EDEN
T h e
September, 2018
©
Magazine
JEANMICHEL COUSTEAU A Visionary Voice for the Ocean
INTERVIEW WITH BOBBIE BRINK By Stacey Blanchet
CREATING FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE By Miriam Bertke
RAYE'S MUSTARD MILL LAST REMAINING TRADITIONAL STONE-GROUND MUSTARD MILL
THE AFTERLIFEWE NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE By Barry Eaton
WHAT IS YOGA By Sindy Warren
LET GO OF BODY SHAMING WITH SELF-LOVE By Stephanie Mason
Table of Contents 6
JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU By Jacyln Mandoska
18
HELLO? IS ANYBODY THERE?
28
By Joe Santos, Jr.
23
RAYE'S MUSTARD MILL
28
HOW TO BECOME A MORE MINDFUL EATER By Samantha Gorden
30
INTERVIEW WITH BOBBIE BRINK By Stacey Blanchet
30
40
SEEDS OF EMPATHY
By Jayita Bhattacharjee
44
WHAT IS YOGA By Sindy Warren
48
THE AFTERLIFEWE NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE By Barry Eaton
44
52
YOU ARE UNIQUELY DESIGNED FOR WEALTH By Prema Lee Gurreri
70
CREATING FINANCIAL ABUNDACE By Miriam Bertke
72
LET GO OF BODY SHAMING WITH SELF-LOVE By Stephanie Mason
Jean-Michel Cousteau
52
Cover by Brenda Saint Hilaire Photography
3 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e July 2016
DINA MORRONE
Maryam Morrison
GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS
JAN DIANA
MICHAEL WHITE RYAN
MARGARET TOMASZEWIC
ANGELA DUNNING
KATE YOUNGER
TARA-JENELLE WALSCH
MIRIAM BERTKE
SAMANTHA GORDON
MARIA ELENA INFANTINO
EDWARD HAKOPIAN
BRENDA SAINT HILAIRE
SHERI DETERMAN
JOE ROXANA JONES ARNAUD SAINT-PAUL SANTOS, JR.
STEPHANIE MASON
JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE
MEET OUR TEAM
Photo by Artin Mardirosian
Spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings and Lliving in healing and peaceful world
EDEN
T H E
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 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DINA MORRONE BRAND AMBASSADOR MARIA ELENA INFANTINO SOCIALITE DIRECTOR GLORIA KISEL-HOLLIS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JAN DIANA JOE SANTOS, JR. ANGELA DUNNING MIRIAM BERTKE STEPHANIE MASON SAMANTHA GORDON MICHAEL WHITE RYAN JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE TARA-JENELLE WALSCH MARGARET TOMASZEWICZ ROXANA JONES & ARNAUD SAINT-PAUL CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN GRAPHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY KATE YOUNGER BRENDA SAINT HILAIRE PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY SHERI DETERMAN CONTACT 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 September 2018
6 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
A Visionary Voice for the Ocean, Sharing his Love for the Sea and Hope for Humanity
J
ean-Michel
Cousteau By Jaclyn Mandoske We are all connected to the ocean. Without healthy oceans, no life, not even on land, can exist. ~Jean-Michel Cousteau
7 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
I
t was a cool, foggy Sunday morning in the Santa Barbara harbor as Jean-Michel Cousteau, with a playful smile and dressed in a humpback whale printed t-shirt and off-white windbreaker, warmly greeted his family and friends in the charismatic, kiss-on-each cheek French fashion. From afar, the occasion would seem like a group of close friends going out for a scenic whale watching excursion, celebrating the 80th birthday of a true environmental hero – a man who has spent his lifetime traveling the world’s oceans, documenting it’s beauty and wonder, and sharing his love for life in the sea through his vision and hope for humanity. But for Jean-Michel, his birthday – he tells me – is not about himself at all. Instead, his relays his message that today is an opportunity, both his pleasure and privilege, to be surrounded by those he loves and share with them the raw experience of adventure – the wonder, excitement and amazement that comes with venturing out into the unknown, and discovering together the physical, mental, and emotional connection we are all so privileged to experience with nature. For Jean-Michel, the ocean has always been deeply intertwined with his life. Growing up in the small coastal town of Sanary-sur-Mer in the south of France, the sea was his playground. At the age of seven, his father, Jacques Cousteau, strapped Jean-Michel and his younger brother Philippe, into his newest undersea invention – the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus – or SCUBA. With their mother right beside them, the entire family plunged into the turquoise clear warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and opened their eyes to an amazing new world within our own. From then on, the Cousteau’s lives would never be the same. In the decades that followed, Jean-Michel has remained captivated by the world’s oceans, dedicating his life to sharing its beauty and advocating for its protection. His expeditions around the world have taken him from the depths of the tropical Amazon, exploring the water cycles of Earth, to the frigid seas of the Artic, filming the colossal creatures that call it home, and to uncounted more places in between. As a filmmaker, he has produced over 80 films, bringing the magic of the ocean to the eyes – and hearts – of millions of people around the world. He has received the Emmy, the Peabody Award, the Sept d’Or, and the Cable Ace Award for his work. But for Jean-Michel, his passion is about sharing our human connection to nature – and reaching people at their heart. This philosophy has allowed him to become a voice and diplomat, not only for life in our oceans, but also for humanity itself. Jean-Michel has met with leaders from around the world, including many United States Presidents, to engage in a dialogue and have a conversation about our life-support system – the ocean. In 2006, after the release of his PBS television documentary special, Voyage to Kure, Jean-Michel met with then-President George W. Bush at the White House, who created the then-largest marine protected area in the world around the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Everybody has a heart, as Jean-Michel always says, and when you get people to open up and talk about their families and lives, it becomes much easier to have a conversation about how we can work together to protect our water planet. For his lifetime of achievements and exemplary public service in ocean conservation, Jean-Michel was honored with the highest French civilian order of distinction, the Chevalier de la Légion D’Honneur, Knight of the Legion of Honor, from the then-President of France, François Hollande in May 2016. Through his voice and vision, Jean-Michel continues to remind us we are all connected to one another, and our quality of life depends on the quality of our oceans. This planet – our home – is what we all have in common. Back on the boat, Jean-Michel chuckles while his grandchildren watch gleefully as common dolphins race to the bow and begin swimming in graceful bounds. As he looks out across his group of friends, he smiles at the young people around him, knowing it is them who will become our leaders of tomorrow. Educating the future generations has been a staple of Jean-Michel’s life. It is why he has created educational programs in numerous places and languages around the world, to communicate to children the lessons we can learn from nature and instill in them the knowledge that we are all connected on our one ocean home. Many of the friends with him are those he has known and worked with for years, and most are those who continue to join him every year for a week at Family Camp at Catalina Island, where each year, children and adults alike have the freedom and privilege to explore, experience and connect to the natural world around them. For Jean-Michel, it is a time where the ocean is once again his playground, and his friends, both below and above the sea, are everyone he meets.
8 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
We have the ability to provide clean water for every man, woman and child on the Earth. What has been lacking is the collective will to accomplish this. What are we waiting for? This is the commitment we need to make to the world, now. ~Jean-Michel Cousteau
Photography by Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society
Photography by Richard Murphy
Why are the oceans so important to us? What most people on the planet don’t understand, either because they may not live near the ocean or see it everyday is that we are all connected to the ocean. We are made out of the ocean. We drink the ocean when we drink water; we ski on the ocean when we are skiing up on the mountains. When the ocean evaporates, it creates clouds, which travel across the planet and ultimately drops the rain we need to survive. It is very important for people to realize this. And we must share that information with the public and help them understand their connection to the ocean, no matter where they live. So, how can we help that? Education, education, education. And when we have the opportunity, we need to take kids out into nature! It could be as simple as taking kids who live in the middle of the US to a nearby river, and asking them to think about that bottle in a river. We can ask them, where does it go? Well, it goes to the ocean! Or to look at a fish and think about how it has been affected by everything you put into the river. We all depend on the ocean, not only for water, but also the air we breathe. Every other breath of air we take is coming from the ocean. No air, no water, no life. This is not just for us – but for every living plant, animal, and creature on the planet. We need to do everything we can so we protect our water support system – so we can continue breathing and enjoy being alive. When did you first realize our human impact on the planet? This is something that, for me, goes way back to when I was very young and had the privilege to become a scuba diver with my family. Those early days, we had many friends underwater – the groupers, eels, stingrays, all the little creature that I loved. But as time went on, there were less and less of my friends underwater. They were starting to disappear. I began to realize that we were taking more from the oceans than nature could reproduce. At the same time, we were putting in a lot of garbage. Now, at the time there was no plastic. Today, ocean pollution has only gotten worse. But as a kid, seeing that felt terrible. It felt like we were heading in the wrong direction. While I say this now, I don’t think I completely understood that as a kid. And even though I may not have known it at the time – it got into my guts, my brain, and my heart. It became something I now feel very privileged to have experienced. Fortunately, I was able to keep exploring other parts of the world. I realized that some places were still in very good shape, while others looked much more damaged. And a lot of it we never talk about, not only is there the garbage we can see, but also the things we cannot see – chemicals, heavy metals, pieces of plastic degraded into smaller particles. We are filling our oceans with these chemicals without realizing how connected we are to the system. Ultimately, it all comes back to us – on our dinner plates, in our homes. It is terrible what we are doing to ourselves. But many people do not know and we need to help them understand so that we can do the right thing. Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp at Howland’s Landing on Catalina Island. Jean-Michel, in blue wetsuit, and Dick Murphy talk to snorkelers before the dive. 10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
What are your thoughts on climate change? Climate change is a real, real problem. It affects a lot of people. Our emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) through the burning fossil fuels increases the temperature of our planet – not just of the air, but also of the oceans. That added heat contributes to the rising sea level of the oceans, which is a huge issue for many people around the world, especially those in low-lying areas. We also tend to forget that because the water is warmer, it contains more energy. This means that storms and hurricanes become stronger, with much more dramatic consequences on land, particularly for those in small islands that don’t have mountainous landscapes to retreat into. These beautiful places are being washed away, and this is happening today. These are only some of the major consequences from a changing climate, with others being food and water security, public health and disease, costs of living, and many more. While these are serious and urgent concerns, there are ways to stabilize the acceleration of climate change by switching to other forms of collecting energy, and using renewable sources. We can do it! We know what needs to be done. But we need to do it now. We have no choice. For me, it’s an exciting time. How has the world changed in 80 years, through your eyes? Well, it has changed enormously! You know, when I was a kid, there were no communication systems – no cell phone, no computers. Our phone at home was connected to a wire and I’ll never forget, our phone number was three numbers – my mother would always tell me, 1-2-2 – backwards. That’s it! There has been a huge transformation in our communication systems, where today, we now have seven and a half billion people connected to each other, in what I call, the communication revolution. Every human being on the planet is connected today. It is fascinating! Now, anybody can ask questions, and we can all get answers. And because of this, today, we can no longer lie, steal or cheat, because you are going to get caught! It is a very exciting time! For our species, everything has changed. What are you most hopeful for? Young people of today, our Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) educational program, and the fact that you can reach young people in schools, teach them about our life support system – the ocean – and they will immediately understand and do whatever they can. I’ve seen kids tell adults, for example, oh, you’ve dropped something, and the adults listen to the kids and pick it up. For these kids, it is second nature to clean up after themselves, to not pollute, to conserve energy and water. That
is what we need to continue doing, educating the next generation of leaders so they can make better decisions than we have made. I have never been as excited or optimistic about the future as I am today. What is the coolest thing you’ve ever seen underwater? The coolest thing I’ve ever seen underwater… will happen in the future! My next dive! My father used to say, and I agree, that if I knew what I would see, I wouldn’t go. Well, every time you go diving, there is always something new to see. My favorite dive will be the next one. You’ve just turned 80 years old! Happy birthday! What is the one message you want to share with the world? Everybody on the planet should fall in love with the water system, with the ocean, which we all depend upon, and should continue to help and support one another in taking action, making real change, and caring for all life on our water planet. Our mission at Ocean Futures Society is, when you protect the ocean, you protect yourself. Special Thank you to Jean-Michel Cousteau for the generously giving his time for the intervew. Holly Lohuis Jaclyn Mandoske Carrie Vonderhaar Brenda Saint Hilaire Photography and Ocean Futures Society
∑ Jaclyn Mandoske is a writer and coastal planner in San Francisco, California. She has a Master’s degree from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation. Jaclyn has worked with JeanMichel Cousteau for nearly a decade and is currently co-authoring a book with Jean-Michel Cousteau to inspire, educate, and uplift readers through redefining our perspectives about our life support system and help drive humanity towards a more sustainable future. Jaclyn has a background is marine ecology, communications, and climate change adaptation planning and policy.
