The eden magazine february 2018 by Maryam Morrison

EDEN T h e

Â© Magazine

SITA

COUTURE

SOUL MATES THE MYTH

By Mystic Pete & Eileen Rosenbloom

ALICE WALLACE ELEPHANTS THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OFF GUILT By Roxana Jones

GREATER JOY By Jan Diana

February 2018

FIND LOVE ON VALENTINE'S DAY Nancy E. Yearout

THE CALM BUDDHA AT BEDTIME By Dharmachari Nagaraja

Table of Contents 8

SITA COUTURE

MARCUS RÃ&#x153;BBE

GREATER JOY

By Jan Diana

FIND LOVE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

By Nancy E, Yearout

FARZANEH TAVANA

SOULMATES THE MYTH By Mystic Pete & Eileen Rosenbloom

THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OFF GUILT By Roxana Jones

THE FIRE IN THE SUN, MOON, & STARS By Maresha Ducharme

ALICE WALLACE ELEPHANTS

THE CALM BUDDHA AT BEDTIME

By Dharmachari Nagaraja

DON'T LET YOUR HEART RULE YOUR HEAD By Tara-jenelle Walsch

LIFE, WHERE FEAR ENDS, & LOVE BEGINS By Jayita Bhattacharjee

Cover Photo by TODD VITTI

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EDEN

Photo by Artin Mardirosian

T H E

MAGAZINE

Spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings and Lliving in healing and peaceful world

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON

Maryam Morrison

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DINA MORRONE PUBLIC RELATIONS MARIA ELENA INFANTINO SOCIALITE DIRECTOR GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JAN DIANA ANGELA DUNNING TARA-JENELLE WALSCH MICHAEL WHITE RYAN MARGARET TOMASZEWICZ ROXANA JONES & ARNAUD SAINT-PAUL GRAPHICS ARTIPHICS PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDA SAINT HILAIRE PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY SHERI DETERMAN CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN WEBSITE www.theedenmagazine.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/TheEdenMagazine To have a copy visit us in www.magcloud.com

Eden Magazine is an independent monthly online magazine. Our aim is to create a better environment where we live among other living being in peace and harmony. We support artists that their work match our criteria. If you would like to submit your artwork, article or/and your Photography For our future issues please contact Maryam Morrison at; maryammorrison@theedenmagazine.com

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Thompson

SITA Couture By Maryam Morrison

Last month I had the opportunity to visit one of the top spas in the United States. While there, I needed to pick up a few things to wear at the pool and I fell in love with the SITA Couture brand. When I asked the Spa Director for more information, I learned that SITA Couture was one of the hottest up and coming resort apparel companies in Los Angeles. The company was founded by former dancer and model, Sita Thompson. It’s styles are inspired by Sita’s unique life experience. She was raised on an organic farm with both Mexican and Native heritage. As was custom, she learned to sew as a young girl, and at 11 years old started making her own patterns. At the age of 17, she moved to Paris to begin a career in fashion. For the next twenty years she traveled around the world, immersing herself in cultures, becoming fluent in several languages, and learning about fabrics. This experience is infused into each unique style. Native weaves, hand loomed in her father’s village, are sewn into the beautiful collection. This month I had a chance to sit down with Sita at her home in Los Angeles and learn how this fashion powerhouse has built an all star apparel brand in LA that is eco-friendly and gives back to the community. Why did you start a fashion business? I never intended to start a fashion business. I had a much bigger vision. My goal was to help the planet and be an inspiration for vibrant health, life abundance, and spirituality. It just so happens that fashion was my vehicle for doing that. When I started creating apparel, I was actually trying to address challenges that I had with style and fashion. I’ve always had a strong body. I was never skinny. My frame was a little larger on top and smaller on the bottom. So I was always asking myself, “Am I a small or a large?” Some small dresses were perfect on the bottom, but I couldn’t squeeze into on top. This made me feel really awkward. As I got older, I realized, I couldn’t be the only one having these issues. With all of my experience, I just knew that I could create something that we could feel good in at any given moment. All of us women feel pressure to look our best, so having styles that “fit well” and help us to feel good, whether it’s in the public eye, or just feeling good about ourselves going out to the grocery store is so important. I started my line with styles that helped solve my fashion dilemmas, but when I shared my clothes with others, the results were remarkable. I started to see that I could re10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

ally inspire comfort and ease around this often stressful area for women. My inspiration became an obsession to make women everywhere look and feel amazing. Tell us about SITA Couture... SITA Couture is a luxury lifestyle brand, based here in Los Angeles. Our line focuses on three aspects for the modern woman: comfort, versatility, and sensuality. Clients include women from all walks of life, who want to feel as good as they look. Our customers find us at the top luxury resorts, spas, and yoga studios around the world like The Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and Destination Hotels or at our website www.sitacouture.com. There are three reasons women really love the line. First, I’m a big fan of comfort, and love finely constructed pieces that travel well. As a result, many of our dresses are lined for extra ease and support. We have built in shelves and elasticated straps to take away the need for bras in lieu of breast freedom. We have hand crocheted belts, cutwork lace details, and beautiful hand weaves built into our collections. Second, everything in our collection goes together with everything else. That means almost every top goes with every bottom. The line has been designed to mix and match. That's a big deal for women. We need to have options! This makes our line so much easier for gals on the go. Third, many pieces in our line have been designed to wear in different ways. For example, a tunic as a mini - or - a coverup as a dress. What’s at the core of SITA Couture as a brand? Sustainability is what is important to me. To be cruelty free, manufacture locally, empower the economy, inspire the youth, and produce with sustainable/ recycled fabrics that are traced to the source. I want our customers to know what they’re wearing and how it was produced. Simultaneously, we are very cause centric. We support Women Against Child Trafficking and are passionate about educating and raising awareness around breast health. We design all of our pieces with breast health in mind. Why are these things important to you? Because it's just who I am. It's how I was raised. I grew up on the land with these principles. I am absolutely committed to integrating these values into our company culture and operating standards. When I’m not working on the line, I travel around the world educating, lecturing, and blogging about health, life abundance, and sustainability.

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Where else did your inspiration come from? I've been inspired by my travels around the world and a variety of era’s. My grandmother was a beauty queen in the 50’s. My mom a hippie in the 70’s. My dad is an organic farmer down in Mexico. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, went to college in Europe, and a few years later moved to India. This unique upbringing gave me a lot of exposure to amazing style and art around the world. I studied the craftsmanship and fashion everywhere I lived. I learned the intricate details of how people designed and wore their clothes around the globe. I studied the colors, the drapes, and histories. What I’ve done with SITA Couture is combine everything I’ve learned into a line that makes women feel amazing. When you look deep, you are sure to find something for “every-body”. What is one thing that you learned in Europe, India, and Mexico that have made your life and line what it is today? Having lived in each of these places for years of my life, I genuinely believe that the world is my home. When I was in Europe from late teens to early 20s, what I really learned was structure, shape, and garment construction. Structure breeds confidence for both the creator of the garment and the one wearing it. My years in Europe were all about self discovery and structure. I love all things Europe. I love how most people speak a variety of languages, are well read, and generally so versatile. Having the chance to live there, studying languages and interning in fashion was definitely an exciting and adventurous time. I constantly revert back to my European structure with each collection! India was all about glamour and elegance. I learned about draping in India. My name is Sita who is Ram’s wife in the Hindu religion. I was named by the well known western guru Baba Ram Das when I was a baby. Fast forward 25 years later living in Mumbai, it’s true that having the name of an Indian goddess is kind of tabu for a westerner in India, but I think my passion to be so involved with everything from classical Indian dance, design, film, and entrepreneurship, allowed India to embrace me with that name. I was even awarded by the former Prime Minister of India for being “American by birth, but Indian by heart and values, and a role model for society”. I had a dance troupe in India and worked as a brand ambassador for multinationals re-launching in the country. . I was obsessed with the Indian textiles and embroidery and incorporated them in all of my costumes, public appearances, and performances. This time in India is when I started seriously working with garment construction and design. I had the a-ha moment to combine the structure I learned in Europe with the beautiful draping I learned in India to create my first synergistic pieces. They consisted of structure and flow, which gave the women who wore my pieces elegance and confidence. It felt like every piece I created looked amazing on every body. When looking at my line, you can definitely see cuts and names of styles inspired by India! 13 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

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Mexico is where everything tied together. On a recent trip to see my dad in Michoacan, he took me out to meet with the Indigenous native weavers, and that's when the breakthrough happened. I was like, "Wow,” these weaves are amazing and I want to share! My dad has been down there farming full time for the past 30 years. We have a restaurant in the center of the charming pueblo of Uruapan called Los Organicos. On the ranch, he organically farms native corn, quinoa, chia, charcoal, and a variety of other native super foods. His focus is nutrient dense foods, permaculture and environmental preservation. The local artisans beautiful work from my dads village tell the stories of birth, life, love, and harvest in all of their weaves. Wearing the roots of the story of life is in every stitch of their work. The colors, textures, and designs speak to all of us." So I decided to work with the natives of the region and incorporate their weaves, their stories, into my line. I felt like I was wearing my roots. Then I thought, “Why can’t everybody wear their roots?!” These are everybody’s roots! It felt like designing their weaves into the line was giving this experience to everybody who wears the line. It’s been such a thrill to spend more time down there in the last couple of years and start to incorporate the native weaves from the Perwupuche Indians from my dad’s home town. Spring /Summer 2018 is the launch of this story. Everybody is in love with this collection. You can feel the depth and beauty in every style! Just as amazing is that every piece of clothing sold gives back to the Indigenous people and helps to support and preserve this artistry. How has Los Angeles played a role in your business? L.A. is the fashion and entertainment capital of the world. Everyone looks here first for everything. They watch the movies, television, music videos… this is where they get their fashion sense. At the height of Gucci, Tom Ford, said that his favorite place in the world was Los Angeles because, “Los Angeles was the center of it all”. Los Angeles is the home of diversity and versatility. It’s an international multi-cultural hub of art, film, music and fashion. It’s no accident that everything you just read above would all tie together in the City of Angels! In addition, LA is home to the best design schools, talent agencies, most talented technicians, videographers, and photographers. I lecture at these design schools. I work with these models. I constantly collaborate with these industry leaders to find inspiration. Los Angeles keeps you on the cutting edge. We also have amazing apparel manufacturers, making it possible manufacture locally. And because of the diversity of people and cultures here, we are constantly exposed to all kinds of incredible textiles, and new technology. 16 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

Of all the places I've been in the world, the best place, and perfect place to have my brand is here in Los Angeles. What does style mean to you? Style tells our story. It shows the world what we believe in, how we feel about ourselves, and what we aspire to be. I feel the more confident and comfortable you are in your own style, the more effective you will be in your life. The style that drapes your journey is important ... and women suffer over this. What I love most about having an apparel brand is that I get to create looks that feel on the outside, the way I want to feel on the inside…. and share this! I hear you may be coming out wIth a men’s line this summer... We have lots of requests for a men's line, so we’re finally kicking it off. You’ll see a sneak preview of some styles at Style Magazine's LA Fashion Week. Just like the women’s collection, the men’s line is starting with a few key staples that will merchandise well with the the rest of a man’s wardrobe. It’s very exciting!! Any final thoughts… Remember that each one of us makes a difference and that every decision we make counts. My hope is that we work together and inspire others to be cruelty free, understand the power of their purchase, and inspire our youth. Let’s live life to the fullest. Smile big, and love with everything we’ve got!

