The eden magzine october issue

EDEN

T h e

Magazine

SYLVIA MINASSIAN Founder of

Arpa

Foundation for Film, Music & Art. Her vision for the Arts & Charitable work

THE IMPORTANCE OF FACIAL TREATMENT

By Margaret Tomaszewicz

OUR IDENTITY

Cause for Fulfillment & Success or Unhappiness & Disasters in our life

By Christoph Ulrich Mayer

Fashion community week in san francisco

October 2017

Table of Contents 8

OUR IDENTITY....

By Christoph Ulrich Mayer

12

SYLVIA MINASSIAN

18

18

A PASSION OF HEART

By Jan Diana

27

FASHION COMMUNITY WEEK IN SAN FRANCISCO

30

ACCEPTING & CONQUERING PARANOIA

By Roxana Jones

38

30

A CHALLENGE TO THE IDEA OF "WALK-INS"

By P.M.H. Atwater

46

REINCARNATION PAST LIVES & IN-BETWEEN

By Rizwan Virk

52

THE IMPORTANCE OF FACIAL TREATMENT

By Margaret Tomaszewicz

52

56

TRUSTING LOVE

By Maresha Ducharme

62

HOLLYWOOD STUNTMAN'S FEAR BLOCKING TECHNIQUE

By Curtis Rivers

66

ANGELS

By Nancy Yearout

56

Cover Photo by DON HANNAH

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EDEN

Photo by Artin Mardirosian

T H E

MAGAZINE

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

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON

Maryam Morrison

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

Eden Magazine is an independent monthly online magazine.

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

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Our Identity-

Cause For Fulfillment and Success or Unhappiness and Disasters In Our Life

By Christoph Ulrich Mayer

Christoph Ulrich Mayer is a virtuoso in his field. As a speaker, he gladly provokes and polarizes. His lectures were, and will always be, fireworks of management impulses - a special highlight for every event. As a Mental Business DesignerÂŽ, Mayer decodes the true myth of market success. The collaboration with many international market leaders (and those who want to become them) as well as Product of the Year awards, have given Mayer the reputation of consistently being a practice-oriented Mental Business DesignerÂŽ. Until now, companies such as Liebherr, Zeiss, Siemens, MAN, Fujitsu, and many more have benefited from him.

"How we see and define ourselves, influences our deepest psychological layers. Our identity defines how we

feel, think, behave, react, speak, our body language, our actions, and therefore, what we get from life." That is a core message of Mayer.

"Whatever you say you are, you'll become."

Dr. Joseph Murphy According to him, our self-consciousness is normally very limited, because it only addresses the surface of our being, our behavior, our abilities/disabilities, and how others react to us. In this article, let us take a look at the common harmful self-definitions in our society.

It helps us to understand ourselves and get to a new level of self-consciousness and self-confidence and also of success.

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How common thinking defines our self-identity.

Today, there exist mainly two profound definitions of ourselves: I am body and genes and I am mind in terms of I am intellect/thinking. These extremely limited and limiting views influence our society and us in a most harmful way. When we change that, we change our thinking, emotions, actions, and therefore our lives.

Living as meatball - the materialistic self-perception Because we observe ourselves with our body and sense organs, it is understandable that we define ourselves as the matter we feel and see. This view of the world states that everything consists of particles, Atoms, matter.

Our brain is steered by electrons moving in nerve tracks and synapses. Let's figure out where this consequently leads because everything is defined by physical laws, and everything is determined: the planets, evolution, even our thoughts are a consequence of the primitive state at the big bang. A human being is just bones and meat.

DNA defines the complex body and the mind, and this in turn defines our body, behavior, and disease. The consequence is that we have no freedom to decide because every decision was already determined by the big bang.

In brain research, a few years ago, it became evident that there is no center that makes decisions. The scientists concluded, therefore, that there is no self and decisions are just the results of external impulses, triggering the sense organs, which result in hardwired brain aerial reactions that create action. Afterwards, we think that we made a decision but it was done before we thought about it.

This view of ourselves says: "You have no choice." "You are a victim of your origin and of things happening." "I am not talented and there is nothing I can do about it."

Or, "I am so good and therefore stand above everyone else." It destroys our self-efficacy and makes "our self" unstable. For us, this means we lose power and belief in our goals. It also means people are bad or good, intelligent or dumb, fat or slim, by birth. On a societal level, this thinking leads to fighting the unknown or what’s different, and also fighting over wealth and natural limited resources. On a deep level, this determinism leads to oil wars and racism.

Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, did a lot of research on the "fixed mindset" (the result of the deterministic self ) and the opposite, the "growth mindset." She found that the fixed mindset leads to an unstable self-image and emotions because 10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e Octoberr 2017

every feedback attacks or supports the identity. And it also leads to less learning, less taking responsibility, and less success. With this mindset, it is almost impossible to become remarkable.

The dynamic mind says: "I am able to develop abilities myself." "If I fail, this is a great chance to learn and grow." With this mindset, people are more stable in their emotions, get motivated to learn, to train, and therefore better their abilities and become very good at what they are doing. Mayer really loves to work with this self-identity, though it does not represent the whole picture.

Unfortunately today, in the 21st century, there is still very limited consciousness about the influence of self-identity on society and our selves. But there is another harmful self-identity.

Living as an intellect - philosophy of the enlightment age as subconscious base for our thinking and living Rene Descartes wanted to know, what is truth and what could be just a construction of our mind. Reduced to a short sentence: he doubted everything until he recognized that he could not doubt that he doubts. That led to his famous insight: "I think, therefore I am," Rene Descartes, 1644.

But this sentence still today suggests to us to define ourselves: "I am thinking." And still in out times, mostly subconscious, we define ourselves as intellect. This causes some problems but let's take a wider view.

Immanuel Kant was also a philosopher of the age of enlightenment with many valuable writings. For example, "Critique of Pure Reason," is one of the most important theoretical foundations for today’s western civilization. But the view on the psychology of that era, which he adopted, leads to catastrophic wrong conclusions. At this time people believed that body juices define the human character and its emotions. If someone was choleric, full of aggression, he had a lot of yellow (gall) juice. Kant, therefore, proposed to fight emotion, to fight nature, because it is not free will. Free will comes out of thinking. This is his statement. Sometimes he speaks about reason and rationality, but what he means is intellect.

So nature in this view to the world is bondage and needs to be fought. Emotions need to be battled against. The intellectual mind is freedom.

On a personal level, therefore we define ourselves as a thinker. This is a very limiting belief. The thinking most people mean comes out of our speech center, a part of our brain that is less than 2cm in diameter. The words running around in our brain do not define us. And at the same time, this thinking suggests one to fight feelings and emotions as the enemy of our free will. We become intellect without heart, with hated emotions. At the same time, we become a slave of the backlash of our subconscious mind. We never get control over our subconscious behavior while fighting ourselves. This is only possible when we get whole.

In fact, we are neither just our thinking, intellect, nor our body. Already in the 18th century, Friedrich Schiller said: "There were many times I really did not think, but still I existed." Our body is nature and we shouldn't fight it. Our feelings are a part of our self that in many cases has more wisdom than any intellectual thought we have. When we make parts of our environment and ourselves an enemy of our self, we never can be happy, lucky, loving nor successful at our potential. Science arose in the age of enlightenment and, still, today has the main aim to overcome and conquer nature. On a society level, this view of the world leads to coldhearted decisions, to a depletion of mineral deposits, forests, or human beings.

The True Self - Get Rid of Limitations In the core of our being, we are consciousness and HAVE a brain and a body. When we really get in contact with that core, our whole life changes, our emotions, the way we are aware and the way we decide. We recognize that thoughts are just commenting on what the real consciousness does. Many scientific studies prove that our decisions are mainly based on our emotions and the rational thoughts follow afterward. But that's only a part of the truth. From the first day of our life, our whole consciousness made decisions, it was never the intellect.

Mayer suggests, in consequence, to live out of that real consciousness.

Even when we were babies and not able to think or understand a word, we made decisions about who we are, how the world is, what we do. At that time, we were whole and that is possible for adults also. When a baby cries for something, we cannot resist giving it to them. In a way, we need this focused mind that has no doubts, to become really successful. A mindset that focuses on what we want to achieve and does not care what it might prevent us from. Of course, we first stumble a hundred times before we can walk. But at that time we had no doubt that we would walk. We also should not doubt then that we will achieve our goals when we are whole, no matter

what happens on the way to that success.

To be successful in that way also means to have the ability to be the leader of our mind, our thoughts, our subconscious mind, our body, and of ourselves. And also to be a leader with clarity of goals, love for every part of our being and doubtlessness. That is part of the BE BRIGHT® training.

How can I get there?

Mayer’s work begins with leading into the true core self by special kinds of effective meditations he developed.

Once a client really recognizes her/himself as this consciousness, it is clear that this self never was hurt by anything in its whole life. He states that it is a place of total stress-free, fearless, loving clarity. In that space, one can exchange the limitations and characteristics of personality just like they were changing their clothes. The fear to lose ourselves when we change who we are is gone and therefore the resistance against exploring new dimensions of being vanishes. Because nothing of what we believed we were, is true.

In this state, there is love and connection to our subconscious mind, or better yet, it is one. The clarity leads to the situation that every part of us is focused on the vision we have, no resistance, no self-boycott. If we stop creating our self-concept based on wrong assumptions, we gain inner freedom and success at the same time.

That's also true for our society. If we want a better world, we must free our consciousness from wrong assumptions and limitations. At the same time, we need to change some rules in our systems, mainly the economic system.

When we do both, we can create true holistic wealth instead of limiting it to monetary rich parts of our society.

The Mental Business Designers of the Future Mayer loves entrepreneurs and wants to help people to be that self and personality, to bring something new to the world with extraordinary success. Mental Business Designing means to create a business model with total clarity that enriches the entrepreneur and the world at the same time. Instead of wanting success out of fear of existence or compensating emotional lacks from childhood, now there is vision and trust that creates the power for gaining success. The perspective goes from selling something to creating something that helps customers to have a real improvement in their lives. All extraordinary successful people, like Richard Branson, Walt Disney or Steve Jobs, had at least that bigger vision and a totally focused mind. That's my part: to help people get there, and that’s what Mayer says.

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Sylvia Minassian 13 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Sylvia Minassian, founder of Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA), came to appreciate the arts as a child while growing up in the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, where she was exposed to various art forms influencing the magnificent city at the crossroads of multiple civilizations. The unique synthesis of European and Oriental art in Istanbul played a pivotal role in her love for art, fashion, dance and cinema. At an early age, Sylvia studied the French language, which further helped her understand the inherent relationship that exists between language, art and culture.

Her love for the arts was elevated to a whole new dimension while she spent some time in Paris at the age of thirteen, prior to permanently settling in California with her family. The museums of Paris and the diversity of the city’s street artists and musicians mesmerized her and intensified her desire to contribute to the art world throughout her adolescence and adult life.

Most people who know Sylvia and her vivacious personality will find it hard to believe that she was quite timid in her teenage years in Fresno, California. This was mostly due to the fact that she was introduced to an entirely new culture as a young immigrant girl.

Rest assured, she was quick to adapt to her new surroundings and began immersing herself in volunteer work for various charitable causes.

By the time Sylvia was in college, studying French, Spanish and Art, she began dedicating time to music and dance, with a newfound appreciation for folk and ballroom dancing. Influenced by her favorite professor, the world of opera, theater and independent/ documentary films became a part of her life.

