The Eden Magazine July 2019

EDEN T h e

NEOSHAMANISM AT WISDOME LA HOW TO MAKE GREEN LIVING MORE APPROACHABLE

By Gay Browne

THE BEAUTY & PAIN

By Jayita Bhattacharjee

FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE ANDES MOUNTAINS OF BOLIVIA

By Dina Morrone

WELCOMING SUMMER WITH RESTORATIVE, REFRESHING HERBS & TONICS FOR WARM WEATHER

By Katheryn Langlier

Magazine

JULY 2019

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Sharon blynn A Fresh off the Boat Ovarian Cancer Survivor ∫

NICOLE MOORE

Co-Founder of TCM & Yoga Instructor

Table of Contents 6

SHARON BLYNN

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FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE ANDES MOUNTAINS OF BOLIVIA

By Dina Morrone

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NEOSHAMANISM AT WISDOME LA

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HOW TO MAKE GREEN LIVING MORE APPROACHABLE

By Gay Browne

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THE POWER OF APPLYING CHAKRA WISDOM TO TAROT

By Tori Hartman

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NICOLE MOORE CO-FOUNDER OF TCM & YOGA INSTRUCTOR

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INTRODUCING THE TWO SCREEN METHOD

By Dr. Scott Symington

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WELCOMING SUMMER WITH RESTORATIVE, REFRESHING HERBS

By Katheryn Langlier

52 EMA

ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION SUMMIT

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A BRUSH WITH ESSENCE

By Michael White Ryan

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FINDING GRACE

By Cate Montana

Cover Photo

by BIRDIE THOMPSON

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DINA MORRONE

Maryam Morrison

GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS

MARIA ELENA INFANTINO

EDWARD HAKOPIAN

GREG DOHERTY

TARA-JENELLE WALSCH

ISABELLE RUEN

NANCY E. YEAROUT

SHERI DETERMAN

MICHAEL WHITE RYAN

ANGELA DUNNING

JAN DIANA

ALEXIA MELOCCHI

JOE SANTOS, JR.

SASHA GARY

MARCO NUNZIO ALATI

BRENDA SAINT HILAIRE

MARGARET TOMASZEWIC

JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE

MEET OUR TEAM

Photo by Artin Mardirosian

Spreading Compassion to all Sentient Beings and Living in healing and peaceful world

EDEN T

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MAGAZINE

Since 2010 The Eden Magazine is a free Online magazine focuses on spreading compassion to all sentient beings Living in a healing and peaceful world FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER DINA MORRONE BRAND AMBASSADOR MARIA ELENA INFANTINO SOCIALITE DIRECTOR GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JAN DIANA SASHA GARY JOE SANTOS, JR. ALEXIA MELOCCHI NANCY E. YEAROUT

ANGELA DUNNING MICHAEL WHITE RYAN MARCO NUNZIO ALATI JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE TARA-JENELLE WALSCH MARGARET TOMASZEWIC CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN GRAPHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY ISABELLE RUEN SHERI DETERMAN GREG DOHERTY BRENDA SAINT HILAIRE WEBSITE

www.theedenmagazine.com 325 N. Maple Dr. Po Box 5132 Beverly Hills, CA 90209 To read this issue online www.issuupublishing.com To purchase a copy visit us in www.magcloud.com Eden Magazine is an non-profit & 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 5 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Sharon Blynn A Fresh-off-the-Boat Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Sharon Blynn is an American actress and cancer activist. She was noted for her activities for "Bald is Beautiful" , an organization founded by herself for ovarian cancer awareness programs, and her bald appearances in the public.

Sharon Blynn was born on 1972 in New York City. She was grown up in Miami and had her graduation from Columbia University in Ethnomusicology. She worked as a marketing executive for Verve Records from 1994 to 2000.

For her activities, Sharon was awarded the Lilly Tartikoff/EIF Hope Award at the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s 2010 Rays of Hope gala. She was also awarded the Braveheart Women's Association Courage Award in 2011. Lifetime TV honored Sharon by selecting her as one of the "Remarkable Women" in their Every Woman Counts series.

Photography by Birdie Thompson Sharon in Vegan leather jacket 7 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

appointments with doctors at home in New York to find out what was going on in there, making what was supposed to be a short diversion to see my folks in Miami first. That one-week trip to Miami turned into a 3-year medical mystery tour. I was grounded by another stomach attack the night before I was to head to NYC, and after being misdiagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, things took a gynecological turn, and landed me with a gyn-oncologist. Three consultations and two surgeries later, I was officially diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 28. And so it was that the unpredictability of Life took the reins so to speak, and that is when the path I would forge for myself took some surprising, sometimes scary, and most times extremely gratifying twists and turns.

Photography by Birdie Thompson Sharon in Vegan leather jacket

Thank you for being with us, can you tell us what brought you to choose this career path.

Thank you for inviting me to share my story with your readers! My path to becoming an actor is a rather unconventional one, actually. After graduating from Barnard College/ Columbia University with a B.A. in Ethnomusicology, I worked in the music biz for many years. It was my dream to one day start my own record label or production company to develop and showcase gifted, unique artists to the world. That period of my life was truly magical — I was living my dream of working at a jazz label and being fully immersed in the vibrant music scene of NYC, forging lifelong friendships with extraordinary people along the way. But after many years of 18-hour+ work days, I felt that too often the “commerce” side of the “art vs. commerce” dichotomy was winning, so I left the gig without a specific plan for my next move.

In the meantime, while I was figuring that out, I flew to London that summer to spend time with my then-boyfriend (we had a wonderful transatlantic love, New York to London, for 5 years at that point). After having several painful “stomach” incidents in the fall of that year, I set up

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Losing my hair (and eventually both ovaries), and meeting women who struggled more with hair loss than having cancer, sparked an idea to create my Bald Is Beautiful movement.

Culturally, we are inundated with images based on narrow (albeit slowly expanding) standards of beauty and attractiveness, so when my body was going through changes that directly affected what are supposedly essential aspects of my femininity (aesthetically and biologically), those images made me feel worse than I already felt at the time. Even when depicting cancer patients in TV shows or films, the women were much older than I was and they always looked frail and sickly with ill-fitting scarves or bad wigs bearing an undertone of shame or embarrassment, even if they were strong and triumphant against the cancer. In the midst of this life-altering health challenge, I now also had to battle these visual messages in which I never saw myself.

So I decided that when I finished with this ovarian cancer experience, I was going to do what I called “Bald Is Beautiful”. I would find ways to put the image of a vibrant, happy, youthful bald woman into social consciousness through TV, film, and print media. The visual media has extraordinary power to redefine how we can see and perceive ourselves and each other, and I wanted to be part of a visual hug for the many women undergoing treatment for cancer — and women in general, in sickness and in health! Thus began my new career path as an “actorvist”, the term I have used for my acting work that is fueled by my Bald Is Beautiful message and new life purpose.

And I’m more ALIVE than ever, in every sense of that word!

What has been the best moment in your life so far?

Oh my goodness, this is a challenging question! Calling something the “best” moment implies that we’re at the final page of the final chapter in the anthology of my life, and I’d like to think that there are many “best” moments yet to come! I feel like I could say that a large portion of my “firsts” in life are my favorite or “best” moments. The exhilaration of doing something new, the conquering of a fear or realizing I can do something I didn’t think I could, the feeling of something being a milestone or turning point, accomplishing a set goal and that leading to the discovery and movement toward my life purpose(s), and even the feeling that after the “first” of something, things that follow can be that much more thrilling or interesting or unexpected. I’m looking forward to accruing many more “first” and “best” moments in every new day that I’m privileged to experience.

You were in Captain Marvel, tell us about your experience and what how you felt portraying this character?

Where to begin? My experience being in Captain Marvel is beyond words! I’m a lifelong fan of Marvel comics and Stan Lee, so to be part of the MCU in this way is truly a dream come true. I actually had the opportunity to meet Stan “The Man” Lee a few years ago at L.A. Comic Con and I could not imagine that my connection to him would go beyond that magical bucket list moment. So when I got the call from my rep that I booked the role, I couldn’t believe it was real! And when I thought it couldn’t get any more amazing, I then learned that as Soren, I would be the wife of the main “villain” Talos, played by none other than Ben Mendelsohn, someone whose acting work I’ve admired and aspired to!

In terms of the character Soren, the main scene that we were shooting together is a rather pivotal one (no spoilers here!) and I was given pretty wide latitude to bring my own intention and sense of who Soren is to the role. As a refugee being held captive and separated from family, living with a frightening uncertainty about the future, Soren has a courage and fierceness, as well as compassion and deep sense of love for family and community that I connected to through my cancer experience — facing my mortality and the possibility of leaving behind my loved ones, as well as the feeling of knowing and caring for people going through cancer or other illnesses whose fates are not certain. I brought all of those sensibilities to Soren and let the directors shape that into whatever they envisioned for her and her relationship with Talos.

Outside of the hugeness of being part of a blockbuster movie of this magnitude, I’m particularly thrilled to be part of Captain Marvel, because it is the first Marvel movie to feature a female superhero as the lead, as well as having the first female director in the MCU. As an added bonus, the storyline for Talos and Soren and the Skrulls has some powerful and profound messages about society and humanity that I am deeply proud to be part of in context of the world we live in today.

Photography by Birdie Thompson Sharon in Vegan leather jacket

What changed your life drastically? And why?

Moving away from home to New York City and living on my own was definitely a drastic change and new chapter in my life. I went there for college where I began exploring different ideas I had for what I wanted to do with my life. Moving through several majors in the first two years of school, I ended up taking advantage of the option at Barnard College to design my own major in ethnomusicology by combining undergrad courses in anthropology, sociology, and music with courses from the Columbia University graduate masters/ PhD program in ethnomusicology, ultimately earning the first-ever B.A. in Ethnomusicology from Barnard/Columbia.

Throughout my college years, I interned at Blue Note Records, which was a pinch-me-I’m-dreaming experience, meeting and working with producers and musicians whose recordings I’d listened to on the radio and LPs as a kid with my brother and sister. While I excelled at my college coursework (graduated cum laude!), I spent most of my time off-campus in New York City including many nights a week into the wee hours at the storied jazz clubs in downtown NYC. These experiences invigorated my desire to work in the music business, discover and promote talented artists, and ultimately start my own label.

A year after graduating college, I began working in marketing at Verve Records, another legendary jazz label with artists and albums I grew up listening to, and this is where I established and built my music biz career. I was having the time of my life 9 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

surrounded in all aspects of my life by the people and culture and energy that I had only dreamed of, all while cultivating cherished and lasting relationships that continue to enrich my life beyond measure.

You are a Cancer Survivor, what message can you share with us?

One of the more poignant life lessons I got from my ovarian cancer journey has to do with anatomy. Specifically, my spiritual anatomy. There I was at 28, facing this huge, completely out-of-the-blue, life-threatening health situation. It was cancer, and she had planted her flag in my ovaries without my permission. I immediately felt the impact of having no control of that, and because she was in there, staking her claim, I knew I had to accept her presence. This is where my spiritual anatomy comes into play.

While my physical anatomy in this regard was not in my control, my spiritual anatomy is in my control. I get to choose how I experience this physical event emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. So instead of feeling sad or angry all the time, I found ways to experience joy and empower myself throughout my cancer journey, whether it was in having hair cut and head-shaving parties during chemo, or exploring complementary healing modalities like Chinese herbs and acupuncture, yoga, meditation, laugh therapy, and other things outside traditional Western medicine, or just spending quality time with my loved ones who were there to support and accompany me on this ride. I can use my spiritual anatomy to actually influence or affect the physical on some levels, because they are connected.

This is not to say that I don’t or didn’t feel rage or frustration or despair at times; I just didn’t attach my identity or the whole of what I was going through to those emotions. Instead I let those feelings express and show up, because they are truthful and real, and I can be present with them, but still put my focus and energy towards the positive people and things around me. I can decide how I move along this path, even if I’m heading toward that last green mile, so to speak. I’d rather leave this body on a wave of Joy and Love since I have the power to choose that for myself. And if I live to tell the tale?

So much the better to have found the beauty and exhilaration and passion through which I can and do carry on with my life.

Photography by Birdie Thompson Sharon in Vegan leather jacket 10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Photography by Birdie Thompson Sharon in Vegan leather jacket 11 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

As you have read at this point, I am grateful to say that I started my Bald Is Beautiful movement in the very spirit that you describe in this question. I didn’t want it to be just an idea I had that was set aside in favor of doing the “practical” or “responsible” thing after I finished with my cancer treatments, and I felt a sense of urgency to share this message with whoever would receive it. Bald Is Beautiful is the fuel in my acting fire, and it is specifically the sense of purpose that is infused into why and how I do what I do. The physical, mental, and emotional rollercoaster ride that is ovarian cancer brought forth in me questions about how I defined myself as a woman, and allowed me the opportunity to reshape those perceptions of my beauty and my femininity — and that has been a priceless gift, even though it was wrapped in some complex and not always pleasant packaging to be sure!

I had read other people’s stories during my treatments that were helpful to me, and I felt that I could add my voice and perspective to what is put out there for us to find. I wanted to write a book, but in the interest of time and expediency, I decided to share my story through my website, so that it could be immediately accessible and available on the information superhighway. Once I did that, and after recovering from what would be my last surgery, I headed back home to New York and started to take what was a spark of an idea in my brain and actually carve out my path as an “actorvist”, model, and ovarian cancer awareness advocate/spokesperson. And so it continues . . . in marvelously mysterious and often magical ways!

If you could go back in your life, what would you do differently and why?

That’s an intriguing question! Aside from the potentially problematic consequences of the fantasy of time travel in terms of various paradoxes and possibly altering events that could then have dangerous ripple effects (nerd perspective!), I honestly wouldn’t do anything different.

It’s not that I haven’t made mistakes or missteps, and I do have a small number of regrets. However, the person I am now and the wonderful relationships and accomplishments I’ve made and will (hopefully) continue to make are the culmination of all of the beautiful, rich experiences I’ve had along the way. All of the pain and heartache, the disappointments, the surprises, the gifts, the joys and pleasures, the ups and downs and ins and outs of it all . . . they are woven into the fabric of the ever-evolving tapestry of Sharon Blynn! And I really dig the multidimensional nonlinear design that has taken shape thus far.

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Photography by Birdie Thompson

This question taps into the heart of the “lessons” my ovarian cancer experience brought me: We’re all perfectly imperfect.

And I learned to be present (a constant challenge), to release (or at least loosen!) my control grip, and allow for more surrender and acceptance, and unconditional self-love in a full-spectrum embrace. And if/when I falter in any of those things, I learned to love myself through those moments, too!

Who would you like to meet and why?

Not sure if you mean living or not, and either way, there are so many people — from musicians to authors to politicians to philosophers and all kinds of other people — it would be hard to pick just one. In the spirit of improvisation, I’ll say the first person that popped into my head: President Jimmy Carter. (Although I did also think of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, because current events have me focused on politics in a hyperaware way these days.) Back to Mr. Carter, though. One of the reasons I feel a special affinity toward Jimmy Carter is the dotted line I have to him through my late grandmother, Lillian Rae Levy. She was my soul mate and an extraordinary woman, and also a trailblazer as a photojournalist and science writer for NASA at a time when very few women were allowed to excel in those fields.

One of my favorite photos that my grandma took is a B&W image she shot of Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, which hung prominently in the living room of my grandparents’ Maryland/D.C. home. After my grandma passed away, we found a box of handwritten personal notes on White House statio-

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nery addressed to her from various presidents throughout the years, including one from Jimmy Carter inviting her to tea!