∑ Special Thanks to: Photography by Todd Vitti www.vittiphotography.com Makeup by Nancy Jambazian www.nancyjambazian.com Video by Blair Simon blairsimonvisuals@gmail.com Location; West Hollywood *To watch behind the scene video for this feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPyms-RFLEQ

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Marcus RÃ¼bbe

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Marcus Rübbe is an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur and leading expert in the field of Change Management and Business Coaching. Based in Bielefeld, Germany, his practice involves guiding individuals, groups, and, indeed, entire organizations through the processes and challenges of effective change culminating in meaningful goal attainment. His clients spread throughout Germany and the European Union. Marcus is noted for his ability to turn the insights of research in the fields of neuroscience, management studies, and psychology into useful information for professionals and students alike. Because of his ability to build bridges between theory and practice, science and its application, Marcus is also one of the most soughtafter instructors in internationally recognized universities in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Bielefeld. Philanthropic endeavors Time and relationship are the most precious resources available for helping each person become a positive contributor to their community. Marcus said that one of his strongest convictions and guiding principles is, “Investing ourselves in the lives of others is a philanthropic risk, but sometimes the outcomes are extraordinary.” This principle is the underlying motivation for his developmental participation in the project known as “Plan I.” “Plan I” is an intensive second-chance integration path for young men between the ages of 14 and 20 who are either repeat offenders or at risk of falling into such a milieu. Over a period of 1-3 years, Plan I participants have twice-weekly mentoring sessions as well as accompanied support in undertaking significant steps. Ultimately, each contact is about building relationships and investing in futures with the hope that some of them will eventually do the same. A shining case in point: one of the participants from the early beginnings of the project is now studying medicine at the University of Münster and is on his way to becoming a doctor, thus, in his own way, helping others just as he himself has been helped. On “Philanthropic Endeavors” Marcus has been using his skills in the “BUS-Augustdorf Education and Language project” since 2011. He is actively involved in the development of a language education for children of primary school age in the municipality of Augustdorf/Germany. In two further projects, he provides intensive and individual advice to pupils of different school types in their job

orientation and in their transition from school to work. In cooperation with the "REGE", he helped young people to find the right job, to look for apprenticeships, to contact companies and to write applications. On the other hand, in the project "Abitur - und wie weiter?" (Abitur OR High school graduation - and what else?), he helped pupils of the upper secondary school to make the right decisions, to pursue their goals and to check their motivation. Since 2004, the project has supported more than 34,000 pupils in the vocational OR career orientation process! Winner of the Eden Achievement Award in 2017 Recognition of his philanthropic efforts on behalf of children and youth of immigrant backgrounds in his region of Germany is a great honor for him. The explicit recognition provides implicit agreement and support in his endeavors. The Eden Achievement Award serves also as a confirmation for him that putting his education and training in cognitive linguistics to practical and positive use and support those who, like him, have left their native homeland to start new lives in another country, language, and culture, have all been and continues to be worth it. From his expert perspective in neurolinguistics as well as the focus on “framing”, Marcus believes successful integration is heavily dependent on language acquisition, educational self-development, and intercultural understanding. Each project into which he has invested himself takes these factors into account. Why is language so important and what are “frames”? Everything we humans experience is based on the perceptive activities of the senses. Additionally, we use language – sounds, words, and sentences – to make sense of these perceptions and to share or compare them with other individuals. In short, language constructs reality. The language we use activates thought through the frameworks of our interpretation, understanding, and knowledge, or so-called “frames”. Knowledge frameworks form the background upon which we interpret, understand, and share the words of others. Not only does language form our thoughts and our reality, it also directly affects subsequent responses. It is enough for the brain to hear or read words or see pictures to activate bodily responses or create mental simulations. This means that we think and act in terms of the words of the language we use. In other words, without frameworks (frames) we would not be able to think.

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"Most of the work of associate thinking is silent, hidden from our conscious selves. You know far less about yourself than you feel you do." - Daniel Kahneman The limitations of your language present limitations in your world …and in your outcomes… From years of scholarly and entrepreneurial pursuit, I have come to the conclusion that the words we humans use – our language or self-talk – are the essential key to the outcomes we produce or achieve. Here is an example: Imagine someone who often says to him/herself (or others), “it won’t work” or “I can’t do it.” Perhaps at some point in this person’s life, they experienced a momentary situation that led to such a conclusion, one that left a deep and lasting impression that something significant didn’t work as planned or couldn’t be achieved by them. As a result, a new frame developed that went beyond that event and into the person’s self-perception. Now, something similarly challenging happens to this person: automatically and unconsciously, this person’s thoughts refer to the previous experience, the frame it created, and the attached thoughts and feelings as evidence that they cannot do it, that it will end in failure. What will this person do? How do you think this person will respond internally? Correct, this person will, subconsciously at first, look for a way to avoid the challenge and the pain of the failure frame. This person will focus their entire perception, thought, and behavior along the fearful lines of “it won’t work” or “I can’t do it” just because of a prior, though personally significant, failure. Said another way, this person will sabotage their own efforts in order to be able to say to themselves and others, “See? I told you I couldn’t do it.” Or, “See, I told you I’d fail.” The deciding groundwork is laid. Paradoxically, this person’s brain frames or re-frames the propensity for failure totally differently. The brain reinterprets the statement to make it fit, thus to make the predicted failure successful and turning failure into a successful outcome. Then, from the “I can’t do it” frame of reference, each failure is a success. So, in fact, the results achieved – successful or failing – in life are a reflection and expression of language-cultivated frames.

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We could then say that we are continually telling ourselves the stories that will eventually define our lives, which would lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy indeed! As a 1947 Reader’s Digest quote attributed to Henry Ford says: “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you're right.”

and asked for his forgiveness for holding him responsible for my mother’s death for so long. I also thanked him for being the good father that he truly has been (and is). Since then, we – my father, my now-adult brother, and I – have a restored a caring relationship with one another. We are a family once more.

Language affects our thoughts and actions, framing our perception of people, things, events, and circumstances. If someone truly wants different or new results in life, then, from my viewpoint, the first thing necessary is to consciously and deliberately challenge the basic language frames (framework) of the words used in life.

The point is this: changes and new outcomes are entirely possible.

Reframe your life with the Power of your words. Once we have understood the mechanics of framing and the origin and value of our own frames, then we are able to change our stories and our lives, thus achieving the outcomes we desire. To illustrate what I mean, I will close by sharing this story from my own life, in which I was presented with the opportunity to re-frame my language, my self-talk, and my life-referencing frames. When I was twenty years old, my mother died suddenly. It was a dramatic turn and I was angry at God and the world. At that point in life, I held my stepfather responsible for the situation and blamed him for her death. I broke off contact with him and my younger brother. The result of this frame – “he is to blame“– was a fifteen yearlong silence between them and me. Throughout my academic studies, my professional career, my further training, and my long-term preoccupation (or dispute) frames and framing played an implicit, perhaps unconscious, role. Slowly, I began to recognize that my frames of that period corresponded directly to the results I was then achieving in life. Some of those frames were no longer functional for the things I wanted from life: love, joy/happiness, and contentment. My general framework had to change, to adapt, to align consistently with the things I said I wanted in life. I had to reframe my perception of my stepfather and of my story up to now. He wasn’t to blame for my mother’s death then, nor thereafter, so that frame had to be jettisoned. I only wanted to have someone carry the blame for what had happened and the pain I felt for that, and there was no one. My dysfunctional frame had to be replaced with one that was consistent with my desired outcomes of love, joy, and contentment. To reach that outcome, a new frame of forgiveness had to grow. Approximately two years ago I contacted my stepfather. I admitted what I had done to injure the relationship

When I share this experience, I often get a response such as “Yes, Marcus, that is a beautiful story, BUT you are telling yourself a story.” Those who say this to me are correct. Going even further, what I was telling myself before this story of reconciliation was also just a story, a frame in which I lived with the corresponding outcomes (and not the ones I wanted). I wanted other results. I had to change the frame, the story, in order to have any hope of writing the story I want to read in the future. I made the decision to do exactly that and the results are much more satisfying. In my acts of framing, neither of the stories – Victim/Offender or Good Father – is right or wrong; it is my power of conscious decision to choose from which point-of-view of reality I want or prefer to live. So, to all of you who have taken the time to read and consider my perspective, I hope you will come away with the understanding that each of us, to a significant degree, has the power to determine our own outcomes, in both the short and long-term. We will encounter people along our journey who don’t enjoy the same opportunities or possibilities we have had or have. Perhaps that opportunity is looking for us to meet a need, a need to which we can relate and for which we have appropriate resources. Let us take the time to come alongside those people, seeing it as an opportunity to respond with our financial, cognitive, and emotional resources to support the development of another well-framed and flexible life of self-fulfillment. At the end – the beginning … In 2018, my book on the topic of frames and framing, “Framing – The Power of Words,“ will be published in Germany. Shortly thereafter, it will appear in English. If you find yourself interested in this topic and in my work in this area, then I invite you to journey with me and correspond with me as you desire. Let us also commit together to make it possible for many people, to touch and to align their language with their desired outcomes and lead a self-determined and successful life of their own choosing. Warmest regards from Bielefeld, Germany. 21 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

Message from the Goddess Mother

with JAN DIANA

GREATER JOY By Jan Diana

My Beloved Children of Heart, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I greet you in great pleasure this glorious day. Each day presents an opportunity to experience the glory of life, expressed and experienced through the heart. I feel it is time to share with you an important message that will assist you to experience the greater joys that life has to offer. There is much available for you to experience in your life that is now more easily accessed and will become ever more so in the days to come. It is of great value to begin a conscious choice to recognize what joys you already have in your life. May times throughout the history of humanity the primary focus had been the struggle to survive as experienced by ancestors and fellow beings that touch your life. It is time to begin to consciously set aside any need to suffer and struggle. Though you may think, why would I think or support these concepts, it has been a conditioned way of living and being throughout the history of humanity. Now the way has been made available that provides for an easier release of what no longer is relevant or necessary to experience in your life journey. You can begin to make choices consciously that will support you in a way

that will bring about a greater awareness of your truth and the potential to elevate in your consciousness. Within elevated consciousness and focused thoughts, you can begin to create and experience the greater joys of life. To allow yourself these opportunities will bring delight to your hearts and minds. Begin to ponder on your life, paying attention to all of your blessings. As you notice these with an open mind, your heart will expand to feel the appreciation and gratitude for what is already offered and experienced in your life. Beginning to notice the sweetness will bring you greater joy. It will assist you to recognize your connection to that great love that feeds and sustains your very life experience. As you release from the shackles of the old stories and experiences that kept you feeling limited, you will begin to feel the greater freedom from whatever kept you from experiencing the greater joys of life. The ultimate goal is to be living in joyful conscious awareness constantly. To know the greater joy is to know yourself and your divine nature

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Imagine now an experience that brought you great joy. It could be when you gazed into the eyes of your newborn babe. It could be when you felt the arms of your beloved around you, or someone you care deeply for. There are many to choose from. Think of a joyful experience that comes to your mind. As you recall it, allow yourself to feel as if you are reliving that moment. Feel into it as if time stopped and you are bathing in this moment of joy. This exercise will assist you to touch upon an experience when you felt connected to your heart. Immerse within this moment and imprint the wonder of it. Now that you have imprinted this experience into your present awareness, let yourself move to another experience when you felt a similar heart connection. Follow the same steps and recognize the wonder and sweetness of the experience. Bringing your awareness to these sweet experiences in your life will assist you to recognize the blessings of your life. You will begin to notice the joy and the truth of how you are so loved. The greater conscious awareness will be brought into your present moment. You will begin to feel the same feeling in your experiences today. Imagine stringing a series of wonderful moments like this together, like a beautiful strand of pearls or orbs of gold. Now imagine wearing this strand of golden orbs daily. They will be like little beacons of lights shining bright for all to see, attracting more of the same wonderful joyful experiences. Whatever you focus your thoughts on can be fueled into becoming reality. As your focus turns to joyful moments, more joy will present. Living in greater joy is your divine birthright. It is your destiny as you move into the greater acceptance of your sacred truth. Become aware of the many gifts and blessings showering upon you. Open to receive in loving acceptance and allow yourself to let go of anything that does not support a joyful life. The power to do so lies within your reach. Be open to your

