February 2020
EDEN T h e
Magazine
CAMERONE PARKER
Runway Model and Philanthropist MS Celebrity Advocate
70th ANNUAL
ACE EDDIE AWARDS
Transcendental Consciousness versus Relational Thought By Jayita Bhattacharjeei
Australia Bushfire could Reshape Biodiversity By Mike Lee
The 6 Slippery Steps to End Suffering By William Arntz
Table of Contents Australia Bushfire
6
6
AUSTRALIA BUSHFIRE COULD RESHAPE BIODIVERSITY
By Mike Lee
20
12
CAMERONE PARKER
20
THE 6 SLIPPERY STEPS TO END SUFFERING By William Arntz
24
MINDFUL LOVING
By Kathleen Todd M.S.W & Diana Bayringer M.C
24
28
FORGET FOREVER By Laura McKowen
36
DOES EXPERIENCE HAVE MEANING By Michael White Ryan
New year, New you
64 28
42
HENRY'S MYSTERIOUS VOICE By Nancy Hurley
48
TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSENESS VERSUS RELATIONAL THOUGHT By Jayita Bhattacharjeei
50
SPORT STADIUM DOING THEIR BIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
52
CONSCIOUS GROWTH
By Angela Dunning
36
Cover Photo by Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Gucci Tromp l’oeil Cape Black Sweater and Jeans: Balmain
10th Anniversary 56
INTUITIVE INTELLIGENCE
By Paul O'Brien
46
60
ANDY MADADIAN RECIEVED THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME STAR
64
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU NOW THAT IS FEBRUARY By Sasha Gary
67
42
ALKALINE WATER CO.
72
52
WHY SMALL TALK IS IMPORTANT By Tara-jenelle Walsch
84
6 TOPS TO ATTRACT A LOVE, THAT WILL LAST By Phyllis King
92
50
YOU ARE NOT ALONE By Ahmed A. Lotfy
94
56 98
INTUITION
By Helen Jacobsi
98
MATHEMATICS OF LIFE
By Lavandaia & Marco Nunzio Alati
Mathematics of Life
92 48
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Photo by Tamara Bellis
love
Let the
flow into your heart
Dear Eden Friends,
Did you know that six to eight million animals are brought to shelters every year in the United States? And according to Wikipedia, an estimated four million of those are euthanized, three million of which are considered healthy and adoptable. Every day people are surrendering their dogs and cats to the shelter, for one reason or another. Millions of beautiful animals in need of loving, permanent homes are cast away because their owners aren’t willing to make a life-long commitment to them. Shelters claim that, due to space issues, they have no choice other than euthanizing these healthy animals…and no one thinks twice. Very little is being done to put a stop to this needless killing. Just two months ago, I witnessed a dog surrendered by his owner, saying he can’t keep the dog because he’s too playful. Without any questioning, the shelter took the dog and within 24-hours he was neutered, adopted, and returned back to the shelter for biting one of the family members. The shelter then Red Tagged him as an aggressive dog and scheduled him to be euthanized in 3 days. Is this reason enough to end a life? Who is making these judgment calls behind closed doors? Many reasons that cause what we call ‘bad behavior’ of our pet. The most obvious of them are lack of training and not spending enough quality time. The qualifications for euthanasia seem to be unfoundedly accommodating to busy owners and overloaded shelters. This was once a procedure done by vets and specialized euthanasia technicians, reserved for animals with incurable diseases or a painfully predicted, imminent death. Now, in some states, non-certified employees of animal shelters are allowed to perform this transition with minimal training. Yes, animal over-population is a worldwide crisis, but that’s no reason to treat them inhumanely. Animals are living beings, yet people continue to treat them like merchandise; by breeding, selling and paying thousands of dollars to purchase pets without considering the consequences of the vast amount of rejected souls sleeping on cement floors in shelters. Perhaps the solution to this is as simple as committing to our pets fully instead of disposing of them when the “going gets tough.” Being responsible by spaying and neutering them, as well as educating ourselves more on both the blessing of life and the attentive needs and means to train animals. Could it be that easy to save the lives of millions of innocent dogs and cats? I think so. Thank you for joining me in raising awareness around alternative outcomes for these beautiful creatures. In Gratitude, Maryam Maryam Morrison Editor-in-Chief, Eden Magazine
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Remembering Courtesy photo by www.pngmart.com/image/11367
Kobe Bryant
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By Dina Morrone
Because we are a Los Angeles based magazine, I would be remiss in not saying something about the death of LA's beloved star Kobe Bryant. Kobe has been a part of the Los Angeles scene for the past 23 years, having played his entire 20-year professional career with the LA Lakers basketball team. Kobe wasn't just one of the best basketball players to have ever played, or a global sports superstar. He was also a great humanitarian and very active in many philanthropic causes. Kobe was the official ambassador for After School All-Stars, a national charity that provides after-school programs to 72,000 inner-city kids. For the past 20 years, he was very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, granting more than 250 wishes for children battling life-threatening illnesses. And he helped raise money for those with Cancer through, Stand Up To Cancer. All money raised went directly towards research and medical expenses. The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation is one of Kobe's most impactful philanthropic works. He and his wife, Vanessa, started the foundation to improve the lives of young people and their families. KVBF provides scholarships and operates Mamba FC, a youth soccer club that teaches young athletes how to become leaders and independent thinkers through sports. Since 2011, he partnered with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Step Up on Second, and homeless youth drop-in center, My Friend's Place, to provide comprehensive services to homeless kids in Los Angeles. And he has donated at least $1 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Along with his wife, they are one of the museum's founding donors. Other charities include Vijay Amritraj Foundation, Aid Still Required, and Cathy's Kid's Foundation. Kobe supported many causes including, Adoption, Fostering, Orphans, AIDs & HIV, At-Risk/Disadvantaged Youths, Blood, Marrow & Organ Donation, Cancer, Children, Disaster Relief, Education, Family/Parent Support, Women, Health Mental Challenges, and Physical Challenges. And he was also a passionate practitioner of meditation and mindfulness, increasing his concentration through breathing.
is the best. It's big business, but to us, the viewer, it's pure entertainment. Sports celebrities are entertainers, just like actors and movie stars, singers, dancers, and rock stars. They come into our living rooms through the television, our cell phone, and computer screens, up on stage, the big screen in theaters, music libraries, or in hard copy magazines. We watch them, study them, and emulate them because sometimes we want to be just like them. We wear their number, their jersey, or dress like them. We develop this strange imaginary one-sided relationship with them because they become a part of our life, a part of our family. We refer to them by their first name because we think we know them. We follow their careers, their trajectory, even their personal lives. When they win or have success we rejoice, we cheer, and sometimes we even cry tears of joy. Why? Because we have grown so attached to them. We are happy for them. Through watching them do what they do, we create so many of our own special memories. Think about the time you watched your favorite actor win an Academy Award, or your favorite singer win a Grammy, or your favorite Musical win a Tony. Or when you watched an athlete from your country win a Gold Medal at the Olympics, or you cheered your soccer team on as they went on to win the World Cup. Or the time you were a child and sat next to your grandfather when he watched his favorite baseball player hit a home run to win the World Series. And he cried. You remember all those moments. They stay with you. It's a rather strange one-sided relationship we have with our sports stars and celebrities. So when a celebrity or a larger than life sports star dies, young, tragically, and unexpectedly, we are very sad, we mourn their passing, because we feel that we knew them quite well and for a long time, even though they had no idea who we were or that we even existed. But none of that matters to us because that's just the way it is. And we’re okay with it. And with that, I say, thank you, Kobe, for all the memories. And thank you to All who entertain us, and make each day a little brighter.
The business of sports is about competition, to see who
7 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
DINA MORRONE
Maryam Morrison
EDWARD HAKOPIAN
GREG DOHERTY
MARGARET TOMASZEWIC
MARIA ELENA INFANTINO
ALEXIA MELOCCHI
TARA-JENELLE WALSCH
ARTIN MARDIROSIAN
NANCY E. YEAROUT
SHERI DETERMAN
MICHAEL WHITE RYAN
ANGELA DUNNING
JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE
JOE SANTOS, JR.
SASHA GARY
MARCO NUNZIO ALATI
ISABELLE RUEN 6 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM eDecember 2019
PHYLLIS KING
MEET OUR TEAM
Photo by ISABELLE RUEN
Discover the path to a peaceful life among other living beings. We are all made of vibration and light in the universe to manifest our energy around all livingness.
EDEN T
H
E
MAGAZINE
Since 2010
The Eden Magazine is a free online publication that focuses on spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings living in a healing and peaceful world FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER DINA MORRONE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER ALEXIA MELOCCHI BRAND AMBASSADOR MARIA ELENA INFANTINO CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SASHA GARY PHYLLIS KING JOE SANTOS, JR. ANGELA DUNNING NANCY E. YEAROUT MICHAEL WHITE RYAN MARCO NUNZIO ALATI JAYITA BHATTACHARJEE TARA-JENELLE WALSCH MARGARET TOMASZEWIC CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN GRAPHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY GREG DOHERTY ISABELLE RUEN SHERI DETERMAN ARTIN MARDIROSIAN WEBSITE
www.theedenmagazine.com 325 N. Maple Dr. Po Box 5132 Beverly Hills, CA 90209 To purchase a copy visit us in www.theedenmagazine.com Eden Magazine is a non-profit monthly online magazine. We aim to create a better environment where we live among other living beings in peace and harmony. We support artists that their work matches 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 9 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by Cris Saur
Australian Bushfires could Reshape Biodiversity
THEY HAVE BEFORE By Mike Lee
ENVIRONMENT The catastrophic bushfires raging across much of Australia have not only taken a huge human and economic toll, but also delivered heavy blows to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Already, scientists are warning of catastrophic extinctions of animals and plants.
New South Wales. Photo: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images 10 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Humans have seldom if ever seen fires like these, but we do know that wildfires have driven mass extinctions and reshaped life on Earth at least once before – when the asteroid strike that led to the demise of the dinosaurs sparked deadly global firestorms.
Australia is one of only 17 “megadiverse” countries. Much of our species richness is concentrated in areas torched by the current bushfires. While some mammals and birds face elevated extinction risk, things will be even worse for small, less mobile invertebrates (which make up the bulk of animal biodiversity). For example, the Gondwana Rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland have been badly affected by the fires. These World Heritage-listed forests are home to a rich diversity of insects and a huge range of land snails, some restricted to tiny patches. The bushfires have been rightly described as unprecedented, and extinctions can play out over an extended period. The full gravity of the impending catastrophe is not yet clear. THE FIRE HAS DRIVEN EXTINCTIONS BEFORE There have been greater burnings in the deep past, as we can see from the fossil record. They provide strong and disturbing evidence of how fire drove widespread extinctions that completely reshaped life on Earth. Around 66 million years ago, a mass die-off called the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event famously put an end to the reign of dinosaurs (sparing only birds). This event erased 75% of the planet’s species. Scientists agree these extinctions were primarily caused by an asteroid about 10 kilometers wide crashing into present-day Mexico, blasting a huge crater the size of Tasmania. A nuclear winter followed the impact, as fine particles are thrown up into the atmosphere blocked sunlight for years. The extended frozen darkness killed ecosystems from plants and phytoplankton upwards.
The ability to run fast and far was not enough to save dinosaurs from firestorms. Illustration: Douglas Henderson.
ONLY ANIMALS THAT COULD ESCAPE FIRE SURVIVED The fossil record of land-dwelling animals – especially reptiles, birds and mammals – attests to the deadly efficiency of what has been dubbed the dinosaur firestorm. The nature of the victims and survivors is very relevant to current events. The land animals that made it through the extinction all lived in ways that could confer resilience to heat and fire, such as living partly in the water, being able to burrow or hide in deep crevices, or being able to escape rapidly by flight. Among reptiles, crocodilians and freshwater tortoises (both amphibious) sailed through. Worm-lizards and burrowing snakes survived, but surface-dwelling lizards and snakes were hard hit. Among mammals, platypus-like monotremes (aquatic and burrowing) clung on, as did tiny rodent-like placental mammals (able to burrow or hide in deep crevices), but all large placental mammals died. And while at least some birds survived, all their large, earth-bound, dinosaurian relatives perished. In fact, it appears that every land-dwelling animal species larger than a domestic cat was ultimately doomed unless it could swim, burrow or fly. Even these abilities did not guarantee survival: they merely gave creatures a slightly better chance. For instance, pterosaurs could fly well but still go extinct, along with most bird species. By exterminating many species, and doing so highly selectively, the global wildfires (alongside other effects of the asteroid impact) totally restructured Earth’s biosphere.
Recent research shows that global wildfires were likely also an important driver of extinction, at least for life on land. The asteroid blasted flaming debris across the atmosphere. Massive deposits of soot found in the fossil record at this precise time suggest most of the Earth’s forests went up in smoke, though these cataclysmic calculations remain controversial.
Land vertebrates that survived the ancient wildfires were either amphibious (crocodiles, freshwater tortoises), small enough to burrow or shelter (early rodent-sized mammals), or both amphibious and burrowing (platypuses). 11 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by Mark Galer
WHAT ABOUT THE CURRENT FIRES? The recent rampant bushfires are regional rather than global (e.g. Australia, the Amazon, Canada, California, Siberia), and are burning less land cover than the worst-case dinosaur firestorm scenario. Yet their long-term extinction effects could also be severe because our planet has already lost half its forest cover due to humans. These fires are hitting shrunken biodiversity refuges that are simultaneously threatened by an anthropogenic cocktail of pollution, invasive feral species, and climate change. The ancient catastrophe provides strong evidence, written in stone, that firestorms can contribute to extensive extinctions, even among large vertebrates with large distributions and high mobility. It also shows certain types of organisms will bear the brunt of the impact. Entire guilds of similar species could vanish, severely impacting ecosystem function.
It took millions of years of regeneration and evolution for our planet’s biosphere to recover from the nuclear winter and wildfires of the asteroid impact. When a new world order eventually emerged, it was radically different: the age of dinosaurs gave way to the age of mammals and birds. 12 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by: Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Sweater: Handmade by KoolKnit White Shirt: Aladdin Hussein / Artful Tailoring
Camerone PARKER Runway Model and Philanthropist MS Celebrity Advocate
C
amerone Parker McCulloch has appeared in over 400 magazines worldwide. Camerone has walked the runways for top designers like Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, and Giorgio Armani. She has been seen on billboards nationwide (including Times Square) for Ralph Lauren POLO. And Camerone has been a featured guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show (Harpo Productions), Good Morning America (ABC), The Today Show (NBC), The View (ABC), and The Early Show (CBS). New York Times Best of NYFW Street Style; and many more, and was named 'Most Fashionable Woman - Best of the City' for a THIRD consecutive year.
While at the highest point of her modeling career, in January 1998, Camerone was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She chose to keep her illness a secret and to continue working. She was aware this diagnosis could end her career. She needed every modeling job possible to pay for her medical treatment. In 2009 Camerone decided to go public about her battle with MS. Today, she is passionate about helping find a cure. In that arena, it is without a doubt that she is making a real impact. Camerone has raised millions of dollars for various charities and never charges a speaker's fee. Of course, fashion is still very much a part of her life and one of the things she's quite passionate about. She was recently featured in the New York Times for her jaw-dropping appearance at NY Fashion Week and has returned to the runway, calling it one of the proudest moments of her career. She also has quite the collection of couture and vintage finds in her closet. These days there is no "typical" day for Camerone, except that she is living life to the fullest and enjoying life as a newlywed. And although she's lived quite the jet-setting lifestyle, she is incredibly down to earth. When she isn't traveling, she and her husband spend their time in Phoenix or their second home in Sedona.
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Hi Camerone, Thank you for your time. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Model, Film Personality, and Philanthropist. I have appeared in over 400 magazines worldwide. I'm the former face of Olay, and I have walked the runways for top designers like Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, and Giorgio Armani. I am most passionate about making a difference, thus philanthropy and advancing the mission of charities close to my heart! Doing this is the best medicine around! And doing for others is what drives me. I've been told my enthusiasm is contagious. I do love to make people laugh! Celebrating life with my husband, Robert McCulloch, and our two precious rescue mini doxies, Squirty and Pixie make life extraordinary.
Kindness to EVERYONE onset/back of the house is a must. A simple “Thank You” to each person you worked with carries forward!
Who has been the most significant influence in your life? Naming just one influence, to me, is like trying to choose your favorite child! (Laughing) I'm blessed to have incredible parents and a lifelong posse of treasured friends who have provided an inspiring, grounded foundation. The ups, downs, and surprises life presents are all lessons. The influence felt every day! What has been the biggest highlight of your career? I look at my entire career and its profound longevity as the real highlight. Without a doubt, the opportunity to be a "Muse" for John Sun Silks, Bert Keeter and Peach Carr has opened my eyes to the power of inspiration. To see a collection where I was the vision, it's nothing short of magical. Why did you choose a modeling career? In all honesty, it wasn't even on my radar! I was discovered! I guess I'd say the industry "chose" me. Beautiful people are everywhere. To make it as a model, one MUST be unique, one-of-kind and unforgettable. Do you have any advice for new models? Never go behind your agent/managers back. EVER. Current photos and measurements. VITAL. Always get a good night’s rest before a shoot/show. Arrive 30 minutes early to every gig. On-time is late in my book. Kindness to EVERYONE onset/back of the house is a must. A simple “Thank You” to each person you worked with carries forward! 16 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by: Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Check Please Silk Ball Skirt: Peach Carr Black Turtleneck: Cop Copine
Photo by : Shelley Welander / SheWe Studio Crown Earrings: Suzy Landa Jewelry Hair Design: Ben Ko and Karen Fuwa Vintage Freshwater Pearl Choker: Traci and Joe Chandler 15 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e January 2020
Photo by : Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Jeans: Alice + Olivia Husband’s White Shirt: Aladdin Hussein / Artful Tailoring 16 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e January 2020
Please tell us about MS and how it has changed your life? I still get emotional thinking about that day back in January 1998, when I heard my doctor say, "You have Multiple Sclerosis. There is no cure. You'll have this for the rest of your life" was D E V A S T A T I N G. How could this happen? How DID this happen? He went on talking about the "disease-modifying drug" I was being prescribed... blah, blah, blah... I was slumped over and finally raised my head with monster-size tears in my eyes and said, "You've just signed my death warrant! NO ONE will hire me knowing I have this." Even more upsetting? As a model - I didn't have medical insurance. Being diagnosed with MS would be considered a preexisting condition, so private insurance wasn't an option. I now needed every assignment possible to pay for my continued care. My prescribed drug-therapy alone was $65,000 a year, every year, for the rest of my life. The decision to keep my MS diagnosis a secret was absolutely necessary.