My grandma always expressed a deep respect for Mr. Carter because of his demonstrative compassion and kindness, which carried over into my perception of him as well. The years of his presidency coincided with a very difficult time in my childhood, and I felt a gentleness and warmth from him, both in photos and in interviews I saw, that gave me a feeling of hope — something he exudes still to this day.

Outside of my two-degrees-of-separation connection to Jimmy Carter through my grandma, as I got older and learned more about the world and history and such, I came to have an understanding and appreciation for who he was as a president and who he is as a humanitarian. To my mind, what someone with power and influence does with their life after leaving a position as powerful as president of the United States tells me a lot more about their character than politics sometimes allows. I am profoundly inspired by Jimmy (and Rosalynn) Carter’s commitment to being of service to others in need.

That they continue to live in their fairly modest home in Georgia, with him still teaching Sunday school to kids whenever possible, and of course, the monumentally generous works of the Carter Foundation around the globe, all speak volumes about the gift that he is and has been to this world.

I would love to meet both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, especially as they are elders who may not be here on earth in their rented space suits for much longer.

(

All of the pain and heartache, the disappointments, the surprises, the gifts, the joys and pleasures, the ups and downs and ins and outs of it all . . . they are woven into the fabric of the ever-evolving tapestry of Sharon Blynn!

Are there any new and upcoming projects that you would like to share with us?

I will be performing on the West Coast in an ensemble piece called Threads in mid-July, and I am part of a creative collective that is developing a sci-fi short that will either become a web series or morph into a feature film (tbd!). I’m also in the interminable editing phase of a piece I produced, shot, and acted in last year. Otherwise, there a couple of things percolating that are N.D.A.-protected, and I continue to study and audition and enjoy my vida bella!

How can our readers reach you?

The wonderful Eden Magazine readers can find me in cyberspace in a few ways. My website, which I encourage folks to peruse and also share with anyone for whom they feel it could be a source of inspiration, information, encouragement, maybe even a laugh or two, is www.baldisbeautiful.org . I also have a Bald Is Beautiful blog on Facebook, at www.facebook. com/baldisbeautifulblog/ . And I’m reachable on Instagram at @bald.is.beautiful

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SOUL COURAGE

By Tara-jenelle Walsch

The Eternal Quest for Purpose

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Hi, excuse me…I think I’m lost. Can you give me directions back to myself?

You may chuckle, but the question is actually not that absurd. I’ve probably asked both of my parents that in some form or another with all sincerity. Changes happen in mid-life and our senior years that have left many people asking themselves the life-probing inquiry: Is this it?

We angle our heart just so to hear an answer, but no dice. The question itself actually makes us question life in such a way that we may oddly feel we’ve lost ourselves.

Others feed us needlepoint wisdom that was passed down to them as if it’s an actual solution. But we’re no longer five years old; wide-eyed and curiously absorbing poetic there-there’s, ricocheted from generations.

This time it does no good. Our gullible sponge is dry.

We need answers. So much so, that at times, it feels as though our life depends on it.

Short of there being a universal Lost & Found center to retrieve our reason for being, we’re left to figure it out on our own. Our thoughts search for who we used to be and ponder who we will become, but the present us is sometimes left confused.

If you’ve ever felt a sense of being internally lost, you may appreciate knowing that most of the emotion is brought on by having something that you’ve long self-identified with, change in some way.

Common areas where we experience the sensation of losing ourselves are; in romantic relationships, after divorce, working far more or far less than normal, when raising children or becoming an empty-nester, the death of a parent, spouse or beloved pet, disease or the aging changes of our body, and during retirement.

Whatever it is, something that you self-identified with has changed, shuffling up the normal rhythm of your life, and leaving you feeling a bit lost. Life the way you knew it, has changed which means you have changed.

But you are still in there. Even if it doesn’t feel familiar, you are in all of the pieces that show up, because you are those pieces. All expression that comes from you, is part of you. Your pieces have just moved around a bit.

We’re constantly redefining our who we are. That’s what life and growth and evolving is about. This is good.

This is energy moving through and around us. This is us choosing new options and entertaining brave ideas.

Trying on new hats.

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And although there may be some discomfort and despair in Taking Inventory these stages of life, the experience in itself is what awakens us It can sometimes feel like our personal journey is a constant process back to full presence. of losing and finding ourselves. It’s only when we stand still that we see there’s no losing or finding, but rather the act of how we’re The very act of feeling un-you or lost shows you the frame of moving with and adapting to the ebb and flow of life. reference you once held of yourself and brings to your attention where you’re directing your life now and how you feel Look at it as an adjustment period. A time to reflect and re-evaluate. about that direction.

A time to courageously reclaim and rediscover more aspects of who you already are.

Having this information on the front burner allows you to reassess who you want to be and the way in which you’d like Use the time to take personal inventory. Sort out what you love to demonstrate that. versus what you are or have been tolerating. Keep what lights you up. Let go of what’s not working for you.

Pick a hand, any hand, your spirit is saying to you. And all Give no energy to what falls in middle ground and it will come back that you are becomes a spring-board for all that you can be. A to you, if intended. place from which you can discover and demonstrate as much of yourself as you please.

Becoming a witness to our life experience like this can be exhilarating. Especially when we resurface into something completely unexpected; perhaps a newly discovered talent taking flight into career, or reconnecting with fervency around something that advances to leadership. All which becomes a valuable reminder that we cannot nor should not stamp ourselves with a singular identity.

There are openings we haven’t been privy to that are waiting for us to explore. There are parts of us that anxiously await with their wings a flutter. There is more of us available when we open our consciousness to possibility. Our soul is filled with insight and wisdom and gifts beyond our comprehension, and its curiosity to feel and share them is there for the taking.

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Regaining Purpose It’s natural to have pockets of time where we lose interest and our reason for being gets fuzzy, but staying stuck in it is emotional quicksand.

One thing that helps to reground and bring yourself home is regaining a sense of purpose. If the word purpose feels too heavy, replace it with joy or enthusiasm—anything that lights you up or raises your vibration. Our true nature shines when powered by purpose or excitement towards anything.

That being said, pulling yourself out of the quicksand is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes you have to really push yourself to get started.

Shift your focus away from why to what and move towards that. We could drown in the why’s all the live long day, but the what’s—they open our imagination, which ignites creativity and enthusiasm.

No need to reinvent the wheel, though, you can start to regain purpose by simply taking a look at the things you love.

Whether it’s something you love doing or even something you admire from afar, reconnect with, or discover something, that lights you up. This will create something to look forward to and increase the positive anticipation in your life.

Once you’ve found your enthusiasm or purpose, move forward immediately. Start anywhere, however small. Look on Pinterest to get inspired, research online to compile ideas, put on gym clothes first thing in the morning to motivate a workout, or pull out a canvas to encourage painting.

Peel the first of the orange and hand it to your spirit, as a parent would a child. Begin by beginning. We can’t wait for breadcrumbs to show up, we must quite literally throw them ahead of ourselves and follow vision as its being created.

RoadMap to Regaining Purpose 1 – It’s natural to occasionally feel lost 2 – You never lose yourself, your pieces just move around 3 – Take Inventory; Sort out what you love, let go of what’s not working 4 – Discover or reconnect with purpose & what lights you up 5 – Start immediately, however small.

6 – Feel the enthusiasm of being you again.

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 behindthe 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. www.soulcourage.com

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From Hollywood to the Andes Mountains of Bolivia...

By Dina Morrone A chance meeting 14 years ago between Ingrid Hirstin and Fernando Lazcano-Dunn at a diplomatic party in Los Angeles brought these two people together to find love and marriage, and to form Andean Dream, a fairtrade company which produces quinoa products made in Bolivia.

Ingrid, a native of Los Angeles, was born into an entertainment family. Her father was a publisher of a popular trade publication called “Hollywood Show Business Magazine” and also a manager of theatrical talent, and her mother was an opera singer, originally from Berlin, Germany. In her early years as a child, Ingrid was involved in the Hollywood entertainment industry as an actress, singer and dancer for television, movies and live shows.

Inspired by her father, she branched out into entertainment management and event production and started her own company, Hirstin Management, in 1980. Over a period of 25 years, she represented well-known recording artists and produced special events such as galas and music award shows.

In 1985, Ingrid joined the team of the popular television game show “Jeopardy” as a contestant coordinator.

During her five-year stint with the show, she conceived of the “Jeopardy USO Contestant Search”, interviewing members of the armed forces around the globe. Her

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concept is still being used by the show today.

In addition to her work with the entertainment business, she went into a joint venture with her mother to open Bonjour Café in Glendale, California, an eatery which became a favorite of the locals and provided catering to the entertainment industry as well After four successful years of running the restaurant, Ingrid returned to her personal management career in 2002 to represent a research scientist who had authored five books on Time Warner about the benefits of eating foods that were alkaline. This client first introduced her to quinoa and its health benefits.

Then in 2005, Ingrid met Fernando, a 25-year career diplomat who was posted in Los Angeles as the Consul General of Bolivia. Fernando was born in Madrid, Spain, where his father was posted as the Bolivian Ambassador to the kingdom of Spain. The family then moved to Paraguay where his father had a second posting as an ambassador. They later settled Bolivia for some time until a revolution broke out and forced the family to flee to Peru and seek political exile. Fernando spent his youth and teenage years in Peru. With a passion for music, he learned to play the drums and sing, and often performed for local events and on television in Peru.

After experimenting with this quinoa flour in her home kitchen, Ingrid was able to develop the first cookies made with quinoa. She then traveled to Bolivia where she located a quinoa supplier who had just organic-certified 280 indigenous farming families, with whom she decided to work exclusively. During this visit, a manufacturer was identified who implemented Ingrid’s concept of employing single mothers and individuals with disabilities to make her products. These factors helped to confirm that producing her cookies in Bolivia would best support these people and have the greatest possibility for social impact.

With the support and inspiration from Fernando, Ingrid founded Andean Dream in the summer of 2006. She introduced two flavors of quinoa cookies into Whole Foods Markets later that year. This was the beginning of what is now a 13-year endeavor that continues to benefit the farmers and workers in Bolivia who are associated with this project.

\ After completing school, Fernando went to live in Europe for a number of years in Germany, Spain and Italy until he joined the Bolivian Foreign Service in 1982. During his career, he attended diplomatic school in Florence, Italy, where he developed a passion for the Italian culture. He speaks Italian fluently as well as Spanish, English, French and German.

Aside from Fernando’s time spent in the protocol division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bolivia, his postings in the U.S. were extensive, including 10 years in Miami, Florida, as Deputy Consul General and as Consul General in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In 2006 during his time as the Consul General in Los Angeles, he introduced Ingrid to a very special variety of organic quinoa from Bolivia. This variety is considered the finest available due to its high protein content. The plant grows around a 6,000-year-old salt lake filled with minerals, which penetrate the soil and enrich the plants.

In the early years before its global popularity, the farmers who grew this variety of quinoa lived well below the poverty line. Ingrid and Fernando wanted to contribute in some way to improving their living standards by introducing value-added products made with this quinoa into the U.S. market.

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The impact that Ingrid and Fernando had on the social economy of Bolivia and the lives of the local people, gained them recognition, as well as an invitation by the United Nations to speak and share their story at the 2013 “International Year of Quinoa” celebration held at the UN. During this event, top officials from the United Nations and the Andean communities of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru launched the celebration to raise awareness of the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of a food that has been traditionally cultivated for thousands of years.

Since forming Andean Dream, New York businessman Klaus Whitney joined the Andean Dream team in 2011 as a partner, and he has been actively involved with Ingrid in running the day-to-day operation of the company.

Andean Dream also contributes in the U.S. by donating its products to charities and events. In the summer of 2015, the company served as a “Champion” Sponsor for the “Special Olympics World Games” held in Los Angeles. A donation of 48,000 quinoa cookies was provided to the athletes participating in one of the world’s biggest international sporting events. The company continues to support many charities, including The Pasadena Humane Society and PETA, and others, by donating their products for fundraisers and events.

Their line of gluten-free and allergen-friendly products continues to provide food options for consumers with special dietary needs, vegans, and those who are looking for high quality, nutritious products that are manufactured in a dedicated facility free from gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn. All products are Non-GMO and Fair-trade certified.

The line includes all natural quinoa cookies and organic quinoa pasta. Aside from the great taste and texture, their 8-ounce box of quinoa pasta contains 20 grams of protein.

For this reason, it is no surprise that it was chosen as the number one Gluten-Free pasta by a panel of Bon-Appetit magazine editors during a blind taste test.

The products can be found in Whole Foods Markets, as well as other independent natural and conventional grocery stores. Their award-winning pasta is also on the menus of a number of popular restaurants in the U.S., including Rainforest Café and Neiman Marcus Restaurants.

In June of 2019, Andean Dream launched a new pasta line made in Italy with organic quinoa, rice, amaranth and turmeric, available exclusively in Whole Foods Markets. The company continues to focus on developing healthy new products for all consumers as well as for those with food sensitivities.

Ingrid and Fernando share a passion for their work and their products, and it’s a labor of love that continues to evolve.

How does your concern for people influence the work that you do?

The motivation behind starting our company was to have healthy nutritious products for our consumers and to contribute to social and economic standards in the countries where we produce our products.

What are some of your favorite recipes that have been made with your products?

We love the “Anaconda” pasta dish created by the corporate chef, Rene Van Broekhuizen, of Rainforest Café and also the “Pasta al Mafiosi” at Le Botaniste restaurant in New York City.

They both have great flavors and healthy ingredients.

Is there a special place in the world that you would like to visit?

We particularly love traveling in Europe and look forward to spending more time in Italy this summer.

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What is your message to our readers about food choices and organic clean living?

We as a society need to start making better choices about the food we consume to help prevent illnesses and obesity. It is important to eat products that are healthy and to avoid artificial ingredients. There are many good plant-based foods that are both delicious and also provide protein options that are not meat-based.

We understand that you have a great love for animals.

Do you have any pets?

We are passionate about animals and have two male rescue dogs, one that is four years old and the other is fourteen. Both are precious to us and are an important part of our family.

Special Thanks to Dina Morrone Tony Persia Maxine Picard

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24 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Neoshamanism AT WISDOME LA

Immerse yourself into Shamanic practices that have been used by first peoples to attain altered states and communicate with the spirit world. Drawing from deep wisdom of the Sakha shamans, the Olox ceremonial journey and live performance will move through the three worlds: The Lower, the Middle and the Higher.

First Realm – The Lower World Forces from the Lower World are pervasive in our planet and threaten to destroy us from within and without. Sounds of the Lower World are used to release people from fear, grief, illnesses, hatred and cruelty. Forces from the Middle and Higher Worlds are called upon through ritual and ceremony to aid in this powerful release.

- Preparing the ceremonial space: fumigation and purifying the space.

- Calling in the blessings from Spirit of the Fire – KhatanTemieriye.

- Sound healing ceremony: collective ritual and guided journey into trance consciousness though ancient sounds with shamanic drums. Shamanic ritual is also brought interactively to each participant as OLOX attunes with each person’s unique Lower World blockage and calling forth beneficial forces for release.

Second Realm – The Middle World The Middle World is the seen world and is intended for people and spirits. The sounds of the Middle World call upon the healing forces of virtue and love.

Universal forces are called into the Middle World through ritual and ceremony to aid in powerful rejuvenation and restoration. Through shamanic ceremony we are brought back into balance and harmony within ourselves, with each other and with nature.

- Workshop: Reindeer Breathing. Breath has long been understood by first people as a doorway into spirit. In our modern culture we see a rediscovery of pranayama or explore the pioneering work of holotropic breath work. Participants are initiated into shamanic breathing which has deep roots in altering consciousness and accessing the spirit world.