11 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
12 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
To me the foundation of all life is in the ocean. ~Jean-Michel Cousteau
Photography by Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society
Jean-Michel Cousteau with President George Bush when they made the announcement about the National Marine Monument
Wonders of the Sea 3D The sea is a wondrous and magical place. It is world of light and shadow, full of amazing creatures that stimulate the imagination. Here, beneath the waves, can be found both the beautiful and the bizarre. The coral reef is one of the Earth’s most diverse environments. Thousands of unique species inhabit an ecosystem that has been called the rainforest of the sea. Further down in the depths lies an eerie world of cold darkness. In an environment with extremes of both temperature and pressure, life actually flourishes. But here, evolution has taken a bizarre turn. Grotesque alien creatures patrol the darkness, illuminating the way with artificial lights produced within their bodies. Welcome to the mysteries of the Ocean Realm. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been tapped to narrate Wonders Of The Sea 3D, a new feature documentary from 3D Entertainment Films that is being directed by Jean-Michel Cousteau and Jean-Jacques Mantello. The 85-minute pic made its debut in May at the Cannes Film Festival market, Special thanks to all casts and crews: Directors: Jean-Michel Cousteau Jean-Jacques Mantello Writers: David Chocron, Francois Mantello, Jean-Jacques Mantello The Producers: Pascal Borno, Jean-Francois Cavelier, Beryl Huang, Luc Hardy, Jonathan Kendrick, Ulrik Knap, Francois Mantello, Melissa McGinnis, Elisabeth Riley, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick M. Knapp Schwarzenegger 14 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Jean-Michel Cousteau & Arnold Schwarzenegger are together in Cannes
People will protect what they love. ~Jean-Michel Cousteau
Every breath of air we take is coming from the ocean. ~Jean-Michel Cousteau
16 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Photography by Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society
Jean-Michel Cousteau and Nan Marr Bob Evansbobevansphotography.com
17 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
THE WAY I SEE IT
By Joe Santos, Jr.
Is anybody there?
I just got back from a month long vacation in Europe. Before I left, a good friend reminded me about calling my cell-phone provider about a rate plan to alleviate roaming charges. Great idea. Done. While on the phone with the phone company, the representative suggested since I was going to be gone for so long "why not suspend your Internet and Cable?” “Sounds good to me,” I said to my provider! And then I also asked to have the Cable and the Internet put back on two days before I arrive home as to ensure service is up and running by my return date. I arrived home as scheduled. No Cable. No Internet. So, I called my “provider.” “Thank you for calling. Due to the heavy volume of calls, there will be a 30-minute delay in answering your call." Thirty minutes? Thirty? Ok, I’ll live in the moment for 30 18 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
minutes. I’ll just put my phone on speaker and continue to unpack my luggage while listening to the lovely “elevator hold music" until someone in a cubical 8,000 miles away answers my call! I’m really not as impatient as this sounds but I was a bit jet-lagged and needed to get back to real-life, like catching up on News, E-mails, The Real Housewives, etc. You know, important things. After exactly 30 minutes, a representative answers. I explain the situation. He asks for all of my information: name, address, zip code, phone number, account number, last four digits of my social, and my personal pin number! What’s next? I think to myself, my blood type? And then he puts me on hold.
After a ten-minute wait, he returns, “I'm sorry sir. I must transfer you to the Accounting Department.” “Accounting Department?” I ask. He answers, "Yes, sir. Please hold.” And then he puts me on hold again. Eight minutes later he comes back on the line. ”Hello, this is Oscar from the Accounting Department. How may I provide you with excellent service today?” I take a deep breath. I explain the situation to Oscar. "May I have your name, address, zip code, phone number, account number, last four digits of your social, and your personal pin number again?" I provide all the information to Oscar and then he says, "Please hold.” (Now, considering the fact that I just got off a plane that I was seated in for 14 hours, the last four of which were spent in turbulence and there’s a nine-hour time difference… needless to say, I wasn’t in the mood at that moment. But I've maintained my patience and found my “nam myoho renge kyo” to hold me over the next 12 minutes it takes Oscar to return. He finally comes back on the line and apologizes for the delay. “The issue sir is that you have an outstanding balance of $312.00 for the month of July. So we cannot reinstate your service until it is paid.” I took a deep breath and then I said, “Sir, the truth is I asked for my service to be suspended for the month of July. I had a zero due balance when I set it up. I returned two days after the date I requested it to be reinstated. So, where does this balance come from?” The answer is, who cares? I paid it! My service came back on. That’s the trick... how am I going to argue a point? When you first begin one of these calls they always tell you this conversation is being recorded. What I wanted to say to my cell phone provider was, “Well, can we please replay the conversation that was being recorded when you suggested I halt my service while on vacation and you clearly stated that there was no balance due at that time?” The point is simple. NOBODY pays attention anymore whether you’re paying thousands of dollars for service, flying First Class, checking into a fancy Hotel or paying pennies on a dollar to get from point A to point B, or walking down a street, shopping in a market, running through an airport, ordering a sandwich or a simple black coffee! Hello??? Is anybody there? I'm as guilty as the next person because I let it happen. We get to a point where we think if I argue with this person am I going to cause a scene?
Is this a lunatic? Will they pull out a gun? This is the world we’re in? So, instead, we pay the $312.00 bill that doesn’t exist. I don’t sit well with the philosophy of complacency or the fear to confront, stand up, or demand. I believe in calling it like it is. Not in an aggressive way but in a noble way. We deserve that much. We give that much and more. We have got to rethink behavior. Find values where we can and in who we can. Begin to own, share and inspire. We can’t all be so lazy or unaware or uninterested. We’re so wrapped up in our phones and selfie sticks that if we got hit by a truck in the middle of Melrose Avenue would we even notice? Would anybody else? On the flight home, I'm seated in Business Class. A girl in her mid 20’s seated behind me apparently dropped her phone between the seats of the electronic pods we are in. She was in the aisle on the floor ranting, pushing and banging the seat to un-wedge her phone unaware and unapologetic of the disturbance. The Flight Attendant tried to assist after informing her that they were electronic seats and the phone most likely would have to remain there until after we landed and the passengers have been deplaned. Well, you would have thought someone opened a window at 35.000 feet! She was going to be without her cell phone for six of the remaining hours of the flight - a cell phone, which is supposed to be (by law) on airplane mode. I applaud the Flight Attendant for the way she handled the situation and the passenger. The passenger sat there for the rest of the flight pouting without apology and clueless on how to just be. If we could recognize in others how not to behave, then we could begin to rethink our own actions and reactions, even learn how to better communicate. If we can agree to disagree and be willing to be present to its conversations, maybe we can begin to enjoy the “elevator hold music” a bit longer.
2 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
19 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
SOUL COURAGE
By Tara-jenelle Walsch
BEGIN AGAIN …
and again, and again.
“Huh.” I mumbled with inquisitive hope, my eyes still looking out into nowhere. “You know what? You’re right!” And just like that, I felt the heaviness of this seemingly dreadful loss wean softly into firefly twinkles of possibility. Did my grief around this hardship disappear entirely? No. But her comment was potent enough to shed the outer layers of doom and gloom and shift my focus to what might await me in a fresh start. Physical life is an ongoing collection of openings and closings. An energetic compilation of consecutive contractions and expansions. Now, if you told me that in the midst of my anguish, I’d stomp my feet and hiss with protest. But in the calm reflection of reason and insight, this sings truth to me. The bittersweet of it all is that the process is circular and ongoing. The thought of endless beginnings and endings in everything from relationships, to jobs, to moves—let alone human lives, well, it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting enough to want to throw in the towel.
After sharing my long and theatrical story of despair, a friend of mine replied cheerfully, “Congratulations on your new beginning!” Well, that’s one way to jolt-pivot someone, mid-emotional break-down. It certainly caught me off guard, which isn’t easy to do. My knee-jerk reaction was the classic pause and curious tilt of the head. Damn! I thought to myself. I don’t know if that inspires the hell out of me or leaves me feeling unheard and triggered. I could feel the dark side tugging at the skirt of my thoughts, begging to play victim. But there was just a little too much sparkle and hope and excitement in her comment. No…I couldn’t fold on that one.
20 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Yet, at the same time, there’s also a sense of peace that can be found in knowing all things have a natural ebb and flow, regardless of our performance. In other words, things end because it’s time for them to end. Not because we aren’t good enough, fast enough, strong enough or evolved enough. Our interaction, willingness, engagement and expression plays a large part in the direction of our lives, but the energy of all components together creates a larger force and eventually shifts, changes and morphs things onto the next phase of life. When we can see endings as energy that just changes form, then we will be actively taking part in creating new openings in their place. Trusting the natural rhythm of life in this way keeps us in flow with harmony and new beginnings. Trusting at this level isn’t easy, I get it. When precious things end without our consent and we’re left sitting at a new beginning, there’s usually a lot of snotty sleeves and kicking dirt. And the added devastation of most endings is that they aren’t always soft landings. But when we find ourselves with gravel at our face it’s ok to lay in the dirt for a while and pound the earth with despair until we feel a moment of self declaration, standing up and brushing ourselves off to start anew.