What is your next plan in life? Well, (sigh). Life's plans constantly change! Sometimes you're prepared, sometimes not. As for me, life is all about celebrating moments, big or small, all the while, wearing fierce shoes, of course! Is there someone you'd like to meet in the future? That's a toughie. Hmmmm... let's see. First: Ellen Degeneres, no brainer. I think we'd make each other laugh plus, and we could get an audience seriously dancing to "September" by Earth Wind & Fire. Second: Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin). I think meeting her would be more for my parents. True story. My Parents (can't stop laughing right now) have repeatedly asked me, "When will that fancy agent of yours get you a Guest Spot on Judge Judy?�Ahhhh, gotta love my parents! (laughing)
Multiple Sclerosis has changed my life. It's made me cry. It has tripped me up. A gripping hug that I can't escape. MS has given me pain, yet through it all, having MS has taught me how to fight, and to fight for others. You are a leading powerful celebrity voice for MS, what message do you have for those who are dealing with MS? You either give up, or you GET UP. I am deeply committed to changing the face of what MS "looks" like. Thankfully, today I'm not in a wheelchair nor use a walker. I've been told I simply don't "look" sick enough to have MS. WHAT?? That's CRAZY! It's not as if my MRI is on view for everyone. The invisible impact of having MS is staggering. I've undergone two eye surgeries to save my vision (MS-related Cataracts with Symfony Intraocular Lens exchange) The toll of 21+ years on a steady MS drug-therapy has now left me internal organ damage. For those newly diagnosed, you are not alone. There is no ME in MS. There is only WE. WE, as MS patients, are making a difference. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society should be your #1 source for help, support, and the latest in MS news and Disease-Modifying Drugs (DMDs). Remember, no two MS patients are alike. Please surround yourself with a Neurological MS team that treats YOU!
Photo by: Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Red Petal Coat by Irina Shabeyeva (created live on Project Runway All Stars)
Photo by: Tiffany Clark Gown: Daniel Esquivel
How do you enjoy spending your free time? Hands down, it's relaxing with my husband at our Sedona home. Nothing beats a great Kiki with fireplaces lit and the soothing rush of Oak Creek. Do you think with the growth of social media and technology, we can help more people who are dealing with MS? Since my diagnosis, the evolving social media platform has been explosive. Objectively, it has greatly changed the landscape of health, medicine, and immediate information. I think it's crucial to maintaining "Fair Balance" when using social media. Just because a celebrity has endorsed or aligned themselves with treatment, drug, diet, etc. does NOT mean they are a professional in the illness. Ask your Doctor firsthand! Medically speaking, what works for me is carefully orchestrated by my Physicians. My DMD journey could be catastrophic to another. "One size DOES NOT fit ALL" when treating MS. Connect and stay informed!
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Please share your thoughts with our readers about living healthy, happy, and being positive. Each day, I am living with Strength, Courage, and Self Respect. Strength. Being my best self often means doing things that may be simple to difficult and challenging. It would be much easier to just sit around on a couch and give up. If all I can do today is sit up and smile, that is my strength for the day! Courage. It takes courage to create the life I desire. As I explore and honor what I ultimately want for myself, I am continually evolving with life changes. Think of courage as a wardrobe. It offers change every day. Self Respect. Living my best life begins simply with the gift of life. Every single day is a blessing and is the foundation on which I build the life I desire. Appreciating life means respecting myself and my loved ones. My posse is priceless! My body, despite illness, is the vehicle for this journey. When I give it the fuel and maintenance that it needs, it will continue to take me everywhere!
Life’s plans constantly change! Sometimes you’re prepared...sometimes not... As for me.... life is all about celebrating moments.....big or small....all the while wearing fierce shoes, of course!
Photo by: Whitney Dinota Makeup: Michelle Clementi 20 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by: Shelley Welander / SheWe Studio Makeup: Michelle Clementi
Self Respect. Living my best life begins simply with the gift of life. Every single day is a blessing and is the foundation on which I build the life I desire. Appreciating life means respecting myself and my loved ones ...my posse is priceless!
Photo by: Robert Kazandjian Makeup & Hair: Wesley O’Neil Zipper vest: Sohung Tong Sunglasses: Saint Laurent Gloves: Harrods London Boots: Maison Margiela Black Tunic Molded Sweater: Balenciaga 21 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
An excerpt from "How to Suffer: in 10 easy steps"
The 6 Slippery Steps Yes it is easy to suffer. And everyone is doing it. Hence the 10 Easy Steps. It’s easy to suffer, while the opposite – not suffering – is not so easy: happiness is fleeting, joy elusive, and love comes and goes like the seasons. But Suffering is your one steadfast friend. It is always there for you, easy-like, always standing by your side, ready to be there with you, for you, and about you. Look around – do you see a door? You can always shut it on your foot and you will suffer. So easy. Can’t get to a door? There’s always that insult or the memory of that moment in high school where you were embarrassed, humiliated, defeated. Take your mind there. Suffering is just a few neurons away, waiting to deliver the goods.
to end
Suffering By William Arntz
But maybe you’ve had enough. You’re done. It’s time to break the addictions of pleasure/pain, have/have-not, rich/poor. Time to break the habit of suffering. For those of you ready for the next stage of life, here are The 6 Slippery Steps to End (or at least greatly diminished) Suffering. But before we dive in, the most important thing to know at this point is: it’s not easy. If it were easy to end suffering don’t you think everyone would do it? I mean, I would! There must be some reason why everyone has not put suffering behind them. One could say “because it’s hard” or “difficult to achieve” or “the deck is stacked against us.” But I’m going to call it like it is: the process is hard because it’s slippery. It’s slippery because the steps to get out of suffering appear relatively easy to understand and do, and yet they are hard to implement. Like “Stay in the present – don’t think about the past
“If it were easy, everyone would do it.” ~Tom Hanks
in A League of Their Own
or the future.” The concept is immediately understandable and within your power to implement. But if you don’t do it right, you may completely stop planning for the future. (I’m not hungry now – why go to the store?) You might stop reflecting on past actions that caused catastrophic results and fail to learn from past “mistakes” and again slip into suffering.
The road is slippery. You slip, you fall, you suffer. You suffer trying not to suffer. You get back up, try again. And again. And again.
I’m calling them slippery because most of these steps are subtle, tricky, paradoxical. For example: what is the difference between non-attachment and not giving a shit? I’m also calling them slippery because the steps cannot be attained by using will power and simply muscling through it.1 Will power is an important element to be sure. But if you’ve chosen to “love your neighbor as yourself,” the will power can just get in the way. Even neighborly love can be a slip and slide as your neighbor beats his wife and you send them loving thoughts instead of calling 911. The road is slippery. You slip, you fall, you suffer. You suffer trying not to suffer. You get back up, try again. And again. And again. Each of the ways to avoid or lessen suffering has pitfalls, road blocks and banana peels, which is why everyone is not doing it even though teachers, elders, wisdom holders and the like have been laying out the path for millennia. Few make it all the way home because they’ve slipped off the path somewhere along the line. So, not easy, often not obvious (except when it is), difficult to remember when you get that phone call in the middle of the night, and it’s usually contrary to what the rest of the world is engaged in, but let’s get out on the ice and learn some balance. And Here They Are – The 6 Slippery Steps • Attachment (Desire) • Medicine (External Substances) • Time • Judgment • Forgiveness • Surrender These steps are dual purpose – they help before “Shit Happens” so you simply don’t suffer, or they then help after something happened to lessen the misery. In other words, by practicing them you either don’t suffer, or suffer less. In a perfect you, all of these steps are part of
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your life (worldview) and practiced (balanced) to perfection and all the Shit that Happens just rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. Great. Until then, get ready. You’re gonna get thrown in the ocean and then the steps are real life savers. Of course these six “steps” aren’t really steps. Steps are sequential, one after another, leading to where you want to go. There are steps to baking a cake and steps to the second floor. These slippery steps are more like a mandala, or a misery-goround. Every situation calls for bringing forward a different step, and that step often morphs into another one, with the order always changing. Are there more than six steps? Of course. Every system counts them differently. Buddha’s path out of suffering is the eightfold path. But the fact that there are multiple techniques to end suffering shows that there are no one size fits all strategy, and life is learning to navigate what happens when IT – that unexpected, decidedly unpleasant event – happens and take the steps necessary to move on. Even though they are slippery they are well worth the trouble. Try running more harder faster on a frozen lake. Down you go! 1
William Arntz began his professional career as a research laser physicist, developing wave optics simulators for the high energy lasing systems that became the “Star Wars” strategic defense system. He then left the scientific world and spent 20 years studying with two spiritual teachers. During that time he wrote the system management software product, AutoSys, and sold the company for millions. Following his lifelong passion for filmmaking, he used the proceeds from that to produce, direct and write the film What the BLEEP Do We Know!? incorporating his scientific background, spiritual training and a desire to make people laugh and think.
An excerpt from the introduction to “Mindful Loving: A Guide to Loving with Passion and Purpose�
Mindful Loving By Kathleen Todd, M.S.W. & Diana Baysinger, M.C. Welcome to Mindful Loving: A Guide to Loving with Passion and Purpose. This is a gift to you inspired by our work with thousands of couples over the past thirty years. Through our work in marriage and family therapy, sex therapy and relationship coaching, we have learned how important it is to navigate through the challenges, celebrations, and cycles of loving. It has been our privilege to partner with clients who have shared vulnerable and intimate details of their lives and love relationships. We have worked with individuals and couples who have presented with distress, pain, and despair. Through their commitment to heal, they developed the necessary skills and practices that transformed their relationships into Mindful Loving relationships. We have been inspired by the resilience of couples who have moved from pain to loving with passion and purpose. Mindful Loving is a conscious decision to love with intention and attention. It involves being present, thoughtful, and open to the experience of loving and being loved. Mindful Loving is dynamic and ever-changing. Throughout the course of our love relationships, there are natural ongoing cycles of connection and engagement coupled with cycles of disconnection and withdrawal. Understanding these cycles helps us journey through love with a greater sense of confidence. The foundation of Mindful Loving is grounded in our emotional health and our willingness to love and commit. Many factors impact the quality of our love relationships, including the relationships in our families of origin, past love relationships, and our level of emotional health and maturity. Mindful Loving embraces our physical, emotional, mental, sexual, and spiritual selves. The success of Mindful Loving is based on building trust, being vulnerable, and accepting ourselves and our partners. Loving ourselves is vital to being able to love another. Mindful Loving is a mindset and practice that starts with the individual. It teaches us to stay open and reach greater levels of love and intimacy. Mindful Loving becomes second nature and enhances all our relationships. We all grow and change over time and the practice of Mindful Loving influences the very nature of our love relationships. Mindful Loving is essential for creating a healthy and happy relationship. It is more than just a concept. It is a practice that translates into loving with passion and purpose.
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Photo by Darius Bashar
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In a Mindful Loving relationship every interaction reinforces the purpose of the relationship. When we feel loved, valued, understood, and desired, we are able to feel safe and nurtured. In Mindful Loving relationships, our passion is sustained. Passion comes from the core of who we are. When we experience passion within ourselves, we are better able to create that passion in our love relationships. Everything we desire to experience around us must begin within us, and passion is no exception. When we experience passion within ourselves, we then create that passion in our Mindful Loving relationships. Passion encompasses a wide range of strong emotions and includes both positive and negative emotions. Passion is the experience of joy; exhilaration; sexual fulfillment; ecstasy; and deep, abiding love. Passion fuels inspiration, fun and creativity and provides experiences that fulfill our desires. Passion invigorates our brains and gives life greater meaning. Having more passion in our Mindful Loving relationships means we create the relationships we desire, and experience love at deeper levels.
• What are our core values for our relationship? • What is our vision for our relationship? • Why are we together? • As a couple, what do we stand for, and what do we stand against? • Does our relationship give us a sense of peace and meaning? Once we know the purpose of our Mindful Loving relationship, we have an opportunity to explore how to take it to heights and depths that are fulfilling and exhilarating. Knowing our purpose and the purpose of our Mindful Loving relationships deepens our love experience. Through Mindful Loving relationships, we have the powerful experience of living with passion and purpose. All of us desire connection, acceptance, and love. Mindful Loving is a way of loving that enables us to experience life and love more fully. We develop skills that help us love with greater passion and purpose. Mindful Loving calls us to be present and to prioritize the relationship by giving it time, attention, and care.
Passion is also the fuel for anger, disappointment, and frustration. The practice of Mindful Loving grounds us and helps us get through the tough and negative side of our passion. Our passion helps us determine our purpose as individuals and as partners. Purpose comes from our reason for living and loving. Our purpose defines the way we live our lives and why we live those lives. Defining our purpose is a challenging and lifelong task. It is one of the most meaningful inquiries we make during our lifetime. Some questions that clarify your purpose include the following: • When do you feel most fulfilled, happy, or at peace? • What would you like to do if you knew you would not fail? • What do you stand for and what do you stand against? • What would you like your legacy to be? • What have you done or what do you want to do that would be most meaningful? Understanding our purpose forms the basis of who we are, why we are driven to do what we do, and why and whom we love. Knowing our own purpose is essential to developing the purpose for our Mindful Loving relationships. Understanding the purpose of our Mindful Loving relationships provides a solid foundation for our love relationships. Some questions that help define the purpose of a Mindful Loving relationship are the following: 28 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Kathleen Todd
Diana Baysinger
Kathleen Todd, M.S.W. and Diana Baysinger, M.C. are experts in relationship therapy and coaching, and find mindfulness and meditation essential in helping their clients. Kathleen Todd, M.S.W. is a life and relationship coach who has worked as a healing professional for over 30 years. She co-authored “I’m in Charge! A Parenting Strategy to Help You Raise Happy and Cooperative Children” and “The Little Book of Parenting Tools.” Diana Baysinger, M.C. is an international coach and consultant. She has trained coaches for the program “Best Year Yet” and introduced the dimension of having couples use this program. Baysinger also writes for academic and business online newsletters. Both authors currently reside and work in Chandler, Arizona and Todd also works in Tempe, Arizona. To learn more, please visit www.mindfullovingbook.com.
An excerpt from We Are the Luckiest by Laura McKowen
Forget Forever By Laura McKowen
Before Laura McKowen got sober, she had a long, successful career in public relations in the Mad Men-Esque drinking culture of the advertising industry, where “liquid lunches were frequent and drinking at your desk in the late afternoon was perfectly normal.” In the five years since she stopped drinking, she has become one of the foremost voices in the modern recovery movement. In her new memoir We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life (New World Library, January 7, 2020), McKowen flips the script on how we talk about addiction and encourages readers not to ask, “Is this bad enough that I have to change?” but rather, “Is this good enough for me to stay the same?” We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from the book. 30 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
This is how it is done — how anything is done: one moment, then the next, then the next. This is how this book is being written: I type this word, then this one, then this one. The words build sentences. The sentences build a paragraph. A book is impossible, but a word and then another word is not. A lifetime of sobriety was impossible, but a moment of sobriety was not. I was doing it, and I was doing it, and I was doing it again. On that train ride, I did something new: I stopped promising myself I would never drink again. I didn’t make any grand pronouncements; I didn’t declare my intentions to anyone; I didn’t send texts; I just sat there. I listened to Matt Berninger’s baritone voice bellow in my ears as the train chugged toward the city. I had been so tripped up by forever. By the idea of my entire life rolled out before me without a glass of silky red wine with my girlfriends, or a hoppy IPA on a deck, or a happy-hour cheer with my coworkers — ever again. Holidays, birthdays, summer, fall, winter, spring. What if I got married again? Finally, traveled to wine country or back to Ireland or just down to New York? What if I dated someone who loved good whiskey or beer; what about the next big client dinner? Sure, I could make it through this week, or the next, and maybe even longer than that...but forever? What did that even mean? After my first recovery meeting, a woman came over, took my hands in hers, and, with shining eyes, told me, “You never have to drink again!” I thought, Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it makes me want to die. I didn’t want to never drink again. I wanted to drink normally. Passably. Like I had before everything got messed up. I’d assumed something was wrong with me because I didn’t feel relief at her words. But nothing was wrong with me — I just wasn’t there yet. And I still wasn’t there that morning on the train. So I stopped pretending I was. I stopped pretending, period. I didn’t commit to forever, or even tomorrow. Just today. I wouldn’t drink in this moment, or the next, or the next. I remembered something else a sober friend said to me: “If you want to drink tomorrow, you can. We can decide that tomorrow. Today, you don’t, though. That’s all.” It was the smallest resolve. The tiniest shift. Almost as if nothing had changed.
