16 18 25 38

Activism in Denver Pg. 16

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Breastfeeding is absolutely the best thing a mother can do for her baby. Breast milk has innumerable health benefits as well as emotional benefits; a lifelong bond between mother and baby. Many people choose to breastfeed simply because it is the easiest, most natural way to go about baby feeding. Others choose to do it because of its amazing benefits. But breastfeeding isn’t so easy from the start. Here are some pointers to help new moms ease their anxieties about nursing. The first and foremost important fact about breastfeeding is nutrition. Mom’s body will take vital nutrients and vitamins from her in order to produce healthy breast milk. One of the best things a mom can do is continue taking her prenatal vitamins and keep a balanced diet. A balanced diet includes at least 5-9 servings of whole grains, 6-7 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3-5 servings of dairy, 3-5 servings of protein, and lots of water (at least 1.5-2 liters). Omega 3’s and essential fatty acids (such as DHA) found in fish*, algae, flaxseed, pomegranates, and avocadoes are also vital to baby’s healthy brain development. When breastfeeding, mom has to keep in mind that everything that goes into her body will go into baby’s sensitive developing body as well. Consuming organic foods whenever possible is key to ensure baby is being kept away from chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, and genetically modified foods. Those can all be extremely harmful to baby, causing many adverse health effects, not only short term, but especially long term. Breastfeeding is not easy at first. It takes perseverance and patience. There will be obstacles in the first couple of weeks. Mom will need to learn many new things and adapt to her baby’s schedule. But the most important thing to remember is not to give up. After the first couple of weeks it becomes a breeze. There are some fundamental things to keep in mind. First of all, feeding baby on a schedule is not the best way to go about it. The best thing to do is to feed on demand and pay attention to baby’s schedule, he knows what he needs. The next thing to remember is to always try to place the

nipple and surrounding areola entirely in baby’s mouth; otherwise it will be painful and cause sore nipples. Another tip is to keep baby close as much as possible. Wearing the baby in a sling or wrap is very important and also versatile. This will not only allow mom to be hands-free and able to do other things while bonding with baby, it will also increase her levels of prolactin, which is the motherly hormone that also increases milk production. This is also the most comfortable of positions and places for baby to be. It helps to ease the transition from womb to cruel, cold world. There are many more important facts about breastfeeding, so the most important thing is to become educated and well-versed by reading a few good books such as “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”, published by the La Leche League. Not giving up is probably the most crucial part of the process. Baby will be grateful and mom will see the many benefits and rewarding trust relationship as her child develops and grows.

*Know the right kind of fish to consume when pregnant and/or nursing. Shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel should not be consumed at all due to the high levels of mercury. Women should only have 1 pound/16 oz per week of fish such as chunk light canned tuna, which contains very little mercury. Only eat the fillet of the fish.

Your support is much appreciated!

Lotus Blossom

1ml = 25-30 15ml = Â˝ 60ml = 2 oz drops oz 25mg = 1 5ml = 1/6 30ml = 1 oz drop oz

Here is a list of common pure plant essential oils, please read more into their specific properties, these are just an overall intro to their uses;

You Will Need: • • • • • • • • •

Let’s Get Started!

Enjoy! Lotus Blossom

o you ever wonder if what you are filling up your shopping cart with is worth the money you are spending on it? Well, you ARE what you eat, so you are either paying for your health now in your groceries, or later in medical bills. What you put in your body is definitely what has the biggest influence in your health. Haven’t you heard or read the latest reports on cancer among many other (if not all) conditions being dependent upon your way of life, nutrition, etc I believe that as highly intelligent beings, we have the right and the obligation to know our own bodies enough to keep ourselves healthy and to treat ourselves when illness hits. So studying what is healthy and isn’t is extremely important to living a healthy, whole lifestyle. Every time you are wondering what to put in your cart, the most important thing to do is to read the nutrition label and the ingredients list. The first thing to know about the ingredients list is that the ingredients are written in order of the amount of something that is present in the product. So if it looks like this, it’s a big NO-NO; Ingredients: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Yellow Lake # 6, Red 40.