Shortly after receiving a master’s degree in French literature, Sylvia began teaching French and Spanish in high schools. It is at this time in her life when she grew more confident and assertive as a result of the inspiration she felt in teaching students. Foreign language classes were electives and she appreciated the fact that her students had actively chosen to take these classes.

Their intrigue with learning new languages increased Sylvia’s passion for teaching and pushed her to establish French Clubs on campuses in an effort to encourage her students and expose them to French culture.

Throughout her high school and college years, Sylvia continuously volunteered for various nonprofit causes.

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Her involvement increased over the years as she began to take part in organizing events aimed at promoting artists from around the world in the fields of film, music and art. She is also very proud of her Armenian heritage and has always been an active leader in the Armenian-American communities she has lived in.

Her love and passion for the arts and charitable work entered a new phase after her marriage to neurosurgeon Dr. Haig Minassian. Even while raising their three children, Sylvia was committed to working with organizations such as Childhelp USA, World Vision International, and March of Dimes. The need to make a difference in the lives of those who are vulnerable and marginalized was something Sylvia felt had always been innate to her.

With the support and encouragement of her husband, she decided to start a foundation focused on her love for the arts. In 1995, she founded the nonprofit organization Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA) which has provided a platform for filmmakers, musicians and artists, whose works explore subjects of social and cultural importance.

Since its inception, AFFMA has supported a wide spectrum of artists including filmmakers, photographers, musicians, writers, actors, designers and dancers. In addition to numerous grants being awarded, AFFMA has actively organized an array of networking events such as concerts, art exhibits, book signings, fashion shows, talent shows, musical performances, lectures, forums, comedy nights, special screenings, and premieres, all in an effort to promote the arts and enhance the cultural environment of the community.

AFMMA’s biggest endeavor was launching its signature Arpa International Film Festival in 1997, which quickly came to be recognized as one of the leading indie film festivals in Southern California. The festival’s mission has always been to cultivate cultural understanding and global empathy by creating a dynamic forum for international cinema. The festival has bridged cultural divides by fostering dialogue among people of diverse backgrounds. By showcasing local and international films that explore critical issues such as war, genocide, diaspora, dual identities, exile and multi-culturism, Arpa International Film Festival has solidified its role in safeguarding films that continue to make a social impact.

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Over the past two decades, the Festival has awarded filmmakers and Hollywood celebrities with a number of awards including Career Achievement, Lifetime Achievement, Rising Star, Breakthrough Artist, and the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award. Recipients and supporters over the past 20 years have included Hank Moonjean, Howard Kazanjian, Vivica A. Fox, Leo Chaloukian, Dean Haglund, Dean Cain, Alanis Morissette, Bob Papazian, James Hirsch, Ara Keshishian, Stuart Manashil, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Suzanne Somers, Jacqueline Bisset, Atom Egoyan, Frances Fisher, Serj Tankian, Cheech Marin, Angela Sarafyan, Tony Shalhoub, Mike Connors, Marilu Henner, Tippi Hedren, Denise Chamian, Esai Morales, Ken Davitian, and Angus Sutherland.

Minassian continues to be the heartbeat of AFFMA, employing her deep perspective and understanding in discovering gifted independent filmmakers whose experiences and works contribute greatly to the unique lineup of films featured at the annual AFFMA International Film Festivals.

Sylvia’s immense commitment to AFFMA and Arpa International Film Festival is a testament to the importance of supporting the arts because she is true believer that art is one of the primary vehicles through which people are able to express their inner feelings and talents. This is the driving force behind Sylvia Minassian’s vision and pledge to the world of film, music and art.

To learn more about Arpa International Film Festival and get updates on this year’s 20th Annual Festival and Gala, please visit: arpafilmfestival.com Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA) is a non-profit organization.

Photo Courtesy by Don Hannah Makeup & Hair by Margeaux

Along with her dedicated team and their participation in the active growth of the organization, Minassian’s ultimate commitment and passion have made the Festival accessible to filmmakers worldwide. Arpa International Film Festival has given filmmakers across the globe the opportunity to appreciate their differences and unite in their creative journeys.

In 2011, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Arpa International Film Festival, Sylvia was bestowed one of the most coveted awards given by the Armenian Government - the Golden Medal of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia. This was in recognition of her outstanding contribution to promoting Armenian cinematic arts domestically and internationally.

The Arpa International Film Festival, now celebrating its 20th year, is the oldest international Indie film festival in Los Angeles. This year’s Festival, taking place November 3-5 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, will once again feature a dynamic set of international and local films. A special 20th Anniversary Gala will be held on November 5th at Loews Hollywood Hotel, where awards will be presented to winning filmmakers, along with special tributes to Chris Cornell (in memorium), Terry George, and Alexander Dinelaris.

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Message from the Goddess Mother

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with JAN DIANA

My Beloved Children of Heart, “Greetings! May your hearts be open to receive the illuminations of wisdom which will be showered upon you this day and always.

As you walk through your daily life during this glorious time upon Earth, you are offered opportunities for a greater understanding of the plan. The plan I speak of is what we all created together in the beginning.

Each one has their own individual plan as well as is an active participant in the plan for all. We are a family of light, each experiencing our individual self as well as the collective experience of all of us.

A PASSION OF HEART

By Jan Diana

We are on this grand adventure together. This adventure allows us to experience ourselves in new and different ways.

This makes it possible to expand our concept of ourselves, who we are and what that means as infinite beings of light and possibilities.

Exploring our nature through these experiences on a world of polarity has offered a variety of flavors for us to taste and thus experience. The value in this cannot be fully comprehended yet at this point in the plan. Let us just say it is truly remarkable.

The one constant that you are assured is that you are divine truth, and by that nature you are endowed with infinite potential to create and express. Your truth is most glorious for you are beings of light, made of the pure essence of divine love.

You may have been living a life where you perceived yourself as having limitations. Perhaps you felt you were never good enough to reach certain desired stations.

Let me share with you now that even if you have had those thoughts and experiences in the past, they no longer have to define you or your life. You are rising beyond those limiting perceptions and beliefs, allowing more light to enter into your lives.

You are choosing a lighter world where peace abides. You can feel this reality calling to your heart. You are remembering more of your truth. The light showering upon you is filling your heart with joy.

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Soon you will fully remember what it means to be purposefully choosing and creating all that your heart desires to experience. The more you remember the greater sense of self, your true self is known, linking you into a greater connection to the passion that is driving you forward.

Yes My Beloveds, your passion to fulfill your dreams is blossoming. The desire and passion to accomplish your purpose is the driving force moving you forward on your journey of life.

Coming into greater awareness brings such a sense of peace. You can feel you are closer to reaching the state of knowing. Remembering truth is very pleasurable.

It really is quite a grand adventure fueled by the choices on the many pathways. Each pathway offers you opportunities to discover more pieces that fit into that big picture you are putting together.

You are already experiencing in a different way. The power of your focus is becoming stronger, enhancing your ability to reach the higher levels of awareness of truth. This then fuels that passion within to search for more pieces to your picture of truth.

It is a glorious adventure of discovery. Each piece fans the flame of your hearts passion to reach further into the mysteries, discovering jewels along the trail leading you to the next piece and then the next and so forth.

Yes My Beloveds, your journey is a grand adventure.

Now during these times of great change, as you take your next steps into greater awareness, you will begin to see and know truth more easily. You can feel the excitement in these words as your heart testifies to you of this truth.

Enjoy the discovery. Fuel your passion and allow yourself to experience life in new ways. After all you are a great adventurer. You will continue to explore and experience in new ways yet to be discovered.

There is great pleasure in the process of discovery. The journey brings with it great joy in the experiences of enlightenment.

There is of course also a grand prize as you reach further and further into the vastness of possibilities in your glorious plan. The potential lies within you. You have all

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the gifts and innate abilities to accomplish your plan and receive the glorious prize you so desire.

Enjoy the process My Beloveds. It is a journey of many steps and stages, each offering great joy in their accomplishment. You will be very pleased with what you achieve in your personal experiences.

Discover the truth piece by piece and magnify it into infinite possibilities. This will lead you to what your knowing heart desires. This is your dream unfolding.

Be of good cheer My Beloveds for the prize is beyond description. Enjoy your journey. Listen to the calling of your heart as it passionately leads you through the many steps, to the ultimate treasure. Shamon” With great love, Your Beloved Mother

x 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.

Sessions and Classes by phone.

You can reach her at website www.sunshineinyourheart.com or by email sunsinyourheart@aol.com .

Free meditation journeys, articles, & classes. www.sunshineinyourheart.com/free_telecasts.html FREE CLASS- “The Gift of the Golden Rose”.

Experience the Golden Rose Ray on a journey to the Sacred Gardens of Light, learning how this gift can bless your life.

Class information & Registration at: www.sunshineinyourheart.com

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F

ashion Community Week in San Francisco www.fcwsf.org

The award winning Fashion Community Week commenced at the Elegant Fairmont hotel in San Francisco on Wednesday September 20th. As similar to last year event, the Fashion Community Week consisted of a 5 days series of Conference, Showroom and Fashion shows; representing Local and Global Fashion Designers, Talents and Businesses. The Eden Magazine joined this years Fashion Community Week as an Official Media Partner.

The opening night was graced by the gorgeous celebrity Sofia Milos and the Vivacious International singer Maria Elena Infantino. The evening highlighted versatile Pret A Porter collection

by Lisa Lo, MWY Apparel Design, V Boutique, Stella Carakasi and Nisan Design on the runway. The evening also consisted of showroom presentation of the following exotic exhibitors with versatile apparel and accessories: Agaati, Ma Wei Yan, Ndiritzy, Nanalola Couture, Resime, Mai silk, Torch Yoga, Attrenti and Touchstone Crystal. The celebration party was hosted at the Prive members only club The Modernist. The proceeds of this day benefitted Dress for Success.

The second day of Fashion Community Week was an evening to experience the Industry experts share about current affairs in focusing on sustainability and future of Fashion Industry. The insightful speakers were John Sun from Academy of Art, Fran Framer from Fashion Incubator of San Francisco, Graham Wetzbarger from The Real Real, Moraima DiMare from Attrenti and Vishal Kalia from Rogueline. The proceeds of this day benefitted People Wear San Francisco.

The third day of Fashion Community Week took place at the historic breath taking Payne Mansion, showcasing Emerging Designers, Menswear and Technology wear. This evening was about modern and futuristic looks on the runway by American Designers from six different states. The creative designers that graced the runway of this spectacular evening are: Clavon’s Wear, Woman's Touch Apparel, House of August Valentine, Raidah Dresses, Ayaat and Attrenti. The evening concluded with an after party at the new hip lounge Iron Horse.

The proceeds of this day benefitted the Incubator of San Francisco.

The fourth day of Fashion Community Week was a Red carpet evening of intrigue, high fashion and elegance that took place at the Gorgeous Redwood room, at the Clift Hotel in the Heart of San Francisco. This evening welcomed six International Fashion designers that represented International and Couture collection that brightened up the runway. The talented designers that graced the runway that evening were: Ndiritzy, Wardrobe Unlimited, Kyra & Vir, Sindashi, Vibha and Resime Couture. The graceful evening continued with an International after party at the gorgeous Clift Hotel. The proceeds of this day benefitted Remake.

