The Eden Magazine October 2022

By Matthew McKay,Ph.D.

By Jeanine Thompson

of peace

The Eden

@The Eden

@The Eden

Photo by Jess Bailey

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.

Photo by ISABELLE RUEN

Maryam Morrison

DINA MORRONE

PHYLLIS KING

SHERI DETERMAN

ZEE

JOE SANTOS, JR.

ANGELA DUNNING

ARTIN MARDIROSIAN

EDWARD HAKOPIAN ALEXIA MELOCCHI

GRETA PAZZAGLIA

SHERRI CORTLAND

PHILIP SMITH BEN ROLLINS

ISABELLE RUEN GREG DOHERTY

LISA JOY WALTON

JOE MAGNANI & JARED SCHLACHET JSquared Photography

HEIDI CONNOLLY

BRAD WALLACE

EDEN

MAGAZINE

Since 2010

The Eden Magazine is a free online publication focuses on spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings living in a healing and peaceful world

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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

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GURUDEV SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR By Phyllis King

911 FROM YOUR SOUL ARE YOU BEING CALLED?

By Jeanine Thompson

WHAT IF YOUR WORKPLACE WERE OBLITERATED AT 5 P.M.

By Minda Zerlin

28

DON'T YOU DARE UNCOVERING LOST LOVE

By Gayla Turner

ILCHIBUKO TODD (PRESIDENT OF THE SEDONA MAGO CENTER FOR WELLBEING AND RETREAT

38

WHEN YOU SAY"COINCIDENCE" WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE IT TO MEAN?

By Bernard Beilan, M.D.

WHAT IS THE BEST DIET

LOVE, LIVES ON

By Matthew McKay, Ph.D.,

KEEP YOUR PUP STRESS-FREE WITH REGGIE

WHY OUR FEELINGS ARE NEVER WRONG, BUT NOT ALWAYS CORRECT, 3 STEPS TO KNOWTHE TRUTH

By Phyllis King

, Cover by Archana Patchirajan

Life

2 WAYS TO CONSCIOUSLY MOVE FORWARD

By Sherri Cortland

68

RECLAIMING YOUR AGENCY

By Angela Dunning

72

ELEVATING YOUR HSP-NESS

By Heidi Connolly

76

MASTERING THE ARTISTRY OF YOU

By Zee

82

AN EXERCISE TO DETACH A PERSON

By Lucie Bernnier

84

SOCK MONKEYS ARE MAGICALS

By Shannon Grisson

88

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, NUTRITION & SKIN CARE TIPS

By Elina Fedotova

96

LETTER TO PEACE & SERENITY

By Phoebe Leona

98

MILLIONS OF FACRORY FARM ANIMLAS ARE LIVING IN DROUGHT. HERE'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE

By Karen Asp

Phyllis has worked with tens of thousands of people in 30 countries. She is known for her practical and down-to-earth advice. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, and NBC TV and hundreds of radio programs across the US, the UK and Erope.

How you can Play the "Energy Game" to invite more Happiness, Love, and Abundance into your Life

Gurudev

Sri Sri Ravi

Shankar

By Phyllis King

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian, spiritual leader, and ambassador of peace and human values. Through his life and work, Gurudev has inspired millions worldwide with a vision of a stress-free, violence-free world.

Hello Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, thank you for the time. You were able to recite the Bhagavad Gita at four. Yet, even at four, you said the world was waiting for you. What does it feel like to be that person? Or do you even think about that? It felt natural for me then. Whatev er I said, I said it out of innocence. I would say what comes to my mind and what I feel. Of course, it was not taken seriously by many. Nobody took it too seriously.

There is so much insecurity in the world, of not enough, of not going to be okay. Is there a solu tion to this?

Exactly. This is why I started this campaign, I Stand for Peace. There is so much despondency in soci ety and total helplessness. What can anyone do when there is a war happening so far away? Even big countries do not know what to do. In this situation, people feel even more depressed after two years of lockdown and the pandemic. This is the main idea of I Stand for Peace. It encourages people to rise above helplessness. If each person feels they can spread a message of peace, then you are already on track to recovery.

At the I Stand for Peace tour, I see there are events in various places around the globe. Is it a rally? Is it a workshop? What happens at these events? We gather and discuss peace and current situations, how we can handle the mental health crisis in society, and how we should help each other. Then, I guide them through a small, guided medita tion. Ultimately, we commit to bringing the message of peace and wellness to a diverse society at large.

To learn how to attend, people should visit srisriravishankar.org.

Why do people have such wildly different points of view of right

and wrong? Even with our most recent school shooting in the United States, in Texas, people have vastly different viewpoints about what happened. How can that be?

When you are polarized in your ideas and thoughts, you refuse to see the other person's point of view. There is a lot of disenchant ment and dissent in society that comes up, and it is here that we need peacemakers. We need peo ple who bridge the gap and who bring people together of opposite ideologies. It is okay to have differ ent ideologies and different view points, but there are some shared values we all possess. If we focus on that, life will become much, much better. It is what I strongly feel and believe.

What would you tell 10-year-old kids going to school in America? We're doing trauma relief with kids in Texas. Our team went into action on the first day after the shooting. They have been talking to families and survivor kids, and I am helping them through trauma relief programs. We are known all over the world for our trauma relief workshops. We have been doing this for nurses in hos pitals, as well as in residencies of the people. They have been very grateful. I have received many letters of thanks from the families for the trauma relief programs.

Spiritually speaking, when a mass shooting occurs, is there a group agreement that makes it their time to pass as a collective? This is not a natural departure of a soul. This is not a natural death. However, in all these unnat ural deaths, whether in an accident or a crime, once the soul is out of the body, our prayers help the soul find solace. It is a loss for both the parents and society to see such crimes keep happening again and again.

Gurudev at IStandForPeace event in Bulgaria

Gurudev in conversation with John Sexton at New York Public Library

It is a blot on society. We must do all that we can to prevent such things. Guns should not be avail able so easily to people, especially young people. There should be some criteria for people to be able to get access to the weapons.

There is not this type of issue in many other countries in the world, not even in South America, not in Canada, or Europe, but here. We need to look at the availability of weapons. They should not be used as toys. Kids play video games. Sometimes they do not even un derstand that when you are in the virtual world, you shoot, and the person wakes up, but that does not happen in the real world. We need to sensitize our population about nonviolence and the importance of nonviolence. I feel even if we spent 0.101% of our defense and arms budget on promoting peace education, our society would be in a much, much better place.

How do we cultivate inner peace when so much chaos is happen ing in the world? That is when it is most import ant. When everything is peaceful, inner peace is not big-- it doesn't have as much relevance. Its rele vance increases only when there is so much chaos to keep your san ity. That's why I made a number of techniques. I put meditations on YouTube. Guided meditations, and guided breathing exercises, help a lot. Some will say, I cannot meditate because I close my eyes, and my head is racing. You can do breathing techniques any time and whatever your state of mind. You can always fall back on breathing exercises to get back on track.

Why are we so afraid of death, especially those who believe in reincarnation?

That's a good question. The fear is always about extinction. Any creature does not want to go ex tinct; they want to exist, and so

that threat, that fear continues. Through meditation and the ex perience of the vastness of con sciousness and knowing that it is non-changing, it does not die. Then this fear can be welcomed. And that is why people who do yoga and meditation fear death a lot less.

Also, when people are in deep love - fear, love, and death, there is a triangle. If there is fear, there is no love, or there is no hatred, but when there is hatred, there also is no fear. For example, terrorists are not scared of anything! They have so much hate. The same energy is projected as hatred. On the other hand, when there is deep love in life and unconditional love, once you experience such love and uni versal love, fear simply disappears in them. Meditation service, social service, and committing yourself to some greater cause will help you to achieve that.

Why do we hold on to prejudice?

Well, this is my question. Why do you hold onto prejudice? Life is so short. See life from a broader perspective, in a broader lens, so you see the whole globe as one human family. We should rec ognize that the lack of awareness that humanity is one family causes one to hold up in small, tiny iden tities. Our basic identity must be that we are part of the universe, and we are part of one light. Then you can say your gender identity, your religious identity, your racial identity; these things remain with you. If these identities, lesser iden tities, overshadow your original identity, then you are getting into prejudice.

We need to create awareness of our true identity and that we are part of one human family. Then you will see all the prejudice just goes out of the window.

You cannot directly handle your mind, but through breath, you can handle those emotions. You can be master of your emotions, master of your mind.

Gurudev at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia for an evening of Wisdom and Meditation - as part of the IStandForPeace US tour

We have become a globalized world. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It's a very good thing, but there are some disadvantages also. Everything has the flip side of it. Here, though we are in a globalized society, there are a lot of inequalities. In some places, we have so much food that we throw it into the ocean; in other places, there is starva tion. Until and unless we address these inequalities in society in the world, our globalization will not be complete.

We are so connected, but we still justify war. Will that ever end?

I say this is the worst act of reason. You need wisdom, which transcends these apparent reasons. They are not reasons. War comes out of the breakdown of trust, breakdown of communication, and perceived insecurity. Three things the world must look into. The percep tion of insecurity, which causes one to go towards that, and lack of the right type of communication, seeing life from a broader perspective, is essential to establish greater peace.

In the Western world, there is a rise in Atheism. Is it essential for us to believe in God? Can we still progress without that?

It depends on what concept of God you have in your mind. If you think God is someone sitting up there and dictating what you should eat, what you should not eat, and how you should behave, that is a very different thing. People with scientific temperaments cannot digest and cannot accept that. If we see there is an intelligence, a higher self, a higher form of consciousness, of which

we are all part, nobody can deny that. Whether you believe in God or not is your individual choice. Knowing that there is a higher power is inevitable.

I make a distinction between believing and knowing. When you know, the belief is very strong. When you know something, you do not need to believe it. When you believe, you do not make an effort to know it.

Yes, I understand. Do our emotions and thoughts create our life, and if so, how do we manage difficult emo tions that are hard to face?

We are not being taught how to man age our emotions at home or in school. We are just given sermons, "Go and do or do not do this." "Do not get an gry." "Do not feel jealous." "Do not be greedy." When these feelings come up in you, you are at a loss. You do not know how to handle them. No one taught you. This is where I see that there is a connection between the breath and the emotions. You cannot directly han dle your mind. But through breath, you can handle those emotions. You can be master of your emotions, mas ter of your mind. You can harness your negative emotions into something pos itive. This is all possible through your exercise, working on your breath, and broadening your awareness in working your intuitive abilities. All this would help one to manage their emotions.

Do you see the future?

I see the future is quite bright—noth ing to worry about.

Because of the virtual world we are in, they are not as much in the real world, especially after the pandemic; people are trying to spend more time with their social media and their screens than interacting with people.

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 publica tions. She has four books, including Bouncing Back, Thriving in Chang ing Times, with Dr. Wayne Dyer. Her latest book The Energy of Abun dance is available in bookstores now. Phyllis holds a B.A. in Sociology. www.phyllisking.com

What is going to happen in the new millennia? The past is the past. Is the future going to be like the past? Are we going to learn and grow or keep repeating the same mistakes?

A bit of both. There will be a lot of growth, and there will be certain sections of our planet, certain people who will keep repeating the same mistake. They will take a longer time to learn. The younger generation, the millen nials, are not as consumeristic as we were before. They are more concerned about our planet. They are concerned about our climate change. They are concerned about the green revolu tion. They are concerned about prop er food. They are concerned about the well-being and social harmony. This is a very, very good thing you can see today. They are not as self-centered as the previous generation was. I can say they are less self-centered in one way and more isolated in another way. Be cause of the virtual world we are in, they are not as much in the real world, especially after the pandemic; people are trying to spend more time with their social media and their screens than interacting with people. That is one thing. On the other hand, I feel they have a broader outlook and arena of activity in society.

I very much enjoyed watching your video that came out this morning. It gave me a chuckle right away because the man in the audience said to you, "I can't seem to get away from my phone." Your reply was very simple. Do you recall what that was?

Yes. I said, "don't charge it for a cou ple of mornings." [Laughs.]

Are there points in your destiny that are remarkable to your life and experience?

I would say I see every moment is so precious. Every individual whom I meet is unique and very special. This entire globe is one organism, and it is scintillating with life. I am very pas sionate about saving water and rejuve nating rivers. A third war, World War, could happen through a water crisis,

so we must see that we save the wa ter sources and plant more trees. All these are very dear to me, these issues. To see a violence-free society is my dream.

What is the essence of the Art of Living Foundation?

Art of Living Foundation disseminates the knowledge. We have 57 different types of workshops, from prison to kindergarten, from kindergarten to business executive, to prisons and all sections of society and trauma relief work, and then teaching people how to manage their emotions and feel good about themselves. All these well ness programs are there, and we teach this program. In many places, we do it freely, and in other places, we keep a minimum charge to cover our expens es. Then we also do a lot of charitable work; schools in third-world coun tries, pre-schools, and all those other activities.

Yes, it is amazing and beautiful how many lives you have been able to touch on this planet and have a positive influence on it. We are so grateful. Was this your vision? Sometimes I do wonder how it all happened.

One thing I know is it's through a very dedicated volunteer force throughout the world. It is just a matter of kin dling that spirit in everyone, which is already there to do service. So we have provided a platform. It is one of the largest volunteer-based organizations in the world, where everyone takes their good time and finds their hap piness in sharing with everyone else around them.

*To see Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in person and learn what you can do to affect peace on the planet, please visit srisriravishankar.org.

Special Thank you to: Art of Living Foundation Editing: Dina Morrone

Photo by By captblack76/AdobeStock

FROM

Are you being called? YOUR SOUL

By Jeanine Thompson

Lifeis a spiritual journey. Every breath, every rela tionship, every joy, and sorrow is calling you to remember who you really are and to be and experience all that you came here for. Our discomforts, challenges, and even crises are in vitations to free ourselves, expand our wings and rise into our high est expression—for ourselves, for those we love, and for all of hu manity.

For each of us, there will come a time when our Soul longs to birth something for us and through us. Often this is the thing that we most strongly resist, are afraid of, or think we aren't ready for. It doesn't go away when we ignore the call; it gets louder. Eventually, it becomes a 911.

Tune in and see if any of these are resonant for you.

• You feel lost and unsure about the trajectory of your life, and the traditional resources that served you in the past are no longer working.

• Things that used to bring you joy are falling flat.

• You feel a persistent yearn ing—like something is miss ing or off.

• You run from opportunity to opportunity, looking for some trace of your old spark.

• You're being asked to radical ly change some aspect of your life (or life seems to be forcing such a change on you), and some part of your familiar identity has been shaken or stripped away.

• You are hiding out or playing smaller than you know is pos sible for you.

You are grappling with the bigger questions in life, such as, "What is the purpose of life? Who am I, and what am I here to do?

We all undergo challenges in life, and not all become 911. The distinction with a 911 is that there is a magnetic pull deep within ourselves, a luring forward that accompanies the challenge. There is a bubbling-up of new questions that, try as you might, you can no longer brush over, sweep aside, or avoid. It might speak loudly; it might scream. Or it might whisper subtly, yet with such persistence, you simply cannot ignore it.

Ultimately, it prompts a holy re assembly of who you are and who you know yourself to be. Life is speaking, and it's asking you to grow beyond where you've been.

During a 911, you may wake up to everything you've been keep ing yourself too busy to acknowl edge and all the ways you've been squeezing yourself into a box you didn't create or desire. All the parts of you seeking growth and evo lution are calling for your atten tion. You may be directed to take action you don't understand or have feared. You may be invited to embody greater courage, truth, and alignment—to step into the space of the "and," where all of you can be present and find room to thrive.

You've always been in search of this, whether you are aware of it or not. At the core of you is a deep, primal longing—a longing to meet yourself and live in union with the sacred, which is within, beyond, and all around you.

And yet, we miss or deny that call for months, even years. Why? Because it works for us not to ad dress the struggle. We often prefer the pain of the familiar to the fear of the unknown. As long as life is still working (sort of), we see no reason to blow it all up. Why rock the boat that's still afloat?

Your Soul is speaking and inviting you to embark on a quest. Not the kind that will take you to a faraway landscape where your current life seems only a dream, but one that will take you deeper into yourself.

I think we've lost sight. We've forgotten we are more than hu man beings that do and acquire and produce. We deeply crave love, beauty, awe, and wonder. We crave freedom and belonging. We crave to potentiate to our full est nature. Still, we don't allow ourselves to actually go there.