Wow! This is a common ingredients list for candies and such. Definitely not what you want to be made of! See how there are two kinds of artificial sweeteners and some refined sugar on top of that? And they are the first on the list, which means that the ingredient present in most abundance is the first, and as it goes down it’s less present. There are also artificial colors, which are linked to all sorts of health problems such as cancer. Something else you don’t want in your food is preservatives. Preservatives are also linked to health problems.* Don’t be fooled by added vitamins, the junk food industry will provide you with i.e. a colorful, sugary cereal or snack targeted at your children that has only bad ingredients such as food additives, preservatives, and colors, but will slap on there ten essential vitamins to make you think that it is worth buying and feeding to your family. Don’t be tricked. The vitamins are much better obtained from a natural, fresh source such as produce or whole grains. The additives and poor ingredients in those foods make the vitamins not worth it. Always buy whole grains. Make sure that any grains you buy (pasta, bread, etc) do not say bleached flour in the ingredients list. Or bleached anything for that matter, our food simply should not be bleached. Buy local! Enjoy the freshness of your local farmer’s market. By supporting local farming you are keeping such things alive rather than supporting big, corporate companies that care little for freshness or nutrition. Besides this, you are creating relationships with those that are growing your food, and you know for sure that it’s fresh and eco-friendly (it hasn‘t traveled hundreds of miles in the back of a truck while losing its freshness and nutritional value). Buy organic whenever possible, but if you can’t always buy organic, just make sure that you do buy the most important things organic. Here’s a list of produce that should always be organic due to the extremely high levels of pesticides;

From Highest to Lowest Levels of Pesticides Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes, Pears, Raspberries, Plums, Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe, Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Blueberries

Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes

Just keep in mind the rule of thumb to go by is the thicker the skin, the less the need to spray and protect from pests. Also, with things like bananas and pineapples, you aren’t eating the skin, which is where the pesticides reside afterwards, so it’s not as important to buy those organic. Although there are more reasons to eat organic than simply the pesticide factor. But you can read more about that on my focus for the next issue: Why Organic? I’m sure there is widespread confusion about the right type of sugar to consume. With foods containing even up to 4 different types of sugar in a single snack, you’ve got to know which are safe and which aren‘t. So avoid all refined white sugar, all corn syrups and high fructose corn syrup, and sugar substitutes such as splenda and more. The healthier ones would be honey, molasses, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice.

The types of oils that are present in your food are also extremely important. Keep out hydrogenated oils as those just translate to trans fats. The healthier oils are among grape seed, coconut, olive, flax, and sesame. All containing healthy amounts of essential fatty acids to prevent heart disease. Also watch for nutritional content. You want to buy foods that are high in nutritional value while still being whole , healthy foods. So check the label to make sure what you are buying has a variety of vitamins, fiber, protein. Watch for the compatibility of viramins. Some cereals, for example, will say they are both rich in iron and calcium at the same time, but if you consume calcium and iron together, the calcium completely blocks the absorption of iron (vitamin c aids it), so it‘s pointless to have both. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY! Most of us have been conditioned to believe that the more the better, so we have awesome deals to buy two for the price of one! But it is proven that just having a constant intake of healthy nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins is much more important than having a lot of nutrition-lacking foods. So it is better to have small portions of health-conscious food throughout the day than large amounts of unhealthy foods (which are just helping to build up toxins in your body.)

Just remember to watch for additives in your ingredients list such as preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, etc

*See next issue for a more complex explanation.

Lotus Blossom

e all have to deal with stress; it’s a healthy part of our daily lives. Though stress can be helpful (yes, really!), it can also destroy you inside and out. But that’s all up to how you deal with it. So I’m going to give you few little tips that have helped me out overtime and through the best and the worst. Let’s start off with a couple of definitions for stress according to www.dictionary.com; Stress: A specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism. Physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. Immediately stress is seen as negative, it puts a strain on your body and mind. It takes over your whole being making you feel as if you have no control. It puts your emotions on edge. Learning how to deal with it is crucial in order to survive it and not let it affect your whole being.