- Interactive work with people, imitation of birds and animal sound: Totemic Connection. Ceremony will then move into the ancient practice of connecting with a totemic animal as a bridge to the spirit world and as a conduit for deep wisdom.

The use of breathing in altering consciousness and improvisational sound provide a doorway for the experience of totemic connection.

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Wisdome LA is the art park includes over 70 works from Android Jones in 9 different formats,including digital canvases, Microdose VR, dynamic sculptures, shows, live performances and a spherical movie theater.

Experience the energy that maintains the balance of the creative work in the three worlds as it’s transmitted through MUSIC.

Third Realm – The Higher World The sounds of the Higher world evoke the energies of art, wisdom, enlightened awareness and universal connection.

In Sakha culture there is a complex cosmology of deities that oversee and give benefit to many different experiences in the human realm. These energies support human liberation from the struggles of the Lower and Middle Worlds.

- Acoustic and electronic live performance: you will explore the combination of traditional songs of the Shamanic communities, a reindeer breath (arctic throat beat-box), the sounds of northern birds and animals with modern acoustic and electronic beats. This is a unique bridge between traditional knowledge and new technologies.

OLOX will take us all the way back the Big Bang!

The word “olox” translated means “life”, or the universal force that lies behind all phenomena and binds us all together. OLOX is a musical collaboration that integrates traditional shamanic ritual from the artic circle with modern electronic music and world rhythms. Bringing together ancient roots with modern music creates a bridge that is both uniquely transformative and reconnecting.

The show also includes the opportunity to tour the amazing Samskara immersive art exhibition layed out in 3 interconnected VR domes featuring the works of the transformational artist Android Jones. The exhibition includes : A interactive art gallery displaying the works of Android Jones. Microdose VR game, an interactive photo experience and a full length 360 video viewing of Samskara!. Wisdome LA is the world’s first dome based entertainment park. The 30,000 sq. ft location includes five fully immersive 360° domes,create a shared VR experience that combines the future of art, entertainment, andz technology.

Hours of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – CLOSED Thursday – 11AM - 9PM Doors close at 8:15PM. Final Samskara showing is at 8:30PM. Friday & Saturday – 11AM - 12AM Doors close at 11:15PM. Final Samskara showing is at 11:30PM. Sunday – 11AM - 9PM Doors close at 8:15PM. Final Samskara showing is at 8:30PM. Admission Prices: • Standard - $29 • Student - $19 (Must have student ID to redeem ticket at the door) • Military - $19 (Must have military ID to redeem ticket at the door) • Senior - $19 (55 and over) • Child - $9 (12 and under) Tickets for regular operating hours maybe be used for other dates as long as the ticket has not been scanned. Re-entry for the day is welcomed. Rain or Shine, we are open.

Visit our Website: https://wisdome.la 27 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

The beauty and pain

By Jayita Bhattacharjee

Photogrpahy by Андрей Гаврилюк

Beauty and the quest for it, can never be all in the light of it, sometimes it surfaces through an intense pain. The pursuit of it always, at all times, in all ways can be a mistake in the sense, that life comes with many seasons each bringing their own gifts. If we seek in an ocean of emotions, looking to seek only a definitive type, throwing back the ones which are unwanted, pushing away the types so untuned, then we fail to notice how shockingly beautiful they can be in their own way, as through their weirdness and confusion, something beautiful can emerge. The fascinatingly mysterious beauty arises out of the deep sea of life. In our search for joy, we push away the other emotions that come to threaten the existence of joy, and we call ourselves brave, rather we are afraid to admit, at the deepest level, we push away the truth from ourselves. And we never become full. As we deny ourselves the plethora of emotions and feelings as human beings need to feel, we connect with ourselves on a surface level. Happiness if fleeting. It flits in and out of our everyday life. It is much like a bird singing to fill the air with its cooes, and its beautiful humming is all that we want to revel in all our lives.

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But fullness, that is too deep in our souls. Fullness is something that never leaves. It encompasses all the emotions, the good and the bad, the ugly and the bold, and beauty comes out through such a fullness as it brings out the raw and real beauty. It allows us to be fully human in the raw, authentic way. Fullness includes the extreme emotions , the contrasts, that mke up all the colors of life. It does not necessarily include only happiness. It does have a place for other emotions in life. How else can we feel the real joy if we have never known sorrow? How can you feel and trust the most profound kind of love if you have never experienced a heartbreak? It’s the weaving of light and dark, it’s the surfacing of two shades, of two faces so to feel one, we have to feel another. They co-exist, and in their own way, they make the other beautiful. The pain provides the shadow and contrast so as to make beauty surface through its bloom. The seemingly conflicting emotions can fit together somehow and they beautifully coexist. While you suppress your pain, maybe some event or encounter resurfaces your pain and as it rises, it breaks into beauty, as the pain dissolves. As the pain is laid bare, there are others who can help to ease that pain and through such an easing, a new bonding develops. While happiness can fill you, sadness can very much well in your eyes, but they are in a perfect harmony, entwined in a beautifully poignant way. This is life in its most desired form, the pain contrasting with the joy, the darkness contrasting with the light, and that is when agony breaks in delight. They create a depth and fullness that can never be reached any other way. The shading and the shadows make the complete beautiful image all in exquisiteness of your soul and life.

You can be in pain and still find things to smile about. Even when you feel hopeless, there are still things to be hopeful for, in your journey. It’s a powerful mix of ambivalent emotions. How the push and pull, agony and ecstasy co-exist and one uplifts the other in their own way, not understood with reasoning or intellect, but felt by the heart in its deepest depths.

sciously or unconsciously pose a threat to us in the long run, as what is sealed returns in a bigger, greater way. Coming face-to-face with pain that is really out there, means to be vulnerable, to be willing to suffer and to risk love. But what we get through risking is a fuller picture of beauty. The fullness that comes as we let oursleves bare and open in vulnerability. But if we lose our willingness to be vulnerable, we walk away from the connection to self, others and the world around. But most fundamentally to our honest, authentic version of ourselves and the pursuit of joy. No pursuit can give even a drip of joy until we allow ourselves to fling open, on the pathway through pain. The skipping of pain, the misrepresentation of grief is universal, but the feeling is inescapable. Both grief and gratitude, beauty and pain, surrendering and longing—they coexist as a unity of opposites. It is not an either/or, but both/and situation.

The two can and always will simultaneously coexist as the truth of life.

The intangible beauty always comes from inside—the real, raw and authentic beauty. Everybody is seeded with this type of beauty. It was gifted by God at the time we made our arrival on this earth. It takes pain to unleash that beauty at times. And it all happens as you surrender. Through surrendering, you stretch and by such stretching, your inner beauty gets revealed. Through dying, you are reborn again. And this birth can bring so much for you, for your soul. As we love anything in this life, we are wrung in pain, broken in agony.

We suppress the anxious thoughts, the fearful emotions so as to shut off sadness, but through such a shutting off, temporally, we aggravate them more and bring them in permanency. The valve is better kept open, for through such a release, the flow is on, and the emotions flow from the frozen river. And how beautifully they melt to create beauty again where once pain pervaded. Through suppression, we con-

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.

Jayita Bhattacharjee was born n 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 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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How to Make

Green Living More Approachable

By Gay Browne

The first step in living with a green heart is to stay in good health. Without good health we can’t do anything. Taking care of yourself and your family is the best way to protect your future and the future of the planet. A healthy life is a happy life.

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Photography by Allef Vinicius

Environmental stress is the silent killer that lives with us day in and day out and the one we may not pay much attention to until the day someone we love tells us over lunch that they have been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma or lung cancer. Or we notice that the sun, which we used to love to worship, now hurts our skin because the ozone layer has gotten so thin. It could be that moment when you hear on the news that plastics now outnumber sea life six to one, and when the sun breaks down plastic trash that gets thrown into the ocean, the plastic forms tiny microbeads that the fish mistake for food—and that we then ingest when we eat seafood. This environmental stress takes its toll on our bodies, minds, and emotions, as well as the planet. With so much of this stress coming at us in our day to day lives, and news of it clogging our social media feeds, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and wonder, “What could one person like me do and how can my single actions impact the environment? How would I even begin to approach ‘going green’? And what does ‘green living’ really mean?”

Setting intentions also applies to identifying what aligns with your passions. I love animals, and one of the reasons I decided to become a vegan was because I wanted my lifestyle choices to align with my passion for animal welfare.

This was an easy “green living” choice for me because once I identified this passion within myself, the commitment to avoid contributing to animal suffering was a no brainer.

The most important part in green living is to create an intention, to make a commitment to what that intention means, and identify what the choices are that you will need to consider. Without intention, I would not have been able to commit to living green as I have! This means you’ll need to identify what specific swaps and changes you would like to make in order to live every day with the green intentions that work best for YOU. Living green is not a one-sizefits-all-approach. It’s up to you to decide what area calls to you the most, where you can affect the most change, and what you can fit into your lifestyle and your budget.

To properly set an intention, I recommend that you do two things to start. First, write it down. Studies have shown that when people write down intentions and goals, they are more likely to achieve them. The second thing you should do is post your intention in a place where you will see it every day. If you’re visual, as I am, creating a vision board illustrating your overall intentions is also a great idea. I keep this vision board in my closet, so I see it every time I get dressed. As I mentioned before, the key to creating change is to identify what works best for you and then set an intention to incorporate it into your daily practice. For example, you might look in your bathroom and notice a roll of toilet paper and decide that instead of purchasing the brand that comes in plastic packaging, you’ll switch to the brand that comes in paper packaging.

Or maybe you’ll decide to do away with the toilet paper all together and purchase a bidet! Haha! The point is, there is a level of commitment that differs from person to person and the only way you will enjoy a green lifestyle is to identify what you can commit to and sticking to it.

After setting intentions, it is important to develop a mindset that is open. The environment has become a controversial issue. There are those who deny climate change and those who like to believe that the organic label on a pint of raspberries is just a way to make more money. Committing to living a green life might push you out of your comfort zone so I will ask you to approach each new green choice with an open mind and try experimenting with new brands and new ways of doing things. For example, when deciding whether or not to buy organics, the added expense might cause you to wrestle between what is healthy and what fits your budget. You are the only one who can make these decisions, but just knowing all of your options is a step in the right direction.

Finally, as you embark on a journey of living green, I strongly urge you to be compassionate toward yourself.

Kermit the Frog is right; it isn’t always easy being green.

Nor is there only one way to do it. As you start to make changes, be kind to yourself. It’s impossible to live 100 percent with a green heart every hour of every day. Forgiving yourself is a more loving approach than judging yourself on what you are not changing. Celebrate the small changes you are making and remember it is not just your health you are improving, but the health of the planet as well.

Being able to find the humor in situations that don’t go as “green” as you planned is another tool to help you stay committed to living with a green heart. Recently, as I was preparing to fly to Scotland, I had taken a resealable vegetable bag and “upcycled” it into my new sealable liquids bag. I was very proud of my green choice and confidently went through the security checkpoint, only to be flagged by a TSA agent who scolded me for using a bag that wasn’t completely transparent and proceeded to take my liquids out of my beloved upcycled veggie bag and place them in a brand-new clear plastic bag. Could I have become discouraged that my effort was shut down?

Sure! But instead I chose to laugh at the confusion on the faces of the TSA agents and the 20-some-odd travelers around me that must have been thinking, “Why on earth wouldn’t this woman just use a Ziploc bag like the rest of us?”

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To the same effect however, the more you commit to your green goal, the more you’ll begin to notice how the ripple-effect of your choices inspire others. Perhaps some of the passengers in that security line were inspired by my choice to find an alternative to a wasteful tradition! Here’s another example of a ripple-effect; I was talking to one of my friends about my diet as a vegan. This person had no interest in eliminating meat and dairy from his diet, but one of the facts that I mentioned about the beef industry struck a chord with him: To make just a quarter pound of beef takes 425 gallons of water, which is like giving 6,800 people a glass of water each. He knew he couldn’t commit to veganism, but he could, however, commit to Meatless Mondays!

Starting with the health of yourself and your family, setting intentions and making them visible in your life, identifying what you can commit to and what aligns with your passions, developing an open mindset, having compassion for yourself and being able to find humor in the midst of offsets are all vital components to living green, but what are some easy choices that anyone can make to approach a green life journey?

Here are three easy green choices to get you started: 1. Ditch Plastic Water Bottles - In my opinion, the simplest green choice is to refuse plastic water bottles. They are more often than not, sent to landfills rather than recycled. Commit to carrying a metal or glass water bottle with you throughout the day instead of buying water in plastic bottles while on the go.

2. Say No To Straws - I’ll admit, I do prefer sipping through a straw instead of getting smacked in the face with ice cubes, but the harm that single use plastics like straws does to the environment doesn’t outweigh my short moment of discomfort. While dining out, I make sure to tell the server that I do not need a straw, and at home, I have reusable metal straws to sip my colder beverages through.

3. Adopt Meatless Mondays - I mentioned before that my friend committed to Meatless Mondays as a part of his green living and he’d be the first one to tell you how easy it was! Having one day during the week where your meals are plant-based does wonders for the environment and your body. It could also save you money since plant-based proteins often cost less than animal proteins!

I hope by offering these simple steps, I have been able to help you lessen your environmental stress one simple step at a time and provide you with solutions that each one of us can take on a daily basis to improve our own health and the health of the planet through living with a green heart.

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Gay Browne is a Personal Environmental Health Advisor, Writer, and Founder of Greenopia: a comprehensive city guide of sustainable businesses to help consumers eat, shop, and live green.

Greenopia was launched in 2005 as a print series for Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York and rapidly expanded nationwide through Greenopia. com. Greenopia.com and its accompanying mobile app will re-launch in First Quarter 2020.

Prior to her work with Greenopia, Gay enjoyed a successful 15-year career in advertising and public relations.

Gay is a contributing editor to The Huffington Post and Thrive Global. She served on boards and is involved with multiple environmental and humanitarian non-profits and is working on her first book. She has a deep personal commitment to personal environmental health and helping people lead toxic-free lives.

In her spare time, Gay enjoys hiking, yoga, meditation, art restoration, and her three children.

A Cat Cafe Experience

www.crumbsandwhiskers.com

Adopted: 800 | Saved from euthanasia: 1,710 | Amount donated to charity: $24.5K

WE HELP RESCUE & FIND HOMES FOR HOMELESS CATS

33 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e June 2019

By Tori Hartman I learned the tarot long before I understood what an oracle deck was. So, when the angels appeared to me, over 30 years ago now, and told me the original fables that would become the Chakra Wisdom cards, I wrote them down.

I had no idea at the time what they would become or how they would impact the lives of so many people. One night I had my Rider Waite Tarot Deck sitting in front of me. I began to count 34 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

out the cards, and as I did so, I recognized a rhythm that I had only before seen in the chakras. It completely astounded me.

I placed the cards in chakra order, and as I did so an entirely new pathway emerged one that would provide a deeper and more personal depth available in tarot cards; and so, the Chakra Wisdom Tarot Cards were born.

Photography by William Farlow

The Power of Applying

Chakra Wisdom to Tarot

Direct Connection Many people use tarot for prediction, and they use oracle cards for self-awareness. The Chakra Wisdom Tarot instantly tapped into my inner wisdom and brought about direct answers providing the next steps to take in life. I recognized how the chakra and the tarot combined added a direct connection to our vibration. I would never have known what was missing if I had not been working and counting those cards and seen it myself. Here's how the combination of the chakra and the tarot opened locked doors and provided a direct path to answer the real questions, not the surface ones with which most clients present.