When was the last time you let a sunset take your breath away or really listened to the sound of the ocean waves as the salty air caressed your face? When was the last time you felt totally at peace or connected to something big ger than yourself? When was the last time you felt true freedom? When was the last time you had a sacred experience or knew that you mattered?

This is what your Soul is calling you home too. You are longing for a path back to your sacred self.

Will you listen? Will you hear those 3:00 a.m. whispers, that quiet voice? Will you make a choice to go where you're being called?

Along my wild, not-at-all linear journey from psychotherapist to Fortune 50 Executive to Trans formational Coach, I neverthe less accessed seven clear spiritual principles, which I collectively call The Soul Solution for a 911 from your Soul. These seven principles (Soul - Mind - Body - Heart - Gratitude - ServiceLove) provide a blueprint for daily living as you invite the truth of who you are to come forward and take the helm in your life. They are statements to live by and also deep wells of wisdom that empower you to live in greater harmony with your truest nature and your human experience.

I've been a hospice volunteer

since graduate school, both for mally and informally. Often, as I sit with people whose physical lives are ending, they speak about the years flying by in the blink of an eye. Nearly all of them thought they had more time. More time to enjoy life and do all of the things they had put off until a better time. More time to make a different choice. More time to have that difficult conversation. More time to be the person they knew they could become. And then—bam! Life shifted, and suddenly they were living their last days or months in this round of Earth School. They spoke with such clarity and conviction about what really mattered—connec tion, relationships, love—and what, in retrospect, did not mat ter at all.

The lesson from these beautiful souls is clear: if you want a life with no regrets, seize the pre cious, gifted moments now. Peace and joy are enlivened by the deep knowing that you gave it your all and left nothing on the table.

So, if you are feeling the pull … If you hear the whisper …

If you are at a critical point of choice in your life, and you're being called forward into the un known … your Soul is speaking and inviting you to embark on a quest. Not the kind that will take you to a far-away landscape where your current life seems only a dream, but one that will take you deeper into yourself.

You are more than you know yourself to be. You are limitless, infinite, and whole.

Now is your time to answer the call. For you, for others, and for all of humanity.

Jeanine Thompson is a Transformational Coach, speaker, and author whose breadth of knowledge and experience spans multiple disciplines and professional expressions, from clinical psychotherapy to global business to advancing spiritual growth. She shares her journey and how others can reach their full potential in her first book, 911 From Your Soul

By Minda Zetlin

Photo by AdobeStock

Howwe think about life versus work is evolving over time. Back in the 1980s, when I started my career, I used to fret about work all the time. A colleague of mine told me that at 5 p.m. each day, he would imagine that our company was obliterated by a bomb and would stay that way until the next morning. He advised me, for my own sanity, to adopt the same attitude. I thought that following this advice would be completely im possible. I was never done with my work at 5 p.m., and I hated leaving tasks unfinished. I wanted to be engaged in my job and think about it all the time. But I also understood that I and my colleagues who thought that way were the exception and not the rule.

In 2000, I remembered reading an article about working at Microsoft that mentioned how engineers would often answer each other’s emails in the middle of the night. It was seen as a good thing: they were devoted to their jobs. Just a couple of years later, I went on a dive trip with a group that included a very busy defense lawyer. The other divers joked that they would throw his phone into the ocean if he took one more work call. But when some acquaintances from out of town got arrested for having magic mushrooms in their car on their way to a music festival, my first thought was to call that lawyer. I knew he’d be easy to reach and would work hard for them, both of which proved to be true.

By 2014, though, I was horrified when I read an article by a busy advertising executive about how she had spent part of Thanksgiving Day. Sitting at the kitchen table in her mother’s home, she held a conference call with her team and an im portant client while a pumpkin pie was baked in the oven. I was so outraged by this that I wrote a whole column about it. It’s one thing to take an idle moment when you’re supposed to be off work to catch up on your own tasks like I did at that Valentine’s gig or my friend did at the mall. It’s something else entirely to expect the people who work for you to drop what ever they’re doing on a major holiday so they can take part in your conference call. Even asking them to do that is wrong because they might fear falling behind on the path to promo

tion if they refuse. If they’re right to think that refusing could damage their careers, that’s even worse.

Amazingly, this exec presented her Thanksgiving Day confer ence call as a good example of balancing life and work. She claimed that what she called an “always-on approach to work” wasn’t at all a hardship but instead a way of working smarter in the knowledge economy. She didn’t seem to see any harm in asking her employees to interrupt their holiday activities to participate in a business meeting. As I read the rest of her article, I kept thinking that she just didn’t get it.

In a growing number of places, a conference call on a major holiday is illegal. Increasingly, lawmakers and labor experts are advocating for and even legislating the “right to disconnect.” The idea is that people both need and are entitled to forget about work during non-work hours. Their employers and colleagues cannot reasonably expect them to, say, answer emails after hours or on weekends. The rules obviously are somewhat different for people whose jobs require them to be available outside normal hours, such as doctors on call, fire fighters, or emergency plumbers. But whatever the schedule, each of us needs some time every day and every week when we don’t have to think about work at all.

In most locations that have them, right-to-disconnect laws simply forbid employers from withholding promotions or other-wise disfavoring employees who don’t respond to af ter-hours messages or phone calls. But some laws go further. In Germany and Portugal, for example, even sending an email to an employee after hours is illegal, whether or not you expect an immediate response.

The fact that protecting these rights by law seems both logi cal and necessary today tells you just how far our work lives have slipped beyond what used to be their normal boundaries. And that’s not good. A 2018 study from Virginia Tech called “Killing Me Softly” revealed that the mere expectation that employees check their email outside of work hours is enough to raise stress levels for both them and their families.

To turn this bad trend around, you need more than just the right to disconnect. You also need the desire to disconnect. Most of us secretly like feeling teth ered to our email as though it were an umbilical cord. It’s not just because we believe our boss or our customers ex pect that from us, and it’s not because we believe some disaster will happen if no one can reach us for a couple of hours. Or — I take that back — we do believe some disaster will happen if we disconnect for a couple of hours. That disaster is that we will miss some thing. You’ve probably heard the term FOMO, an acronym for “fear of miss ing out.” It’s a universal affliction in our digitally driven age.

Discovering the Joy of Missing Out I’m guessing you didn’t need psycholo gy researchers to tell you that all of this attention to work outside work hours isn’t good for you. I’m also guessing you check your email on your days off, several times during the day, just like I do. But then there are the occasional days when, say, I go for a hike in the woods, and I don’t check my email or text messages or chat messages for a long while, mostly because I can’t.

And you know what? Those are really good days. It’s not that I stop thinking about work when I’m away from it. I’m not wired to do that, and you proba bly aren’t, either. But I do stop think ing about work in terms of immediate problems to solve or short-term success es or failures. Instead, I start thinking about my bigger dreams and goals, and challenges. You need that separation from the day-to-day work in order to think of those big strategic thoughts or come up with those creative ideas that can really make a difference. This is why people go on retreat, and it’s why you so often come up with great ideas while doing something completely discon nected from work, such as boating or hiking, or even standing in the shower.

In the fall of 2019, I spent five days at Breitenbush retreat center in Oregon, a place so completely off the grid that it makes its own geothermal electricity

from the hot springs around and be neath its buildings. There’s no internet of any kind. The only way to get a cell signal is to drive five miles down the road. Breitenbush does have an email account, and the office staff will relay a message to you, but only if there’s a dire emergency. When you spend time there, you are truly disconnected.

In spite of this, or more probably because of it, Breitenbush is one of my favorite places in the world. Every time I go there, deprived of email, text, Slack, and Facebook, unable to check how much traffic my columns are get ting or whether they’re being shared on social media, I feel different. And I am different. I slowly turn into some one calmer, more introspective, more like my thoughtful and serious young er self. I walk the trails and soak in the hot springs, and spend hours and hours reading and writing in my jour nal. Without my usual occupations and preoccupations, I have become more open-minded and openheart ed and more willing to be vulnerable and try new things. On my last visit, on a whim, I went to a spirit guide workshop, which is the kind of thing I don’t really believe in, would never do at home, and will probably never do again. Yet I’m glad I tried it.

I recently discovered a wonderful TEDx Talk by Caroline McHugh called “The Art of Being Yourself.” Toward the end of the talk, she gives this priceless piece of advice: “With every passing year, your job is to be better and bet ter at being who you already are. This is not a cosmetic exercise. You’re already different. Your job is to figure out how and then to be more of that.”

For me, being off the grid and away from all my technological connections, and especially my work life, makes me more like myself. I believe disconnect ing can do that for all of us, which is why it’s so important that we have that right. Some people talk about JOMO — the joy of missing out. That’s what Breitenbush does for me. You might consider giving JOMO a try.

Minda Zetlin is the author of Career Self-Care: Find Your Happiness, Success, and Fulfillment at Work

Her articles, books, and workshops offer research-backed advice to help people get the most out of their careers and their lives.

Copyright ©2022 by Minda Zetlin. Printed with permission from New World Library — www.newworldlibrary.com.

Don’t You Dare UNCOVERING LOST LOVE

By Gayla Turner

The story starts when Gayla discovers hidden wedding photos dated June 8, 1915, and learns her grandmother had a secret. While researching her grandmother’s past, a love story emerged between her and the mystery woman in the photos. Gayla uncovers a secret lesbian social club formed in the early 1900s by a local businesswoman in the little Wisconsin farm town. Women from as far away as Chicago traveled to attend her exclusive parties. The local townspeople assumed the parties were for single young ladies to talk about how to find a husband. Little did they know that finding a man was not a subject of their conversations.

Her grandmother left just enough information that only someone who understood her secret life would be able to uncover the hidden story she left behind. That per son turned out to be her granddaughter, Gayla. Written to educate, entertain, and inspire members of the LGBTQ+ community, it sheds light on our history and the future before us.

Since 1921, Grandma Ruby had quietly moved these two boxes with her wherever she lived. Even after her husband left the family in 1939, she moved the boxes, along with her three children, to various boarding homes and apart ments. From Amherst, Wisconsin, to Minneapolis; from Minneapolis to Assumption, Illinois; and a dozen oth er places after that. The last move for Grandma Ruby and her boxes was to a nursing home in St Louis in 1975. In 1977, at the age of 82, my grandmother passed away, never revealing their secret contents.

After Mom was diagnosed with demen tia in 2009, my sister Janice and I would often drive from Southern California to Mom’s place in Pahrump, Nevada. Most people hated driving the long stretch of desert highway between Barstow and Pahrump, but I found the vast empti ness peaceful: no cars or people for al most one hundred miles. However, as Mom’s dementia worsened, it seemed as if the highway stretched longer and longer with every trip. At times, it felt as if my car was on a treadmill, and I was looking at the same mounds of sand and tumbleweeds for hours.

During our visits, my sister and I would often spend time reminiscing over the family photos Mom had collect ed through the years. We’d laugh and share pictures and stories with Mom. She’d often laugh along with us, but I wasn’t sure she really knew who or what we were talking about. At the time, I thought we were doing it to help Mom recapture her stolen memories, but I now know Janice and I did it to recap ture our own.

On one of my visits with Mom, I was looking for more photos to share when I noticed two medium-sized box es stacked at the far end of her closet, marked ‘Mother’s old photos.’ I was surprised—up to that point, I thought I had seen every family picture many times over, but I had never seen these boxes. Or so I thought.

I suddenly felt like a twelve-year-old at Christmas; I couldn’t wait to see what was inside. As I pulled them from the safety of my mother’s closet, I could hear the brittle brown card board creaking in protest with every tug. A cloud of dust followed me as I placed them in the middle of my mom’s living room.

When I opened the first box, I could tell instantly that the pictures were like nothing I’d seen before. Initial ly, I thought they were Mom’s from when she was young, but then I no ticed that the handwritten dates pre dated her 1923 birth year.

Then I finally saw a name I recog nized: Ruby. Of course. “These boxes belonged to Grandma Ruby,” I an nounced to Mom, though she didn’t seem interested in looking at their contents herself.

Overjoyed at finding a family time capsule, I immediately started to unpack them carefully. The photos were dated from 1910 to 1922, and they were well-maintained because of the dry Nevada climate and the cool darkness of my mom’s closet. The loose pages must have been from Grandma Ruby’s photo albums, but there were no binders to keep the pages together. Almost like she—or someone—had intended to throw them away but just couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

I was thumbing through the pages when I noticed a handwritten cap tion under a picture that said ‘Our Wedding,’ dated June 8, 1915. I was excited when I realized it was Grand ma Ruby, wearing a wedding dress and holding a bouquet of flowers. Since I had never met or seen my grandfather before, I was curious to see what he looked like.

I showed the photos to my mom, and she confirmed it was her mother but then quickly looked away. It was almost like she couldn’t bring herself

to look at the pictures for too long for fear of getting scolded. For some reason, I had a feeling she knew more than she was willing to tell me. And yes, I believe she may have played the ‘dementia card.’ She knew I would never pressure her for information that she couldn’t remember.

I found a newspaper clipping dat ed August 10, 1921, at the bottom of one of the boxes. It was the for mal wedding announcement for my grandparents, which included a wedding photo of the new bride and groom. Except the groom standing next to my grandma was not the same man in the other photos, dated 1915. When I realized the dates on the wedding photos were different, I asked my mom if Grandma had been married before she married Grandpa. She shook her head adamantly and continued to watch her TV game show.

I questioned my mom several more times about whether the bride in both photos was Grandma Ruby and was met with the same results. I was amused by the thought that my grandma might have been secretly married to a gentleman prior to my grandfather, and I was determined to find out who this mystery man was. I grabbed Mom’s old magnifying glass from the coffee table—the one she used years ago when she did her dai ly word puzzles, but which was now covered in dust.

The newspaper announcement from 1921 made it easy for me to identify the groom because it gave the names of everyone who’d attended the wed ding that day. However, identifying the people in the 1915 wedding pho tos was considerably more difficult. I could tell it was Grandma Ruby wearing the wedding dress and veil, but the caption underneath only said ‘Our Wedding.’ There were no names to identify the groom or the other two people in the picture.

During the four-hour drive, I cried again, and then I realized that I didn’t feel so different or alone anymore. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t feel like the family oddball because of who I loved. I was no longer the only one.

The gentleman standing to the left of my grandma was wearing a dark suit and tie with a boutonniere on his left collar. There was also an other man and a woman in formal dress. The men were wearing bowler hats. All were standing underneath a large shade tree. Clearly, it was a traditional wedding photograph, but with such little information, I was still confused. However, I’m good at solving complex problems at work, and I was determined to solve this mystery.

I found numerous pictures of the same people dating from 1915 to 1920. I kept staring at the two men, thinking that something didn’t look right. I was examining one of the photos when I noticed that both of the men had unusually small fea tures, and their suits were ill-fitting: the jackets were falling off their shoulders, and the sleeves and pant legs had been rolled underneath be cause they were too long. Both of the gentlemen were wearing bowl er hats, and it looked like their hair was tucked underneath. I thought to myself that men back then wouldn’t have had long hair.

It took me a few more minutes to wrap my brain around what I was seeing. Then all of a sudden, it hit me: it wasn’t a man standing next to my grandmother in the wedding photos! I felt the blood rush to my head, and the back of my neck start ed to tingle as I fell back into my chair in disbelief. At the same time, I felt an incredible warmth flow over me. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket after being stuck out in the cold for too long. It was an incredible feeling and one that I will never forget. To this day, I become overwhelmed with emotion thinking about that realization.

I firmly believe Grandma Ruby was with me at that moment, giving me a big hug, thankful that the truth had finally been revealed.

I spent the rest of that evening and into the next day just staring at those photos and crying. I wasn’t sure why I was so emotional about them un til I was driving back home to Los Angeles the next day. During the four-hour drive, I cried again, and then I realized that I didn’t feel so different or alone anymore. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t feel like the family oddball because of who I loved. I was no longer the only one.

I spent years researching my grand ma’s life and the clues she left behind. Yes, clues. She left just enough infor mation that only someone who un derstood her secret life would be able to uncover the hidden story she left behind. It turned out to be a mystery I was uniquely qualified to solve.

As I examined her photos, I noticed how incredibly happy everyone looked. These weren’t the typical stoic pictures taken in the early nine teen-hundreds. They were humorous and loving. However, if any of my grandma’s photos had fallen into the wrong hands, she and everyone else involved could have been put into mental institutions, run out of town, or worse.