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guidance. Embrace the sweetness, knowing that you are ready for your next steps into the greater joy. I hold the vision with you of your dreams to experience the greater joy. We are a family of heart. Remember the joy and celebrate. Shamon.” FREE CLASS: As a Gift I am offering you a Free TeleClass, “Remember Who you are”. -Restore pathways to remembering the truth of yourself using the tools of SVH, a prayer modality that can shift the old stories, old beliefs and perceptions that are not relevant to your truth. -Receive tools that you can utilize in your life to further free yourself from the veils of forgetting -Take a journey to meet your true self and receive a priceless gift You will leave this class filled a greater vision of yourself and what is now possible for you. This class is a great joy bringer! Note: Register by subscribing by email at: www.jandiana.com (if the time is not convenient, register to receive the recording when available)

2 Jan Diana is an intuitive healer, spiritual teacher, and master practitioner. Her mission is to assist clients & students in creating harmony, balance, heightened levels of clarity, develop innate gifts & abilities, empowering them on their personal evolution to create the dreams of their heart. She utilizes several modalities including SVH L3M, Animal healing, GHM, Language of love, Reiki Master, and more. Free meditation journeys, articles, & classes. http://www.jandiana.com Sessions and Classes by phone. You can reach her at website http://www.jandiana.com or by email sunsinyourheart@aol.com.

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Find Love on alentine’s ay

By Nancy E. Yearout With Valentines Day right around the corner, red hearts are popping up at all the stores along with chocolate candies, cards, and stuffed animals. I must confess to you that there was a time when I hated the heart boxes and all the” Be My Valentine” hoopla. You see at the time I was single and wrapped up in my work. The Whole stressful thought of being alone on the Love Holiday or not receiving any flowers at work was a bit over whelming. Now don’t get me wrong, I have had my share of flowers, candy and serenades show up at the work place. The truth is, I was not feeling real sweet at this time in my life. Sometimes we all can get bitter when we don’t have love in our lives. To be honest I had not learned about the energy of love or the lack of it. I learned my lesson about nine years ago when a little man came into my life. I had forgotten what real love was all about until a little baby was born, my grandson. It did not take long after his arrival for my heart to fill up with joy. He reminded me that we all need people in our lives who bring us joy when their around. Their presence makes a difference in our heart and soul and can change our lives. This small child showed me that It’s the love for each other that keep us going on the tough days in this world. I began to realize that I felt happy again. This little boy brought the joy and love back into my life. People noticed the difference in me. This is when I understood that because I had love back in my life, I too was giving off the love vibration. When I had love in my life again I oozed of it and met the man of my dreams. He was looking for love also and apparently our love vibrations matched! Only love, true love, the love energy, fulfills the human soul completely. The Lesson: if you are looking for love in your life, give off the love vibration and you will attract love back.

If you don’t have a significant other to celebrate on Love Day, celebrate the love you have for your friends, a coworker, your neighbors, a family member! Love day is all about us remembering that love and the vibrations that accompanies this energy, is all we need to be happy. When you bring love into your life, true love, you are fulfilled on the inside and everything on the outside becomes better. Happy Valentine’s Day!

2 Nancy E. Yearout is an author, a spiritual life coach, and a motivational speaker. Nancy has enjoyed an extensive corporate career as a sales coordinator with one of the Big Three automakers in Detroit. Her sales, management, and marketing skills have grown with each step of her business. Her success has blessed her with the real life experience, knowledge, and common sense that is required to help others through life’s challenges. Nancy has been fortunate to acquire hands-on energy healing skills from an Aztec healer from Mexico, and she has helped many balance their energy fields. She has received guidance from religious and spiritual teachers along the way, resulting in the development of her skills as an intuitive, a tarot card reader, and a life coach. She utilizes these tools to guide her clients to joyful and successful lives. Nancy is the author of Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking To You. www.TheEnergyProphet.com

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Textile & Fashion Designer

Farzaneh Tavana

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Farzaneh Tavana was born in Isfahan where some people call it the Mother House of Ghalamkar. From her early youth, Farzaneh’s soul was infatuated with the traditional arts and handicrafts of Isfahan. Later when Farzaneh studied Fine art, and graduated from Chelsea University of Art and Design, in London with a major in Interior Design and Fine Art. Through Farzaneh’s extensive travels, and the knowledge she gathered from different parts of the world, she became more passionate about her belief to apply Art in the everyday life of people. Farazaneh through her creativity and inquisitive soul, with the support and insight from one of the most experienced and knowledgeable Iranian masters, such as Asghar Motamedi, she has embarked to present this traditional art in a profound and unique way. By simplifying the patterns and designs, Farzaneh has disrupted the repetitious rhythms and colors being used in the past and transformed them to designs that are much more palatable with the current trends and tastes. The use of color, patterns, and designs in some of her works are audacious enough to be considered as modern art. Philosophically, she believes the repetitive frameworks leave the soul and spirit of this art in the past years, making it tired and separating it from the world and present time . Farzaneh Tavana believes, the repetitious frameworks have depleted the soul and spirit of this art (Ghalamkari) in the past years. She says: “In recent years I have felt the need to reframe the old patterns and frameworks, with that being said, I have been practicing this, within myself. That is how a new journey for the artist and an artform begins!”

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The fabric creation process is derived from two Persian words: Ghalam (stylus/pen) Kari (craftsmanship) Ghalamkar fabrics began in the second Persian Empire (224 - 651 CE), also called the Sassanid period. The fabrics originally were all hand painted with the brush and pen. During the Safavid dynasty, when they reached their height of popularity, the Ghalamkar artists began using wooden frames and stamps to meet the high demand. The stamps were made mostly from old pear trees. Using this technique, the speed of the work was drastically increased, and the stamping process also enabled the artists to create more homogeneous patterns. Ghalamkar fabrics served multiple purposes. The Safavid Kings, nobles, and upper classes, wore Ghalamkar silk and cotton clothes ornamented with gold and silver. They were also found in the decoration of interiors, very often as curtains, bedspreads, and wall coverings. The exalted art and ancient tradition of Ghalamkari is a symbol of longevity, love, and resilience that has moved beautifully through many peaks and valleys of refinement. Each generation's creativity has been passed on to the next, heart to heart, and now it is up to us to continue this evolution. As the world has become mechanized and modern, this tradition has entered a stagnant stage. It has only been through the passion of local artists that its legacy has survived.

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LANGUAGE OF SPACE

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with Michael White Ryan

NON-DUALITY 2018 the year of the FALSE PROPHET DUALITY DUALITY DUALITY Navigating our Living Mindest Multiverse By Michael White Ryan

The high-life and times of a blind man/woman/person, stands on stage, stories in hand delivers explains the makings of our universal self. That knowledge came from a box pretending it was thinking, “for this is the way of light verses dark”. Duality was it’s given name and for a million years, it was the essence of all collective knowledge, therefore it had to be true, then we flow-on-dummies made it our truth! Today, through a million ideas in the direct opposite external, natural, internal thinking, and some so called wild imaginative guessing’s, fortune fell from the heavens, penetrated our thick skulls and saved the day. Luckily for us we now know better. Non-duality has become the corner-stone of ONENESS, for those wanting to be acknowledged as some super intelligent beings with powers of foresight trying to explain the complexities of the living ocean we breathe. Which they have intended to prove in MINDFULLNESS logical terms, oh halleluiah. For we are all this one big overlapping gigantic connection. Note, the rest of us are incapable of understanding the indepthness of such stuff, so we gladly accept the logic of logic, the logical.

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Those still in doubt are down on bended knees hoping that one day, something will arrive with real-life meaning. There is a level of intellect, built on supposedly evolutionary thinking’s, which spawned life on a foundation filled with unforeseen cracks. Noble scholars filled with integrity, deliberately seeking from past noble scholars also filled with accumulated second hand-me-down knowledge. This is the way of the educated humans, passing on regurgitated learnings to the masses, those poor uneducated humans! Once we were lost but now we are found UNBECOME someone you can be proud of whatever you do be very very real about it Those fresh-passing end of year moments, filled with holiday laughter, have released a dual thinking and acknowledged an inflowing of love and newness, we all have our faults. Yes, it sounds feels like everything, but when was the last time you remembered dropping into complete acceptance, like being in a state of ecstasy??? It goes something like this. During a conversation you may express a thought, a reply comes “you’re interesting, but I come from love in all I say and do.” Then they proceed to judge and walk off. Why/what is this misrepresented so called unconditional reaction? Our spiritual ego only likes acceptance! We know not what we do when following a social idea that comes without any personal meaning or understandings. The internet, texts, magazines and books have become our Mothers and Fathers teachings! Through our non-seeingeyes, we perceive the immediate world, only to discover, it’s our actions looking back at us. Unconsciously we, in mindless agony search within, how can this be? All unwanted actions stem from remembered or forgotten past feelings of being victimized at one level or another. True or false, our feelings purge forth upon us, the realities of life’s unforgotten/unforgiving experiences. For here exists the big questions that at some point, absolutely require an explanation. Did I, we are made up of more than one construct! Did I, learn from the so-called positive/negative experiences, when in reality, positive and negative does and do not exist! Did I, learn any lessons from those experiences, it’s a simple Yes or No. If not, then one’s responsibility has been given back over to the perpetrator, hence the cause of our miserable-self and they now get off scot-free. We gave our permission acceptance and ended up with all the emotional baggage.

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But that’s ok, because they get KARMA!!! Now doesn’t that make you feel so much better. What a joke!!! We drank the cool-aid, for some we are still drinking, ittastes-so-good-poison. We accepted their reasonings, we believed their entrapping’s and swallowed it whole, hook, line and sinker. How does it feel, never knowing of your underlying innocence, while standing supposedly safe secure and confidently dependable? We are all living the same life, which at best appears imperfect. We were never designed to be puppets. I extend an invitation, move into the mystery of expansion, with bountiful renewed selfconfidence. Be full of creative willingness, stand firmly in your power, so that you may exist for the first time. Through the gift of Grace, our grounding has arrived, now go and step firmly into your next chapter 2018, blessings to all. OBSERVE, FUNCTION, BEHAVE, FOR YOU ARE A SPIRIT UNBECOMING!!!