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The Finale Day of Fashion Community Week was dedicated to raising awareness towards Conscious Living. This afternoon commenced with an exclusive brunch followed by an outdoor Sustainable Fashion show on the stunning rooftop of Hotel Via under the sun. The conscious designers that represented the runway on this day were: Hopeless+Cause Atelier, Agaati, Shastamoore designs, Nanalola Couture and AzEco Design. This Green carpet event concluded with a closing Lounge party by International musician Deejay Arash. The proceeds of this day benefitted Wardrobe for opportunity.

The highlights of the Fashion Community Week, is to every day of the event benefitting a community cause. This platform welcomes Emerging designers and those from under represented backgrounds. To add, there were designers from New York, Paris, London, Dubai, Shanghai and other fashion weeks that had joined Fashion Community Week in the last four years. The platform had become popular for its dedication, service to community, winning an award by the Mayor of city of riSan Francisco. This platform will soon establish its position to be on the Fashion Map of the world.

Special Thanks to: The gorgeous models that took part at Fashion Community Week 2017 were from Stars Management, HMM, Numa, MDT and Rae Agency. Some models include the upcoming Miss Mexico, Miss Beverly Hills, Maxim Model and Bay area celebrity.

The Eden Magazine as a major Media partner Photography by: KC LEUNG | Marco Acevedo Garcia

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Got Allergies?

These Essential Oils Can Help

By Christa McCourt

Allergies are some of the most common everyday health challenges. Believe it or not, it's the number 1 reason people see a doctor!

Headaches, stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, cough and sneezing are all common allergy symptoms.

Fortunately, there are plenty of safe and effective ways to relieve them and using therapeutic grade essential oils is one of the best ways.

The essential oils of lavender, RC and eucalyptus are well known for their ability to relieve allergic symptoms.

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Lavender Lavender (Lavendula agustofolia) is one of the best essential oils for combating allergies, such as hay fever. Pure, therapeutic grade Lavender is a natural antihistamine. I've used it on very rare occasions when I've woken up with a stuffy nose and watery eyes. After applying it, I've felt relief within minutes!

Here's how to use eucalyptus for allergy relief: Topically - Rub 1 drop of Eucalyptus radiata (mixed with 1 drop of organic olive oil) to your cheeks, forehead and sinuses.

Inhalation - Diffuse in a cold air diffuser, as needed.

Direct Inhalation - Apply 1 drop to your palms and cup over your nose. Take 4-6 deep breaths as often as needed.

Here's how to use Lavender for allergy relief: Topically - Apply 1 drop to your cheeks, forehead and sinuses, as needed.

Bonus tip - Neti Pot Using a Neti Pot is another great way to keep your nasal passages cleaned from pollens, pollution, dust, dander, etc. A Neti Pot is a tea-pot shaped kettle that is filled with saline solution (salt and water) and is poured into one nostril and then drains out the other nostril. (I do not recommend putting essential oils in the Neti pot.)

Inhalation - Diffuse it in a cold air diffuser for 15 minutes every 2 hours.

Direct Inhalation - Apply 1-2 drops to the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and cup them over your nose. Inhale 4-6 deep breaths as needed.

Ingestion - (Yes, Young Living's lavender is safe to ingest!)

Take an empty "00" size capsule, found at most health food stores, and fill the larger half of the capsule with 5 drops of Lavender. Fill the rest of the large half of the capsule with organic olive oil. Swallow with soy, rice or regular milk, 2 times a day.

RC RC is a blend of essential oils that relieves allergies PLUS colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis and coughs. RC includes eucalyptus, myrtle, pine, spruce, marjoram, lavender, cypress and peppermint essential oils.

Here's how to use RC for allergy relief: Topically - Apply 1 drop to your cheeks, forehead, sinuses, or chest as needed. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to dilute this blend with a drop of organic olive oil, just to be safe. I've used this blend on a q-tip and swabbed inside my nose to relieve a stuffy nose from a cold. It also prevented my cold from turning into a sinus infection.

This practice of cleansing the sinuses has been used by Ayruveda and Yoga practitioners for thousands of years in India. Today, people in Europe and America practice Neti on a daily basis.

Using a Neti Pot in conjunction with therapeutic grade essential oils can help keep your allergies and hay fever symptoms from reoccurring. Neti pots are available overthe-counter at many drug stores, health food stores, and online retailers. They cost between $10 and $20.

All of these methods for relieving allergies are completely safe AND good for your body. Just be sure to select only therapeutic grade essential oils as a lesser grade will not produce results.

r

Inhalation - Diffuse it in a cold air diffuser as often as needed.

Direct Inhalation - Apply 1-2 drops to your palms and cup over your nose. Inhale 4-6 deep breaths throughout the day to ease symptoms.

Christa McCourt An aroma "therapy" enthusiast and green-living advocate, Christa is passionate about showing others the way to live a healthier lifestyle using therapeutic grade essential oils.

Eucalyptus Many people find that eucalyptus essential oil also relieves their allergies. There are a few types of eucalyptus. The best and safest one for allergies is Eucalyptus radiata. It's great for respiratory, sinus and viral infections.

Before you purchase essential oils online, please view Christa's website and subscribe to her free weekly email newsletter about the benefits of therapeutic grade essential oils www.aromatherapyforlife.com for health, healing and organic living.

29 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Hands Offering

People Empowerment

in Society

Learn More About Our October 14th Corn Hole Tournament 30 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Individuals with intellectual disabilities who wish to be active participants in their communities might find it difficult to have an avenue for doing so. Katie Moore, executive director and founder of ABC Hopes, an up and coming nonprofit organization dedicated to those with intellectual disabilities, is making their dreams a reality.

are giving back to their community by volunteering with various organizations and hosting fundraisers to give back to others, including fundraisers to help specific community members in need.

ABC Hopes Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013. The organization's goal is to empower people with intellectual disabilities and to educate the people around them. Katie's passion began at a young age when her brother, Chris, was born with Down syndrome. His name and desire for opportunities were the inspiration for the name of the organization, All Because Christopher (ABC) Hopes.

Within the past year, ABC Hopes has also started two (dis)ABILITIES fitness programs, one in Corona and another in Huntington Beach. The fitness programs are custom tailored to the needs and capabilities of each member. The classes are full of fun, laughter, and physical awareness. "The workout classes have improved our member's confidence levels and overall well-being," says Moore. The classes are held at local fitness facilities multiple times per week, which gives members the freedom to integrate and meet people from their community.

Growing up, Katie noticed a lack of understanding from her community on what people with intellectual disabilities are capable of doing. "Many people are not aware of their capabilities and discount them as non-contributing members of the community. People with intellectual disabilities are capable of so much more," said Moore.

Moore defines the magic behind ABC Hopes by saying, “Many groups like this are trying to raise money for a cure — that’s not us. We are hoping that we can raise awareness. These individuals love life, and they want to be accepted, appreciated and involved. We hope to give them one avenue of doing so.”

Moore says her family has always been impressed with Chris’ work ethic and drive to use his abilities as best as he can. She wanted to give other individuals with intellectual disabilities the chance to do the same.

Last month, ABC Hopes debuted their cooking classes in response to a problem encountered by one of its members. "Katie was so moved by a story from one of our participant's parents who came to us and said their child was upset that they weren't able to make pancakes.

ABC Hopes is always looking for opportunities to develop the participant's skills," said the Marketing Director, Ricklyn Hukriede.

“It is the organization’s mission to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities to contribute to society in a positive manner by giving them job opportunities that develop their social and educational skills. Through our organization’s programs and services we hope to help the individuals we work with develop skills that will increase their involvement in the community.”

ABC Hopes is accomplishing their mission by training their participants to manage and operate a produce stand, which takes place twice a week at the local Farmers' Market. “Selling produce isn't the end goal for these individuals. Our hope is that through our markets, our volunteer and community service efforts, and our fitness programs, they will build their confidence, which in turn builds their community involvement,” Moore explained. In addition to their responsibilities of running a produce stand, ABC Hopes participants

"In the last year, the ABC Hopes program has grown exponentially. Katie's grand plan is to have a facility that people with intellectual disabilities can come to and participate in cooking, fitness, art, dance classes, and more, all under one roof. It is a concept directly created for them by them. Giving people a choice is the ultimate means of empowerment," said Hukriede.

ABC Hopes will be launching their facility design and concept in spring of 2018.

For more information on how to be a part of ABC Hopes, please visit www.abchopes.com

31 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e Octoberr 2017

Accepting and conquering paranoia

By Roxana Jones

Looking back in time, it is still difficult for me to accept the paranoiac person I used to be. On a conscious level, I was convinced I was this positive individual who had worked successfully at leaving all her negativity in the past.

The truth was that deep inside at the subconscious level, I was full of insecurities and fears that made me see the world as a hostile environment where I had to be careful of “those who could attack me, those who were out there to get me.� I was living as a victim of my own delusion, one I had inherited from my parents, who had in turn inherited it from theirs, and so on.

Without knowing it, millions of people live in that same paranoiac reality I describe. The degrees of severity, circumstances, and characters involved are different for each one of us but whether we accept it or not, whether we need to have a medical explanation for the type of paranoia we suffer from or not, many of us experience some type of social anxiety and many fears concerning our relations with those who are close to us, strangers, and even those who are not living anymore.

32 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COMe October 2017

Photography by Callan Kapush 33 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2017

As I began identifying my paranoia, I realized the ways I was feeding it continuously through the information I allowed into my brain. This information came from family and friends I interacted with, or from books, magazines, movies, TV programs and news I used to read and watch on a daily basis. I painfully understood that in order for me to face my fears and stop seeing people as enemies working for this ‘self-created’ conspiracy aiming at my stagnation, I had to change all that was nurturing my negative self-talk. And so I did. I changed everything and everyone. Interestingly enough, some of the people I decided to disconnect from simply because their paranoia was not helping to heal mine, started reappearing after a while. It was as if through my own healing process they too had been healed and now I was relating with newer versions of them.

Examples of paranoid behavior Perhaps you are wondering how did I know I was a paranoiac. The following are some examples of how I used to behave: -I could not trust others.

-I suspected without justification that others were trying to trick me.

-I was jealous and suspicious about those I loved.

-I doubted the loyalty of my friends.

-I avoided talking about myself fearing the information would be used against me.

-I interpreted casual remarks or events as insults against me.

-I overreacted with anger to minor slights.

-I carried grudges and I even seek revenge.

-I was unable to forgive.

I could even go on to describe all the conspiracy theories I was believing in at that time but you probably see the picture clearly by now.

Unfortunately, many do not realize their own paranoid states simply because they have been taught to see paranoia as a disease, a mental disorder. If our symptoms are not strong enough to raise a red flag, we ignore them without handling them properly. Denial is what blocks us from discovering the magnificence that comes after getting rid of our mental negativity.

A cure for paranoia My transformation happened as soon as I began practicing a whole new way of perceiving the world. Slowly but surely, with a great deal of commitment, I realized 34 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

this new and more positive perspective required the same amount of energy or even less than what I was already spending in creating an unhappy life.

Once I was able to fill my heart and mind with kindness and compassion for every single person that was directly or indirectly connected to me, I began noticing the most amazing results in my life.

This new and more positive approach to life was not as new as I thought. It is called pronoia and its origins can be traced as far back as ancient Greece. Pronoia is defined as “the belief the Universe is always conspiring on your behalf.”