• Being able to see past the negative aspects of stress will greatly help you in your battle to win back your sanity. Stress is just a way for our psyche to show us that we need change in our lives. If we choose to be grateful to have that pointer that we need change, we can view stress as a means of assistance rather than a means of interference.

• Now that you are able to view stress in a positive light, use the inspiration it gives you to change your current situation into success. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. Therefore, if stress is changing your energy into negative, you can turn it around and change it back into positive. Turn it into inspiration to no longer have that stress.

• It’s nothing extraordinary; it’s all part of the cycle. Think of life and your fortune as a big wheel and it’s always turning; you’re either on the top, in the middle, or on the bottom. Either way, it’s going to turn again and you’re bound to wind up on the top some time! So there is no need to lament what is happening, as my therapist always used to say “This too shall pass.” Every experience is a learning one, therefore you are acquiring wisdom and knowledge while you are suffering and it is not in vain. You can’t expect to learn much when there are no obstacles. You can’t learn to pick yourself up if you never fall down. Embrace this experience with all your might, it’s only temporary.

• Well, it really could be worse. Think of your situation and try to look at it from way out in the universe, from far away outside eyes. As if you were a satellite looking down at your tiny little self and your tiny little problems (I am not undermining your problems, everyone’s issues and capacity to handle those issues is entirely different). Now look at all the much bigger problems going on such as murders, tortures, famine, disasters, losing of limbs, losing of loved ones, etc Seem a little better? Think of it in a global level and how the earth has many threatening issues; even how our own existence is being threatened. This all makes our own issue very small, makes us even feel selfish.

• It’s not eating when stressed that’s a bad thing; it’s what you eat that matters. I’d like to share with you some very useful information from an article I recently read, written by food expert David Zinczenko. David states the 7 best stress fighting foods. Here’s a brief overview;

1. Papaya; due to its naturally occurring high concentration of Vitamin C and antioxidants, it stops the flow of stress hormones.

2. Peppermint tea; helps to boost focus and performance. Makes you more alert and less anxious. 3. Pumpkin seeds; contains high levels of Magnesium, which is a big anxiety/tension/fatigue buster. 4. Avocado; high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids & Potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure. 5. Salmon; high levels of Omega-3s (which help to maintain healthy levels of cortisol) and tryptophan (which helps you sleep well at night). Of course for us Veg lovers, there are always avocadoes, walnuts, flaxseeds, and algae, which are also very rich in Omega fatty acids. 6. Almonds; contains monounsaturated fats & Vitamin E, which helps greatly to control stress hormones. 7. Oatmeal; consuming fiber-rich, whole grain carbs help to stimulate a steady flow of serotonin and prevent sugar mood swings.

• For example; -A bath with sea salt and 5-8 drops of lavender essential oil. -Aromatherapy; lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, orange blossom. -Relaxation & breathing exercises. -Turn on your favorite song and dance away like no one is watching. -Go out with good friends and indulge in something you have neglected yourself of for a long time. -Do some sort of physical activity; walking, jogging, aerobics, yoga, etc (working out/exercising helps to produce endorphins, our naturally occurring happy chemicals) -Realize that life goes on and there are no problems, only solutions. If I can do it, so can you. Don’t give up.

“Men's best successes come after their disappointments.” Henry Ward Beecher Lotus Blossom

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DENVER ACTIVISM

In the month of March, Denver definitely saw a lot of activism. Always makes me happy to see our brothers and sisters exercising their freedom to express their beliefs and rights. Here’s a recollection of what happened. On the day that the Million Marijuana March is supposed to happen around the world in many different locations, Denver had a small gathering of people to march for their rights, which honestly kind of disappointed me as far as how many marijuana patients there are. Not many people showed up. Though the immigration march, being the same day, did in fact put the MMM to shame. Gathering thousands of people holding banners, signs, and Mexican flags, and chanting in unison “Si se puede” (Yes we can), the immigration march definitely had its voice heard. 16

Lotus Blossom

Frank Angel in Paradise

Frank Rozasy is 61 years old, but very young at hear.t He lives in Sana Monica, CA. If you want to see more of his amazing art, please visit his website @ www.rozasy.com.

