JULY A Issue
CANDICE HUTCHINGS
Beyond Vegan
Log On Our Website and Learn more in how to Live a Conscious Lifestyle: OMTimes.com
CONTENTS SPIRITUALITY 50
ENERGY MASTERY FOR SENSITIVE SOULS
56
WHEN LIFE GETS CHAOTIC, TRY THIS EXERCISE
METAPHYSICS 98
CANDICE HUTCHINGS
HOW THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE & DARK MATTER AFFECT OUR WORLD
+
SPOTLIGHT BEYOND VEGAN
PERSONAL GROWTH 108 4 WAYS TO FIND PEACE IN THE WAKE OF TROUBLED TIMES
JUST LIFE NEGATIVITY BIAS- WHY DO WE FOCUS ON THE BAD?
114 LEARNING HOW TO LIVE A MORE JOYFUL LIFE
OMLIVING
RELATIONSHIPS
72 WU WEI AND THE ANCIENT ART OF NOT DOING
90 DREAM, VISIONS, AND YOUR SOUL MATE
80 FLEXIBILITY, OUR SUPERPOWER FOR THESE CHANGING TIMES
HEALTH & HEALING 38 4 WAYS TO BECOME SPIRITUALLY IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY’S ENERGIES 42
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLOWER ESSENCES AND ESSENTIAL OILS
WWW.OMTIMES.COM
CANDICE HUTCHINGS INTERVIEW BY LISA BERRY
EdgyVeg the
When I think about the food, there are so many “How does food make me feel? Is it prepared, what does it taste like?” I am always excited about food, but our guest today has really offered people a new way of eating, a new way of thinking about food, and really a lifestyle around food. Candice Hutchings, who is the face of The Edgy Veg, is on a journey to revolutionize how we think about food, eco-conscious living, and feminism. Author of the cookbook 138 Carnivore Approved Vegan Recipes, Candice delivers Vegan recipes with attitude and comedy. Edgy by nature, both her popular YouTube channel and Instagram pages have disrupted the Vegan community with her candid and humorous take on activism, not only for animals with food built differently, but also mental health, the environment, and female empowerment.
OMTIMES | JUNE 2020
OMTIMES MAGAZINE
Lisa Berry: Candice, you pack a punch in there. Candice Hutchings: Yes, that is quite a disparate mouthful read back to me. Lisa Berry: My first question was going to come out and say, “Oh, yes, why are you a Chef?” but really, I want to start with this. Why have you chosen to do more with being a Chef?
CANDICE HUTCHINGS: For me, I went Vegan and needed to teach myself how to cook, I was always a foodie. So, I knew that if I was going to continue this lifestyle that I had chosen, I had to be able to eat the food that I love. For me, it is that I love animals, I genuinely believe we can eat with compassionate choices and without any cruelty to them. That is why I started with that. LISA BERRY: So, it was a heartbased choice. Did you have any allergies or health issues that initially led you to this choice?
JUNE 2020
CANDICE HUTCHINGS: Yes, it was a little bit of both. I had a lot of issues growing up healthwise in terms of skin issues. I got a lot of my grains, and it really was a dairy intolerance. Not full-fledged, but it would definitely cause migraines, so even as a child I never really drank or ate a lot of dairy for that reason, and my Mum switched from Cow’s milk to Goat’s milk when I was younger because we were raised that you need your milk to be big and strong. So that was the main driving force from a young age. Dairy was always an issue for me. I grew up in a predominantly more European household. My Mother’s German, so for breakfast some days it was just bread and cheese, and I love cheese. So that was difficult for me, and for some reason, we just did not make the connection when I was younger that the cheese might also be causing it as well as the milk. When I was about 19-20, I started to really take note of what was causing these ridiculous migraines that would last three days at a time, and every time I cut out animal proteins, they would disappear. LISA BERRY: You mentioned that you were a foodie already. Tell me about that part. What draws you to food? What excites you about food?
Flower Essences and Essential Oils: Yes, They Are Different! by Anu Dayal-Gulati OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
E
ssential oils have been gaining
through herbs, tinctures, essences,
in popularity over the last
and essential oils. Essential oils can
several years. You've probably
be cold-pressed or extracted through
heard of certain brands like
steam distillation processes. Flower
Young Living, doTerra or Aura Cacia, and
essences, on the other hand, use
seen lists of health benefits and other
the life force of the plant expressed
uses.
through its flowers.