The minor arcana and the court cards in each suit add up to 14 cards. In our Western chakra system, there are seven chakras and it meant that we could travel through the chakra twice in each suit. It was obvious with the Ace through Seven, but would it work with the eight through the King? To my surprise this is where the deeper layer of understanding was hidden.

Aces and Eights are the First Chakra This first chakra in red indicates the beginning, our roots, the very foundation upon which we build our life. It becomes the source energy; the roots seek a solid foundation upon with they can grow.

In the Aces we see a beginning; a gift being handed to us.

While in the Eights it becomes a more profound connection or a restart. Here we recognize that we have more knowledge and wisdom than we had in the Aces.

The Two cards and the Nines are the Second Chakra The second chakra cards represent our emotional state. The Twos reflect what we are feeling in the present moment.

The actual emotional peak comes in the nine cards, they are the ones that reveal the outcome of the emotions introduced in the Two cards and the reward or loss we face.

A case in point is the nine of swords which is great emotional loss versus the nine of cups which is great emotional fulfillment.

The Three and the Ten Cards are the Third Chakra The yellow chakra cards or the Threes represent our instinct and the concept of fight or flight. They also reveal the way in which we think or plan our lives. The Threes indicate the thoughts that are presently guiding us. The Ten cards review our ability to enjoy the fruits of our labor or recover from a loss. How we process this, and the path we choose is revealed in the third chakra Ten cards.

The Four and the Princess Cards are the Fourth Chakra These green cards represent matters of the heart; they will show us whether our heart is open or closed to an oppor-

tunity or the news that we get. The Fours show us our ability to have compassion. Are we taking care of ourselves or are we ignoring the signs right in front of us? In this deck the Princess replaces the Page as the messenger of the deck. The news she brings will reveal whether you are willing to hear your internal messages.

The Fives and the Knights Cards are the Fifth Chakra The blue cards represent how we approach communication. Are we walking away, negotiating, or pretending? The Fives each represent a necessary shift in communication.

And when we look at the Knights, it is clear that they represent communication on the move. It is something we need to express or correct what is being put out into the world.

The fifth chakra is also the manifesting chakra and suggests that the expression that we are sending out to the world is what we are creating.

The Sixes and the Queens are the Sixth Chakra The Indigo cards reveal intuitive choices. Is it time to remember the past or move away from it? Will you trust your intuition or be tricked by your brain? The Queen cards represents the personal power our intuition offers us. Are you ready to step into the role you are being offered?

The Seven Cards and The Kings are the Seventh Chakra The purple cards are the universal consciousness. The Seven cards represent decisions and personal confusion and what can happen if we turn our backs on the concept of right and wrong. When the Kings appear, they are the rulers of universal consciousness. They must make decisions for the good of all and not merely for themselves which is well represented through the seventh chakra energy. Whether their decisions are challenging for them or not, they must be separated from emotions in order to support the greater good

Tori Hartman is a professional intuitive. Following a near-death experience almost 20 years ago, Tori was visited by a spirit who told her a collection of brightly colored stories. These stories prompted her life-long fascination with color, the chakras and their power to transform and heal lives.

Tori is based in Asheville, North Carolina.

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WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

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Nicole Moore Co-Founded The Center Method (TCM) & Yoga Instructor

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Nicole you are founder of “The Center Method (TCM), please tell us about it.

Sharing the experience of The Center Method (TCM) is a path I had unknowingly been on throughout the course of my life.

The combination of psychotherapy, bodywork, body movement/ awareness, mindfulness, yoga, and meditation has profoundly shifted my perspective and approach to life. I have found the book, The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk, helpful in the mind/body experience. TCM is more than a ‘treatment’ or ‘fix’; it is a holding environment which allows access to human resiliency and our ability to heal. The integration of vision, touch, hearing, and balance with the emotional and rational brains are fundamental for human connection, attunement, self-confidence, and building healthy relationships.

TCM invites you to explore the interplay between thoughts and physical sensations, how to become calm and focused, and how to maintain that calm when life gets complicated.

Why is using this method different than other methods, how can one benefit from TCM? The center method differs from other healing modalities because it brings all of the best processes for a wholistic approach to self-improvement and self-awareness together in one convenient place that offers professional oversight of your entire wellness plan. We take away the stress of having to find the best practitioners and modalities for you to develop a convenient program that is tailored to your needs by professionals. At The Center Method (TCM), we work with children, families, and adults, formulating personal wellness plans that create a more centered, connected, and fully-integrated life for our clients. Our Center Method includes a regiment of psychotherapy, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage, and other healing modalities. A 21Day Center Method protocol or even a 21-Hour Center Method regimen (for those with limited time) may include private 38 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

or group yoga practice, guided meditation, reiki and energy healing, acupuncture, massage, and therapy with one of our licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. At TCM, we recognize that individuals and families have different comfort levels needs and availability, and we adapt our protocol to each unique individual in our welcoming, all-inclusive, community environment.

You are a Yoga Instructor, in your opinion how can practicing yoga help our mind and body?

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old moving meditation that elicits the relaxation response through the synchronization of breath and movement. Breathing is the only function of the autonomic nervous system that is both voluntary and involuntary; controlled breathing can regulate the stress response. Yoga is a systematic practice of movements developed to evoke harmony in the mind and body. It is an integral part of the Center Method that can be tailored to each client’s specific abilities and needs.

Why did you choose to introduce this method to people?

Maya Angelou said, "As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal someone else.” My life’s calling is a testament to this. Like so many people, I experienced childhood trauma. As a child, a my therapist greatly influenced the trajectory of my life for the better. As a young adult, I was living in New York City and unaware I still had unresolved trauma living inside me.

One day, as I walked down a street in the financial district, I noticed a boxing gym. Something drew me to it. I walked in, spoke with the owner, and suddenly I began training 6 days a week, went on to sparring, and even had four fights. Unknowingly, the sport of boxing and the relationship with my trainer was helping to heal my wounds. Fast forward, several years later, I move to Los Angeles and decided to apply for graduate school at Pepperdine University for psychotherapy.

For my graduate school application personal statement, I wrote about the mind-body connection and how I would like to develop a method to incorporate the concept into therapy. I continue to study and investigate about past and current modalities. I also continue my own personal exploration through other forms of body work such as dancing, yoga, breath work, meditation, and acupuncture. The Center Method has been a ten-year inthe-making dream come true; it was a path I had unknowingly been on throughout the course of my life and the inspiration evolved naturally.

What topics are included in TCM? The Center Method provides services for mental health, physical well-being, and energetic balance through psychotherapy (individual, family, or group), group fitness and/or private fitness and yoga sessions, acupuncture, meditation, reiki, and massage.

Tell us about the 7 core areas that TCM focuses on.

The seven core areas that TCM focuses on are: Movement Emotional Visual Auditory Sensation Imagination Energy Each of these core areas is a pillar of our emotional, mental, and physical health, effecting each individual in different ways.

Does this method work in a group practice or individual?

The Center Method is meant to be practiced in both a group

setting and as an individual. First, we start where you feel most comfortable whether it be in a private therapy session, group fitness class, energy work, etc. The goal would be to expand treatment modalities with the growth and needs of each client.

Who can benefit from this method?

The Center Method facilitates an all-inclusive environment; we treat families, adults, and children of all abilities.

How often should a person practice TCM? Ideally, one should incorporate practices of TCM into daily life.

The tools and techniques learned are applicable for home use or more formally in the sacred space of the Center Method’s home base in Santa Monica.

Is The Center Method for all ages?

The Center Method is adjustable to meet the needs of all ages; we have specialized programs for children, including children with special needs. For example, we have programs for autistic children run by Zip Zap Zop Enrichment. This is a social skills and emotional development class which utilizes improv games to learn an improviser’s mindset, the curriculum facilitates teachable moments when working with children of all abilities.

How can people sign up for classes?

People can sign up for classes or book a therapy session through the website: www.TheCenterMethod. comor on www.MindBodyOnline.com (under The Center Method).

39 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

An Excerpt From Freedom from Anxious Thoughts and Feelings: A Two-Step Mindfulness Approach for Moving Beyond Fear and Worry

Introducing the Two Screen Method

By Dr. Scott Symington

Imagine your internal world as a media room with two screens. All possible thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations show up in this room on one of two screens.

On the wall you see facing forward is the primary or front screen. This is the place where the positive and life-giving thoughts, feelings, and images show up.

It’s the home of joy, contentment, and connection.

It’s looking into the face of a loved one, attending to the present moment, being in a flow at work, laughing with a friend, feeling spiritually connected, and expressing the best parts of who you are. It’s the experience of being fully present, feeling alive, and living out deeply held values. It’s all the inner activity that gives you a sense of well-being. When you say to yourself, Today is a good day, it’s a sign you’ve been connected to the front screen.

Consciously or unconsciously, we’re all trying to stay connected to the front screen.

The challenge is, off to the right is a side screen com-

40 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

peting for your attention. This is the place where the threats, fears, anxieties, unhealthy temptations, and potentially destructive thoughts and feelings show up.

You will be in a conversation, on the way to work, or trying to sleep when suddenly the side screen lights up and your internal eyes reflexively swivel over to take a look. Scrolling across the screen, there’s an anxious thought or unsettling image.

If you sit there and watch the side screen for too long, you risk becoming ensnared. It doesn’t take much exposure before you get caught up in the worries or seduced by the destructive urge or mood. This happens because the side screen uses your preoccupied attention and reactivity as an energy source. Under the spotlight of attention, the destructive mood or anxious feeling intensifies. The images become more colorful and pronounced. The sound gets louder. Before long the side screen is IMAX theater quality with Dolby surround sound, and you’ve lost your ability to rotate back to the front screen.

Photography by Sasha Freemind 41 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Let’s be clear here: you can’t control what shows up on the side screen. Nor can you control the reflexive swivel of your attention when the unwanted thoughts and feelings first come into awareness. You will suddenly find yourself gazing at an anxious idea or depressive image scrolling across the screen. It’s what you do next that’s important.

You’ll be tempted to watch, analyze, debate, fight, or run from the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations announcing them- selves on the side screen. All these responses may be natural, but they keep the side screen shining brightly. The more you try to avoid or resist an anxious feeling, the stronger it becomes. The longer you study the worry or entertain memories of past failures, the more anxious and down you’ll feel—and so on.

To be free—to get the relief you’re seeking—you need to relate to the side screen in a new way that deprives it of your attention and reactivity. If you remove the spotlight of attention and purge the system of reactivity (efforts at resisting the unwanted experience), you pull the plug on the side screen’s energy source, causing it to fade into the background.

How the Method Works The Two-Screen Method shows you how to put these ideas into practice in two steps: striking a new relationship with the side screen, and staying anchored to the front screen.

A New Response to Challenging Thoughts and Feelings Ideally, you want to cultivate a relationship with the side screen that is defined by acceptance and nonresistance. When an anxious thought or feeling announces itself—I’m going to make a fool of myself—your internal eyes will automatically dart over to the side screen, where the image of yourself being horribly embarrassed might be playing. As soon as you realize you’re on the side screen, with your new awareness you are guided by the motto accept and redirect. You accept the hard feelings or unanswered questions, while gently redirecting your attention back to the front screen.

As you plant your attention on the front screen, you allow the side screen to run its tape in your peripheral vision. You accept the distracting stream of thoughts and images, as well as the emotional heat being kicked off the side screen. You accept the experience of being heckled or taunted from the sidelines—I’m going to fail, I’ll be a laughingstock. Acceptance doesn’t mean you like or agree with the content of the side screen. The thoughts and feelings displayed there may be aversive or contrary to what you believe or what you want to have happen. Acceptance is about letting go internally, focusing on what you can control, and responding to the unwanted thoughts and feelings with psycho- logical wisdom.

You move into acceptance and nonresistance, even though it goes against your instincts, because this is the opposite of reactivity. It’s the response that cuts off the side screen’s ener42 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

gy source, ultimately freeing you from the anxious feeling or destructive mood.

In summary, the first step in the Two-Screen Method is reshaping your relationship with the side screen, de-energizing the problematic thoughts and feelings by applying mindfulness principles. Mindfulness, again, is a particular way of being and orientation toward the thoughts and feelings showing up inside you. As it’s practiced and applied in psychology, mindfulness is focused on increasing your ability to be in the present moment, while maintaining a disposition of acceptance and nonresistance toward the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations coming into awareness—especially the challenging and unwanted thoughts and feelings. The second step is learning how to stay connected to the front screen, using one or more of the three primary anchors that are designed to hold your attention as you’re redirecting away from the side screen: Mindfulness Skills, Healthy Distractions and Activities, and Loving Action.

The side screen will frequently exert a strong pull on your mind. During these times, it’s often not realistic to say, “Don’t watch!” unless you have another home for your attention with some sticking power. That’s where the front screen anchors come in. These anchors give you a safe place to anchor your attention while the side screen storm is passing through.

But this is not all they do. The front screen anchors are also designed to grow you as a person and enhance your quality of life. They help you take the energy that is normally consumed by the side screen and redirect it to activities that cultivate a sense of aliveness and well-being.

Dr. Scott Symington is the author of Freedom from Anxious Thoughts and Feelings: A TwoStep Mindfulness Approach for Moving Beyond Fear and Worry.

He is a licensed clinical psychologist dedicated to helping adults overcome worry and anxiety, negative moods, addictive behaviors, and other conditions stealing people’s joy and freedom. For more information, please visit, www.drsymington.com and connect with him on Twitter, @drsymington.

THE WAY I SEE IT

By Joe Santos, Jr.

Photogrpahy by Ioana Casapu

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Beware

False Prophets

There are lessons here. Dangerous yet valuable lessons. "History" lessons that none of us can afford to repeat! We must find a way to learn from All through time, these "false prophets" have found their the mistakes of the past, and the mistakes of the way into our lives... finagling a way into our Government, "present." It is our only salvation Church, television, social media, stage, heart, pocket, bed, home, career, hope, dreams, insecurities. They show up wearing multiple disguises. As clergy, politicians, entertainers, doctors, lawyers, lovers, family, friends, employers, employees! Some powerful enough to take over our mind, our body, even our soul by telling us what we want and need to hear, while grooming us to trust them as they brainwash our every thought. What is it within us that allows us to trust and believe? Why is it so easy for us to abandon our core? Our instincts? Have we become so needy and desperate to believe in something, someone, anyone, that we stop believing in ourselves?? Are we that empty? Is their power that strong? Where is ours? What part of us is missing? Abandoned? Gone? Throughout History, we have been bought and sold with mere bullshit. Even putting our lives on the line, abandoning family, faith, truth, and limb, just to learn the "ifacouldawouldashoulda" lessons of life. "History" is a course we all fail, mainly because we learn absolutely nothing from it. I guarantee you, every one of us needs to go back and study that 'book" over and over again just to finally retain at least one page or two!!

(Talk about “History” repeating itself ) Is it a part of our DNA to keep making the same mistakes over and over? Is there something inherently inside us that makes us want to fail? I use the word fail, only because I believe we can't succeed when we willingly accept and subscribe to less than what we own, less than what we know, less than what we believe. When we forget the wish we made, always to be better, do better, feel better, whether it be in ourselves, our family, friends, work, partner, government. How many of our leaders have led us into destruction? And yet, we line up proudly and blindly behind them. Marching, shouting, barely thinking, rarely asking, "what are we doing here?"

And why? How many people have followed others into a burning building? Into a raging sea? Walked off a cliff?

Drank the Kool-Ade, or taken the cyanide while waiting for some “Spaceship” to take them to "Planet Absolutely Nowhere” in the galaxy of “Good Luck With That!” Even the “blind that follow the blind” know to stop and follow their instinct before walking into traffic! Think about it.