Inner Peace

Last Laugh Lifeguard Angel

Cubed Muse

Triptic Woman

Rozasy Life Reflection American Values Looking Glass Self Zebra Girl Therapy Her Life is a Train Wreck Lotus Blossom

Los Angeles Grind Sky is Falling

Gate Keeper of Dreams

Native Canadian born, but currently lives and works in Paris.

Lalo Visage

Twisted Fate

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Armanian Visage

Kiss Me Blue

eople often wonder why and how vegetarians can lead the lifestyle that they do. I’m here to tell you many of the reasons why we choose to make this compassionate choice, not just for ourselves and other beings, but for the entire world and the ecosystem.

• Contrary to popular belief, meat is not very nutritional and actually, except for the Bcomplex, it is deficient in vital nutrients and vitamins as well as essential carbs, starches, and fiber (which cleans the intestines, absorbs excess fats, and assists with peristalsis). On the other hand, all the nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and amino acids that our bodies need for optimal performance and survival can be obtained from and found in abundance in plant sources. • Meat has the highest amount of pathogens and micro-organisms (bacteria and viruses) as well as worms and parasites. Plants may have them too but in very minimal amounts compared to flesh. Now that’s just gross! • A number of health practitioners and physicians as well as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the World Health Organization recommend reducing the consumption of animal derived protein and saturated fat as well as cholesterol. Those are the leading causes of degenerative diseases, and none of them are found in plants.

"We have enslaved the rest of animal creation and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form." William Ralph Inge

• Some of the health conditions and degenerative diseases linked to a meat based diet include cancer, heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.), osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, acne, gum disease, intestinal toxemia, kidney and gallstones, obesity, and much, much more! The only natural substances found to prevent cancer such as hydroquionenes, beta carotene, vitamin C and B-17, and all the antioxidants found in superfruits cannot be found in any animal derived products; meat actually produces extremely carcinogenic compounds and benzenes.

• Lean meats are believed to be healthier than red meat, but the reality is that poultry is almost always contaminated with Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus bacteria. And fish contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium as well as toxic industrial pollutants such as PCBs, DDT, and dioxins). Overfishing is also causing a huge imbalance in the ecosystem.

• When you become a vegetarian, your diet becomes more colorful and you are then able to be more creative with your meals since you have to incorporate a bigger variety of whole foods into your plate. It allows you to enjoy a more holistic, guilt-free way of living.

• Rainforests are one of the most important things to our ecosystem; they contain invaluable botanical sources of medicine as well as providing the Earth’s oxygen. Trees are the lungs of the world. Rainforests and other tropical regions are destroyed more and more daily in order to make room for livestock. This is due to the demand for cheap meat, and it all causes the extinction of many species, plants included. Cattle grazing is actually the major cause of desertification and soil erosion in the U.S. When destroying the biodiversity and the trees that filter our air, we are contributing immensely to carbon dioxide pollution and therefore threatening even our own existence.

• Fossil fuel conservation as a nonrenewable source of energy is another big issue, here is a chart that compares our use of fossil fuel in the production of meat. To produce:

It takes:

1 Calorie of Beef Protein

78 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Pork

35 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Poultry

22 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Soy

1 Calorie of Fossil Fuel

• Another big current environmental issue is water conservation. It takes somewhere between 3 to 15 times more water to produce animal protein than vegetable protein. • There is an immense amount of grains being used to feed livestock, all of which is cheaply grown with the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, which in turn goes into the meat being eaten and into the ground and water that we drink and use in our everyday lives. It can take up to 16 lbs of grains to produce simply 1 lb of beef. Think about that in commercial numbers; billions. All of this grain being fed to livestock could be feeding many of the starving populati ons in the world.