Michael White Ryan is a co-founder with his wife Pamela Edwards of Language of Space. They are leaders in sustainable business growth via Performance Design and Performance Code. Sustainable design encompasses both Western and Eastern philosophies including advanced Feng Shui principles, Environmental Design, Buildings, Alternative Health, Business Advisory Consultants and 20 plus years as entrepreneurs. Recognized in the top 100 globally and are Americas Leading Feng Shui Business Consultants. They are on faculty at CEO Space International one of the oldest business organizations in America today, currently operate in 7 countries and reside in Carlsbad CA.. www.languageofspace.com

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Reclaming Your True Self

with Angela Dunning

The Body Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Lie

Tuning-in to Your Own Truth Detector in any Moment

By Angela Dunning

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One of our most reliable resources of information and clarity, which is available to us at all times, is our own body. Often our trickster-mind, or turbulent conflicting thought-patterns and emotions can confuse and disorientate us. Making choices, knowing our real truth and behaving congruently can all go out the window when these aspects of ourselves are the ones guiding our decisions and actions. However, our body, just like the horses I partner with to help people heal, cannot ever lie; to ourselves or others. This is why my approach is heavily somatically-based. Our body is incapable of covering up its instinctual needs and wisdom, ensuring our vulnerability is laid bare for all to see in a myriad of ways. No matter which words we use to try to convey a different picture, no matter what torrent of thoughts our mind is preoccupied with, no matter what anyone else says to us; our body knows and reveals our truth at all times. Our physical body often displays our truth in authentic unabashed methods, in a variety of different ways, for example, through our body language, muscular tension, symptoms, illnesses, accidents and diseases all lay bare what is really going on inside us; regardless of our attempts to cover this up with words. Those of us who partner with horses are more than aware of how horses give us feedback honestly and without censorship. And so, just like them, our body tries its best to do the very same for us every minute of every day. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just horses who do this either. Anyone who lives or works with animals, including dogs and cats, knows that they have a tendency to manifest behaviors and symptoms that can be perplexing at first glance. Yet, with an increased degree of self-awareness and willingness to accept their uncensored feedback to us, if we can

dare to, we can see these symptoms as reflections of our true inner state and needs. Whilst ploughing relentlessly on with our plans, busy-ness or general lack of presence, our close animal companions will often reveal our true inner needs and feelings through becoming ill, lame, colicky, itchy or diseased. Sometimes even carrying tumours, blockages or persistent immobility which eventually forces us to change the nature of our relationship to them, and, crucially, towards ourselves. More often than not, they are desperately trying to get us to simply slow down our approach to life. I witnessed this with a friend one day who was facing a very sad move from his beloved home, which held many significant meanings for him, and yet I could sense he was talking about it at the surface level. As we talked, his cat began to cough violently as if he was trying to expel something out of its own body, in an attempt to help his owner reach deeper into his true feelings of sadness and grief about leaving his home. As soon as my friend stopped simply talking and felt more deeply into his body and acknowledged his impending loss, the cat stopped coughing. Our own body will also play this role and indicate to us when we need to pay attention to our true feelings. One of my bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recognisable symptoms, which is like my own personal truth-detector, concerns my throat. If I cover up my real feelings about something, or say something predictable or superficial about something that actually carries much great meaning for me, and has deep emotion attached to it, I start to cough. My throat tightens, I begin to splutter and can frequently lose the ability to speak. It is as if my body, in that moment, completely takes over and reacts quite forcefully to my attempt to swallow back-down my truth. When I try to cover up my heartache, real desires and dreams or when I try to pretend.

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I’m not as powerful as I actually am, my throat closes up and prevents me from getting out my lies. Interestingly, this also happens when I do try to speak my truth. When I finally feel brave enough to unearth my power and wisdom, my words can get stuck in my throat. I cough and I have to take a moment to really assess if I want to reveal this part of myself. In that moment, crucially, it is also vital that I feel deep compassion for myself and my itchy, contracting throat, which has protected me so completely since I was a little girl. Keeping my hidden treasures safely buried inside in order to prevent further humiliation, criticism and ridicule.

tive” just isn’t possible any longer. Your body begs you to spend some quality time with it and heal what has been so long ignored.

Here are a few other familiar examples of bodyhonesty: • Your boss asks you to take on another new project, you nod and say yes but your body remains slumped, lacking in energy due to your already substantial workload, and your eyes don’t glisten with the excitement of a new challenge.

Making friends with our body is one of the most important relationships we will ever cultivate in life. And, if like so many of us, you have spent years or even decades ignoring or punishing your body, maybe now is the time to start loving it as much as your children, partner, horse or dog. Maybe now is the time to welcome yourself back home inside your forever present and most loyal companion in life; “the soft animal of your body”1. Once you begin to do this, you’ll be amazed at the difference in the people and animals in your life, because as you are more present in your body and therefore in touch with your truth, they can be more at ease in theirs too.

• Your child asks if you are okay, sensing you are unhappy. Yet you smile and say: “Yes I’m fine, nothing for you to worry about”, as your shoulders droop and you look away from their eyes to conceal your true feelings (sadness, grief, worry, anger, etc.). • In my work with horses, I frequently see this type of scenario: A client enters the enclosure to explore their leadership style with a horse, they try with all their might to move the horse through their intention and energy, but at the same time a voice in their head is telling them that they can’t do it. As result of some unacknowledged feeling or sensation in their body, their muscles remain tense, their facial expression is hard, their energy feels harsh and inevitably the horse refuses to move, sensing the client’s misalignment between mind and body. • You commit to a social engagement even though you didn’t really like the sound of it and that morning you woke with a clear “no” when you thought about going ahead with it, on arriving you start to feel unwell, this increases to the point that you end up sitting out the entire evening and wishing you’d stayed at home. • When reaching a turning point in your deep growth, faced with a new uncertain future, maybe following the end of career, redundancy or retirement, you develop an illness, or an immobility stopping you dead in your tracks, forcing you to finally go within now that “being produc-

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These are just a handful of ways in which our body pulls on the handbrake and forces us to slow down or stop, to maybe rest, reassess, do some further inner-work or change direction completely. With no other choice open to it, your body releases, in anyway it can, through the onset of a sudden skin disorder, immobility, chest infection or depression, you are prevented from carrying on as before; even if just temporarily.

References: The phrase “the soft animal of your body” is lovingly taken from Mary Oliver’s poem, Wild Geese.

e Angela Dunning is the author of The Horse Leads the Way: Honoring the True Role of the Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice. You can learn more about Angela; her work helping people and horses reclaim their wildness, and read more of her articles at: www. thehorsestruth.co.uk You can also connect with Angela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehorsestruth or www.thehorsestruth.co.uk

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Soulmates The Myth

By Mystic Pete and Eileen Rosenbloom

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“Seeking Twin Flame. Separated at birth. Must find other half.” This ad represents the unfulfilled yearning of many. If only we’d find that elusive soulmate, everything would be great, and even if it’s not, two can tackle life’s challenges much better than one. Then we meet that special person and we’re walking so far off the ground, Earth and its pesky problems become considerably dimmed. Until that moment when our feet touch ground with a loud thud. Oddly enough, that wondrous person who was our dream come true has magically turned into the devil incarnate. While you’ve never subscribed to devilish myths, after dating the red-suited monster, you’re now a believer. Speaking of myths, here’s another: we all have a soulmate roaming the Earth and if ever the two shall meet, eternal happiness shall flower. No doubt, I’ve described the experience for some. As for the rest whose partners fall short of the 57 must-haves on your soulmate list, you rue the day you mistook this person to be The One. How could they be right when they’re such a hassle? We’re in it for the love and the high that comes from erotic communion. What’s this conflict? You didn’t sign up for that. Our purpose for incarnating wasn’t to find happiness. Although we may find moments or even a lifetime of happiness, the aim for coming here was to enlist in this planet’s boot camp. Similarly, our romantic partner may bring us perpetual happiness, but the primary goal of any relationship is to further our soul’s goals. If we were looking for a planet in which to find happiness, there are other worlds that are far more fun. Earth is for getting down to the business of an evolving soul. One test of a relationship is whether it facilitates personal growth. While in the throes of conflict and struggle, however, your partner’s disgusting habits or incessant talking has a curious way of blurring vision. It’s usually in retrospect that we realize the educational value of being coupled with that beautiful hellion. Sometimes we don’t learn a thing so the universe blesses us with the gift of repeating the entire semester in a similar relationship. No wonder you keep meeting the same person, just wearing a different body. Chemistry is a wonderfully annoying tool that dupes us into relationships. As we engage in the relationship, we experience growing pains. At that point, we may pull back

and say, “No! I won’t grow up!” Your choice. Just don’t bother with regret. It’s a time waster. If you look back and see growth, regard the relationship as the mistake that wasn’t. Of course, a relationship should provide a safe haven for mutual support, love, and comfort, but even in the best of relationships, your partner will not be the model of perfection you imagined. Finding a twin flame on this Earth will probably never happen. If that’s what we needed, we would’ve stayed on the Other Side. That perfect match wouldn’t be perfect on Earth anyhow. Life would be a perpetual recess without any classroom benefit. If you still insist on finding the perfect person for you, here’s a definition to write down and manifest: “Seeking the one who helps to further my goals as a soul and for whom I will do the same.”

Mystic Pete is a radio host, cellist, music and video producer, and author. He hosts "In a Dream with Mystic Pete" on KXLU, a radio show in Southern California featuring the DJ community. A spiritual teacher and father of two, he has taught and organized events internationally connecting spirituality and the arts (music, dance, storytelling, and writing). His meditation CD, "Deep Self," and his book "Mystic Pete Chronicles Book 1: Sex and Mysticism" is available online and at www.MysticPete.com

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THE PORTRAIT PAINTER GOES WHERE FEW OUTSIDERS CAN

A Portrait of Fern and Sugarplum By Juan Bastos Photos by Tom Parry

I’ve met people passionate about having a portrait with their dog or cat, but never with a rabbit - until I was introduced to Fern. A few years ago my friend, Richard Harrison, the star of dozens of Italian films, mentioned that he had a friend from San Francisco who was interested in talking to me. He had shown her the portrait I had done of him, and that she was eager to follow up. Our first conversation probably lasted an hour, touching on a range of topics, but mostly about her passion for rabbits, especially the 11 she had owned over the years. Fern is a delightful and charming heiress for whom portraiture is a family tradition. Originally from Cincinnati, by way of Arizona and then New Mexico, where she grew up on a family ranch surrounded by animals, Fern’s love for her rabbits began at an early age. We struck up a friendship on the phone, and some months later met in Palm Springs. A gathering of old and new friends were part of her dinner party, and the talk of a portrait became more serious. She confided in me that for many years she had interviewed portrait artists who didn’t have the right sensibility to portray her in a painting with her rabbit. 42 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

with Juan Bastos

Fern is a delightful and charming heiress for whom portraiture is a family tradition. Originally from Cincinnati, by way of Arizona and then New Mexico, where she grew up on a family ranch surrounded by animals, Fern’s love for her rabbits began at an early age. We struck up a friendship on the phone, and some months later met in Palm Springs. A gathering of old and new friends were part of her dinner party, and the talk of a portrait became more serious. She confided in me that for many years she had interviewed portrait artists who didn’t have the right sensibility to portray her in a painting with her rabbit.

ized. Fern’s wish is that eventually I will paint all the rabbits she’s had. Fern is now happy to have two of her old rabbits back, adorning her walls, but Sugarplum has no choice but to share the spotlight.

Once Fern was convinced that I could do her and her rabbit justice, it took several months for me to start the portrait commission and to finally meet Sugarplum. As I often do, I took photos to help myself with the composition, and the orchestration of the selection of the clothing was carefully arranged to make sure Sugarplum was as important as Fern in the painting. Fern’s mother was an artist, and Fern had inherited several of her beautifully framed graphite drawings of the famous Taos pueblo. I decided to include one of those drawings in the background of the portrait. Since I wanted her to wear black in order for Sugarplum to stand out, she chose one of her exquisite Afghan shawls, and for a touch of color, a beautiful ruby necklace inherited from a cousin. In the end, she was so excited with the portrait that she commissioned a portrait of Petunia, a black rabbit that had passed on seven years before. Fortunately, she had a photo taken with a flash, so I could see the beautiful shinny coat, but I had to reinterpret what was just a snapshot, into a delicate composition. The paintings were unveiled in Palm Springs with most of the friends who were there the year before. Bette Belle came next, a bunny whose passion for bananas was immortal-

Juan Bastos is widely known for his several hundred portrait commissions over the past three decades in the U.S., South America, and Europe. He has also been featured in a number of one-man and group shows, the most recent being his November 2017 retrospective of 40 California portraits at Denenberg Fine Arts in West Hollywood. Mr. Bastos lives in Los Angeles and a selection of his work can be viewed at www.juanbastos.com.