Flower Essences, too, are now making
Usually, a large number of flowers are
their way back into the spotlight. The
needed to create essential oils. For
Flower Essences were first discovered
example, it takes nearly 10,000 roses
by the British surgeon Dr. Bach (of Bach
to create 5 ml (about a teaspoon) of
Flower Remedies) in the 1930s.
rose essential oil. Relative to essential oils, very few flowers are used to
They have been around for nearly a
create a flower essence—just enough
hundred years, and today there are many
to completely cover the surface of a
more essences than the thirty-eight
bowl of water. Their environmental
that he discovered. While both oils and
impact is minimal.
essences are widely available online and at many natural remedy stores, they are
Unlike essential oils—which, as the
not used interchangeably.
name suggests, are oil-based— flower essences are made with
So, what exactly is the difference, then?
water, which is then preserved with
There are several, starting with the fact
alcohol. Fresh blooms are picked
that they are created differently.
at the height of their fullness and
How They Are Made
floated in a crystal bowl filled with freshwater, placed on the earth in warm sunlight. With the alchemy of
The plant kingdom has always been an
earth, water, air, and sunlight (i.e., the
eternal source of healing. If we think
fire element), flowers release their
back to our childhood, we were often
energetic imprint into the water.
asked to eat our fruits and vegetables
This wildflower infusion, strained and
because they are good for us. Still,
preserved with brandy, is called a
this healing can also be implemented
flower essence.
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Energy Mastery for Sensitive Souls By Judi Lynch OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
T
his old phrase, “Cleanliness
An energy-sensitive person can
is next to Godliness,” was
become depressed or angry without
spoken by theologian John
understanding where the feelings
Wesley in the 1700s. The
are originating, thinking it is coming
notion is that after worshipping the
from within. We may try to reason it
Creator, keeping yourself clean is one
to a past sad memory or something
of the most important manifestations
we felt we had healed years ago when
of showing love or respect for the
it doesn’t belong to us at all. When
Creator.
someone who is highly susceptible is near someone or media that is
Through trial and error, we learn what
extremely negative, they can find
lifts us up and what brings us down
their energy depleted quick. These
in vibration. If we can continue to
kinds of energy-drains can feel like
seek higher thought in soul energy,
low blood sugar or even chronic
we can discover miraculous insight
fatigue when the etheric body is
and peace.
drained. Finding ways to transmute and detach from these energies can
Many people incarnate on Earth
assist us greatly in living life here.
through the vibration of love and wisdom, becoming the most sensitive,
For anyone who is extra-sensitive to
feeling souls on the planet. Those of
the noise of all kinds (lawnmowers,
us who are the feelers in life know that
dripping faucets, fans, repetitive
we can absorb both the positive and
sounds, traffic), it does become
negative energies of others, which
necessary to be able to control the
can affect us significantly. Learning
environment. Many people like to
how to transmute those energies can
sleep with a sound machine to block
be life-changing and saving. We are
outside noise. Having a personal space
all connected at the etheric level, and
to escape to inside and outside is also
since everything is energy, our mental
a calming force to help with release
thoughts matter. If we are consciously
and recharge of energies.
sending negative thoughts out to someone we don’t like, we can
Meditation is a highly personal and
magnify their challenges if they are
effective way to help when working
also an open-feeling channel.
on mastering energies. How we
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
"When Life Gets Chaotic, Try This Exercise." By John Holland OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
L
et's take a few minutes
STEP 2: Now, I want you to count
and get mindful today.
your breath just before the
Mindfulness is the opposite
incoming breath. Although this
of distraction. The more
change is subtle, it'll create a
mindful you are, the more aware
different emphasis in the way you
you'll become of yourself.
pay attention to the breath.
What's going on inside of you, as
Example: Count one, breathe in,
well as what's going on outside and
and breathe out.
beyond yourself. It's an excellent
Count two, breathe in, breathe out...
exercise for your soul.
and so on up to ten. Continue in another ten-breath
Find a comfortable place to sit.
cycle.
Keep your feet flat on the floor and your hands comfortably on your
STEP 3: Let go of the counting
lap. Use your nose to inhale as well
completely and simply observe
as exhale. Practice this breathing
your breath come and go with no
meditation for 20 minutes. Each
effort. Enjoy the experience as you
step should take 5 minutes:
become even more aware of the sensation of your breathing. Also,
STEP 1: Close your eyes and begin
pay attention to those small spaces
counting each breath. Watch your
between the breaths.
breath come and go as it follows its own natural rhythm. Count at the
STEP 4: Lightly focus your attention
end of each outgoing breath. Count
on the feeling near the tip of your
ten breaths in this way and then
nose and lips, as your breath comes
count another ten:
and goes. Try not to strain or force anything. Practice a relaxed focus
Example: Breathe in, breathe out,
on your breath. Become aware of
and count one.