During my research, it occurred to me that as wonderful as the photos were, the truth was tragic. This was as far as their relationship could ever go: all they could ever have were memories. If they dared to take photos, the pictures would quickly be destroyed to avoid the possibility of discovery. It struck me how brave my grandma was to keep her pictures for so many years, but I’ve always believed that love makes us strong.

I often wonder if Grandma Ruby hoped that someday someone would find out about her secret life. Did she suspect it would be me?

By day, Gayla Turner is a bank examiner, utilizing her intuition and curiosity to uncover facts and analyze complex figures.

A debut author, she has honed her writing skills with private instructors, editors, and critique groups of established writers in the Los Angeles area.

She is a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Romance Writers of America, and the Historical Novel Society.

In her free time, Gayla enjoys cooking, hiking, looking at old photos, and researching LGBTQ+ history. Born and raised in Southern California, she and her partner live in San Marino, California, and share their home with their adorable dog, Bailey. Her memoir Don’t You Dare available wherever books are sold. You can learn more at www.gaylaturner.com.

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IlchibukoTodd

Ilchibuko

Todd is the President of the Mago Sedona Center. She is an international speaker and train er who helps others awaken to their inner nature and happiness. The Mago Center is located in the Red Rocks of Arizona and is owned and operated by Tao Fellowship, a 501 (c)(3) non-denominational "non-profit" organization. The center was created to share the timeless

principles and spiritual practices of ancient wisdom and tradition of SunTao. Combined with modern teachings of energy healing and personal development, retreats at Sedona Mago Center for Well-being and Retreat provide paths and environments for your holistic healing and self-realization.

How did you come to be in this role at Sedona Mago?

It's a bit of a story; it begins with my early life. My early life wasn't a very happy one. I was always looking for happiness and could never find it. And as I grew up, no matter how much I achieved success and how much I was loved by my family, I felt as if there was a hole in my heart, and I didn't know what it was. When I felt so lost and in pain, I decided I needed alone time and came to Sedona Mago Center for Well-being and Retreat.

I learned about ancient mind-body prac tices from Korea. It was one of the first connections I ever felt to myself. This practice was a savior for me. I began prac ticing mind and body connection exer cises at a local center. And very soon, I immersed myself in teaching this method. When the opportunity came to me to be in charge at the Sedona Mago Center for Well-being and Retreat, I accepted it with all my heart.

What ancient Korean practices have you been practicing?

Qi energy is what exists between the spiri tual and the physical world. Once I experi enced this energy in its purest form within my body, I got in touch with my true self. This SunTao Living Practice helped me to connect to my true essence and di vinity. It is the roadmap for me to the greatest and highest expression of the divine spirit. Now I share this teaching at Sedona Mago Center for Well-being and Retreat, guiding people to reconnect to the deepest root of themselves and awaken their fullest potential. I envision individ ual awakening and healing to be the seed

from which the healing of all humanity and the Earth will grow.

How did calligraphy also help you find yourself?

Whenever we practice something, there are certain parts we must overcome through patience, devotion, or a consistent mind set towards mastery. Calligraphy has those aspects. Practicing calligraphy helped me focus on the energy aspects of myself, not just the limitations of the physical.

Even though you are the President of the Sedona Mago Center for Well-being and Retreat, do you find time to hold retreats for others?

Yes, I do. Most of our retreats are four days long, beginning on a Thursday and ending on a Sunday. Generally, most people come for a weekend retreat, but coming for a visit and spending one night to rejuve nate yourself can be good as well. Walking around the land is beautiful and rejuvenat ing. But if you want to have a transfor mation and see a difference in your con sciousness and how your heart can open, I recommend a minimum of four days. We have well-trained masters. Most of us have practiced for about 20 years. We share our experiences so that you can have your awakening.

How long do people usually stay? Most people spend the weekend. We also have a workshop that is four days. You can always spend one night even though I highly recommend four days. We also have seven-day courses. However much time you spend, you will receive some level of transformative healing.

When we meet people at the be ginning of a retreat and see how difficult they feel their life is, the reward is always the last day when we see them transformed.

You also have online courses. Are those with live teachers, or are those self-guided? We love to see people in person to connect. The online classes are with live instructors. I'm current ly offering Awaken Divine Light.

I didn't ask you, but I'm assuming there is also food.

Our chef prepares pescatarian and vegetarian menus from local farms with herbs selected from our on site healing garden to deliver nu trient-rich meals that nourish and strengthen your body.

I wanted to ask you about your name. It was given to you by your teacher. I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing that story?

Yes, I was going through one of the hardest moments in my life. My mom was sick and passed from pancreatic cancer. Then, four months later, my healthy dad had an aneurysm. I was having a hard time with my life. I felt guilty, like I hadn't served my parents well. Through these experiences, I began seeing what I needed to do to share with people. During this time, my teacher gave me a spiritual name. He wanted me to see the spiritual life. He gave me part of his name. His name is Ilchi Lee. He said, "Now you are Ilchibuko." So it means you are like a child of Ilchi. “Ilchi” means “one finger,” which is pointing to where we are all heading back to, and “buko” means “a child.”

Wonderful I feel this is my calling and what I must do. To help awaken their true selves and divine nature ex isting within them.

Practicing calligraphy helped me focus on the energy aspects of myself, not just the limitations of the physical.

When You Say

"Coincidence," What Do You Choose It To Mean?

By Bernard Beitman, M.D.

Each of us has more to do with cre ating coincidences than we think. In this comprehensive exploration of the potential of coincidences to expand our understanding of reality, psychiatrist Bernard Beitman, M.D., explores why and how coincidences, synchronicity, and serendipity hap pen and how to use these common occurrences to inspire psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual growth.

Through a complete catalog of co incidence patterns with numerous illustrative examples, Dr. Beitman clarifies the relationship between synchronicity and serendipity and dissects the "anatomy of a coinci dence." He defines coincidence types through their two fundamental con stituents—mental events and phys ical events. He analyzes the many uses of meaningful coincidences as well as their potential problems, emphasizing that synchronicity and serendipity, though most often pos itive, also have their shadow sides. Detailing how to record your expe riences, he explains how you will see patterns guiding your life decisions and learn to expect that coincidenc es are more likely to occur during life stressors, high emotions, and strong needs, which helps you be ready to use them when they occur.

Exploring the crucial role of per sonal agency—individual thought and action—in synchronicities and serendipities, Dr. Beitman shows that there's much more behind these occurrences than "fate" or "random ness." They can be clues to the functioning of the psychosphere, our mental atmosphere through which many of them happen. By sharing our personal coincidence stories, we help each other to grow through the incremental mapping of our connec tions to other people, to other living beings, and to the Earth itself.

The definition of meaning ful coincidence continues to evolve.

The term coincidence became a house hold word following the simultaneous deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Ad ams on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after each had signed the United States Decla ration of Independence.

They died in different places, Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Adams in Quincy, Massachusetts. The simultane ous deaths of these two men called out for an explanation. Did they each inde pendently decide to leave this world on this auspicious anniversary? Or was it just a coincidence? Or something else?

The U.S president at that time was Ad ams' son, John Quincy Adams, who called the coincidence of their deaths on the nation's anniversary "visible and pal pable remarks of Divine Favor."

Meaningful coincidences carry in their surprises hints of an elusive explanation.

Modifiers are commonly used with "Co incidence." Mere, only, and suggest that the coinci dence should be disregarded.

Coincidental also suggests that the event be disregarded.

Meaningful, remarkable, and amazing suggest that the coincidence deserves fur ther attention.

Synchronicity and Serendipity

Both synchronicity and serendipity co incidentally begin with "s" and end with "ity." Each reflects the interests of its inventor—Jung's clinical focus on the mind and Walpole's intrigue with finding things he needed. Each word highlights a different aspect of meaningful coinci dences.

Synchronicity

Carl Jung coined the word from the Greek syn—with, together—and Chro nos—time. Synchronicity literally means moving together in time. Jung created

two primary definitions—the first is de scriptive; the second refers to an explanation.

1. Descriptive

•

a. The fundamental characteristic that makes a coincidence into syn chronicity is the intense emotion produced in the coincider. Jung called this emotion "numinous"— intensely religious, spiritual, divine.

•

b. Some Jungians define synchro nicity by its pragmatic effect. A meaningful coincidence must assist in psychological change—individua tion—to be called synchronicity.

•

c. Since the term has become pop ular more definitions have emerged. For example, "Synchronicity to me is an intentional message from the universe."

2. Explanatory

Jung also used the word synchronicity to explain synchronicities. He proposed that synchronicity's mental and environ mental events are created by their shared meaning. The meaning was part of "an acausal connecting principle" that he put on equal status with causation.

Because of the varying definitions, Jung gave to his term, the meaning of synchro nicity has been stretched in many differ ent directions. I use synchronicity for high-impact psycholog ical coincidences. What do you mean by "synchronicity"?

Serendipity

Horace Walpole, a member of the British House of Commons in the 18th century, recognized in himself a talent for finding what he needed just when he needed it. He based the name on a fairy tale called "The Travels and Adventures of Three Princes of Serendip." Sarendip is an an cient name for the island nation, Sri Lan ka. The king of the fable recognized that education requires more than learning from books, so he sent his sons out of the country to broaden their experience. Throughout the story, the clever princes carefully observe their surroundings and then use their observations in ways that save them from danger and death.

Psychiatrist Bernard Beitman, M.D., Explores the Potential of Coincidences to Expand our Understanding of Reality

For Walpole, serendipity meant find ing, by chance, something valuable us ing informed observation (sagacity). The three ingredients of serendipity are, then, chance informed observation and valued outcome.

Serendipity takes several forms: Looking for something and finding it in an unexpected way. Microbiologist Alexander Fleming was looking for an antibiotic and found it in 1928 on a petri dish in a laboratory sink.

Looking for something and finding some thing else. In 1492, Christopher Colum bus sought East Asia and landed in the New World.

Observing something in one situation and recognizing how that something can fill a need in another situation. In 1941, Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral 1941 wondered why Burdock seeds clung to his coat and invented Velcro.

Seriality and Simulpathity

Also, beginning with an "s" and ending with an "ity", seriality and simulpathi ty apply to smaller groups of meaningful coincidences.

Seriality

Biologist Paul Kammerer spent hours sit ting on benches in various public parks in Vienna, noting repetitions among the people who passed by. He classified them by sex, age, dress, whether they carried umbrellas or parcels, and by many other details. He did the same during the long train rides from his home to his office in Vienna. Kammerer was not particu larly interested in meaning—only repeat ed sequences of numbers, names, words, and letters. Two examples can illustrate his thinking: His wife was in a waiting room reading about a painter named Schwalbach when a patient named Mrs. Schwalbach was called into the consul tation room. A second example involved his friend Prince Rohan. On the train, his wife was reading a novel with the character "Mrs. Rohan." She then saw a man get on the train who looked like Prince Rohan. Later that night, the Prince himself unex pectedly dropped by their house for a visit.

He defined "seriality" as "a recurrence of the same or similar things or events in time and space" that "are not connected by the same acting cause." To him, these repetitions were simply natural phenom ena.

In his 1919 book Das Gesetz Der Serie (The Law of the Series), Kammerer out lined these laws along with a broad set of classifications of their types and qualities. Seriality, in an expansion of Kammerer's definition, applies to observable sequenc es of similarities like the three Rohans. The Rohan series could have been seen by another person. Synchronicity and ser endipity usually involve a private mental event and an observable environmental event.

Simulpathity

I coined simulpathity to describe a person al experience shared by numerous people.

Simulpathity — from the Latin simul (si multaneous) and the Greek pathos (suffer ing)—differs from "sympathy." The sym pathetic person is aware of the suffering of the other but does not usually feel it. In simulpathity, one person suffers along with the other person and may feel some form of that suffering. The two people are not in the same place. Only later is the simultaneity of the distress recognized. Some twins know when and why they are feeling pain—the other twin is now feel ing it. Simulpathity is emotional/physical and usually subconscious empathy at a distance.

Often, the two people share a strong emotional bond, especially twins. Mann and Jaye interviewed 20 adult twins who reported that sometimes they shared the symptoms of one illness.

Simulpathity suggests that individuals are more closely bonded than current scientif ic thought holds possible. Evolving

Definitions of words evolve as their users find innovative ways to apply them. The study of meaningful coincidences is en hanced by trying out possible definitions that can expand our understanding of them.

Bernard Beitman, M.D., is the first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to systematize the study of coincidences. A graduate of Yale Medical School, he did his psychiatric residency at Stanford University. The former chair of psychiatry o f the University of MissouriColumbia medical school for 17 years, he writes a blog for Psychology Today on coincidence and is the co-author of the award-winning book Learning Psychotherapy. The founder of The Coincidence Project, Bernarde lives in Charlottesville, Virginia https://coincider.com/

WHAT IS THE BEST DIET?

A nutrition expert reveals the pros and cons of popular diet trends.

Searching

for diet advice online can be exhaustive and may lead to un reliable sources. However, by bet ter understanding the most com mon types of diets, you can decide which one works best for your lifestyle and over all goals. Nutritionist Anthony O'Reilly from BarBend has revealed a guide to the most popular diets online and their pros and cons.

1. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting involves consuming all your calories within a set time period and then fasting for the rest of the day. There are different approaches to inter mittent fasting, with the most popular being an 8:16 split – meaning you con sume your calories in an eight-hour eating window and fast for the other 16 hours of the day. You can also do a 10:16, 16:10, or even a 6:20 eating: fasting split.

The concept is that you will be eating few er calories since you are squeezing them into a narrower timeframe instead of con suming them throughout the day. Inter mittent Fasting is the most popular diet online, receiving a huge 1.2 million aver age monthly searches worldwide. Kourt ney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston are among the many celebrities to endorse the benefits of Intermittent Fasting.

Advantages of Intermittent Fasting:

• Leads to weight loss helps improve insulin resistance, reduces oxidative stress on your cells, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and reduces the risk of strokes. (1)(2)

2. Mediterranean Diet

As the name suggests, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea, for instance, Greece, Italy, Spain, etc., who have some of the longest life expec tancies in the world.

The diet is rich in heart-healthy foods

such as vegetables, grains, fish, fruit, olive oil, and nuts. Consumption of red meat is kept to a minimum, and dairy intake is moderate and consists of high-quality sources such as yogurt and cheeses. The Mediterranean diet is the second most popular diet online, receiving 610,000 global monthly searches worldwide.

Advantages of the Mediterranean diet:

• It leads to weight loss.

• An easy diet for people to adhere to when compared to intermittent fast ing and the paleo diet. (3)

• When adhered to, the diet has also been found to reverse symptoms of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. (4)

3. Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet, sometimes called "the Caveman diet," involves only eating meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Any grains, dairy, processed foods, beans, le gumes, and sugars must be avoided while adhering to this diet.

The Paleo diet is the third most popular diet online, with an average of 200,000 monthly global searches. Celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Miley Cyrus, and Uma Thurman reap the Paleo diet's benefits.

Advantages of the Paleo diet:

• Studies have shown that it is effective in helping people lose weight, drop their blood pressure, and improve other blood markers. (5)(6)

Disadvantages of the Paleo diet:

• Many researchers highlight the lack of evidence of the diet's effects on health and that more research needs to be done.

• Researchers warn against the diet's exclusion of whole grains, which have been shown to ward off heart disease and diabetes.

4. Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet is the exact op posite of veganism. Carnivore dev otees only eat animal-based prod ucts, such as meat, cheese, milk, animal-based fats, and eggs. There are no grains, no vegetables, and no fruits. Also known as the Zero Carb diet, this diet is the fourth most pop ular online and receives an average of 126,000 monthly searches world wide.

Advantages of the Carnivore diet:

• There is proof that it can lead to weight loss, especially since protein increases the body's thermic effect of feeding —the energy it takes to digest food.

• Carnivore diet followers have claimed it can fight inflammation and prevent nutrient defi ciencies.

Disadvantages of the Carnivore diet:

• The lack of fruits and vegetables may lead to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and over all risk of death. (7)(8)

5. Sirtfood Diet

Thanks to Adele and Pippa Mid dleton's endorsements, the Sirt food diet has grown in popularity in recent years. The diet focuses on foods high in sirtuins, a group of proteins found in the body that regulate metabolism. Foods high in sirtuins include red wine, dark choc olate, walnuts, arugula, coffee, and extra-virgin olive oil. The Sirtfood diet receives 52,000 average month ly searches, making it the fifth most popular diet online worldwide.

Disadvantages of the Sirtfood diet:

• There is little proof that the Sirtfood diet leads to weight loss or better health.

• You must follow a strict routine.