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with Roxana Jones

HEALTHURWORDS

The best way to get rid of guilt By Roxana Jones A few weeks ago, I decided I was ready to work on releasing some energies of guilt I had been carrying since childhood, or even longer. It has been so liberating to finally come to this place where I can identify how wonderful it feels to live free of guilt. Dealing with guilt until it is completely released is a powerful exercise that I do recommend to everyone who is looking for a happier, more successful life. Sometimes, we don’t even know we have so much guilt inside. It hides so well behind every cell and every breath of who we are... This last line is so important to realize. You see, I thought I had cleared all of my guilt many years ago when I spent almost a decade working on my forgiveness and healing. The truth is that there was still more that needed to come out. Why is it so important to get rid of these energies of guilt? Because you will continue to stay blocked and the life you wish to experience will be right in front of you and you simply won’t be able to align to it. It is incredible to see how we can store so much ‘garbage’ inside of us. So many false beliefs that we have believed for so long! Where did they come from? It truly doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we are all capable of liberating ourselves from it in an instant, as long as we are ready and willing to forgive ourselves for accepting negativity as part of who we are, and for practicing one of the many ways in which this negativity has been manifesting on this planet from time immemorial through the cognitive and emotional experience of guilt.

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So how do we liberate ourselves from guilt? It sounds so easy that at first your ego-mind will tell you that something so easy cannot be as effective as I am stating. Tell your ego you are the one to decide what works or doesn't work for you and please continue to read ;) A simple and fast way to get rid of guilt 1. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed and get comfortable. 2. Close your eyes, put a smile in your face and take a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling as relaxed as you can. 3. Imagine you are surrounded by the most beautiful Light. Use that Light to connect with God, Spirit, or any other name you have for your Source. 4. Ask your Source to help you remember any events you might feel guilty about. Remember as much as you can the persons involved, the emotions you had back then, the emotions you are experiencing right now, etc. 5. Put your hands in your heart as you begin feeling you are ready to forgive it all. Feel the Love that is emanating from your heart. Your Source dwells in your heart. It forgives everything and absolves you from any and all perceived wrongdoing. Think of your Source as an Infinite Well that washes through you all that needs to go away. It is there for whenever you need it and it activates any time you put your hands in your heart. 6. Finally, confess out loud to your Self and your Source all that is causing any feelings of guilt. It can be one or more events, one or more people involved. Feel free to speak (verbally expressing it is crucial for the exercise to work) everything that comes to mind. And when you feel you have finished, hug yourself and say: “I now release and let go of all of these negative energies that no longer serve me.” Open your eyes and to finish simply say: “And so it is.”

2. As a negative habit, guilt can only be healed once we accept its devastating consequences in our life and we are ready to let it go, regardless the cost. 3. Guilt is connected to unforgiveness, blame, and shame. All these are negative energies we have learned since childhood from society, family and friends. Unconsciously, we can be practicing them on a daily basis so we must become conscious of them if we want to release them for good. 4. Once we understand guilt is only a belief and that we have the free will to let it go whenever we are ready to do so, our reality begins taking a new shape. The result of being guilt-free is having the peace of mind that we deserve. Of course, all this is just a brief summary of everything I could write about my experiences while becoming free of guilt. I will keep it short as your time is precious and I truly appreciate you reading my words. Feel free to comment, or share any insights you might have. I’m sure you know a bit or a lot about guilt and it’s together that we’re creating the new world. If you need more privacy and you feel I can help you on your personal path feel free to send me a note to roxana@roxanajones.com Until next time!

, Roxana Jones and Arnaud Saint-Paul are successful copreneurs and philanthropists who have been working together since 2009. Through their different online ventures,

This exercise is very powerful and it will only take a few minutes of your time. You can repeat it daily until you are Roxana and Arnaud empower fully relieved and feel all the guilt is cleared. individuals and businesses through the common goal of promoting the growth and expansion of positivity around Here are the lessons learned from this process: the world. Up to now, Roxana and Arnaud have inspired 1. Feeling guilty has become a negative habit for many of 40M people on social media and their HealThruWords® us. It can be triggered automatically by an event or indi- online community counts with 200,000+ members. vidual, without us recognizing that we have been suffering Please visit healthruwords.com from repressed guilt since…ages!

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Be Mindful, Be Heartful, Be Empowered

Roxana Jones Arnaud Saint-Paul

By Maresha Ducharme

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Art by Maryam Morrison

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I, the fiery life of divine essence, am a flame beyond the beauty of the meadows, I gleam in waters, and I burn in the sun, moon, and stars. ~Hildegard of Bingen

God is a choice. In order to know God, you have to choose God. Many make a decision to join a church or sign up for some training in the hope to find God there. If you look outside of yourself, even if you find solace in community or excitement in the adventure of spiritual exploration, without going deeply enough within yourself, you will not know God. The heartfelt light and love that is your birthright, however, keeps urging you forward to find your way. To succeed, you must bring the fire of will into your daily practice. Wanting to succeed without knowing how to succeed, gets you nowhere. There are always steps to take in order to be successful. If you choose God, God will automatically choose you, because God knows you are able to be contacted and used. If a young child is inspired to become a gold medal athlete and grows up and does indeed win a gold medal, he or she has been successful because a choice was made. At some point, the child felt the inspiration and then did whatever it took to bring about the fulfillment of the dream. My point is that when you choose God, God contacts you through inspiration. Whatever speaks to you, whatever inspires you, whenever you say, Oh, that is great, I love that, I have this great idea, that is God speaking to you and inspiring you. God wants for you, what you want for yourself. The deepest yearnings in your heart are seeded there by God. When you are in touch with these inspirations you become united with the fire that dwells within you. Receiving the inspiration is half of the equation. The other half is what you choose to do with the inspiration. You have to act on the inspiration that was given to you. Acting on the inspiration is an active principle, not a passive one. You might be inspired to follow a spiritual practice, but without the will to practice, which is fire, your practice will go nowhere. Many spiritual traditions have a flame on the altar that never goes out. That perpetually lit candle is the signal to God that you are here, ready and can be contacted. Then, the doors

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are open, and the inspiration floods in, no matter what it is. It can be something very simple. I need to paint my bedroom a different color. Painting your bedroom takes fire, right? You have to go out, get the paint, and move everything out of your bedroom, as well as put in the effort to paint and finish the job. You use spiritual will, or fire, to pull it through because you feel the pull and the inspiration to make the change. In essence, you have to say “yes” to the inspirations that come to you in life. Saying “yes” to life allows you to be contacted and inspired to live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. Once you choose God, because you have said “yes”, your journey to God begins. The journey is metaphorical because you are both the beginning and the end of the journey. There are different ways to make the journey. Sometimes you have a beautiful altar that you visit daily. When you go there, you call forth your guides, and understand that you are having spirit time, or time together with God. You open up your heart, give thanks and make prayers. And, there is always fire on the altar. It is the light. All the various spiritual traditions have different practices and ways of building the inner fire. You have to build it, just like you would build a fire outside. You create a container consisting of a circle of rocks where you will build the fire. You must gather the right elements for the fire. You need wood that is light and dry so it will burn quickly. You need some paper and smaller dry sticks and twigs that quickly ignite the larger pieces so you will have a good, strong fire. It is the same process to build your inner fire. First, you have to begin to consciously breathe. The breath is the light, the light is the fire. When you are sitting and meditating, the breath is the beginning stage of gathering the simple, raw material to start the fire. As you continue to sit, the fire grows bigger, and you journey deeper within. You enter tapas. Tapas is the inner, alchemical transformation that takes place when you use witness consciousness. You may have thoughts in your head; you may be analyzing, making judgments, or drawing conclusions. All of these are like sticks that you add to the fire. Emotionally you might be distraught about what is happening in the world, or having a reaction to a friend or co-worker. These too become sticks for the fire.

From the higher and deeper planes of witness consciousness, you see whatever is arising within you, all the thoughts and the feelings. Even though you are sitting, the conscious breath becomes the active principle. Focus on the breathe. You are not talking about a problem, you are not acting out your frustration, you are just sitting and breathing. The breath is now the spark that lights the fire to burn up the sticks. You are not suppressing anything and you are not trying to deny anything you feel. You are building an inner fire, and if your breath is strong and you build the fire well, it will generate the heat of transformation within you. Stay soft and open, neutral to the sensation. Do not judge anything. Now, the fire is burning. How long does it take? However long it takes. If there is nothing actively bothering you, continue to breathe and stay focused on the breath. If something is actively churning within you, continue to breathe and stay focused on the breath. It is the same action. Be in the witness consciousness. Witness consciousness is your inner furnace , your ring of stones that contains the fire, as you actively breath into what is. It is, it arises, and it dissolves. Build a strong fire every day. In the morning, breathe in the golden light of the rising sun as your fire. Breathe it into your throat, your heart, and your solar plexus. Do the same thing at noon with the noon day sun. At the end of the day, when the sun sets, breathe in the golden light of the setting sun into your throat, heart and solar plexus once again. So, God is a choice, and you have to open to God to meet God. Give God a signal that you are open, want to be contacted, and then through inspiration, through a sense of knowingness, and sometimes through dreaming or actually hearing, you enter into a deeper relationship. The quality of your fire is held within the seed of your choice, and the quality of your fire to know God is everything. If you know God is there, but you do not make any effort, then your relationship with God will be whatever you bring into it. It might be damp, or disjointed, or it may not be as palpable as you would like. Maybe you have a rational response to your inspiration, and you think, “Well, right now I can’t really do that . . . maybe later.” Or perhaps emotionally you feel resistance for some reason—“I’m not smart enough or spiritual enough.” These reactions and responses are like pouring water on the fire.

Remember the metaphor of the effort it takes to build an outside fire. Remember to ignite your inner fire and get it burning really well so you build up a strong bank of embers. The embers are the key to the continuum of a steadily burning fire. As you reflect upon the steps you are taking in life, think of it as a beauty road. It is not an effort; it is beauty, and you are choosing God. How beautiful is that? And by the golden light of the sun, moon and stars, as one, and it is done. Amen.