In fact, it’s more than ok. It’s imperative to feel and express all that surrounds the process of what feels like an ending; fear, despair, sorrow, all of it. Because it’s the feeling through an ending that often leads to the breakthrough into a new beginning. The breakthrough also allows us to come to peace with the loss and trust the reasons for that ending, whether we know them or not. When we can do this, we’re stretching our consciousness out of this catsuit of a physical body and merging with our soul into the knowing that there is more going on than meets the eye. This level of trust in our soul’s path will help dissolve our minds perception of struggle so that we may participate with pure freedom, enriching our experiences here on earth. It will fuel fortitude so that we may continue winding ourself up, again and again, to begin something we know will eventually come to an end. But how can we begin to more consistently trust the unfolding of life? In the case of what we perceive as an ending or loss, it’s helpful to challenge the emotional definition of the word “end.” Instead of viewing the end of something as bad, sad, painful and definitive, try to think of it as a bridge to a new beginning for all involved. As a simple analogy, imagine you’re running in a relay race with others. After you’ve completed your laps around the track, your mind may default to thinking that you’ve reached the “end” but you then pass the baton onto someone else. And so on, and so on. If we interchange time with miles for the sake of this analogy, the time we spent in the past at a home, a job, in a relationship and so on, could be seen as miles we “ran” in those experiences, energetically, until it was time for us to “pass on the baton.” Just because we aren’t passing the baton onto someone we can look square in the face doesn’t mean there isn’t either another human being or an energetic space that our leaving opens up for something else to fill. And so it goes for all things that feel as if they are narrowing to a close and ending. Behind the scenes they are really being prepped for rebirth and new beginnings. Yet, it takes courage to entertain this idea and fully incorporate it into our being. Especially when we look at certain expe-
riences in our life as ending and feel we have to muster the strength to start over for the millionth time. Just like you, I’ve stood there many times, looking up at what felt like Mt. Everest and trying to figure out how to take the first step in putting life back together. But there is no starting over, it is really just about continuing. Keep moving forward and adjust your desires and direction as you go. The truth is, I don’t always trust the process of life myself—but I will say that when I do; breathing feels better, loving feels better, living feels better. Maybe I’m reminding myself of these things as I share them with you. Maybe together, we can begin, again. RoadMap to Begin Again 1- Release emotions that come up around what feels like an ending 2- Remember there really are no endings, just bridges into new beginnings 3- All things ebb & flow just as energy contracts and expands 4- Trust in the natural rhythm of life 5- Challenge your definition of the word, “end” 6- Beginning is just continuing with new direction; keep moving forward 7- You got this. As Alexander Graham Bell’s so eloquently put it, “When one door closes, another door opens.”
e Tara-jenelle Walsch is a monthly columnist for the Eden Magazine. She is the author of the book, Soul Courage, and the founder and spirit behind the Soulebrate greeting card company. You will also find her speaking publicly about emotional and energetic awareness, and a sacred formula which she believes has the ability to enrich the world at large. Tara-jenelle was raised in Annapolis, Maryland and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Towson University in Baltimore. She currently lives in the beautiful hills of Ashland, Oregon. www.soulcourage.com
21 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
RAYE’S MUSTARD MILL LAST REMAINING TRADITIONAL STONE-GROUND MUSTARD MILL www.rayesmustard.com
The Raye’s Mustard History In 1900, J. Wesley Raye, the 20-year-old son of a sea captain and recently home from service in the Spanish-American War, founded Raye’s Mustard in the island community of Eastport, Maine. Through the years, the Raye’s brand has been meticulously maintained by each succeeding generation of the Raye family. Today, 4th generation owners Kevin and Karen Raye handle the stewardship; protecting the brand identity, quality and authenticity, while adapting to the preferences of today’s discriminating consumers. (Kevin is the great-great nephew of J. Wesley Raye.) Raye’s award winning small batch blends are handcrafted for the true artisanal condiment connoisseur, every taste a testament to the love and pride that goes into each and every jar. Nestled on the rock-bound coast of Maine in America’s eastern-most city, the Raye family still makes Raye’s authentic stone ground all natural mustard in the last remaining traditional stone ground mustard mill in North America. Using the mill’s original quartz grind stones imported from France at the turn of the last century, only Raye’s Mustard maintains the traditional cold grind process that preserves the volatile piquant qualities of the whole seeds, natural herbs and spices. The resulting flavor experience comes in part from heightened awareness as the mustard stimulates the taste buds, providing distinctive aromas and tastes to tempt the most discriminating palate. Now a working museum, Raye’s historic old stone mill (built in 1903, just three years after the business was founded) is a lasting testament to a bygone era. A visit there is like stepping back in time. Raye’s Mustard Mill was built in Eastport, Maine, to provide mustard for Maine’s once-prolific sardine industry. That industry is now just a memory as the last of Maine’s sardine canneries closed a few years ago. But Raye’s Mustard has survived, carving out a niche by adapting to changing consumer preferences while maintaining a steadfast and tenacious commitment to preserving the quality and authenticity of their brand. A raw all-natural product, Raye’s Mustard is high in antioxidant properties, have no cholesterol, no fat, no eggs and have reduced sodium. These premium small batch crafted mustards, as the name suggests are made in limited quantities. No one else makes mustard this way anymore.
23 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Raye’s Awards Raye’s Mustard has built a reputation for premium quality and is known for its array of Award-Winning Gourmet and Specialty Mustards.
In 2017, MaineBiz Magazine listed Raye’s Mustard as one of the Top Ten Iconic Maine Products – along with such other products as the L.L. Bean boot and the famous Maine lobster roll.
Raye’s Mustard has won numerous gold medals in the annual World-Wide Mustard Competition, formerly held in the Napa Valley and now held at the National Mustard Museum a testament to our commitment to excellence and authenticity!
This iconic small family business has survived for 118 years in economically disadvantaged rural Washington County, where it provides vital jobs in a low to moderate income (LMI) community. It has done so by innovating and developing new markets and award-winning new products to overcome the collapse and demise of Maine’s once-flourishing sardine industry, which was the company’s original customer base.
Raye’s has also been featured in magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, Oprah Magazine, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Forbes Life, Yankee Magazine and Down East Magazine, as well as The Cooking Channel and number of other media outlets. Owners Karen and Kevin Raye were honored as 2016 Maine Food Producers of the Year by the Maine Association of Grocers and Food Producers.
24 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Creation of museum follows Fourth-generation proprietors Karen & Kevin Raye have created a separate non-profit museum and are currently planning a renovation project to preserve the historical integrity of the mill for future generations.
The Rayes have three canine mascots — A Golden Retriever named Dijon and English Springer Spaniels Wadsworth and Wesley, named for the first two generations of Rayes who owned and operated the mustard mill. 25 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
R
aye’s Mustard Mill Museum Established as Non-Profit
Maine Community Foundation Awards $10,000 Planning Grant to Museum
26 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
EASTPORT – Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum, of Eastport, has been awarded a $10,000 planning grant from the Washington County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. Administered through the Washington County Council of Governments, the grant will help with the development of strategic, long-range financial and communications plans for the Museum. “This grant will be very helpful as we work toward preserving a vital piece of Eastport’s heritage and the last remaining traditional stone ground mustard mill in North America,” said Tessa Chaffey Ftorek, President of the Museum Board of Directors. “This historic facility is a tourism anchor that attracts visitors from all 50 states and beyond each year. It is an invaluable asset to our community and our region.” The non-profit Museum was founded in 2017, and its Board was formally installed in February of this year. Board members are Ftorek, of Eastport, a longtime educator and avid proponent of Eastport tourism; Sarah Talbot of Eastport and Ann Arbor, Michigan, a small businesswoman and founder of Eastport for Pride; and Gerald Morrison, of Perry, who operates Morrison Manufacturing, a metal fabrication business. “Our volunteer board brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in areas of critical importance to the Museum, its educational programming and the preservation of its vintage machinery,” said Kevin Raye, who incorporated the Museum along with his wife Karen. Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum is a recognized Maine non-profit and its federal status is pending. The Rayes are fourth-generation owners of J.W. Raye & Company, whose mustard was named by Maine Biz Magazine last year as one of Maine’s top 10 iconic products. They decided to create a separate non-profit Museum last year after considering the future of the aging historic mill, operating in the same location since it was built by J. Wesley Raye in 1903, three years after he began making mustard in Eastport. With the useful life of the 115 year-old building near an end, the mill’s future was at a crossroads, and the Rayes faced a momentous decision. “While we could build a new building suitable for making mustard, a small family business like ours could not undertake the construction of a building of the size and scope necessary to accommodate a museum to preserve and showcase the history of our one-of-kind old mill.
But we didn’t want Eastport and the Down East region to lose the tourism draw the mill provides,” said Kevin Raye. “We knew that would be a blow to the local economy and once it was gone, an historic and vital piece of Eastport’s legacy would be lost forever.” “We also had been worried about what will become of Raye’s Mustard Mill in future years,” added Karen Raye. “We feel a strong commitment to Eastport and we had been thinking about how we could ensure that a future owner won’t just pull up stakes and move the business to some other area. By establishing Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum as a separate non-profit, and transferring control of some key assets to the Museum, we are seeking to ensure the mill continues to bring tourists to Eastport and also tie future mustard production to Eastport so the manufacturing jobs will stay here.” J.W. Raye and Company has been a long-term tenant leasing the current building since 1903. That will continue in the new building with the business leasing production, warehouse and office space from the Museum. Meanwhile, the Museum itself will operate in a separate space. The architectural design will encompass the existing original production area within a new building, providing visitors with an improved opportunity to observe the manufacturing process and learn about the history and nearly extinct process of traditional stone-ground mustard-making. The Museum will operate a gift shop to help fund its programming, its kitchen will provide nutrition classes, and its small theatre will allow people to view an educational video on the mill and its history. Community space will also be available. In addition to visits by students and tourists, modern technology will allow students in classrooms far removed from Eastport to take a virtual tour of the Museum and see a rare example of Second Industrial Revolution machinery in operation. The mill is a past recipient of the Maine Tourism Association’s Down East and Acadia Regional Tourism Award, and a visit to Raye’s Mustard Mill is ranked by tripadvisor.com as the #1 thing to do in Eastport, Maine. Anyone interested in supporting Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum can send contributions to P.O. Box 207, Eastport, Maine 04631. Inquiries may be directed to the same address, emailed to info@rayesmustardmillmuseum.org, or made by phone at 207-952-2288.
27 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Mindful Matters By Samantha Gordon
How to Become a More
Mindful Eater
28 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Ever sit down with a bag of chips to watch your favorite show and, suddenly, you reach into the bottom of the bag only to realize you ate the entire thing and without noticing? Do you eat when you are bored? Eat when you’re stressed? Eat when you’re sad? Happy? Whenever? Here are a few tips to kick bad habits and become a more mindful eater. 1. It All Begins in The Grocery Store Make health conscious decisions while grocery shopping. Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Store! The perimeter of the store is where food tends to be the healthiest (such as the veggies and fruits) and isn’t primarily packaged and processed. Become a label snob! Look at the labels of any food you eat. If there is an ingredient in there that you cannot pronounce or that seems very artificial, search for a healthier alternative. 2. Drink a glass of water before each meal Many times when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty! It’s important to keep ourself hydrated. When you do not drink enough water, your body receives mixed signals on hunger. Dehydration causes you to believe you need to eat when you really need water!
Samantha Gordon is committed to helping others around her live their life as abundantly and vibrantly as possible! Through exercise, diet, mindful meditation, and artistic expression, Samantha learns something new about herself everyday and hopes to exchange and share this knowledge with others. Samantha studied journalism and musical theatre at NYU and now lives in Los Angeles, working as an actress, singer, personal trainer, and writer. To see more of Samantha, follow her instagram @SamKGordon
3. Sit at a table while you eat It is important to create a ritual around meals. If you create a habit out of snacking on the couch while you watch tv or do work, every time you sit on that couch, your brain will automatically trigger the desire to snack because it has associated that couch=popcorn. But, if you designate your dining table as a place to sit and enjoy your meals, you’ll be able to focus on your food, therefore avoiding the mindless snacking trap. 4. Listen To Your Body Most importantly, make sure to listen to your body! Your body is a powerful vessel and knows what is best for you. If you are hungry… eat! Do not restrict yourself. Food is fuel and our body requires fuel to perform incredible miracles everyday.
