Crystal Magic. Thanks 2015!

The autumn of 2015 was very busy and full of unexpected events for us. I have been finishing up the 90-day herbal treatment that was recommended after my live blood analysis in October. I have about 3 weeks left. It has been difficult to get through. The blood retest at 5 weeks into the treatment showed big improvements, which was encouraging. It has left me feeling overall tired and my body has been working overtime to cleanse and rebuild itself, cell by cell. I have been faced with forced resting a LOT, and not participating in many normal activities that I usually do without even thinking twice. So tired. It's been a big challenge to just REST and not DO, DO, DO.

The autumn all over the USA and Canada was unusually mild (as most of you may have noticed), which is pretty bizarre. It also meant a longer growing season and more fresh veggies at the farmers markets in Pennsylvania (and everywhere). We were so excited to find such beautiful, nourishing fall foods. We enjoyed meeting the farmers who grew the food and even went apple picking in the neighborhood at an abandoned orchard. There was such a bumper crop of apples that no one knew what to do with them all this year. Yum!

We ended up spending about 9 weeks with my dad in Pennsylvania. We reconnected with many of my friends and family members. It was a time for healing and cleansing on all levels. I learned a lot about my dad and his side of our family tree. I enjoyed the stories that answered some questions for me.  My dad passed on many gemstones and crystals to us that he had inherited from his parents. They were rock hounds and my grandfather was a lapidary and jeweler. He passed away the month before I was born, so I never met him. However, with all of the stones and stories I have inherited, I am grateful to continue working with earth's treasures like my ancestors did. I just know it's a part of what I'm here to share!

We also shared our knowledge of crystals and stones with my nephew. He and uncle Tanner built an Angelic Gateway with crystals while we were in Pennsylvania. He was so excited about this idea. As they tucked each stone into little holes in the earth, he gave them a leaf blanket and pillow and said goodnight as he patted down the soil on top. 

Shortly before the chaos and terrorism erupted in Europe and beyond, I received a very clear message during a meditation that I am to create headbands using copper and crystals to enhance the communication between humans and the higher realms. I wasted no time gathering materials and starting to create these unique beauties. You can see my work available on the etsy page (custom orders welcome!):

www.etsy.com 

shop name: OpenAriseCreations

Or on Facebook at Open Arise Creations

Since I'm on the topic of crystals...we recently acquired two amazing quartz crystal singing bowls. We were in Montana on our last night in the USA and we discovered a gorgeous shop that sends its proceeds to a project in which the shop owner works on healing rescued elephants with singing bowl sound therapy. Here is their site:

www.darirasa.com

We have been waiting for the right bowls to present themselves for quite some time- and they did. We are so excited to add the healing vibrations of these bowls to our cacao ceremonies and other events. We have really enjoyed getting to know them so far!

We have returned to Home Sweet Canada for the foreseeable future. After a journey of 30,000 kilometers of both calm and wild rides in 2015, we will be settling on lovely Vancouver Island...at least for a little while, anyway. 2016, we are excited for the wonderful experiences you will bring! In 2016, we commit to continuing to plant the seeds of LOVE around our world. It's what we do best. 

It's All Up In Smoke...and Mirrors

We awoke Sunday morning to a bizarre pinkish-orange hue coming from the sky above. It has lasted for three days so far. The sun shines a brilliant salmon orange color through the thick smoke layer above us. A very strange energy is hanging within this smoke. People are feeling it. Bizarre things are happening. Most of them are hard to describe in words.

I said "I've never seen this before, but my instinct is that it's the result of a forest fire somewhere nearby." I was wrong...it is the result of many dozens of forest fires scattered across Western Canada, covering hundreds of square kilometers. Numerous fires were started by heat lightning...many were also started by careless human hands. On the first day we had "snow" falling in the summer in the form of white ash flakes.

We have noticed a common drought and water shortage theme in all of our travels over this past year. The earth is thirsty for change. So thirsty.

Yesterday we offered to support a friend at court where he was being charged with several traffic violations. We filed into a crowded local small town courtroom where he, and a group of of "traffic law violators", were treated like criminal sheep. Some were to pay fines for minor infractions of "THE LAW". There were four police officers in the room as well. They seemed like average people, underneath their costumes, as did the judge. Each person that was called up to the microphone pleaded guilty and then a fee was named and they negotiated a timeline to remit payments. No one argued about anything. They all thanked the court and nervously shook hands with the head officer. Holy intimidation Batman!  A clerk entered and bowed to the judge, as if bowing to her martial arts master. Then bowed again as she exited. That seemed so excessive, robotic and bizarre to me. Outside of a dojo, I feel that in most of our modern world, bowing is a symbol of one person being less than another. I don't agree with this old-school tradition. Let's modernize, shall we?