6. The Ketogenic Diet

In recent years, the Ketogenic diet has arguably been one of the most

discussed and debated diets. Keto, as it is called for short, prioritizes fat (65-75 percent of your daily calories) with moderate protein consumption (20-30 percent) and very few carbs (only about five percent, though some versions prohibit carbs alto gether). The Keto diet ranks as the sixth most popular diet online, with 4,4000 average monthly searches worldwide.

The Keto diet was designed to keep the body in a near-constant state of ketosis, a metabolic state where the body creates ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbs (the body's primary and preferred energy source). The Keto diet has become more popular in the last few years, especially among the Hollywood elite, with celebrities such as Vanessa Hudgens and LeBron James committed to the Keto diet.

Advantages of the Keto diet:

• There have been claims Keto may help treat cancer and even respiratory illnesses. (9)

Disadvantages of the Keto diet:

• Several studies point out Keto is no more effective for weight loss when calories are matched with other diets. (10)

Conclusion

It is important to note that none of these options are the be-all, end-all for your health needs. You can lose weight on about any diet, so long as you are in a calorie deficit (that is, you burn more calories than you consume). Prioritize calories first, and then choose a diet style based on your preference.

An exceprt fom www.barbend.com

References

Sofia Cienfuegos, Kelsey Gabel, Faiza Kalam, Mark Ezpeleta, Eric Wiseman, Vasiliki Pavlou, Shuhao Lin, Manoela Lima Oliveira, Krista A. Varady, Effects of 4- and 6-h Time-Restricted Feeding on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Adults with Obesity, Cell Metabolism, Volume 32, Issue 3, 2020, Pages 366-378.e3, ISSN 15504131, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.018. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S1550413120303193)

Michael J. Wilkinson, Emily N.C. Manoogian, Adena Zadourian, Hannah Lo, Savannah Fakhouri, Azarin Shoghi, Xinran Wang, Jason G. Fleischer, Saket Nav lakha, Satchidananda Panda, Pam R. Taub, Ten-Hour Time-Restricted Eating Reduces Weight, Blood Pres sure, and Atherogenic Lipids in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome, Cell Metabolism, Volume 31, Issue 1, 2020, Pages 92-104.e5, ISSN 1550-4131, https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.11.004. (http://www.science direct.com/science/article/pii/S1550413119306114)

Michelle R Jospe, Melyssa Roy, Rachel C Brown, Jillian J Haszard, Kim Meredith-Jones, Louise J Fangupo, Hamish Osborne, Elizabeth A Fleming, Rachael W Tay lor, Intermittent fasting, Paleolithic, or Mediterranean diets in the real world: exploratory secondary analyses of a weight-loss trial that included choice of diet and exercise, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 111, Issue 3, March 2020, Pages 503–514, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz330

Filippatos TD, Panagiotakos DB, Georgousopoulou EN, Pitaraki E, Kouli GM, Chrysohoou C, Tousoulis D, Stefanadis C, Pitsavos C; ATTICA Study Group. Mediterranean Diet and 10-year (2002-2012) Incidence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Participants with Prediabetes: The ATTICA study. Rev Diabet Stud. 2016 Winter;13(4):226-235. doi: 10.1900/ RDS.2016.13.226. Epub 2017 Feb 10. PMID: 28278309; PMCID: PMC5734223.

Österdahl, M., Kocturk, T., Koochek, A. et al.Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 682–685 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602790

Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Ahrén B, et al. Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2009; 8:35. Published 2009 Jul 16. doi:10.1186/1475-2840-8-35

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Love Lives On

By Matthew McKay, Ph.D.

Death is the mother of beauty. ~Wallace Stevens

Photo by Zachary Delorenzo

Everythingwe know and count on and love are impermanent. That truth crashed down on me in 2008. On an early autumn day that year, I learned that my twentythree-year-old son had died.

Though Jordan was gone, I could no lon ger hold him or hear his voice, but my love for him remained a living thing. It nourished me and kept me going. It was a blanket that protected me from empti ness and nihilism.

I wondered at love’s strength, its unwill ingness to die with the body, its resilience in the face of every kind of change and loss this world can throw at us. And I wondered what love actually is, what it’s made of. What do we mean, I questioned when we say we love something? Why, for some, does love die or disappear, while for others, even death has no dominion over their love?

As a psychologist and couples therapist for more than forty years, I have witnessed the death of love. Many times. I have seen how emotional pain deadens the will and desire to express love and how it turns caring into anger and contempt. But I have also seen how we can learn to love in the face of monstrous pain and loss. I have learned how some keep love alive in the crushing maw of impermanence.

hat is the purpose of this book: to learn to know what love is and how to keep it-even when you hurt, even when things are taken, even as you walk daily in the shadow of uncertainty.

ove in the Time of Impermanence grew from years of seeking and exploration af ter Jordan’s death. But it also came from our living relationship--and from Jordan

himself. I learned to talk to him in spirit. For more than a dozen years, I have chan neled and learned from my son in the afterlife. The books Seeking Jordan and The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife are distillations of hundreds of “conversa tions” between us. The book you are now reading is a collaboration. Jordan’s words are offset in boxes and offer the wisdom of a soul who has lived many lives and who understands our fate of love and loss.

We offer this book to you so that whatev er changes, whatever is taken or lost, your love will live and be untouched.

What Love Is

Love is the most important thing on Earth. It’s what all of us seek. We build our families, as best we can, on a foun dation of love. Our most valued relation ships have love at their core. Our com munities, even our countries, are held together with love. And our connection to God, or the Divine, is often described as love itself. Yet, for all its power and centrality, love is hard to describe, much less define. The idea of love seems at once too ephemeral to hold but also too big to corral with language. And when we try to describe it, we are often forced into greet ing card clichés because love is conflated with experiences of harmony, romance, sexual pleasure, and joy. Yet love is none of those things.

At its root, love is just one thing. It is the relationship itself. The connective tissue binds us together and creates oneness and belonging. It is a gravitational force that connects you to friends, colleagues, family (blood and genetics don’t connect families), a community, a land, and all there is (the Divine). And love isn’t the emotion or pleasure you take in those connections--love is the connection itself.

What connects us to everything is love. Each act of love deepens our belonging--not just to one another but to all. Each act of love strengthens our intention, our very ability to love.

The four elements, or acts of love, are care, knowledge, compassion, and intention. Each element is a special way we manifest love in relationships. Together they are the fabric that holds everything.

All of our core values, the things we hold dear, derive from love--of self, of others, or of the Divine. If you examine what truly matters to you, what your life is about, love is the force behind all of it. For ex ample, all efforts at self-improvement, personal growth, and learning are moti vated by a love of self. Everything you do to build and support your relationships is driven by the love of others. The work you do and the people your work serves can be a reflection of love. Creativity is an act of love; the appreciation of beauty is an act of love; the great pleasures of the body (athletics, food, music, dance, sexual ex pression) can all be acts of love. And spir ituality--the awareness that we belong to each other and to all--is born from love.

We arrive in this world naked and alone, suffering amnesia for our place of origin. What starts to heal that aloneness is love. Love from and for our caregivers; love of a place, of familiar rooms and streets; love of proximate souls to whom we are drawn to; love of experiences that bring us joy. The threads connecting us to everything outside of self are made of this same quest for entanglement. Our survival in this dif ficult place depends on seeing and acting on love.

In the same way, plants are heliotro pic--always moving toward the sun--we are amortropic, always orienting toward attachment and love. This amortropic ori entation reflects a basic law of quantum physics: our world does not have separa bility; objects that have ever interacted are forever entangled. What happens to one soul entangled by love affects the other. Forever. No matter how far apart in space or time they may be. So we are drawn to ward each other by love and, once entan gled, remain so forever. This is the source of all connections.

LOVE’S OPPOSITE

Knowing a thing’s opposite can illuminate

the thing itself. If the essence of love is connecting, the opposite of love must be the severing of connection. Hate can’t be the opposite of love because hate is a form of relationship. There’s a painful but deep connection between those who hate one another. Selfishness is sometimes thought to be the opposite of love. But the focus on the self doesn’t block relationships; it merely distorts it into serving only the self.

The true opposite of love is the silence of abandonment, the judgment that says you are cast out. You are not one of us. It is any credo that separates people into good or bad, into tribes where you either belong or you are dangerous and foreign; it is any judgment that dehumanizes and rejects.

The rooms where we feel safe are defined by the familiar, the faces we know

Everything outside seems dangerous. The people we don’t know could do anything, say anything. We protect ourselves by de ciding they are evil.

But the mere thought that it is good and evil creates evil. Because it is the means by which we separate ourselves from the other. Reject the other. Dehumanize the other. Separation--the delusion that we are not all one--is what evil is made of.

There is no them. The room that seemed so small that it contained just a single life held everyone.

Any belief that separates and severs a rela tionship takes us in the opposite direction from love. And any act that disconnects, that breaks the belonging between souls, sets our course away from love. So in love’s opposite, we also see love’s essence: it is the bond that holds us, that moves us toward the experience of being one.

THE REACH OF LOVE

Because love is a relationship, it isn’t lim ited to the connection between souls. We can love objects and places as well as living beings.

The beautiful things that we come to love-whether it’s light shimmering in the leaves of an aspen, a cascade pouring between shoulders of granite, or the polished carving of a monk bent in prayer--constitute our relationship to the world. They are physi cal expressions of the collective conscious ness to which we all belong, and our love for them is a mere aspect of our love for all that is.

Love can reach to include anything we can see, hear, and feel because love is the energy form connecting the universe.

HOW LOVE EVOLVES

Love is both an orientation and a skill-evolving for each of us personally and also for humankind over thousands of gener ations. We begin life as self-focused indi viduals largely unaware of the experience of the other. Our own needs and distress are preeminent. But each relationship is a laboratory where we learn more about love. Over time our sense of self expands to include others. What is good for them is good for us; their pain becomes our pain. There is a growing sense of oneness among the souls we connect to, a feeling of belong ing, a sense of fates intertwined. Our orien

tation moves from a focus on me to concern for us

Love is also a skill that is forged in the heat of different and often competing needs, shown in the face of hurt and misunder standing and in the slow discovery of who this other really is. These needs are an opportunity to get better at turning love into action and tailoring our expressions of love to what another can feel and receive.

In the same way, we personally grow more able to love, and our capacity to love evolves as a species. Early on in the development of Homo sapiens--as with other primates-we were able to care for partners and children. This caring response could also extend to favored individuals in the clan. Over millennia the ability to love and care began to extend outward--to one’s tribe, to groups sharing common rituals and beliefs, to the personification of God or gods, and more recently, to humanity as a whole. The history of love in our species has moved from caring for a few nearby individuals to a sense of expanding oneness.

While many of us still experience limits to love--caring mostly for members of our tribe or church or nation--there are growing numbers around the world who feel belong ing to and care for all. This is the trajectory of love for humans--our sense of oneness will continue to deepen and expand until it includes everything that is.

Photo by By astrosystem/AdobeStock

THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF LOVE

Love is active, not passive. It is about what you do, not what you feel. And because love is enact ed, and therefore a choice, it is something under your control. It’s something in your power to keep. Nothing can take love from you--not loss, not rejection, not death--if you act on love every day.

The apparent impermanence of love is an illu sion created by the material world. The illusion dissolves every time you act with love. The feel ings of love wax and wane. The motivation or desire to be loving waxes and wanes. But the intention to love can be a constant. It is a north star to navigate by; it is the basis for most deci sion-making; it’s what guides us through every moment of every relationship.

The four elements, or acts of love, are care, knowledge, compassion, and intention. Each element is a special way we manifest love in rela tionships. Together they are the fabric that holds everything.

Care

At the heart of love is caring, the welfare of those we love is important; the fate of what we love matters. Caring means we are committed to what’s best for the other. We are aware of their needs and react as if those needs are our own. It’s as if our sense of self expands to include our loved ones, and whatever happens to them

happens to us.

Care is the opposite of wanting. When you want someone--their presence, their attention, their beauty--the focus is on your own needs. You are hungry; you are consuming what you love.

Caring moves attention away from yourself. What matters is the other. The beauty of the beloved inspires respect, reverence, and a com mitment to protection. Whether your love is for another soul, a beautiful object, or a place on Earth, the commitment is the same: to care.

Knowledge

The adage that love is blind cannot be false. Love requires us to see because if we don’t know the other, what is it that we love? Without knowl edge, our love is for a fantasy, a projection. The beloved is our own creation, a made-up product of desire.

Love is always active. Knowing what you love involves paying attention--observing with inter est and a hunger to understand. In the case of another soul, this means noticing how they feel, what they think and believe, how they respond to many situations and challenges, and what they care about. Such knowledge is gathered during the entire length of the relationship. This core activity of love--seeing and learning--never ends.

Compassion is knowing and feeling the pain, damage, and loss that touches everything. It is an unavoidable part of caring.

Loving beautiful objects also involves active knowing. We study every detail of the object; we learn its history. We watch it change as it reflects different qualities of light. We take in what is unique, what sets it apart from every other object of beauty.

Loving a place on Earth requires the same process. We know it in every season, every time of day. We know it close-up as well as in a vista. We know it by touch and sound. We know what harms and nourishes this place. We experience its beauty viscerally as a part of the fabric that makes us who we are.

Compassion

In a physical world, everything some day becomes damaged and changed by time and erosion, by disease, by loss of function, by the endless collisions of cause and effect. Moun tains wear away; lakes dry up or become saline; deserts form where grass and trees once grew; whole ecosystems change or die. Every thing physical breaks down, the integrity of the original thing worn away and finally lost. Organisms with a nervous system suffer physical pain, and more complex beings suf fer emotional pain as well. Love does not love without feeling joined by this fundamental of existence--how we hurt, how things wear away.

This experience of change and loss-the aching sadness we experience at the damage, breaking down, or loss of objects and places we love--causes pain for sentient beings and lies at the core of physical existence. But it is also the source of our compas sion for everything that feels. Com passion is knowing and feeling the pain, damage, and loss that touches everything. It is an unavoidable part of caring.

Intention

The intention is the force that turns love into action. It’s what expands

passive caring into caring behavior; it transforms passive knowledge of the beloved into an active quest to see and understand. It turns com passion into a commitment to hold, heal, and repair.

The intention is what makes love real in the world; it is the source of every act, every expression of love. The mother who cuddles and rocks her baby to sleep is turning caring into action--this is the intention to love. A partner who asks questions about how a beloved felt and reacted in a challenging moment is acting on the intention to know. Someone who listens to and validates a friend’s distress is turning compassion into action. This, too, is the intention to love.

While the feeling of love will come and go, while desire and engage ment may change, the intention to love can become a constant that shapes and defines our relationships forever. It is through intention that love never dies.

What connects us to everything is love. Each act of love deepens our belonging--not just to one another but to all. Each act of love strength ens our intention, our very ability to love. So it is the muscle of inten tion, as it gets stronger, that makes love bloom in us. With each act of love, we grow more able to see, hear, and feel love. Instead of existing in random, isolated moments where its expression is always a surprise, love dwells in us. It becomes our arms that hold, our legs that carry, our voice that comforts. It becomes what we do and, finally, what we are.

Struggling to choose love when ev erything inside and around us clam ors to choose relief is why we’re here. What would love have you do? This is the only question that matters, the only choice that we come here to make.

Matthew McKay, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, professor of psychology at the Wright Institute, founder of the Berkeley CBT Clinic, and cofounder of the Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinic, which serves low-income clients.

He has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Relax ations and Stress Reduction Workbook, Seeking Jordan, and The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife

The publisher of New Harbinger Publications, Matthew lives in Berkeley, California.

Love in the Time of Impermanence by Matthew Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions Interna tional. www.InnerTraditions.com

KEEP YOUR PUP STRESS-FREE THIS FALL, NATURALLY WITH

Areyou taking your pup on a road trip or traveling by plane? Or deal with separation anxiety, hyperac tivity, or general nervousness regularly? Keep your dog calm, happy, and balanced naturally with Reggie Anytime Calming chews.

Reggie's Anytime Calming chews contain scientifically prov en, natural ingredients Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, Magnolia

Extract, and Phellodendron Extract. In a 4-week study of the adaptogenic effectsof Ashwagandha root extract in dogs, Ash wagandha showed a reduction in signs of fear and anxiety1.

Along with using heavily studied holistic ingredients in pet care to treat stress, Reggie also ensures each ingredient is hu man-grade and sustainable.