*** I don’t remember how the rest of that day went, but I know I didn’t drink. And now, nearly five years later, I still haven’t. This isn’t true because I said, I will never drink again. It’s true — at least in part — because I said, I will not drink right now, no matter what, and I finally did everything necessary to be able to say that same thing in the next moment, and the next, and the next. Not because I was committed to forever, but because I finally realized the future was built on a bunch of nows, and that was it. Every once in a while when I share this part of my story, someone will say to me, with a lot of animosities, “Oh, so you’re saying we should just ‘let what happens to happen and not try to shape our life’?” My answer is no. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that anyone who knows the pain of purgatory knows there’s no such thing as the future when the “right now” has you by the throat. I’m saying, for me, the arrogance of I’ll never drink again...is the same arrogance that told me, It’s just one drink....I’m saying you can drown in “forever” whereas you can wade into “right now.”
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In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle says, “Your outer journey may contain a million steps; your inner journey only has one: the step you are taking right now.” I have found this to be true and helpful as it relates to doing a thing that at one time I was sure was impossible for me but that now I’m doing over and over and over again. Day by day. Hour by hour. Moment by moment. My thing is alcohol. But I am not drinking it. Forget forever. It doesn’t exist, anyway. As Eckhart Tolle also said, “It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living,” and that’s exactly what you’re doing when now is swallowed by projections of forever. Nothing in the future exists yet. But anything is possible right now. Including the thing, you think you cannot do.
Nothing in the future exists yet. But anything is possible right now. Including the thing, you think you cannot do. Laura McKowen is the author of We Are the Luckiest. She is a former public relations executive who has become recognized as a fresh voice in the recovery movement. Beloved for her soulful and irreverent writing, she leads sold-out yoga-based retreats and other courses that teach people how to say yes to a bigger life. Visit her online at http://www.lauramckowen.com. Excerpted from the book We Are the Luckiest. Copyright ©2020 by Laura McKowen. Printed with permission from New World Library. www.newworldlibrary.com. 32 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Eddie turns 70! by Dina Morrone
The 70th annual ACE Eddie Awards were held on Friday, January 17th, at the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, CA. President, of American Cinema Editors, Stephen Rivkin, ACE, who presided over the evening's festivities, was proud to point out to the over 1200 in attendance that the ACE Eddie Awards show, is the 3rd oldest awards show in Hollywood, preceded only by the Oscars® and Golden Globes®. The black-tie ceremony was produced by Jenni F. McCormick and directed by Michael Seel. Actress D’Arcy Carden, star of NBC’s “The Good Place,” served as the evening’s very entertaining and spirited host. The American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of motion picture editors founded in 1950. Film editors are voted into membership on the basis of their professional achievements, dedication to the education of others, and commitment to the craft of editing. The objectives and purposes of the American Cinema Editors are to advance the art and science of the editing profession. To increase the entertainment value of motion pictures by attaining artistic pre-eminence and scientific achievement in the creative art of editing, and to promote the art of storytelling to the next generation of film editors.
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In addition to the annual ACE Eddie Awards, ACE produces several annual events including EditFest (an international editing festival), and Invisible Art/Visible Artists (annual panel of Oscar® nominated editors). The organization also publishes a quarterly magazine, Cinema Editor, highlighting the art, craft, and business of editing and editors. The ACE organization is also very active in nurturing the next generation of film editors. They have a student-editing award, an Internship program, and several fellowship programs, including, Sally Menke Fellowship, Karen Schmeer Fellowship, and the Eric Zumbrunnen Fellowship. Eddie’s were handed out for outstanding editing in 11 categories, in film, television, and documentaries. This year marks the first time in ACE history that a foreign language film won top prize – Parasite, the South Korean film edited by Jinmo Yang, won for best-edited film, Dramatic. The best-edited Comedy film went to JoJo Rabbit, edited by Tom Eagles, Toy Story 4, edited by Axel Geddes ACE, won for best-edited Animated Feature Film, and Best Edited Documentary Feature, “Apollo 11” went to Todd Douglas Miller. Television winners included “Better Things: Easter” (edited by Janet Weinberg, ACE) for Best Edited Comedy Series for Commercial Television, “Fleabag: Episode 2.1" (edited by Gary Dollner, ACE) for Best Edited Comedy Series for Non-Commercial Television and, for the second year in a row, an episode of "Killing Eve" won in Best Edited Drama Series for Commercial Television with "Killing Eve: Desperate Measures" (edited by Dan Crinnion, ACE) winning for AMC's hit series. “Game of Thrones: The Long Night” (edited by Tim Porter, ACE) won Best Edited Drama Series for Non-Commercial. Television and “Chernobyl: Vichnaya Pamyat" (edited by Jinx Godfrey & Simon Smith) won Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television while "VICE Investigates: Amazon on Fire" (edited by Cameron Dennis, Kelly Kendrick, Joe Matoske, Ryo Ikegami) won for Best Edited Non-Scripted Series and “What's My Name: Muhammad Ali” (edited by Jake Pushinsky, ACE) won Best Edited Documentary (Non-Theatrical). Actor Cary Elwes presented the Anne V. Coates Student Editing Award to Chase Johnson of California State University, Fullerton, who beat out hundreds of competitors from film schools and universities around the country.
Filmaker of the Year Award Winner, Lauren Schuler Donner, with MARVEL President, Kevin Feige
Career Achievement Award Winner, Tina Hirsch, ACE, and Director Ron Underwood
Career Achievement Award Winner, Alan Heim, ACE, and Director, Nick Cassavetes
Song Kang Ho, Actor, (Winner, for "Parasite") Jinmo Yang, and "Parasite" Director, Bong Joon Ho
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Stephen Rivkin, ACE, and Cathey Repola, ACE Heritage Award Winner
Thelma Schoonmaker, ACE
Prolific producer Lauren Shuler Donner received the organization’s prestigious ACE Golden Eddie honor, presented to her by Marvel's Kevin Feige. Donner joins an impressive list of industry luminaries who have received ACE’s highest honor, including J.J. Abrams, Norman Jewison, Nancy Meyers, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, Alexander Payne, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Frank Marshall, among others. Alan Heim, ACE, and Tina Hirsch, ACE, received Career Achievement awards presented by filmmakers Nick Cassavetes and Ron Underwood, respectively. Their work was highlighted with clip reels exhibiting their tremendous contributions to film and television throughout their careers.
Todd Douglas Miller, (Winner, for "Apollo 11")
National Executive Director of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, Cathy Repola, was presented the ACE Heritage Award in recognition of her immeasurable contributions and commitment to advancing the image of the film editor, cultivating respect for the editing profession and dedication to ACE. Presenters included actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste, actor Anthony Carrigan, actress Hong Chau alongside editor Kevin Tent, ACE, director Jason Reitman and his editor Dana Glauberman, ACE, “Parasite” director and writer Bong Joon Ho, along with lead actor of “Parasite,” Song Kang Ho. Rounding out the presenters was Taika Waititi, director of “JoJo Rabbit,” who brought the house down with his incredible sense of humor and comical jabs at editors and the craft of editing. He had the room in the palm of his hand!
Actress Kirby Howell Baptiste
It was a truly memorable evening for all the winners and their families. Special thanks to Peter Zakhary, Lea Yardum, Jenni McCormick. Photos by: Peter Zakhary/Tilt Photo & Linda Treydte, www.tiltphoto.com
Lea Yardum and Whitney Fern, Perception PR
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Actor Anthony Carrigan
Jake Pushinsky, ACE ( Winner, for "What's My Name: Mohammad Ali")
Kevin ACE, Janet for Weinberg, ACE, Song Kang Ho,Tent, Actor, (Winner, "Parasite") Jinmo (Winner, for "Better Things Easter") Yang, and "Parasite" Director, Bong Joon Ho Actress Hong Chau
Winners, Gary Dollner, ACE, ("Fleabag") Tim Porter, ACE, ("Game of Thrones") Dan Crinnion, ACE, ("Killing Eve") Tom Eagles, (Winner, for "JoJo Rabbit,") and Director of "JoJo Rabbit," Taika Waititi
Director Jason Reitman, Axel Geddes, ACE, (Winner, for "Toy Story 4") Dana Glauberman, ACE
John Bailey, ASC, Carol Littleton, ACE, Bobbie O'Steen (Writer/FilmHistorian)
Cameron Dennis, Kelly Hendrick, Ryo Ikegami (Winners, for "VICE Investigates: Amazon On Fire") ("Killing Eve")
Actor Carey Elwes, with winner of the Anne V. Coates Award for Student Editing, Chase Johnsoni
Lauren Schuler Donner with husband, Director, Richard Donner
Actress D'Arcy Carden (Host)
LANGUAGE OF SPACE
By Michael White Ryan
Does xperience Have Meaning
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Photo by bantersnaps
Blessings, may I offer these simple words to you? When we take the time to observe the world around us, it soon becomes clear, the world and all of life’s functions-exists through its pairs of opposites. Our already learned response to any experience, or should I say each opportunity, naturally invites us to a lesson to be learned. To know the lesson, they say the way is through, by this they mean complete acceptance of your experience. This is the answer-correction, to all the unattended limitations we’ve placed unknowingly on ourselves from a life-time of events already experienced. All we know and believe was told to us from someone else So here we go! Does experience have meaning, or have we given experience meaning through our innocence, ignorance via our miss understanding to the purpose, duality plays in human life!!! We have become so educated into believing in this powerful-mindset being the controller of one’s life. Thinking in terms of opposites again, did you ever fall in love using your mind and not the heart. I often wonder is love via the mind, the escalating cause of divorce? Hopefully, you get the drift! We have become the followers of idealisms, knowledge is power, actions unaware of their consequences. The power of choice, which has perpetrated a complete misunderstanding of duality into a mindset of polarized thinking. The choosing of one opposite, depending on a set of preselected preferences. Unconsciously dividing all the events of one’s now limited world, into good, bad, right, wrong, like and dislike. And so we choose! The laws that govern-create this 3D material world we partake in, is based on actions of dualities. A simple example, you and I are the result of dualities coming together, to produce a living-continuum… Outside of these laws, we just keep making it up.
Does experience have meaning, or have we given experience meaning through our innocence, ignorance via our polarized thinking, unconsciously dividing all the events of one’s now limited world, into good, bad, right, wrong, like and dislike?
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The untrained mind decides creates results that may not be to one’s best benefit or success Living each day unawares a life of most humans, repeats yesterday’s knowledge in tomorrow’s garden Silently ponder that deeply it translates into, change has never existed! We have been educated to fear change, to fear risk. Be quick, learn to know it’s merely our past perceptions, juggling the pros and cons, to make a heads or tails sense of movement defined, appearing as change. In a nutshell, it’s nothing more than a visual image, like a mirage, water in the desert, expressed as a difference showing up in the external world via our 5 senses. Which never conflicts with the alive and kicking constants of, like-dislike, good-bad, right or wrong? These are the misplaced judgments functioning within the auto-unconscious, functioning in one’s internal world of both minds, acceptance verses nonacceptance. It’s in those somber moments when we may reawaken the self, do we move forward do we grasp the unknown for in grace all is forgiven as freedom rains upon us 24/7. A new door-portal opens when an opportunity presents an experience external to the functioning autonomic-internal mindset. It has always amazed, how one’s individual personal choice rules from a so-called conscious positive mindset while expressing “NO” without ever knowing. Our existing comfort zone is the dam standing between now and a different state of beingness. Say YES to this new disturbance-opportunity-experience. When will finally steps up to be counted, experience may just become an “evolution”, after decision completes its mission! A new door-portal opens when an opportunity presents an experience external to the functioning autonomic-internal mindset. It has always amazed, how one’s individual personal choice rules from a so-called conscious positive mindset while expressing “NO” without ever knowing. Our existing comfort zone is the dam standing between now and a different state of beingness. Say YES to this new disturbance-opportunity-experience. When will finally steps up to be counted, experience may just become an “evolution”, after decision completes its mission!
Trust in the process, how? As a multi-dimensional being, it has become very obvious that following a singular train of thought, education, philosophy, mindfulness or whatever is leading to a singular open-ended path, a dead-end! There are no cookie-cutter solutions, for we are made up of numerous different body-mindset-I am systems. It stands to reason, if there are eleven basic body functions, then solving the riddle of the I am, duality, nonduality, will require a multiple coming together of research, across every known aspect of nature, to discover a human–state-of-beingness. The I am of existence in YIN this one remains in YANG the body moves life exists when opposites mate this body experiences the I am is not the experience
This also explains why duality exists in this 3D material world, its natural-order testing you. Cut an apple in half, you do not have two whole apples. Cut lifein half via right-wrong, good-bad, like and dislike, your choice of all there is, now halved before you even begin! As for the title, Does Experience Have Meaning, unfortunately, it’s a YES and NO answer, depending on one’s level of awareness, how you respond, are you involved in the experience. Come to grasp, we are the creators of our very existence, via every act and decision. Hence the moment you make a choice, the ensuing dual-opposite is also chosen, activated from one’s unknown existing subconscious-mindset. It’s the preverbal catch 22. The big question still remains, is there a way out of constantly choosing repetition as a life-experience?
The order of existence in this 3D multi-universe requires a multi-human-awareness as its primary function. Not to be confused with multitasking, as this is merely a response to a contrived set of actions, diverting ones state-of-being into a reduction, the robbing of one’s essence. From our external mindset, our lives appear complex and confusing, and so the “recommended” safety options are, follow a singular path or career. Specialize in one area, do not try to join two different sets of principles, cultures or knowledge, it will only be led to more confusion and ultimately disaster. Of course, this is total hogwash. Life exists through cross-pollination, and this also extends to where when how you obtain knowledge. If one’s primary goal is to further advance and better understand the self, get up, shift gears, and go for it. There are 2 sides to a coin, likewise, there will always be 2 sides to every logical situation. Your ability to choose relies heavily on how you came to the motivation, which now has become the driving force to achieve personal goals want and desires. How you came to these conclusions may remain a mystery. It’s the question that divides all therapies, does it or does it not matter. Only you can decide. The best way of explaining the process is, opportunity experience is the host and you are the guest. Once you grasp the lesson within the experience, you become the opportunity host, in someone else’s experience. Once you have released their opportunity, you now become the guest, once again, able to receive your next opportunity. It’s a sort of pay-it-forward if you grasp my meaning.
Michael White Ryan is a co-founder with his wife Pamela Edwards of Language of Space. They are leaders in sustainable business growth via PerformanceDesign and Performance Code. Sustainable design encompasses both Western and Easternphilosophies 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 Australia. www.languageofspace.com
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Background photo by Darren Nunis
Bi N
Select
atural care fans will now have a new favorite. We are excited to showcase an acclaimed brand from Greece and the island of Crete, the biggest and most diverse Greek Isle in the South of Aegean sea, the epicenter of ancient knowledge, wellness culture & century old traditions. BIOselect, was founded to represent the local secrets of glamour & longevity, offering a fully natural portfolio of products, imaginatively created to blend modern life needs, tradition and expertise. The brand takes real pride in the worldrenowned patent of “Dictamelia”, a powerful active ingredient, used in almost all of its organic products. An ancient remedy, of Olive Oil & endemic plant Dittany, exemplified to convey its healing properties for the skin and serve various applications of beauty and daily care. With love and respect for the environment, Bioselect has two lines of products: natural and organic. It’s among the first companies and the only complete line of organic cosmetic skincare in the Greek market in cooperation with the prestigious European certification body for organic products (ICEA).
Face Scrub & Mask 2 in 1
Exfoliate and deeply cleanse with bamboo seeds and green clay. Other ingredients include shea butter and natural oils of organic olive, calendula & hemp to nourish dry and dehydrated spots, while vitamin E nourishes and tones your skin. The result is glowing, facial radiance.
Hand & Nail Cream
Nourish nails and soothe skin with natural avocado oil, almond oil, organic olive oil and shea butter, along with pomegranate and ginger extracts to prevent premature aging. It’s gentle yet fast-absorbing cream with no oily traces.
www.bioselect-us.com
Hyaluronic Booster
Boost elasticity and fortify your skin’s natural barrier while moisturizing and filling the fine lines around your face, eyes and lips. Use daily for toned, plumped and hydrated skin that’s radiant with a healthy glow.
Photo by Annie Spratt
Henry’s Mysterious Voice By Nancy Hurley
Henry’s Mysterious Voice follows Henry, a cuddly brown mouse, as he ventures outside his comfortable home to the outside world under the newfound protection and guidance of the spirit of the Almighty God who speaks to him throughout his travels. In this book, readers learn that the Voice (what Henry calls the Holy Spirit) wants to guide him in the right direction and provide love and protection throughout his journey. Henry’s experiences with the Voice mark the beginning of his developing relationship with God. The teaching aspect of the book focuses on increasing the reader’s understanding of God’s desire to have a relationship with them and the importance of having faith during big life adventures. Author Nancy Hurley felt the need to let children know that there is life outside their homes to be discovered and that the Holy Spirit will always guide and protect them from danger. Nancy hopes to inspire children to experience all the world has to offer – just as the little mouse Henry did. “My goal is to have children as well as adults know that the Holy Spirit is with them in all they do and attempt to do,” the author said. “Henry’s Mysterious Voice” can help readers develop their spirituality as well as improve their basic reading and vocabulary skills. Young readers will enjoy learning that the Lord was always with Henry during his exciting adventure exploring the world around him. “Henry, where are you? I am looking for you?” Henry, a fluffy little cuddly brown mouse, stretched himself out of his nap when he heard this questioning coming from an unknown place. Who was calling him? It certainly wasn’t one of the Wilsons in whose house he lived. Who was calling him? Was this a friendly voice or one to be aware of with some fear? He kept his little rounded ears alert and hislong tail now bristled with excitement or was that uncertainty? He looked around wondering whose voice that was. Who could be calling me? Henry said to himself. Well, I’ll just wait and see if it calls me again.