Just to name a few, based purely on charisma, charm, beauty, or power, would you have believed, trusted, followed and been "led" into "temptation”, bed, "war," "Hell," or simply "No Good" by Madame LaLaurie, Vlad the Impaler, Napoleon Bonaparte?? Benito Mussolini?? Adolph Hitler, Charles Manson, L Ron Hubbard?? David Koresh?? Osama Bin Laden?? The list goes on and on!! What about Ivan The Terrible? Even Cleopatra (as glamorously as she was portrayed) was no beauty. Even the snake that bit and killed her thought twice!! Go figure.

There are lessons here. Dangerous yet valuable lessons. "History" lessons that none of us can afford to repeat! We must find a way to learn from the mistakes of the past, and the mistakes of the "present." It is our only salvation. And to find a way to ensure our "best life" in these moments of vulnerability, confusion, insecurity, and Hate! It's time to step outside of ourselves, get out of the line, and rise above.

Think, reclaim our convictions, and truth. Believe, trust higher. Brighter. Tighter. Trust the quiet. Trust the peace.

A true prophet speaks truth through bravery, silence, and conviction. A leader leads in unison. Isn't it time for us all to finally earn that degree in "HISTORY," before it's too late?

Joe Santos, Jr. is a Celebrity Chef and Life-Stylist. He joins The Eden Magazine as a writer sharing his unique view on life, death, love, and the avoidance of mediocrity.

Follow Joey on Instagram @jojoboy13

45 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

How I Found My Voice and Inspired Others

By Galit Ventura-Rozen FINDING MY VOICE: Imagine waking up on a normal Sunday morning at 7 years old, calling out for your mom and nothing comes out of your voice ...not a sound...only a whisper. It's interesting because when I get asked about being a professional speaker today and how effortless I make it look when I get up on stage there's a little piece inside of me that giggles because then I flash back to my past and remembering this day. The day the voice that I was born with chose to leave me and it would take quite a few years to find the voice that I have today that chose me. The story begins with multiple doctors after having cameras shoved down my throat and learning that I had a nodule on one of my vocal cords. Basically, I was told that I should start seeing speech therapists and when I was 16 I could come back and have surgery to have the nodule removed. The next five years from the age of 7 to 13 I would get pulled out of class twice a week to see a speech therapist. I remember exercises that we would do such as a singer would do to work on their octaves. But more than that memory I remember the first day of school each year where roll call would take place, everyone would say here when their name was called then the teacher would mispronounce my name, look up and I would have to speak out in front of the entire 46 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

class knowing not much was going to come out when I tried to correct her in the way she said my name. This made for a very extra nervous anxiety ridden first day of school each year. More terrifying than that was when it was time to get up in front of the class and give a presentation or I was called on to answer a question. One day in speech therapy when I was 13, we were working on an octave exercise and I remember the speech therapist saying stop and she said speak and I started speaking and that was the day that my new voice chose me. I was thankful because even though when I was still nervous or anxious my voice would crack, and I would lose it at least now when I spoke sound came out instead of something that sounded more like a whisper. When I was 16 I went back to the doctor for my annual visit to make sure nothing had changed in the nodule and he said are you ready for your surgery and I remember that day quite clearly because I looked at the doctor, I looked at my mom and I said no and he was a bit in shock. “Why wouldn't you want surgery so you could have a normal voice,” is what he said. I said, “This voice has molded me into who I am, this voice has taught me that it's okay to be different and this voice continues to give me courage. More than anything, this is the voice that chose me.

Photogrpahy by Cody Board

I left that day never looking back. So how does that lead to choosing to be a leader of multiple organizations which means I have to get up in front of crowds of people and speak. Or better yet in the last few years getting up on stage and speaking in front of hundreds and thousands of people. In all honesty if you really think about it I didn't just have to figuratively find my voice I had to also literally find my voice and showing women all over the world that being different doesn't mean that you are not amazing being different means that you must believe in yourself more than anybody else around you or in this world.

And I think I want to show women all over the world that I faced my biggest fear and that they can to. Usually the one thing that you're supposed to do more than anything in this world that is your purpose is right under your nose. It may be either one of the biggest challenges you must overcome or one of your biggest fears.

I have made it my passion and life’s work to show women ( and some amazing men) that it is possible to live a life of passion, purpose and make money doing it. When you do what you love everything changes in your life in a positive way. So please choose to do what you love or at least love what you do.

Galit is available as a keynote speaker, corporate training and for one on one business coaching. For more info, visit: www.galitventurarozen.com

Galit Ventura Rozen is a motivational and inspiration agent of change. Through her powerful presentations, she teaches how to focus on the important of mindset, in combination with the strategic tools necessary to be successful!

As a business performance expert, professional speaker and author of The Successful Woman’s Mindset: Unlocking the Secrets of Success and Activating Your Power”, Galit brings a refreshing and inspired approach to her presentation on how to achieve success and overcome old patterns and develop new mindsets for success. Most recently aside from an array of awards, Galit received the National Association of Women Business Owners Woman of Distinction Award as well as the TMG Entertainment’s 21st Silver State Award for Best of the Best Local Motivational Speaker in May, 2019.

Aside from being a part of multiple philanthropic boards in Las Vegas, Galit volunteers for The Shade Tree Women's Shelter for over nine years creating hands on events for the women and children.

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Welcoming summer with restorative, refreshing herbs and tonics for warm weather

By Katheryn Langelier, Founder & Formulator of Herbal Revolution

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people to support health in their daily life that goes beyond simply taking a pill.

Apple cider vinegar was a main component of botanical preparations that were used for ailments, longevity, and as energy drinks dating all the way back to 5,000 BC. We honor its rich history and utilize apple cider vinegar as an ingredient in many of our products. We elevate this power-packed, functional beverage by combining organic herbs, vegetables and fruits with raw apple cider vinegar and sweetening it with organic honey to create unique, beneficial and delicious tonics. The vinegar supports cleansing with its prebiotics, nutrients and minerals and is an ideal solvent for extracting herbs that are also nutrient dense.

As we welcome summer months, diets are naturally transitioning from the heavier foods of winter to the lighter, more cleansing green foods of spring and summer.

Along with shifting the food you’re consuming on a daily basis, now is a great time to consider working herbs into your diet in the form of functional foods and drinks like our tonic line and drinking vinegars.

Working with the body as a whole, it’s important to remember that everything is connected, and that supporting one part of the body can lead to improved function in other areas as well. The digestive system is expansive and includes organs like our stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas and gallbladder. When creating formulas to support the digestive system, I incorporate herbs for the nervous system as well, since it plays a large role in digestive health.

The two restorative and cleansing tonics highlighted here are designed to support all functions of the digestive system, along with nervous and immune functions, for maximum health throughout the body:

First things first - consider the quality of the products you’re consuming. At Herbal Revolution, our herbs are grown pesticide and chemical free on a certified organic and nonGMO farm. We wild gather from pristine places in the state of Maine, and supplement with other local organically-raised herbs when needed. Superior quality herbs can make all the difference in building wellness. Our products are crafted in small batches to ensure the integrity and quality of herbs that are being used I find that herbs are often more beneficial when taken orally as a food or in liquid format. There are many herbal pills available that I personally find to be not as supportive or easy for our bodies to assimilate. This is one of the reasons I create organic raw apple cider vinegar based tonics that are easy for our bodies to absorb and digest. I believe food is medicine and medicine is food, which is why I nourish myself with wild, delicious foods and herbs. By creating botanical medicine that is meant to be incorporated daily in the food and drink we consume, or taken straight, we are creating an interactive, delicious, and effective way for

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Digestive Tonic Digestive tonic is a cleansing lemon and ginger flavored tonic made with traditional herbs that support healthy digestive function and flora, as well as promoting nervous system health.

Among its ingredients are burdock and dandelion, both of which contain prebiotics that keep digestive flora healthy. The addition of chamomile also aids in digestion and calms the nervous system.

Turmeric Tonic This tonic is a delicious way to incorporate turmeric into your daily life. Turmeric has a rich history of use as a traditional medicine and food. Along with aiding in digestive health, Ayurveda practice suggests consuming turmeric to help support the liver, and I’ve found that this superfood is better blended with delicious warming spices and herbs in a drinkable tonic format. We’ve added in cinnamon, black pepper, and curcumin, all of which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are loaded with antioxidants. Black pepper is essential in activating the turmeric and assisting with absorption.

There are so many wonderful ways to support our bodies with herbs throughout the year, especially when moving through seasonal cycles. Tonics in particular can be turned into delicious summer drinks by adding to still or sparkling water.

Apple cider vinegar is hydrating and restores electrolytes, making it the perfect base for beverages during hot summer months.

These tonics and the complete line of Herbal Revolution products can be purchased online at herbalrev.com.

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Katheryn Langelier is the Founder & Formulator of Herbal Revolution, based in MidCoast Maine. Katheryn has 23 years of experience working with botanical medicine and a lifelong love of plants. She has studied a variety of botanical medicine including Western Medicine, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine and uses her passion and knowledge of herbs to craft high quality organic products. Herbal Revolution’s complete line of elixirs, tea blends, tonics and shrubs can be found online at herbalrev.com.

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ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION (EMA) 3RD ANNUAL IMPACT SUMMIT Photos courtesy by Getty Image

EMA

Is The Reason Why Eco-friendly Products and Green Lifestyle Choices Are Ubiquitous

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The Environmental Media Association (EMA), a nonprofit 501(c)3, has grown into a diverse subsection of entertainment industry tastemakers, entrepreneurs in finance and technology, and green icons dedicated to the mission of promoting environmental progress. EMA is a movement powered by celebrity role modeling, campaign work, social media messaging, year-round programs, and three large scale annual events: The EMA Awards, EMA Honors Benefit Gala, and EMA IMPACT Summit. EMA’s mission is to provide a unified voice for our planet through entertainment, storytelling and education.

Our messaging has encouraged millions of kids, families, and individuals to change their buying and lifestyle habits to help the planet.

Our mission is to provide a unified voice for our planet through entertainment, storytelling and education.

The EMA Green Seal now seeks to transform the hospitality industry The purpose of the EMA Green Seal for Hospitality is to provide a transparent way to measure each hotel/resort’s environmental accomplishments to lessening their impact.

Establishing best practices for the hotel/resort that are economically viable will result in water and energy savings, a reduction of toxins and role modeling for property guests and employees. In today’s world, what we do locally can create a positive impact on a global level. These sustainable actions can benefit your company’s bottom line as well as be good for our planet and health.

The EMA Green Seal for Hospitality is a story that EMA is proud to share. As a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) we are proud to base our guidelines on their recommendations. Our goal is to have the EMA Green Seal as the standard for sustainability in many sectors.

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Schools Participating in the EMA School Garden Program: The Environmental Media Association (EMA) launched its EMA School Garden Program on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood.

The EMA School Garden Program allows children across the country to benefit from shared urban school garden experiences and inspire students to take action on behalf of nature. Students who can leave the confines of a classroom for an outdoor, environmental experience learn more and test higher than other students. They also make healthier food choices in their lives and have greater self-confidence and leadership skills.

We believe that a disconnect from nature, our soil & water systems, and where food comes from is the root cause of many of our modern environmental issues. We hope by getting kids outside and planting vegetables and herbs, we can start to change that disconnect.

Since inception, EMA has directly supported 20 LA school gardens through corporate and public funding and celebrity mentoring.

Please help us put a school garden in every major city in the country! www.green4ema.org 54 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

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RECLAMING YOUR TRUE SELF

By Angela Dunning

Restoring The Sacred

Restoring the sacred is vital for our individual health and the health of the planet.

The loss of the sacred: What is so overwhelmingly missing in our modern day Western society is a sense of the sacred. Since The Enlightenment and the advance of science into all areas of modern life, religion, spirituality and a sense of the sacred as an essential part of daily life have been grossly eroded in the West. So much so that even to admit to having any kind of faith in our culture verges on something to be ashamed of; to be kept quiet and hidden from our mainstream society, including sometimes from our friends, family and colleagues.

All of which is having a profound effect on us as individuals and as a society, in terms of our well-being, fulfilment, our ability to see deeply into life and our place in the world as a part of a greater whole. The result being that most of us live in very dry, rational and logical ways, day in day out. Moving from one thought to the next; from one action to the next and bypassing our emotions as well 56 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

as a sense of the sacred and the Divine. What is often lacking is a sense of meaning, depth, the symbolic and respect for the sacredness of life.

The symbols we digest daily are as important as the food we eat, maybe more so. Therefore, the soul and psyche needs the daily nourishment of the sacred to feel in balance and well-fed. When we revere a chocolate muffin; glass of wine or latest iPhone more than the sacred then surely, as a culture, we are in big trouble? We have lost our way and our ability to connect to that which is greater than us; the mystery of life itself.

Throughout human history we have needed a deep sense of the sacred. It acts as an anchor, keeping us connected to our living world, and to a sense of something greater than us which guides our lives and provides meaning, in an otherwise abyss of seemingly chaotic forces and events.

• It is often experienced at the top of a mountain, which compels so many people to climb them in the first place, whether they readily acknowledge that they are seeking a sense of the sacred or not, this is what they are experiencing.

• It can be found when one gazes into the eyes of a new born child.

• The sacred is in the emotional response that wells-up in your heart as you stand in front of a great piece of art, breathing in the exquisite beauty, the colors, the undefinable qualities that speak to you from the artist via their canvas and paintbrush, or via the stone or metal that they have shaped into some form.

• It can also be found in the gentle, warm breath of a horse’s muzzle as they rest in the palm of your hand.

• It can be found through consciously undertaking in a religious or spiritual pilgrimage to holy sites around the world.

• We can access the sacred via the poets, songwriters, artists, writers and performers who naturally embody the sacred in their work. We can drink of their nectar daily, if we remember that poetry is a fundamental hu man need as vital as the air we breathe, and that music and dance, song and art are the food that our soul needs each day to feel truly alive.

• We can walk barefoot on the earth and bow our heads low to the ground in reverence of that which is be stowed upon us.

• We can value and remember our dreams.

• We can commit to following our creative impulses as an essential part of daily life.

From our earliest ancestors, who lived so closely in connection with their natural world and who honored the sense of the sacred through their surroundings and the other creatures they shared them with, through to the age of formalized religions, humans have an innate need and desire for the sacred. Yet sadly, growing up in modern society we can spend years being unaware that our lives lack the sacred. We may feel empty, lost and lacking purpose and meaning and things can feel hopeless, despairing, grey and mundane. Often, we then turn to the material world to feed these gaping holes.

The true blessing is that we don't even have to actively seek the sacred out, as often it simply reveals itself to us at the most unexpected moment, and if our eyes and heart are open, we can find ourselves filled with a sense of something very much ‘other’ than our ordinary state of ego-consciousness.

We instantly recognize the presence of sacredness as it stops us in our tracks. It calms our chattering mind and it fills the longing in our heart with a sense of love, beauA few of the ways we can honor and restore the sacred as individuals: ty and preciousness. The sacred brings us back into an immediate sense of presence with ourselves and humSacredness points to something beyond ourselves; something greater than bles us through its powerful sense of awe. It reminds us us is at work and it is found in anything that holds a sense of ‘numinosity’. that we do not and cannot ever know everything about this mysterious thing called life and the universe around • The sacred can appear to us in our dreams at night in a profoundly us. moving image or felt-sense.

• It can arise as we stare at the sheer beauty of a rose in full bloom.

The community and global benefits of restoring the • It can be felt as we walk in silence through a sunlit woodland. sacred: • It can be found as we gaze deeply into the eyes of a loved one.