"At Reggie, we are creating dog supplements with a purpose by using functional, holistic, and science-backed ingredients that are safe for both pets and hu mans," said CEO and Founder Josh Weiss. "We believe in living holistically, from the regimens you create for yourself to the regimens you create for your dog. I love our formula because it's packed with nutrients and ingredients that I would –and do– put in my own body."

Alongside the powerful natural actives, nutrient-rich chickpea flour and coconut oil provide a healthy, nourishing boost. Unlike other options for anxiety, Anytime Calming chews do not cause leth argy or alter your furry friend's unique personality.

"These days, about 80% of my dog patients are experiencing some type of anxiety. This often takes the form of separation anx iety and daily hyperactivity, which is similarly stressful for human parents. I always recommend the Anytime Calming chews to those patients, and I'm super excited about this formula because the in gredients are strongly studied and nutrient-dense to boot," said Dr. Rachel Mar, DVM.

About the founder; Josh Weiss is the founder and CEO of Reggie, the leading wellness brand for dogs. A lifelong entrepreneur, Weiss has built successful online fashion retailers, but his true passion for being a business operator has come full circle with Reggie. A lifelong dog owner and supplement-taker himself, Weiss felt a motiva tion to educate consumers on the benefits of preventative supplementation for their pets. Realizing there weren't any go-to products available on the market, paired with the research around his neighbor hood and Reggie was born. When he's not striving to 1 Jasleen Kaur, Sujit Seshadri, Krishna Hasitha Golla, Pras anthi Sampara, Efficacy and safety of standardized Ashwa gandha (Withania somnifera) root extract on reducing stress and anxiety in domestic dogs: A randomized controlled trial, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Volume 51, 2022, Pages 8-15. better the lives of dogs, Josh can be found on a pickleball court or playing fetch with his two dogs, Jordy (goldendoo dle) and Teddy (bernedoodle).

REGGIE WELLNESS SUPPLEMENTS OFFER A NATURAL, HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MANAGING STRESS & ANXIETY IN OUR DOGS.

Photo by Yannick Pulver

Welcome to our Contributor Writers ' neighborhood

By Phyllis King

ABUNDANCE CORNER

ABUNDANCE CORNER

By Phyllis King

OUR FEELINGS ARE NEVER WRONG, NOT ALWAYS CORRECT

3STEPS TO KNOW THE TRUTH

One

of the many miracles of the human body and its emotions is that it pro vides us with immediate biofeedback. Through our sensory net work, we know right away when some thing is “off.” We do not always pay attention to it. We do receive signals. Other times we pay too much atten tion. We give feeling and emotion all the power.

In the past 25 years especially, we have evolved our points of view about the benefit of feelings and emotions. Pre viously the mentality was mostly to “suck it up” in life no matter what we were feeling. We have begun to under stand the relevance and value of our feelings and how to use them. In the Law of Attraction, we now know that emotions tend to attract more fully and quickly than any other method we can

practice. In other areas, we now have clinical data to prove the negative in fluence repressed feelings or anger can have on our minds and physical well-being.

We need a balance point when it comes to emotion. There is a point when emotion and adherence to it be come a detriment to our overall well ness. When feeling the biofeedback of the body turns to emotion, we are im mediately taken off center. In that, our truth becomes skewed.

Potent emotion is the most human thing we do during times of loss. Other times we consciously or unconsciously embrace a false truth that comes from our emotional biofeedback. In this awareness, we begin to understand that emotion although enormously useful, does not always tell us the entire story.

Feeling tells us part of the story. Emotion tells us what we believe and can take us away from the truth if we are not dil igent and remain observant of our life process.

The feeling is the side effect or the re action to some stimulation inside of us. Feelings come forward for many rea sons. An external event, an experience we have already had, trauma, memory, formed perceptions, and habits that have caused us to develop belief systems.

Human beings are creatures of hab it. Depending upon the study, it has been suggested that over 90 percent of what we do, think, and feel is a habit. In that, we are not even conscious of the reactions and responses we have formed to our life experiences.

Our goal needs to amend itself to move away from the idea of constant ly creating comfort, instead of accept ing wisdom. We do not question our emotions. We do not qualify them or even consider whether the manner in which we react or respond has veracity.

All of us do it. We learn to navigate life with varying degrees of success by utilizing the information we have ac quired through experience. In that, we formulate beliefs and opinions. Those opinions and beliefs cause us to create a life that feels safe and comfortable to us. Comfort is not always our friend. Any success coach will tell you that to make progress or move your life forward, you must stretch your comfort zone. When it comes to emotion, few people will take that route.

How do we know when emotion is our friend or when it solidifies a false belief?

First, we want to separate emotion from feeling. Emotion causes us to lose ob jectivity. A feeling does not override the rest of our perspective or our ability to be objective.

Next, we want to look at what caused us to be drawn into emotion. Coura

geously look at the belief, habit, or judg ment that is telling us the story about what is true.

Adopt a system through meditation, exercise, or some other method that will pull you away from your emo tional body to realign you with your mental acuity. We do not want to divorce ourselves from feeling, but rath er strive to bring our state of being into balance. This is where the truth most often lives.

Too often, we have a lingering trauma response or a belief that is entirely false. We adopted it because it worked for the moment we were in at the time. We never revisit it to double-check wheth er that belief is still serving us. Rather we plant our feet firmly in the soil set to defend our perspective. We become unconscious. We find it simpler to live an unawakened path. It may be on some level.

An awakened path will always lead us to a greater sense of wholeness and innate joy. It will always make us more magnetic. In that, our sensing becomes more accurate and serves to truly guide us rather than influence us.

We all have to face traumas, disappoint ments, and fatigue. We have to find a way to surrender to living in a manner that includes collaboration with a great er reality. We hear that reality through our hearts, not our emotions. The more we lock ourselves into a perspective that says, “I’m right, and my feelings tell me so,” the more careful we need to be that we are not listening to our own lies. Life is forever evolving. What was true 10 years ago may not be true today. We need to expand our view of life if we are ever to create a peaceful life and planet.

Consider your emotions and your feelings. Learn to align with the truth of them. In doing so more magnetism will develop. The things we need will come to us more easily, and loving relationships will always be our norm.

Known as the Intuitive Life Strategist, Phyllis King has worked with tens of thousands of peoplein 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

By Sherri Cortland, ND

Ways to Consciously Move Forward

Something

I’ve learned from my Guide Group is this: We have to take action to consciously move ourselves forward if we want to make progress. Two ways to make huge strides on our spiritual path are to work on overcoming our fears and to stop judging ourselves and others harshly.

Overcoming Fear…

While there is no doubt that we are living in challenging and scary times, something to remember is that we signed up to be here now. We are not living through these times by accident, and facing and overcoming our fears are things we can do to take control. According to my Guides, facing and overcoming fear are actions that raise our vibratory energy and help keep our feet firmly planted on the evolutionary highway.

Photo by SHAYAN rti

According to my Guide, Gilbert, taking the following steps will help us move forward:

• Define exactly what it is that caus es you to be afraid. We must first identify what it is in order to over come and neutralize it.

• Next, acknowledge it and then re lease it. Get in touch with all the feelings you have that are related to that fear; acknowledge those feelings and release them. Letting them go will neutralize the fear.

• If you have trouble letting them go, call upon your Higher Self and Guides for help. Meditate with the intention of learning how to neu tralize your fear and pay attention to what comes to you.

• Visualize yourself free from that fear. Visualization is putting your thoughts into action.

Here’s how I recently put this into ac tion: When I finished chemo for the second time, I found myself scared to death to drive my car.

I followed Gilbert’s advice, and I’m happy to say that while I’m not ready to drive across the country just yet, I can make it to the grocery store without melting down. I still have work to do, but it is getting better.

Judgments…

If you think about it, judging ourselves and others has its foundation in fear.

My personal belief is that insecurity is at the root of negative judgments, and the fear of not being liked or accepted is something that’s inherent in human beings as a species.

We want to fit in. Suppose we’re afraid that we won’t or can’t, our ego steps in to protect us and often does so by put ting others down so we can feel better about ourselves. Does it help?

Not really—because no matter what mask we put on in the present moment, deep down, we will still har bor that insecurity.

And that means that similar situations

will pop up again and again, provid ing us with windows of opportunity to change our behavior, learn our lessons, deal with that fear, and move forward.

Readers of my first book, Windows of Opportunity, will remember that once upon a time, I turned my back on someone I liked as a person and joined my friends in making fun of her in order to keep those friends and fit in. That happened when I was 11 years old, and I think about it to this day, more than half a century later. My group of friends made fun of that girl because she dressed differently, and what is so humanly crazy about that is that as adults, don’t we strive to find our own style? Windows and lessons—they don’t wait until we’re adults to appear. Continued…

Here are some channeled thoughts from my Guide, Selena… “One of the biggest challenges for your soul in human form is overcoming a lack of self-esteem.

Because you don’t remember who you truly are and because you struggle to learn the lessons and have the growth experiences you came into a body to have in the first place, it is that much more difficult to be true to yourself, your life plan, and your mission. While it is difficult, we understand, to be unique in a world that values sameness, being one of the crowd may be hold ing you back if you are allowing this to erase your true personality and keep you from doing the things you wish to do. Free ourselves of encumbranc es that matter little when it comes to spiritual growth, and see yourself move forward in leaps and bounds. Go in peace.”

Waking up to who we are and taking the road of conscious action isn’t easy, but we all have what it takes to do so.

Remember who you are (a piece of the Creator), and that knowledge will help you on your way.

Namaste

Sherri Cortland has been communicating with her Guide Group, the “GG,” since 1987

via automatic writing.

Much of the information she has received is included in her four books, which were originally published by Ozark Mountain Publishing and are currently available on her website and on Amazon.

On Sherri’s website, you will find several free classes and meditations, along with more articles and workshops on video.

https://www.facebook.com/SherriCortlandAuthor

www.Sherri-Cortland.com

OUR TRUE SELF

By Angela Dunning

Photo by Alexander Jawfox

RECLAIMING

Your Agency

When there has been a profound wound to the Self/Psyche/ Soul early in life, it can leave a person floundering and with a definite sense that they are powerless, helpless, and without choice. When this feeling takes over the way a person views themselves, then ac cess to their own agency is usually lacking and sometimes almost completely absent. There's a pervasive sense that life happens TO them, and they often feel out of con trol.

Without a solid connection to our agency and capacity to affect our lives, we are left adrift in a sea of powerless ness, feeling that we can't make choices and have an impact on the direction of our life. We might also feel we can't ever say no to people and their demands on

us, forever acquiescing, giving in, and putting ourselves and our own needs and desires last. We are also left vulnerable to repeated feelings of overwhelm, which often gets imaged in our dreams by things like tidal waves coming to engulf us or other scenarios where we feel helpless and unable to DO anything to save our selves or those we love.

People with a history of trauma and particularly early childhood trauma and attachment wounds, often experience this state of overwhelm. As adults, they struggle to create the life they truly de sire, or it only ever happens in 'fits and starts.' Each time they make mistakes or 'fail,' it hits them especially hard, and recovery can take a very long time. All the while, their self-confidence, and faith in themselves take further hits, and the cycle continues.

However, it IS possible to heal this particular wound and, over time, begin to reclaim our innate capacities for agency, choice, direction, and personal power. All of these may have lain dormant for many, many years if not de cades, but they still remain inside of us somewhere. In this sense, they are potential new energies and abilities that we DO possess; they just need rediscovering and activating. As with all healing, this is best done incrementally over time and with support.

As Peter Levine says: "Because every injury exists within life and life is constantly renewing itself, within every injury is the seed of healing and renewal. At the mo ment our skin is cut or punctured by a foreign object, a magnificent and precise series of biochemical events is orchestrated through evolutionary wisdom. The body has been designed to renew itself through continuous self-correction. These same principles also apply to the healing of psyche, spirit, and soul."

So beneath the injury lies our innate self-healing capacity to re cover this lost potential. Shamanic healers know all about this realm when during soul and power re trievals, they go off and find these lost aspects of their client and bring them back to the person to integrate them. Without these parts, we are not whole, so it's vital we find ways to reclaim them.

Another part of this process, how ever, is learning to become famil iar with both feeling and using this newfound power. If we've lived most of our adult life feeling powerless and lacking in agency, then it can definitely feel wonder ful to finally have this sense, but we also have to take care with how we use our newfound sense of power, being sure not to wield it over others in harmful ways.

We will be clumsy to start with, and it will need time to settle and for us to refine how we use it so that we are not gung-ho about our missions in life.

It's in the body where we will initially experience these new feel ings and capacities, so we need to work carefully with our body and allow it to guide us as to how much power to use, when and in appropriate ways.

Don't underestimate just how good it feels to finally feel you have the courage and the capaci ty to say no to people and situa tions that aren't in your best in terests. Or to make choices that really do serve you and to begin to direct your life in new and sat isfying ways which bring you not only fulfillment but also joy and happiness, states which are also found wanting in people who lack agency because we tend to believe we don't deserve to feel good like other people do.

You DO deserve to experience these things. You DO deserve to create a life that serves your needs and desires and brings you joy. You DON'T have to continue feeling powerless and ineffective. You are FAR more powerful than you think, and you DO have far more agency than you've come to believe. It's all there, lying deep inside and simply waiting for you to approach and make the connection so that you can bring these jewels up into the light and enlist their service to you and your life. It's your time, so start your search now.

Quote by Peter Levine from his book 'Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma', p.123.

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. Angela writes regularly on Facebook: ebook.com/thehorsestruth. You can learn more about Angela and her work helping people and horses at: www.thehorsestruth.co.uk.

If we've lived most of our adult life feeling powerless and lacking in agency, then it can definitely feel wonderful to finally have this sense, but we also have to take care with how we use our newfound sense of power, being sure not to wield it over others in harmful ways.

By Heidi

ELEVATING YOUR HSP-NESS

Photo by Leonid Shaydulin

A Celestial Life

Every one of us is different. Each one of us is unique. Yet, the simple energetic truth is that we are all insepara bly one. (Alone, from "all one"; "The one, individualized, never separate or apart.”) It seems that one of the great est paradoxes of living a human life is finding a way to consciously exist as a separate being while simultaneously knowing and feeling, and experiencing the fact that we are all interconnected.

How does that happen? How can we live in a way that invites us to live— and enjoy—the aspects of humanhood that can make life so glorious while still being part of a world that some times appears so disjointed, discon nected, and so determinedly disingen uous?

Many approaches, beliefs, techniques, and philosophies address this ques tion. And there is no doubt that my perspective is only one of those. It is not newly invented, nor is it newly discovered. It is, however, a new way of interpreting the data that invites us to live differently. And in particular, it offers a new way of interpreting and walking through life for those of us who are HSPs/Highly Sensitive People (a term coined by Dr. Elaine Aron in the nineties) /high-sensitives/and just plain old "sensitive."

For me, it's been revolutionary.

For something to be elevated, it first has to exist at a level you can recog

nize and measure in some form. When talking about high sensitivity, the com mon approach is to try to mitigate it, if not manage it, control it, and stifle it. We don't want to do that! Instead, we are invited to embrace it. To ramp up our sensitivities—including our intuitiveness and knowing- which, once elevated, ramp up our confidence and ability to feel productive and safe in the world. In other words, willingly holding onto all the positive aspects of being an HSP and turning around the ones that appear negative by shift ing our perspective into a whole new gear.

The question is: How? Transforming sensitivities that may have always felt like curses into bless ings may seem unlikely, if impossible. Take it from a rabidly highly sensitive person like me who, after so many years where nothing really changed, I'll all but give up. I never, ever thought I'd find any way to celebrate those so-called curses!

Sounds like a stretch, I know. And, admittedly, intellectually understand ing the process of how to get from A to B, to actually feeling different are two very different things , and can feel overwhelming…especially because just about anything can feel overwhelming when you're an HSP. This is why I always start with how to deal with the basis of "overwhelm" itself, one of the most common traits of the HSP, the Highly Sensitive Person.

I remind myself that my psychic tentacles have gone where they are better off not going—into the energy fields of others. I remind myself that I have the power to reel in those tentacles until they are back where they need to be so that I am in alignment.

Overwhelming comes from feeling too much. Feeling too much comes from picking up, taking on, and ab sorbing all the energies around us. We're like psychic sponges, soaking up energy—fears, anxieties, anger, etc.—like sponges in a bowl of wa ter. We can't help it. We're there; the water is there. Next thing you know, the water is inside us. Take us out of the water, and we're soaked through, dripping wet. So full of water, it runs through us, spills out of us, and gets all over everything without direction or purpose.