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He settled back down into his little red and white checkered sleeping area made out of bits and pieces of material he’d gotten from Mrs. Wilson’s sewing room floor. He loved to scavenger at night when everyone in the house was fast asleep. He loved being a part of this family even though they didn’t know he was there. The Wilson family included Jim, the Dad, who was a fireman always being called out to help in emergencies. Janie was the Mom who took care of her family. Jimmy (age 14) was a student Blake Middle School and loved playing after school football with his friends. Finally, Julie (age 12) went to the same school Jimmy did. Herbig thing other than creating science projects was helping in the kitchen. She made the best chocolate chip cookies with nuts. The best part of Henry’s day was dinner time when he listened to the family talk about what they had done all day - whether at the fire station, home, or school. They had some fun filled days along with some dangerous ones for Jim. Jim always had some story about rescuing some tabby cat from a burning house or high up in a tree. They loved hearing how he and his fellow firefighters put out a house fire. Janie told about her days at her children’s school. She loved helping students with their work or finding the right book in the library or books from the school’s book fair so students would have some fun reading times. Once Jimmy excitedly told of his football practice where he barreled past another player to get the much-needed touchdown to win the game. “Yeah, I made the winning score!”, Jimmy exploded with pride. Julie looked a bit down as she hadn’t achieved anything spectacular but she had baked two dozen apple and raisin filled cookies for her school’s PTA’s bake sale the next day. Everyone at the table was proud of her baking. As the nightly dinner table stories continued, Henry became more curious about what it would be like to be outside in that world. He didn’t know what it would be like but there was a brave part of him that wanted to know. He had a big decision to make – did he want to go outside and find out for himself what it was like to be out there or did he just want to remain in his cubby and listen to the nightly family stories of what they had done with their day?
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That was the question – it could be a life- changing one! What would he find out there? Being outside would he want to stay in that wonderful place or would he rather remain inside and listen to their stories? If he decided to venture out on his own, he needed an escape plan from the house. What was out there? How would he get outside to be a part of that vast new world? Lots of questions needed answered before he could begin. Was he ready for this? There was a big part of him – his courage said. “Yes, you can do this! Let’s do it? You can make it!” Henry wanted to but his scare made him question this idea. “Okay, if I am going to do this; how do I get out the front door? What do I need to do?” He figured he would sneak around the living room and hide under the big blue sofa chair next to the front door. He had to remember to pull his long tail around him so no one knew he was there. Who would he run out with? The logical one was Jim who always ran out the front door on his way to drive the fire truck to the next emergency in town. Or, would it be Jimmy or Julie on their way to play with friends? Perhaps it could be Janie on her way to school or grocery store. He knew he had to be ready at a moment’s notice. MOST OF ALL HE HAD TO MAKE SURE NO ONE SAW HIM!
Nancy Hurley is a resident of Sarasota, Florida and is married with two sons, four grandchildren and a great granddaughter. Henry’s Mysterious Voice is her first children’s book having published two autobiographical books. Nancy has a passion for helping young readers grow their faith and that was what inspired her to write this book. To learn more, please visit www.nancyhurleybooks.com
Transcendental Consciousness versus Relational Thought By Jayita Bhattacharjee
How Consciousness, God and Prayer evolved: There is very much a direction to life. Everything is evolving and evolution has a positive direction. There is free will within evolution which in turn leads to diverse experiences: some positive, some negative but in general, the direction of evolution is upward and higher. We live in this upward evolutionary spiral of life, and you see the rich interconnectedness and the deep value of all the levels of this intricate spiral, and you develop an understanding of the role that we play through our thoughts, words and actions so you can move yourself and the collective in a positive direction that is geared towards your return to your realization of oneness. Just as humanity evolved in its consciousness, so did the idea of God or spirit. And as our concepts evolved, so did our prayer which happens to be our way of communicating with God and deeply experiencing the divine. There has been an unfoldment of this entire process of prayers which reveals the direction we are headed to as we roll in the process of evolution. As early humanity crossed the threshold of consciousness to becoming self-aware. Our ancestors lived primarily from the produce grown on land and such they sought the basic survival. With time, they began to see the value in living together in tribes. Our ancestors were aware of the interconnectedness with nature. 48 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Photo by Max Felner
They perceived God as one of the magical powers rising out of the heart of nature. So, they prayed to God in the form of seasonal rituals full of music, rhythm and dance. With the evolution of humanity, the individuals developed strong egos and sought power, which means survival of the fittest. Kings had their servants and the tribal leaders had their followers. At this level of consciousness, our concept of God went through a transformation, and the understanding grew out of Gods in nature to the God who were behind the nature to a pantheon of Gods ruled by one God (e.g. Zeus). Our new perception of God brought a new modality of honoring him, temples and monuments and with that there were gifts and offerings, and sacrifices. There was a sense of inequity at the tribal level which in turn led to a new level of consciousness and humanity began to seek order, structure and rules. We sought meaning and greater purpose, in living this one life and attributed a divine plan that was very well beyond our comprehension in order to explain life. There was a shift in our new perspective of God from one leading God who had the dominion over other Gods to simply being one God. This God spoke to us through sacred texts and others who claimed to be the intermediary. We prayed to this God asking for mercy and intervention in our lives. The enlightenment brought the arrival of science and rational thoughts. Technology and material abundance brought with them a sense that the old concept of God up high in the sky was a myth, one that needed to be released. Materialism did not give us the contentment and we sought meaning in community and relationships. The exploration of consciousness began, and we turned inwards to find the meaning. We began in the law of equality, and the earth was to be shared by all. We released all the dogmas and sought to be spiritual and not religious. There was a resurrection of God but not as an external being. The concept of God became a unified field of energy and the underlying intelligent force that pervaded each and everything. Now we need to communicate with an intelligent field of energy. You direct its flow as it very much moves through you. You see the tremendous power in your thoughts and consciousness and consciously work to direct that power. Scientifically and reasonably thinking, you apply reasoning to your prayers to shift your belief. Now prayer happens to be an affirmative statement of truth that is placed into the infinite field of possibilities. People in the Religious science, The Science of Mind, resonate with applying logic and reason through a step by step prayer process. It is defined as argumentative prayer by Ernest Holmes. Those steps take us away from the identification of the external world of matter to very much an inward world where we begin to sense the interconnectedness 50 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COMe February 2020
of everything, the power that is embedded in it, and our capacity to direct that power. Through connecting our spirit, stating our truth, sensing gratitude, love and compassion, we release our awareness into the flow. In the twenty first century, most of us fall into one of the three categories: God is an external being to whom we devotedly pray, God is a myth and prayer is only a superstition, God is an intelligent power that we can tap via consciousness.
As per the spiral dynamics, we see the connection between all of nature, and begin to see our individual self as part of our greater self, the conscious spiritual whole, where everything is part of a one great living system, where we revere all religions and all spiritual paths, where we live in wonder and awe, unity, harmony and love.
We evolved. Our perception of God changed and there is a continuous direction towards the positive change over time. Holmes taught an argumentative style of prayer, that was designed to shift our consciousness, so we can meet ourselves where we are in our awareness. He taught realization, as” turning to that living presence within, recognize it as the one and only power in the universe. Unify with it.” He stated,” there is a point in the supreme moment of realization, where the individual merges with the universe, but not to the loss of his individuality, where a sense of the oneness of all life so enters their being that there is no sense of otherness.” As per the spiral dynamics, we see the connection between all of nature, and begin to see our individual self as part of our greater self, the conscious spiritual whole, where everything is part of a one great living system, where we revere all religions and all spiritual paths, where we live in wonder and awe, unity, harmony and love.
“Life is infinite energy coupled with limitless creative imagination. It is the invisible essence and substance of every visible form. Its nature is goodness, truth, wisdom and beauty, as well as energy and imagination. Our highest satisfaction comes from a sense of conscious union with this invisible Life. All human endeavor is an attempt to get back to first principles, to find such an inward wholeness that all sense of fear, doubt and uncertainty vanishes.”: Ernest Holmes. “We need to know with scientific certainty that there is a Consciousness and a Power in the Universe that responds to us definitely, directly, and dynamically. Each individual must arrive at a place in his own consciousness where this contact is so immediate and so dynamic that if every other living soul denied it, he would still know.” The life of all sentient beings on earth is divine. Every human being is a center of God consciousness. Their spirits are immortal, and they are forever in a state of expansion, eternally spiraling upward, evolving in a spiritual state. Through the whisperings of a divine love, through the falling of divine light, we behold the darkness face to face and try to travel through it to see the light beyond the night. We consciously awake in the presence of that divinity which shapes our ends. There is a divine presence behind us, before us, and with us. The divine light will break through wherever we permit it. Everything in miracle and awe exists in now, and our spiritual vision is evolving to be in tune with the Infinite. Thus is the immortal hope, as per Ernest Holmes, the father of the Science of mind. The Universal Christ Consciousness has many other expressions such as love, beauty, purity, freedom, wholeness and all of the other godly qualities. But beyond all these qualities, the Universal Christ Consciousness has one quality, and that is oneness. In the beginning was the Christ consciousness. God saw, the creator saw the necessity to create everything out of the basic universal state of consciousness which happens to be oneness, oneness between the creator and creation, oneness between the differentiated expressions of the creator. So even though a self-aware being might descend into duality and separation, that would not land up in a place where Christ’s presence is not there. So there always exists a way to move from separation towards oneness. And that is the universal awareness of Christ. There is a oneness between Creator and Creation, between the differentiated expressions of the one undifferentiated creator. This is the flame, the consciousness, the awareness, the beingness of Christ. The longing to seek Oneness with something above yourself, with your ascended being, with your higher being is the consciousness. The underlying reality of Christ is Oneness. Steps to realizing Christ Consciouness Focus wholeheartedly on the center of your heart, as you
become attentive towards it. Immerse yourself in the imagination that in the very center, there is a burning light. This aspect of your higher self is flaming high and living between your breasts. It is alive. Deep down inside your heart, begin to activate this spark, this piece of burning light. Imagine the flames to flicker and glow and be radiant in your core. Immerse in the feeling, be one with it and feel the luminating radiating heat emerging from the center. As you feel it, acknowledge it, be aware of it and be thankful for this embracing feeling. This heat in your heart signals Christ Consciousness within you. Let the light fill you and become you. Immerse completely in the imagination and let it fill your entire body and soul. No effort is needed as the light does all that needs to be done. As the light fills your boy, feel yourself becoming aligned to a higher frequency, the source of all that is good and divine in this earth. You may name this source God. Be engaged in oneness with this source and immerse with God. Let yourself feel this expanded field of energy all around you, and the vibration of Christ Consciousness deep within you. Feel and know that this expansion of light is the light of your soul that is unconditional.
Jayita Bhattacharjee was born n Calcutta, India and later on pursued education from University of Houston in Economics, she had chosen her career as a trustee and teacher. Her Indian residence is in the vicinity of the famous Belurmath. Currently, she is settled in Tampa, Florida. Her love for writing on a journey of heart and soul was hidden all within. Looking at the moments captured in love and pain, joy and grief, the hidden tragedies of life... it was a calling of her soul to write. Her books "The Ecstatic Dance of Life', " Sacred Sanctuary", " Light of Consciousness", "Dewdrops of Compassion" are meant to shed light on what guides a person to respond to the mystical voice hidden inside, to soar in a boundless expansion with the limitless freedom of spirit."It is in the deepest joy that I write with every breath of mine."
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Sports Stadiums Doing their Bit for the Environment Which sports stadiums have the most sustainability initiatives in place?
Each stadium in the study was scored on the following nine fan experience criteria: 1. Seating capacity 2. Distance from the nearest city in miles 3. Length of time it would take to walk 4. Average transport time from the nearest city (driving, public transport) 5. Accessibility information 6. Smart technology 7. Eco-friendly initiatives 8. Average price of a pint in the stadium 9. 2019 season ticket price (cheapest)
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A study by comparison site FOOTY.com has revealed which sports stadiums around the world are doing the most for the environment. Each stadium in the study was awarded points on a sliding scale, those with a full suite of sustainability initiatives documented on their website scored a maximum 10 points, whereas the stadiums with just a few token eco-gestures scored lower.
Sports Stadiums* Ranked by Eco-Incentives
1. Etihad Stadium - Manchester City - 10 points 2. Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta United FC - 8 points 3. Fenway Park - Boston Red Sox - 8 points 4. Gillette Stadium - New England Patriots - 7 points 5. Allianz Stadium - Juventus - 7 points 6. Camp Nou - FC Barcelona - 6 points 7. Luminus Arena - KRC Genk - 6 points 8. Allianz Arena - FC Bayern Munich - 6 points 9. Le Parc Princes - Paris Saint-Germain - 1 points 10. Scotiabank Arena - Toronto Raptors - 0 points 11. Türk Telekom Stadium - Galatasaray SK - 0 points 12. Stadion Wals-Siezenheim - FC Red Bull Salzburg 0 points 13. Gazprom Arena - Zenit St Petersburg - 0 points 14. Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica - Benfica - 0 points 15. Enterprise Center - St Louis Blue - 0 points 16. Metalist Stadium - FC Shakhtar Donetsk - 0 points *All stadiums featured are winners in their respective domestic leagues and span a range of popular sports including football, NFL, NHL, MLB and MLS.
Out of a possible 10 points, it was the Etihad Stadium, home to Manchester City who went straight to the top of the table, scoring a goal for their commitment to making the world a more environmentally friendly place. In last place, with 0 points, came Ukraine’s Metalist Stadium, home to FC Shakhtar Donetsk, which unfortunately lands at the bottom of the league for environmental incentives. Ayshea Elliott - Head of Digital at FOOTY.COM commented on the results of the study: “Every sports fan around the world will have a different view on what elements truly make their stadium experience great. From great accessibility all the way through to the price of a pint, we wanted to highlight the stadiums that are doing their utmost to please their fans on match-day. “It’s great to see the stadiums doing their part to make the future a greener place too. Traditionally, sustainability isn’t the first thing you think of when you think of stadiums and football, but our research shows this is increasingly becoming a major priority, with several of the stadiums receiving strong scores. “The Etihad, which topped our list, did so for its commitment to eco-incentives - for example, the use of an 8 million litre rainwater harvesting reservoir which keeps the pitch keep without wasting water, as well as plans in place to power the stadium entirely with renewable energy and the vast clean up of a largely toxic, derelict site around the campus.” Stadium Selection: All stadiums featured are winners in their respective domestic leagues and span a range of popular sports including football, NFL, NHL, MLB and MLS. Scoring Methodology Criteria based on a sliding scale. Stadiums scored 10 points if they had a visible statement detailing their commitment to sustainability, down to 0 points if this information was unavailable. Some common criteria for use on the sliding scale included - renewable power features (solar and wind), water-saving and recycling facilities, LED lighting to reduce energy costs, cup-recycling incentives, plans to reduce CO2 emissions, timing systems to automatically shut down waste lighting, and electric car charging stations. Footy.com enables sports fans from all over the world to compare prices for football kits, boots and related merchandise from a wide variety of well-known sporting brands and retailers to find the best savings online.
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RECLAMING YOUR TRUE SELF By Angela Dunning
Conscious
Growth
Photo by Toa Heftiba
It’s Not All in The Mind
W
"Most people confuse “self-knowledge� with knowledge of their conscious ego." ~ Carl Jung
here so much of modern psychology and personal and spiritual development fall short is that they make the assumption that it is only our conscious mind/ego which holds any power to bring about change and growth. They offer advice on how to make choices and life changes; to adopt a new attitude and encourage us to step out of our comfort zone and grow, as if all of these are solely within the power of our conscious mind.
What they leave out, or at best skim over, is the reason WHY we keep reverting back to our comfort zone and why we often fail to make any real change and grow, despite our best intentions and efforts.
This is because it is our unconscious patterns, habits, fears, guilt, shame, depressions, motives, desires and unlived possibilities and latent potential which are keeping us small and safe. These are all beyond the control of our ego and will-power, UNTIL that is, they are made conscious. They must first be brought up into the light of consciousness before we can experience any real shifts.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." ~Carl Jung As Jung says, until we make the unconscious conscious it will continue to direct our life in baffling and contradictory ways. And, it will always stymie our growth, because, growth is really about wholeness which involves the painstaking and painful process of meeting and relating to the many aspects of our unconscious selves. We may step out of our comfort zone occasionally, but before we know it we're back there again, especially in terms of our close relationships, coping behaviours, compulsions and addictions, and especially our fears, as these are the areas where most of our unconscious material still languishes with great power over us.
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Horses hone-in very quickly on the unconscious material and processes in people. With their 'X-ray vision and senses' they detect ALL that is going on in a person in that moment, not just what is in the person’s conscious ego-mind. In fact, horses ignore or stay away from a person who is solely operating from their ego or persona, but then, they begin to deeply engage with that person when some piece of material starts to emerge from the client's unconscious.
