Alexander Williams Aura Rainwater

Water is the Fluid That Connects Us All

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Willams is a transplant from Northeast Brooklyn, New York. He has been here for about ten and a half years. He has seen the growth of Austin. When he got here in the beginning he got the lay of the land, because he wanted to know our community. From there, he buried himself in East Austin. For three years, he was really heavily in deep with his passion for the adolescent population. After seeing the mishandling of the adolescents he was leaning towards helping our youth something different. But not the traditional nonprofit that just addresses bad behavior, but life skills and how to help them reach their self- actualization and self- realization because they're right on the fence. Williams started to have children and decided to be the stay at home dad. He was the CHO. The Chief Home Officer. During that time, he was a heavy meditator. He is into the spiritual part of things. Everything is connected in his eyes. He came out of meditation one morning, and looked at his water filter. This water filter was supposed to be great at the time. It dawned on him that water is the freshness and pureness of what is needed. It’s the fluid that connects us all. Everybody, everything on this planet is connected through water.

Williams started Aura Rainwater in 2018. He did all of the research and regulations and so forth before he hit the market. Because when he hit the market, he wanted to have all of what he needed to run a water business without question. Williams started to reminisce back to his reading and research with Dr. Masaru. Emoto. He was a Japanese scientist that studied water for 40 plus years. And what he discovered was that water basically inherits the frequency that we give it. So if you put the experiment that Emoto did, over a 1000 times by average people as well as institutions, is he took water, put it into a glass and said I love you and instantly froze it and studied the crystals and the crystals came out harmonious they were beautifully formed. He took the same water and spoke words like I hate you, you're stupid and frozen and the crystals were distorted and crooked. So that's the frequency part. Williams got really heavily into his work and believed in his research. He does believe water is alive and water has memory. So that's some of the premise as well.

What does he mean by memory? So water is that element, right? Whenever they go into space, they're looking for water? Where can we find it? You know, where's the ice? We're made up of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and water.

When it rains the natural cycle of the earth filters the water, and then evaporates. When the rain comes down, it has all the properties that are needed. That's why the grass grows greener. That's why animals in the wild go and they drink the water. But what we get as humans, we get the aftermath, we get the water that goes through the ground and gets into the aquifers. And then they pump it up. And they have to take it through miles and miles of pipes to get through treatments and add something to it and take it away and make things palatable for us to drink. And by the time we get it to our tap in our home or even in the bottle, it has no nutritional value, it's just completely dead. At Aura, since we harvest rainwater directly from Mother Earth, we're partners with her. We like to say that water is really alive.

Williams came to the idea of putting the rainwater in a bottle after dealing with his research to keep the water as pure as possible. He wanted to find out what was the purest water out there. Williams grew up on rainwater and having roots in Louisiana it just all came together that morning when he was meditating. Williams says, “As I was drinking the water, it was like rainwater. It's alive, it is empty, we can shape it to what we need.” We took the frequency and we actually embedded it into the water. So you're actually drinking structured water, because the rainwater is blank. Remember, the water is clean and it comes down as blank. And now we could actually structure it the way that we needed.”

The Aura facility is 56,000 square feet. After Williams captures the rainwater, And as that rain comes down for every inch of rain that falls they collect roughly 23,000

Feature story continues on p6 gallons of water. And when they collect the rainwater, it goes into a few huge holding tanks. From there, they take it through a trade secret process that makes the difference between the taste of the water overall. The way Aura does their process is “we mimic mother nature as much as possible. In doing so we keep the water structured and whole meaning, it's alive.” William stated. So unlike the water that comes to our tap, the Aura water goes through treatment, removal and stripping and the water is completely healed. It is then moved around to their holding tank. And from there they go into the bottling process, and they deliver the product.