A unique combination of mystic, author, spiritual teacher and modern day messenger, Maresha Donna Ducharme has devoted her life to inspiring people to awaken and has helped people to live in conscious connection to the divine. She is the author of The Way Home To Love: A Guide To Peace In Turbulent Times, and publishes monthly discourses from “Dragon’s Fire” on spiritual living. Her writings, which explore the sacred mysteries and esoteric principles of spiritual living, off pathways and practices that provide the tools to deal with subjects such as fear, suffering, unity consciousness and the practice of meditation. As a dedicated practitioner of unity consciousness, she has distilled more than three decades of study, training, and depth of practice and experience into her teachings and writings. Visit http://mareshaducharme.com

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WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

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with Alice Wallace

With a style that is rooted in the classic country songstresses such as Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, southern California singer/songwriter Alice Wallace’s impeccable vocals and melodic, literate song-crafting skills bring a fresh touch to authentic Americana music. And this month, Wallace is set to release a brand new single that will add to the conversation currently exploding across the country thanks to movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp and the many women who are coming forward to speak about harassment and assault they’ve experienced. The song – titled Elephants - was written by Dallas songwriter Andrew Delaney, with whom Alice has co-written several songs for her forthcoming album. It highlights the compromises women have to make in order avoid the threat of violence in the workplace, in the home or simply on a night out. “They’ve got names for the ones who talk back and the ones who wear those clothes. They’ve got names for the ones who say yes and the ones who say no, “ sings the refrain. The single will be included on Wallace’s upcoming album, currently set for release in late summer of this year. She already released one single in September 2017 ahead of her performance as an official showcase artist at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, TN. That single, a co-write with Delaney entitled Echo Canyon, adds a modern flair to the all-but-abandoned tradition of the country yodel, and the website Saving Country Music said the song “creates the perfect setting and environment for Alice Wallace to showcase why she’s one of the most unheralded singers in independent country/Americana.” Wallace’s 2015 full-length release Memories, Music & Pride on LA-based California Country Records brought accolades from across the country, as well as recognition such as the LA Music Critic Award for Best Country/ Americana album, and nods in 7 categories on the first-round ballot for the 2016 Grammy Awards. The LA Music Critic Awards also named her Best Country/Americana artist in 2016, and she was named 2017 Female Vocalist of the Year at the first annual California Country Awards this past December. Since taking up music at an early age, Wallace absorbed a variety of influences: parental favorites like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris; ‘80s and ‘90s country performers such as Dwight Yoakam; and singer-songwriters like Jewel, Alanis Morisette and Sarah McLachlan. In recent years, her musical tastes have gravitated toward the modern Americana scene with strong influence from artists like Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams and Jason Isbell, while also exploring more and more the sounds of 50s and 60s country from artists ranging from Patsy Cline to Willie Nelson. She began pursuing music full-time and touring widely in 2013. Since then, she plays close to 200 shows a year across the U.S, and played her first U.K. tour in 2016. She has shared the stage with artists such as Wynonna Judd, Lee Ann Womack, Ray Wylie Hubbard, JD Souther, Albert Lee, Suzy Bogguss, and The Band Perry. For more information on Wallace’s music, and on the release of the new single Elephants, visit www.alicewallacemusic.com.

"I did not write this song, but I wish I had. An exceptional songwriter friend of mine, Andrew Delaney, wrote this song, and it was one of the first ones I ever heard him sing. I had goosebumps immediately and could hardly believe how well he managed to capture the experience of being a woman in a male-dominated world. It has been humbling to watch the onslaught of sexual harassment and assault charges coming to light in the news in recent months, and I am so glad that women are finally feeling empowered to speak up about their experiences. But the underlying cause of all of this - the tendency for certain men to abuse their power over women - still needs to be addressed. I am so proud to sing this song, because it doesn’t just address sexual harassment, it digs into the everyday changes and compromises women make out of the threat of harassment and violence at the hands of men. We’re taught that 'boys will be boys,' and that it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from that supposedly innate behavior. And that philosophy is completely backward. I hope this song will contribute to the dialogue that is finally exploding in this country after so many years of silence. It’s time to address those elephants."

LOOKING GOOD & FEELING GREAT

with Margaret Tomaszewicz

The importance of a correct At-Home regiments for young adults By Margaret Tomaszewicz

As a skin care therapist I treat a wide range of clients, but nothing gives me more pleasure than when a young person in their 20s or early 30s comes to me for their very first facial! They come to me a little shy and unsure, but hopeful that I can help them with their skin problems. Starting a first job or going to college is challenging. Young people like to look their best and not be judged on their looks. Most problems at this age are acne and clogged up pores but also this is a perfect opportunity to begin a regime, which will help to prevent premature aging. Healthy habits that begin in the 20s can make a big difference in the health and appearance of onesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skin later on in life. It is much easier to preserve the youth than trying to regain it. So this is the perfect time to get serious about onesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skin care routine.

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Cleansing After a long day it is tempting to go to sleep with out washing off makeup, but I guarantee you that is the worst thing to do! The oil, grime and pollution must be thoroughly cleansed from onesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; face before going to bed because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the time when the skin repairs itself. And bacteria left on the skin overnight creates clogged up pores along with acne. Foaming cleaners are the best for young people. They remove makeup, surface dirt and oils. For women I always recommend double cleansing, first to wash of make up, second for deeper cleansing. Exfoliation The skin is constantly creating new cells, so exfoliation helps in sloughing off dead skin to reveal healthy new layers of fresh skin and also keep the pores clean. Manual scrubs are the easiest and most popular form of exfoliation. Some treatments contain small grains from nuts or charcoal while others may contain glycolic and lactic acids. Synthetic grains are forbidden now in USA due to danger to marine life. For very sensitive skin, natural enzyme exfoliators are also available. I recommend exfoliation no more than two to three times a week. Too much exfoliating may cause redness and irritation

the aging effect of the sun is important to start at a young age. Sun damage and more importantly skin cancer can show up years later. A non-chemical, zinc based broad spectrum sunscreen is best to use, since chemical sunscreens will cause skin irritations and breakouts. Zinc sunscreens are now sold in a micronized form which does not leave your skin white. Some have color tints that can be used instead of make-up. I recommend starting your day by applying some zinc sunscreen in the morning and reapplying it after lunch. Masks In between professional facials, clay or charcoal masks will help in keeping complexion looking smoother and more glowing. Choose a mask that is natural and does not contain harsh chemicals and they can be used once or twice a week. Starting a proper at-home skin care routine that is combined with a healthy diet will improve how young people look and feel about themselves. And that can contribute to happier lives! As always please choose skin care that is natural, organic and cruelty free. To your health!

Treating breakouts. Acne breakouts can appear on the face, back, neck on shoulders. This condition can be painful and cause emotional distress. If not treated properly, it can lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation. Extraction needs to be done solely by a professional esthetician but topical serums can help in controlling this problem. Some serums contain Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid and Sulfur. The most effective ones are ones that contain soothing organic ingredients to prevent over-drying.

Margaret Tomaszewicz is a licensed esthetician with over 25 years of experience.

Hydration Young people, especially the one with breakouts, are often reluctant to use moisturizers. This is a huge mistake. Dry flaky skin clogs up the pores. Hydrated skin not only looks great but it is crucial for the health of the skin. The key is to choose a correct product that is oil-free and contains hyaluronic acids. Hyaluronic acids do not cause breakouts and aids in reducing fine lines.

Her products are available on wodaskincare.com and on Amazon.com

Using Sunscreen Skin care damage is cumulative so protecting yourself from 56 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2018

She is the owner of European Skin and Massage Studio in Santa Monica, California and has developed the Organic WODA European Natural Skin Care Line.

For every product sold WODA Skin Care plants a tree. Margaret can be reached at 424-279-9771 or europeanskinandmassagestudio@gmail.com wodaskincare.com

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The Calm Buddha at Bedtime Tales of Wisdom, Compassion and Mindfulness to Read with Your Child A charming, fun and beautifully illustrated collection of 18 bedtime stories; the much sought-after follow-up to the hugely popular Buddha at Bedtime and Buddhaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Apprentice at Bedtime, which have sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Growing up in the modern world, our children have to cope with an ever-increasing amount of stress, which can feel worrying to both them and us. The ancient wisdom of Buddhism, with its emphasis on peace, mindfulness and compassion, is the ideal basis for helping any child face these challenges with inner confidence and calm. Building on the age-old art of storytelling, this beautiful book retells 18 ancient Buddhist tales in a way that is thoroughly fun and accessible to children. It features original, full page illustrations, alongside the stories which will transport children into the imaginary worlds of enlightenment and discovery. Here, they will meet all sorts of delightful characters and discover easy-to-understand Buddhist messages that will empower them to think about how they can apply the important values to their lives, such as patience, honesty, authenticity and generosity. The book is designed to be either read aloud by parents to

their 4-8 year olds, or to be read on their own by the older age range. The compelling narratives help to focus and calm the mind, providing a soothing transition into sleep. And the selection of gentle mindfulness meditations at the end provides an extra practical dimension that can be used at any time to help enhance a sense of calm and contentment. Dharmachari Nagaraja has been a practising Buddhist for over 20 years. Formerly, he was the head of the Covent Garden Meditation Centre in London, and a regular presenter on BBC Radio 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pause for Thought with Terry Wogan. He now lives in Glasgow where he works as Psychosynthesis Psychotherapist and teaches Counselling at the University of Glasgow. His passion for both Buddhism and storytelling lives on in his third book for the popular At Bedtime series, all of which benefit from his appealing combination of warmth, wisdom, wit and playfulness

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An interview with Dharmachari Nagaraja

1. Please tell us about your new book “The Calm Buddha at Bedtime”. The Calm Buddha at Bedtime is the Third in the Buddha at Bedtime series of books. Building on the age old art of storytelling, my publisher and I have created in my mind a beautiful book retelling 18 ancient Buddhist tales in a warm, imaginative, fun and accessible way. Each story is illustrated with rich colourful artwork, transporting the reader into a world of discovery and enlightenment. Each new tale introduces a wide range of intriguing characters and situations, which they will find easy to understand messages that gently encourage them to think for themselves about how they can apply positive values such as patience, honesty, love and generosity to situations they find themselves in their own lives. I feel strongly that children benefit from learning to think for themselves, and also to be emotionally intelligent if they are going to successfully navigate their way though the ups and downs of daily life. One of the things that has disabled me throughout my life has been that I was taught what to think rather than how to think. This was also true for my emotions, I was taught what I should feel rather than learn to manage what I actually felt. From the start of the series, the intention was always that the books could be either read aloud by parents or enjoyed by children on their own. I wanted this series of books to be vehicles to transport children and adults easily into sharing their thoughts and feelings and encourage discussion, reflection and insight. The tales are sandwiched between an Introductory section which explains why Buddhist ancient principles and practices are still relevant in modern times and at the back of the book there are a selection of guided meditational practices, that are easy to use, to help develop a more mindful approach to living. 2. What inspired you to write this book? For over a decade into the 2000s, I was a guest presenter on “Pause for thought” on BBC Radio 2, a show then hosted by Sir Terry Wogan who is now sadly deceased. Pause For Thought featured different contributors from a variety of faiths and each week I had 90 seconds to deliver a topical soundbite providing a guide to listeners in how to find happiness and achieve psychological wellness, despite all the challenges we all face. The emphasis is on pausing on stopping listeners in their tracks and offering new ways of perceiving and connecting with each other to inspire

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or inform and in my case I had to do this with a specifically Buddhist flavour. Sometimes world events or my own day- to-day experiences were my inspiration, but I often told tales from the Buddhist tradition, they proved to be popular with listeners and managed to fit my 90 seconds broadcasting brief in an engaging, informative and entertaining way. I think their popularity lay in that they were accessible to all, their ancient wisdom and insight spoke clearly to modern listeners, addressing universal truths and dilemmas, transcending time and context. Basically everyone loves a good story, whatever their age or belief system. I wanted to inspire listeners. I was approached by Duncan Baird Publishing around 10 years ago to write a book for them and they gave me an open brief. Not being a writer by profession I felt daunted and excited at the invitation. I had by that time quite a collection of Buddhist tales I had developed as scripts for Radio 2 Pause for Thought and the idea of presenting them in a book seemed like a natural next step. Although my audience until that date had been primarily adults radio listeners, I felt strongly that their teachings and ideas would be more useful to the enquiring and curious minds of children. Although there is a plentiful supply of literature about Buddhism for adults, there is very little for children. 3. What is the message in this book? As stated earlier, I feel strongly that our Western Culture is slanted towards telling children and adults what to think, what to feel, even at times going as far as deterring us to think for ourselves, not to question, do as we are told. From my earliest contact with the teachings of the Buddha, I met a different attitude, one where I was challenged to think for myself, to question, to test things out. The Buddha was clear even about his own teachings, he instructed people to try them out for themselves, not to blindly follow him, he was not the answer. At times this is a much more challenging and frightening path because as one steps out into the unknown, one has to make up one's own mind. The other message in this book is the importance of emotional intelligence, again as a child I was taught what to feel, some feelings were good and permissible, some feelings were bad. Good girls don't get angry, little men don't cry, but actually, feelings just arise on the basis of conditions and context. It is not our feelings/emotions that cause us problems but how we interact with and relate to them in ourselves and others.