By now you might be thinking that all this sounds too good to be true. I must admit my ego did everything possible to discourage me from practicing what sounded so woo-woo and new agey. After insisting on using high doses of persistence and patience, I was able to release my denial to see the world as a friendly place where I could live without worrying about others.

Can this be another case where one replaces a delusion with another delusion?

If by using this positive approach you are going to feel happier, more inspired, motivated, empowered and healthier, wouldn’t you too give it a try?

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

35 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Reclaming Your True Self

36 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COMe October 2017

with Angela Dunning

Returning Home: Coming back to yourself through the body

By Angela Dunning

Returning home to ourselves happens first and foremost through a sustained return to the body.

I have learned that it is a life-long practice to come back home to my own body and I know I am not alone in realizing this truth.

Our culture and upbringing in Western societies deems the body to be a second-class citizen. Something separate from us; to be ruled over and controlled by the all-powerful mind. For centuries now many religions have viewed the body as a bothersome aspect of ourselves, something to be ignored, suppressed or ruthlessly denied, and even deemed to be sinful.

It is no surprise then that for many people, and particularly I find for women, really being in our bodies, where we are fully connected to ourselves and our needs, is something we find tremendously hard. Subsequently, this often takes years of gentle, loving attention and practice if we are once again to fully inhabit our bodies.

My own journey of coming home to myself has involved making this vital connection to my body. Finding the security I do now, deep in the core of my being, is a result of doing regular embodiment practices. This sense of security is something I never had as a child; both in my family, local community, or immediate environment, all of which felt hostile to me and was deeply insecure and unwelcoming. My way of dealing with this back then was to leave my body, my turbulent emotions and my present situation and drift up into my racing mind or my avid imagination; leaving my body on its own and me with a permanent sense of disconnection between my mind and body.

In fact, I had to travel thousands of miles and cross the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of the Arizona desert, and meet a brand new community of people, to experience what it felt like to finally “come home” for the first time.

This was at the tender age of 34. This experience was my own personal gateway back into a relationship with my own body, as for the first time in my life, I learned some powerful embodiment techniques to initiate this new relationship.

Since then, I have been steadfastly devoted to the practice of meeting with my body on a regular basis in all her fullness, glory and beauty, as well as her limitations, pain and suffering. One encounter at a time, I have been dialoguing with my long-neglected home; the very personal house which carries through each day of my life.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that there aren’t still times when I neglect or harm my body, as like everyone else, I am still learning to truly love her…

Yet, through regular embodiment practice and with much better levels of self-care, I have found not only a deeper sense of security and trust in myself, but also a range of other wonderful and unexpected bonuses. When I am fully present in my body, in whatever I am feeling in that moment, my creative energy increases ten-fold.

Therefore, it seems that coming home to myself opens gateways to deeper self-expression and enables me to access my Soul’s yearnings more easily and bring expression to them.

What I am talking about here are very practical, simple and grounding methods which involve the regular, committed desire, practice and devotion to want to come home to your most intimate relationship: that with your own flesh and bone.

37 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

To want to live in harmony with the matter that supports you day in and day out; the flesh that houses your Soul and her deepest longings. The home to all of your grief and trauma, which is quietly, or perhaps not so quietly, waiting for your loving attention, and for you to mother your inner-most pain back to wholeness. The place where memories are stored; for they are not just stored in your mind as modern-day medicine and science would have you believe, they also live deep within your muscles and bones. Ancestral memories may cause your legs to go weak when you visit a certain location or meet a certain person. Throbbing headaches may indicate a traumatic event from your childhood which still awaits your loving attention. Cravings and addictions are often indications that your body is in need of real, true and deep self-love; perhaps for the first time in your life.

In order to demonstrate the type of embodiment practice I am talking about, I wish to share a simple but powerful exercise with you; one that helps you immediately feel more at home in your body, and which can activate all of the above extra benefits I mentioned.

Before you begin, make a note of how comfortable and present you feel in this moment. Are you aware of how your body feels at all? Is your mind racing? Do you find it hard to stop and do this exercise because you tell yourself that you “should” be doing something else…? Just note how you feel and then gently begin: • Stand with your feet firmly on the ground, shouldwidth apart and preferably outside on the grass or earth; barefoot is even better if you can.

• Feel the earth beneath your feet. Sense how connected or not you feel to the ground. Stretch out your toes and the soles of your feet, let your heels sink down so that your ankles, legs and pelvis relax a little.

• Notice how your breathing is and very gently try to let it relax and lengthen, don’t force it, just focus and allow.

• Now take your attention and put it onto your heart.

Really imagine that you can see inside your heart, feel its beat and rhythm, and notice how your heart feels: is it soft and open, or maybe it is a little close, hard, or protective?

• Then spend a few minutes breathing into your heart, and again, just allow your breath to gently soften and comfort your heart, don’t force anything or expect anything; simply breathe and be in the company of your own heart.

• Now allow this breath-focused attention to radiate throughout your entire body, so that you are gently breathing and being present with the whole of your body; breathing yourself into each moment.

38 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

• Finish by making a note of how you feel in comparison to before you started the exercise.

• Repeat, regularly and often.

This is but one simple way to come back home to yourself and reconnect to your body. Further, the beauty of this sort of practice is that you can do it anytime; anywhere and as often as you wish. In fact, of course, the more frequently you do these types of embodiment practices, the more at home you will begin to feel with yourself, and the less likely you will be to either feel distracted by your busy mind or affected by life’s events.

For a species that has become so utterly disconnected from our physical matter, except as a means to an end, or something to abuse and work too hard, it is going to take time and patience to begin to recognise that this is our one, true home. The place where we truly belong.

We take her or him everywhere we go, and for many years, she or he has faithfully served, carried and supported us through thick and thin. Therefore, to commit to marrying yourself to your own beautiful dwelling is surely a union well-worth working at, don’t you think?

e Angela Dunning has been a certified Eponaquest Instructor since 2007.

Based in Herefordshire, England, she also practices elsewhere in the UK and abroad on invitation. She delivers gentle yet powerful personal development and training programs in Equine Facilitated Learning to individuals, groups and organizations. She specializes in helping people reconnect to their body, emotions and personal power. She particularly works with women with depression, low levels of confidence and relationship issues, using ground-breaking techniques that make a real difference to your life, your inner healing work and your relationships. In addition, she offers consultancy, supervision and training in equine facilitated practice. Angela is also a passionate writer of books, articles and poetry on related topics.

Learn more about Angela and her EFL work and read her Blog here: www.equinereflections.co.uk You can also connect with Angela on Facebook also: www.facebook.com/equinereflections

40 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

photogrpahy by Carl Perutz

A CHALLENGE TO THE IDEA OF “WALK-INS”

By P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.

41 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Throughout recorded history and in myth, people who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, aided a human being in trouble, and then vanished, were called “walk-ins.”

Some claimed that angels were also walk-ins, miracle workers who made a difference – like the modern-day report of the man driving a tow truck who rescued a family stranded in a snowbank because their car slid off the road, then promptly disappeared, poof! truck and all, no goodbyes, no noise, no tire tracks in the snow to prove he was ever there, even though everyone saw and experienced the exact same event and all were left with the same puzzled looks on their faces. Incidents like this share equal space with stories of beings who “step” into the earthplane from some parallel or distant dimension, stay for whatever reason however long, and then “walk” out – appearing to enter and exit through some kind of “window” or time aberration. I’ve seen one of these walk-ins myself. My son has seen several, as have friends of mine. When it happened to me, I felt chills coursing up and down my body. I was startled at first, then I laughed for I knew what I had just seen. My son Kelly was upset about the carload of people that vanished in front of him as he was bicycling home from a day of swimming, until I relayed my own walkin encounter and those of other people he knew. Once he realized he wasn’t the only one who witnessed such things, he breathed a sigh of relief and was okay about it.

Yes, it is possible that some of these sightings could be of doppelgängers (a German term for the ghostly double or counterpart of a living person that appears and disappears without the person so “pictured” actually being present or even nearby). This phenomenon, and that of biolocation (the ability to be in two or more places at the same time), have been part of the human story since time immemorial. However, the scientific premise that “imaginary projections from the brain” create all such phantoms does not explain away either the frequency or the complexity or the physicality of such reports.

The term “walk-in” has become part of today’s lexicon, not because of consistent sightings the likes of which I have just mentioned. . . but because Ruth Montgomery’s “spirit guides” coined the label for other purposes. A former newspaper journalist, Montgomery has done well in the metaphysical marketplace, tempting and tantalizing her readers with abstract concepts and “higher truths.”

Her book Threshold to Tomorrow (Putnam, New York City, 1983), posits walk-ins as supposed “advanced souls” who ae somehow “allowed” to walk in and inhabit recently vacated bodies. In order to accomplish this feat, these so-called advanced souls agree to revitalize the recently vacated body and execute whatever remains of the former 42 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

soul’s obligations before they begin their own mission to help humankind. Montgomery claims that the reason for such “switches” is to enable advanced beings to take a shortcut into earthly existence. The soul formerly in residence within the body is apparently “excused” from finishing out the life and is freed to either develop elsewhere in other realms or receive another body through the natural process of birth.

Montgomery goes on to state that these switches occur during extended periods of unconsciousness or during near-death experiences. She has no idea how the switch works, but claims an agreement must be reached between the two souls involved or the switch cannot take place.

Montgomery identified a number of people, both living and dead, as walk-ins, people such as Anwar Sadat and Einstein. One living person so identified is Reverend Carol W. Parrish-Harra, founder of Sancta Sophia Seminary, who had believed herself to be “another person” long before Montgomery ever wrote books on the subject. In response to publicity generated when she was so named, Parrish-Harra wrote her own book entitled Messengers of Hope (New Age Press, Sancta Sophia Seminary, Tahlequah, OK 1983). “Messenger” is her version of Montgomery’s term “walk-in.”

Parrish-Harra’s near-death experience occurred during childbirth and, or course, changed her life. Her story of struggles and transformation is inspiring, as was her quest to “find herself.” I first met her in 1984 and have since spoken with her many times. To say I am impressed with her ability as a teacher and speaker would be an understatement. She is very talented! Still, there is nothing in her personal story that would set her apart from any other near-death experiencer who had undergone an intensely transformative experience, or that would indicate she might be a walk-in – except for her belief.

Ruth Montgomery’s original description of walk-ins and how to recognize them mimics the average behavior of the typical near-death experiencer, or, that of someone who has undergone a spiritual transformation no matter how caused.

It is normal for such people to believe themselves new and different It is normal for such people to even look different and act as if they were “other” than themselves.

It is normal for such people to be revitalized, more knowing and able, to possess skills and talents new or expanded from before.

All of this is perfectly normal given the incredible power of true transformations of consciousness, no matter how they are caused. The physiological and psychological aftereffects pattern details what these people can go through afterward and the extent of change that typically occurs.

There are hundreds of millions of people throughout the world who fit the pattern of a walk-in as described

by Ruth Montgomery, including myself. Are we all advanced souls supplanting our lesser fellows in an attempt to prepare the masses for a new age? I think not. But, since this notion is so confusing to so many people, let’s give it a fresh look.

There are historical references to Montgomery’s walk-in theory in mystical and metaphysical literature and in legends from various cultures, although terminology differs.

Exchange was the expression used most often to describe souls who traded places in a given body. Stories about “exchanges” are no different from the current renderings of near-death experiencers and those like them.