29 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT Interview with
All in for the
Bobbi Brink
Animals
30 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e Septembe 2018
By Stacey Blanchet Founder/Director of Lions Tigers & Bears, Bobbi Brink Looking for the positive can be hard in our world today. The news is full of conflict and bad behavior. Oprah when developing and launching her network made a commitment to enhance the positive. Even she wasn’t able to keep that commitment. But, if you look hard enough and search the web for feel good stories, they are there. Your search engines will design what news you get by your search. We all should lead an educated life and be informed but as Joel Osteen says “if you fill your head with garbage, you will lead a life surrounded by garbage.” So look hard for the diamonds in the rough. Over 20 years ago in the hospitality industry, a woman named Bobbi Brink was doing just fine running her Texas restaurant. That is, until she read an ad for lion cubs for sale in Texas. Bobbi sprang into action! Not knowing anything about the world of exotic animals for sale and what world she was entering that was the beginning. Bobbi began researching about the exotic animal trade. She wanted to build them a home. She began looking for property where she could run a sanctuary. She was off and running. She would sold her restauran, buy property in Alpine, San Diego (92 acres) and start the paperwork to form ‘Lions Tigers & Bears.’ www.lionstigersandbears.org. Over the next few years, Bobbi would suffer heartbreak after heartbreak trying to rescue and save every animal about whom she learned. She educated herself as to what is needed to assist the federal government in transportation of exotic animals to sanctuaries all across America because she could not take them. Bobbi went from being unknown to world renowned. She is an expert speaker on a wide range of subjects regarding all things exotic animals. She gained the respect of San Diego and become celebrated for all that she does. Bobbi has dedicated her life to the safety of exotic animals since that Texas newspaper ad caught her eye and she has never looked back.
31 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
However, her new life has come at a high price. But, when asked about her life now, Bobbi says “it turned out so much more grand than I could have ever imagined. I have met and seen the best in so many people and been given hope for all the diamonds in the rough that are out there. I could not have picked a better community than San Diego to begin this journey. I am blessed in so many ways and know my work will continue long after me.” I sat down with Bobbi to ask her a few questions regarding exotic animals and the owning and running of a highly accredited animal sanctuary. Here are Bobbi’s answers: What law(s) currently on the books, if changed, would reduce the exotic animal trade in the US? There are no laws on the books federally that prevent you from owning exotic animals as pets. That law needs to be changed. I am currently working on ‘Big Cat Public Safety Act HR3546.’ What law(s) are you working on in Washington DC for which you need the public to get behind and support? We need the public to get involved by writing their Congressmen to get behind this bill (Big Cat Public Safety Act) to show support. The big misconception is that writing doesn't work but what we are finding out more and more is letters, phone calls and visits to the office are making a difference on many levels. What are three misconceptions about animal sanctuaries of which the public should be aware? How do we educate ourselves about the accredited places where we should provide our resources and money? 1. Many of them are not true sanctuaries. And, they breed. Any true sanctuary will not breed. 2. Most people can educate themselves and only visit accredited sanctuaries and you can find out by looking on their website or the two bodies of GFAS (Global Federal of Animals Sanctuaries) ASA (American Sanctuary Association). 3. There is no legitimate organization in the United States that allows you to have your picture taken with baby animals. What is the one thing you would have liked to have known before you headed down the road/journey you are on with Lions, Tigers and Bears?
32 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
How hard it was going to be to run a successful sanctuary. It is 24/7 and no days off. A lot of red tape and endless paper work. You need to learn to work with the government and the politics of that along with being an expert at fundraising. Without the public’s help getting behind your mission, it will be very hard to be successful. What business knowledge do you believe is important to know for anyone thinking they would like to do what you do? You have to know how to run a multi-million dollar business. As much as you love the animals you need to know this is a business and a college degree in Business and Finance would help you avoid all the pitfalls that you may experience early on and throughout your time running the sanctuary. My background was hospitality as I owned a restaurant previously. This was not the path I had chosen early so when I got involved, I was back in school learning business 101 from the school of hard knocks. I am not saying you need a college degree to do this but you really need to understand the basics of a business and how to grow and handle everything that comes with growing and expanding. Do all or most of the animal sanctuaries in the US work together? There is an organization called the 'Big Cats Sanctuary Alliance' that started over a year ago where we are all trying to figure out how we can better work together. I sit on the steering committee, events committee and the education committee. I am also the treasurer. If this works it will make life for all of us in the US and the animals work so much better and accomplish so much more. If this works fully, we will never need sanctuaries any more. Can we dream? Yes, Bobbi we can dream. You have made your dream come true. Another of your wonderful gifts to society is showing us how we can make our dreams come true. The trick is knowing your dream, how to run with it and create a magical journey that is greater than ourselves. You have done that well. Congrats! https://lionstigersandbears.org Photos courtesy: Kathleen Reeder
34 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
In Memoriam
Natasha
Sitarra
Tuffy
35 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Reclaming Your True Self By Angela Dunning
36 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September t 2018
Becoming the Curator of Your Soul Care of the soul is a sacred act; a meaningful act and a healing act
Feeding and nourishing the soul in today’s world has never been more important and necessary. Soul is the place where truth, healing, beauty, religion and Spirit, nature, meaning and creativity dwell. Soul is the middle-ground which holds together mind and body; intellect and matter, and the internal and external worlds we inhabit. Soul is the place within us which is pure love and is always seeking the best possible course of healing for us. Finding ways which feed our own Soul on a daily basis is vital for our healing on all levels. Because soul is not regarded as important anymore and we have become so mind-orientated and externally-driven, humanity is presently suffering from enormous personal and collective soul-loss; soul-wounding, and soul-hunger. Our ancestors knew the deep importance of keeping the individual and the collective soul in their communities healthy. Any sign of soul-loss or sickness was dealt with urgently, as one sick person meant a sick tribe. The soul of other creatures and all the natural world that they inhabited also possessed soul and again, this was respected and cared for in order to maintain balance. In our modern society depth and meaning, dreams, art and culture, and the beauty of the natural world are relegated to the periphery of life, if not the wasteland. While intelligence, physical perfection and professional and financial success take highest priority. We see this in the way our education systems are moulded; in our economy and the jobs it needs to drive it, and in all mainstream forms of media and the images it feeds us on a daily basis. Jungian analyst and author Marion Woodman says that the images we digest each day are as important as the food we eat. We consumer vast amounts of imagery throughout every day, never more so than in the age of the Internet. What we watch, read, see and hear all goes in and affects us at the cellular level; it literally changes who we are. You only have to look at the immunity that violent TV, films and video games can build in those who regularly “consume” them. In many ways we must all become what I call a “soul detective”. We must locate and follow the sometimes small and elusive clues our soul lays down for us throughout our lives. We do this by paying attention to our dreams each night; by listening to our deep soul longings, and by letting ourselves explore and express our creative 38 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COMe September 2018
and imaginal worlds. And, by staying connected to that which as a child we so loved. We must nurture every single piece of soul evidence that we find and tend to it as if it is the most precious thing in the world to us; because it is. It is our responsibility then, to either heed or ignore these clues and we ignore them at our peril. Instead, we must become “soul curators”; literally, the curator of our own soul. Thomas Moore in his book Care of the Soul posited this idea which I find a beautiful and helpful notion. It both gives us responsibility for taking care of and nurturing our soul and its needs and growth, and also implies that if we can be the curator of our own soul then we can also tend to the souls of others. We do this in our healing professions but also in small ways each day by being kind to others and seeing the soul in the other person or animal. I’ll leave you with that offering: That not only can we take the time to tend our own soul garden but we can relate to others at the soul level too by seeing them as the unique soul they are. Just imagine how different the world could be if we placed as much emphasis on soul growth as we do on other forms of material and economic growth…?
e e e
Angela Dunning is the author of The Horse Leads the Way: Honoring the True Role of the Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice. You can learn more about Angela; her work helping people and horses reclaim their wildness, and read more of her articles at: www.thehorsestruth.co.uk You can also connect with Angela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehorsestruth or www.thehorsestruth.co.uk
40 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Seeds of Empathy By Jayita Bhattacharjee
In the face of winds of suffering, feel the soft light of compassion on your face. Humans speak in the language of love, and tune into the whispers of empathy. When life seems to be falling apart, crushed with grief, when you lose sight of the shore of hope, it is then that you feel the soft breeze on your face. A breeze of an empathy tries to enfold you, breathes into your agony as its own, endures your intense pain, carries you when life pushes you down to your knees. That is when empathy penetrates its understanding within you and sows the much- needed seed with tenderness. So, it sprouts and anchors its roots within your soul, making its way in the inmost places, spreading tenderness to weed out the deep seated suffering. The hardened heart, the ocean of pain struggling in your eyes, the unheard sob secretly tearing you apart, is all that calls for the light of empathy. Release the voice of suffering and let the waters of empathy have their deepest flow. Here comes the beauty out of every dying pain. That is the birth of a star wrapped in the light of a soul gleaming within. This is the soul-light that takes us to a path that lies beyond our pain, beyond the shackles of burden. This is the light that releases the pearls of healing, that break open from the cocoons of age- old secret suffering--only to give out, the sheer fragrance of peace to a burning pain, so as to fill you with the breath of God.
41 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
This is the promise of a dawn, the sun of hope, in a new day, making its way in a struggling soul. That somehow made the night, to bury the pain, so as to bathe the soul, in a new light of a new morn. It is only with this shared caring, that we cease hurting the lost and the lonely. It is with this deluge of an empathetic love, that we wash away the grief, that eats away human hearts. It is this long- lost song of empathy, that has been so unsung, by many a soul in this wilderness of universe. The soul housed in your body is aware of the timeless beauty of empathy, as it flows in the running brook to give what is worth giving, to offer what is worth offering, to rain what is worth raining--the munch needed shower of empathy. As empathy is the language of the soul, the language that speaks of the compassionate understanding of another’s crushing pain. This is the time, when one soul hears another soul, when one heart hears another heart and a wordless communication is exchanged between the suffering and the understanding souls. Empathy can never flow from those who are weak, it can only run from those who are strong, as it is in that strength that empathy runs. It is in that moment of silent understanding, that two souls can find, what one cannot reach alone, only when they share the sacred spaces of tenderness. They are never alone, together they come, together they sit, as somewhere in this universe, God sent them entwined with each other in an empathy, whose bond is invisibly strong. Togetherness can sing a melody, so powerful yet so peaceful than individuality can ever sing. This is the love letter written on the sands of eternity. Bonds that are woven in empathy have a message, that the understanding of a soul, lies in the gift of listening to not what the other can say, but what the other soul cannot say, not what he can speak of but what he cannot speak of. True reaching out, lies in the beauty of seeing not what the suffering souls can share, but what they cannot share. To be able to fathom the depths of this agony, to penetrate these most impenetrable places, and to bring them to light, to give them the promising hope, to show them the path in a way, a different way, where light floods in and washes away their past and beckons a new future—that is the light of empathy. Moisten your heart with the richest drops, that are born from empathy, as herein lies the releasing of your silent struggles. Begin to empathize with the hearts that are sealed with grief and failed to release them. Those are the hearts that need to
42 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
live life again, in the tenderness of emotions---as that is how they can come home again. In this journey of you too, returning to where you were, when God sent you on this Earth, as the promised seed of divine, it is the light of empathy that is much needed, as by this light when you walk, you come home to your empathetic self, the way god had seeded you by his divine design. This is the rising beauty of empathy, in seeing with the eyes of a suffering soul, in listening with the ears of an injured one, and in feeling with the heart of a wounded heart. In this seeing, listening and feeling, do two souls see the light of kinship, in this journey of life. Out of this empathy, is born an understanding with which you can feel others in yourself as you enter into their hidden depths, where only a light can pierce.
t Jayita Bhattacharjee was born in Calcutta, India and later on pursued education from University of Houston in Economics, she had chosen her career as a trustee and teacher. Her Indian residence is in the vicinity of the famous Belurmath. Currently, she is settled in Tampa, Florida. Her love for writing on a journey of heart and soul was hidden all within. Looking at the moments captured in love and pain, joy and grief, the hidden tragedies of life...it was a calling of her soul to write with the ink that kept flowing from her heart. This is what gave her the fulfillment, the richness in her soul. Her books "The Ecstatic Dance of Life', " Sacred Sanctuary", " Light of Consciousness", "Dewdrops of Compassion" are meant to shed light on what guides a person to respond to the mystical voice hidden inside, to soar in a boundless expansion with the limitless freedom of spirit. "It is in the deepest joy that I write with every breath of mine."