I have always been bemused by the Western myth of the heroic man, the macho man.... growing up in the West Coast of Scotland, the men I saw were not heroic, they were cut off, frightened of their emotions. Surely a true hero isn’t frightened of anything, not even his own or others tears, or frightened of being afraid, I found this all very confusing growing up. So a couple of messages I want to pass on through this book are: 1. Actions have consequences 2. Know and cherish thyself, you will then naturally cherish others. 4. Tell us about yourself and your journey in life? I was born in 1961 to Protestant parents and then as a baby adopted into a Catholic family. Possibly because I was adopted I never really fitted in any where, never felt I belonged, I was a lonely child. At the age of 12 I read “ How to win friends and influence people” I used that knowledge to get a raise in my pocket money, and it taught me some social skills to navigate relationships. Not being a very happy child led me to read lots of self development and simple therapy books looking for understanding or answers to this weird experience called life. As a teenager I met a guy who could draw, and through that I decided to go to Glasgow Art School, I imagined I would be an artist but Arts school no longer teach how to draw or paint they want you to express yourself, and as an angst driven and immature 17 year old, I didn’t have very much to express. Leaving Art School disillusioned, I then went off to study Theatre Design in London, drawn by the reputation of the Course director Margaret Harris, this was a much more enlightening experience. By this point, I had met Buddhism and for a couple of years pursued Theatre Design and Buddhism, after assisting on a production at Buckingham Palace, I decided to take a year out of theatre design and see how serious I was about Buddhism, this was about 1988, I never went back to theatre design, but after a couple years was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order. There I was given the name Nagaraja, Dragon King or he who is Lord of the Depths. I worked, lived and taught in various Buddhist contexts within the order until returning home to Glasgow in 2007 and then resigning from the order about 2012. I left the order as leaving a marriage or relationship where one feels one has just grown apart, or just fallen away. I had trained to be a therapist in 2001 and this is where more of my energy and interests now lies. I still consider myself to be a Buddhist but not affiliated to a group. My therapy and Buddhist practice feel like the same thing, practicing

mindfulness and metta, becoming aware and present to what is happening in the moment in ones Body, feelings and thoughts ( mindfulness ) and meeting this with compassion (metta). I am now 56, live in Glasgow with my dog Archie, who managed to get himself into the pages of the latest Buddha at Bedtime Book, and work in private practice as a Psychotherapist and teach at the University of Glasgow 5. Was it difficult to write this book? I hesitate to say this was difficult to write because it is a dream job. But I am not a writer by training or profession, and with my other work it was a challenge to get space and time to get my head into a creative space. The world of Publishing works to very tight deadlines, I would carve out days or weekends to get down to it, and some days I would sit for hours completely blank - I don't know what's worse, being bombarded with too many ideas feast or famine. However there were wonderful moments when it just starts to work and I fall into my imagination and sentences and paragraphs, all join up and one is momentarily transported into a creative space. One of the challenges with this Third book, was that I was beginning to run out of source material, all the books use tales drawn from a compilation of work called the Jataka Tales, but in the previous books I had already cherry picked the most obvious ones for translating in language and style for children. A lot of the original tales are actually pretty gruesome, lots of killing and slaying and people dying. Not that death should be hidden from children 6. Why do you feel this book could be inspirational and educational for children? I hope this book is inspirational. The messages and ideas put forward, I believe are relevant to children's actual lives and experiences and the stages of development they go through. The idea is to respect children's experiences and give them life skills, to learn about self reliance, to enable rather than disable them and give them principles that can be applied in all contexts. It encourages them to listen, think and feel for themselves, and hopefully they do this in dialogue with their parents or adults in their lives, developing intimacy, openness and trust. For adults I hope that it gives them a frame work / device around which they can relate to more openness and honesty in a nurturing and confident way with their children. Children and adults spending time together, discussing and exploring compassion and wisdom and what life is all about can be very exciting.

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A New Year and a new YOU! By Liza Boubari, CCHt

Have you started each year with making resolutions only to fall short within the first few weeks? The trick is to improve how quickly you can stop past patterns and be more present in the now. A simple mindsetreset for making lasting changes can come from embracing who you are and setting intentions to what you want to create in life. Setting intentions or making decisions is simply a part of life. There are small daily ones with small consequences. There is also the life-altering, enormous kind that can cause us a great amount of stress, anxiety, and indecision. Since making decisions is unavoidable, we need to know how to approach this process — especially if we find ourselves becoming stuck. We all need to do something we love, something that brings inner calm and nurtures our soul, something that allows us to embrace our bliss. It is said we need to start from where we are now – not yesterday. I now realize how much I enjoy the word "embrace". It is a word you can never use in a negative way. Embrace one another. Embrace your family and friends. Embrace the struggle. Embrace the disappointments. Embrace your femininity. Embracing is something we need to do every day, and I don’t mean it for the sake of optimism. Embrace the times you feel upset. Don’t ever feel the need of flipping the mood around to appease another person, rather, accept it as part of your journey. Embrace who you are, Embrace where you are and Embrace how you are. All it takes is the courage to embrace and stand up for what is in your heart instead of letting life dictate to you. There will always be stuff that you may have trouble letting go. But you must remember: letting go does not mean that your past life is irrelevant. Letting go means that you can

acquire new belief system and you are more than ready to conquer whatever may lay in your path. This in itself is embracing all of you and welcoming what is to come. I have compiled a list of “how to love yourself ” for all who are facing some difficulty in knowing how to embrace themselves. Knowing you need to love, accept and appreciate yourself prior to developing any meaningful relationship with others. Embracing yourself may seem a harder task! Through the years of working with my clients, I have learned that selfesteem and self-love are issues that are often related. If you suffer from low self-esteem, it is possible the root cause is a case of inadequate self-love. Loving yourself may feel unnatural for starters because your mind has been ingrained with self-sabotaging thoughts for a long time or you have been told being focusing on yourself is a bad thing. However, nothing is going to change if you do not make a conscious decision. That includes embracing all of you – the good and bad; the beauty and the not so attractive; the up and down; the smart and not so worldly; the rich and the one not attracting abundance. When you don’t love yourself, you are basically telling the Universe that you are unworthy or undeserving of any love or positive outcomes which have the same vibrational match as love. Learning to love yourself starts with making a conscious decision, an intention to embrace, become happy which will lead a fulfilled life. Embrace who you are and everything else falls into line. Making a decision to love yourself in fact it is saying that you want to come alive. You accept that you are responsible for the outcomes in your life and by embracing what is to come, live a healthier and fulfilling life

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Here are five ways you can embrace yourself more: 1. Fall in love with yourself. Think about what makes "You." Just as flowers need waThink about what makes "You." Just as flowers need watering to grow, learn to nurture yourself in every way. Love yourself by accepting your flaws and the fact that you are imperfect. This does not mean that you do not learn to change from your shortcomings; instead, you are being gentle and kind to yourself despite all your flaws. Look in the mirror and smile with the reflection that is looking at You. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” ~Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900) 2. Eliminate Self Criticism. Do you often berate yourself for over the tiniest things? Is there a little voice inside your head that often says you are no good because you are stupid or make mistakes? If you find that you often judge yourself, make an effort to stop the self-criticism. “I CAN is 100 times more important than IQ.” ~unknown 3. Be Kinder and more Positive. When you start to think kindly and positively about yourself, the love you have for yourself grows. Make it a habit to praise yourself and others close to you. Because of such thoughts, you naturally undertake empowering actions that support your development. 4. Acknowledge Your Effort. It is not always about winning or coming up tops in everything that you do. Many times, it is the experience and the effort that counts! Acknowledge that you have done your best, even if you have failed to produce tangible results. 5. Let Go Of Worry. Downgrade your worries to concerns. Worry is negative and creates negative energy, while you can do something about concerns. Loving yourself requires you to let go of your worry. Worry cannot, on its own, make things happen. Only wise actions can! So instead of worrying, spend time thinking about what you can do to help in the situation. If the situation is beyond your control, ask for help. Start with "I'm concerned about this..."

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Guided imagery and hypnosis are powerful tools for making success a mental, and eventually literal, reality. Liza has over 18 years of experience as a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Stress Management Consultant. Check out several of Liza’s audio recordings and books such as “Stomp on Smoking” to help you stop smoking and “Stand Up-to Slim Down” to help you manage weight. You can also email her questions.

g In the last twenty-five years, there has been a growing interest in the connection between the mind and body and its relationship to stress and disease. Liza’s knowledge of the corporate world came from years of experience in law offices as a paralegal and legal assistant. It was her own powerful healing experience through hypnotherapy and guided imagery that led her to these tools. Changing course to teaching and guiding, she chose a path to help others directly. In 1997, she founded InnerSite, now known as HealWithin, Inc., a Healing Center for Mind-Body Therapy. Liza earned her Clinical Hypnotherapy Certification from the Hypnotism Training Institute of Glendale in 1996. She’s also a Certified Stress Management Counselor (CSMC), Certified Action Coach (CAC), Certified Domestic Abuse Consultant (CDAC), and a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT). She sits on the Executive Board of American Council of Hypnotherapists Examiners (ACHE. In 2013 Liza founded and was lead organizer for the HealWithin-The 3E Women’s Event. This is an event dedicated to empowering and inspiring women. The 3E objectives: to Evoke-what was, Embrace- what is, and Evolve- to what will be -"YOU Matter". HealWithin | 208 S. Louise | Glendale, CA 91205 818. 551.1501 www.healwithin.com

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SOUL COURAGE

with Tara-Jenelle Walsch

Don't let your Heart Rule your Head By Tara-jenelle Walsch

I was all but five years old, yet so disheartened in that moment, I ran out of the house and aimlessly down the street. It was a blustery day—the wind like taffy, wrapping me in slow-motion; caging the hair around my face. My upset was such that I needed to sit down, so I hid in the bushes of a neighbor’s backyard. Warm tears seemingly alive on my face against the chill of the air. “Well, hello there.” said a voice standing over me. “What happened? Are you ok?” asked the man now squatting down. I sniffled, knees to chest, through a jumbled story of explanation. Then he reached over, pulling back strands of hair still glued to my cheeks, and said, “There now, don’t let your heart rule your head.” This memory comes to mind because it was the first time I’d heard that phrase. I hadn’t a clue what it meant, but remember it not feeling good. Needlepoint wisdom like this still being passed down from generation to generation and covertly decorates our tree of life by default. Once, long ago, they were considered words from the wise, but as our species evolves we realize we have the choice to redefine and recreate what resonates with us, and the responsibility to reexamine the message and intention of such statements.