If you examine the historical material, then compare what you find with modern renditions, you can’t help but notice this recurring pattern: declaring oneself “new” instead of “changed” puts less pressure on the unenlightened and ensures a safer political climate in which to live and work. Socially, it is more acceptable for individuals to grapple with a mystery than to admit that they might have been in need of personal transformation themselves.

After all, the public, any public, has always preferred entertainment to embarrassment.

Nonetheless, I have met three people who I think really are the type of walk-ins Montgomery describes in her book. Two are adult women, the other is a very confused young man. All three have unusually bright eyes that intently search what can be seen, rather than just look; and the vibration around them, their presence, does feel at variance to anything I have sensed from an individual before. I cannot explain this, but I can be tolerant. With what I’ve experienced in my life, I have long since learned that this wonderful world of ours is a treasure trove of miraculous oddities.

I do want to extend a caution, however. Every walk-in Montgomery wrote about went through extensive and lengthy periods of confusion and depression, with little more to offer than disconnected, dreamy ideas. None had the ability to utilize the knowledge they claimed to have or to empower others until after they had engaged in years, and I do mean years and years of study and train-

ing, to learn how. This hardly constitutes “a shortcut” or even a sensible way for “advancements” of the so-called advanced. All the historical figures she said were walk-ins, all of them, of record, had gone through what appeared to be near-death experiences (most during childhood).

I discuss some of these in my book The New Children and Near-Death Experiences (Bear & Co., Rochester, VT, 1999/2003), in the chapter on Historical Cases.

Whether people such as these are evolving through more than one incarnation during their present life, or expressing past-life or future-life personalities, or projecting a glamorous fantasy to gain attention, what I suspect is happening here is that people globally are suddenly becoming more of themselves. They are expanding in consciousness and they have no way to explain or understand how that happened or why. Just because someone feels “suddenly new” does not mean he or she is a different soul in the same body.

There are many paths to enlightenment – some just involve a few more detours than others.

n P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D. is one of the original researchers in the field of near-death studies, having begun her work in 1978 and completing 15 books on her findings – some of which have now been verified in clinical settings.

Atwater’s The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences, was featured in the online version of Newsweek Magazine. Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story is her most complete and controversial book yet. She has won many awards, appeared on numerous TV shows, and spoken around the world – always inviting people to look past appearances for the truth that underlies what we think we know.

Information taken from www.pmhatwater.com, the free monthly newsletter of P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D. She has researched the near-death phenomenon since 1978, and written 16 books on the subject – her latest A Manual for Developing Humans.

43 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

LANGUAGE OF SPACE

with Michael White Ryan

“WHO AM I” THE NEGATIVE PAST “WHAT AM I” THE POSITIVE FUTURE

By Michael White Ryan 44 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

CHANGE, TRANSFORMATION, MANIFESTATION…and the beat goes on. So, we have all lived in compliance, and life is where??? I am not saying life is not great, let’s face it. it is the path of unimaginable wonder.

But lately, the calls I have been receiving, have been that of disappointment and despair after years of effort. They have enrolled the best, paid out in time and money, only to discover the hype of old learnings are not in alignment with today’s frequency. Conclusion, search for the new, get out of your head.

There is no escape if you are trying to think out of the box for a solution to any situation, when thinking “is the box”. Get down on bended knees and pray to discover that mindset is the delusion! We have not been duped, so don’t go down the road of blame and disbelief. The time is now and we have just turned a corner where we find ourselves living in unfamiliar territory energetically. The feel is different, it even smells different. For some it feels like walking/waking up in that open vacant space between the forest of the past and seeing the forest of the new in the distance .discovery and dance of song game-time this in actress/actor lead the are you for, loud out Laugh, Smile .you to up is life, creator the are you face your in announce to us greet to come has evolution Thankfully Know this, we have been led to believe we are co-creators in our lives, in relationships, in business and in evoking our wishes, goals and desires. Put on the thinking cap and look at where you are in this process and be true to yourself about the conclusion. Did you limit the results by thinking-up the ending? You are the source of your life!

You are the divine power, step into life, there is only one way to find out? It’s nice to have a purpose to hold/guide us through the journey-tunnel, but grasp those experiences which make us, which unfold/allow us to enter portals of greater endings!

“WHO AM I”, holds us to the inner dynamic definitions of “I”. Connection to all that is possible/probable exists beyond the “I” self-you-me-we. Whereas the unknown existence of where, how, what, belongs to the unseen ether.

It resides/lives out there on the horizon, on the peripheral fringes. Ask, will you live in discovery or remain seated on the bus, this merry-go-round of delusion authentic compliance within social footsteps past. Place your hand in the faith of self, it is your foundation, I believe in you, replace the negative of fear with the positive of trust and fly where eagles dare.

“WHAT AM I”, now there is a scary thought. Thankfully

it takes us out of the self-mind into the nature of one’s capacities, instead of existing/drowning in blind stagnation of “BEINGNESS”. The universe has moved us into a new evolutionary direction. We have been gifted a second chance and are, have been, coerced, pushed forward into “SEEING”. We live and die alone and in-between there are/is opportunity to express, impress, present our screen to all mankind.

There is no one recipe for learning, thankfully it’s beauty is individual. Every moment we are at the exact same time, the student and teacher collectively. You are a living organism being shaped 24/7 by all you do and avoid, in behavior, functionality and emotionally. Those unavoidable trials and tribulations increase our learned capacities, which result in a greater you.

Become that someone, whoever you can be proud of, whatever it is you engage in and pursue. Remain real/true to the self, for you are the primary force/resource that creates beyond the extraordinary. Find that mentor who will/ can send you into a process leaving you lost in absolute speechlessness. When we exit the mindset and step into an unknown, don’t waste time trying, for there are no words to describe the inner “feeling of evolution”. You are not alone, I invite you to reach into life, taste the beauty of experience and allow your story to unfold.

Blessed are we.

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 Henderson NV. www.languageofspace.com 45 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e Octoberr 2017

Reincarnation, Past Lives and the In-between

By Rizwan Virk

46 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2017

In his fascinating book, Treasure Hunt: Follow Your Inner Clues to Find True Success, Rizwan Virk looks at the origin of intuitive clues from two different perspectives, the spiritual and the scientific. In this excerpt he looks at the spiritual perspective, which says many of the intuitive clues we get in life are set up for us in advance and are there to remind us of the life we were meant to live…

In some Buddhist traditions, the process of incarnating requires crossing the “River of Forgetfulness,” where we forget all about our past lives and the intent, mission, and karma we are here to fulfill in this life.

Similarly, in Chinese mythology, the goddess Meng Po is the Lady of Forgetfulness, and she brews up a Tea of Forgetfulness for us, that we drink just before incarnating.

This helps us forget our past lives so that we can have a “fresh start.” Unfortunately, it also causes us to forget our memories of the “in-between” place as well, including our mission for this life.

Sometimes we are given a direct glimpse of what our life’s work is. Winston Churchill was said to have told a friend when he was just a boy that one day he was going to be called on to save the British Empire.

For most of us, we don’t get a direct vision or message of what we were meant to do in life. In fact, we might not be sure, but we usually have hunches and guesses.

We get little glimpses of things that draw our attention: interests, activities and people that bring us joy. These are the little clues that are placed for us along the way, like breadcrumbs leading us on a cosmic treasure hunt, back to the place and person we were meant to be in this life.

Recognizing the Clues and Following the Map One thing I learned at MIT was that most of what we call science is really a series of models about how the universe works. The underlying “True Nature of Reality” is far too complex to put into words or mathematical equations, so we use these models as long as they are useful.

In one model, clues come not from the unconscious as much as from the pre-conscious, from the place before you were born, the place in-between life and death. We set ourselves up to meet certain people and make certain decisions, and to ensure that we don’t forget, we set up these clues. Both Dr. Michael Newton, in his seminal

book, Journey of Souls, and Dr. Brian Weiss, author of Many Lives, Many Masters, regressed patients back to the time before they were born and their subjects reported being told of certain “clues” or “triggers” that they were taught to look for in their upcoming lives to recognize the people they were meant to be with and paths they were meant to follow.

This is a fascinating model of how clues work and what our Treasure Map is trying to guide us toward.

In another model, the more religious model, there are spiritual guides and guardian angels who are constantly watching us and sending us messages, or the clues are actually messages from God. In the Islamic model, there is even a formal term, Istikhara, for asking for guidance from God. I find that while all of these models have their pluses and minuses, they are also essentially saying the same thing.

Whatever your beliefs, I encourage you not just to keep an open mind about where your personal clues may come from, but to go with whatever model seems best to you.

Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, film producer, venture capitalist, and bestselling author of Zen Entrepreneurship: Walking the Path of the Career Warrior.

His software products have been used by the largest enterprises in the world, and his video games have been downloaded millions of times, including Tap Fish and Penny Dreadful: Demimonde.

He studied at MIT and Stanford, and is currently Executive Director of Play Labs @ MIT, a startup accelerator.

Riz lives in Mountain View, CA and Cambridge, MA.

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Dream Patterns

Revealing the Hidden Patterns of Our Waking Lives

By Jonson Miller

Dreams are bizarre. There’s no way around it. Because of this, they’re inherently interesting. Dreams can teach us about the nature of consciousness, reveal to us personal and universal truths through symbolic language, and enable us to make lasting changes in our own lives. I have experienced all of these through my own dreams.

At various stages of my life, I have used my dreams to understand the unconscious forces shaping my behavior, feelings, and attitudes. But I didn’t do this by studying one of the many dream dictionaries that are available. Dream dictionaries encourage us to interpret individual dreams in isolation and, furthermore, to interpret each individual image within each dream. But there is too much noise in our dreams for this approach to provide valuable interpretations on a consistent basis.

Nor have I gained the most from my dreams by trying, in the psychoanalytical manner, to interpret all of my dreams as either expressions of unconscious desires or as universal archetypes.

What allowed me to create change in my life was 1) recognizing personal patterns of images and themes in my dreams, 2) recognizing the patterns in my waking life that they represent, and then 3) working to change those waking-life patterns. My dreams changed then as well, confirming the changes I made in my waking life.

Images, people, and themes repeat themselves in our dreams over a period of time. For example, a particular cluster of individuals or types of people (uniformed authorities, monsters, laborers, etc.) tend to appear in our dreams and our dreams tend to occur in a particular cluster of places (an old family home, forests, institutions, etc.). It is these recurring elements that we need to note and then interpret. These patterns may sometimes be literal recurring dreams, which occur in an identical or nearly identical way each time, but usually they are not.

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The repeating elements of our dreams tend to occur in a variety of combinations and contexts to produce unique dreams each night. Consequently, we must patiently record our dreams over a period of time to reveal the patterns. These elements recur because of ongoing behaviors and stimuli within our waking lives and our unconscious minds. Our dream patterns point us to those stimuli, enabling us to recognize them. Having recognized them, if they are unhelpful behaviors or attitudes, we can then adopt new, more skillful behaviors and attitudes.

We may dream of certain elements simply because we frequently experience those elements in our waking lives. On the other hand, I was surprised to find how few of the commonplace elements of my waking life appear in my dreams. Many recurring elements of our dreams may not draw from our immediate waking lives.

Some of my dream elements are from my childhood or other long-past events. Other elements are seemingly inexplicable. Regardless of their origins, take note of the patterns and where they come from in your experiences.