The Psychic Octopus is one of my all-time favorite and most successful tools because it's like wringing out a sponge full of excess water. Every time I feel myself kicking into the gear of overwhelming (for me, that usually means my heart starts to pound, my head gets foggy, my jaw tenses, I want to run away), I remind myself that my psychic tentacles have gone where they are better off not going—into the energy fields of others. I remind myself that I have the power to reel in those tentacles until they are back where they need to be so that I am in alignment. It's like wrapping myself around myself in a giant hug. Deliver ing myself into a place where I don't have to protect myself from anyone or anything. Where all I need to do is hunker down in my own energy, where I feel calm and relaxed.

How to go from freakout to chill in one fell swoop

So, here you are. Feeling overwhelmed, like you want to run and hide. The first thing you need to do is admit it to yourself. Recognize the symptoms. "Gee, I feel lousy all of a sudden. All this noise! All these people! All this __________!” And then say, "Oh, I get it. I'm feeling overwhelmed. This is the signal that I'm taking on some one else's (or other people's) energy. When that happens, it means that I'm not grounded in my own energy" (what I call your Unique Energetic

Signature or UES). "When I'm not grounded in my own energy, here's what I can do to real in my Psychic Octopus."

1. Physically stand still.

2. Envision/Feel/Sense the energy that you are automatically emitting— that automatically exists around you. Your very own energetic field.

3. Picture yourself as an octopus with tentacles and your energetic field as the stretch of those tentacles. How far do they reach? The farther they reach, the farther you are capable of (and likely to be) "dipping into" oth er people's energy fields. Picking up what they're putting down . . . usually without knowing it, often until it's too late.

4. Ask yourself: When did I start feel ing overwhelmed? Where was I? What was I doing?

5. Ask yourself: Is this really MY en ergy? Am I actually reacting to some thing that happened TO ME? Or was I feeling fine and then—snap—in stant overwhelmed?

6. Remind yourself that you can reel in your very own psychic octopus— your energetic field—so you become settled once again. Once you "reel in" your psychic tentacles, your psy chic/energetic field, you're no longer globbing onto the energy emitted by others. You are able to, once again, be, and ultimately remain, in a place of alignment.

As you practice this method and be come acclimated to the feeling of alignment, of being "reeled in," you'll like how it feels so much that you'll want to stay there all the time.

Not only because you are no longer at the whim of every drop of energy that comes your way, but simply because it feels so darn good.

Envision/Feel/Sense the energy that you are automatically emitting—that automatically exists around you. Your very own energetic field.

Heidi Connolly, The Celestial Profes sor, is the author of the soon-tobe-published book Elevating Your HSP-ness: How to Live a HighFrequency Life that Amplifies Your Vibration, Celebrates Your Sensitivities, & Uplifts the World!, Crossing the Rubicon, and The Gateway Café. As anintuitive medium, coach, and guided musician, Heidi offers books, workshops, and musical recordings for anyone interested in exploring a new approach to life that's as unique as you are. Heidiconnolly.com/ hspness.com theobitwriter.net/ and harvardgirledits.com

THE ARTISTRY OF YOU MASTERING

By Zee

It's

another day in paradise. Do you miss those first three/four years after birth? Breathing, exploring, living thousands of never-before experiences as they catapult you through all your five senses at the speed of light. This was your, our world before the unconscious cataloged, selected, and packaged hundreds of those limited best versions of you, chosen for safety to carry one all the way through to one's future ending! I can see clearly now the rain has gone.

The challenges involved in transformational identity, exist ing today between young and old and the status quo, have left mankind with an overabundance of interpretations, thus making understanding the reality of who and what we are allowed socially "to be" become an open and closed book of constantly evolving confused unknowns.

These issues will forever remain unsolved, while the intellec tual mindset jumps from one frying pan of self-diagnosis to a myriad of frying pans of self-ownership. How we perceive the world and self through our five senses is all related to our infinite needs and one's constant change of personal accep tance.

WHY NOW?

Here humanity stands in desperation as the unseen human, crying out, wanting to be acknowledged, and be recognized by all existence, now finally breaks the ice in a frustrated emotional gesture, raises the hand upward in a one-fingered salute.

The world is your oyster. Which world is whose oyster?

Is the "never being enough" an issue for our existing social state of being, or is the real road to survival, personal salvation in this earthly plane, about overcoming one's internal self-imposed dialogue cemented in unremembered foundational trauma?

When does the realization come home that all humans, all cultures, regardless of color and all the other judgments, are equal in the notion of self-identity lost?

The big picture question arises when we consider the enormous assemblage of narratives existing on the world stage, drowning all societies as a daily event— constantly imprisoning all of humanity into a cyclic regression of self-indulgence. And if one dares to move closer to the here and now, reality may appear as an act of human self-indulgence by allowing one the esteemed privilege of going down with the ship. In fact, the idea that this ancient process is alive and well in today's chaos states the very delusion we func tion in as being normal. Death functions as the better option, so one never has to acknowledge and face one's intuitive awareness. Death be thy choice!

ESCAPE TO YOU

A stranger remarks that after looking back on life, one feels over time totally emerged in death. The death of friends, family, and both parents, now feels as if one's whole existence has been living one's life as a loss. Now for them, the assumptions of experiences learned and the associated fear of future loss has been replaced due to recent uncertainties by a common state of a world realization mindset. There is nothing greater in life than family connection and relationships.

Understandably one could say this con clusion is now their purpose. Having identified with this belief and acknowl edged the reality with their feelings, they now feel and have a strong connection to their personal identity. Is that enough to sustain one's future human existence? The question remains, are they at a dis advantage, and if so, what may appear as real is, in fact, a limitation? Happiness is a child with their favorite toy.

IS THAT ALL THERE IS

The cover-ups we pour over ourselves in order to fit in, not to upset, and not to be judged drain the possible living life. It severely empties the juice out of our physical body long before we step into our later stages of beingness. When one journeys into what exists in the consump tion stages of today's humanity, there exist hundreds of processes to defy the latter aspects of physical life, how to grow the soul, and how to remove one's ego. Are we so unhappy with our existence? Are we humans addicted to the need for acceptance, never to stand, face, and over come those fears we constantly suppress?

KISS THE FROG

Comfort is a powerful enemy. It's a hand's up high showdown. How dare you decide to be anything other than what the unconscious status quo demands! Commit, and you will be rewarded with power, likeability, connection, and so cialization. Stand on the fringes, and Humpty dumpty you will become, and all the king's men will never be able to put you back together again, comprende!

Ritual has always been associated with rites of passage, which allows one to find, and freely express one's special contribu tion and purpose and acknowledge the building of one's place and self-identity within the community. This is how far we have come in today's new understanding of society's self-identification. One finds the self through our personally owned believed structures, by dividing up one's life experiences through our likes and dislikes. The individual decides, grasps personal ownership, and lays claim to an idea already existing within their fearbased and chosen mindset programs. Now that's a new definition for limitation

It's the power of Choice CAN ANYTHING SAVE US?

The sunny afternoon slowly evaporates into PM. Surrounded by a large number of humans, bats slowly awaken among the pine trees for their nightly excursion, completely unnoticed by a single person.

When we choose to determine our own personal identity, we do so at the peril of never fully grasping our true hidden nature. CHOICE, sprouted as the great decider in life, in reality, is nothing more than a mechanical mindset process.

Is this how we in all our purposeful in tentions, function in the external world, blind as bats? Will humanity always re main the victims of the acquired knowl edge of a few intellectuals whose obser vations are limited to one-thousandth of a percentage of that of a six-month young baby? What sanity is this, that a time-limited idea can tie up and prolong the evolution of the human race based on a single directional funded research designed for so few? Has humanity ar rived at an ineffable death due to intelli gence vacated?

It seems we have no idea of who and what we are. The revelations one has about the self are grossly misinformed. We have become allies with our preprogrammed subconscious to maintain a sense of comfortable safety. This is the mindset of an educated adult who is clearly ignorant of the world, which keeps said humans supposedly in the living.

Could human behavior and combined actions be the cause of why we swim among these unrecognizable conse quences? The reason why humanity no longer knows itself and lacks the aware ness to see our incoming future.

Now we are surrounded by our conse quences as they loom above us as dark clouds filled with heavy, unhealthy rain.

As we are all creatures lost among these so-called modern progressive jungles, it is now apparent that it is up to each and everyone to unleash their real cohesive, creative forces to finally discover their soul's identity. Are we overdue in under standing that humanity, all of humanity, is held within our hands? Will we come collectively together and find a common cause beyond the self, as this is human ity's future?

Mastery is never about being the best of the best, like when we compare who is the number one in sport, chess, in telligence, or any form of competition. Mastering one's self is in knowing the essence of one's existence beyond the mind games we find ourselves living

in as our daily routine of self-progres sion. As a collective, we are still waiting for Columbus's discovery of self and humanity's unified community to show a path where maturity can finally walk.

Intuition tells us if I go to the top of the hill, I can cut them down as they come through the pass. Learned intuition tells us; that if the story is logical and full of emotion, one can sell the car for double its worth. As humans, our identi ty has learned how to survive; now more than ever, we need those learned skills to be practiced in today's jungle realm for the sake of family needs and the dozens of other needs we constantly in vent each year to maintain one's chosen entrapment.

It's all good. Oh yes, it is. It truly is ok, all the above. The point in question is our long-planned goal/future real ly a mistaken short-term view, and if so, what is it, that ONE idea we have unknowingly programmed not to see? Can humans overcome their limited lack of awareness and rise to the realiza tion that humans are not the only living intelligence on the face of this planet we call Earth?

When we choose to determine our own personal identity, we do so at the peril of never fully grasping our true hidden nature. CHOICE, sprouted as the great decider in life, in reality, is nothing more than a mechanical mindset process. It is one of the greatest negatives that have duped mankind into mistakenly acknowledging this single idea as a positive.

Fools are we, lost in doing and being, surrounded by, living in a world unseen.

Mastering the Artistry of Self has been written about in countless volumes over time. One wonders if we humans are capable of ever discovering the key that unlocks our true identity.

By Joey Santos, Jr.

YOUNG AGAIN

Photo by Christopher Campbell

Areany of us the age we are chronologically? Yes, of course. But physi cally, emotionally, and mentally? Not always.

If "age is just a number," then why can't we change ours? I actually never thought about my age until my age started thinking about me! Subtle reminders here and there when I hit 40. Mind you, I breezed through them. I was in shape. I maintained my looks' energy, wit, and spirit. But, there was a nagging suspicion that time and energy as I knew it was ticking away. Hello, 50! Now, that helped me realize my suspicion. I began a relationship with someone half my age. It wasn't a mid-life crisis. I already drove a Black Convertible. There was no premedita tion. It was chemistry and a genuine connection. Until the chemistry blew up the laboratory and the connection short-circuited. But for that year and then some we spent together, it was memorable, and the lessons learned proved invaluable.

Have you ever asked yourself or a friend, If you could go back or forward to any age, which age would it be? And, why? ( This might make a great Board-game. ) I have. Try to avoid the "yawn" when someone undoubtedly says, "I pick the age I am right now!"

The person who says that is usually in their twenties. This game is best played by the 40-plus crowd. It should be intended for "Mature Audiences."

I can't blame them. When I was 20something, I never thought beyond anything. Let alone what the future would look like, feel like! Body aches, pains, forgetfulness, finances, failed relationships, responsibilities, Doctor appointments, etc. Like I said, subtle and not-so-subtle reminders that it's

time to dim the house lights. And for some, the bedroom lights! The fear of one day becoming invisible. Our jokes are now considered inappropriate or politically incorrect, no longer funny, irrelevant - how I dislike the word - or the way a simple compliment is mis construed into an innuendo.

Maybe this game is not such a good idea after all. It may garner a few laughs at the start, but by the end, it will undoubtedly create bouts of depres sion! It kind of sums up life itself.

Maybe we should stop wondering about how yesterday was or tomorrow might be and settle into making to day count. There is beauty in aging. A knowledge. An accomplishment. A sense of being there/done that. A pride. Learn from me. A growth. A calm. With all of its riddles and rat tles, I can honestly say, "I pick the age I am right now"! Try to avoid the yawn.

Years ago, I was having dinner with a dear friend of mine who was a very famous actress. She was 90 at the time. The topic came up, "If you could go back,"….she said, I'd go back to 47. Wow, ok, I thought maybe she'd say 17, 25, you know, something fresh and hopeful. Not that 47 is stale and doubt ful, but I felt surprised. I asked her why she said 47. Without skipping a beat, she said, because, at 47, I owned all of me. My career, my body, my looks, my spirit, my past, and the future were everything I wanted. And what I wanted then was to have all that I could create and live fabulously until 90. She lived to be 91.

Age is not a number. It's a gift.

Joey Santos is a Celebrity Chef, Life Stylist & Co-Host of The Two Guys From Hollywood Podcast on Spotify. A Columnist for The Eden Magazine since 2016.

Joey was raised in NYC, Malibu, and West Hollywood. He is the son of Film & Television Actor Joe Santos, and his Grandfather is World-Renowned Latin Singer Daniel Santos. To follow Joey on IG: @jojoboy13 To contact Joey; whynotjoe@gmail.com

Maybe we should stop wondering about how yesterday was or tomorrow might be and settle into making count today. There is beauty in aging.

An Easy Energetic Cord-Cutting Method to Free Yourself from your Dependencies, Fears, and Conscious and Unconscious Attachments

Created by therapist Jacques Martel in 1993, the Little Stick Figures Technique is an effective emotional-healing tool to free yourself from your dependencies, fears, and conscious and unconscious attachments. This easy energetic cord-cutting method moves beyond mere visu alization to actual physical practice: you draw two stick figures—one being yourself and the other the person, situation, or emotion you wish to detach from. You surround both figures with light, draw the connecting cords between the chakras of each figure, and then cut the pa per between the two stick figures to complete the practice. The method draws its effectiveness from the power of the unconscious, helping you to set intentions for change and let go. In this illustrated guide, the authors explain how to apply the 7 steps of the Little Stick Fig ures Technique to obtain maximum results and truly lasting changes. They provide more than 150 examples of successful uses of this method, including how to improve relationships with a partner or an ex-partner, how to detach from family entanglements, how to attract your soulmate and abundance, how to resolve problems at work, and how to detach from a toxic situation and start the process of emotional self-heal ing. The authors also detail a general cleansing and rebalancing protocol for your conscious and unconscious programs, which helps harmonize your relationships and supports you to be more centered, calm, and in control of your life.

AN EXERCISE TO DETACH

A PERSON

By Lucie Bernier

Lucie Bernier is a therapist, Reiki master teacher, speaker, and workshop leader. Co-author with Jacques Martel of The Ency clopedia of Ailments and Diseases, she teaches classes and workshops on self-development and healing in North America and Europe. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada. Robert Lenghan is a consultant, trainer, and facilitator with extensive experience in change management, human resources, and project organization. Also a Reiki master, Robert lives in Québec, Canada.

Photo by Andrey Novik

The purpose of the follow ing exercise is to enable you to have more detach ment toward a person or a situation. Attachment and depen dency are not true love. Whereas love is also wisdom and freedom, attachment places us instead in the position of wanting, consciously or unconsciously, to control someone else or a situation, thus preventing the divine energy from flowing freely for the greatest benefit to ourselves and to others.

The conscious or unconscious at tachment that exists between two persons can be found at the level of each energy center, each of which corresponds to a state of conscious ness or awareness.

We have 7 main energy centers, or chakras, which correspond to a level of consciousness. See the illustration below:

Draw the conscious or unconscious links of attachment connecting the 7 energy centers of both persons. Each link represents the conscious or unconscious attachment that ex ists between the two persons at the level of each energy center, each of which corresponds to a state of consciousness.

We can experience a conscious or un conscious attachment with respect to any of these aspects with the persons and situations in our environment. The following exercise aims to free ourselves from attachment to certain persons or situations to make more room for love.

Draw yourself and the other person in with the links of attachment that are maintained between yourself and the other person, which connects each of the energy centers to the oth er person. We don’t need to know the % of the attachment – the work is done in any case.

Again, these lines represent the links of attachment that I have or might have with the other person. Once these links are drawn, I take a pair of scissors and cut the image in two. I can tear the page with my hands, which is accept able, and I don’t need scissors.