I work professionally with horses to facilitate growth in people, and one of the greatest benefits of this is that horses hone-in very quickly on the unconscious material and processes in people. With their 'X-ray vision and senses' they detect ALL that is going on in a person in that moment, not just what is in the person’s conscious ego-mind. In fact, horses ignore or stay away from a person who is solely operating from their ego or persona, but then, they begin to deeply engage with that person when some piece of material starts to emerge from the client's unconscious. This material may lift up from the client's body in the form of a bodily sensation or symptom; it may appear in the guise of a deep yet unfamiliar emotion that's been waiting for an opportunity to surface; or it may show itself in a clumsy attempt to engage but without clear and strong boundaries. There are many, many ways in which our unconscious reveals itself and horses always uncannily pick up on what is going on beneath the surface appearance of a person. This means that horses are also keenly adept at tuning in to the invisible intangible realms of soul and spirit of people, and sometimes we will make a deep and instant soul-soul connection with a particular horse. Thus, horses can help us access our own unconscious through such soul connections: they help us to see our inner reality for all that it really is - good and bad, beautiful and ugly, pristine and messy. All of which is soul work and can guide us on our journey of becoming our truest-selves, as Robert A. Johnson says: "...it is only through the soul that we find the unconscious, the inner life, the side that is beyond ego and outside the narrow ambit of its peripheral vision". This is also why I encourage other practitioners and my clients to stay less focused on the verbal, the cognitive and doing (the conscious level), and to instead, explore the non-verbal, somatic, energetic, emotional, intuitive and sometimes psychic realms (the unconscious level). As it is these realms where the horses come into their own and wherein their super-power lies, to help uncover what is keeping a person stuck in a particular pattern, habit or attitude. Therefore, through very naturally focusing on the unconscious of the person the horse can
bypass the rigidity and narrowness of the person's ego and initiate sometimes significant breakthroughs. What may gradually be revealed only after many talk-based therapy sessions, can sometimes be immediately accessed in equine sessions through horses' natural astute capacities of smell, instinct, energetic sensitivity, physical responses and somatic resonance. If we imagine the conscious realm of a human as being actually only a very small part of their entire being, and the rest as a vast sea of unconscious, then we can see that it makes little to no sense to approach human development from solely the ego, conscious rational mind. We must also explore the unconscious. This is especially challenging because our dominant culture insists we focus only on what is conscious. So, our primary task is to swim against this tide and go and meet our unconscious self, then and only then can we really experience long-lasting change and growth. There’s nothing really to be afraid of, instead, try and see it as an adventure where you get to journey inside, and discover so much about yourself that you can’t help but expand into the fullness of who you truly are.
Angela Dunning is a regular contributor to The Eden Magazine. She is the author of The Horse Leads the Way: Honoring the True Role of the Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice, and she writes regularly on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehorsestruth/ and Patreon: www.patreon.com/angeladunning You can learn more about Angela and her work helping people and horses at: www.thehorsestruth.co.uk
Photo by Paula Palmieri
Horses ignore or stay away from a person who is solely operating from their ego or persona, but then, they begin to deeply engage with that person when some piece of material starts to emerge from the client's unconscious.
Photo by Omid Armin
Intuitive Intelligence and Answering the Questions You Don’t Know to Ask by Paul O’Brien
In life’s travels, does anyone really have a clear idea of where they’re going? Most likely not. The innate reflex of action versus inaction is often ignored even as the steering force of making a decision, agreement, or commitment determines what kind of journey you’re on— and where you’re headed. There’s no reason to think that life is supposed to unfold in a straight line. Rather, it’s going to be a bit like sailing. Sometimes you sail along with a breeze at your back, but much of the time the voyage requires course corrections, especially when the only choice is to tack into the wind. And because they wake you up, your struggles make you stronger; however, the key is to approach these situations intelligently. At times like these, when normal patterns are disrupted, an element of chaos or uncertainty arises—often accompanied by feelings of fearful apprehension. Critical choice-points in life often show up as crises. However, such occasions can offer new possibilities, sometimes even great ones if you allow yourself a broader vision. A crisis can be a dramatic turning point—an opportunity to make great strides—if you choose to see it that way. The tools you develop and skills you cultivate throughout your life will ultimately determine how you navigate these challenges. These days we recognize several forms of intelligence, including IQ, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and—thanks to the work of Esther Perel—erotic intelligence. One of the
most important forms of intelligence, however, is “intuitive intelligence.” Long known as the “sixth sense,” intuition is a higher instinct, a feeling-based skill that bypasses logical analysis. The logical left-brain is great at taking things or ideas apart and putting them back together again, sometimes in inventive ways. While this has led to many great inventions, it has its limitations when it comes to important life elements like relationships, negotiations, and timing. Intuition is a means of sensing patterns without regulation by, or interference from, the analytical mind. Such a holistic approach to perception hinges on understanding that the totality of a system is much bigger than the sum of its parts and— for making crucial decisions—much more important. Unfortunately, a person’s intuitive sense can’t be switched on like logical thinking. It depends on being open and receptive to a spontaneous flow of impressions, insights, ideas, unusual occurrences, coincidences, hunches, and inspirations that arise in your personal mindscape. Therefore, it makes sense that it can’t be forced; the mental circuits have to be open to patterns where the interconnections are not all visible yet. In order to develop our intuitive sense, we need to notice it and listen to it. It’s a subtle ability, which can make it hard to notice. Interference from all of life’s distractions, stronger feelings like anger or greed, even the chattering of the mind can easily drown it out. It “speaks” to us through a quiet voice or feeling.
A crisis can be a dramatic turning point—an opportunity to make great strides—if you choose to see it that way. The tools you develop and skills you cultivate throughout your life will ultimately determine how you navigate these challenges. 59 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Like meditation, intuition is mindful of the big picture. This high form of pattern recognition is related to the ability to hold a vision and connect the dots of life’s larger trends even when they are not visible. Paying attention and being open to intuition’s subtle signals gives us a singular advantage when it comes to making weighty decisions and cultivating intuitive intelligence. After all, intuition's most important function is to help us make better decisions and to make the right moves at the right time. This is a central part of the “Visionary Decision Making” process.
When faced with a decision or confusing situation, a doit-yourself divination practice can be like a counselor— one who is available at any time, day or night—and can help you become in tune with your own intuition. Obviously, a live counselor offers certain advantages, but with a do-it-yourself divination tool you no longer need to depend on another person for balance, insight, or advice. With a working knowledge of the right tools, you can become your own counselor and “go direct” for divine wisdom any time you want— honing your intuition in the process.
Step one of Visionary Decision Making is to determine the best action to take. It is important to coordinate intuition with logic in order to make a wise decision. Secondly, you must allow yourself to live the belief that the choice you’re making is the best option for you. The third step is deciding when to act. Timing is especially important—and very tricky, since logic can’t help with this part. It’s an entirely intuitive decision. The final aspect of Visionary Decision Making is to make your move, with confidence, once you’ve decided the timing is right.
Whether you use a preferred divination system or not, every action you take sets events in motion and any resultant situations will depend on the originating energy and the intention behind it. If you make unskillful choices out of fear, anger, or jealousy, then chances are good you’ll be repaid with corresponding circumstances and potentially consequences. When this happens the exact cause usually cannot be determined, so there is no point in asking, “Why did this happen to me?” The value of a belief in karma lies not in being able to trace cause and effect, but in accepting responsibility for your part in whatever happens, thereby developing virtue within yourself instead of playing the victim. It can be tempting to resist consequences, but that approach only leads to more suffering.
Divination systems like the I Ching tap into the energy of the situation and can be a great way to know when to turn your plans into action. An authentic divination reading will help you know when it’s right to assert yourself, when it’s time to retreat, or do nothing at all. Using divination tools can also help you move past confusion and fear, while finding greater clarity and creative freedom, in order to avoid the pitfalls of poor choices. Even a short do-it-yourself ritual can help you accept a situation you cannot change, or make better decisions about circumstances you can influence allowing you to cocreate your life into a flow of experience that is balanced by wisdom, confidence, and acceptance. The I Ching and other similar systems are spiritual “power tools” that facilitate change with good timing, for ultimate happiness, success, and fulfillment. If you’re new to divination, choose a system that is intuitively appealing to you. For example, do you feel inclined to the I Ching versus tarot cards? Or, maybe there’s another divination system? If you feel a natural leaning to one over another it may work better for you in the long run. Whichever system you decide to use, be prepared to enter a world in which you have access to more insight and guidance than you ever imagined. Be prepared for some confusion as well—after all you are still human— but stick with it. Don’t try to be too literal or expect an instant answer. Even if you’re not searching for the answers to specific questions, divination can also be used as a form of insight meditation with a calming effect, even as it calls up wise answers from within.
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With a well-honed intuitive intelligence, you will find deeper levels of confidence in your ability to make the right moves at the right time. With clear awareness, wisdom when you need it, acceptance of change, and the patience to achieve your heart’s desires, your dreams will start to manifest before your eyes. Fulfilling your unique destiny is what you were born to do, and it is your most important challenge in life as a human being. So the next time you have a question that needs asking— help your intuition do the work and be amazed at the great decisions and feeling of perfect timing that follows.
Paul O’Brien is author of Intuitive Intelligence: Make Life-Changing Decisions with Perfect Timing (Beyond Words Publishing, September 10, 2019) and the “Visionary I Ching Oracle” app. He is the host of Pathways podcasts and founder of www.Divination.com.
Andy Madadian Received The Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Photography by Clinton H. Wallace/@Photomundo 62 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
People around the world read Andy Madadian’s story in The Eden Magazine December 2019 issue, when he appeared on our cover. Andy istruly a compassionate person that I have known throughout the years. His dedication to saving children and animals in need around the world is priceless. Andy and his wife Shani Rigsbee started an animal rescue organization called “Voices Out”, But he never stop doing the other most important thing in his life singing. His music has always been a way for Andy to send his message to his fans. On Friday, January 17th 2020, Andy received his very own “The Hollywood Walk of Fame “Star and celebrated with thousands of his fans who were so proud to capture this superb moment of Iranian history. His career has spanned over 40 years, selling millions of albums along the way.
When Andy walked up to the podium to speak at his ceremony, he said, "They told me to speak from the heart and the problem is I can't catch up with my heart because it's running too fast." NBC reports. Talk show host Suzi Khatami said, "He's a great talent and he has proven over and over that music knows no boarders." Andy is the only singer in the Iranian community that captured all his fan's heart, they all talk about him with love and pride. They follow his music no matter where they are, he is well known in every single community of Iranians and beyond. With all his fame he never forgets his homeland, and always talks about his people with passion and care. He always says he is a proud Iranian/Armenian/American. "I'm an American. I'm an Iranian. I'm an Armenian," said Andy. "America is great because we can all be here and live in peace here. And I wanted them to hear back there that we have not forgotten them. We love them just the same. And I hope and pray one day America and Iran will be friends."
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Music executive Miles Copeland and singer La Toya Jackson spoke at the star ceremony. Madadian and Jackson had a hit song together called “Tehran�, written by Paksima and M. Cheshmazar. Andy said if you've never heard his music before, "It makes you happy." Madadian said his star "belongs to all Iranians, Armenians, and Americans." It's located near Highland Avenue at 6810 Hollywood Boulevard. Photography by: Narbeh Khodaverdi & Helen Rezvan
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NEW YEAR,
NEW YOU!
Now that it’s February How Many of us Have Fallen off the New Year, New you Bandwagon?
Photo by todd kent
By Sasha Gary
Most people fall off by the end of January with their health goals. 80% of people fail their resolutions by February! The reason why is their health routine is a quick fix and they lose interest. A new routine takes at least 66 days to become a habit! To maintain a healthy new you, you must invest in a healthy lifestyle! It’s all in the daily routine and mindset! I teach my clients how to wake up every day and put themselves first before all else. Filling up your cup isn’t selfish! It’s mandatory! Some mornings I am loving my miracle morning routine so much, I meditate longer and love every moment of it because it makes me a better person to my family, to my clients, to myself! If you want to be a better version of yourself in 2020 start with you! I start with meditation in bed, slowly waking up my mind and my body. I do a nice body stretch in the bed and a warm-up with my hot water and lemon to activate my insides! Now, I can be open to writing in my journal. I write things down that I am trying to release! Things that no longer serve me like thoughts that are holding me back. I do some EFT tapping to release it from my mind and my body! I write down all of my goals that I am working towards and I mean big goals! Goals that will blow your mind! I am reaching for the stars baby! I take a beautiful walk in nature, make breakfast and start my day! Now my cup is filled to the brim! I am starting my day completely! Don’t let the first thirty days of the new year throw you off. It’s all mindset! Dust yourself off and get back at it! You can only fail forward and learn lessons! I love failing forward! You may have read about my miracle morning in a past article, but it is that important to me to express how important having a miracle morning of your own is! It sets you up for life! Being consistent in our daily routine is what propels you forward! You are aligning your mind, body, and spirit before you start your day. Before you get in the car, there’s traffic, the kids are late for school, your boss yells at you, nothing goes right in your day, you wish you stayed home, there’s traffic on the way home, nothing is ready for dinner, you must order pizza delivery, your expectations of yourself aren’t feeling great, your exhausted, kids need help with their homework, you
have no idea what the lesson is for the kids, you pretend that you are smarter than a 5th grader, the dog just pooped in the house, hubby is grumpy from his day! And on and on... So that early miracle morning is so necessary to allow you to mindfully move throughout your day peacefully! Taking care of numero uno will feel just right each day! Focusing on self-care is mental, emotional and physical health priorities! This is what I focus on with my clients so they can live a balanced life. It’s all about having a good relationship with yourself first! For 2020 I decided to put myself and my self-care as my largest priority! I am creating healthy boundaries with people and things that are not in alignment with my well being. Boundaries are so important! Life is meant to be enjoyed so carve out some time in your morning to create your sacred space and time for you! Watch how you show up in the world the brightest light shining for all to see!
Sasha Gary is an actress, writer, and Transformation Life Coachat www.balancedbellasonline.com is a 16 week online health program for women that
shows you how to implement small sustainable changes one by one to help you with whole food nutrition, self-love and a conscious movement. Sasha is a yogi of 25 years, a crystal healer, and an avid sound bowl meditation participant and lives in Venice California!
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PROJECT REPAT Project Repat is working to reduce textile waste by creating beautiful quilts out of old t-shirts. With the production of 400,000 t-shirt quilts, between 2012 and 2019, Project Repat has prevented 9.6 million t-shirts from ending up in landfills while also generating $11.6 million in shipping to support American jobs at the USPS. Their story starts in Nairobi, Kenya, where Project Repat co-founder Ross Lohr was doing non-profit education work. After sitting in traffic for 2 hours, he discovered the cause of the jam: an overturned fruit and vegetable rickshaw pushed by a Kenyan man wearing a t-shirt that said he danced at “Josh’s Bar Mitzvah”. Amazed by all the incredible t-shirts that get sold off and sent overseas by non-profit and for-profit companies in America, they began thinking of ways to improve the system. Instead of shipping goods all around the country, why not create fair wage jobs in the United States and create a product that has a lot of meaning for customers? As they say, the rest is history. Rather than ‘repatriating’ t-shirts back to the United States, Project Repat creates a high quality, affordable t-shirt quilt with minimal carbon impact that ‘repatriates’ textile job back to the United States. The quilts are a resourceful way to save the planet by getting rid of textile waste – a huge problem for both current and future generations.
The
Alkaline Water Co. Alkaline 88
The pH levels are an essential part of the production process to confirm how sanitary the water is. The amount of pH determines the level of acidity and alkaline found in water. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, where 1 would be very acidic, and 14 would be very alkaline. Hence our flagship product name, Alkaline88, the pH for our water remains at 8.8 while the range for pH in tap water is 6.5 to 7. The makers behind Alkaline88 involve a close-knit team passionate about creating sustainable and clean labeled products. From scientists to business professionals to eco-conscious engineers, The Alkaline Water Company’s mission is to provide you and your family with pure, thirst-quenching alkaline water.
As more resources become available from continuous, innovative research in our world today, we have identified that regular tap water can contain several harmful chemicals if not filtered. Some examples of the most contaminating chemicals found in tap water are chlorine, fluoride, and even lead. Using water filters can help eliminate these unwanted chemicals, but still fuels the uneasy problem of not fully cleaning the water. It only makes the “dirty” water taste good, but does not keep any, nor adds, other minerals found in natural water to restore it’s better qualities. Meet alkaline water, the world’s most natural drinking water. When rain falls on mountaintops and rocks, it flows down into streams which then becomes naturally alkaline with the right level of ORP (Oxidation-Reduction Potential). And now, with modern technology, suppliers can bring premium water to consumers. The Alkaline Water Company is one of the few alkaline water suppliers that use a unique proprietary electrolysis process that uses Pink Himalayan Rock Salt as a catalyst for the ionization process and the infusion of the electrolytes and minerals in their flagship product, Alkaline88®. The end result, through this electrolysis process, is one of the cleanest waters on the market. Alkaline88 does not contain any unwanted chemicals, like fluoride or chlorine, and instead has a smooth taste and is perfectly-balanced at 8.8pH.