• Meat production is a huge contributor to greenhouse gases and emissions. Not only the methane produced in crammed, full of feces slaughterhouses, but also the nitrous oxide are the biggest toxins trapping gas in our atmosphere.

• By making the choice to be a vegetarian, I am showing compassion for all beings and embracing my love and respect for all sentient life. How can I call myself an animal lover and still want to cause harm or death to them simply because I enjoy the taste of their flesh? How come no one ever sees it as the same as eating your dog and/or cat?

• Metaphysically, by consuming the lowest foods on the food chain, I am getting the purer energy from it than I would from something that has eaten something else, and something else after that. By purer energy, I mean energy directly from our allpowerful source, the sun, not energy taken from other beings against their free will; which means that whatever emotions and energies these beings died having (violent and fearful), their flesh retained them and that is what I am consuming and putting into my sacred temple, my body. After all, I am what I eat.

• Factory farms and slaughterhouses raise their animals in extremely inhumane and poor, unsanitary conditions. Most of them live in filthy and cramped spaces, without ever having the chance to see sunlight and to have fresh air. These spaces are filled with animal excrement and other decaying animals. Their movements are restrained because it is cheaper to have more livestock in less space. They cannot mate, the offspring cannot nurse, and they cannot develop social behaviors. Chicks are debeaked (the process of cutting/grinding off their beaks), not to mention that males chicks are useless since they cannot lay eggs, so most are piled alive in a trash bag and left to die by suffocation, or are gassed to death.

Chickens are thrown in boiling water alive in order to be defeathered and then hung upside down to meet their fate of having their throats slashed to bleed to death all while still fully conscious. They are also pumped with dangerous amounts of growth hormones, which makes their bodies grow too fast in proportion to their feet, causing tumors and disabling them to walk and move properly. I’ll leave it up to you to find out about the veal industry. Because of these extremely crowded, filthy, and poor conditions these animals are raised in, the animals develop cannibalism, stress, fighting, and illness/disease. By continuing to purchase and consume meat products, I would be showing that I agree with factory farming and their ethics on raising animals inhumanely. I would also show that I agree with their unsanitary, unsafe, and unhealthy methods of handling my food.

• If you believe even the smallest bit in Karma, you should know that every little action you take in your life makes a difference and has a huge impact for generations to come. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? I certainly want to better my karma and reduce my footprint by living light on this earth, and not worsen it. • Every meal I eat, I feel guilt-free. • I believe in nonviolence, and world peace, I live it in my every action every day. I’m not a hypocrite.

These reasons I’ve listed, all environmental, ethical, and healthful, do not even constitute half of the reasons why I and many others choose to be vegetarian. It is a very personal choice, and should be made with care, love, and of course, for the right reasons and out of your own free will. So make an effort to study and educate yourself and make a choice that fits your needs as well as preaches love for all beings. Join the movement! Not just of vegetarianism, but of conscious choice-making.

• I definitely want to be a good role model to my children and all those around me. Teach them to live conscious and aware of their every action.

I highly recommend watching the videos on secret slaughterhouse investigations done by PETA and other animal activist groups. They are extremely eye-opening and make us more conscious of the actions being taken behind our backs as well as the consequences of our indulgence. These videos can be found on PETA.com and on YouTube.com. Ignorance is not bliss, but rather, closed-minded, and well, just ignorant. How do you like to be fooled?