One woman mentioned that she has a seatbelt phobia. She said that not wearing one saved her life 40 years ago. Another man had his right signal on and then turned left instead. That will be $150  sir. $100 mam. You have 60 days. Wait...I'm feeling generous today, you have 90 days. What a brilliant business: The business of keeping the masses afraid of everything. The energy of that room was so heavy with a lot of fear. I held the crystal that hung around my neck and sent some higher vibrations to those present. The people in that room seemed like they were on high alert. Lots of twitching and shaking in all directions. Even one of the police officers trembled as he read the criminalizing paperwork. I had a feeling that no one there, deep down in their knowing, agreed with the actions and words taking place in that room. If someone doesn't speak up about things that seem wrong, then nothing will change. The justice system is justiceless in my eyes. And that was just traffic court. Our friend was dismissed because the officer didn't show up. So they just threw out the charges as if they didn't happen. I was literally holding back laughter the entire time we were sitting in that room. I felt as though I was watching a poorly-rehearsed play. What just happened here? Wow!

Luckily, we had all prepared ourselves as a group that morning with meditation and drumming in an angelic gateway built last week by placing specific crystals into the earth at certain distances and directions. This geometric shape creates a high frequency vibration and positive energy field. This allows any of us to connect to the divine spirits that are here to guide us. Yup. Angelic beings and other light guardians. It might sound crazy to some. Between our family and friends, we have "planted" at least a dozen gateways from coast to coast of North America. This morning we practiced yoga inside that gateway and I said "What if our indiegogo campaign doesn't raise much money? Where will we go?" At that exact moment a beautiful bald eagle swooped across the garden in front of us. Tanner said "wherever that guy is headed."  We both laughed and knew that everything is always ok.  Especially when it seems like it's not ok. Just wait. You will see. You will feel it. The perfection of the universe.

"Be still. Be silent and empty. Say nothing. Ask nothing. Be quiet. Open your heart. They will find you. They will help you. You are not alone. Love and guidance is all around you. Be ready to receive."  A quote from Denise Linn's book, Secrets & Mysteries: the Glory and Pleasure of Being a Woman. 

*Please take a few more minutes to view our campaign to raise funds for One World Wellness to continue supporting people and the planet:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-wellness-retreat-that-comes-to-your-door/x/11104312#/

One World Wellness's Mission:

Our intention is to travel around the globe, to wherever our assistance is needed, to support everyday people to take their health, wellness and level of joy to an all-time high. It's no secret that our world is struggling as a whole. 
We feel that every single person who becomes healthy, self-empowered and balanced is one more person who will tip the scales toward a positive tomorrow for all of us and future generations.

Our preliminary research project....in a nutshell:

After 6 months of traveling in our car from Vancouver Island to Guatemala and back again on a small budget, and connecting with many dozens of people from all walks of life, we have realized something HUGE: Most of us do NOT have the time or extra finances to take a “wellness vacation” or retreat. However, almost everyone we connect with has a desire to feel more joy, live a healthier lifestyle and to have the support to fuel their passions. Wow! How do we solve this dilemma?

GOOD NEWS! We have a solution:

One World Wellness will bring the wellness retreat and personal guidance right to your home! We are a mobile, flexible team with knowledge to share with you about healthy lifestyle shifts, spiritual exploration and how to expand your consciousness to assist you in creating the vibrant and joyful life that you dream of living! We will offer the support needed to the people who need it the most. 

What can One World Wellness offer to our students?

Our services may include: shifting to healthier eating, moving our bodies, healthier thinking and heart-centered communication, deepening spiritual practices, growing your own food, improving the quality of your surroundings...and the possibilities go on and on. We can work with you at your own pace to guide you toward your personal path to greater joy and wellness. Keep us around for a week or ask us for a month of our time. The amount of support required for each individual will vary.

Who is One World Wellness?

We are Kristin and Tanner. A happy-go-lucky, upbeat, vibrant, 30-ish couple who's mission it is to continue to live simply and joyfully while supporting others in finding their own joy though balancing body, mind and spirit. Our passion is to show others that it's possible to live a vibrant and joyful life every single day!