O
What is
Y
A
G
The Eight “Limbs” of the Ancient Practice Made Relevant Today By Sindy Warren
44 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
What is the first image that pops into your mind when you hear the word yoga? I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the physical practice, or asana as it’s called in Sanskrit. A long and lean-looking woman in a downward facing dog. Or the well-defined physique of a man standing on his hands. These images, and what the vast majority of people – including yoga practitioners – would conjure up in response to this question, is actually just a miniscule part of the practice of yoga. Yoga is a practice of integrating mind, body, intellect and spirit. It is a path of spiritual and personal growth. It is a process whereby we learn to connect to our deepest, most authentic selves and all the selves that walk this earth with us. That might sound pretty lofty and esoteric. But the
practice of yoga, as broken down and defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – one of the quintessential texts of all of yoga history and philosophy – is actually an accessible path of living that even the most skeptical amongst us can use to great benefit. The Sutras provide an eightlimbed path that amounts to yoga. Asana is only one of the eight limbs. Thus, if we consider the state of modern yoga, most practitioners are only engaging with oneeighth of the practice. The eight-limbed path begins with the yamas, or external restraints. These are five guidelines focused on how we relate to the world around us. There is ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (non-excess), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
45 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
The second limb is the niyamas, or internal restraints. These are five guidelines focused on how we relate to our own selves. There is saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvara pranidhana (surrender). By learning and then incorporating the yamas and niyamas into our lives, we start to live more in alignment with our highest values. And when we do so, life feels a little more peaceful, regardless of the vicissitudes of daily life.
tation itself. Here the process of interiorization – going inward to our truest selves – deepens. There are countless meditation methods to achieve a deepening of our spiritual practice. What the various meditation practices have in common is that they bring the practitioner more fully into both her individual and her universal self. Thus, the practitioner starts to feel into the truth of the idea that we are all connected, simply by virtue of the fact that we walk this earth simultaneously.
The third limb of yoga is asana, the physical postures. This is the part of the practice we typically see glorified on Instagram and other social media. Particularly when it is practiced in concert with the other limbs, though, asana is an amazing way to keep the body supple, strong, and full of vitality.
Moving from the transcendental to the mundane, meditation has the added practical benefit of helping the practitioner develop space between stimulus and response. When the yogi cultivates the ability to reflect and respond rather than simply to unthinkingly react to that which arises in her life, she will know more peace and spread more peace.
Fourth is pranayama, breath control. The breath is an incredibly powerful force in regulating our physical and emotional selves. If you’ve ever stopped to notice your breath when you’re feeling anxious or angry, it’s inevitably been shallow. By deepening the breath, you literally send a signal to your brain to slow down, to move from the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”) to the parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”). When we learn to shift ourselves to the parasympathetic nervous system, we are poised to move through the world with more self-awareness and grace. Next along the yogic path is pratyhara, sensory withdrawal. While in ancient times this limb was practiced by retreating into the nearest cave for days on end, modern yogis can find refuge from the incessant stimuli that continually confronts us by finding pockets of stillness and quiet in our lives. It is only when we get still and quiet that we can truly get in touch with our deepest selves, the part of us that knows who we are apart from the trappings of our professional and personal lives. The final three limbs of yoga pertain to the practice of meditation. For the ancient yogis, meditation was yoga, plain and simple. The asana practice was simply a means to this important end. Make the body flexible and supple enough so that it could sit comfortably for prolonged periods of meditation. The sixth limb of yoga is dharana, or concentration. Here the practitioner finds the power of a focused mind by repeatedly drawing the attention back to the point of focus (perhaps a mantra, the breath, or even a physical sensation). The seventh limb of yoga is dhayana, translated as medi46 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
The final limb of yoga laid out in the Sutras is Samadhi, or enlightenment. It can be said that most of the time, we are like waves who have forgotten that we are part of the ocean. In Samadhi, though, we realize that we are the ocean. We feel in our bones that what we once perceived as separation between us is illusory. Much of the eight-limbed path may sound aspirational rather than attainable. That’s perfectly ok, so long as we recognize that even the smallest of steps along the path can create tremendous movement in our quests to live our best lives, to become our best selves. If we can start to dip our toes into the practice of yoga – whether by cultivating compassion for another, gratitude for the gifts in our own lives, or simply finding some time to sit in stillness and appreciate the sensation of our breath – we are practicing yoga.
2 Sindy Warren is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and a lifelong student of the practice. She is passionate about sharing the wisdom and beauty of the practice of yoga with others. In her new book, Radi8: Using the Practice of Yoga to Cultivate Your Inner Shine, she makes a persuasive case for the continued relevance of the philosophical underpinnings of yoga for the modern yogi and even simply the yoga-curious.
The Afterlife We Never Have to Say Goodbye
Alternative Title – Communicating with Spirits in the Afterlife – More Than Just Survival Evidence By Barry Eaton
Being a radio and TV presenter, producer and journalist meant it took several nudges from Spirit, plus a fair bit of nagging from the afterlife by my late partner Judy, to finally get me moving and write my first book. Fortunately I also work as an astrologer and psychic medium, which helped when it came to crunch time. “Afterlife – Uncovering The Secrets of Life After Death” is a combination of wide research over many years, particularly through my radio programs, combined with my own life in between lives experiences. Contact with Judy in spirit also played a huge part in this story. The success of “Afterlife” led me to write a second book, “No Goodbyes – Life Changing Insights From the Other Side” which has recently been released in North America. Too many people go through life afraid of death, either the event itself, or facing the prospect of the unknown. My interest and research into the areas of past lives, life after death and reincarnation has totally influenced my personal views of death, and indeed of life as well. It has taught me one important fact. Once we can accept the concept that this lifetime is just one of many, where we get the chance to make mistakes, to learn and to grow spiritually, the fear of death soon begins to fade. I believe death like returning home after experiencing a big adventure. The world of spirit is our real home. It’s our time on earth that is the hard part. We come into the physical world in each lifetime for a host of human experiences, which play a vital role in our soul’s evolution. It’s rather like actors cast in a role in a play or film. They immerse themselves in the character for the duration of the production, but afterwards, when the costumes and the make-up finally come off, they go home to rest and prepare for their next role. The quality of their performance and the audience reaction will determine if and when the phone rings for the next casting opportunity, and what kind of role they may be offered. “Afterlife” turned out to be a best seller, and my contacts in the world of spirit, informed me that I had to write a second book as there is so much information they wanted to pass on to people on earth.
49 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e Septembert 2018
It only took me a year to write “No Goodbyes”. The words just seemed to flow through my mind onto the page, and I knew that I was being guided from the other side. While writing my first book I connected with a master guide, who only wishes to be known as ‘M’ and who told me that he would be working with me on my books, but different guides would be with me at other times. I have forged close links with M and I know that on many occasions he gently takes over my mind when I am at the keyboard. I also work closely with an advanced group of spirits whose ‘spoke-spirit’ is John Dingwall, a screenwriter and film producer before he passed over in May 2004. John communicates very strongly via a trance medium and the information and insights he passes on are often breathtaking in their scope. Three leading mediums also communicated with Judy and other members of my family as “No Goodbyes” unfolded. More Than Survival Evidence It was always my intention to write about more than just survival evidence, plenty of other authors have covered that already. Most spirits who communicate with us via mediums are mainly concerned with letting their loved ones know that they are still alive, passing on simple messages of love and comfort. So with my spirit team eager to share their wisdom, and with my other connections, I set out to go far deeper into life on the other side, to find out as many facts and explain as many mysteries as possible. I recorded many sessions with John and the team, which I was told comprised more than 95 souls from many different spheres in the afterlife. I was delighted to find out that my late partner Judy was part of the action. Usually I would start a session with a list of questions, but on other occasions John’s group had their own agenda. They wanted to discuss themes such as destiny and free will, life contracts, unresolved karma, as well as controversial subjects such as the effects of drugs on the spirit, mental health, negativity, euthanasia and dark energies. I soon realised that “No Goodbyes” was explaining many mysteries that have been baffling people for generations. For those people who naively believe that we get issued with a harp and a cloud when we reach the afterlife and
50 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
just float off, John passed on some information that will bring them back to earth with a thud. He told me that during our sojourn in the spirit world we work with many teachers as we never stop learning. When I asked about his other activities John said he often helps with new souls as they cross over, as many people are very confused at first. He also spends a lot of time with other soul groups, talking, discussing and debating spiritual matters. Fortunately it’s not all work, there are also plenty of leisure pursuits to enjoy, cultural, musical and every sport from football, golf and tennis to marine and outdoor activities. The world of spirit overlaps our own, as distinct from the idea of Heaven being “up there” somewhere, as if it somehow hovers around satellite-like in outer space. Vibrating at a much faster rate than earth, it essentially occupies a different dimension of reality. Spiritual beings have to lower their vibrational energy in order to visit the thicker density of our earthly domain. We come here for our human experiences, attempting to raise our consciousness with each succeeding life, returning home after each incarnation to our soul family and our individual level of soul evolution. Just as on earth, there are many levels in the afterlife, each plane vibrating at a different rate. As we evolve spiritually our soul vibration increases, allowing us access to the higher planes
g Barry Eaton’s book No Goodbyes – Life Changing Insights From the Other Side is published by Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin Books. Visit the website: www.barryeatonnogoodbyes. com for more details. Barry’s radio program may be heard on the internet at www.RadioOutThere.com
51 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2018
You Are Uniquely Designed for Wealth By Prema Lee Gurreri
52 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
In order to have wealth, you must be aligned with wealth. We are born with this soul alignment for wealth. It’s written into our beings at the time of our birth. However, our early experiences, and the programming we receive from our parents, family, friends, the media, and society, messes up this alignment, and by the time we are seven years old (the age by which most of our beliefs are programmed into our subconscious minds) we are no longer fully in touch with our birthright and our personal Sacred Wealth Code. If we are aware enough, and curious enough, we often recognize this misalignment at some point in our adulthood. We wonder what’s wrong with us, and why we can’t have the wealth that others have. We justify our current lack of wealth, saying things like, “Some people are just born rich,” or “I guess I’m destined to be poor.” Or, we treat our lack of wealth as a personal failing, believing that if we only do more, work harder, and sacrifice more, we can rise above our current mediocrity. We try various means to get aligned with our wealth-following the formulas of money gurus, engaging in risky business ventures, and even playing the lottery-but most of the time, these strategies fail. Why? Because they’re attempting to fix an internal problem with an external solution! There is really only one way that we can find our “sweet spot” for wealth, and that’s to work from the inside out, align with our soul blueprint, and live from the place where our purpose and prosperity meet.
