Feature Stories

A Healing Among Nations
Creating Connections Between Cultures and Countries

The phrase East meets West can have many meanings. It can signify, quite literally, the blending of Eastern and Western ways of living, healing modalities, and philosophies. It can also mean, in more general terms, a meeting in the middle of different viewpoints and beliefs. Buddhism as well promotes this “middle way.” In a world ripe with genocide, war, extreme economic disparity and environmental crisis, how can individuals and nations find a common ground? Perhaps it lies within the common humanity that exists between and within all human beings. Continued...

Notes from China
A Westerner’s Experience in the people’s republic

The People’s Republic of China is the most populous country in the world, with about one-fifth of the world’s people housed within its borders. Since economic reforms began in the late 1970s, the country’s increasingly open markets have brought worldwide investments into China, making it an “emerging superpower.” Economic reforms have brought opportunity to an increasing number of business owners and have helped millions step out of poverty. Currently, the country’s economy continues to grow, but so do its social and economic problems. There is a widening divide between the rich and the poor, especially between urban-dwellers and those who live in the country. Continued...

Astrology January 2008

Aquarius: Judgment (10 of Wands)
1/21-2/18: After a long uphill battle, you will begin to reap the rewards for your effort, but this is not a time to celebrate—it’s a time to get busy. Your life has been changed in a major way that now requires careful upkeep. You have the responsibility to recreate the vision you once held sacred. The Solar Eclipse on the 6th provides you with the perfect springboard for success. Do not hesitate or succumb to doubt, for there is no better time than now. Forgive and release any anger; you are free from your past. Continued...

Visionary Artist

Michele Benzamin-Miki

Viewpoint

Happiness Is Waiting for You

For the first twenty-odd years of my life, I was a world-class “ladder climber.” At twenty-two years old, I had earned a B.A. in philosophy as well as an M.B.A. from one of the nation’s top business schools. During my race through academia, I was also captain of the University’s Division One basketball team. And when I wasn’t studying or practicing, I was drinking with my buddies. As if the rest of my day wasn’t competitive enough, nights out were contests in their own right, as I would measure myself by the amount of phone numbers I had gathered or women with whom I had made out. I was living a lifestyle that was dependent largely on external validation and I used it to cover up a deeply-rooted lack of self-acceptance. No matter how big the accomplishment or compliment, it was never enough to quell my feelings of inadequacy. I found myself experiencing more and more unhappiness. Continued...

Reviews

	West of Jesus - Surfing, Science and the Origins of Belief by Steven Kotler / Bloomsbury USA / $13.95 Continued...
	The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention Inner Traditions / $29.95 Continued...

Mind States

Shifting Toward Wholeness by Jim Self

We are in the midst of a grand awakening. A Shift is occurring. Together we are becoming a unified consciousness within a global community. The duality of black and white, East and West, right and wrong, us and them, good and bad, male and female is changing—and the dividing lines are becoming less distinct. We are moving from third-dimensional duality, from separation and extremes, to a way of life that allows for greater possibilities, connected community, expanding ease and well-being. We are in a Shift and are remembering how to live in our fifth dimension consciousness while we walk in this three-dimensional world. Continued...

Invigorate Your Life!
Feng Shui with Amanda Collins by Sydney L. Murray

I wanted to start the New Year off right. I was in the process of getting my office ready for Feng Shui consultant Amanda Collins when I realized I was already in the process of creating better flow and organization in my space. I am somewhat aware of the basic principals of Feng Shui, yet I am always surprised when I do things naturally that have elements of Feng Shui in them. A water element sits by the front door. I have salt lamps in my area to enhance the earth element. I have to admit, however, that I am a bit of a pile junkie. I receive copious amounts of mail, faxes, emails, books and product reviews on a daily basis. Continued...

A Breath of Fresh Air? by Derek Shaw

Since childhood, you’ve been told not to stare at the sun and always eat your vegetables. But what if you didn’t have to eat at all? Moreover, what if peering at the sky provided the only nutrition your body needed? Inedia, or Breatharianism, is an ancient custom of fasting that originated in China. It is also based on the concept of prana, which is the vital life force in Hinduism. Its followers believe that you can survive and, in fact, live a healthy life, without food or even water. Continued...

Living Arts

44 Minutes of Love (and Music):
A Conversation with Musician and Club owner Chuck Perrin by Derek Shaw

Fifty-seven year-old Chuck Perrin is owner of Dizzy’s Jazz Club, a Southern California favorite that recently moved to the Wine and Culinary Center at 2nh and J Street in downtown San Diego. In operation since 2000, Dizzy’s showcases local musicians as well as some of the premiere jazz artists in the world. Originally from Indiana, Perrin is a prolific songwriter and studio artist himself. His melodic style is intricate and poetic. Perrin’s new album 44 Minutes of Love comes out just in time for Valentine’s Day. Vision Magazine had a chance to chat with the musician and club owner recently about music, life and that crazy thing called love. Continued...

A Look at Love by Sydney Murray

I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.
– Song of Songs, Songs of Solomon

Song of Songs is a documentary about love. Its elements are vast and varied, much like that most tempermental of human emotions. It is a film that I would like to give to everyone I know. There is much to be taken away from this film; the people portrayed offer their most heartfelt thoughts on love and relationships. Continued...

LifeQuake™

Ask the LifeQuake™ Doctor
Dr. Toni Galardi

Dear Dr. Toni:
My girlfriend is really into New Age stuff. She gets acupuncture every week, she meditates, she’s a vegetarian, etc. I’m fine with that except that she wants me to be into what she is interested in and I’m just not. I find meditation boring. I don’t like being poked by needles and I like to eat meat. Are we doomed?—Lowry’s Lover Continued...