I may also be afraid of doing this ex ercise because that will make me freer from this person, and as a result, it will make me still more responsible for my own life. Moving toward more happi ness can also make me a little afraid because it is unfamiliar to me. But it is important for me to remember that I will find myself with more Love, more Wisdom, and more Freedom Summary of the 7 steps of the tech nique with another person

1. Draw yourself and write your first name and family name under the figure

2. Draw the other person and write the person’s first name and family name under the figure.

Cut away the conscious or uncon scious attachment links between the 2 people and say, “Thanks. It is done!”

3. Draw a circle of light around yourself (including your first and family name) with the rays.

4. Draw a circle of light around the other person (including their first and family names) with the rays.

5. Draw a circle of light around both persons with the rays.

6. Draw the 7 conscious or uncon scious links of attachment by connect ing each of the 7 energy centers of the two persons.

7. Cut away the 7 conscious or uncon scious links of attachment connecting the two persons.

Then say: “Thanks. It’s done!”

Sock

monkeys are mag ical goodwill ambas sadors that bring hap piness and adventure wherever they roam.

That may seem to be a grand statement, but I have found it true. And I didn't even grow up with a sock monkey!

My Sock Monkey Story

When I was 35, my mom passed away, and our father sold our childhood home. As we packed up the house, I found mom's sock monkey in an old cedar chest. The faded monkey was somewhat worn, but I was quite taken with its engaging grin, and my family decided he should go home with me. And so, he did.

One day, in response to an oil painting competition, I set up a still life to create a tribute to my late mother. As I thought of items that would compose the still life, I remembered Mom's sock monkey and promptly res cued him from the cedar chest.

As I pulled him out of the chest, I smiled and decided he was the perfect symbol to embody Mom's sweet soul. Every time I encountered her sock monkey, I felt radiant love.

Over time, more than 46 paint ings emerged, and many magical things happened along the way. I named the series Monkey Made of Sockies. The artwork inspired a children's book, fine art prints, bank checks, golf ball mark ers, and more! Monkey Made of Sockies then became a family of golf club headcovers carried on tour by PGA and LPGA pro fessionals. I was a Marshall at the 2008 US Women's Open. Now that was magical!

ARE MAGICAL Sock Monkeys

By Shannon Grissom

I had a Sock Monkey Oracle card deck in mind from the beginning for each painting. But it would take many years before the project would come to fru ition.

I took a good hard look at my creative work to discern my next course of action, and I was immediately com pelled to finish the Sock Monkey Oracle card deck. The text came tum bling out over the course of a month, and the graphic design soon followed. The resulting body of work is a deck that is doubly infused with love, both from the artwork and the text.

A Bit of Sock Monkey History

As I painted, I became curious about the origin of the sock monkey and started to research their history. I discovered that folks have been mak ing dolls from scrap material for a very long time. For example, the British Museum has a rag doll in its permanent collection dating from the first to fifth centuries.

Sock monkeys, however, are a bit more recent. Their origin can be traced to Rockford, Illinois, and the Nelson Knitting Company. John Nelson in vented the first seamless-sock knitting machine in the mid-1800s. Oddly, he didn't use his own device. Instead, he rented it to knitting companies across the globe. Nelson passed away in 1883, and it was his children who started a knitting factory and put his invention to work.

Sock monkeys began to emerge around 1932, during the Great Depression. What prompted their appearance? Hard times, creativity, and color ful socks! Once the Nelson Knitting Company changed the heel of their popular sock from brown to red, folks began creating dolls with the red-heeled socks that had been worn beyond use, and the sock monkey as we know it was born.

Today, sock monkeys are made with all manner of socks in every color imag inable. And I'd be willing to bet that

most are now made with brand-new socks.

GoodWill Ambassadors

Sock Monkeys, indeed, are magical goodwill ambassadors. I found that there are organizations all over the country that make and gift sock mon keys to hospital patients. For example, the Monkey Toy Ladies, a volunteer group for Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, marked their 40th anniversary of sock monkey making and giving in 2017. They have created and gifted over 12,000 monkeys and infinitely more smiles for patients and their families. That's a whole lot of love!

Living History and Preservation

Creating and playing with sock mon keys is a form of living history. They harken back to a simpler time—a time before cell phones and social media, A time when folks used their imagination and creativity as they interacted with one another. To that end, I was not surprised to find museums dedicated to preserving this folk art. The Midway Village Museum in Rockford, Illinois, holds an annual festival to celebrate everything, sock monkey. I love their triage tent, where volunteers dressed as nurses stitch up frazzled monkeys. And the new Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove, Illinois, has one of the largest vintage sock monkey collections in the United States.

I was also tickled to discover sock monkey shelters dedicated to the res toration of these magical creatures. Nancie Korber of Springfield, Oregon, has such a shelter and has returned many a monkey back to health. Many of her healed patients now reside in the new Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove, Illinois.

My Hope for You Sock monkeys and the Sock Monkey Oracle have taken me on a grand ad venture! Whether you use the card deck for self-reflection, divination, or just plain fun, my hope for you is that you feel the nostalgia and start some thing magical of your own.

Shannon Grissom didn't discover painting until she was 33, but once she discovered this hidden passion, she was hooked and driven.

By 1999, Shannon was able to leave her day job and began to create art as a full-time business. At 46, Shannon self-published her children's book Monkey Made of Sockies, along with a line of licensed merchandise, includ ing a coloring book and the popular Monkey Made of Sockies golf club headcovers that have been carried on tour by several LPGA pros.

Shannon is an award-winning artist, television producer/host, author, and songwriter, and she just launched an online creativity school called Painterly. Learn more about her work with sock monkeys at: sockmonkeyoracle.com

Creating and playing with sock monkeys is a form of living history. They harken back to a simpler time—a time before cell phones and social media, A time when folks used their imagination and creativity as they interacted with one another.

Bite (Because It’s The Earth) products are all-natural, ze ro-waste, tube-free, 100% vegan, gluten-free, cruel ty-free, and on a mission to become the world’s most sus tainable personal care com pany.

The company started as an oral care brand and has now expanded into general care and makes non-toxic person al care products – ranging from toothpaste, deodorant, and body cleanser, to body balm, mouthwash, tooth brushes, and whitening gel –and packages in a plastic-free and sustainable way.

ists to reduce her personal environmental footprint and to create a more eco-friendly oral hygienic routine.

Bite was started by Lindsay McCormick, named by Fast Company as one of its Most Creative People in Business, in her living room in 2018 after learning that over 1 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown out every year. She initially produced the first Bite tablets on a hand-press tableting machine after en rolling in a self-taught on line chemistry course and speaking with hundreds of dentists and dental hygien

Going from a side hustle in her LA apartment with only $6,000 in the bank to go ing viral overnight to turn ing down both Mark Cu ban and Kevin O’Leary on Shark Tank to building out what’s now an 8-figure cult beauty brand business with fan favorites like Jason Mo moa, Drew Barrymore, Don Cheadle, and Iliza Shlesing er, the real question is – how does she do it? She took chemistry classes, talked to dentists, and bought a tablet ing machine. When we say we “started in a living room” we mean it.

Bite is now disrupting the personal care market, one tablet at a time.

Lindsay McCormick the founder

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION & SKINCARE TIPS TO PREVENT ACNE & REDUCE OIL

By Elina Fedotova, Cosmetic Chemist, Celebrity Esthetician & Founder of Elina Organics

Elina Fedotova is the Founder and Chief Formulator for Elina Organics, which since 1998 has offered award-winning, sophisticated, organic formulations that naturally deliver clinical results. Elina is also an award-winning Cosmetic Chemist, Master and Celebrity Licensed Esthetician, and the President of the Association of Holistic Skin Care Practitioners, founded in 2007. She hand makes her professional skin care line in her laboratory, based in Michigan, in small batch production using holistic principles and organic ingredients from around the world.

Not only is a healthy skincare routine important to the process, but your diet also plays a significant role in the appearance of your skin. Your body starts to protest by purging through your skin.

Eachone of us is unique. You can naturally be born with an oilier complex ion than others which could be a genetic pre disposition for acne. Some people do not need to do anything because they have naturally perfect skin. Oth er people must focus daily on their skincare, diet, and lifestyle regimen to prevent and control breakouts.

Not only is a healthy skincare routine important to the process, but your diet also plays a significant role in the appearance of your skin. Your body starts to protest by purging through your skin. Ingredients also matter when selecting skincare products with the goal of acne prevention.

Elina Organics Skincare products help reduce oil, purify the pores, and detoxify the skin. Ingredients, includ ing burdock root, willow bark extract, Calendula, copper, and more, are vital to helping acne-prone skin.

moisturizer. I also recommend using gentle scrubs that help purify the pores and masks with clay bases that contain minerals such as copper and sulfur. They help drain impurities and excess oil out of the pores.

Below are my 9 lifestyles, nutrition, and skincare tips to prevent acne:

1. Nutrition: We start addressing inflammatory skin conditions like acne and rosacea by suggesting di etary changes – reduce or completely eliminate soft drinks and processed foods because they are packed with different synthetic additives like ni trates, artificial dyes, and flavorings. All those ingredients could stimulate inflammatory processes in the entire body, including the skin. The major ity of people see reductions in acne just after they eliminate dairy and sugary foods. If indulging in a desert, I would suggest choosing dark choco late, fruits, or baked goods made from whole grains like oatmeal cookies in stead.

Elina Organics offers a stellar Oil Control product that is a key skin care product for reducing oil and has been named 'Best Acne Serum'. A serum for acne-prone complexion should be made with cooling, calm ing, and anti-inflammatory herbs like burdock root or Calendula, like our Oil Control. It is fabulous if the serum has a natural form of fulvic or salicylic acid.

Serums need to be applied to irri tated or inflamed areas before your

2. Vegetables & Fruits: In general, you should increase eating foods that help to clean your skin from the in side out, and those foods include all organically grown greens like celery, cucumber, broccoli, and spinach. Substitute these for pasta or potatoes with a clean source of protein. One of the most beneficial skin-purifying foods is artichoke. It has a high con centration of silymarin which helps to detoxify and calm our skin. The most beneficial way to eat an arti choke is to boil it for 10 minutes with your favorite spices and to use the broth daily, at least a cup a day. Organically grown watermelon also helps to purify the body and improve your complexion. Organic berries like red and black currant, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, and papaya will also help your skin.

3. Limit Stress: One of the main contributors to acne is stress. Cor tisol and other stress hormones intoxicate our body and could be damaging to all aspects of our health, including the skin.

4. Sleep: Generally, good sleep plays an important role in making sure the body is producing all the neces sary hormones for healthy cellular function. We need to make sure we are not going to bed too late and to make sure we are not sleeping in a room with working computers and TV screens and EMF-emit ting devices. I also would suggest having a cup of relaxing herbal tea with rose, chamomile, or valeri an root. It helps you to relax and calm down to have a restful sleep.

5. Skincare Routine: It is very important to have a healthy skin care regimen that will include cleansing products that can remove excessive amounts of oil and pollut ants without damaging your skin's protective barrier. I would suggest avoiding ingredients with SLS and using sulfate-free cleansing lotions. I also would not suggest people use bar soap for the acne-prone complexion. If for some reason, you cannot really find a natural and effective cleansing lotion, you can simply substitute it by mixing organic kefir with a little bit of bak ing soda and cleanse your skin with that solution. The baking soda will absorb excess oil and impurities. Kefir will help to balance the skin's microbiome.

6. Skin Hydration: We all heard that the skin needs to be hydrated, but a lot of the time, people mis take hydration with emollience and use oil-based products on their skin as a moisturizer. I would never suggest doing that for acne or ro sacea-prone complexion because it can contribute to more breakouts and redness. It is very important to use special treatment serums

with ingredients like salicylic acid extracted from willow bark, herbal extracts of burdock, dandelion, red clover, peppermint, and essential oils of turmeric, tea tree, and yar row. They are all helpful for prob lem complexion.

7. Makeup/Beauty Routine: It is very important to make sure that after using a healthy skin care regi men, you do not poison it with con ventional makeup based on talcum and silicone. My advice is that if you are using foundation, it should be water-based with zinc oxide as the main pigment that protects our skin from sun damage and has healing anti-antimicrobial effects on the skin. Crashed pearls and Zinc oxide-based makeup powders would be the best choice. Avoid silicone-based ingredients like di methicone or Cyclomethicone in your makeup because they act as a plastic wrap over your skin, not al lowing it to breathe or absorb mois ture from the air, and can contrib ute to more inflammation. Look for ingredients like pearl powder, sink oxide, sunflower phospholipids, herbal extracts, and essential oils.

8. Limit Sun Exposure: Many people with acne-prone complex ion are addicted to sun exposure and tanning. UV rays have an anti bacterial effect on the skin and help to dry up blemishes and reduce oil. Tan also helps hide scarring and redness, but it is a temporary benefit because continuous sun ex posure will lead to premature skin aging, discolorations, and even skin cancer. I can't say that sun exposure contributes to acne it does not. It can even help for a short time, but I do not suggest using it as an acne therapy because it is a dangerous habit. Make sure your skin is pro tected with a zinc oxide-based sun screen that also contains pearl pow der, which helps to keep moisture in the skin and absorb excessive amounts of oil from the pores.

9. Smoking Habits: One of the main functions of the skin is elimination.

Our sweat and oil glands release toxins from the body through the pores. So, if we put more toxins into our system, like smoking a cigarette, more toxins will come out of our pores which can result in worsening our skin.

Year-round, I recommend select ing oil-reducing and acne-pre venting, pore purifying, and detoxifying products, including Elina Organics Herbal Cleanser, Herbal Toner, Crushed Copper Mask, Pore Purifying Oxygen Solution, Emergency Powder, and Rescue Bio Sanitizing Mist.

All products are handmade in Elina Organics' laboratory in Michigan by myself and my team. These organic seasonally adjusted skin care products provide unparalleled results. Elina Or ganics formulations change seasonally for optimum effectiveness and can be customized for your unique needs.

supplements that help balance the digestive process. The best way to do this precisely is to work with a doc tor of functional medicine or another holistic physician who will also help analyze and adjust your diet. Use a simple skincare routine with a gentle cleanser and pore purifying scrub or mask to decongest your skin. Make sure to use a treatment serum that helps to control excessive oil in prob lem areas of your face, such as the T-Zone. To hydrate, proceed with a light natural lotion and a sunscreen based on zinc oxide. Zinc oxide will reflect the UV rays but also has antibacterial skin calming and healing properties. Avoid heavy moisturizers with a high content of oils, butter, and silicone derivatives. Allow your skin to breathe through the day, and do not patch it with conventional con cealers and foundations. Use natural makeup products that conceal your skin with zinc oxide, sea or freshwater pearl powder, and natural pigments.

The most important step to clear skin is to remember that stress is one of the key contributing factors. Try to min imize stress to reduce acne and enjoy your life more and spread loving vibes which make you the most attractive!

I believe that approaching acne from a holistic perspective will bring the most results and minimize the risks. Simple steps to improve acne-prone complexion starts with watching what we eat and reducing dairy, sugar, and foods with artificial additives. Addi tionally to water, I also suggest drink ing organic herbal tea made from burdock root, dandelion root, red clover, Calendula, or other detoxify ing and healing food-grade botani cals. I also strongly suggest making a soup or stew with organic artichokes on a regular basis.

To ensure that your digestive sys tem's GI works well, we can include food high in fiber and probiotics or

This routine will help you to love your skin more and feel better throughout the day.

The Elina Organics product line is available online at www.ElinaOrganics. com, and in skincare salons and medical offices. She continues to offer her unique, holistic skincare treatments to clients who come to her spas in Florida and West Michigan.

DORIS BERGMAN’S ANNUAL LUXURY LOUNGE & LUNCHEON

OnThursday, September 8, 2022, L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, in Sunset Boulevard, opened its doors to Bergman's Luxury Lounge & Luncheon to celebrate the 74th Annual Emmy® Awards. The Flagship restaurant is located in Naples, Italy, made famous by Julia Roberts in "Eat Pray Love"

Over 100 of Hollywood's finest celebrated and honored the television industry's Emmy® Nominated actors, former Emmy® winners, presenters, stylists, and industry VIPS. This highly anticipated invitation-only event, hosted by Berg

man Public Relations and presented by Naturade®, show cased an incredible array of fun & fashion, including couture gowns, men's & women's casual wear, fabulous leather hand bags, the finest in beauty, skin & hair care, outrageous THC & CBD products, stunning jewelry collections, gorgeous accessories, health foods, gourmet teas, scented candles, organic Tequila, Korean Soju, L'Antica da Michele Hollywood gourmet signature cuisine, Italian Wines, everything for the pampered pet, extraordinary spiritual awakenings in real time, delectable sweets and much more.