The past few years have been a triumph of success for The Alkaline Water Company. With the executive teams’ diverse backgrounds and experiences, it has accelerated its growth in this niche industry. As Alkaline88 sales flourished, the company’s position in the drinking water industry has allowed them to expand its product suite and additionally list its public shares on the NASDAQ and TSX.V Markets (WTER). The company is continuously exploring new ideas to keep up with market trends, leading to the launch of its first flavorinfused water line. This line offers flavors like Watermelon, Blood Orange, Lemon, Lemon-Lime, Peach Mango, and Raspberry. Additionally, The Alkaline Water Company announced it’s preparing to launch its very first CBD-Infused beverage line, “A88 Soothe.” This unique product line promotes relaxation without the high (it’s THC-free). With efforts to keep up with the fast-growing hemp market, the company just partnered with Centuria Foods - a global leader in phytocannabinoid hemp-derived ingredients. Centuria will serve as the company’s exclusive supplier of CBD ingredients to develop new innovative products for The Alkaline Water Company, such as CBD-shots, tinctures, capsules, and powder packs. These additions to the A88 family will contain the same natural taste as its flagship product, only with a twist. While the company does not make any health claims, some advocates suggest that alkaline water can neutralize the acid in your bloodstream and help bodies absorb nutrients more effectively. Other studies propose that drinking alkaline water can help treat certain diseases, such as deactivating pepsin to decrease acid reflux. However, there are more studies and research needed to verify these claims.
WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
Penny Davidi
Feasting on Life
Penny Davidi has been conquering an audience with her Middle Eastern recipes on hit food television shows like Food Network Star and Chopped All-Stars. A series regular on Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules, she became the Executive Chef and Menu Curator role for Lisa Vanderpump at her newest venue, Pump Lounge, which opened in West Hollywood in May of 2014. Born in Iran and raised in California, Penny is the first Persian Jewish Chef and Businesswoman to be featured on hit culinary and reality television shows. She was raised with a strong family bond. Some of Penny's most cherished memories are from her time spent with the women of her family in the kitchen where her love of cooking began. Where trade and family secrets were learned, and where Penny soon fused her knowledge and creativity alongside her big personality to develop innovative and dynamic recipes. But Penny is not just a Celebrity Chef, she is a woman who reinvented herself after a painful divorce and indeed set an example of what entrepreneurship and sheer determination can do for all women, and she does that with grace and style.
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The Eden Magazine Exclusive Interview with Penny Davidi By Alexia Melocchi
You have started many ventures from scratch. Do you credit your inner strength to being a self-made entrepreneur or as a necessity for survival? I am an Iranian immigrant. I came here at the age of five from Israel. Father is a doctor, mother is a jeweler, but my drive never kicked in until age 30, when I got a divorce after being married for ten years with two kids. I had two choices: either feel sorry for myself or grab life by the horns and hit the ground running. It was vital for me that my kids would see a strong, confident persona and role model. And one's true character does not come out until some major life obstacles are thrown at you, and you have to demonstrate how you will deal with them. Getting a divorce at 30 was a different environment. I was not comfortable with it, but I picked up and never looked back. I believe in reinventing my self over and over. I kept pushing forward. So you took a long trip overseas, how did that change you? I married my ex-husband, who was 14 years my senior. Being married to him really opened my eyes. When I got divorced, I was ready to explore the world and not be tied down. I took a long trip to Europe and ended up in South Florida, where I found my next adventure, the franchise rights for California for PIZZA RUSTICA. I sold my medical practice and took that money and invested in opening a chain of homemade pizzerias all over LA, and that is where I got my kitchen life and the passion for being on the Food Network. I got my start in my own kitchen right here on Beverly Drive.
Penny, you are known in the Food Network community as a contestant who always spoke her mind. As a result, you were called some not so very nice names by fans of the Show. Being a woman, were you afraid that would happen? The perception was that I was not a nice person because I spoke up for myself is unfortunate, and yet quite normal in today's society. If a man were taking the same stance, he would be deemed powerful, confident, ambitious, driven, maybe even called brash at the most. But I am not one to stay silent, not now, not ever. You went into the show in full knowledge of who you are, and that made you also stand out. Were you told by the show's producers to amplify that? When you are doing anything in life where there are challenges, you have to have drive and ambition. Reality competition is just like any other competition. It's such a clichĂŠ to say I was there to make friends. I was there to win. Of course, Producers can project an image of you in a certain way by how they edit the Show, but I take full responsibility for being a strong personality and standing up for my rights.
How is the perception of being Middle Eastern overseas versus in the United States? The United States is so different than the rest of the world. It is not unusual that you are all lumped in one package if you look different or are from the European culture. Many times the perception is that if you look Middle Eastern, It's you, the individual, who is the problem of all that's going on in our world. For me, it is terrifying right now. And I am an American Iranian, a citizen of the United States. One's last name should not be creating a problem. I find myself having a conversation with my kids to stay away from crowded places. I remember when I first did The Food Network, some of the comments were devastating. Does that exist in Europe? Not at all. You were the only woman chef who introduced the art of cooking Middle Eastern food on TV. What would you like people to know about your culture? Food is a great way to cross borders and get an education from other cultures. I would like to be able to share more with the world about my heritage and help change the perception. The Middle East is a warm, loving place that respects family values, and has great food and great places to see as well as history. We are not about war. That is not us. 71 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
My second husband is American. I have a blended family of five kids, a melting pot of French, American, Jewish, and Iranian. We are the united colors of Benetton. It is important to install ideas of peace within your home, not fear. Where does it start? With the parents. We do not discriminate against religion or skin color or sexual preference. You love everyone equally. You are indeed an amazing, gracious hostess and have lovely dinner parties. Do you think eating helps unite people? This is has gone on for ages. Look at Jesus. The concept of breaking bread. That is what it goes back to — gathering people around the table to share a meal and stories. When you cook for people and do that with love and share with them your culture through food, it is the most gracious thing you can do, to open your house to others and break bread. The Friday Shabad that we have in Judaism is not just a religious tradition. It is a gathering where you shut the world out. It's the sabbath. Everyone takes a break on the sabbath to celebrate life while breaking bread and eating good food. What is your favorite dish? What is always present at my dinner table is the charcuterie board. I call it the mood board. When my husband and I first got together with a blended family, with kids of different ages, everyone gave us requests on what they were in the mood to eat. So I did something to make them all happy. Some incredible mood boards to accommodate them. Whatever is my fridge, I will slice it up, warm it up, and make it really pretty. That is how we celebrate each other. And there are always matzo balls. How could there not be? Persian matzo balls are the best. Being an empowered woman and entrepreneur, you believe in the power of mind over matter. What advice would you give your daughters beyond the pursuit of an education? It's essential to have a focus in life. For a lot of people, there are so many external factors that consume all our attention. You stay focused by creating a vision board. It’s so important: pick up a big whiteboard and put yourself in the center- this is the center of your universe and build around it and watch what happens when you manifest from your mind. Start taking pictures of images that excite you and place them on the board. Create your 2020 with a clear vision. How do you teach your kids about gratitude and a positive attitude I say to my kids all the time, for every bad thought that enters your mind, replace with four good thoughts. Here we are, you and I, and look at the flowers, look at this salad in front of me, look at this coffee that is so delicious and look at you, my friend, you are beautiful. I just replaced a negative thought. 72 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
There is something the readers do not know about you. That you were a very famous naturopath for the Stars. Please tell me more about this and how it brought you to food. My clients were Tiger Woods, Ellen De Generes, Elle McPherson, and so many more. When I was very young, I realized I could heal people with my hands and read people's energy by looking at the outside. So I found out that going to Oriental Medicine and natural healing arts, I was able to heal others professionally. I was the youngest acupuncture graduate from Empress College of Chinese Medicine. But when I got a divorce, I felt like a Superman who lost her kryptonite. I had to do healing on my self. And through that healing process, I founded Pizza Rustica, and that woke me up again. The relationship of food and healing from Oriental Medicine, I took the same process and brought it to the restaurant industry. Heal people through pizza slices. Healing is healing if your intent on what you are serving is good.
Alexia Melocchi is an accomplished film producer and world wide distribution executive and thepartner of Beverly Hills based LITTLE STUDIO FILMS. Alexia Melocchi has an experienceof more than twenty years in in Hollywood and has produced 11 award wining movies and 3 documentaries that were shot by merging film makers that she has personally discoveredand mentored. She also acquires on behalf of her international distributor clients films and television shows from all over the world for release in the Middle East, Italy, Greece, Spain, Canada, South America and Germany. She attends all major film festivals in the USA and abroad and has beenoften invited as an expert panelist on the Film Business forhigh profile film and television conventions. Alexia is fluent in five languages and is the proud mama to3 rescue cats. She supports environmental and animal causes , meditatesdaily, and is an avid reader of spiritual and self helps books. IG @lexybella @LttleStudioFlms www.littlestudiofilms.com
SOUL COURAGE By Tara-jenelle Walsch
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WHY
SMALL TALK
IS IMPORTANT
“Good Morning, how are you today?” “I’m doing pretty good, thanks. And you?” “Great! I’m loving this weather, so beautiful, right?” “Oh gosh, yes—I love the snow!” And just like that, a connection was made. Who could have ever guessed that ten months later Alex and Jane would be married! When asked how she met her husband, Jane said, “We were standing in line at the post office and he just struck up conversation with me. The next thing you know we were talking about playing in the snow as kids and realized we were both from Maryland. The rest is history!” Certainly not all small talk leads to marriage, but even if you don’t meet the love of your life, you’re still engaging with another human being. And that, in itself, is a celebration to our spirits, as people are becoming increasingly reclusive. Exchanging pleasantries with a stranger is awakening in this way. Its charm is like kindling taking spark, activating our senses back into the real world, where we may have otherwise been worrying or looking down at our devices.
inviting your spirit to interact with theirs. The words you’re speaking are more or less a vehicle to giving and receiving each other’s energy. Your emotions, voice inflections, facial expressions and interpersonal energy are communicating well beyond the verbal language being used. This is why we can make small talk without talking at all. Almost everyone has done this with children; winking, smiling, waving and lighting up from our insides in response to theirs. We do this with adults, as well, but usually aren’t as aware of it. Small talk can create opportunity One of the many benefits of small talk is that you never know where it will lead. We certainly shouldn’t strike up small talk with the expectation for something in return, but when we’re open with ourselves, life and others and extend that openness through reaching out joyfully and freely with no expectations, it almost always leads to a lift in the heart of others and perhaps even new opportunities.
Small Talk isn’t about what you’re saying So many people gripe that they don’t have time for mundane chit-chat and can’t be bothered with nonsensical conversation, but small talk isn’t particularly about what you are saying, it’s mostly about exchanging energy.
Small talk has the potential to save lives Although it may mean nothing to you to turn your head to the nearest person and say hello, a simple gesture like that offers the feeling of being teamed up with others and has the ability to lift the spirits of those who may otherwise be having a bad day. It’s also not far-fetched to suggest that your exchange could even save someone’s life, should they be contemplating ending it.
Small talk is comparable to knocking on a door, the opening of which is connection. Connection of any kind. Even if it’s just for a split second, smiling and saying hello. It’s as if the person initiating is knocking on the door to you,
So many people walk around feeling unseen, unheard, unimportant and lost. So many souls carry heavy hearts and listless spirits, often surrendering to not caring and letting go. 75 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
By initiating conversation with someone, you’re acknowledging they are there, indirectly saying, “I see you.” What a gift to confirm for another that you see in them what they long to see in themselves. You never know how much difference thirty-words can make to another. Never underestimate your interactions with others, especially in this day and age where isolation is favored over being in public. The power of interacting with someone face to face is gaining value in our world by the minute. Why, then, don’t we do it more often? As far back as I can remember, it was common courtesy to talk to those standing right beside you—if even just a nod or quick greeting of recognition. To ignore someone’s existence outright was considered rude and impolite. This is largely a generational factor; social behavior was much more refined in the past and polite manners were just part of general civility. Also, with no texting or social media back then, human contact and socializing was mostly limited to phone calls, personal visits or running errands.
Ironically, reaching out to others in this way can be some of the bigger steps you’ll make in your life because doing so also reconfirms your own connection with yourself. The take-away is that small talk can be a prelude to more. More interaction with others leads to more connection with others, which leads to more love. So, in a sense, it becomes a non-invasive way of extending your love to humanity. And, it’s fun—go figure! Spontaneously talking and connecting with other people reminds our hearts how much alike we all are. RoadMap to Small Talk 1- Small talk awakens our senses back to the real world of engaging with others 2- Small talk isn’t about what you’re saying, it’s about exchanging energy 3- Small talk can create opportunities 4- Small talk lifts spirits & can possibly save lives 5- Some people are put-off when approached 6- People drop their defenses when you’re authentic & align your body language 7- Small talk is a non-invasive way of extending your love to humanity
These days, people walk around with headphones on or phones up to their ears, making it very clear they have no interest in being approached. Many have taken to seclusion after work, staying home and spending most of their time on the computer, texting or watching TV. And becoming friends with their devices and over-stimulated with technology like this ultimately inundates them with sales pitches, offers and ulterior motives. This, in combination with fewer personal one-on-one moments with others, may put someone in the defensive if they’re approached in public, skeptical there may be a hidden agenda and creating apprehensive around opening up. People likely think a stranger making small talk wants something from them. The easy remedy for this is to be as authentic as possible when initiating, and align your body language when offering a friendly exchange of energy. Most people aren’t that put-off around being approached, but those who are will instantly drop their defenses when they realize you’re not looking for anything beyond that moment. Simply put: There’s nothing small about small talk. Primarily because there’s nothing small about two people engaging with each other on a human and authentic level. 76 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Tara-jenelle Walsch is a monthly columnist for the Eden Magazine. She is the author of the book, Soul Courage, and the founder and spirit behindthe Soulebrate greeting card company. You will also find her speaking publicly about emotional and energetic awareness, and a sacred formula which she believes has the ability to enrich the world at large. Tara-jenelle was raised in Annapolis, Maryland and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Towson University in Baltimore. She currently lives in the beautiful hills of Ashland, Oregon.www.soulcourage.com
Sunshine By Jesse Bennett
5
C
hildren’s book author Jesse Bennett published her latest book: “Sunshine.” This uplifting tale inspires young readers to have confidence—despite life’s challenging moments. Following a fun family of owls, the adorable illustrations and uplifting verbiage in this book help bring positivity into young readers’ lives. Bennett’s latest book illustrates that there will not always be “sunshine” moments in life. Parents can utilize this book as an aid to remind their children that the negative moments in life are fleeting and the sun will eventually come out! This very honest, uplifting story will help spark discussion between parents and their children— providing parents with a platform to have a discussion with their children about the challenges they face. “It is important for children to understand that it is okay that they are not feeling bright and sunny at all times,” Bennett said. “They need to understand that, with the loving support of their family, they can work through anything.” Carrying on the structure of her first book, “The Yoga House,” Bennett includes a meditation that readers can walk through with their children to promote mindfulness and peace in their lives. Also, there are journal questions to facilitate a meaningful discussion between parents and children. The following is an excerpt from “Sunshine” by Jesse Bennett: “There is a light that shines out from your eyes. It makes the world smile and it is no surprise! It comes from your heart, your beautiful soul. Everyone has a light that’s their very own. You shimmer and glimmer and twinkle like a star. Always remember how special you are!” Also, “Sunshine” includes the following meditation for kids: Breathe with me as the sky brightens and the day wakes Breathe with me as the birds chirp and build their nests Breathe with me as you sit up tall reaching the crown of your head to the sky Breathe with me as you lead with your heart Shine so bright Be kind Be YOU Stay true to what makes your heart happy Speak kind words to yourself Speak kind words to others You are a shining star I believe in you. You make the world a better more beautiful place by being who you are. Breathe with me sweet one and know you are loved bigger than the sky and all the stars in it! You are a shining star
Jesse Bennett is a Pilates instructor, yoga instructor, wife and mother. Bennett has experience teaching kids’ yoga and loves sharing yoga and mindfulness with children. She is the author of two children’s books: “The Yoga House” and “Sunshine.” These books both promote positivity in readers’ lives. She currently resides in Roseville, California and attended the University of Southern California. 79 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Patrice Cole Astrologer, Numerologist, Intuitive Advisor, Actress & Humanitarian
Patrice Cole you are a gifted Astrologer, Numerologist, Intuitive Advisor, Actress, and Humanitarian, tell us how from being an actress led you to be an Astrologist? When I was growing up, I loved helping others and was extremely sensitive, intuitive and empathetic. After High School, I embarked on a modeling/acting career and soon realized that my heightened sensitivity was, in fact, a gift, not a burden. I was able to tap into a character on a page and truly feel 'their' emotions. This powerful insight encouraged me to keep developing and fine-tuning my intuitive abilities. I found myself fascinated and intrigued by the esoteric sciences, especially Numerology and Astrology, which I studied intently. On movie sets, I started doing readings and charts for fellow actors, who later referred to family members and friends. My psychic abilities and skills were soon in demand. I have been able to successfully merge my performance skills with my spirituality, and apply my passion, compassion, intuition, and knowledge of the esoteric sciences into what can be considered an art form. I was chosen out of 1,500 psychics to co-host a nationally syndicated radio talk show, have appeared in numerous TV shows, infomercials, and videos, and have been featured in books, magazines and newspaper articles worldwide. I continue to work with well-known celebrities, professionals, corporations, private clientele and fund-raising venues. Please tell us how numerology can help people with their life paths? I believe Numerology can positively affect your life, luck, and success. Every name and birth date vibrates to a number and every number has its inner meaning. Over the years I have advised and counseled thousands of individuals about their personal numbers and it never ceases to amaze me what numbers can reveal about a person's strengths, abilities and personality and how their life will unfold.