We began One World Wellness in the fall of 2014 while we were living on Vancouver Island. We had both worked many "normal" careers (both for ourselves and for employers) in the last decade. We were feeling downright unfulfilled and way too tired and stressed at age 30! Hmmmm. How can we work so darn hard and only make such a tiny difference in our world? Why aren't we following our own passions instead of someone else's? Are we answering our greatest calling on the planet? What if we just forget the naysayers and just do what we love?! Well that's what we are doing starting right now! Help us to help our world to thrive.

What will the Funding that we receive from this campaign pay for?

Our vision is to offer our services to people on a sliding scale. At the end of our stay at each home, we will give each person or family the opportunity to make a donation to One World Wellness to assist us in continuing our work as a mobile wellness team. Some will be able to give more than others and under NO circumstances do we want to deny our services to anyone that truly needs them. It will be a pay-it-forward type of system. Every little bit of funding we receive will assist us in extending the life of this project! :)

How will you know where the money is getting spent?

We write a blog each week about our experiences and adventures and the amazing connections that we make with people like you. You will be able to see what we are up to and where we are spending the money that is so generously donated to our project.

Read Our Blog Here!

Your donations may go toward things that will make our project sustainable, such as:

Books and other teaching materials for our team and students

We are in need of a smaller, more portable (and less ancient than our huge laptop) device for making videos and communicating with our students. iPad?

Purchasing minor health and wellness products to support clients (ex: gardening supplies, yoga mats, sports equipment, etc.)

Rentals of venues for wellness events, workshops, etc.

Fuel to get our team and our car to our next student(s)

Routine and/or unexpected repairs/maintenance for our aging OOW car (if/when needed...hopefully minimal!)

Travel Insurance (a necessity for out-of-Canada travels)

*If our fundraising goes exceptionally well, we would love to upgrade our 2003 Jetta to a larger vehicle (such as a van or small motor home) so that we may have a place to lay our heads between students, as well as haul larger items, such as a massage table and other healing tools.

TESTIMONIALS...

"Some people you just really wish were your neighbors. Theses guys just jump right into your life and make you glad to be alive. Welcome back into my world anytime." - Kent, Idaho, USA

"Tanner and Kristin are such positive, high-spirited people! We had some of the best conversations and they spread the most amazing energy and enthusiasm to me in their entire stay. I think Tanner has changed my life with his drumming ceremony and I will never forget anything about them!!!!!!" - Kristine, Oregon, USA

"What a pleasure to be a last-minute host for these two. When I think of them, the words that come to mind are balanced, grounded, engaged and respectful. I highly enjoyed my brief time with them and totally recommend you open your doors to them if you have the opportunity. All the best in all you do Kristin and Tanner. You are the kind of young(er) people that give me some hope for the survivability of this planet." - Carol, Florida, USA

"The thing I appreciate the most about Tanner and Kristin is that they walk the talk." - Dave, British Columbia, Canada / Mexico

"I did the cacao ceremony just out of curiosity. I didn't have any expectations. I just wanted to see what it would be like and what it's about. It was a really interesting experience and it was also very therapeutic. It was also really beautiful.  I'm really grateful to Kristin and Tanner, not just for doing the ceremonies, but for being the right people to host them because that makes all the difference." - Deb, New York, USA 

If you would like to read additional information about our project, please see our blogs at:

www.oneworldwellnessblog.blogspot.com (our lifestyle, spirituality and travel blog)

www.cacaoconnection.blogspot.com (our Cacao Plant Medicine blog)

We also have a Facebook page. Follow One World Wellness on Facebook

If you have any additional questions about One World Wellness, please email

oneworldwellness@yahoo.ca

THANK YOU for supporting this project and the future wellness of our world.

PS. If you are inspired by our project, but just don't have the extra funds to donate, that's ok! We ask that you please spread the word to folks that may be able to support One World Wellness. Thanks!

Cacao y Agua

A large part of the attraction for us to reside at this lake is to work with and learn from the cacao shaman, his partner and the team of cacao wizards. 

We have been attending two to three cacao healing ceremonies at the school each week. There can be anywhere from a dozen to upwards of forty or fifty people sitting and reclining on small cushions, scattered around the porch and gardens overlooking the lake and volcanoes. Each one sips cacao and delves into the depths of their hearts for healing and wisdom. At their own pace of course. 