For more information on these and more concerning environmental issues as well as how vegetarianism can lead to better world, please visit these websites:

http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp http://www.vivavegie.org/vv101/101reas98.html http://veggie123.com/ www.navs-online.org www.PETA.com 24

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• • • • • • •

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Thunder Mesa Tea Made with Inka Tea By: Rik Thundercrow

Ingredients can be ordered from: www.Comprasperu.com Inka Tea is made from the Coca plant. Ingredients • Inka Tea • 10 tbsp of powdered Inka Tea • 2 liters of distilled water or Brita water at a minimum • (using distilled water is important) • 2 unbleached coffee filters • 4 tsp of baking soda To make your Thunder Mesa tea concentrate Place both coffee filters into a slightly larger strainer Put 10 tbsp of Inka Tea into the filters Add 2 tsp of baking soda to each liter of distilled water (total of 4 tsp of baking soda to 2 liters water) Very, very slowly pour boiling water over the tea in the filters. The water should remain very hot while pouring over the filters: if necessary reheat the water as you go because you will have to pour very slowly to avoid the tea from bubbling over. (see image)

So slow that this step could take up to 15 minutes or more. Slowly pour over the filter and keep the water very hot. Avoid the tea bubbling over the filter. Some of the water will boil out and some will be absorbed into the tea and filters, so you should end up with about 1 liter of Thunder Mesa Tea. Next to make your cup of Thunder Mesa Tea, mix about 1/4 cup of your concentrate with 3/4 cup of hot water. This mixture can be adjusted to taste, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make any adjustments until after you have tried this mixture a few times. Remember this is a concentrate so your 1 liter of concentrate will make about 4 liters of tea. As an additional effect you can re-heat your cup of tea with a little hemp mixed right in your cup, then heat up the cup of tea for just a minute more. Store your concentrate in the refrigerator in an air tight container until your ready for more!

Enjoy!

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Sandy & Steve Bennett

Roots Oh wise ancient spirit of the earth though you are of a different shape and color we are still one our energies, interconnected, run through one another time and time again please guide me with your ancient knowledge. to subdue my anger to bring me tranquility, serenity, peace. to die and be reborn again as new like you. help to ground me and understand the stillness of your body And as your roots are all connected under the earth in our endless circle of unity speaking to one is speaking to all I and I are one.

Lotus Blossom

*Just remember; I am not a certified physician, and any information I give you is purely educational and should not be relied upon to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Never take any oils internally unless advised to do so under medical supervision. Do not ever apply undiluted oils to the skin. Please always use extreme caution when dealing with essential oils as they are highly concentrated and effective. If you are pregnant, or have a serious medical condition, please consult with a professional certified aromatherapist before use. Information & content from Simplers Botanical Company Aromatherapy Guide to Essential Oils.

Lotus Blossom

My Personal Account of

As you walk in, you better have your wristband on your arm or your ticket at hand. You stroll through the walkway while being greeted by many people. The first sight is hundreds of families with their camping chairs and coolers all set up like a fourth of July barbeque. The grass is filled with laughing children and dancing adults. The air is hot, humid and filled with sound. It is so hot everyone has hoses and fans spraying water at passers by. And finally, down at the river, there are many people enjoying the cool, refreshing water, standing, sitting, swimming, and even posted on chairs. The river is nice and shallow, clean, sparkling, and full of beautiful small rocks that you can see right through the water. Yes, I’m talking about Reggae on the River! Although it may sound like an absolutely unforgettable experience, Reggae on the River 2010 was not such an amazing festival. It took place in Benbow, CA, and though normally it is a camp-in event, this time it was not. It was only two days long, and the camping was at the least 3 miles away from the event, with it shutting down at night and starting again the next day, which means hauling all of your stuff to and from Reggae both days. There was also no parking near or at the venue. They did, however, have shuttles that went back and forth between Reggae and the campsites as well as town (Garberville). Another downer was that the campsites had outrageous prices per night, so you did not only have to pay for your ticket, food, and camping, but you also had to haul all your stuff to and from the event, making it not only exhausting, but extremely expensive! Not to mention the music was not loud enough, and it just didn’t make me want to get up and dance. There was only one stage, and overall the festival was just too small and short lived! There was hardly any space to even sit down on the grass and/or in the shade, even for a pregnant woman with a one year old! People were hoarding all the room and not even sitting at their chairs! What kind of conscious event is this? I really wish I had come across more enlightened and unique people like at Earthdance.