Gown design by Sue Wong at "The Cedars"
With Sue Wong at "The Cedars"
Numerology has been used throughout the ages to select key numbers in life that will lead to happiness and prosperity. You can actually change your circumstances for the better by surrounding yourself with numbers that attract a vibration your life is missing. For example, the number 8 symbolizes abundance and power and can be used for financial success! My client started an online business a few years ago and work had become very slow. I suggested she post the number 8 in her home office, as well as on a piece of paper in her wallet while creatively visualizing prosperity. I received a call several months later telling me her income had doubled!! 81 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
In life, timing is everything. Life is a series of patterns and cycles, and in Numerology, these evolve and transform in cycles from 1 through 9. When faced with a decision or want to know the probability of certain events, I believe the most illuminating number is that of the Personal Year. Based on the calculation of your own Personal Year Number, Numerology can tell you the best times for love and romance, your work and career, when to move, invest, travel, when to wait... when to make changes. I believe through the science of numbers you can take control of your life!
structive way. I will share insight and point out possible alternatives and solutions that can help my client turn things around or at least deal more successfully with the situation. Forewarned is forearmed, knowledge is power and this is how you empower others!
How has your gift helped others? I feel extremely gratified that I've been given the gift to help inspire, encourage and empower others to be the best they can be. I cherish my dear clients and many of them will remain friends for life. Since they have put their faith and trust in me, I make every effort to ensure that they have a positive, helpful and enlightening experience. A great proponent of "The Power of Positive Thinking", it's my goal that my readings offer greater clarity, deeper insight, and a much more hopeful and inspired outlook. To witness a client improve their life and ultimately manifest their dream~ brings immense positivity to the planet, as well as a profound joy to my heart and soul. My business is based on word of mouth, referrals and repeat clients. Reputation is everything and I am a firm believer in Karma.
Astrology is a wonderful tool for self-enlightenment and presents the personality in an objective way. A basic grasp of the twelve zodiac signs can help you better understand yourself and others. It can give a glimpse of basic characteristics, natural abilities, preferences, flaws, and fear. This knowledge can help you tailor your approach to your boss, significant other, family member, friend, etc., so you can deal with them more effectively.
I was honored and very proud to be voted and ranked #1 Top Astrologer and #1 Top Numerologist six consecutive years (2012-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017), People's Choice in "The Register of the United States and World Best & Most Trusted Psychics, Mediums and Healers in International Rank Order" by my loyal clients and friends. In 2018 and 2019 I was voted "The World's Best Of The Best Men & Women Of The Year" by Stars Illustrated Magazine. I feel truly blessed. When do you see things that are not pleasant how you react? There is a way of presenting not so pleasant information in a helpful and con-
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How do you think people can best utilize astrology in their daily lives? You don’t have to be a professional Astrologer to get real and practical use out of Astrology. Even a little knowledge of the basics can give you an advantage, insight, and guidance.
Astrology is also an amazing predictive tool and gives insight into the future. Learning about transits, moon cycles, retrograde planets, and eclipses can help you better understand the forces at work around you. These cycles can pinpoint your most rewarding and challenging days and tell you when it's the best time to start a new romance, seek a better job, buy a house, go on a well-deserved vacation, seek financial opportunity, etc. By being aware of these energies each month is one of the most practical ways to use Astrology. What's one thing people may not be doing that they should when it comes to using the stars in their lives? Many people don't realize that having their Birth Chart analyzed by a professional Astrologer is profoundly valuable. The planets, zodiac and astrological houses and the way they were positioned at that exact time, date and location of birth can tell us so much more than just knowing the sun sign. The Birth Chart provides significant and much more in-
depth insights into your personality and life in all areas; finances, home, creativity, relationships, education, career, karmic experiences, etc. It's a map of your being, your soul's purpose. Also, it's important to mention that Astrology cannot transform your life- only you can do this! You have free will and the ability to produce your own outcomes. The stars incline. They do not compel. Astrology won't change the ups and downs we experience, but what it can do is give you insight and guidance on how to best deal with the challenges. Any situation can be turned around, and any opportunity can be wasted. Do you have a favorite sign? I do not. All of the unique special qualities that make us who we come directly from the synergy of many different zodiac influences running through our Birth Chart. When I look at your chart I don't just see "Aries" or any other sign, I see the fascinating sum total of the many characteristics of a complex human being. Additionally, each sign has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. You can consciously choose to change the more negative characteristics of yourself or change positive traits to negative ones. What about astrology has surprised you the most? It's very interesting to me that religious holidays are based on Astrology because the science of Astronomy was not around in those days. The people who calculated the time of the holidays were Astrologers. Even Easter Sunday is based on Astrology as it is always the first Sunday after the full moon occurring after the sun enters Aries.
To witness a client improve their life and ultimately manifest their dream~ brings immense positivity to the planet, as well as a profound joy to my heart and soul.
Also, I found it fascinating to learn about the many famous people who were Astrology buffs. Carl Jung, Plato, Albert Einstein, Ralph Waldo Emerson, JP Morgan, Robert Heinlein, Hippocrates, DH Lawrence, Louis Pasteur, and Benjamin Franklin to name a few. Presidents Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan consulted with professional Astrologers to help make decisions about our country and for the world.
Basically, it takes a look at a number of factors in your Birth Chart from an esoteric, karmic, and spiritual point of view. It is a portrait of your soul’s intention for this lifetime, the lessons to be learned, problems to be resolved, service to be rendered. From that perspective, the choices you make in your daily life have reverberations that may last beyond even this lifetime.
Tell us about your humanitarian work? I have incorporated my abilities and talents to help raise awareness and donations for my favorite charities and causes. I have volunteered my readings at various fundraising events and contributed time and resources to AIDS Walk L.A., VDF, Animal Care Foundation, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Hurricane Katrina Relief, Alzheimer's Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, ASPCA, and several other nonprofit organizations.
Do you have any message that you would like to share with our readers? Absolutely! One of the most profound truths I've learned about life from my many years of practicing the esoteric sciences is that 'The Power Always Lies Within'. The law of attraction suggests that you can attract positive or negative things into your life through your thoughts and actions. It relies on the theory that everything is made up of energy, so the type of energy you put out will come back to you. 'Like attracts like'. This is why positive thoughts are so important and negativity can keep you from obtaining the things you most desire.
I hope to further use my skills in building projects to raise awareness against medical incompetence and bullying. I have received many blessings in my life and I am a firm believer in 'what goes around comes around'.
I am thankful to be included in this wonderful magazine. From the bottom of my heart, I pray 2020 will bring your readers Perfect Vision, Beautiful Blessings & New Beginnings. May you keep reaching for the stars.
Can you explain the karmic factor in a chart? Karmic Astrology is an intriguing, complex subject and really much too involved to elaborate on in this type of format.
www.patricecole.com www.facebook.com/CelebrityAstrologerNumerologist
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THE WAY I SEE IT
By Joe Santos, Jr.
Photo by Travis Essinger
#Cheapskate
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A “churl, hunk, miser, penny-pincher, piker, scrooge, skinflint, tightwad”. None of these are nice words to describe another person. But then again, neither is the person these words describe. The meaning of “skate” in “cheapskate” comes from British slang and refers to “chap” or “fellow.” It is based on the Scottish term “skyte," which means "a contemptible person," and this, in turn, comes from an even older term that means something much worse. ( I won’t repeat it ) It's safe to say that being a cheapskate is nothing to aspire to. Yet we've all met, been married or related to, even friends with one or two in our lives. I remember, as a kid, my parents referring to certain people in that regard. My parents were incredibly generous with everything. Every meal out with whoever the guests were, my Father would be the first person to pick up the check, no matter where we were or how much it was. That was him. But it was also a display to my lessons in growing up on graciousness. Now, there is a difference between being "cheap" and being "frugal." Frugal people are more about prioritizing their spending so that they can have more of the things they really care about, while "cheap" people are often afraid to spend money. They're willing to sacrifice quality, value, and time in the hope to "cash in" on some short-term savings. Think about the mentality there. If it were really just about money, there'd be no need for conversation. The fact is that "cheap" runs deep. Very deep. Did you know one can be stingy and never realize it? One can give and still be stingy. There are some people who give, but with a grudging heart. They think, "Aww, do I really have to?" Some people offer things, but in their mind, they hope the other person says no. They think, "well, I offered"!
We should think about others. Give with a cheerful heart not expecting anything in return. Be generous of time, energy, and spirit. Stinginess need not apply. There is a saying: "Do not eat the food of a stingy person. Do not crave his delicacies, for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. "Eat and drink," he will say to you, but his heart is not with you. You will forever regret the little bit you have eaten." Remember, our “Higher Power” loves a cheerful giver. Continue to give freely and joyfully. Hoard nothing. Share all. This is one life, one world, and one time to do things as intended. If we keep in our minds how "being cheap" can cheapen us, we may begin to change for the better. Even in our every day, when we speak to others, find kindness. When we speak to ourselves, find kindness. Look deeply, listen intently. The universe rewards us. It is always listening and watching us when we do right. As it is when we do the opposite, therefore we will suffer its consequences. Generosity (in all forms) is simple if you open up your heart. Your “wallet” will eventually follow.
Joe Santos, Jr. is a Celebrity Chef and Life-Stylist. He joins The Eden Magazine as a writer sharing his unique view on life, death, love, and the avoidance of mediocrity. Follow Joey on Instagram @jojoboy13
85 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
6 Tips
to Attract a Love
That Will Last By Phyllis King
T
here are many benefits to being single. It’s a wonderful time to gain insight into your life and do invaluable inner work. It is important we do that inner work. Most people do not make it a goal to be single forever. Sometimes when we are single and ready to attract a new partner, we forget to adjust our “default” settings. We continue to interact in the world with the same ideas and energy we did in the past. We don’t account for the new information or influences that have impacted our mindset. That makes it difficult to attract someone new, or someone who is a good fit, let alone a love that will last.
If you do want to attract a love that lasts become aware of what is in your default problem settings. Take action to shift them, and your results will reflect those shifts in incredible ways in your love life.
Photo by Ian Schneider
1. Are you too needy? Do you need a relationship to “complete” you? If so, that quiet desperation will only attract problem relationships. Confident grounded people will not be attracted you. ANSWER: If this is you continue your inner work to build up your self-worth, self-acceptance and confidence. Work on feeling your best and creating the best image you can for yourself. You’ll become naturally attractive. 2. Are you too picky? Are you living your relationship life in terms of extremes? You either accept anything or it must be the ultimate dream person? If this is you the motivation here is
desperation. Looking for euphoria and a Hollywood love story. Fantasyland. You run from a first date with no spark. ANSWER: Make a short list of 3 non-negotiables. Exclude money and six pack abs. Don’t get caught up in physical details. Next, if there is no spark on the first date, unless you are repulsed by the person give them another shot. Many people report marriages with those where initially there was no attraction. The attraction grew as time was spent together. There are multiple ways attraction occurs. Physicality is just one. Emotional attraction, spiritual attraction, shared interests and goals are others. You can’t access all the various ways attraction develops in one meeting. 87 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
3. You Haven’t Worked On Yourself. The number one way to attract love is to make yourself into a vessel that can receive it. Like attracts like. If you don’t like yourself, you will attract someone who doesn’t treat you well. ANSWER: Ask yourself, “would I want to date me?” As soon as you arrive at a place where that answer is yes, you will not only date but you will find love and a love that will last. 4. You Want People Who Don’t Want You. TThere’s an allure to the bad boy, or the unattainable woman, that some of us just can’t resist. We turn ourselves inside out to command their attention. They aren’t right for us. Our life gets turned upside by disappointment, drama and lack of fulfillment. ANSWER: Honestly examine why you got into the relationship or why you are pursuing that person. Maybe it’s an old template you don’t even use anymore. You defaulted to an old idea of the perfect relationship. Examine what this relationship actually does for you? Is it equitable? Is there reciprocity? Are you always chasing the other person? Once we look objectively and see it as the dead end it is, we will begin to lose interest and can move on. 5. You Have a Faulty Filter. Our filter system is ingrained in us. It’s created by our experiences, interests, desires and our fears. If you are afraid of being rejected all you’ll pick up on with someone is whether or not they’ll reject you. Even 100 people will tell you that you are amazing but what stands out in your mind is the one person who rejected you. You begin to tell yourself that the people you are interested in would never be interested in you. You create a self-fulfilling prophecy. ANSWER: Weed out your faulty filters. Train yourself to see the good in yourself, in life and your partner. Let goodness dominate your filtering system. Keep a gratitude journal. Retrain your mind to focus on the positive. Insist that you disallow fears from running the show. 6. The X Factor. Y. You’ve been hurt in the past, and you’ve adopted false negative beliefs about yourself. You’ve stopped trusting yourself. All good relationships bring your unresolved issues to the surface. The subconscious operates not from logic but from emotion. It takes “on-purpose” evaluation and time to undo this type of imprint. We have to do autopsies on our past relationships and bring full closure to our process.
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ANSWER: Analyze how you interpreted what happened to you. Spot your faulty beliefs. Go about the business of attending to them. It isn’t always easy. But it’s worth it. There may be other things that circulate in your mind that are causing you to have limited results. These six ideas tend to be the top contenders for most people. If you want to find a love that will last in your life, give yourself the time and space to understand your default settings, and do the work to shift them. As we get older it is even more important that we shift these settings and not work from our auto pilot. Our patterns are even more engrained. 2020 is a great year for change, for make overs and starting a new. It’s a new decade, a new year, and we have fresh energy everywhere. Let this be the year you clear out what doesn’t serve you and invite in the energy that will bring joy and fulfillment into your life. You deserve it and you are worth it Go fall in love for the last time.
Known as the Common Sense Psychic (tm), Phyllis King has worked with tens of thousands of people in 25 countries. She is known for her practical and down to earth approach. She has been featured on, ABC, CBS and NBC TV, radio programs across the country, and has been published in over 70 print and online publications. She has four books, including Bouncing Back, Thriving in Changing Times, with Dr. Wayne Dyer. Her latest book The Energy of Abundance is available in bookstores now. Phyllis holds a B.A. in Sociology. www.phyllisking.com
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info@theedenmagazine.com
High Road to Humanity By Nancy Yearout
This is a story about a time in my own life when the focus became money and achievement and the ego was winning. I believe we all like money and recognition but some of us become addicted to it and begin to forget about what is important in life and why we are making the money and are needing recognition.
ter many years in the business dealing with large sums of money and often difficult and unethical people, I became one tough cookie. You could say I became quite hard, as I learned early on if you’re not tough in business people will walk all over you, so I learned to hold my ground to survive and not be stepped on.
The business had become my focus. My business was the real estate industry, where you learned quickly it’s a dog eat dog world. Merriam Webster defines it like this: marked by ruthless self-interest -dog-eat-dog competition.
Today I realized that my focus had become about the deal. I became cold and hard towards people from a lack of love in my life. Too much work and not enough love can create this frame of mind. Then something happened that changed my life forever. Completely out of the blue my oldest daughter announced that I was going to be a Grandmother. I was shocked and happy all at the same time, but I was not prepared for what happened next.
At the beginning getting into the real estate business as a single mom was the answer to my prayers. I assisted many people in the process of buying and selling property and became quite good at my job. Working hard in the business allowed me to make a good living for myself and my children. I eventually opened my own company and became a successful real estate broker. Real estate was the avenue that I chose to create enough income to take care of my children. When they left the nest, I was free to travel, go on dates and all the things you cannot do so easily when you are a single parent with kids. My success in business over the years had allowed me the luxury of not worrying about the everyday bills as I had years earlier. Unfortunately, we are quick to forget that not everybody has money. It’s easy to get caught up in the material lifestyle and forget where you came from. I found myself with an inflated ego. I began looking down upon others and believing I was better in some way. The ego overtakes us when money and achievement are involved unless we recognize it within ourselves and make a change. At this time in my life, I had not learned that lesson. Back then it was the real estate deals that filled my days and the cash flow that followed. Af-
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When my Grandson was born I was smitten with him. I had forgotten what it was like to have a little one around. I had forgotten how tiny and amazing little babies are. Westley was a few months old when I began babysitting this precious little guy. By the time he turned One we had become the best of friends. He has a kind soul and he loves me unconditionally. I love him to the moon and back! What a nice surprise to have the innocent love of a child change your life. Not too long after he arrived I found myself smiling for no reason and began to lighten up a bit and joke around again with my clients. People noticed the difference in me. They would say, “You seemed happier, what have you changed? There is something different about you. I felt it too and realized that I was happier and felt joy inside of myself for the first time in many years. My mindset was focused on chasing that old mighty dollar for so many years that I had let the love slip out of my life. I love my children, but they are adults now creating their own lives. I was living alone focusing on my job.
Photo by Molly Belle
A Child Sent
from Above
To be honest I had not learned about the energy of love or the lack of it. I had forgotten what real love was all about until my grandson come into this world. He reminded me that we all need people in our lives who bring us joy when they are around. Their presence makes a difference in our hearts and soul and can change our lives. This small child reminded me that It’s the love for each other that keeps us going on the tough days in this world. Love changed my mindset. I realized that I felt happy again. This little boy brought joy and love back into my life. This is when I understood that because I had loved back in my life, I too was giving off the love vibration. When I had love in my life again I oozed of it and met the man of my dreams. He was looking for love also and apparently our love vibrations matched! Only love, true love, the love energy, fulfills the human soul completely. We are married now, and both feel blessed that our love for each other is strong. Four years later were blessed with a granddaughter who lights up both of our lives with her bright personality and unforgettable smile. We spend as much time with her and her brother as possible. We take the two of them to museums, camping, fishing, to the beach and let them hang out at our house in the summertime. Our camping trips with the kids have been a ritual for the past few summers. Just the thought of our adventures together with them makes me smile. Now you know you have something to look forward to when you have grandchildren. And if already have grandkids, you know how therapeutic it is to spend time with them. Children have a way of bringing joy and love back into our lives. We all have an opportunity to share some of our life lessons to help mold the future of the next generation. I want to share with you what I have learned thus far about love. The lesson is that the tough days here on this planet are bearable when you have love in your life. You may be in love with your spouse, a child, a pet who keeps the love alive in you. The key is to keep the love inside of you flowing and allow the magic to fill you up. A new mindset: With the violence in our world today and lack of respect for each other we must change the mindset from hatred to love. if you are looking for love in your life, give off the love vibration and you will attract love back to you tenfold. The mission is to send out love to others and watch it grow! As it grows the love vibration will create a powerful positive change for each of you and our world.