Held at L’ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE HOLLYWOOD

2022 Emmy Nominee Christopher McDonald/Guest Actor "Hacks," 2022 Emmy Winner Wayne Federman/ Producer "George Carlin's Ameri can Dream," Lisa Ann Walter (2022 Emmy Nominated Series/" Abbott Elementary,") 2022 Emmy Nominee Anthony A. Anderson ("Anacostia,") International Award-winning film and TV star Jimmy Jean-Louis, John W. Lawson (leading actor in Paramount's "Pet Sematary – The Prequel,") former Oscar Nominees Patty McCormack & Eric Roberts, 2021 Emmy Nominee Anna Maria Horsford, Former Emmy Winner/Best Actor Kim Estes, for mer Emmy Winners Tristan Rogers ("General Hospital,") Eric Martsolf ("Days of Our Lives,") and Patrika Darbo ("Acting Dead,") Constance Marie ("With Love,") Derrex Brady ("Johnson,") Award-Winning Multiple Actor Patrick Warburton; Matt Cedeno ("Ruthless,") Multiple Award-winning Actor Marilu Henner, John Brotherton & Michael Campion ("Fuller House,") Miles Tagtmeyer (2018 Emmy Nominee,) Naomi Grossman ("American, Horror Stories,") Chris Browning ("The Lincoln Lawyer,") Donovan Carter & Carl McDowell ("Ballers,") to name a few, were among the cadre of celebrities and industry VIPS who were treated to the best of the best!

In the spirit of giving back, guests & sponsors made monetary donations and/or donated unwrapped gifts for young adults (ages 13-18) for a Pre-Holiday Gift Drive benefiting 'Wednesday's Child' -- a weekly segment airing on KTTV FOX 11 News, Los Angeles, with nchor Christine Devine. http://www.foxla.com/ wednesdays-child

Gifts and services were provided by: Soonhari Soju; Lotte Beverage America; Luxepets; Twisted Silver; My Saint, My Hero; Spa Girl Vodka; Sue Wong Couture; Beauty Kitchen; The Marijuana Factory; Milena LA; “Wednesday’s Child” & FOX 11 News; Dulce Vida Organic Tequila; Reyaluxe Skin Care; Naturade®; “The Healing Trilogy” by Author & Intui tive, Kimberly Meredith; The Beauty Tea Company; Radiant Pathways; Blue Triton Water; Timmy Woods Handbags; Gooseberry Designs; Readings By Vida; Kickin’ Ash BBQ Sauce; L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele Hollywood; Bergman Public Rela tions and VIP Gift Bags provided by Milena LA and Gooseberry Designs.

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Embrace your best skin yet using delicious natu ral ingredients! Research has shown that olive oil contains powerful antioxidants that neutralize damaging free radicals that can lead to skin ag ing, as well as linoleic acid which helps prevent skin moisture from evaporating. Sciabica Family California Olive Oil cold presses their award-winning extra virgin olive oil with locally harvested English lavender and lemongrass for its hydrating 2-ingre dient moisturizers that can be applied to the face, hands, body, or even enjoyed in lavender scones or coffee cake. Sciabica also blends their 100% natural California olive oil with essential oils, botanical buds and refreshing fresh-harvested fra grances resulting in soap that keeps your skin feeling rejuvenated.

Their olive oils contain no artificial flavorings or additives, and they're all GMO-free, sustainably farmed, and artisan-crafted in small batches.

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I had arrived in what felt like paradise with a man I loved and was committed to, indulging in my favorite things, and everything was just "right." Ironically, this was probably the moment that shifted everything just ever so slightly to change the trajectory of my life.

Letter to Peace and Serenity

By Phoebe Leona

Dear Peace and Serenity, I often felt you close as I drifted off to sleep as a very young girl when Mom would read to me at bedtime and rub my back. I felt myself float into your gen tle arms, and when Mom slowed down her words and her little rubs because she thought I was in your full embrace (but not just yet!), I would open an eye and request her to keep reading or ask her to rub my back "like this." I would show her by rubbing my little fingers on her arm to direct her in the right direction to meet you. Peace and Serenity are at the edge of my dreams.

The nights' Gramma came to visit, or I visited her, I also felt your presence, particularly when she told me my favor ite story, "One Eye, Two Eyes, and Three Eyes."

I never quite made it past the song sung by Two Eyes to her sister, Three Eyes, to make her fall asleep.

I held on to you as long as I could as I drifted on a cloud of bliss with you both.

There were other quiet moments I felt your presence during my youth, like the summer nights I would sit and watch the fireflies light up and go up. It was only later in life that I realized this was meditation. Everything changed for me, though, the night I watched the fireflies

go up with the quickly fading memories of my parents and me together. After that, I tried to find you both, Peace and Serenity, on my own as I lay alone in bed with so many thoughts and worries in my head. I imagined a big vacuum sucking all those thoughts and worries out so I could drift to sleep and feel you on my way there, if only for a few breaths.

You came to me less and less throughout my teens, during all those bad years with Dad, and my twenties when I went off to college and lived in the city. I got familiar glimpses of you, though, when I walked through city parks and sat on benches. I closed my eyes to block out the crazy world that was just beyond the tree-lined streets and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

When I found you both, it felt like dis tant friends that I just remembered I had your number the whole time.

Then I found my way to the yoga mat. I dropped down into your gentle embrace again when I foundsavasana. It was like the physically challenging class stripped all the layers that kept me from feeling you, and there you were, holding me again. I remembered you, the fullness of you, and I craved you. I called on you more through my practices. Still living in a crazy world,

I began to see you were a choice. Some days were harder than others, but I continuously showed up on my mat.

Then I got married on a beautiful day. You two were with me to some ex tent, but I think it was really when we arrived in Grenada for our honey moon that I fully felt your presence. While we sat watching the sunset eating delicious dark chocolate and drinking red wine, I felt you both so very deeply internally and externally; it all lined up. At that moment, you both sang in such harmony; not a key was off. I wondered if it could ever be possible again to experience this feeling.

I had arrived in what felt like par adise with a man I loved and was committed to, indulging in my fa vorite things, and everything was just "right." Ironically, this was probably the moment that shifted everything just ever so slightly to change the trajectory of my life.

When I returned home, I decided to continue to make choices to invite you in more, not just on a yoga mat or on vacations. I wanted you both, Peace and Serenity, to become my new life partners, which made my bed with my husband a bit crowded, I guess you could say.

I began to practice yoga more so I could understand you, receive you, and share your magic with others. I made new choices like spending more time with animals and in nature, to the point where we moved out of the city to be closer to you. I natural ly found quieter moments with you while eating a meal, sitting with a furry friend, walking in a silent snow fall, or putting my feet in the Earth and its waters. The closer I got with you, the further my husband and I drifted apart without fully seeing what was happening. He didn't know you as I knew you both, and that may have threatened him in some way. Maybe he didn't trust you or

feel safe with you, or maybe he still had the obstacles he needed to get through to be able to receive your honest embrace. It broke my heart when we parted because something inside of me felt he might not ever get to know you like I do, in the genuine, authentic ways that we know each other. He masked itand pretend ed to know you, but it was our friend,

Numbness that he invoked to get a quick fix of what he thought was the two of you. That is his story now.

I walk my path with you both as my guides. I will admit that sometimes you offer me directions, and it takes me a bit of time to follow. Sometimes,

I stubbornly go another way down a long, winding, chaotic road, but I do find my way back to you, Peace and Serenity. I know now how to find you again, three deep breaths are my call to you, and then there you are. It may take a bit longer to surrender to your embrace again, but you are there; you are always there, just waiting patiently for me.

You are here now in the butterflies that are curiously stopping by at the edge of my journal as I write these words. You are in the bird songs that came from the trees in my yard just a mo ment ago. You are in my shoulders as they soften away from my ears; I hear you whisper "relax" and in my feet and legs as they anchor in the ground and chair that I am sitting on. You are everywhere.

Even as I look up and see big, dark clouds rolling in, I feel your presence because you, Peace, are giving me a little respite from the hot sun, and if these clouds should pour their waters down upon me, I know that Sereni ty is just beyond them with a cool breeze. Thank you for always being here, within me, and around me. I bow to your grace and love.

With tenderness,

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Millions of Factory Farm Animals Are Living in Drought.

Here’s What That Looks Like

By Karen Asp

The first half of 2022 ranked sixth warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The high tempera tures and lack of water can cause serious health problems for people, even death, but heat and drought are also devastating for billions of farmed animals, especially those raised in concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs.

We don’t have exact statistics for how many farmed animals are dying from high temperatures or drought, but just one 2021 heat wave in British Columbia, Canada wiped out

651,000 chickens in one week’s time. The number of poul try deaths came from livestock industry emails, made public thanks to a freedom of information request.

Thanks to the lack of transparency and oversight for indus trial farming operations in the U.S., we don’t know wheth er livestock producers are taking extra measures to keep animals comfortable when temperatures rise and water dries up. But we do have some startling statistics that show just how many farmed animals are living in these sweltering conditions.

Photo by Ali Khalafi

According to U.S. drought monitor figures, 41 percent of farmed hogs in Iowa were living in moderate, severe or extreme drought during the first week in September. Based on USDA figures, that percentage translates to approxi mately 9.4 million animals likely experi encing drought conditions. Even worse, one hundred percent of the cattle in ventory in California, New Mexico and Utah are living in an area experiencing drought, with 61 percent of California’s farmed cattle living in what researchers describe as “exceptional drought,” char acterized by widespread pasture losses and water shortages severe enough to cause water emergencies.

What Drought and Heat Do to an Animal

Just as companion animals can devel op heat-related illnesses, so, too, can farmed animals. High temperatures can put them at risk of dehydration, which can lead to heat stroke, says Renee King-Sonnen, executive director and founder of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary in Waelder, Texas, and the Rancher Ad vocacy Program (RAP). The suffering they experience can ultimately result in premature death, especially true for animals raised and slaughtered in in dustrial facilities.

“We’re in an apocalyptic phase for an imals in CAFOs,” says King-Sonnen. Rowdy Girl, for instance, has numer ous drought and heat protocols for its animals, like placing fans in chicken coops, freezing jugs of water so animals can cozy up to them and placing ice in troughs to keep the water cool.

“You can guarantee nobody’s going to these lengths for the animals in CAFOs,” says King-Sonnen. In June, for instance, thousands of cows dropped dead from high temperatures and humidity in Kansas. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, cows have a moderate risk of heat stress when the

temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahren heit and a high risk when the mercury surpasses 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the United Kingdom, around four million chickens in CAFOs died in August from heat exhaustion or oth er heat-related stressors during a re cord-breaking heatwave. The chickens were “left to die in the heat” when temperatures climbed as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit, according to The Independent.

Farmed chickens are bred to be much larger than wild chickens. Their large bodies make them more vulnerable to heat stress. A 2011 study found com mercial broilers to be more susceptible than the two other wild breeds includ ed in the research. Heat stress causes numerous behavioral, physiological and neuroendocrine changes in these farmed birds, including oxidative stress, which can lead to premature death.

Live animal transport also results in high numbers of heat-related deaths. Every year in the U.S., tens of mil lions of farmed animals -— 20 million chickens, 330,000 pigs and 166,000 cows — die before they reach slaugh terhouses, according to analysis by The Guardian. Heat stress is one of the caus es, as temperatures in these transports can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which can trigger heart attacks. Most of these animals are never given food, water or respite during the journey.

Climate Change Inextricably Linked to Animal Suffering Heat and drought can cause a number of other environmental emergencies that are also linked to animal suffering. Drought can cause mudslides, mon soons and flash floods, while heat can spark wildfires. All of these events can lead to premature death for farmed animals.

Individuals can help by shifting to a plant-based diet – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change promotes plant-based eating as an important strategy for climate action.

Lack of feed is also a problem, and Mo lidor is especially concerned about cattle grazing in increasingly arid lands in the western U.S. “Grass isn’t there for graz ing, and supplemental feed is harder to find and produce,” she says. And in high heat, animals like dairy cows eat less, caus ing a decline in their milk production.

Cost of hay is another concern, put ting a financial squeeze on farmers that often results in premature death for livestock. “Animals, especially cows, are going to slaughter in record num bers, largely because cattle ranchers can’t afford to keep them,” King-Sonnen says. “The lines at sell barns are unbelievable.”

Economic hardships mean farmed an imals overall suffer even more. “When economically challenged producers are struggling in heat and drought, animal welfare becomes deprioritized further,” Molidor says.

At the same time, the massive acreage of properties where farmed animals are housed makes providing water to them harder. The upshot of all of this, says Molidor: “In some cases, mass deaths are occurring not only from heat stress but also from starving or thirsting to death, and all of these conditions are horrible ways to die.”

How to Reduce Harm to Farmed Animals

There are no easy answers for eradicat ing heat and drought conditions for farmed animals, especially with the future looking even hotter and drier.

From Molidor’s perspective, farming needs to change. “In its current state, farming is the leading driver of bio diversity loss,” she says, putting one million species at risk of extinction. She also says industrial agriculture is one of the leading drivers of the climate crisis, which in turn “makes drought worse.”

Farmers can deal with the heat by of fering animals additional protection from the elements. One option is to install cooling systems in CAFOs to increase ventilation for animals confined

indoors and plant trees to provide shel ter for grazing animals. Yet the current food system doesn’t make it easy. “The infrastructure needed to bring relief from the heat to these animals doesn’t exist at the scale needed in a model that prioritizes profit above all else,” Molidor says.

And while heat certainly isn’t easy to combat, the water crisis might be even more difficult. “The sheer scale of animal agriculture is beyond anything feasible in the current and worsening water crisis,” Molidor says. “What’s needed is agriculture that’s shelf-stable, has a low carbon and methane foot print, is water-smart, does not expand land-use, and humane would be nice, too.”

One big-picture solution involves moving farmers away from animal agricul ture, something that RAP was created to do. The project is working to transition an Arkansas farm that was once a mega chicken producer into a 100 percent state-of-the-art mushroom farm. There are similar efforts underway led by other animal protection groups, though there are challenges, primarily the steep cost of transition.

Individuals can help by shifting to a plant-based diet – the Intergovernmen tal Panel on Climate Change promotes plant-based eating as an important strategy for climate action. Govern ment investment in the plant-based sector is also critical, says King-Son nen. “We need the government to give farmers money to grow plants, not animals like cows which is unsustain able.”

The conditions farmed animals endure during severe heat and drought should give consumers pause, says King-Son nen. “When you drive by these CAFOs on days when the temperature is over 100,” she says, “you see thousands of cows in conditions that are forced by humans — no barns, no trees, no noth ing but the hot Texas sun beating on their back — you have to wonder how humanity has allowed this to be okay.”

This story originally appeared in "SENTIENT MEDIA’” It is republished here as part of The Eden Magazine partnership with Covering Cli mate Now, a global journalistic collaboration to strengthen coverage of the climate story.

Karen Asp Award-winning journalist & author Karen specializes in fitness, health, nutrition, travel, and animals. She’s a VegNews contributing writer and Better Homes & Gardens columnist who also writes for Eating Well, Forks Over Knives, O, Real Simple, Women’s Health, Prevention, Reader’s Digest, USA Today, etc. She’s certified in plant-based nutrition, serves as PETA vegan mentor and is a Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator through Main Street Vegan Academy.

DPA hosted its seventeen PreAwards luxury gifting lounge at the hidden boutique hotel Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel with many celeb rities and nominees for unique new products from worldwide brands. This year DPA brought awareness to Save The Bees

Among the celebrities and all unique brands, this year, DPA invited Dr. Richard Garnier from Hypnomagnetism. He offered the guest's body scans, a unique way to discover what you could do better to improve your health.

About Nathalie Dubois and DPA:

A veteran in the production of star-studded events, Nathalie Dubois, President, and CEO of DPA, has proven herself to be exceptionally innovative and successful in the realm of celebrity gift suites. Originally from France, Nathalie Dubois attributes her success partly to her world travels and the exotic cultural influences of the products she picks for her unique gift suites. DPA usually runs luxurious and spectacular gifting suites in LA during the weeks of various award shows but also can be seen in the most significant film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, or Toronto. DPA also opened its first Asian office in Tokyo, Japan, in 2017, facilitating her work with the Asian market, and started working with Kenya in 2022. DPA was also the cause of the creation of the "African Gift lounge" in Africa. You can find details on DPA at www.dpagroup.org.