Our Limiting Beliefs about Wealth The belief that only some people are destined to be wealthy, while others are destined to be poor, is simply untrue. When I look at my clients’ Sacred Wealth Codes, I do see that some people are encoded to acquire wealth from their ancestry and family lineage. However, sitting around and waiting for an inheritance isn’t exactly a sound strategy for wealth creation! I have seen other clients whose Sacred Wealth Codes contain none of the “fated” wealth points (like ancestral acquisition or lucky windfalls) create wealth beyond their wildest dreams simply by working in alignment with their soul blueprints and erasing the subconscious programming that was holding them back. Another common belief around wealth is that you have to work really, really hard to get it. Hard work is a pathway that can create wealth to a certain extent, for certain people. But for many of us, it actually holds us back. It keeps us busy with task after task when our high-value gifts lie elsewhere. Now, not working “hard” doesn’t equal being lazy. I personally can-and do-work long hours at times. But while I’m working, I also forget that I’m working, because I love what I’m doing so much. During these times, I’m accomplishing a lot-but am I “working hard”? I don’t think so. I’m simply putting time and energy toward the tasks and activities that fulfill my desires and my purpose. I’m soul-driven.
53 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Working “hard,” to me, is pushing through to complete tasks that aren’t necessarily fulfilling or rewarding, just to say that they’re done. Working hard is doing it myself when I should be delegating, or spending time utilizing my less-valuable gifts just so I can tick an item off my to-do list. So, if you’re sick of working so hard, ask yourself: “What can I pour my energy, love, time, and passion into?” What activities are you happy to get lost in? What could you do all day, every day, for the next five, ten, or twenty years? The magic of your Sacred Wealth Code is that when you align your passion, purpose, and high-value gifts, and live true to what you love, you will automatically attract wealth! When you are living on purpose, and giving 100 percent of your energy and dedication to that purpose, the universe will support you with everything you need to live the way you need to live, feel the way you want to feel, contribute the way you want to contribute, and collaborate the way you want to collaborate. This is why it’s so important to understand the wealth that you actually want-and the reason why, in the Wealth Focus section of the last chapter, you identified what wealth actually means to you. Wealth is unique to each of us, and we are all wired for wealth in our own way. Everyone has a “magic number,” a dollar amount, a car, a home, a lifestyle, something that sets the benchmark for wealth in our minds. And what you receive when you live from that intersection of purpose and prosperity will be exactly reflective of your ideas about wealth. Which brings us to our third limiting belief about wealth: that there is only so much to go around. There are many variations within this belief system. Here are just a few that might be rolling around in your subconscious mind: • Money is the root of all evil • If you want more money, you’re greedy • It takes money to make money • If I have money, others won’t be able to receive • what they need • You have to spend less to have more We live in an infinite and ever-expanding universe. Our
54 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
desires to create, to manifest, and to receive are part of this expansion. Money is energy, and in an endlesslyexpanding universe, there is an endless supply of energy from which to create. This isn’t magical thinking. It’s quantum physics. Science is proving these statements more definitively every day. And, if it’s true that we live in an ever-expanding universe, why can’t wealth expand as well? When you are living on purpose, the universe has your back. But if your ideas about wealth don’t reflect, or allow for, the wealth you want to receive-or need to receive-to live your purpose, things can get stuck really fast. Ditto if you feel guilty or insecure about receiving wealth for expressing your purpose through your work. So, ask yourself, right now: “Is what I believe about wealth actually true?” This article is excerpted from the #1 Amazon best-seller, Your Sacred Wealth Code: Unlock Your Soul Blueprint for Purpose & Prosperity, by Prema Lee Gurreri (Heart Drop Press, 2017)
g
Prema Lee Gurreri is committed to creating a world where everyone is empowered to live on purpose, in a way that is aligned with their divine gifts and their birthright of true prosperity. She is a leading Vedic Astrologer, business consultant, energy practitioner, and spiritual coach with more than twenty-five years of experience, and the #1 best-selling author of Your Sacred Wealth Code: Unlock Your Soul Blueprint for Purpose & Prosperity (Heart Drop Press, 2017). Learn more about Prema’s work at www.SacredWealthCode.com.
55 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2018
Do You Go To the World Around You? By Jim Self and Roxane Burnett
56 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
At the beginning of our relationship, Ascended Master Kuthumi told me that it’s required for me to be masterful of every thought, every emotion, every action … every moment. I swallowed hard and nodded, not sure how this was even possible and very clear it was far out of my reach. As our relationship evolved over the years, however, I learned it is possible, though it requires personal commitment and focused attention. My attention had to be on my intention to live this path Master Kuthumi and the other Teachers of Light laid out. “Going-to” Going-to is the action of moving your attention away from your cente in order to observe something. Your friend says, “Oh, look at that interesting shape over there.” And instead of staying in the Centre of Your Head you leave, move through multiple layers of third-dimensional noise and mentally go-to the shape. As you leave your point of observation to experience that shape over there, you're no longer balanced and aligned within your energy field. You've wandered away from yourself. Goingto causes a wobble in your perception and in your experience of the thing you are observing. What you see is distorted because you are not viewing it from your balanced internal point of observation. What you might observe from the Centre of Your Head as a red circle becomes a green square when you move through all the third-dimensional noise to see the shape. What makes going-to additionally disruptive is that to finally return to the Centre of Your Head, you must again pass through those multiple layers of third-dimensional noise, thoughts and emotions.
57 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
When you observe life from the Centre of Your Head, you more clearly see what you're observing without being affected by the noise and emotion of going-to. Viewing life from your internal observation deck, and not going-to what is outside of you, allows you greater balance, ease and choice; you no longer need to move back and forth, or work to untangle your attention point and regain your balance. Understanding this and learning not to go-to is one of the most important concepts you will ever learn. Mastering this skill is required for How to manage your attention point When you don’t manage your attention point and go-to what you are looking at or thinking about, something very specific happens. You stop breathing. Most of us are very sloppy breathers. The skill of breathing was not taught to us as children, so our emotions and thoughts began directing our breath instead of us intentionally directing it. When we learn how to manage our breathing, we automatically begin to manage our thoughts and emotions: we become more calm, focused present and managed. How does simply breathing do that? When you breathe in a continuous fashion, without stopping at either the inhalation or exhalation, you take a huge step in mastering your attention point. You also begin to take greater steps in remembering who you are, putting yourself back together and building a bridge back to Mother-Father-Creator. As you breathe in a continuous uninterrupted circular loop, the air begins to move into and out of your lungs in a deeper and fuller manner. The pranic energy can then be activated within, around and through you at your command. It's this uninterrupted breath that activates and opens your ability to remain in fourth-dimensional present-time. You remain focused upon your intention and your now experience, instead of drifting between third-dimensional past and future. When we stop breathing at the top of the inhalation or the bottom of the exhalation, our awareness is also interrupted and sidetracked. Observe the next time your breathing halts. Where were you at that moment? Most likely you were not in present-time, but instead engulfed by a thought that was in the past or the future. Mastering this skill will allow you to live in the higher layers of thought and awareness.
58 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Due to the fact that many of us are such sloppy breathers (and therefore sloppy thinkers and feelers), the Teachers of Light share a trick to develop the continuous breath and own it for yourself. As you inhale, imagine a loop flowing up the front of your body from your first chakra over the top of your head. Then as you exhale, imagine this loop continuing down your back, returning into your first chakra. The loop and the breath don’t stop at the top or the bottom, but continue to flow. The breath begins to flow down your back slightly before you exhale and the loop begins to travel up the front of the body slightly before you inhale. If it feels more natural for you to reverse the direction of the loop as you inhale and exhale, do so. Another visualization that works for some is to create the above loop but have it cross at the heart chakra, forming a figure eight. We call this the Infinity Breath. The advantage is that it draws more of your attention to the heart, which will assist when you begin to play in the Sanctuary of the Pink Diamond within the Sacred Heart.
2
Jim and Roxane are authors of A Course in Mastering Alchemy: Tools to Shift, Transform and Ascend and Spirit Matters: Down to Earth Tools for a Spirited Life. They are interna-tional teachers, offering the personal energy management tools of Mastering Alchemy. They co-create the Mastering Alchemy programs with the Teachers of Light, a collective of Archangels and Ascended Masters whom Jim has been in communication with since childhood. MasteringAlchemy.com
59 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2018
HealthruWords
Love is in the heart not in the mind By Roxana Jones
60 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
“There is an enormous difference between what the majority of people call love and the real Love that is nothing else than a synonym for the only universal force, creator of all things in this world. This is why many religions affirm that God is Love, because they are one and the same, simply different names for the same miraculous energy flowing through all human beings, without any exception. There is this human tendency to feel attraction for another human and call that love. There is this human belief that conditions love according to what the mind wants. The heart is often times silenced by the ego that is only looking to keep the conscious mind inside its “comfort zone.” In this comfort zone, money, positions and other many labels, are the ones conditioning and limiting love. But real love cannot be limited, you see. Real love lives beyond all human mental illusion. It persists and subsists beyond death and eternity. We must attune to that real Love. And never settle for less.” ~Roxana Jones for HealThruWords®
The difference between the love of the mind and the love of the heart I did not always believe in real Love, because for many years of my life I did not even realize such Love existed. I grew up with a conditioned mind where my ego was in charge of selling me an illusory love that would give me all the things I desired. Through this socially imposed type of love, I learned how to achieve many things, if not everything. This mental love I used to practice, allowed me to fall in love (falling instead of rising,) get married, have a family, create a wealthy lifestyle where apparently nothing was missing, and so many other “things” I could add to the list. According to my mind, I was a successful person. But then, why was it that at the age of thirty and having “everything” I wished for, I felt so incomplete and unfulfilled? My search continued for many years, before I could accept that the only way I would find that unconditional Love I did not even know I was looking for, would be by moving out of my comfort zone and beyond what my mind could offer me. I went a little bit deeper every day until I found my own inner world. There, I learned how to experience reality through the feelings of the Heart, not the emotions of the mind. For the first time, I understood the reason why I had come to Earth: to love myself in such a way that all I could do from that Love was to feel unlimited compassion for all human beings, no matter their stories, or even my stories related to theirs. One of the questions I am often times asked is how to get to that Heart and feel that Love I am always talking about. I believe that connecting with the Heart is an empirical and almost indescribable process that can only be defined by the person who experiences it. Once you are ready for it, you begin searching with discipline and determination until it reveals itself to you. It always does…
61 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
What I am writing about is not something I discovered on my own, of course not. This is the Truth that many ancient civilizations knew and passed on. One of my favorite teachings explaining it so beautifully comes from one of the oldest Upanishads: “If someone says to you: In the fortified city of the imperishable, our body, there is a lotus, and in this lotus a tiny space: what does it contain that one should desire to know it? You must reply: As vast as this space without is the tiny space within your heart: heaven and earth are found in it, fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and the constellations, whatever belongs to you here below and all that doesn’t, all this is gathered in that tiny space within your heart.” ~ Chandogya Upanishad 8.1.2-3
4. The love of the mind only understands in terms of the material world. The love of the heart is infinite and goes beyond this material world. 5. The love of the mind can be indifferent and even cruel. The love of the heart is always kind and compassionate. 6. The love of the mind wants you to stay small. The love of the heart wants you to expand and grow. 7. The love of the mind involves eros or sexual passion. The love of the heart invites you to learn about sacred sex and the awakening of your Kundalini. 8. The love of the mind can be unhealthy and associated with narcissism. The love of the heart is always healthy, unselfish and does not understand vanity.