Mostly everyone at this festival was completely normal and plain, not very personable, and extremely secluded to their own cliques (of course, excluding the few unique souls), honestly it all seemed like a status thing to me. But that’s just my opinion. I truly hope that next year it will be better or there is no way I am wasting my time or money on this event. The one thing I cannot complain about is that we arrived a couple of days early and ended up scoring the best parking spot right near the event, walking distance. It was a really rad old man’s property that he let people park on, he was sweet, fair, and willing to trade for the time we were parked there. It ended up becoming much more fun than the event itself because he was particular as to who he allowed to park there; most being down to earth hippies or Rastas. It just made it that much better that you could hear the music and see the entire festival from this spot. Gotta be grateful for cool people like him, they make such experiences all worth it.. Let’s hope they hear our cries and next year this event will be made ten times better.

I do have some great pics to share with you all from the best moments of Reggae on the River. Check ‘em out!

Lotus Blossom

2010 Benbow, CA â&#x20AC;&#x201C;July 17, 18

Lotus Blossom

So you’ve noticed the new popular style. Yeah it’s definitely hip, but new? Not at all! Dreadlocks have been around since cavemen. Ancient holy men, new agers, hippies, dead heads, shaivists, among other cultures have dreadlocks for many reasons that range from deep spiritual/religious meaning to just the desire for the look. One of the most famous and intelligent artists of all times Bob Marley was a firm believer of the concept of natty dreads. Natty dreads is when you don’t use any method to “make” dreadlocks such as twisting and back combing, beeswax, braiding, etc . It’s when you simply leave nature to do its job. Without manipulation. 1.

Letting your hair do its own thing speaks for itself. Your first step is to stop combing or brushing your hair completely (that includes running your fingers through it). When you stop combing you hair, you are allowing all the strands to join up without the need of any chemicals or greasy beeswax. If you use beeswax, it will gather inside of your dreadlocks like gunk, you don’t want that. The next thing to do is to keep washing your hair like you normally do, excluding the use of any conditioner or moisturizer. Also, do not put any chemicals such as gel or hairspray because the same thing will happen as with the beeswax. You will want to start using a shampoo that is not filled with chemicals and unnecessary additives because those as well will form a build up in your locks. A good example is Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap. It is all natural, completely vegetable based, and has no synthetic foaming agents, thickeners, or preservatives, so you can use it on your hair and body! Plus it’s probably the most eco-friendly soap out there!

• • • •

Wearing hats and alternating which side you sleep on at night will ensure that your whole head gets a chance to dread.

Now don’t give up and start combing your hair. Real natty dreads take time and patience. It will be a while before they start to form, and once they do, they will probably look horrible and like rat’s nest. That’s the point of it, you cannot let your physical appearance bother you. No more doing your hair or worrying about how it looks. You are beautiful as you are. Waiting it out will teach you to suppress your ego and understand true natural beauty and the unimportance of physical looks. True beauty should emanate from the inside, and not through doing your hair and make up.

Once your dreadlocks start to actually form, you will need to rip them apart, otherwise, you will have one BIG dread! So look around at the very root where you think it should be one or two, or even three.

Follow their natural formation and rip them (by pulling them apart from end to root) according to it. It might hurt a little. Hang on! 6.

For some people it takes 6 months, for some a year and a half. Whichever you are, by the time your dreads start to look like dreads you will feel very accomplished. Everyday you will notice a new dread and it will give you a sense of fulfillment, you are giving your hair life and expression. Now you can even start to put

in beads, shells, or metal rings to add a unique touch. Beads also help to relax

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are giving your hair life and expression.â&#x20AC;?

unwanted bumps or raises that may form on your dreadlocks.