Furthermore, each one of us who has regained access to • It is present in any moment of pure bliss. the sacred can also contribute to its return to our present • It arises as we sit beside a crystal clear stream and feel a deep sense cultural desert. We can each communicate, build, share of presence and beauty. and spread a sense of the sacred with those around us,

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and in our technological age via the internet we can instantly reach and effect many people. We can inject the sacred into our everyday lives and conversations by bringing beauty, awe and respect for the mystery of life, and in so doing, letting others know that it is okay and safe to include the sacred in their own lives too. We can give each other permission to once again honor the sacred; to reclaim a spiritual way of life and to harness the power of the Divine in whichever particular form or formlessness it appears to us.

Finally, a further crucial benefit of restoring the sacred is that, through cultivating this in our everyday lives and through spreading this in our communities, we can also encourage a sense of respect and reverence for the precious natural world of which we are a part. Thereby, contributing to the protection and recovery of the natural world so badly needed at present. Ultimately, I believe that it is the huge loss of the sacred which has led to the destruction of our beloved planet and all the species we share it with. Therefore, if we can once again harness the naturally occurring power and wonder within sacredness then this could hold a big part of the key to the survival and recovery of all life on our precious planet. Restoring the sacred is therefore an essential ecological act. One which begins with each of us honoring the sacred every day. Making time to slow down and imbibe the sacred daily; to feed our own souls and in turn the World Soul.

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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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A treasure from Gollum

By Marco Nunzio Alati & Lavandaia

Lavandaia.org This morning, I was summoned to a tragic phone call. My dear friend Lavandaia reached out to me with some sad news about our friend Luca’s cat, Gollum, who was found impaled by an arrow from a crossbow. A foolish Human being, tired and bored of swiping on his Tablet, noticed the cat coming too close to his property line and, without hesitation, purposely lifted his cross-bow and pulled the trigger. Gollum was wounded by “pure entertainment”. Luca and his wife searched for their beautiful little Gollum, for three days, leaving no rock unturned while it heavily rained and poured the entire time. Once found, he was immediately rushed to the vet, who informed them that Gollum’s body was overtaken with a deadly infection. Luca and his wife sadly stayed by his side waiting for him to pass away. Exactly the day after Gollum’s death, Lavandaia received a strong message from him that was meant to be delivered to Luca and his wife:

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Photography by A.R.T.Paola

“Don’t limit yourself to what your eyes may be showing you, but read and see through the eyes of consciousness. My brutal and premature death represents what you will continue to see in our world over and over again.

Humanity is self-destroying and we animals are only trying to bring you awareness. I am grateful for who you are as a soul and what you have given me. Yet now, it is imperative, more than ever to act with Love. The Planet Earth is suffering and we animals suffer with Her. Be cognizant and aware of the world you live in”.

There is great power in this message. We often do not want to recognize what is right in front of our eyes, even though, in the depth of our consciousness, the truth speaks out. It sounds like a far off whisper that each one of us should hear and acknowledge; a whisper of truth that is free from excuses and judgment that might be affected by our mind. Gollum talks about his departure as brutal, premature, and occurring before what was really intended for him. He also explains that humanity will continue to see and witness self-destruction with its external eyes, ignoring the eyes of consciousness.

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Gollum’s words are in absolute alignment with Lavandaia’s other latest messages she has been receiving from Gaia, our own Earth. Gaia, as a conscious being, affirmed that humanity has hit the tipping point with all its violations that have wounded Her tremendously. Since the very beginning of its creation, Gaia has been unconditionally hosting all living beings: animals, plants, Humans, including minerals, that all embody various levels of consciousness.

Mother Earth has never refused anybody or anything, She has never banned or rejected even the most foolish ones. But now, as it has always been prophesized, it is time to harvest what humanity has planted.

Humanity has dishonored this Motherly being that has welcomed us for ages. It has given Her a sequence of abominations by forcing animals and plants to adapt. Birds have mutated their inner organic body structure, like their entire respiratory system in order to acclimate to the polluted environment they live in. Plants have learned to survive unexpected droughts induced by Human experiments on climate change. And furthermore, the artificial landslides caused by militaristic practice continue to destroy minerals hindering their natural course.

Now, all other kingdoms are warning us, through their extinction and elimination, that this is what may soon happen to Humanity as well. And Mother Earth is saying Enough! Think to the phenomenon called “beaching”, where whales and dolphins are self-destructive by stranding themselves on land and dying. Think to the salmon, spontaneously reversing the direction of their course to a suicidal downstream swim.

Numerous plants and many species of animals are becoming extinct. And while animal, plant and mineral kingdoms are putting forth signs to show humanity the reality it is hurling towards, humanity has reached a level of obliviousness that cannot be tolerated any longer.

On a daily basis, Human beings are exposed to staggering numbers of people shooting each other, not only between strangers, but also between parents, children and families.

It has nearly become common ground. Sexual abuse and trafficking is also rampant. Many children experience verbal and physical abuse by what is supposed to be their greatest protectors, their parents and teachers, resulting in youth becoming psychologically damaged and dependent on harmful substances.

All this self-destruction, reveals that what we see with our external eyes, is proof that we are ignoring the vision of our inner eyes of consciousness. We have crossed many irreversible lines of danger and there is no turning back, but we must go forward. We cannot change yesterday, but we can change today. Gollum’s message teaches us Hope, to act only out of

love, live instant by instant, every day, so that we can reach “tomorrow”, with harmony amongst all elements that comprise our world. When you catch yourself falling in the mechanics of your daily life, please stop for a second and notice the wonder in the blooming flower, appreciate the intricacies of a rock in a garden, or hear the melody of a bird. Follow your highest joy in every step that you take, recognize the beauty and divinity around you, and honor every living being you stumble upon in your daily life.

Gollum calls to us in this very critical moment, to act with Love, by simply being Love.

After graduation in Industrial Biotechnology, Marco played a key role in international research projects in Canada, Austria and Spain. He stumbled upon the Reconnection by mere chance and it enlightened him in ways he hadn't realized he needed.

Three months after that unique experience, he left his job in biotechnology and embarked on his journey to become a full time Reconnective Healing Practitioner, and one of the two Italian Mentors and Teaching Assistants of Eric Pearl’s direct Team.

He is currently living in Los Angeles and collaborating with a number of independent scientific studies that are exploring Reconnective Healing and its extraordinary benefits.

For info contact marco.alati@gmail.com 323-617-2289

“Description” is all in the eyes of that who is experiencing, thus “description” of “who” becomes irrelevant. And the truth is, that describing Lavandaia using “words” is like trying to catch a fragrance. Scent cannot be caught, it can only be enjoyed and discovered through the experience itself.

Who Lavandaia “is” is her mission, Giving clarity and divine knowledge to those who are willing to move forward in life and explore how to express their highest self.

For more information visit www.lavandaia.org Or contact us at paola.seed@gmail.com

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Metropolitan Fashion Week

INTERACTIVE FASHION SHOW Photography by Sheri Determan

Dress Designed

by Kicka Custom Design 64 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Was placed on June 6, 2019, in Museum of Selfies, was a fundraiser to help support hospitals in Venezuela.

The Metropolitan Fashion Week team had volunteered to help raise funds and awareness of the devastating situation in Venezuela #MetroFW Instagram: MetropolitanFashionWeek Top Designed

by David Tupaz

Out Wear Designed

by David Tupaz Jump Suit Designed

by Erick Bendana

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LOOKING GOOD & FEELING GREAT

The Importance of Taking Care of Your Skin When Traveling

It’s so exciting to plan a trip to somewhere you have never been before. There are so many beautiful places to see all over the world. Whether you’re interested in historical locations or natural beauty, there are plenty of options that you can choose from. If you’re planning on heading away from home for one week or more, there is some pretty substantial packing that needs to take place.

You might not be able to bring all of your favorite products and items with you, but there are some essentials that you’ll want to bring along to help you keep up with your beauty and health routine.

Something that is very important when you travel is taking care of your skin. There are many different factors that can affect your skin when you travel. The weather may be different, and different levels of humidity can cause some changes in your skin. Airplane air can be extremely drying if you’re flying for long periods of time. Pollution, sun exposure and changes in your diet are all things that you’ll encounter on your next trip that will affect how your skin looks and feels. Let’s look closely at some of the ways that you can take care of your skin quickly and easily when you’re on your next adventure.

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Photography by Jens Kreuter

By Margaret Tomaszewicz

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Sun Exposure One of the most important ways that you can take care of your skin when you’re on a trip is to pay close attention to how much sun you’re getting. If you’re headed somewhere that tends to be rainy, dark and dreary a good portion of the time, then this isn’t going to pose too much of a problem for you. Tropical climates, locations close to the equator and even mountain resorts that are very sunny all day can expose you to much more sun that you’re used to. You can get burned in a very short amount of time, whereas your hometown sun might take hours for you to see any effects. Pack a very good sunscreen to take with you that is zinc and mineral-based. WODA has a sunscreen that will give you adequate SPF protection while keeping your skin safe and healthy. It’s a very mild sunscreen that won’t clog your pores and make you break out.

Aside from sunscreen, try to keep your skin covered as much as possible if you plan on being outside for a longer Stay Moisturized Bring a number of your favorite moisturizers with you. Depending on the weather where you’re traveling to, you may have to provide moisture to chapped skin, dry lips, cracked elbows or a dehydrated complexion on your face. Any of our WODA moisturizers would be beneficial for your next trip.

All of our natural face moisturizers contain natural and safe ingredients that will leave you with very hydrated and healthy results. You can also use a hydrating toner to cleanse and moisturize. It’s a great product to have on a long flight if you want to quickly refresh you skin. It’s always a good idea to drink plenty of water each day to keep your skin and body hydrated. When you’re traveling, you may forget to drink frequently.

You may also be indulging in some alcoholic beverages which can make your skin quite dry. Don’t feel like you can’t enjoy yourself, but bring along what you need in the way of moisturizing products.

Germs You’ll come into contact with all kinds of germs and bacteria over the course of your trip. If you’re constantly on the go, you don’t even realize that you’re touching germy items and then transferring those bacteria to your face. Public bathrooms, airplane air, airport travel and rental cars are all places that you don’t realize have been frequently used. You can’t stop to wash your hands every time you touch something. Using hand sanitizer can dry your hands out completely in just a couple of uses. It’s a good idea to keep your hands off your face until you can get back to your hotel room and clean yourself up properly. It might sound crazy, but you’ll want to keep your cell phone screen clean throughout your trip as well. Just think, you’re using your phone to navigate around this new place.

You might even be using social media to share all of your exciting adventures. If you put your phone up to your face to call home and check in, you’re transferring all those germs and bacteria right to your pores where a break out can occur.

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Once you have arrived back from your vacation, there are some ways that you can help repair and rejuvenate your skin.

You can start with WODA’s Magic Bamboo charcoal mask for detoxification. This will help open up your pores and remove dirt and debris. You may already be breaking out by this point if your trip took its toll on your skin. The detoxification process will help get rid of all that gunk and oil that has built up over the past week or so. We have a number of WODA skin cleansers that are designed to clean your skin, help clear it up and help balance the moisture level throughout. Make sure that you get right back into your skincare routine that you’re used to using on a daily basis. Your skin will be right back to normal in no time if you’re using the right products in the morning and at night.

It’s tempting to leave most of your typical products at home in order to pack lightly. You can usually count on the hotel you’re staying at to have complimentary products that you can use.

Unfortunately, these products tend to be very harsh on the skin. You’re better off packing a few extra items to make sure that your skin stays healthy and radiant while you’re away. If you’re a frequent traveler, have a list ready to go that reminds you of all your commonly used products. This way, you will be able to pack quickly. Also, don’t run your products down too low. If you notice something is getting below the halfway point, it’s time to reorder. You can peruse some of the products that we sell as part of the WODA skincare line. All of these products are very gentle.

They're perfect to take on your next vacation trip with you.

Have a great time on your vacation!

To your heath

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

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.

Her products are available on wodaskincare.com and on Amazon.com 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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Love Conquers All

By Nancy E. Yearout 70 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e June 2019

T

his next story will demonstrate how life turns out for a single mom who learns firsthand the effects of alcohol and drug addiction has on a family. You will discover her secret of raising her child to live a life full of joy, love and compassion for others.

Molly and Tommy were high school sweethearts. They were the best of friends with a true love for each other.

They were both very popular in school as they were both bright, talented people. After attending college for a short time, Tommy decided to change his course and join the Air force. Although they were very much in love with each other they were both surprised when they found out they were going to be parents. Tommy had just completed basic training when the young couple was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They named her Lilly and they loved her dearly.

Lilly had just turned two years old when Molly took on a part time job in the evenings. She wanted to bring in extra income for the family.

Molly quickly found a job as a cashier at a convenient store on base near their home. They had one car, Tommy would drop Molly at 6: 00 pm and would pick up her up when they closed around for business around 11:00 PM. Tommy took care of her while her mom was at work.

There was little Molly could do as Tommy was given visitation rights by the courts. What this meant was that if he did not show up drunk at the front door when he picked her up, Molly had no choice but to let her father take her. This was an extremely difficult time for Molly. Her focus was for Lilly to grow up safe and strong and loved. No matter what!

Molly worked hard as a single mom to take care of Lilly and herself. She received a small child support check hit and miss from Tommy twice a month but was always grateful. The $130.00 a month that she received her ex-husband helped put gas in the car and bought groceries. Lilly knew that Tommy continued to struggle with his own addiction after his discharge from the military and realized that she was on her own.

Molly made sure to teach their daughter good manners, values and to love herself and others. Her mother taught her the importance of being respectful of others and of herself. She instilled in her the importance of honoring her parents, even if they weren’t perfect. Molly did not speak negatively against Lilly’s father as she realized his drinking is what soothed his inner demons.

Molly had worked at the store for a short time when Tommy failed to pick her up from work. She frantically dialed Tommy but he did not answer his phone. Now Molly was worried!” what could have happened to him and where was Lilly”? The store manager was a nice fellow and offered Molly a ride home. She accepted.

The drive home felt like an eternity for Molly as she sat anxiously in the passenger seat of her boss’s truck. When they arrived the house Molly quickly hopped out of the truck. and thanked her boss for his kindness. She ran to the front door and unlocked it.

When she walked in the house she could hardly believe her eyes!

Lilly was crawling around the floor with tobacco all over hands and some of it hanging out of her mouth. She had gotten into her father’s cigarettes and was chewing on the pack! (She was teething). Tommy was passed out on the couch with a bottle of beer in his hand. He had no idea what was going on around him.

Molly was furious! She knew her husband liked to have a few beers now and then, but this was unacceptable behavior. He had put their daughter in danger. This is when Molly realized that her husband was not just an occasional drinker. He had a real problem. He was an alcoholic!

Many times, throughout her child hood Lilly would comment to her mother that she did not have all the things that her cousins Taylor and Victoria did. Lilly would confess to her mother that her cousins would not let her play with certain toys of theirs.

She said that they made fun of her because she did not have all the latest and greatest clothes and gadgets. Her mother explained to Lilly that the stuff was not that important. She explained to Lilly that she had a mother who worked hard to provide a nice safe and loving home for them. “We may not have all the extras stuff, but we have each other.” She explained to Lilly. “This is what is important in life, you will understand more clearly when you are older.” She said. Her mother explained to that what matter the most is that she is safe, healthy and loved.

Lilly hated the that her mother had worked all the time but grew to understand that her mother needed to provide for the family.

Lilly’s early years of life instilled a good work ethic set by her mother.