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A child will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten and the future worth living for. ~Anonymous Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. -James 1:17
Nancy Yearout is an Psychic Reader, Intuitive Life Coach, Author and Inspirational Speaker. Her religious and spiritual work has enabled her to help many people to live the life they desire! Nancy feels inspired to share the wisdom and the messages she receives with others. Her real-life experiences are shared each week on her Radio Show/Podcast, High Road to Humanity where insightful, spiritual guests share their story. This is Nancy’s way of each sharing new insight about raising the vibration and consciousness for all of us to create a healthy, Loving and kinder people as well as a safe harmonious place to live. My Credentials: Sales Coordinator for General Motors Corporation, Sales Manager for multiple, Owner and Qualifying Broker of The Harville Estates Real Estate & Development LLC, Owner of Energy Girl Publishing LLC., Author of, Wake Up! The Universe Is Speaking to You, Author of Monthly Contributor to Eden Magazine, Motivational/Inspirational Speaker, Intuitive Personal Coach Intuitive card reader, Energy Healer, Radio Host/Podcast High Road to Humanity. Today she is happily married to the love of her life. Nancy Yearout Hosts a Radio Show/ Podcast every week on Toginet radio and iTunes called High Road to Humanity. Visit her website www.NancyYearout. com or her Podcast www.Highroadtohumanity.com
Photo by Ben White
By Ahmed A. Lotfy
E
You Are Not Alone
very person has a unique story to tell. An impactful story can create distant ripple effects, one that all souls can identify with. One that stems from cries we hear deep in our hearts, one that's caused by the wounded child within us — one that involves loss, and love that comes around in the form of that loss. For loss to happen, a destructive force is required, and it's only through a clash of destructive forces that something new can be created. Our skin encompasses the same metaphysical space that governs the destruction and creation of stars. Traumatized children always dream of a savior to salvage what's left of their wrecked lives; they never imagine this savior that presents them with new beginnings would eventually be themselves when they become adults. When we grow up, we learn that healing this childhood trauma is the key to shatter our pre-programmed illusions and fears. We not only make peace with fundamentally insoluble problems, but we can choose to outgrow them. Family dysfunction rolls down from one generation to the next, like a tsunami flooding everything in its path until one person dares to turn back and face the forces in action. If trauma can be passed down, so can your healing. You can bring peace and spare the offsprings that follow. Cultural programming, family divisions, and group differences promote the need to control societies. Those who are genuinely fearless set others free, not confine them! On the other hand, those who need control over others are undoubtedly afraid of something. We need to identify what it is that we fear. Is it the dangers the 'other' bring? Are we afraid of ourselves? Is there no trust amongst human beings anymore? Or is it our pre-conditioned fears from God? When we return to our source, we become conscious that all these questions are the same, they're passed down fears, not innately inherited. God is not supposed to be feared; this is a religious misconception that was implanted by institutions to control the ideologies of the masses. Instilling fear gives power, upper hand, and leverage of one human over the other. God is in everything; therefore, no one is supposed to have power or control over the other. It scorns the Creator within each of us. If control is absent, so should fear. Control stems from fear; they are both intertwined. Letting go of one automatically eradicates the other.
"The Hermit Phase" of spiritual awakening. It is the pull towards your inner world by spending considerable time in solitude to introspect, evaluate, and reflect. As a result, we seek spiritual guidance and information to quench this deep sense of a search for an answer to a question we can't fully wrap our thoughts around.
Life is made noteworthy by the fearlessness of our questions and the boldness of our answers. Do not be afraid of making courageous claims as long as the intention is truth-seeking, not provocation. The human struggle and curiosity lead us to a better understanding of our purpose in life. What's fascinating about space discovery is the fact that we stand as one representing all humankind as soon as we leave the Earth's grasp and venture into space. Why does unification naturally occur when we are in space? Why does this behavior change below the planet's atmosphere? Solitude is the gateway to reconnect with the Spirit within us. The loneliness and isolation experienced during trauma healing disconnect us from our masked persona. Healing means we return to the source, to our whole unfiltered state. During the therapeutic process of returning to one's original and pure identity, we instinctively let go of things and people who are no longer compatible with the person we are becoming. Our social circles are reduced or sometimes fall apart entirely; this can make anyone feel alone or lonely. If we don't face ourselves with authenticity during this intense period, we can easily fall back to our old selves and repeat our mistakes
indefinitely. Many are resistant to heal because their entire identity revolves around the trauma they've encountered. They have no character outside of this trauma, and the prospect of the unknown can cause immense discomfort. Severing connection with the outer world and letting go of our old self proliferates social detachment, especially when you don't fully recognize who you are becoming. You no longer know who you're going to be comfortable with, and who you'd prefer to surround your new self with. As we shed old beliefs, habits, patterns, and behaviors, we temporarily encounter void, a space in our psyche. Our old identity decays, and that may cause us to feel emptiness for a while as we haven't shaped a stable connection with our new selves yet. We don't know who we are; this is where we are presented with a tough subconscious choice: grow or go back to toxic patterns until we take the lesson to heart. The inner work is often experienced as confusing, depressing, and lonesome. That's why some people fail to go through the healing process and fall back to their old selves, where they feel acknowledged, loved conditionally, and surrounded by a false company.
All these feelings of being alone are precious jewels that should be dealt with delicacy. It's hard yet beautiful. That's how we came into this world: alone. We sleep and dream: alone, and we will leave this Earth: alone. These are kind invitations to turn deeper within, re-build, and fortify our connection with ourselves. The stronger this connection, the more you align with your true nature, the faster you overcome traumas. The most critical link is the one we have with ourselves and the source Creator - God. It's a bond we can sway the way we want it, and it's the only connection we can truly rely on. God is the same Mastermind for all the beliefs. Working on this relationship alone is, therefore, time and effort well spent. The loneliness that comes with healing can be perceived as a gateway to reinforcing this most vital connection in existence; this is called "The Hermit Phase" of spiritual awakening. It is the pull towards your inner world by spending considerable time in solitude to introspect, evaluate, and reflect. As a result, we seek spiritual guidance and information to quench this deep sense of a search for an answer to a question we can't fully wrap our thoughts around. Do you ever wonder if our ultimate purpose is connecting on a macro level? How to unite people together? You are a global citizen, which means if you accept all the differences across the world, we will have a more united front, more efficient, and productive global society, a more evolving planet. Uniting people that are different means meeting people where they are, without changing them. We don't have to be alike to coexist. We only have to care about each other and be kind to one another. We shouldn't judge a person for being where they are; we should get into their space and relate to their situation as much as possible. Every seed sprouts and grows at its own pace. We don't force plants to grow faster by adding more water, they'll rot this way. The next time you judge a person, or not know how to settle an argument, see if you can find common ground between you. And remember that every time you judge someone, you reveal an unhealed part of yourself. You cannot love or hate anything about someone unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. It is never about the other; it is always about you. When you become angry or lose your calm, it means that you made things personal, where it never really was. When emotions take over, you've already lost your cause, so try to make a conscious effort to find your calm waters of wisdom. It serves everyone well this way. The urge to comprehend your soul will eventually end all conflicts. Every connection is unique. When you finally acknowledge that a person's behavior is all about their internal struggle than it ever did with you, you learn how to be
happy. Happy moments are transient, so grab on to it like water's search for life, and never let it go. Everybody has a mysterious maze inside of them; the endpoint is happiness. One day you're going to realize that happiness was never about your wealth, degree, career, or your relationships. Happiness was never about following other's legacy or the footsteps of previous generations. One day, you will understand that happiness is about understanding how to live with yourself and others regardless of their beliefs. You'll realize that your fate and happiness was never in the hands of others, to begin with. You're going to see that happiness is about the discovery of the self, the hope of finding peace, listening to the heart and following it wherever it chooses to go, for the better or worse. It would be through what you enjoy doing with love and soul, even if it meant facing tough times! Happiness is about embracing the journey you are manifesting, and the person you are becoming in the process. The magic of life resides in the process of self-discovery, and you'll come to understand that you are not alone in the quest for salvation.
Ahmed A. Lotfy is a behavioral and spiritual enthusiast who spent a significant period of his life exploring comparative religion, physics, psychology, and social & behavioral sciences. He has acquired a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Steps I and II license, and his life is mostly dedicated to the mysterious world of quantum physics and its connection with human beings on a molecular, spiritual, and behavioral level. He is also the vice curator of the Global Shapers Community, Doha Hub; a World Economic Forum initiative, targeted at shaping people and the environment toward contributing to a promising future.Ahmed Lotfy is an author of Beyond the Prison of Beliefs.
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Photo by Andrew Neel
Excerpt from You Already Know by Helen Jacobs
INTUITION Impressions and instinct By Helen Jacobs 98 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Intuition is a highly symbolic language we don’t readily recognize. Mastering this language reminds us who we really are — why wouldn’t we want to become fluent in it? A multitude of intuitive impressions bombards us daily. Observe some that arrive for you today. For example, pay attention to your impressions of the next person you meet. Not a mental judgment of someone, but the feeling you have about them. Ever had butterflies when you’ve met a new love interest? Or felt the hairs on your arms or neck stand up in foreboding distrust? How do you know these signs? Do you trust them? Are you more likely to trust these but not others? Back to the discussion on mental judgments. Often, these go against what our bodies might be telling us. Despite our body saying, ‘Don’t trust him,’ our rational mind counterbalances with, ‘Oh, but he looks so trustworthy. There’s no logical reason right now not to trust him.’ Rational thought wants to override our intuition advising us not to get involved. Trust those feelings! It’s not just impressions of people. Maybe your job makes you sick in the stomach, or you’ve walked into someone’s home and immediately felt at peace — or not! Our body’s response to the world around us constantly offers us clues. Are you paying attention? All this intuitive data adds up, narrating our story over time. That information is invaluable and it passes fleetingly. Working with intuition Our Four Bodies (also known as layers) — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual — were designed to relay information to us. The rational mind won’t recognize this of course, but our intuitive mind will — and we must be fluent in symbolism to understand what our Four Bodies are trying to tell us. Logically, there’s much we know about our bodies. I’m not suggesting we don’t use this scientific and medical information, too, but we can push beyond the limits of rational thought and draw additional insights to round out our knowledge. Keep this in mind as I introduce you to the symbolic nature of these Four Bodies, rather than the literal layers we are more familiar with. 99 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
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Four Bodies Our anatomic, physical body is only one source of our intuitive data. Our awareness must also span our mental, emotional and spiritual (or energetic) bodies, or layers, too. All four layers are connected; what happens in one layer impacts the others. What ails us in one layer will eventually also show up in the other layers. Each body flags whether it is aligned with its divine life path, or off-kilter. Information is relayed from each layer, signaling what is truth and what is a construct of the false self. Tasking our rational mind, then, to listen to the Four Bodies a little differently starts to guide us deeper into ourselves, uncovering more of our true self. Observing each layer, we can intuit the state of our inner world and identify where we can course-correct to better align with our path. Your Four Bodies already know what you need in any particular moment—to rest, recover, clear, create, express, wait or begin. Tuning in to each of your Four Bodies will rapidly change the way you interact with the world, and how the world interacts with you. Let’s get to know the intuitive wisdom of your Four Bodies. Physical Body The Physical Body is comprised of another four layers. I call these the 4Ps (or 4 Physicals). 1. Physical, anatomical body 2. Possessions 3. Places 4. People CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE — SCAN YOUR FOUR BODIES Take a few deep breaths; center yourself in quiet stillness. Start to notice what’s happening in each of your Four Bodies. When you feel ready, without overthinking your answers, complete the sentence prompts given on the following pages. 1. Physical Body This includes what I call the 4Ps: 1. The physical body (your tangible body — may link to diet, exercise, and sleep) 2. Possessions (yours, and those of others in your physical space) 3. Places (physical places you frequent — home, work, play, even city, and country) 4. People (all those physically around you) Use the following as prompts for self-reflection. My physical, anatomical body feels … What I sense about my loved ones/others is … Places/locations I’m drawn to go are … because … Places I can’t go near are … because … Possessions I’m drawn to are … 100 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM e February 2020
Possessions I feel no longer reflect me include … 2. Mental Body This includes the thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, and understanding you have of the world. It is the part of you that is thinking and planning, and, most likely, doubting and fearing. Use the following as prompts for journaling. My mind and thoughts are … Repeating stories in my mind are saying … because … 3. Emotional Body This includes your feelings towards situations, people and events, as well as stored emotions from the past and anticipated emotions projected on to the future. Use the following as a prompt for self-reflection. I feel … about … because … 4. Spiritual Body This encompasses who you really are — your true self or spirit; it’s pure, spiritual energy. The energy at this level is quite different from physical energy. It’s subtler and flows under the busy surface. Use the following as prompts for journaling. My true self feels … It wants to tell me … Remember to date your answers and keep them. Complete this task several times over the coming weeks, perhaps at the end of each week or fortnight. Compare your answers over time to track your progress.
A trained journalist, Helen Jacobs was a successful PR and marketing exec who left her thriving career to become a full-time psychic medium, hosting popular workshops and events to provide thousands of readings for people all over the world. In addition to her work as a medium, Helen mentors and teaches women how to change their lives and find a more meaningful path for themselves. She is the author of You Already Know: How to access your intuition and find your life path. Learn more about the author and her podcast at www.helenjacobs.co.
Photo by Magic Bowls
By Lavandaia & Marco Nunzio Alati
Mathematics of Life We will be happy only when we decide to be ourselves; e will be happy only when we decide to express and experiment with our oneness in every fractal of our life. We are light and our only job is to shine for ourselves and for others, through that perfect rhythmic dance called existence.
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Everything is vibration, therefore we all are vibration. The materialization of a vibration. Vibrations have a very specific nature, a number. And through this number, you can discover the rhythm. Everything is rhythm. Life is rhythm. Therefore if everything is rhythm everything is numbers. Numbers are entities. They are entities with their own intelligence, with their own “individuality� and based on the position that they occupy they have a specific strength.
Science has proved that matter emits waves of variable frequencies based on the nature of matter itself. Numbers are first of all themselves and then they associate with other units. Exactly like us. We are first of all ourselves, our individual specific vibration and strength and only then we associate ourselves to others. “Arithmetic” explores the ethic of rhythms, the behavior of rhythms, movement of expansion, divine breath exactly like we breathe with our lungs. It is a rhythmic movement.
many solar systems of this galaxy. And this galaxy rotates around a black hole with millions of other galaxies. The fractals of Nature are infinite and we are infinite beings infinite bodies. We will be happy only when we decide to be ourselves; We will be happy only when we decide to express and experiment with our oneness in every fractal of our life. We are light and our only job is to shine for ourselves and for others, through that perfect rhythmic dance called existence.
The “One” is the unmanifested absolute. It is abstract in its real concreteness. It is the only perception. If you try to define it, to imagine it, if you try to find its cause, its formation, you won’t find it and “It” will lose its meaning. It’s the being of all beings, it is the substance and the form of every creature. It simply is. It is the beginning of every manifestation. It is a perfect indivisible unit. This indivisible “one” can be perceived only through pure love, the only real supreme law. Love is expansion, creation, and manifestation. Selfishness is contraction, separation, and destruction. Where are we? When we love we exit from ourselves and we dive into the other. And in the other, we find the self, the fractal of ourselves. Fractals are harmonic regularities that repeat themselves on every level of nature, from everything that is alive to everything that simply exists, including chemical reactions. Love is the most perfect chemistry. Fractals carry identical copies of itself, they almost get lost in themselves, as there is not a specific beginning nor an end. Exactly like us. Two cells form a simple organism. Multiple simple organisms form complex organisms and so on until the human is formed. Two humans create another human that carries identical fractals of information of its parents, but still maintaining its individuality, its singularity. That’s how the fractal of the family is born. Two or multiple families create a tribe, multiple tribes create a village, multiple villages create a country, and so on until the entire humanity is formed. Humanity lives on earth, one of the planets of this solar system which is only one of the
After graduation in Industrial Biotechnology, Marco played a key role in international research projects in Canada, Austria and Spain. He stumbled upon the Reconnection by mere chance and it enlightened him in ways he hadn't realized he needed. Three months after that unique experience, he left his job in biotechnology and embarked on his journey to become a full time Reconnective Healing Practitioner, and one of the two Italian Mentors and Teaching Assistants of Eric Pearl’s direct Team. He is currently living in Los Angeles and collaborating with a number of independent scientific studies that are exploring Reconnective Healing and its extraordinary benefits. For info contact marco.alati@ gmail.com 323-617-2289 “Description” is all in the eyes of that who is experiencing, thus “description” of “who” becomes irrelevant. And the truth is, that describing Lavandaia using “words” is like trying to catch a fragrance. Scent cannot be caught, it can only be enjoyed and discovered through the experience itself. Who Lavandaia “is” is her mission, Giving clarity and divine knowledge to those who are willing to move forward in life and explore how to express their highest self. For more information visit www.lavandaia.org, or contact us at paola.seed@gmail.com
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