Within your heart, is where you can find true Love, the only force that can transform it all.
9. The love of the mind can generate apathy. The love of the heart is always empathic.
In contrast to this, a few years ago I read an article explaining how love was found in the mind, NOT in the heart.
10. The love of the mind can love others but ignores the importance of self-love. The love of the heart loves Self and from that Self-love it allows you to love others in deeper ways you or them have never felt before.
“Nearly 400 years after William Shakespeare asked, "What is love?," brain imaging studies are allowing scientists to give at least a partial answer. As our calendars get closer to Feb. 14, a day when passion is deeply associated with the heart, love will in fact be in the mind. A recent study shows love is a complex emotion triggered by 12 specific areas of the brain — the network of love.” I don’t believe that love coming from the mind is authentic and unconditional. Yes, we can choose to believe in that type of mental love, but then, can we be truly happy and fulfilled by loving in this way? Here are a few ways to help you distinguish between the love of the mind and the love of the heart. It is important for you to be aware of which type of love you believe in, and if perhaps you are willing to change it: 1. The love of the mind wants to possess. The love of the heart wishes to liberate. 2. The love of the mind feeds on judgment and comparison. The love of the heart promotes healing and forgiveness. 3. The love of the mind is dramatic. The love of the heart is equanimous. 62 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
May you always believe in the love that allows your growth and expansion, the one that permits you to go beyond the material world that so often seems so confusing and “unloving.” Until next time,
Roxana Jones and Arnaud Saint-Paul are successful copreneurs and philanthropists who have been working together since 2009. Through their different online ventures, Roxana and Arnaud empower individuals and businesses through the common goal of promoting the growth and expansion of positivity around the world. Up to now, Roxana and Arnaud have inspired 40M people on social media and their HealThruWords® online community counts with 200,000+ members. Please visit healthruwords.com
Be Mindful, Be Heartful, Be Empowered
Roxana Jones Arnaud Saint-Paul
63 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e August 2018
Message from the Goddess Mother
f
The Blossoming of Personal Empowerment By Jan Diana
64 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
My Beloved Children of Heart, “Greetings on this glorious day. To be living at this time of great wonder is a gift, a privilege and a blessing. Of course you have called this forth from your heart as a desire to experience and fulfill.
The evolution to higher consciousness is your privilege and right to experience and obtain. You are following your heart’s path. It is becoming clearer to you as you embrace the greater vision you hold within your heart as truth.
To be a part of the collective of Earth at this time has its challenges yes, of course and yet the gifts of lightness that you will experience are beyond description. Having full awareness when you chose this timeframe and position for your life, you also knew of the greatest potentials and possibilities to experience the most amazement.
The blessings are unfolding. Yet there are blessings about to flow upon you, perhaps bigger than you have ever imagined.
You are an adventurer. You are courageous and brave indeed, and yet you are more than that.
All of your experiences on this beautiful dual plane have just been that, experiences. They have been a gift, for these experiences have led you to where you are now.
You have great wisdom within your heart consciousness. From this position you know the greater vision of the bigger picture of all that is possible and will be. You hold such excitement in your heart as you come to realize more that the time you have been preparing for all of your life is close at hand. Yes My Beloveds, the time is now. Living in the present moment assists you to access this knowing that dwells within your heart. The anticipation for what is to be grows in every moment as you feel into that inner awareness. Prepare to receive the greatest wonder. Accept what lightness presents to you in every moment. This will take you deeper into the present moment, where your seeds of awareness are blossoming. We are all in celebration of you. Look at you, what magnificent Masters of light you are! You sense, know and feel yourself onto the greater pathways. You drink in the particles of light as they fall upon you as a thirsty rose drinking in the morning dew. Each breath of awareness takes you to the next and the next.
You are of such pureness. You are of such lightness. You are of such sweetness and brilliance.
You can now choose to no longer allow any of the flavors of lesser value which you have experienced to enter into your now. With this conscious choice you are letting go of beliefs and perceptions that do not resonate with your truth. You recognize the blessing and value of the experiences as you release yourself from anything perceived as lesser, and begin to embrace the greater vision of your true authentic self. It is a time to rejoice in the process. You are developing your innate abilities and gifts. This will continue to be so as you desire and in your timing of readiness. You are beginning to know that you can choose to live realities, to have experiences that your heart desires. The seeds of personal empowerment are blossoming. Ponder on this truth and acknowledge your great wonder. Though your journey has been a challenge many times, you are succeeding and will in your timing of course. You are endowed with the gifts of heart. Your divine nature is of such greatness, such purity, such love. Your wisdom is expanding. Your personal development is happening.
65 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
And with your personal development and growing awareness, so it is with your brothers and sisters of Earth. It is a personal journey as well as a collective journey.
Peace and plenty for all. Freedom from disease and disharmony. No more flavors of lack, limitations or perceptions of lesser value.
FREE CLASS: As a Gift I am offering you a Free Tele- Class, “Remember Who you are”. -Restore pathways to remembering the truth of yourself using the tools of SVH, a prayer modality that can shift the old stories, old beliefs and perceptions that are not relevant to your truth. -Receive tools that you can utilize in your life to further free yourself from the veils of forgetting -Take a journey to meet your true self and receive a priceless gift You will leave this class filled a greater vision of yourself and what is now possible for you. This class is a great joy bringer!
Freedom to create and live your dreams, living in a world that loves, supports and celebrates you and all. Knowing the love and unity that is the divine nature of each and of all.
Note: Register by subscribing by email at: http://www.jandiana.com (if the time is not convenient, register to receive the recording when available)
As you elevate yourself, your lighter radiance blesses you. It blesses those around you as well as the collective. Imagine now the wonderful world we are creating together. See the New Earth in all its glory.
Spend some time pondering on your dream life. Live in your dream world. As you imagine, the vison becomes more clear. Feel into the vison in joyfulness, expecting this wonder to unfold. Your heart will guide you in this endeavor. Blessed one, your mastery is in process. You are the director. Listen to your inner guidance. Become accustomed to the joyful communion within your heart. Follow the steps of your inner guidance. This will open up windows of glorious opportunities. Seek the authentic truth of yourself, your divine nature and purpose. Align yourself with what resonates with that higher truth. There are many pathways; it is for you to choose. Your heart will guide you to reach your ideals. Celebrate your victories now. Celebrate your future victories, for it is your divine right and destiny to be a success. Blessings in abundance flow to you now and always My Beloveds. Open to receive with a joyful heart. Know the wonder of you as your seeds of personal empowerment blossom into the beauty of your true self. It is time. Shamon,” With great love, Your Beloved Mother
66 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
n Jan Diana is an intuitive healer, spiritual teacher, and master practitioner. Her mission is to assist clients & students in creating harmony, balance, heightened levels of clarity, develop innate gifts & abilities, empowering them on their personal evolution to create the dreams of their heart. She utilizes several modalities including SVH L3M, Animal healing, GHM, Language of love, Reiki Master, and more. Free meditation journeys, articles, & classes. http://www.jandiana.com Sessions and Classes by phone. You can reach her at website http://www.jandiana.com or by email sunsinyourheart@aol.com.
Have you seen Gretchen?! Missing since 11/11/2016 Please contact us
info@theedenmagazine.com
LANGUAGE OF SPACE By Michael White Ryan
THOUGHTS,
THE BREATH OF INTENTION
ACTIONS,
THE BIRTH OF RESULTS IN DIAPERS YOU ME WE WHO WHERE WHEN IF
Better go gets me some wants and desires. The I needs a great house to live in far away from the maddening crowds, with the he/she to match my forever happy, vision board. Fires alive inside feeding burdens within my head. Born as a mindset baby, lost in purposeful highways of forever endlessness. Fear speaks binds/guides my future to a true path of social acceptableness. Once upon a time, I lived a life of lost but now I am once again, forever found. In tune with time the body slowly ages, and yet they tell, I tell me myself, we are creatures evolutionized, growing in ways like never before past. Wait, time doesn’t exist, I wish someone would give it another name, so we could just move on. The world is my oyster, I shall not want! What/why are we still living in a confined hard shell, clam-me-down??? How do we function, who is it that functions if knowl68 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
edge is separate from “the I me”? Who/what is driving your/our wants, needs, desires, ask yourself, Neo. When answers elude us, where do we go, internet save me, follow the right rabbit! The answers lay within books adored, the influencers, messengers all around, clouded in secrets unknown. Step inside centuries energetic-pathways, meditation, the arts, transmissions and then some, some, some and there’s more some. We hunt answers with renewed glee, those showers of momentary bliss, distractions to fortify/defend old aged secrets hiding/lurking in shadows of fog. Misguided creatures playing follow-up to hand me downs, for these are the most revised transformed $10 discounted what’sa-ma-jig? A jig, a dance, life’s a dance, we play, we suffer, we experience, we learn, hopefully, it all just remains to continue, life’s little seasons. Mankind’s questions answered by those with answers to the unanswerable.
Knowledge has come home to face the music, standing in the portals of reflection, with complete absence of knowing. If thoughts are not things as the late and great influencers have stated, then we are doomed to be followers of the late and not so great!!! Today’s/Tomorrows rainbow is fueled with faith. Ritual bears respect, for it commands the presence of you me we, solo leaders, in full glory uniform. Talk of the town, there is no such place as neutral. Really, if this has any truth, then why-o-why does the word even exist. The world is made up of trinities, they are in and around us, please take notice. Energy has remained hidden from us since the big bang, but it can no longer hide in caverns of silence. Energy, hear me, we, the not-ego are coming for you! In the now everything was/is created equal, everything has equal meaning, everything is energy, everything lives in a different dimension on the same playing field we have been invited, welcome home dear ones Once upon a time there were these two-legged creatures without a choice. A divine construct with only two modes for the traveling-self to discover itself. Rejoice for Fight or Flight has been run over, not by the can-not, never-evolving-ego, but by the birth of a freeing mankind. How you may ask, like the beautiful living lotus blooms/thrives/ shines in lights presence, merges to overcome the darkness and survives. Mankind has now found his/her way through darkness, to the neutral zone. A black hole/void where you me we, a-no-holds-barred essence, has rebirthed our divine, grace given, free will. The you you you, me me me, we we we have side-stepped into “The AGE of NO-MORE-BECOMING”, oh yeah baby, celebration dance. We are transformed/ascended above the self-construct, beyond intellectualism, crawled out from those darkened mindset prisons of earth bound contained past-knowledgeables. Sit yourself in silence down, put aside all those techniques of what to do mindful becomings. Sit, allow, open, energy of renewed awareness travels through your neutral zone, for you have come to find you. As a self-imposed conductor, develop this relationship, music exists within harmony’s silence. Come out, come out wherever you are, chest expanding, beating breathing hands expressing in universal sign language. If you decide to stay as the ego that’s way cool ego/spirit is obviously addicted to experiences
enjoy the varied sweet bitter tastes of grace all has been divinely granted. Birth and death exist in sequential order, then it follows, all life exists in universal order sameness, believe or not. Doubts vanquished, we The Creators, question, why some and not others. Until we stop this backward thinking, we are children only question guessing. Wants, needs, desires are all forward visions, seeded out of past experiences. When the cart comes before the horse, compensation/repetition remains. Thoughts are things, actions are things, you me we are things, all everything is energy. Define for yourself what everything is, it’s a better starting point. Understand you first, for you are the source key, its where all sequence begins. Until then Fight or Flight determines your beingness existence survival life future. Reality, in a connected world, by its energetic definition, we remain separated. Step out of the mindset prisons, for in the actual world, you me we are shared, therefore no separation! Blessing to all, one plus one plus one plus one plus one equals …..
t 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
69 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
The Mindful Tax and Money Guide By Miriam Bertke
CREATING
FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE
What does it mean to you? The universe wants you to be financially abundant and is always supporting you in making this a reality. Financial abundance is your birth right. It’s time for you to start manifesting the financial abundance you truly deserve. Let’s take the first step towards creating your financial abundance. And that is to start working on a financial plan. Do you already have one?