the tranquil energy inside of you,
Breathe in, breathe out, and count
and give yourself a few moments
two‌ and so on up to ten.
to blend with this energy as you
Continue in another ten-breath
become one with it. Feel how far
cycle.
the energy of your soul reaches OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Negativity Bias - Why do We Focus on the Bad? Even When There’s Good News By Marcia Sirota OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Negativity Bias and the Meta Experience:
I
fumbling live on air. Still, I could see how easy it would be for someone to tear a strip off themselves in this
just had an uncanny experience:
type of situation. We are all prone to
a recent radio interview went all
going to that place of negativity. It’s
Meta on me. I was speaking to
part of our human survival instincts.
the host, Devon Peacock, about
negativity bias – our tendency to focus on the negative over the positive –
Negativity bias is an early survival mechanism:
and suddenly, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember a word.
If you think about prehistoric times, the early humans who had the
The word was Cortisol – the stress
greatest survival advantage were
hormone that’s released when we
those who saw a big grey object
focus on the negative. I fumbled a
out of the corner of their eye and
bit trying to pull the word out of my
thought, “wooly mammoth,” as
memory banks, and then, coming
opposed to “pile of rocks.” This
up with nothing, I moved on. A few
tendency to skew toward the
seconds later, it came to me, and I
negative has, in many ways, kept us
was able to bring the word into the
alive, but it can go too far.
conversation. Negativity bias is a protective This was a five-minute live interview,
mechanism meant to keep us safe
and when it was over, I had two
from harm, but for some of us, it can
choices: to criticize myself for
take over our entire world view. We
having made a mistake – thereby to
can see everything as dangerous or
demonstrate my negativity bias, or to
threatening, even when it’s benign
shrug my shoulders, tell myself that
or beneficial. Well-being comes from
I’m only human, and focus on the
a state of balance where we weigh
valuable content that I’d delivered in
the ups and the downs of each
the interview.
situation. And we always need to have an open mind and see what’s
Fortunately, I was able to resist the
really in front of us, as opposed to
temptation to beat myself up for
imagining the worst.
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Wu Wei and the Ancient Art of Not Doing By Humanity Healing
W
e all heard of the
Wu Wei is a concept from Taoism that
famous expression
translates to the expression: "non-action."
Laissez-faire Laissez-fasse,
It is a philosophical principle that
which summarizes the concept of
shows us the best way to cope with a
Nonintervention, used initially on the
situation, especially if it is a conflicting
Economic context. But this expression
one, is to not act. Going further on its
has been used in many various other
concept, more than not acting, Wu
levels of our ordinary lives. O Wu Wei is a
Wei teaches us to not to force any
concept with similar meaning.
solution, but instead, to let it flow.
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
"The path is a constant non-action
continually leads us to the contrary. In
that leaves nothing unfulfilled."
fact, we live saturated with activities,
Chapter 37 - Tao Te Ching
sensations, and thoughts. When we're not doing anything, we feel weird.
This verse from Chapter 37, by Tao Te
We came to think that this is simply a
Ching, brings one of the fundamental
waste of time. We drive ourselves on
concepts of Taoism: the concept of
the permanent feeling that we should
Wu Wei non-action. This concept can
always be doing something.
be confused with doing nothing, not acting. What Taoism calls non-action
"From emptiness inside the wise Man
is, in fact, an unintended action, an
comes stillness. From stillness, action.
involuntary action. It is an action that
From action, success".
does not presuppose intention, but,
- Chuang Tzu -
nevertheless, it does not represent non-action. That is, non-action means
Tao Te Ching was written 25 centuries
doing things naturally, without
ago by the philosopher Laozi {1}. This
ingenuity, without the excess of
philosopher thought that the best way
predetermination, without speculation.
to live was to synchronize ourselves with the flow of nature and the cosmos.
Inner silence is what Lao Zi calls non-
This is the main inspiration of Wu
action. The Tao is a constant of non-
Wei: to let things take their natural
action. The essential nature of Tao is
course and, in consequence, adapting
constant silence, a continual stillness,
ourselves with the situations as they
a continuous Void that allows the
present themselves in our lives.
realization of all expressions within it. {1}
The Tao is also like a great space that allows all things to exist; like a great silence that allows all words, all voices,
Lao Tzu, also known as Laozi and Lao-Tze.