Beautiful People Lotus Blossom 37

Being a hippie is all about freedom. It is about love. It is about peace. It is about being one with all the brothers and sisters of the world and the entire universe. It is about being unique and confident in one’s beliefs. It is also about not conforming to authority and societal standards. Hippies love one another, share, learn, and most important of all, we respect Mother Nature. The first step in following the hippie lifestyle is to love and respect every life form encountered (yourself as well). That means bugs, animals, and trees too! When you love and respect others, you will receive the same. Anger and hatred can change one’s true self and how they act, hurting loved ones and causing an endless cycle of negativity. So being peaceful, even to socalled enemies is key. The next step is to see the beauty and truth in everything. In order to do so, you must forget competition and learn cooperation. That is the basic foundation of evolution. “If you see yourself in others, whom can you harm?” When looking into someone’s eyes, one sees his own reflection, that has got to mean something, maybe that we are all just reflections of each other. In order to see truth, one must also remove all prejudice, discrimination, and judgment. Those can cloud the vision of truth, making the eyes only see what wants to be seen by the mind.

Groovy music is a must. What is a hippie without music? The Grateful Dead and the Beatles are great bands to start with. Hippies love Classic, Psychedelic Rock and Reggae. Bob Marley, Matisyahu, and any other artist whose music promote peace, love, spirituality, and describe psychedelic experiences such as Shpongle are perfect.

The next thing to do is to stop shaving everything. Hippies are all natural. They don’t wear make up or shave to fit into societal standards. They grow out their beard, leg hair (even if it isn’t winter), and armpit hair (yes girls, give it up). And they are not afraid to flaunt it! Hippies are confident in the way they are and understand true and natural beauty. It’s time to bash the perfect media image of hairless, flawless, edited, made up people that are not naturally that way. Hippie mamas are not afraid to walk barefoot and show off those beautiful legs regardless of choice on personal grooming. Now, to get rid of all unnecessary material attachments, grab a backpack, fill it with necessities only, find the nearest highway and stick out that thumb. Girls should not do this alone. Hippies are not afraid to take their pet/pets with them; many on the road have their cats trained to sit on their shoulders, and their dogs to be their loyal road companion, after all, they are pack animals. Bringing a tent and/or sleeping bag is crucial in order to post up anywhere and make use of all of earth’s amazing resources. Suggestions are trips to the forest, hot springs, gem hunting on the mountain, the beach, etc. Not forgetting to stop by a few music festivals, they are unforgettable experiences. Being free and enjoying what life and spontaneity has to offer is the hippie way.

Time to learn some skills. It is almost necessary to learn an instrument. Yes, listening to music is amazing, but making music is even better! So putting your hands to good use and learning a groovy instrument is the way to go. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the freestyle djembe (like at drum circles), the guitar, the banjo, or the flute, it is inevitable to identify yourself with an instrument. There are other skills to be learned as well, such as hemp making, stone wrapping, hoola hooping, fire juggling, or even making people laugh. It will take some skill to keep you fed and entertained on the road. Not to mention you will be bringing joy, beauty, creativity, and inspiration everywhere you go.

The last step is to be happy, smile, share, love, and always give out positive vibes.

You cannot look like a hippie in a suit or tie, so it is great to gather some old articles of clothing and cut them up, make them into patchwork, tie dye them, and personalize them to taste. Whichever it is, it is not the hippie way to go out and buy new clothes. Recycling is the way to go! Being kind to Mother Earth is very important. Hippies do whatever they can to live light; not waste necessary resources, always recycle, and not use heavy chemicals (such as cleaning or personal care). For example, with Dr. Bronnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18 in one pure castile soap one can do laundry, wash hair and body, wash the dog, clean their tent/house, etc. One might even consider becoming vegetarian for the sake of the world. Also, it is important to never leave trash anywhere, whether it is a campsite or the side of the road and never mess with natural life or destroy any habitats. Every small action will cause a chain reaction that will go on forever, so try not to leave a deep blueprint behind.

Lotus Blossom

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Marijuana is SAFER than Alcohol. Isn’t it time we treat it that way? The organization that legalized marijuana in Denver needs your help. Please contact us to get involved on your campus or in your area today! Take action now. (303) 861‐0033 mail@saferchoice.org