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Surprisingly, most of us were taught to let our sense of reasoning control our emotions. To act from logic, and not from our feelings. This explains why many of us aren’t comfortable interacting from the heart, let alone leading with our heart. We usually move through the days with our mind in the driver’s seat. What needs to be done? Why does it need to be done? When does it need to be done by? Daily emotions usually get filtered through our head before our heart even has the chance to feel and express them. We may have an inkling of sadness about the way someone spoke to us, for instance, but instead of feeling the sadness and sharing that with them, we let our mind talk us out of it, bottle things up and, unconsciously form an impression of the person that they aren’t safe to be around. If we’re not careful, this new illusion of ‘unsafe’ that we created of them could integrate in our mind’s reactionary library and slowly become a go-to default response for anyone who speaks out of turn to us in the future. Ultimately limiting our connectedness with others. Another area in life where our emotions often get filtered through the logic of our mind before having a chance to be felt is around those we care for deeply. We may find ourselves spontaneously wanting to spill our heart open from time to time, only to be hushed by the mind. Thoughts of embarrassment, desperation or egotistical hierarchy eagerly persuade us to stay quiet. Those are just two examples. We are constantly presented with the choice to connect through our heart or our mind in all of our relationships, whether they are romantic, business, friendship, family or complete strangers—even the relationship we have with ourselves. Yet, no matter the dynamic, we are always unified when we lead with love. It's a common tendency to let our head rule the heart when we don’t trust ourselves. The mind thinks facts and logic will steer us in the right direction, but our heart works with intuition and the soul and knows things much greater than the mind could ever make sense from. For this reason, more often than not, it makes sense to let the soul be our beacon; assigning our heart as the inner lighthouse that guides us with love and harmony. Imagine how memorable this Valentine’s Day would be if we all honored our love and dedication to ourselves and humanity by deliberately taking the reins from our mind and handing them to our heart, forevermore. Fearlessly challenging our mind should it try to chime in and make

things safe and orderly with the illusion of protection. Feeling into our feelings and breathing into the courage to share those feelings openly. We can start with something as simple as a personal declaration to lead with our heart, and by frequently asking ourselves, "How will I love today?" RoadMap to Letting your Heart Rule your Head 1- Notice when your mind tries to filter your emotions with logic. 2- Take a deep breath of Trust and consciously drop into your heart. 3- Allow your intuition to find and open feelings hiding behind logic. 4- Allow your courage to assist you in expressing those feelings. 5- Relish the dance of freedom in your heart.

e Are you in a soul quandary? Feel free to ask Tara-jenelle for courageous insight. Submit your question to https://www.facebook.com/tarajenellewalsch

Tara-jenelle Walsch is a monthly columnist for the Eden Magazine. She is the author of the book, Soul Courage, and the founder and spirit behind the Soulebrate greeting card company. You will also find her speaking publicly about emotional and energetic awareness, and a sacred formula which she believes has the ability to enrich the world at large. Tara-jenelle was raised in Annapolis, Maryland and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Towson University in Baltimore. She currently lives in the beautiful hills of Ashland, Oregon with her pug, Sascha. www.soulcourage.com

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Fear

Life, where Fear Ends and Love Begins

Love

By Jayita Bhattacharjee

Awaken the mystical you within you so the lotus of awareness unfolds at every mystical touch, where fear is released, and love is embraced in every dancing wave of life. As you surf the waves of your choices, your story unfolds at every moment---the past melts away and a new life is birthed where you are the mystical surfer of love, escaping from fear. Each wave of love that you dance with, leaves you wanting more and the thirst never dies, as you dip the brush of your soul in the love that flows from the brook of godliness. As you unlearn and relearn, do and undo, fold and unfold---you gasp in this dancing delight of life…every moment penetrates you…with a light of enchantment and you dissolve into nothingness only to give birth to a soul which bursts in a mystical beauty. Sometimes your deepest fears rally you, at times they invade you, they slip in and attach to you, but release it in the mystical awareness of godliness….

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You are sailing this sea of Life with God…You are the one …who is cradled in his embrace where love is released into you---every moment that fear tries to make its way. You unfold shedding the layers of fear. You blossom in the bosom of this universe, reaching the unreachable places of darkness, meeting and mingling, with the lost and lonely and breathing life back into them. This is the love that recaptures your life again---enfolding you, embracing you in the deepest depths of your heart. Yours is the heart that adventures in the search of its dreams and no search goes in vain, as every search, every quest…is an encounter with God at all the roads and bends of Life. The seed, the spark hidden in you, the divinity that is written in you…you live out the secret of your divine seed to the very end, you spring after weathering the winter, you are home at last escaping from fear and entering into love. This is the moment when you clasp love in a breath of eternity…The rain of fear does erode the seeds of faith…the mix of grief and anger does escape into a faithlessness. But out comes the sunrise in our souls when we endure the pain in the richest discovery of our own selves when we give in to the waves of love. Events of life ebb and flow like the waves of the sea. They swell with faith, love and joy ---relationships swell with passion and intimacy but then comes a time when they must wane through the phases of space and separation. Life is written in chapters of trust and betrayal but to stand at the edge of this sea of life and to view the ebb and flow of tides and be awakened to the rhythm of it---this is the truth that sets us free. Life comes with its seasons of changes--you either enjoy it or endure it, as it comes and goes in joy or grief, but come it must in this fluidity, as this is the unceasing ebb and flow of life, but it never ceases to return to the shore. Mysteries of life unfold in this ebb and flow. We can see life from a place of joy, love and gratitude, no matter how unforgivingly unfeeling life seemed to be. There are moments when sadness comes in epic proportions and it is an overwhelming deluge of grief that we plunge our souls in, but no matter how powerful it is, there is also a peaceful side to this story. That is the rhythm of the waters of a divine brook streaming endlessly from birth till death. The purpose of this flow is to ceaselessly flow not for a reason or a season but for a lifetime. Be soft, be flexible in this flow of love yet subtly powerful, where wildness and serenity meet together, where madness and tranquility dance together, all in the rhythm of heart and soul. You are not a broken piece, you are whole bathed

in a heavenly beauty. But sometimes fear holds you back from remembering this tapestry of a divine beauty that God has woven into you because you fear the transience, the coming and going of the beauty of a love too deep to last. Love is where you find the voice of your own soul, because this is when life begins. How love and fear intertwine in human lives, but love keeps bringing the mystical wisdom and how it helps us endure the great bleakness that life unexpectedly throws at us. You are vulnerable to the transience of happiness and you cling to fear, making it your shell. Human souls---they hunger for love so much, that they feel alive in the presence of this godliness innate in a beauty. This is the homecoming of your soul.

t Jayita Bhattacharjee....born in Calcutta, India and later on pursued education from University of Houston in Economics, she had chosen her career as a trustee and teacher. Her Indian residence is in the vicinity of the famous Belurmath. Currently, she is settled in Tampa, Florida. Her love for writing on a journey of heart and soul was hidden all within. Looking at the moments captured in love and pain, joy and grief, the hidden tragedies of life...it was a calling of her soul to write with the ink that kept flowing from her heart. This is what gave her the fulfillment, the richness in her soul. Her books "The Ecstatic Dance of Life', " Sacred Sanctuary", " Light of Consciousness", "Dewdrops of Compassion" are meant to shed light on what guides a person to respond to the mystical voice hidden inside, to soar in a boundless expansion with the limitless freedom of spirit. "It is in the deepest joy that I write with every breath of mine."

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Nine Tips For Couples to Make Love Last By Linda and Charlie Bloom

1. Pay Attention! More marriages die of neglect than of irreconcilable difference. Relationships require on-going maintenance in order to thrive. If your relationship isn’t thriving, it’s dying; there’s no middle ground. Many people take better care of their cars and trucks than they do their marriages. And although most of us wouldn’t think of driving 50,000 miles without changing the oil in our vehicle, we go months without saying “I love you,” going on a romantic getaway, or simply taking a few hours to be alone together without any competing distractions. Relationships thrive when given adequate attention but they wilt like a dying flower when neglected. 2. Address problems when they come up; don’t wait until later. Waiting until you feel like dealing with problems isn’t a good idea. Problems generally don’t get easier to deal with over time; they get harder. Breakdowns and disappointments are inevitable in all relationships. Acknowledging and addressing difficulties early on rather than waiting for things to get bad can make a world of difference. Pain denied is pain prolonged.

3. Take care of yourself. The best gift that you can give your spouse is your own well-being. The more healthy, happy and fulfilled you are, the more you have to offer your partner. Taking care of yourself involves more than what you eat and how much you exercise, it includes the responsibility to know what nourishes your soul and spirit and seeing to it that you bring those experiences into your own life. 4. Learn to appreciate the differences. In relationships, differences are inevitable; conflict is optional. There’s a reason that opposites attract. It’s because each partner has something to offer that the other. We seek out others, not despite our differences, but because of them. Yet the differences can devolve into conflict when we try to coerce others to agree with us rather than appreciating the value of the unique gifts and perspectives we each bring. This is often easier said than done, but it’s a powerful antidote to conflict.

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5. Take time to make love. One of the first symptoms of a distressed relationship can be a diminishment in the frequency of sexual activity. For some reason, couples that once thrived on passionate lovemaking are often willing to tolerate a desert of physical intimacy where a lush garden once bloomed. Great sex is more than just an experience of sensual pleasure. It’s a means through which we delight in each other’s bodies, give expression to our desires, show our love, and share the joy of losing ourselves in bliss. If the flame of sexuality is neglected too long, the spark may go out. Don’t wait until the embers are cold, that may be too late. 6. Don’t take your relationship for granted. There’s no such thing as a divorce-proof marriage. If you think your marriage is so perfect that divorce isn’t even a possibility, think again. This belief can lead to a kind of complacency. While this may not always lead to divorce, it can lead to something equally dangerous: a flat, or even dead marriage. Staying together isn’t the goal of a great marriage, thriving is. 7. Don’t let disappointments turn into resentments. In an effort to avoid conflict many of us try to ‘get over’ feelings of anger or disappointment. There is no problem with doing this when we can genuinely and completely let these feelings go. If we can’t, they are likely to turn into resentment, and become a toxic presence in our relationship. Telling the truth about difficult feelings in a respectful and non-blaming way can often bring about greater closeness and understanding, while stuffing those feelings can have the opposite effect. 8. Don’t wait too long to get help. The average couple that enters marriage counseling has been troubled for six years. By this time, it’s likely that workable difficulties have disintegrated into entrenched patterns. By all means, do everything that you can to handle challenges on your own, but be willing to recognize when your best efforts aren’t doing the trick. When you hit roadblocks that you’re not able to overcome on your own, bring in professional help. 9. Don’t forget to Play. When work and play get out of balance in a marriage a correction needs to be made. Those times that we think that we don’t have the time to take time out to relax and play with each other are when we most need it. It doesn’t require a long tropical vacation to reinvigorate a relationship. Sometimes a short break from

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a life of ongoing responsibilities can be enough to remind us of why we wanted to be together in the first place. Enjoying each other’s company is one of the best forms of marriage insurance that there is!

2 Trained as psychotherapists and relationship counselors, Charlie Bloom M.S.W. and Linda Bloom L.C.S.W. have worked with individuals, couples, groups, and organizations since 1975. They have lectured and taught at many learning institutes throughout the USA, including the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, 1440 Multiversity, the California Institute for Integral Studies, the Meridian University, John F. Kennedy University, the Crossings, Omega institute, the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology, Sonoma State University, University of California at Berkeley Extension Program, the Hoffman Institute, the World Health Organization and many others. They have offered their seminars and lectures seminars throughout the world, in countries including China, Japan, Indonesia, Denmark, Sweden, India, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada. Charlie and Linda are the authors of three published books, including their best-seller, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last (Over 100,000 copies sold). Their new book That Which Doesn’t Kill Us: How One Couple Got Stronger at the Broken Places, will be published by Sacred Life Publishers in April 2018. They blog for several on-line journals on a regular and frequent basis, including, Huffington Post, Psych Central, OM Times and Psychology Today where their posts have received over 5 million hits. Charlie and Linda have been married since 1972 and are the parents of Jesse and Sarah and grandparents to Devin, Ashton, and Seth.

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