Having recognized dream patterns, we can then recognize the waking-life patterns they point to. The relationship between the two isn’t always or even often obvious. For example, as a teenager, I frequently dreamt of hostile, fanged animals. The obvious expression of fear and anxiety didn’t make sense to me, since, at the time, I believed myself to be rather happy and content. The pattern in my dreams prompted me to look for fear and anxiety in my waking life. The more I looked, the more of it I found.

Dream patterns drawn from the commonplace things of your waking life can be particularly difficult to interpret, because those elements may not be literal references. Our dreams must draw on something to build themselves; they often use the commonplace. But our dreams may use those commonplace elements to represent something else, something we are unaware of. So we must patiently reflect on our dream patterns and cultivate self-awareness to recognize the waking-life patterns revealed in our dreams.

Simply recognizing an unhelpful attitude or behavior may be enough to stop that pattern and replace it with something more skillful. But often that is not enough.

I have generally had to work to replace those unhelpful patterns. Consider the example with the hostile animals I gave above. Recognizing the dream pattern was

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important, but I had to do more. I had to actively look for those moments of fear and anxiety in my waking life. When I identified those moments, I acknowledged them, recognized that they resulted from defense mechanisms or an ingrained pattern that no longer served me, and then I let the feelings go. After a few months of this, the moments of anxiety became fewer and fewer.

As the anxiety disappeared, so did the dreams.

Identify and interpret your dream patterns. Reflect on how those patterns are playing out in your waking life.

Be aware of the actual moments in the day when those patterns are operating. When you are conscious of those moments, you can control how you respond. Dissolving those unhelpful patterns requires active self-awareness and repetition. As you work to dissolve those patterns, look for confirmation of your efforts in your changing dream patterns.

I do not entirely dismiss the value of individual dreams.

I occasionally experience individual dreams with profound meaning. These dreams, ones Carl Jung called “big dreams,” are packed with mythological elements and, therefore, stand out from the normal patterns in my dreams. Those big dreams generally occur at times of major change in my life. Those dreams, however, are rare and precious. We can, however, best recognize them when we learn to sift through, on the one hand, the meaningless noise and, on the other, the very meaningful long-term patterns of our dreams. But the greatest benefit from our dreams comes from the persistent and long-term study of those dream patterns that enable us to dissolve unhelpful waking-life patterns and replace them with more skillful ways of living.

g

Jonson Miller has practiced dream interpretation for over 25 years. He is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. He teaches history at Drexel University and lives in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA. https://jonsonmiller.wordpress.com

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LOOKING GOOD & FEELING GREAT

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with Margaret Tomaszewicz

As an esthetician I am often asked what is the best way to take care of one’s skin.

The importance of Facial Treatments

By Margaret Tomaszewicz

That is not an easy question because everybody’s skin is different and has different needs. So to keep it simple my advice is to use good organic skin care products at home, eat nutritious organic products and receive regular professional facial treatments.

So what are benefits of having a facial?

The skin is the largest organ in our body, which works as our protector from the environment.

Because of that function, it is exposed to outside elements such as sun and pollution.

During the facial, the esthetician can deep clean the skin from impurities, oils and dry skin build-up. Once the skin is properly restored it can better absorb hydration and nourishment from products.

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Facial massage during a facial is not only relaxing but also helps in bringing blood flow and circulation to the facial cells which increases oxygenation. More blood flow increases collagen and elastin production giving the skin that “ glowing look”.

Lymphatic massage reduces puffiness and removes toxins and impurities.

It is like having a natural facelift.

We are expected to “follow” our friends lives and immediately answer every message no matter how unimportant it is to our lives.

Couples no longer hold hands on dates or look at each other across the table.

Now they hold cell phones and show each other pictures that appear on their news feeds.

In the treatment room, the esthetician can choose different options for the facial depending on the needs and skin care type of the client.

But a need for human touch and relaxation still exists.

Touch can release stress, ease anxiety, reduce blood pressure and boost immunity.

The best facials can include Oxygen Treatments, Organic Peels, LED Light Treatments and Specialized Masks. These treatments can really make a significant difference in how the client’s skin will improve.

During facials, clients receive a relaxing facial, neck, shoulder and hand massage in addition to improving their skin. The esthetician also listens to and talks to her clients with out any interruptions.

How we look has an enormous impact on how we feel.

With a small investment in the facial, a person’s acne can be diminished, fine lines soften then hydration and clarity can be restored.

And that is the best gift we can give and receive from each other.

The esthetician can also choose the correct products for one’s home skin care.

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How many times have we walked through the stores and were overwhelmed by the amount of available products leaving us unsure on which product is best for us?

It is my recommendation that it’s best to use organic and natural skin care products, but even those can be different depending on skin type.

The salesperson is not trained to recommend the correct products for your individual skin type; only your esthetician can do that.

But my favorite benefit of the facial is that for about one hour we can escape the busyness of everyday life and just relax.

Stress is one of the main causes contributing to many modern diseases. We are constantly bombarded with the overload of information that we can no longer escape due to cell phones, messaging, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

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To your health!

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

CATS AT THE STUDIOS, INC http://catsatthestudios.com/

Cat & Kitten for adoption

Cats At The Studios, Inc is a non profit rescue organization comprised entirely of volunteers.

We are dedicated to nurturing, neutering/spaying, and finding a good homes for abononed cats and Kitten.

We are looking for volunteers and help please contact us at CatsAtTheStudios@yahoo.com 55 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e September 2017

An excerpt from The Way Home to Love: A Guide to Peace in Turbulent Times

Trusting Love

By Maresha Ducharme

Everything means everything; it is literally all or nothing.

The seeker steps outside the box. The seeker expands the boundaries of what is comfortable and safe. The seeker dives deeply into the void. All attempts to understand, to know, and to control are released. In other words, the seeker is liberated from what is already known. In order to become liberated from what is already known, one must return to the pure nature of innocence. Innocence opens the possibility for the Mystery to be revealed to us, much like a surprise.

The Golden Center The quest of the spiritual pilgrim is endless. The quest is a longing that draws one forth into the unknown, into the Mystery. We cannot grasp or clearly define what it is we are being drawn toward. We only know we are going from what is known into the unknown. Many try to create controllable boundaries within which to live. Habits and patterns which are passed down become comfortable points of reference for life. Within those boundaries, we have an illusion of some safety and comfort.

Being in this state of innocence is to trust love. In trusting love, we shed the masks, the performances, and the controls. We expose the uncovered face, and we live from our essential nature and invite wonder into our lives. This is the spiritual journey. The spiritual nature refuses certainty, dogma, and social programs. Trusting love is a radical severance from one’s preferences, addictions, and obsessions. It is a persevering willingness to enter and re-enter the unknown.

It is a commitment to listening to the voice of one’s Soul a new each day.

Within the ability to sustain, channel, emanate or hold one’s inner light in absolute consciousness, exists an implicit, radical faith that allows one to risk everything.

This risk cannot be calculated by degrees of riskiness. One cannot say, "I'll risk just so much now, and maybe a little bit more next time."

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But what is it that we trust when we are trusting love?

What is this love? This love is a willingness to open ourselves to a higher will; it is an absolute acceptance that we are not the initiator. We give up the ego and walk to the water so that we may immerse ourselves in the stream of consciousness, the stream of love, and merge with the infinite Mystery.

extend the boundaries of your love.

This inner posture is held in every situation we meet.

Outwardly, the actions of life

How do we get through these places? We get rejected, we get used, and we lose control. We are found out to be the culprits we are. Trust means that you have to be willing to be exposed for who you really are and to take a risk and get nothing in return. You must be willing to face lack and rejection along with the reality that things never do work out the way you planned anyway.

look just like everybody else’s. Inwardly, we let life be revealed. Inwardly, we rise to every occasion with acceptance and grace, knowing it is the higher, Divine Will working through us. We live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. Even the simplest act is performed differently by one who is free.

Trusting love is round, intuitive, receptive, and flowing. It moves without obstruction, open to the unknown, asking to be shown, and being endlessly surprised at ach revelation. It is simple, clear and honest. Trusting love means that each day you begin anew, exactly where you are. There is nothing special to do, there are no requirements to fulfill, nor do you have to go to any special place. The inner posture of acceptance and trust creates an ability to meet life exactly as it is.

Liberation lies within each one of us. When you trust love, you can observe and respond both to the mundane rhythms of life as well as to the extraordinary Mystery of the eternal quest.

Trusting love is symbolized by the beauty of the perpetually blooming rose. Open to receive the light, it maintains a state of perfect openness. . . . turn your gaze to the beautiful garden which blossoms under the radiance of light. There is the Rose in which the Divine word became flesh: here are the roses whose perfume guides you in the right ways.* There is a golden center in each rose. The golden center reminds us to still the mind, breathe in beauty, accept everything, and to trust the love in which we have immersed ourselves. The golden center calls us into the Mystery.

Expanding the Boundaries of Love Expanding the boundaries of your consciousness is the same as expanding the boundaries of love. When you begin to trust love, you will see through the eyes of spirit that you are self-creating, and what is real for you is created by you. If you are willing to release that which no longer serves you, then you can begin to 58 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

Drop the tape or the pattern that says, I’m not good enough for love, or That’s too risky. I will get hurt. I will get used. I will not have enough. I will be rejected.

I’m not good enough. I will lose control. It’s not going to work out well, or It’s going to end badly.

What happens when you do that? You find freedom when you release your attachment to your fear of things not working out, of being used, of not having enough, or of being rejected. Expose yourself, show everything that is there, let it all be seen, and then there is nothing to hide. If you do not risk everything, you will never be able to expand the boundaries of love.

You have to be willing to be a fool for love. You have to be willing to change your position because your position is your ego. You have to be willing to be seen and be used. What is it to be used? It is to give with no expectation of anything in return. The problem is selfishness. It is egocentricity and self-absorption. You are so busy trying to protect yourself or perpetrating harm upon others to satisfy your needs that you drain your life force and end up in pain instead of in love.

All of your life force is lost in positioning yourself against something that you created in the first place. Then you are exhausted, you are rejected, you are tired, it did not work out, and you were right. How could you be anything but right? You created the whole scene, and every ncounter you create will bring the same result over and over again. You will be self- justified, and you will win the scene every time because you created it. *The Divine Comedy, Paradiso, 23, 71-75, Dante Alighieri.

You will be abandoned and rejected because you believe it to be true. If you believe it to be so, how could it be other than what you created?

You have convinced yourself in every scene, in every relationship and in every situation, no matter what the

nature of it, that you are right. You will say, See, I was right to hold on because I’m not getting anything out of this anyway. I’ve only been hurt. Your own selfabsorption brings you to a dead end that you keep circling and projecting onto everyone and everything.

So stop the projection and release the tape. Put in a new tape that says, I trust love. Be willing to take a risk.

Do you know what will happen when you take a risk?

You will face rejection and abandonment, and you will also face getting used. But none of this can touch you if your heart stays open and in love, and if your heart trusts love. You will see those things for what they are, which is just fear. It will not destroy you.

Instead, you will grow compassion and you will no longer take everything personally. You will understand that someone is just playing a role for you so that you can extend the boundaries of your love. Or, you will see that you can have compassion for someone who is limited in their capacity to open their own heart, and you will not judge them when they make a mistake.

When you fix your eyes on the Divine, you will be fed from the infinite fount. There s always enough, it always works out, you get used, and you are blessed because of it. You accept everything. Rejection no longer exists, and all of the imperfections you have been hiding from for so long, can be accepted and healed. Spirit is benign and loving, and mysteriously and incredibly wonderful.