70 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
There are possibilities that you say that you have a financial plan already, perhaps not yet. Even those they say they have a plan, nearly half of them say it exists only in their heads, some say they have written down some notes or ideas, but not a complete plan. It doesn’t matter where you at with your life it’s important for families to draft a detailed financial plan.
needed to shift assets around effectively for the most benefit. Well, we do.
What should be included in it? It should include strategies for achieving big life milestones (like education, buying a home, retirement, etc), saving, investing and life situations that might bring some setbacks and challenging times. A financial plan, it’s like a vacation, requires a destination and itinerary. That means you need to know where you are going and how you are going to get there.
No matter where you are, or you need more information in the process of getting and keeping your affairs in order, this is something we help people with every day, helping them with their financial goals, financial plan that helps them to generate more money - tax free, the income they will need during retirement, reduce estate taxes, to ensure that their assets are protected and distributed as they want, with no surprises.
So how will you know what you need to do to achieve your goals, your financial abundance if you do nothing?
Don’t wait, don’t procrastinate. Start to create your financial abundance that you always wanted.
Let’s take a look first how to start the process of creating a financial plan. You might think it’s an unpleasant process, but it doesn’t have to be. BUDGETING AND CUTTING SPENDING The first step and the most important part of any financial plan is a budget. How do I set up a monthly budget? Setting up a budget is a matter of figuring out where you are, and where you want to be. And to do that, you need to answer two questions: 1. How much am I bringing in each month? 2. How much goes out each month and where is it going? The next step should include list all of your’s or your family’s expenses (where the money goes each month). These expenses should be divided into two categories: Fixed expenses - that don’t change from month to month, like mortgage, rent, insurance payments, loans, etc. Flexible expenses - these fluctuate month to month, like utility bills, groceries, gasoline, etc. What do you think is your biggest expense? I hear every day from people that taxes are their biggest expenses. It’s painful but its true. Do you agree? Who has the time though to stay on top of all the complicated tax laws imposed upon us today, not to mention the financial knowledge
To get back to your budget, to create one will help you to see how much you are bringing in and how much goes out, how much you can save and where you need to cut some expenses.
∑ Miriam Bertke is a Financial Services representative, has many years of experience started as a recruiter and evolving to a consultant and Financial Services representative. She is not a typical financial services representative. While most specialists in her industry try to sell what they think the client should have in her/his portfolio, Miriam does just the opposite as she doesn’t try to sell them anything. She simply listens, tries to understand the real meaning of the words, and takes her time to get to know the client, then helps them with their goals/objectives and then with further input, designs a portfolio program that aligns appropriately to what the clients need. Her listener skills not only come in handy with clients but also with other professionals, as her function is to work closely with attorneys, CPAs, as well as with other financial advisors, creating financial planning teams working in harmony to provide far greater value to the clients. Email: miriam@advcg.com www.advisorconsultinggroup.com http://linkedin.com/in/miriam-bertke 310.467.7736
71 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Let Go of Body Shaming with Self-Love
72 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
However the true turning point for me was was when I noticed that I was being a hypocrite. I realized that I didn’t speak the same way to myself as I spoke to my clients. I would tell them not to beat themselves up if they over ate one day, or had an accidental 3 glasses of wine instead of 1. As long as this wasn’t a daily occurrence my typical reponse would be supportive, encouraging, and understanding. I reminded them that it was okay, as we are striving for an overall healthy lifestyle and not perfection. I simply just did not have the same grace for myself. Ultimately, I had to change my inner conversations in order to change my relationship with my body. Below are some of my tips on how I did just that. Get ready to quit body shaming and start body lovin’! 1. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how gorgeous you are! In the beginning, it was hard to look in the mirror and honestly speak positively to the woman looking back at me. I had to change my thoughts from “I wish my waist looked smaller” to “My hair is making me look like a total goddess today!”. It sounds corny, I know, but it started to work more and more as the months passed.
By Stephanie Mason
Personal Trainer, B.S. ExercisePhysiology Precision Nutrition Certified Coach
2. Dig deep into why you love who you are as a person. Are you a wonderful listener and friend? Maybe you’re extremely driven and started your own company. Whatever those traits may be let them shine them brightly everyday.
3. Celebrate what your body can do. You gave birth to two beautiful babies. Did you mention that you ran a half marathon this year? Our bodies our amazing and the homes to Have you ever experienced massive shame over a food choice our hearts and souls. or choices that you’ve made? Or have you ever felt guilty for giving up on your diet because you promised yourself you 4. Discover sustainable lifestyle habits and set realistic goals. wouldn’t until you reached your goal weight? How about We sometimes feel like a failure because the plans we set out that workout you missed last week? If you have experi- to do are just not obtainable. Be honest with yourself and enced any negative emotions in your relationship with food start small. or your body I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone and this is a mindset that you can change if you want to. 5. Make sure you physical environment, social media environment, and news outlets are ones that align with how you As a personal trainer and pro bikini model (based in Los want to feel about yourself. As hard as it is to flush out the Angeles of all places), I sometimes feel the pressure to eat noise - you're in control of what you're reading, watching, and perform perfectly in order to “look the part”. Let me and listening to. tell you, I used to beat myself up if I wasn’t perfect on my diet because I identified myself solely with how I looked. It After going through this mental transformation I was opened was my biggest form of self expression. If I knew I ate some- to a whole new world. Suddenly my relationships began to thing out of my comfort zone (a piece of cake for example), I deepen, the conversations I was having were widening, and I would tend to overcompensate with additional exercise and felt a sense of empowerment I had never felt before. This was sometimes even under eat the next day. It wasn’t until my because I was becoming more and more aligned with who loved ones expressed worry for my eating habits that I real- I really was on the inside and I promise you nothing looks ized my body image was distorted and my relationship with more beautiful than that. food was somewhat unhealthy. 73 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
LOOKING GOOD & FEELING GREAT
with Margaret Tomaszewicz
The importance of using correct Sun Protection
74 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
Even though the summer is over it is important to address the benefits of using the correct sun protection. In my skin care studio I see clients with all kinds of skin care problems such as sun damage, acne, rosacea, sensitive and aging sagging skin. One of the first questions I ask all of my clients is “Are you using sunscreen? If so, what kind and do you reapply the sunscreen during the day?”. I found out that most people are aware of the necessity of applying sunscreen in the morning or at the beach and they think this is the sufficient amount in order to maintain healthy skin. That is simply a false assumption. Since my role as a skin expert is to educate my clients, I first tell them about my own experience. I grew up in Poland, a country you would not necessarily think of when one imagines an abundance of sunshine. However I was born in the sixties when it was “in style” to have as deep of a tan color as possible. Every year my family went on vacation to the Baltic Shores where we would spend hours baking in the sun at the beach. Being very fair complexioned I usually ended up with a red burn rather than golden tan. However this did not stop me or my friends from trying. We used baby oil, coco butter and silver shields to intensify the sun exposure. We were young and at that time the tanned skin actually made us look better (but had yet unknown adverse effects on skin pigmentation). When I came to live in California the abundance of sunshine became unlimited. Everybody was sporting a “healthy” golden tan look. I still remember the ads for Ban de Solei tanning lotion with the picture of a beautiful tall and tan model lying by the pool. I definitely wanted to look like her! One day that presumption had changed for me. I went to the beach with my friends during one of those “June Gloom” Summer days. There was not a ray of sunshine in the skies but the air was warm and we ended up staying all day. The following day I woke up in pain and when I looked in the mirror I could hardly recognize my face. My eyes and entire face were bright red and enormously swollen. I had been sun-poisoned! It took three days of cold compresses and numerous applications of vitamin A and D before I could go outside again. After that day I quit “tanning” and learned the real truth behind sun protection.
75 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
So this is what we need to knowUltraviolet light is invisible to humans and that is why damage to the skin happens even when we do not see sun. Thus sun protection is needed all day long. My dermatologist said that the only time you do not need that protection is at night. There are two types of rays that can damage the skin cells and lead to damage and skin cancer. UVB rays cause sunburn and play a key role in developing skin cancer. A sunscreen’s SPF number refers mainly to the UVB protection it provides. UVA rays cause skin damage that leads to tanning as well skin aging and wrinkles. Sunscreens are the easiest way to protect your skin from the suns’ dangerous rays, but they need to be the correct sun protection and must be applied correctly. The best is to use non-chemical, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide physical sunscreens with the most protective broad-spectrum ingredients. There are numerous reasons for choosing non-chemical sun protection. The current trend for many skin care companies is “micronizing” the zinc sunscreen particles so those sunscreens are easily applied giving the skin a more natural appearance. WODA European Skin Care has a tinted zinc sunscreen, which evens out the complexion giving the skin a smooth and even look. This additive makes the sunscreen easy to reapply without the need to remove makeup. Natural zinc sun protections are also made with cruelty-free ingredients. The other benefit of using zinc sunscreen is that it will not clog your skin nor cause breakouts. The chemical sunscreens are irritating to the skin therefore causing inflammation of the skin, which leads to acne. Also since zinc is a “physical” block, it works immediately after application. For chemical sunscreens it takes about twenty minutes before they actually start to protect the skin from the sun’s rays. New research has found that certain chemical sunscreen ingredients can cause harm to coral reefs. Mineral and 76 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2018
zinc sunscreens are reef-friendly since they are biodegradable. According to the director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, chemicals in sunscreens cause damage to coral reefs “bigger than climate change”. Studies have shown that oxybenzone, a common chemical found in sunscreens, is toxic to algae that live on corals and oxinoxate chemical can cause viral infections in coral reefs that can lead to their bleaching. Each year there is an alarming estimated amount of 14,000 tons of sunscreen deposited into the oceans. On May 1 of this year, Hawaii became the first state to pass a bill banning sunscreens containing oxinoxate and oxybenzone chemicals. I truly hope we can duplicate that bill in other States. Of course it is important to employ other methods of sun protection that need to include seeking shade, donning wide-brimmed hats, wearing UV-blocking clothing and glasses. Reapplication of sunscreen at the very minimum of two to three times a day and more often at the beach is crucial. So please be good to yourself and our planet by using the correct sun protection. To your health!
f 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
"The greatest challenge our species has ever faced is to create sustainable societies that depends on healthy ecosystems and creative new approaches to living and doing business. This of course depends on a scientifically literate society and it all starts with education." ~Jean-Michel Cousteau