Williams collects the rainwater off the roofs. When it comes off, they are there with their piping, think about it as a gutter around our home. And when that water runs off, it usually comes down, goes through the gutter and then goes into the ground. They catch that water before it hits the ground. They are able to keep up with their supply and demand because the facility has a 65,000 gallon tank which is a lot of water. They have a couple of those and an end process that they pull from. Williams states they have roughly ten 20,000 gallon tanks that just collect. And it's continuously moving. So we do have enough water to supply for a long time. What people should know about Aura water is the taste. The best comment Willams received was about the taste. According to feedback people can really taste the difference from the most prestigious water that's out there versus the Aura Rainwater. Hands down, Aura's taste is soft, while rainwater is naturally soft and smooth from some of the comments that they have received. It's also refreshing. It has been said that when you drink Aura Water, you really get an experience. When they ingest it, you know it's made for us. “You can really feel it throughout, you know that it's getting to where it needs to go. So it's very hydrating.”

Williams does consider Aura Rainwater a specialty water in the functional water space. It is a new space where they are taking water and adding things to it like oxygen, or functional things that help the body function, and that's why they call it the functional water space. Aura falls in that category because we're rainwater, we're not the traditional water that comes from the ground. And all of the benefits that rainwater provides the body helps the body function a lot better than traditional water.

The Aura Rainwater is available for individual customers. Their sales and marketing has been more direct, meaning, they go directly from factory to consumer, whether that's B2B or B2C via an ecommerce site, so it gets directly to the customer. And the reason he chose that route is because they don't want it to sit with a distributor on a shelf somewhere. Williams is very strategic about where the water is placed. You can find it at some health locations, specialty grocers and healthy food eateries. Williams next goal is to market their five gallon service. He finds that the price point is better for individuals. As a company, we are moving away from plastic bottles, the bottles that we have now. They are moving into a compostable bottle, in which you can just toss it in your trash and you know it'll break down with no problem. But we want people to really utilize their own water bottle, and get in the habit of hydrating themselves. So the five gallon home and business delivery is where we're focusing and really want to push that product in that market.

Williams wants everyone to know about their core values. Mind, Body, Soul, and Conservation is a big thing for Williams.. The mind and body kind goes together hand in hand, because of the hydration piece, and the soul part, which is the spiritual aspect. Indigenous people and our ancestors always praise water, no matter what. Because it is life. And conservation, really, teaching conservation, especially from an environmental stewardship is what we are, but especially in the black community, because we have environmental injustice, period. Conservation is an initiative Williams is serious about. He is pushing out a campaign, which is their hydrate, hydrate and elevate campaign for elementary school kids. A lot of those kids are dehydrated. https://www.aurarainwater.com/ order your water or learn more about the company. of the people who have taken the time out to support his projects. “I'm grateful for each and every one of them. That's why I want them to have their own section.”

Williams did a study two years ago, at Austin ISD Blackshear Elementary School. In observing the class, he asked the teacher, when did the kids get water breaks? The answer was the children don't get water breaks. Williams was told the kids go to the bathroom but they don’t break for water, like a hydration break. Williams says.” No wonder the kids can't learn anything, you know, they are severely dehydrated.” He teaches students how to read their hydration levels. As part of the literacy mentoring program at Austin’s Norman and Sims Elementary. Williams goes there and reads to the students once a month. He also takes a case of Aura Rainwater. After reading, they talk about hydration, and they get a chance to hydrate and elevate.

And lastly, Williams talks about how a lot of our diseases black people have are due to dehydration. It’s a direct link, and there's a lot of studies out there. When we dehydrate, our blood pressure rises because it has to fortunately push that water in and pull it back out. So it's working double overtime. That's the cause of hypertension. You know, something just as simple as that could bring it down if we were properly hydrated.

Grovey shares his thoughts about the importance of representation. A lot of times people like to put us in a corner, they think we're only one kind of person, that we only have one story, and they (the people who are in control) seem to think our stories are not relatable. “Whether it be relatable to us or relatable to others, I think we can only tell a certain story in order for other people to connect with. We all let people know that we tell multiple stories because we have multiple things going on. We're many different people.” says Grovey.