You can trust love, and you can trust your heart to know love. Be willing to let your heart break. Be willing to give something and get nothing in return. It may not look like you are getting anything in return in a specific and deliberate way, but everything you give comes back tenfold. The infinite energy of the universe can cycle back to you in your fearlessness. You will find out that love has nothing to do with attachment, jealously, control or ownership, and your heart will be in love at all times.

We find liberation only by taking a risk, by taking whatever it is at the core and flipping it over. If you are greedy, then give. If you are fearful of rejection, stop rejecting and accept. If you are afraid of exposure, expose. Release your fear and be that which you want.

But can’t I shut out the pain so that I do not have to be hurt?

That hurts even more because you not only shut out the possibility for being hurt, but you also shut out the possibility for love. If you take a risk and trust love, even if it does not turn out the way you wanted, you have still given yourself the opportunity to love. Drop all your concepts around how you think it should turn out, and then there is nothing to be hurt.

When other people do not respect or acknowledge what I have to offer, it does not feel good.

Other people do not have to respect or acknowledge what you have to offer. You have to respect what you have to offer. You have to acknowledge yourself. Clear out the space, go inside of yourself, and learn how to give yourself what you need with Spirit. Other people are just bringing up your own feelings of lack of self-worth; they cannot give to you what you cannot give to yourself.

Why do I feel so much emotion in those situations?

Just feel the emotion. Let go of feeling that you should get something, and just be the pure emotion.

When you do not ask why, you are trusting love. The emotion will come in like a wave and wash out like a wave. Stand in your core. Learn to let those places wash in and wash out. When you do that, you will stand in love. You will not put up any barriers. As soon as you do not like something, the edges of your ego are blocking love.

Feel your pain and disappointment, but let it be pure so that it burns in your tears, and then it is dissolved.

Even though you feel rejected, go forth anyway because you trust love. When you know it is not personal, you do not have to isolate yourself from people anymore. When your heart stays open, you will have more capacity to accept and love people exactly as they are. Release your judgments, and trust love.

How do I go after what is in my heart and not be attached?

Spirit has its way with us, and you either surrender to it or you do not. When Spirit puts you on hold, stop.

When you are pushed forward, go forward. When something is taken away, let it go. When something is given, receive it.

When the pain, rejection and hurt come, let them come.

Let it all wash through you like a wave. Feel everything completely and then let the wave recede.

Trusting love means dropping your position; it means not fighting. Surrender is an active choice. It does not just happen; we have to choose it in the moment 59 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

it is presented. Surrender means there is no separation, isolation or positioning. It is accepting what is; it is staying round and going whole. It is releasing judgment and trusting love. If you fight against the ego, it will gain strength. Trust the place in your heart that tells you that this is a loving and benign universe that is abundant and supportive, and then, take all of the risks to prove it to yourself. You do that by trusting love.

Love Asks You to Expand Again You use the word “risk” all the time. That used to throw me because I always thought of something drastic. Now I know that taking a risk might mean speaking the truth or saying “No.” Taking a risk doesn’t have to mean leaving my marriage to go to India to find my guru.

That is right. Your guidance might not give you permission to do or say something, and your mind might wrestle with “What will they think?” or “I don’t want to offend anybody.” The risk is to follow the guidance, to trust love. There is a risk in it because you are used to doing things a certain way according to your pattern, and you do not want to offend anybody.

But there are also times when our lives feel especially risky, like when we go through a divorce or lose a job.

“Will I be safe, will I be taken care of? Will I be loved?”

Years ago I had a relationship that lasted for ten years.

One day my partner drove out of the driveway and never came back. He left me with all the debt, mortgages and loans, none of which I had when I met him. There was everything in the world for me to fight against. I realized I was either going to become bitter and get into a fight and end up in court “duking it out” over the next two or three years, or I was going to let it go and let myself be taken care of by the universe and be loved. I chose expanding my own boundaries to receive more love. So I said, I’m not going to fight. I’ll take it all.

So I did not fight, and I took it all. I took on the mortgage and all the debt by myself.

I did all the things that God gave me to do: running the Sanctuary, doing healing work, conducting yoga teacher trainings, and all of the other things I was given to do.

Not only did I take care of everything that needed to be taken care of financially, but my life flowed and was supported in a beautiful new sequence which I could have never imagined. Those were the temple years. I was living from temple to temple, with Shakmah at The New Seed Sanctuary and with Gurudev, first in Pennsylvania and 60 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e October 2017

then in Florida. That was my life, and it was absolutely, extraordinarily beautiful.

The thing about love is that it asks you to expand all the time. And when you expand, you have to break through the wall within you that wants to keep you in one place.

The wall says, this is your comfort zone, this is what you feel good believing, these are the people you like to be with, and these are the things you like doing. These things over here? No. But Love does not work that way. When you expand, you give up your comfort for a while. And once you expand in one place, as soon as you have expanded into that, Love asks you to expand again. And so, you become very, very big.

∞ Maresha Donna Ducharme is the founder and resident teacher of The Sanctuary, a non-profit, charitable organization. Her commitment to help each individual realize peace, health, and well-being in life, are the foundation of her teaching. She has been inspiring people to realize the sources of healing and peace, which exist within each one of us for over 35 years. Her vision to help people becomes empowered by living in conscious connection to the Divine, and to create health and joy in living is expressed in the creation of The Sanctuary.

Maresha holds degrees in Teaching, Education, Wholistic and Macrobiotic Counseling, and Energy Medicine. Her background and experience in spiritual and theological training is diverse. She has held a teaching ministry for the last 30 years. Maresha is a keeper of the sweat lodge, has trained extensively in Eastern Medicine, and in 1984 she was initiated into the Kundalini Shaktipat tradition. In 2000, she became an ordained minister and established The Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary is ecumenical and open to all faiths and traditions and which finds the common bond of universal truths held at the heart of all faiths, and tradition.

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Hollywood Stuntman’s Fear Blocking Technique

By Curtis Rivers

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My heartbeat rose as I stood silently in position on the movie sound stage of Captain America: First Avenger starring Chris Evans. I watched lighting technicians and cameramen make slight adjustments and I felt the wiremen secure the cables attached to my back. Sweat formed on my brow. Having captured Captain America with my flame-thrower in a previous scene, my character was to kill off his best friend “Bucky,” played

by Sebastian Stan. This would all take place on board a moving train no less. I was to fire at “Bucky” and blow a hole in the side of the carriage. He would hang on briefly before falling to his death. Ultimately, an angry Captain America would retaliate and take me out with his iconic shield.

Thanks to the magic of Hollywood my demise was going to be dramatic -the wire connected to my back and a high-pressure gas cylinder would cause me to fly backwards 20ft through the air until I hit the end of the train carriage. Let me explain, this is no mean feat – I was wearing a costume that weighed almost the same as my body weight!

Now, let’s go back to me standing on the sound stage before any of this happened and I was thrust backwards down the train carriage and into an unforgiving wall.

As you can imagine in that moment my heart was racing.

And just because I am the author of a book entitled The Fearless Path, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t experiencing any fear – far from it.

I feel fear exactly as you do. I’m certainly no daredevil, despite what you might expect of a member of The Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame! Nor am I an “adrenaline junkie,” despite the Guinness World Records I hold.

I’m careful. I a methodical and accurate in what I do, which is why I believe I have never broken a bone in my 21-year career.

What has helped me immensely is the understanding the psychology of fear. I have learned that fear is caused by two conflicting thought patterns in the mind; one in the conscious mind, and one in the sub-conscious mind. I’m not speaking of that ancient knee-jerk fear of snakes or spiders located at the back of our brains--those fight or flight fears are there for a good reason. I mean the fears that hold us back in life. The fear of things that might happen and what people would think if they did.

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I have learned that our thoughts are vibrational and that thought waves are energetic. There is a link between our thoughts, our feelings, and the world we perceive around us. Indeed, there is definite universal connection between the thoughts and feelings we transmit on a regular basis and the life experience that’s reflected back to us as a result. That’s why some people appear “lucky,” with everything going right for them, while other people seem “cursed,” having one bad experience after another.

The truth is that the “lucky” person thinks and feels positively for the most part and therefore attracts positive circumstances into their life. The “cursed” person, on the other hand, thinks and feels negatively so they attract more and more negative experiences into their life.

So where does fear fit in? How can understanding fear help you to break free of any limiting belief systems in your life and push through to success?

Well, we’re back to vibration again.

Let us imagine that our mind is an iceberg. The conscious mind (the thoughts you are aware of ) is like the part of the iceberg above water. The sub-conscious mind (the thoughts you’re not aware of, which is more like programming based on a lifetime of what you’ve seen and heard, starting way back in childhood) is the iceberg below the surface, the massive powerful majority of the mind.

Once a thought is locked in our subconscious mind, it oscillates at a certain frequency.

Imagine you are subconsciously holding a “low income” thought in your subconscious mind. I guarantee as sure as night follows day that you would be living a low-income life as a result. No matter how hard you’d try to improve your income, it would never work out.

So imagine you earn $30K per year but dream of earning $300K each year instead.

The conscious high-income thought has a much higher frequency that the sub-conscious thoughts delivering your $30K salary. The difference between these two conflicting frequencies is a cognitive dissonance I call the “Wobble Zone”. This is raw fear.

Our $30K dreamer, wanting to make $300K starts to hear inner dialogue.

“What if I set up this new business and it fails?

People will laugh at me.”

“What if I invest my savings and it goes wrong? I’ll have less money than when I started.”

These thoughts and feelings grow in strength and are persistent. You can try and bottle them away, but they aren’t going anywhere.

Soon, the inner dialogue kindly offers a solution.

“Why do I even need $300,000? I don’t even need that much. My life isn’t all that bad after all.”

“If I stick with what I’m doing now, I can use my savings on a nice vacation in the future. Why would I risk that on a hair-brained scheme?”

Let me tell you right now that the Wobble Zone is an uncomfortable place to be. For most, the fastest, easiest way to leave this zone is to go right back to what they were doing before. The worry stops, the fear dissipates, and they continue on with their mediocre life. “Phew, that was close!”

They gave up. The Wobble Zone was not for them. Like the gold-rush miners who dug for years in search of gold, and gave up just 2ft from the gold seam that would have made them rich, so the majority of people let fear keep them a prisoner in a life they settle for, rather than one they desire.

I’m here to tell you that fear is largely caused by a difference in frequency between two ways of thinking. I’m telling you that it is possible to remain steadfast and upgrade your mindset, and upon doing so, your life will change forever.

When your subconscious mind eventually accepts the new programming for a better life, the fear disappears.

Your mind creates the feelings that encourage the actions that take advantage of the situations delivered to your door. The brain itself rewires its filters to hide from you the things that are unhelpful in your quest, drawing your attention to all of the things you need to succeed.

All that remains is to take action.

Back to me, waiting before the high-pressure gas cylinder.

As the set cleared, I finally heard those words: “And, turn over.... we’re at speed.” I leaned forward to put tension on the rope. “Action!” Before me appeared Captain America who angrily threw his shield at me. A nanosecond later, a couple of hundred pounds of pressure tore me from my feet, hurtling me backwards down the length of the train carriage. I hit the wall hard and landed in a heap on the ground, my Hydra-Guard helmet slipping over my eyes.