We have also really been enjoying assisting in the bagging of the liquid cacao paste. It used to be a once weekly event at the school of cacao's on-sight packing facility, but the demand has grown so great in recent months that it's now twice weekly. The beans are peeled by hand by a team of local Mayan women who are paid by the pound prior to peeling and quality control thinning. Sounds pretty fair! Next, some of the beans are packed whole. Others are ground into a thick paste by another team of local Mayan people.  A team of six of us scoops several hundred pounds of cacao paste into bags. The bags are precisely weighed into one pound blocks. The bags are sealed and then laid out and pressed flat with wooden boards until they harden overnight. Then they are shipped worldwide. All of our hard work and love comes sealed inside at no extra charge.

At the same location, one morning each week, there is an acupuncture clinic. I just finished my second session. Acupuncture is so powerful and can be quite uncomfortable...but WOW IS IT EFFECTIVE. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who needs some assistance with physical, emotional or energetic healing. This particular location is very serene. A gentle breeze flows through a covered porch with spots of sunshine peeking through the foliage. Something about the mixture of the neighborhood chickens happily clucking and the native tropical birdsong is so soothing. The woman across the bamboo fence makes a constant patty cake sound as she makes what sounds like hundreds of tortillas. The sounds of chanting, drumming and singing bowls creates a background sound for wellness. Tears mixed with huge grins create a feeling of wellness spreading from my head to my toes. 

The word tears leads me into my next topic which is water. 

We lucky individuals who have lived our lives solely in first world, developed and sanitary environments have no idea what it's truly like to go without water for extended periods of time. Even if the power is out or a water main breaks...darn that inconvenience...Bottled water to the rescue!!! This is not the case everywhere. 

We have gotten an up close and personal taste of what it's like to try to live a week of life in rural Guatemala with a very limited water supply.  For nearly a week, the block we were living on, as well as other areas of the community were without water. On occasion, a hose bib across the yard would yield a bit of the liquid gold. We each had one shower this week, courtesy of hostels in town where we paid to get clean. We hauled many pails of lake water up the hill to our little casa. We needed some for things like flushing modern toilets (which could and should be composting) and for heating up (using natural gas in a bottle that was piped out of the earth) to use for dish washing, hand washing and cleaning.  

One afternoon we were sitting in the house in a women's circle. Two little Mayan girls came to the front door, so I went to say hello. They asked for water to wash their hands and faces after what they told me was a lunch of frijoles, or black beans. The little one, who looked about two years old, had a full beard of them. They normally come through the gate and help themselves to the hose bib. But today I brought them a small wash basin and a bar of soap since the pipes were dry. They lit up like I did as a kiddo on Christmas morning. They more or less had head-to-toe baths, including some hair "washing" right then and there. They included me in the celebration by splashing me with plenty of soapy bean water. They then asked me to climb up and pick them some limes from the big citrus tree. So I shook a branch and down two came. I offered them a snack and they were so excited. I finally told them I had to get back into the house. They said ok see you very soon. About 20 minutes later they came back to the house with three friends all toting empty water jugs. I explained that the only reason I could share water with them is that we had to haul it up from the lake in buckets. They soldiered on together in search of some agua. 

We are still spoiled even here to be able to afford to purchase a large blue bottle of drinking water for about $3. That may not always be an option though. We must take any steps possible to conserve and clean up our planet's waters. It's all one big connected system and we each play a role. Like one little drop in a vast ocean of consciousness. 

In closing, I would like to paint a picture of something that I witnessed that has stuck with me for days. We took a tiny taxi to the neighboring village to visit an organic permaculture inspired farm. We arrived midway up a mountain, where the proper road ended. We continued on foot from there to a bridge. I stopped and stared in complete awe of the Mayan women of all ages, from small girls to elegantly aged abuelas, in their colorful garments. Some were on their knees, washing clothing in the fresh mountain stream that came pouring from the jungle-covered mountain peaks. Others were hauling baskets of laundry piled high on top of their heads. I smiled and waved and they all stopped and gave a big grin and a Buenos Dias!  They were so happy. To know nothing different than washing their clothing by hand in a fresh river in the beautiful sunshine was seemingly perfect. I wanted to join them and take some photos, but out of respect, I chose to just smile and carry on up the steep, washed out mountain trail.