The Global Genius Society is a platform that was created so that everyone can showcase their talents. Whether they are a writer, a photographer, a dancer, or an actor, we all have our different stories. So the Global Genius Society is just a platform for us to share. In Grovey’s mind, if you're able to do anything creative. For example, if you're a dancer, and you're able to dance or you're able to choreograph a routine, that's genius! If you're a painter and you're painting something starting with a blank canvas, that's a creative genius to him. Grovey will receive your submission of your work and there's no fee to be on the site.

So what is next for Grovey? He says, “ I am trying to reach the world. I'm so into music. I like to compare myself to when rappers put out mixtapes. I think of these books as my albums or my mixtapes. And I'm putting out as many as I can because one book or album may reach somebody that one of them didn't. So I know all of my work is not going to be for everybody. But I'm working to write one thing for everybody in the world. I'm trying to reach everybody.”

Lastly, Grovey would like people to remember The Global Genius Society. He doesn't want people to be afraid to share what it is that they like to do. Reach out to him if you write articles. And you haven't been able to create a platform, reach out to him, your photographer, whatever it is. He’s here for that. There is no charge to do it. Let him know what it is that they are trying to do. If a person just wants to share their work and get it out there to the world, reach out to him. As far as his books, Grovey wants people to know that he is always striving to get better. He is always striving to tell the stories that haven't been told or haven't been told enough. He’s always trying to paint us in a positive light. We have seen enough drug users and people that have been locked up. And that is no disrespect to anyone who writes that type of content. But there are other stories that need to be told. And he’s trying his best to write some of those other stories.

To order books or get in touch with Jacob Grovey to http://www.jacobgrovey.com/

Mary Linnen Editor

WHAT ARE RELAXING TECHNIQUES FOR MEN?

Men and women both have stress. Some studies show they are not handled the same. Here are six techniques that may work for men and women.

Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.

• Breath focus. In this simple, powerful technique, you take long, slow, deep breaths (also known as abdominal or belly breathing). ...

• Body scan

• Guided imagery

When should men get a prostate exam?

According to the American Cancer Society, men and people who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) should have their first prostate exam by age 50. If you have a family history of prostate cancer, you should consider having your first prostate exam at age 45.

Additionally, Black men are at a higher risk for being diagnosed with prostate cancer. For this reason, healthcare providers often recommend that Black men have their first prostate exam around age 45.

Make an appointment with your primary physician and discuss your family history to get the best advice.

Information: Cleveland Clinic

Five Simple Steps to Maintain Your Beard

● Wash Your Beard: Your beard is hair. There are plenty of men’s grooming products to help you wash your beard. This can help eliminate yeast growth on the hair and hydrate your skin, preventing dandruff by eliminating irritated, dry skin.

● Condition Your Beard: After surviving the elements, your hair needs nutrients and repair. One of our beard grooming tips is to include conditioner after a shampoo, where you let it sit in your beard for several minutes to nourish the hair follicles properly.

● Dry Your Beard Gently: It is always tempting to dry your beard as fast

• Mindfulness meditation

• Yoga, tai chi, and qigong

• Repetitive prayer https://www.health.harvard.ed u/mind-and-mood/sixrelaxation-techniques-to-red uce-stress as possible, but if you do that, you will eliminate the shampoo and conditioner you applied. Take it slow, pat the beard dry, and let it dry naturally. www.judesbarbershop.com

● Apply Beard Oil: When your beard is dry, apply beard oil. Beard oil is an extra layer of nourishment and moisture for your beard, helping it remain soft and healthy.

● Brush Your Beard: Combing your beard feels terrific, so why not do it daily? This clears debris, loose hair, and dry skin from your beard, leaving it healthier.

Beards for men seem to be very popular. Hope these tips will help with maintaining a healthy and handsome look.