“And, cut! Curtis, you okay?”

I was perfectly fine. Not a mark on me. Had I allowed fear to dominate my thoughts and feelings, I’d have never clipped onto that cable to perform the stunt. Indeed, I would never have fulfilled my childhood ambition of becoming a stuntman in the first place, nor subsequently led a charmed life by design.

I’m going to suggest to you that you start to look at your life, and be honest with yourself, and ask if every area of your life is as you want it to be. Not how the media tells you it should be, not as your family or friends think it should be, but as you in your own heart feel it should be. If you are not happy with it then know this--you can change it. There is a way to change your thinking, to navigate the resulting fears, and to go on to live your perfect life. It all starts with the decision to do so. Your future life is entirely in your hands--why not make it a fabulous one?

n

Curtis Rivers uses his expertise with goal achievement and fear management to deliver powerful presentations.

During his 20 years as a top Hollywood movie stuntman, received a Screen Actors Guild award, gained prestigious inclusion into The Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame, and broke two Guinness World Records. Curtis lives in Manchester, England.

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v Angels

By Nancy Yearout

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IAlthough much has been written about angels throughout time, we don’t seem to acknowledge their presence. They are mentioned nearly three hundred times throughout the Bible. The Archangel Michael and the Angel Raphael are mentioned by name. There are many documented accounts of angels’ existence throughout history. Numerous paintings have been created depicting many different angelic beings. I believe that we all have a guardian angel that helps us with our life’s challenges. My feeling is that your guardian angel is with you when you are born and is present to assist your soul to heaven when your body dies.

Angels have always been very near and dear to my heart.

When I was a little girl, my parents dressed me up like an angel for the Halloween parade in our little town in Ohio. I had large, expansive wings and a sparkling golden halo above my head. (My father could do wonders with coat hangers.) I was the winner of the contest. I can recall thinking how cool it would be to be an angel and fly around assisting people, protecting them, and performing good deeds. Now, I know that’s exactly what they do, but I also know that you have to ask for their help, as we have free will. Many people have learned that their guardian angel can prevent a catastrophe by being by their side in a second. My belief is that our guardian angels are here to assist us throughout our lifetime.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

—Psalm 91:11 159 I don’t recall when I realized that I could ask the angels for their help, but when I did, it seemed that they were always ready to assist me. This may be a new concept for you, so try to be open-minded. When you ask for their assistance with pure intent, they help you every time.

It’s truly amazing. I have many stories about angels and how I came to believe. Here’s a cute one: My husband and I landed in Detroit Metropolitan Airport late one evening. We caught the shuttle to pick up our rental car.

As soon as we hopped onto the shuttle with twenty-five other people, the driver told us that our rental company was out of cars and that they were taking us to another rental company. Everyone just looked at each other and sighed. We soon arrived at the building and stepped to the back of the lengthy line. I said to my husband, “It will be OK; we will get a car.” I told him, “I asked the angels for help under my breath when we got in line.”

My husband has faith, but in times like this he just looks

at me—you know, with that weird look like, Are you kidding me?

After about forty minutes it was our turn. The girl at the counter was so nice to us; she said, “We are out of vehicles.” Then she looked at us and said, “I have actually found an SUV for you to drive. The vehicle is at a better rate than you had originally booked and an upgrade, too.” We paid her and thanked her profusely.

As we left the counter, I noticed her name tag; it read, “Angel.” (These things happen to me all the time. I think the angels mess with me a little just to see if I am paying attention.)

Read more about Nancy’s experiences with the Angels in her book; Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking to You.

i Nancy E. Yearout is an author, a spiritual life coach, and a motivational speaker.

Nancy has enjoyed an extensive corporate career as a sales coordinator with one of the Big Three automakers in Detroit. Her sales, management, and marketing skills have grown with each step of her business.

Her success has blessed her with the real life experience, knowledge, and common sense that is required to help others through life’s challenges.

Nancy has been fortunate to acquire hands-on energy healing skills from an Aztec healer from Mexico, and she has helped many balance their energy fields. She has received guidance from religious and spiritual teachers along the way, resulting in the development of her skills as an intuitive, a tarot card reader, and a life coach.

She utilizes these tools to guide her clients to joyful and successful lives. Nancy is the author of Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking To You. www.TheEnergyProphet.com

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DORIS BERGMAN’S EIGHTH ANNUAL EMMY® STYLE LOUNGE & PARTY ROCKS FIG & OLIVE! Photography by Sheri Determan On Thursday, September 14, 2017, Fig & Olive – THE Hollywood Hotspot on Melrose Place, opened its doors to Bergman’s Style Lounge and Party -- honoring the upcoming 69th Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards. Over 100 of Hollywood’s finest turned out to celebrate and honor the television industry’s Emmy® Nominated actors, former Emmy® winners, presenters, stylists and industry VIPS. This highly anticipated invitation-only event, hosted by Buywine.com and presented

by Skinside Drinkable Collagen, featured an incredible array of fashion for him and her including couture gowns, bespoke tuxedos & suits, the finest in beauty, skin & hair care, stunning jewelry collections, gorgeous accessories, fashion forward luggage, exquisite timepieces, chic chapeaus, fabulous fragrance, everything for the pampered pooch, gourmet cuisine, unique spirits, delectable sweets and much more!

2017 Primetime Emmy Winner, Kim Estes, Best Actor, Short Form (“Dicks”), Patrika Darbo, 2016 Primetime Emmy Winner, Best Actress Short Form (“Acting Dead), Primetime Emmy Nominees, Kevin “The Bull,” Host of Emmy Nominated Series (“American Ninja Warrior”), Kelsey Scott (“Walking Dead”), Mo Collins (“’F’ Is For Family”), joined Multiple Oscar Nominee Bruce Dern, Genevieve Buechner (“UnReal”), Shiva Negar (“American Assassin”), Hollywood Icon Deidre Hall (“Days of Our Lives”), Brigitte Nielson, Denise Boutte, Tony Denison (“Major Crimes”), Michael Campion (“Fuller House”), Naomi Grossman (“American Horror Story”), Nathan Davis, Jr. (“Detroit”), Gleb Savchenko (“Dancing With the Stars”), Steven Bauer (“Ray Donovan”), Lotte Verbeek (“Madam Secretary”), Marilu Henner, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso, Rosa Blasi (“The Thundermans”), Toks Olagundoye, to name a few, who were among the cadre of celebrities and industry VIPS who were treated to the best of the best!

In the spirit of giving back, guests & sponsors donated unwrapped gifts for young adults (ages 13-18) for a Pre-Holiday Gift Drive benefitting ‘Wednesday’s Child’ -- a weekly segment airing on KTTV FOX 11 News, Los Angeles, with Anchor Christine Devine. ‘Wednesday’s Child’ highlights ‘harder to place’ children in the LA County foster care system who are in need of adoptive families. “In Los Angeles County, alone, there are over 35,000 children receiving child welfare services,” says social worker, Dr. William Wong. Bergman always invites 2 foster children to join in on the festivities and experience what it feels like to be treated as a VIP. http://www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child.

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Gifts and services were provided by: Buywine.com, Skinside Drinkable Collagen, Abingdon Co. Timepieces, The Dry Bar, Montrose Regenerative Cosmetics & Laser Center, Curlifornia, Hair Swell, Chef Elliott’s Red Velvet Bourbon Bundt Cakes & Signature Spices, Olympia Luggage, USA, Spa Girl Vodka, Hashtag Hooker, Signature Innovation Group Men’s Wear, Art Lewin Bespoke, Hint Water, Sue Wong Couture & Fragrance, Pampered Pets Playhouse Resort & Spa, CJS Homemade Wholesome Pet Treats, My Saint, My Hero, Twisted Silver, Jeanne Vixen Jewelry, Reema Beauty, Burger Time, Single Dress, Kaya Di Koko, Single Underwear for Men, Mascarpone Cheesecake by Chef Turok, Rock Your Hair, Marriagemindedonly.com, CJS Pet Staycation, Sunless Beauty, Purad’or, Miradryla.com, “Loaded Dice Films’ “Wheels” DVDs, Astrologer Kelly Surtees, and VIP Gift Bags provided by Buywine.com.

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GVRC GVRC

The Gender Violence Recovery Centre www.gvrc.or.ke

Pekat Photography www.pekatphotography.com

The Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) is a non-profit making, non-partisan; charitable trust of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital (NWH) which is a private institution that specializes in obstetrics and gynecology services and seeks to provide holistic care to women and their families.

GVRC’s main purpose is to bring back meaning to survivor’s lives and their families. We do this through the provision of FREE medical treatment and psychosocial support to survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and engaging the public in advocacy issues and primary prevention of abuse.

The medical support given is the basic treatment for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) that includes emotional, physical, sexual and psychological abuse. GVRC is committed towards demand driven service delivery and thus seeks to ensure quality and comprehensive treatment, recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of all survivors. Overall, since its inception in March 2001, the centre has provided free and comprehensive medical treatment and psychosocial support to over 30,000 survivors. In addition GVRC has provided medical and psychosocial support to 33,456 survivors of Gender Based Violence through the emergency response program in conflict situations ​as of March 2016.

Through its best practices, GVRC has modeled a onestop centre and built capacities of service providers in different regions for them to be able to make management of Gender Based Violence timely, accessible and comprehensive. Example centers include, Centre for Assault and Recovery in Eldoret (CARE) situated in Moi Teaching and Referral Centre, the Coast general hospital recovery centre, Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre (GBVRC) at Kenyatta National Hospital, Taita Taveta District hospital, Biafra Clinic in Eastleigh Nairobi, Jinja District Hospital and Mlago Hospital in Kampala Uganda.

GVRC has a strong voice in lobbying and tracking of implementation of gender legislations. We held active membership to the Task Force on Implementation of Sexual

Offences Act 2006 and now the Nairobi Hub – a group of organizations in the GBV sector responsible for putting up emergency response plans in preparation for

National Disasters. GVRC has actively contributed in development of the National Guidelines on Management of Sexual Violence, development and revision of the PRC Form (gazetted in 2012), drafting of the Gender Policy, and inclusion of the GBV curriculum in the Nursing Diploma curriculum among other national documents.

We are experts in targeted social mobilization strategies, such as the 1 Million Fathers Movement, that calls on men to end Gender Based Violence by loving, cherishing and protecting all the women and girls in their lives. GVRC is a co-convener of the Africa UNiTE-Kenya Chapter; a regional component of the UN Secretary General’s Global UNiTE Campaign that partners with the Government and other Civil Society Organizations to end Violence against Women.

GVRC‘s primary prevention focuses on creating awareness that facilitates behavior change. Target groups are engaged through community and media awareness initiatives as well as innovative child participatory processes. The centre builds the capacities for service providers on GBV management and the community through trainings and would share community approaches in regards to prevention of GBV with health facilities, Corporate, Police, Judiciary and School communities through the Teachers’ Service Commission. GVRC has a strong partnership with the Kenya Police through capacity enhancement (on forensic management, GBV reporting, documentation), referrals and expert testimonies in court. GVRC has trained police officers country wide to manage gender friendly desks at their assigned police stations. Through the trainings done in East Africa, there has been a representative from the police working under child protection and GBV. Results have been recorded with Kilimani police station in Kenya, Kawempe Police Station in Uganda as the two units have separate section to deal with children issues and improved quality of interventions as a result of the capacity enhancement trainings.

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