A few years passed, and Molly and her daughter moved out of state to be closer to Lilly’s grandparents. They stepped in to care for her when her mom was at work. With the positive influence of her mother and her grandparents Molly grew up to be a strong As time passed Tommy’s drinking increased. Molly tried with no confident girl with an extremely kind domineer. avail to get him to stop but he loved the alcohol more than he loved his family. Molly had no choice. She eventually left him and Tommy’s life took a turn for the worst. The path he had taken was a dark one. The Lord took Lilly’s father young. Tommy was in returned to her home town and filed for divorce. his thirties when he overdosed on a combination of alcohol and This was a sad turn of events for the family. Lilly saw her father drugs. He was never able to conquer his addiction. Fortunately periodically when he came to take her for the day. His visits were for Lilly the absence of her father was eased by having an awesome sporadic and Molly worried that he might drink while Lilly was grandfather who stepped in. No one can replace a parent, but the family did their best to guide Lilly along life’s many obstacles. with him.

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As I write this Lilly is in her thirties and happily married with children of her own. She carries on the traditions that her mother taught her while she was growing up. Lilly confided in her mother that her cousins are not doing well. One of the girls who had made fun of her as a child has been in jail several times and has had a difficult time finding a job.

The two cousins who were so hateful to Lilly both became pregnant while attending high school and failed to graduate. Lilly confided in me that her cousins are both single mothers themselves, reliant on the state welfare program to get by. Lilly’s had been envious of her these girls for many years because of materials items they had growing up. She wondered how she did not see this before. Lilly finally realized that the clothes, phones, computer, games, dolls and toys were not the most important things.

know that if you are teaching your kids right from wrong, respect, and kindness the extra material stuff does not matter. What matters the most is us being there and supporting each other. Love conquers all!

Never give up, never give in, and always do the right thing and it will pay off tenfold!” ~Nancy Yearout “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~ Mathew 6:19-21

As an adult Lilly now realizes that all the cool material stuff that her cousins had been given were not very important after all. Looking back on that time Lilly realized that their parents had not spent any quality time with wither of the girls. They were not taught important life lessons, they were given stuff to occupy their time!

It was the lessons that her mother had taught her along the way about caring for others, sharing, honesty, having self-respect, kindness and love that were worth their weight in gold.

Lilly understood that the love and support that she received as a child had not been given to her cousins. They were not as fortune as she had thought they were. Their parents spent very little time with her cousins. They failed to instill important life values in them when they were growing up or teach them right from wrong. As a result, they were not prosperous happy adults. This was a real eye opener for Lilly. Now she could see that the money and the stuff were not what mattered most in life.

Nancy Yearout is an Energy Healer, Intuitive Life Coach, Author and Inspirational Speaker. Her religious and spiritual work has enabled her to help many people to live the life they desire!

This one conversation made many years of struggling as a single mom worth it all! Molly knew that she had done her job as a parent and raised a respectable adult. This is Molly’s biggest accomplishment thus far! The lessons that Lilly acquired while growing up will be passed on to her Grandchildren and so these valuable lessons continue.

Her motivation and drive come from Source/God. Nancy feels inspired to share the wisdom and the messages she receives with others. Her real-life experiences are shared each week on her Radio Show/ Podcast, High Road to Humanity where insightful, spiritual guests share their story. This is Nancy’s way of each sharing new insight about raising the vibration and consciousness for all of us to create a healthy, Loving and kinder people as well as a safe harmonious place to live. My Credentials: Sales Coordinator for General Motors Corporation, Sales Manager for multiple Specialty Leather and Fur Stores, Owner and Qualifying Broker of The Harville Estates Real Estate & Development LLC, Owner of Energy Girl Publishing LLC., Author of, Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking to You, Author of Monthly Contributor to Eden Magazine, Motivational/Inspirational Speaker, Intuitive Personal Coach Intuitive card reader, Energy Healer, Radio Host/Podcast High Road to Humanity.

A New Mindset: The most important thing we can give the youth of today is a safe home, unconditional love and guidance. Material items such as I-Pads and computer games are not a replacement for human contact and real-life experiences. For all those single parents out there

Today she is happily married to the love of her life.

Nancy Yearout Hosts a Radio Show/ Podcast every week on Toginet radio and iTunes called High Road to Humanity. Visit her website www.NancyYearout.com or her Podcast www.Highroadtohumanity.com

Today Lilly attributes her successful as a business woman, wife and mother to her mother and her grandparents. She expressed to her mother that the lessons that she taught her were invaluable. Lily has confessed to her mom that the material things were not as important as she had once thought while growing up.

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LANGUAGE OF SPACE

Photography by Mor Shani

By Michael White Ryan

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A Brush with Essence Tangerine dreams and yellow balloons floating bye bye, move in tangent through the caverns of mind, way too fast, unable to clearly hear the language of essence, wind brushes with mind. Echoes reverberating, bounce out of sequence from one past memory to another, slowly drown deeper, engulfed in mind-body-experience. The unconsciousness and consciousness had been gradually preparing for months without one’s knowing. They have a way of functioning in collaboration when they feel they are not alarmed, when not in harm’s way. Many months passed after their decision was completed. One is not alone.

It appears, we, our minds love to grasp at endless never-ending searches for arriving home? Let’s not call this a journey-path,

it makes out we are accomplishing something worthwhile?

Ego graciously constantly pats itself on the head again and again, while fully knowing it’s a fool in love, playing out, and it’s just another acceptable distraction. Yesterday’s event, friend was explaining how she has to constantly ground herself to keep on top of life, on top of her everything. Change suggestion……

If we are essence, spirit, we are already grounded, as long as the mind/ego continues, needs grounding, we blindly disallow, unintentionally bypass ones true essence as essence, spirit, and ego remains….. constantly, the mind/ego event, is re-strengthened

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Days, and hours of meditation have gone down. Another day in, the session opened up with a rush of unexplained energy, does a mind-bang. Leaping over buildings, running faster than a speeding train, the I am been vacated.

Whole days folding in upon itself, on days nonstop, locked in lotus calm, painless. Life external returns within, after days of wonder. Wonder drives on open black pathways, as life outward moves slowly past within the movie-windscreen. Now countryside driving, into the unexpected! I am feels complete, unattached, within the silent language of solitude, the witness observes, the mind defines.

OUR RIVER RUNS DEEPER THAN….

Confession is good, the infinite each/every moment, amazes, holds in suspension, how Grace, the sexy lady, infinite universe speaks one’s truth, to you/me, every one of us 24/7! Oh yay baby, blessings falling like rain, down upon us from Grace’s language of pure utter visual silence…”SHE/ HE IS A LIVING GRACE”. Know this, breathe now, for you are also a living Grace, vacationing here in this 3D universe, momentarily misplaced that loving feeling. Are we the I am?

There, have been, exist moments, times when one may have felt like a prisoner of some predetermined mindset, a designed destiny by which one has absolutely no control. Couple this with books, past knowledge, experiences and seminars where ideas constantly told, gift the power to choose, go beyond from one’s internal struggles and dreams. These counter opposites inform, one can decide, can feed, renew the mindset, take back control of one’s life.

Command a desired life, receive all the heart and mind can conceive, all that you can ever want and need. When will the truth be told? Does anyone know??? Is it possible to know if we let it all go, go, go? Will want finally be over, over, over?

We hold ourselves up for ransom, when we invent transformation when I look into your/my eyes, I see demons disguised as trust love hate It’s difficult to mind-grasp, is it possible to conceive, become a creator? Turn and look back, one’s whole life, here today has been/is lived as a creator, a complete creation. We spend time, a lifetime, looking for a needle in a haystack made up of needles. And we laugh at cats and dogs that chase their tail!!!

The first of their…, the best of their…, may not be the best for one’s, I am. Yet, one may feel it is the true-self, the synchronicity of it all allows one to believe. One’s inclusion makes you feel this as a personal factual truth, this first…, and this best…, is real for me, it completes me? I

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am grateful, now I can acknowledge that feelings are by my side, feelings have clearly spoken, truth!!!, Have you ever considered giving feeling, him/her a name? Quietly ask, what is feeling looking for in this close intimate relationship?

Ask which one of you is the servant, which one of you decides who to abuse, love, which of you keeps you lost in circular patterns? One is not alone!!!

Knowledge, drowns us in the one percent of being, we know so much? Step outside from the false light and one may find we are somewhere else, stepped into unrecognizable.

One’s knowledge fills the glass half empty, while here we sit unconsciously in the baby-room, where awareness patiently waits to be birthed.

I was a fool, I was a fool I was a fool, A Brush With Essence passed by One’s egoic-mind knows best.

The commander and chief entered the chamber within a thought.

Subtly left the witness hanging, clever beingness maintains control and the days roll by, gone bye bye.

Blessings from here and now, the fruit is ripening… it’s over….

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

A SENIOR MOMENT

By Alexia Melocchi “I am having a senior moment” is a phrase often used by people as a witty way to justify being forgetful, an excuse for odd behavior. We all know that being forgetful, is one of the many things that are associated with getting older. But what if getting older was something to be celebrated instead?

Photography by Frank Busch

As a movie and television producer, I receive many proposals for television shows. A few months back I met a lady, actress and producer Barbara Tintori. Barbara, who is a successful “Bliss Coach” for women that are going through the emotional psychological and physical changes of middle age, and a Reiki Master, is also a first -generation Italian American. As a way of honoring her ancestors, specifically her “Nonna”, she came up with a concept of a reality series called “In Nonna’s Kitchen”. This was not going to be a traditional cooking show, but a celebration of the women, and men, who sacrificed much to cross the pond and make a life for themselves and for their family in the United States. Their journey to America was going to be explored through their unique recipes.

Having a very strong bond myself with both my grandmothers, now deceased, I immediately was inspired to put a positive spin on aging.

Nonnas, or Abuelas, or Yayas, or Grandmas, depending on where they come from, boils down to a word that is associated with comfort, safety, family, heritage and a tradition, and homemade cooking. Sadly, thanks to the food ordering apps, the tradition of the gathering of family members to share a homemade meal, whose recipe originates from the places we came from and of our culture, is fading. Interestingly enough, in film and television, the image of the “Nonna”, the grandmother has also changed, opening new avenues of interpretation and approach to getting older.

With the changing of times, we age differently, thanks to a more focused effort on exercise, spiritual introspection, expanded interests and some great beauty product. Being a senior today can be a fabulous label and journey.

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Twenty plus years ago, one of the most popular shows on TV was THE GOLDEN GIRLS. Some of these actresses were barely in their mid 60s and we all watched the show religiously because in spite of the white hair, and their being retired, they certainly were not retired from life.

We all laughed along their adventures and the rebellion of their seniority, as they continued to search for love and fun in their daily lives. Today, a man or a woman in their 60s, is fit enough to run marathons, can date with the same verve as a 30year old and easily run a Fortune 500 Company, as ambitiously as a 20 -year old.

Ironically, Betty White, considered a “Senior” back then, in her 60s , while doing THE GOLDEN GIRLS, is acting as a 90 plus woman in HOT IN CLEVELAND and the show is no longer marketed as a show about ‘grandmothers’ but about women who rediscover themselves after moving from Los Angeles to Cleveland Ohio, where they are considered “hot” in spite of their ages (50s through 90s).

Today, the best show on TV, to celebrate those “senior moments”, that are no longer identified with memory loss or arthritis, is FRANKIE AND GRACE, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. To me one of the best lines representing the message of the show is : “ I gained another pound today.

But I think it’s a pound of knowledge”. With age, comes wisdom, and with wisdom come better choices in life, which makes life more rewarding and enjoyable.

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For film, I can see how the perception of older men and women has changed by remembering one of the first movies about Seniors, back in the mid 80s, “COCOON”. Back then, once one becomes “older”, the first thing to do is to start planning on living in a Senior Community. Might as well be Leper’s Island! Why should someone older be confined in a community where the age is the admission prerequisite, waiting to die? Even back then, in the plot of “Cocoon” there was a subtle rebellion to that message that our lives are pretty much over past 60 years old. What if the saying “Downhill from here” becomes an actually an exhilarating ride where we get to truly remember with fondness who we have been, who we are and all the meaningful moments, considered passing time back then as we all thought we had plenty of time ahead of us, by living in the present?

In ancient cultures the elderly were considered almost God like, because they would be the ones we would naturally go

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to gain insight wisdom and receive guidance. It’s time to come full circle, and to celebrate the third act of people’s lives and to look forward to ours. Today, these elderly as we call them, can finally walk around with hip clothes, dressed like us, they can start new business ventures, like us, they can find their soulmates to spend the rest of their days with, and deserve their place in society just like we do.

Hollywood, that mirrors often and anticipates changes in our society, has found thankfully a new movie going audience, the middle aged and seniors that pay tickets to see themselves portrayed as deserving of a place in society creatures and entitled to have fun and inclusivity. That audience wants to be inspired, validated, accepted, and cherished. THE BOOK CLUB was one of those movies- where we had a chance to see four terrific actresses (Fonda, Keaton, Bergen, Steenburgen) find meaning and love and hope in their 60s and 70s.

Now, when I see an elderly couple walk down the street hand in hand I wish I had seen what they have seen, because I am sure they saw much and survived much. I wish I would have the love they have, enduring and courageous because the generations before ours did not bail out of a marriage with the first relationship problem. And most of all I wish them silently an easy rest of their days, filled with “Senior Moments” not defined by old age, but joyful, peaceful and connected moments that take seniority over the aches and pains of a worn out body, so they can keep teaching us what they know and they can make us feel, even for a little while, like coming home, because our blood is from their blood and our roots are from theirs and our spirit is renewed with their presence as we get to remember how precious life is and to cherish everything in it.

As for myself, I know that when I get there, I plan to be one of those grandmothers in the You Tube videos that keeps dancing as if time does not truly exist. Because age after all, is just a number and an attitude.

Everything will be alright in the end, and if it is not alright, it is not the end. – Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Because of those movies, and because of those shows, I have even more admiration for the elderly. It is what they symbolize and what they stand for, not what they look like or what is written on their drivers’ license, that matters the most.

My two grandmothers were very different- from my father’s side, my grandmother Emma was a true “Nonna” as we see them when we think of the “ole country”. She was earthy, not glamourous. She was quiet, not extravagant. She was most happy standing by the side of my grandfather, perhaps even a step behind him, and that was okay by her. My maternal grandmother Kiveli was the opposite. With movie star looks and going to the beach in her 70s wearing a bikini, swimming laps like Esther Williams, her most favorite ritual was getting dressed up and dolled up for my grandfather, and her favorite activity was to host the most glamorous dinner parties.

I learned much from both. Their different approach to life and their being at peace with it, allowed me to get to know myself better and what I inherited from them.

Alexia Melocchi is an accomplished film producer and worldwide distribution executive and the partner of Beverly Hills based LITTLE STUDIO FILMS. Alexia Melocchi has an experience of more than twenty years in in Hollywood and has produced 11 award wining movies and 3 documentaries that were shot by merging film makers that she has personally discovered and mentored.

She also acquires on behalf of her international distributor clients films and television shows from all over the world for release in the Middle East, Italy, Greece, Spain, Canada, South America and Germany. She attends all major film festivals in the USA and abroad and has been often invited as an expert panelist on the Film Business for high profile film and television conventions.

Alexia is fluent in five languages and is the proud mama to 3 rescue cats.

She supports environmental and animal causes , meditates daily, and is an avid reader of spiritual and self helps books.

IG @lexybella @LttleStudioFlms www.littlestudiofilms.com

81 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

MESSAGE FROM THE GODDESS MOTHER

With Jan Diana

Feeling joy is like coming home. It feels familiar. It is what you desire most to feel and enjoy in all of your life experiences.