Values ​​and Virtues in Wu Wei
all expressions to occur simultaneously. Wu Wei proposes to us to live a simple For most people, it seems strange that
life because simplicity is an attitude
there is a current philosophy inviting
that most always translates itself into
us to not act. We live in a society that
peace and harmony. Simplicity implies
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Flexibility, Our Superpower for These Changing Times by Darity Wesley
H
ere we are, going about our
keep our balance in these radically
daily lives amidst massive
changing times?
waves of change. Every part of our life is shifting and
Many of us are resisting this change
transforming before our eyes ... cultural,
and yearning for things to go back
political, personal, social, global ...
to "normal." The truth is, there is no
everywhere we turn! How are we to
"normal" anymore. We have entered a
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
new reality. And no matter how much
us. It is our reality. And we can know
we may want to resist change, our
and trust that there is a natural order
superpower is our ability to be flexible
to everything that is happening, way
and to train our monkey mind to go
beyond our human understanding.
with the flow. It takes practice, for sure, yet we do There is a wonderful story about
have that choice. Even for the most
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986), a
challenging things that happen to
great Indian philosopher and spiritual
us, this concept supports our mental,
teacher. They spoke all over the world
physical, and spiritual health. It keeps
for more than 50 years. At one of his
us as steady and balanced as possible
lectures, he paused midway through
all through our lives.
his talk, leaned forward, and said, "Do you want to know my secret?" The
Look around you. Look at your life.
audience sat forward in their chairs,
Look at what is in the news. This is
excited and ready to hear what this
what IS. This is what is happening. It is
great spiritual master was going to say.
within our power to say, "I don't mind.
And then he spoke ... five simple words.
I'm okay with what IS. I don't mind
He said to the audience, "I don't mind
what happens." This doesn't mean we
what happens."
like it. It doesn't mean that we approve of it all. And it doesn't mean that we
In other words, he is not attached to
won't take any steps to change it if
any specific outcome. He is at peace
we can. It means that we accept what
with whatever happens. What a great
IS, right now, at this moment, rather
lesson to live by!
than becoming resistant or upset or closed off. It means we are willing to
When we live our lives, not minding
surrender to the natural flow of events.
what happens, we move into a state
And that is powerful.
of acceptance, which brings complete flexibility into our lives. We roll on
Being conscious of staying flexible,
through, choosing to remain steady
really being flexible, and at the same
and balanced, trusting that All Is Well
time having our proverbial feet
at the highest level. Why? Because
planted, grounded, allows us to go
this is what's happening in front of
with the flow, bending with the breeze.
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Dream, Visions, and Your Soul Mate By Ascending Hearts
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Isn't that what true romance is
are types of dreams that we all
supposed to be about? Finding
remember, and they seem like
the person who is your soul mate.
the ideal relationships that all of
Someone you dream about at
us would like to experience. These
night—someone whose name is on
dreams are unique because they
your lips when you wake up in the
suggest an encounter between
morning.
mind, heart, soul, and body - a joyful
Jodi Picoult
communion of souls at all levels.
I
Some people can dream of a person s it "true love" that allows you
who they are going to get married
to dream about your destined
to. But these are not the rule, they
partner, or is it just “a lover's
are exceptions.
dream"? They can dream about this person
One day, you wake up with a smile
more than once, in such a way
on your face after a beautiful
that their face is imprinted in their
dream in which you were being
memory. There are still those who go
kissed and embraced by someone
looking for the person of the dreams
extraordinary. The feeling of love,
but return empty-handed and
warmth, and a total sense of
frustrated. In contrast, others are
acceptance is overwhelming. You
more fortunate and end up finding
want to stay there forever, but the
their other halves.
daylight intrudes, the conscious part of you awakens, and the
Our soulmate is the one who makes
dream disappears. The memory
life come to life.
may linger; however, the images
Richard Bach
and impressions may come back months ahead.
Your Soulmate May be Dreaming of You as Well
The Dream of Eternal Love
Your ideal person may also be
to haunt you during the weeks and
dreaming and looking for you too. Dreams about your soul mate
One way to bring soulmate dream
come in all shapes and sizes. They
romance into our daily lives is to
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
How the Expanding Universe & Dark Matter Affect the Current Situation In the World by Johanna Kern OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
T
he expanding Universe and
been making increasingly accurate
the so-called Dark Matter
measurements of two important
have a profound effect
cosmological patterns: the rate at
on our lives, thoughts,
which the Universe expands, and
mindsets, and our day-to-day
the average density of matter in the
experience.
Universe.
Have you noticed how quickly things
When in the 1920s, scientists
happen in the world compared
discovered the expansion of the
to the past? How fast everything
Universe, it was believed that the
around us changes: the speeding
expansion was slowing. Not until 1998,
development of science, human
when two independent scientific
thought, the political, economic, and
studies proved that the expansion
social changes?
accelerates, did any of the scientists think about what its results would be.