A VISION OF LIGHTNESS My Beloved Children of Heart, “Welcome! As we gather together, let us radiate our heart’s light to each of us. Let us focus on our love for one another.

It is a time of great advancements. Each advancement moves us into the greater light of understanding and is considered of great value, for each step leads to the next and the next.

Take a moment to ponder on how wonderful it feels to share your heart’s light to each of us. Now shine it back upon yourself and your life. Feel the wonder expand ever more.

This is a wonderful way to begin and to end each day. It reflects your awareness and recognition of your sacred truth, for indeed you are that light.

Imagine living in the lightness as a constant. Imagine the wonder of feeling the joy, of basking in the delight of your heart’s countenance, and sharing your joy with your brothers and sisters.

Indeed it is a time for great celebrations as you recognize deeper and deeper your true nature and intrinsic value. It is the key to all the happiness and joy that you desire to experience.

You may wonder how this can be that I can feel so much joy.

Well, joy is the nature of your essence. It is who you are.

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You are beginning to develop the ability to live and express joy.

It is the way of the heart. It is the way to your pathways of discovering your truth.

As you experience joy by conscious choice, opportunities to develop further expansion of your natural abilities will present for you to partake. Each time you consciously choose further development, you will enhance your wisdom and knowledge of your divine nature.

It is a journey of discovery. It is a journey that you design. Now more than ever before you can consciously choose the many flavors of your experience that you desire.

Imagine yourself in a great beautiful field. There is space in all directions to build whatever you would like. There are the foundational elements, blue sky, air, water, sunshine, land. The terrain can vary but the basics are there for you.

Now what would you like to have in your life if you could choose it free of constraints or thoughts that might limit your dream? Let your mind connect with your heart through focus, and ponder on this.

Imagine this field now, filling up with your heart desires. If something appears and you change your mind, release it and replace it with another thought. See how easily you can add to or remove from this field.

It is fun to play. Take some time as often as you desire to play in your field. Build yourself whatever you desire, and then feel you in the picture experiencing it.

Imagination is a great tool to utilize to create dreams. It takes a vision clearly defined to focus upon to create the dreams of your heart. You can have fun playing with imagination while at the same time developing your abilities to direct energy.

Imagine if it was that simple. Vision the dream and then live it. What if I told you the only thing that limits this reality are limiting thoughts, beliefs, concepts and conditioning that is and has been the history of humanity.

It is the old story that has been the path that has flavored all journeys. Now with the many lighter energies on Gaia, much is shifting and preparing to shift, to elevate into the greater lightness.

As you and the We of Earth release from the old stories of limitations, letting them go in gratitude, you can allow yourself to be blessed by the lighter energies. These will assist you to see more clearly the truth.

Beloved Ones, I celebrate your glory. I know of your greatness. Each of you has your own uniqueness, and yet all of you are of one heart.

Remember you are loved and supported always. Know that the lighter pathways are ready for you to choose to walk upon them.

May you journey forward, knowing of the great love that flows to you always. You are the lightness. Shamon.”

With great love, Your Beloved Mother

As you see and feel the greater truth, your new dreams will unfold in grace. You are developing your abilities to make this your reality, your new elevated life journeys.

FREE CLASS: As a Gift I am offering you a Free Tele- Class, “Remember Who you are”.

With choice and practice you can prepare yourself for further advancement. This will enhance your innate abilities and gifts.

This is your destiny.

-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 may choose to consciously prepare for it now by opening your heart to the possibilities. Let your heart guide you. Spend time focused in joy, experiencing this for yourself and sharing joy with others.

These are foundational steps. Each works with the next. Each step enhances as it lights the way for the pathways of further discovery.

It is a grand adventure. You are the one deciding how you want that adventure to be, to feel. what it looks like, and where it will lead you next.

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: http://www.jandiana.com (if the time is not convenient, register to receive the recording when available)

It is a time to shift from focus on issues and concerns. Now you can consciously choose to focus on your heart, on joy and the infinite possibilities.

It is a time to consciously choose and focus your thoughts on what you desire rather than what is or has been troubling you or that you feel is missing. As you do this, you will begin to see the power of your shift in focus unfold in great wonderment.

You have been endowed with all the abilities to do this and so much more. It is for you to choose in your readiness. There are no judgments of timing or choices. There just are opportunities to know the lightness of heart.

Shifting the focus to your heart brings you into a greater awareness of the divine in yourself. It also brings awareness to the connection of lightness that you share with all that is.

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 L4, Animal healing, GHM, Language of love, Reiki Master, and more.

Free meditation journeys, articles, & classes. http://www.jandiana.com

83 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: On its surface, Red Hat is a comedy short film about a rich guy who thinks he’s receiving a divine message. Under the surface, though, it’s a commentary on the intersection of wealth and religion in America.

Red Hat also observes that sometimes we need to hear a message, and that it doesn’t matter who the messenger is.

The main character already knows that he isn’t being true to himself, and isn’t living the life that he knows he should be living; he just needs to hear it out loud. I think this observation goes beyond religion, and applies to any facet of life: oftentimes it helps to hear someone else tell us something that we’ve already been thinking ourselves.

I’m a fan of using symbolism in films, and of including details that reward more observant viewers and repeat viewings.

Red Hat has a number of them, starting with the color red, which represents wealth in the red hat of the main character (also an obvious reference to the Trump “Make America Great Again” hats). The color red is echoed in the main character’s red Ferrari, and again in the red Coke bottles in the drink cooler, in which he eventually sees his reflection during his epiphany. Additionally, the store clerk is wearing a T-shirt with an astronaut graphic, symbolizing science and reason; and (spoiler alert!) he’s the one who exposes the source of the main character’s divine revelation.

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RED HAT Written, Produced and Directed by Mike Dorsey A MARAUDER WORKS Production

Starring by Jamie McShane

You also hear the same metallic sound effect when the main character twirls his Ferrari keys as when he touches his gold cross necklace. And the Conway Twitty country gospel song “The Big Man Above” playing in the small store echoes the theme of the film: “Gotta help your neighbor, show more love.

Lend a hand, don’t push and shove. ...But things we gather here on Earth, will soon decay and rust. One of these days we’re gonna stand before that big man above.”

I’m also a fan of the series Breaking Bad, which used colors symbolically, with yellow being one of the most notable colors. As an homage, there are two yellow mop buckets in the film, and there’s a Breaking Bad screen-used “Los Pollos Hermanos” cup prop partially visible near the store clerk. (Coincidentally, Red Hat’s star, Jamie McShane, appeared in one of that series’ most memorable episodes, “Dead Freight.”) As another homage, the same model of vintage wooden backscratcher used by Jimmy Stewart in my favorite film, Rear Window, is on the counter in front of the clerk.

I originally conceived the idea for Red Hat as a possible Doritos commercial back when they were still doing their fan-made Super Bowl commercial contests. (However, I could never figure out how to tie it all in to being about chips!) But now, a few years later, we find this story’s themes even more relevant than ever, with or without the chips.

Mike Dorsey is a filmmaker, television producer, and editor. After creating a string of documentaries over the past decade that includes The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter and Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders, he returned to the scripted world as co-producer of USA Network’s Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. and as the filmmaker of the short film Red Hat. Mike was a producer and editor at Discovery for six years. He previously held similar positions at 3net, Havoc Television, and Ripe TV, and was the Senior Director of Production and Programming for the Outdoor Channel for four years. Some of his past shows include Destination America's Hillbilly Blood, Discovery Channel's Turn & Burn, and E!’s Hollywood Death Trip.

Mike Dorsey holds a degree in Marketing from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He is an active member of the Producers Guild of America.

From Grief to Grace Pet Bereavement Counseling Monthly Column

with Pina De Rosa

The loss of a beloved pet can be the deepest heartbreak of our lives. Each month we will address and answer a key topic

86 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

In our June column on Pet Grief Counseling, we looked at the impact of hearing “it was just a pet” and dealing with disenfranchised grief within the stages of grief.

For this month’s topic, we get to look at “My pet died, what do I do?”

My pet died, what do I do?

Often times people tell me that right after their pet died they had no idea what to do next. And friends of bereft pet parents wish they knew what to suggest, what to say, how to help?

When the human-pet bond physically breaks, the intensity of the pain can feel unbearable.

We enter a state of shock and often times, we do not know what to do next. The fact is that the intensity that can characterize the human-pet bond can be one of the hardest thing to put in to words. Words are actually limiting to the experience as we entrust them with the deepest side of us.

Those of us who experience it for the first time did not know that it could be so deep, soul-filling and even overwhelming.

The human-pet bond can feel like the purest form of unconditional love, and one of the most spiritual love experiences of our lives. We feel a sense of loving safety, connection and intimacy with our animal that is like no other bond. They become our soul mates, so much so that we can become emotionally dependent on them. The depth of the soul connection we feel is matched by the intensity of the emotional distress we experience when our pet dies. When that happens, it feels like our heart constricts in our chest, and it physically hurts to breathe. That is how emotionally intense, complex and personal the human-pet bond can be. When that bond physically breaks, the intensity of the pain feels insurmountable. In time we realize that spiritual connection is an unbreakable bond that will continue to enrich us for the rest of our lives. As that bond lives in us, and as their spirit lives through us, we get to discover even more about love. That is yet another wonderful gift we receive, even well after they are gone. And, supporting us in learning to handle change is one of the many gifts that characterize the intense human-pet bond.

Aside from all the emotional layers that we have covered at length in prior articles as well, here is some input -and logistics- that I wish I would have known about well before my first pet died. Depending on your religious or spiritual inclination, you may decide to either bury or cremate the body of your beloved animal companion. Deciding which pet mortician, or pet cemetery to pick, and having to make that choice right after your pet dies, at the time of such intense deep pain, is probably the least favorable time to make this final decision. After my first dog passed away, and how emotionally excruciating it was to deal with the grief itself, as well as the logistics, I realized that the best course of action for the future would be to have all the ar-

rangements pre-made while the pet is alive and well (not unlike for humans). That way, when the day comes, the focus can be on being fully present with the beloved animal companion vs. being bogged down with logistics and details of painful, last decisions.

The fact is as morbid as it sounds- that is ideal if the cremation or burial details are already in place while the pet is alive and well. It’s the same for people. Plan ahead. When it happens, it’s not the time to start making plans – I remember I was so distraught when that happened the first time, especially as it was a sudden and traumatic experience without a peaceful goodbye, that it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was already in a deep state of shock.

Plus I was reading all these bad Yelp reviews and nightmare stories of a cat’s ashes being returned in a coffee tin, or warnings to not enter the side door of a mortician’s place of business or you’d accidentally see dead pets wrapped in cellophane, stacked high with limbs protruding! I got even more distraught – what if I made the wrong final decision?

That is why, with every beloved pet I adopted after my first dog passed, I set up all the aftercare arrangements the same week they were adopted.

When my second dog passed away, the only relief was that all the logistical details of his cremation had already been pre-arranged. All I had to do was send a text to Scott Summerville founder of www.AtGardensEdge.com I could not recommend Scott more highly, and I strongly recommend that you Yelp a pet mortician in your area whom you feel confident will give your beloved furry companion the dignified last rites and respect they deserve.

When I lost my first beloved dog it was sudden, unexpected, and there was no goodbye. I was not prepared/able to make any decision in the state of deep shock I was in. A friend offered to help call a few cemeteries and cremation places and to send me a summary of costs / times / details of her top suggestions. A few days later another friend helped me make calls to the top 3 choices I had selected based on my friend’s suggestions, as well as Yelp reviews. That is how I selected Scott Summerville and he was, truly, a God-sent.

As you get through the decision of who will handle your pet’s aftercare, other next steps are what to do with their belongings. Then, writing a letter.

Friends want to help, but often times they do not know how. Ask a friend to help you with your pet’s belongings: specifically to help you by making returns, food & vitamins returns, any Amazon returns. As well as donating any leftover medication to your own vet who can then prescribe/donate it to families who would not be able to afford the cost of prescriptions. Ask a friend or two to come over and clean out the kitchen/house of all your pet bowls and personal items. It’s helpful if they clean what is washable and put everything way in a box so you would not have to look at it 87 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

have to look at it when you are home (especially if you live alone). At a later time, when you can bear it, you will be able able to look through it and decide accordingly.

In time, some of my dog’s personal items, as well as personal items that used to belong to the pets of all my grief counseling are chosen / donated to homeless pets living out in the streets as part of #MissionWellington and his www.TreatsForPups.com - There are other philanthropic organizations in your areas in need of donations of gently used items. I invite you to let another pet benefit from the special things your furry companion loved. Here is a photo of a homeless pet and his owner who inherited one of Wellington’s beds after his passing.

Before your pet is cremated or buried, a good next step is to write a letter. A letter to your pet that you will seal and give to the pet mortician so your pet can be either buried or cremated with it. This letter can be a testament of so much that you love about your pet; it can include what you are thankful for and what you miss about them…. In that letter/envelope, you can include a small little something that belongs to you so that it will go “with” your pet… I recommend staying away from any plastic or metal objects as they’d likely compromise the ashes in the cremation process, but a section of a special blanket, a lock of your hair, a photo would surely work. Tell the mortician to please include that envelope with your dearly beloved. Let them know there is nothing plastic or metal in it. They will say yes.

counseling, I definitely recommend the following 2 books as it will help you to read them early on, and especially during the phase of grief that may push you towards isolation: both books will help immensely.

“The loss of a pet – a guide to coping with the grieving process when a pet dies” by Dr Wallace Sife https://smile.amazon.com/Loss-Pet-Coping-GrievingProcess/dp/1630260797/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=wallace+sife&qid=1552636632&s=gateway&sr=8-1 “Until we meet again: From grief to hope after losing a pet.” by Melissa Lyons https://smile.amazon.com/Until-We-Meet-Again-Losing/dp/0995949131/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=melissa+lyons&qid=1552636730&s=gateway&sr=8-2 I am not suggesting either book, I am suggesting both as they will help you navigate this harrowing heartbreak.

Also, in case of cremation, ask them if they will do something called a 90/10 (or 80/20)? That ensures the ashes being returned to you in 2 separate pouches, one large ouch of ashes and one smaller pouch in case you decide to spread the ashes at a later point. The reason behind the 2 separate pouches is so that you will not have to handle or disturb the ashes should you wish to have only a portion spread, while keeping another potion safely at home with you.

Next, ensure you have the following 3 things: a framed photo of your pet, your pet’s collar (or favorite toy), and a new journal. The framed photo is so you can hold the frame, kiss it, and even use it as a “portal” to talk to you pet if you’d like to connect with him/her that way.

The collar (or favorite toy) is so you can squeeze it when you need to hold something that your furry companion loved.

And a new journal is so you can explore and express your thoughts and feelings, whether you are receiving pet bereavement counseling support, simply talking with friends, or going through your internal solo healing journey. There are several options for pet grief counseling that I recommend you Yelp (in person, on the phone, via FaceTime / Skype). www.PetBereavementCounseling.com offers an initial complimentary session, as well as sliding scale.

If you are not open to the personal support of pet grief 88 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2019

Pina De Rosa

(APLB / AAVSB) is a

two-time TEDxSpeaker and Certified Pet Grief Counselor, founder of www.PetBereavementCounseling.com. You may reach her directly for 1-1 Pet Grief Support (sliding scale available).

Her passion project is #MissionWellington and his www.TreatsForPups.com, bringing “doggie bags” of pet food, blankets and supplies to the homeless pups living out in the streets.

Follow her at or submit your questions to www.Instagram.com/LifeAccordingToWellington

Have you seen Gretchen?!

Missing since 11/11/2016 Please contact us

info@theedenmagazine.com