Such changes used to take decades or centuries before, and now we can
Since then, more than 5000 papers
observe a whole spectrum of them in
were written, and many of those have
just one lifetime.
dealt with Dark Energy. In physical cosmology and astronomy, that name
When you pay attention to your own
describes an unknown form of Energy,
thoughts, you may also notice how
believed to permeate all of space and
fast what you wish for or are afraid of –
tends to accelerate the expansion of
may take place in your life.
the Universe. It isn’t very dense, and it doesn’t seem to be subject to gravity,
You might find it interesting to know
unlike Matter. Dark Energy makes up
that it is all due to the expansion of
68% of universal density, filling the
the Universe and the continuous
otherwise empty space.
growth of Dark Energy. And here comes the fascinating Thus far, the expansion of the
point:
Universe, and the fact that we see the galaxies moving away from us, has
What scientists have perceived
been puzzling astronomers, who have
as Dark Energy – many ancient
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
4 Ways to Find Peace in the Wake of Troubled Times By Meghan Belnap
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
W
e are living in
member or friend. You can also talk to
difficult times. The
psychics and counselors. Psychics can
problems of the
help in several ways, including giving
world can cause you
you insight on your current state of
to feel anxious and depressed. The
mind and being, help you understand
good news is that there are several
paths available in your future, and even
ways that you can find peace. Here are
shed light on past events.
just a few ways to re-center and get the peace that you need in your life.
Exercise
Self-Care You may have a lot of on your plate right now. However, it is a good idea for
Your mind and body are connected.
you to take time for self-care. There are
When your body is relaxed, your
several things that you can include in
mind will also be at ease. That is why
your self-care routine. For example, you
exercising is one of the best things
can schedule a massage. You can also
that you can do in order to keep your
have a spa day at home. Additionally,
mind at ease. Many exercises have a
you should hang out with your family
calming effect on the body, such as
members and friends. Anything that
tai chi and yoga. Those exercises help
can help you relax and refocus on the
ease tension. Vigorous exercise can
things that matter in your life can be
also benefit your mental state. When
essential for self-care, especially when
you exercise vigorously, your body
the world around you is a mess.
releases endorphins. The endorphins help boost your mood and reduce
Set Small Goals
stress. Many people set big goals and get
Seek Counsel
frustrated when they do not set them. That is why you should consider setting
It is not a good idea to keep your
small goals. If you set small goals, then
feelings bottled up inside. If you do
it will be a lot easier for you to achieve
not talk to someone, then you may
them. Achieving a goal will boost your
find that your mental health will start
confidence. Working towards a goal
to suffer. You can speak to a family
can also help you take your mind off of
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Learning How to Live a More Joyful Life by Gail Serna
Bring More Joy in Life Even During Challenging Times.
M
as planned. I have learned from my personal experience how to worry less, pray more, and take action to make
any of us are looking to
sound decisions in life!
live a life of joy? We feel as if we are our own worst
In fact, do we believe there is a direct
enemy, and we live in a
relationship between our thoughts
world where things don’t always go
and how we feel?
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
Asking ourselves this question will
find the answer, take action, or find
help. By observing our thoughts, are
a new path when necessary.
they mainly negative or positive? Are they filled with worry or hope?
Create a Sacred Space
What is the answer? If the answer is that our thoughts are negative, then
Some wonderful tools can help us on
how we feel in the moment will have
our journey towards having a more
a direct impact on our emotional
joyful life. One’s Altar is an excellent
wellbeing.
means for reminding ourselves to pray regularly. There are elaborate
Practice these three steps to help
altars or simple ones.
change our negative mindset: My Altar • How do we feel in our gut? • Change our focus
In my own house, the first Altar I ever
• Monitor our thoughts
had was a card table in the corner
• Use our psychic and physical
of my living room. I put a tablecloth
senses to change direction or
on it with a picture of Jesus, a flower,
chart a new course in life.
and crystals. That was it. Through the years, my Altar changed as I became
We were meant to live a joyous life
more spiritually aligned with my
here on earth. So, once we become
divine energy.
accustomed to changing our focus and making decisions that bring us
I started to meditate every day at
more joy, we will see our outlook on
the same time. I decided the best
life will change in positive ways.
way for me to do this was through a guided meditation or visualization
Personally, as I started noticing how
exercise. Meditation was short for
I was feeling and made changes, I
me in the beginning, and yes, my
became a happier person. By doing
thoughts interrupted me. Still, it
this, I began to manifest things more
didn’t stop me from getting back on
easily and quickly in my life.
track and listening to the music or the words of the meditation. It was
Pray to seek direction, meditate to
around the same time that I also
OM TIMES | July A Edition 2020
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