Human Rights

The Third Wave
Elan Organics and Why Fair Trade is In

“Small farmers who produce the product from which we all make a living are themselves living in a terrible cycle of poverty. Economic and political structures perpetuate that poverty. Environmental destruction is one of the byproducts. Yet there is this disconnect for many of us in the coffee business. Few see the connection between this poverty and destruction on one hand, and poor coffee quality on the other. We all want the coffee to be delicious. But we must be willing to pay for it.” Continued...

Holistic Products

Change—A Starter Kit

This Valentine’s Day, show a little love to our planet by making changes in your lifestyle. If you’re not sure where to begin, Change—A Starter Kit will give you a boost in the right direction. The makers of the Change Starter Kit believe that just one person really can make a difference. Each item in the box comes with a page of information that describes how to use the product and what to be aware of when using it. It also describes how using the item will make a significant and immediate change in the global community. Continued...

Sol Beads

Even though the weather outside may be chilly, the sunbeams are still out in full force. To battle against the UV rays that affect the skin, sunscreen and covering up are good protection to use—that is, if we can remember to put them on. To help remind us, science teacher Patricia Swanson has developed UV Sol Beads, a string of clear beads tied onto a sturdy suede strap that turn a variety of bright colors when exposed to UV rays. The beads will change colors over 50,000 times and are waterproof. After seeing many of her friends and family members deal with skin cancer, Swanson felt the beads would be a great teaching tool for the public, especially for kids. Continued...

Holistic Health

In the front office of Healing Hands School of Holistic Health, there is a tree where photos of current and past students and staff are displayed. The school celebrated its fifteenth anniversary last November and the photo tree is a reminder of all the individuals, both past and present, who have come to Healing Hands to teach and learn. That tree says it all. Healing Hands is a holistic health and massage school that puts the care of its students, teachers, staff and clients at the forefront. Continued...

Like Winter for Summer:
Regeneration Through Fasting

At this time of year, the sun is still residing in the lowest reaches of its daily track across the sky. As our calendar flips from the old year to the new, the Northern hemisphere undergoes a time of regeneration while the Southern hemisphere revels in summer. In the North, underneath blankets of snow, plants and animals are nestled down, sleeping and resting in a season devoid of food and the activities normally associated with warmer weather. The landscape below the surface is quiet and in the process of regeneration. Continued...

Yoga & Kids

People in the modern world are stressed. And like it or not, children are also feeling the affects of our hurried way of life. Whether the source is home, peer pressures, school or media influences, children today carry burdens that are often hard to detect. Children in the West, like adults, can benefit from the wisdom of the East. The practice of yoga is a fun way for the newest generation to learn stress management and ways to stay healthy as well as a great opportunity to expand their awareness of experiences and cultures outside of their own. Continued...

Greek to Me

Of Palm Trees and Acid Baths

©2007 by Michael Raysses

We live in a transitory society. People seem to pick up and move with much greater ease and repetition than they used to. I, on the other hand, expected to physically relocate myself from my hometown to another city about as much as a tree stump might expect to trek across a field. This past year, though, I marked my eighteenth anniversary of moving from Chicago to Los Angeles. In doing so, I became a member of this city’s largest undocumented demographic groups—“permanent visitors.” These people come for what they think is going to be a finite period to achieve an articulated goal, fully intending to return to wherever it is they call home once that goal is achieved. Continued...

Los Angeles

The Valentine Peace Project

On February 14, volunteers and students in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Amsterdam will perform a public demonstration of love by distributing carnations and poems written by school children and the public at large. The event is sponsored by the Valentine Peace Project, an international community-based organization founded in 2006 and affiliated with EpicArts. The goal of the February 14th event is not to diminish romantic love, but to expand the basis of celebration of the commercial holiday to include peace and community connection. Continued...

Earthwatch

Illuminating Change
BoGo Lights in the Developing World

Imagine putting your child to bed and not being able to comfort her with a light in the hall. Imagine trying to help your child after work with his reading and not being able to make out the words on the page for lack of light in the room. In the Western world, a nightlight is nothing more than a source of comfort. Light to read by or to see another’s faces is taken for granted. However, for two billion people around the world, a nightlight is a necessity and the lack of one can be expensive and dangerous. With no other choices other than a kerosene lamp, a candle, or a single-use battery flashlight at their disposal, people in Africa, South America, and the Middle East risk their health and homes while straining their incomes to have access to precious light. And what if they simply cannot afford it? Then they sit in utter darkness. Continued...

Culture

Socialites and Solitude:
The Different Ways We Drink Tea

In a world that sends you rushing and reaching to finish everything on your to-do list, it’s very hard to sit and take a moment for yourself. But when you do, there’s nothing more soothing than a cup of tea to help settle your nerves and calm your mind. Few tea drinkers know exactly where their Jasmine Green or Earl Grey originally come from. If you also take a moment to delve into the history of tea, you will find a culturally diverse story that shows that there’s more to it than the act of sitting and sipping. The ceremonies that come from both the East and West regarding tea drinking and the actions and significance connected to them are what really matter. Continued..

Vision Cafe

The Conscious Life Expo

“The times, they are a-changin” is the phrase Bob Dylan made famous. Indeed, the times these days are calling for us to make a change in the way we’re living. For those who are just beginning to understand what it means to live consciously as well as those who have pursued the path of awareness for some time, there are still questions that beg for answers. A great place to discover them is at the 6th Annual Conscious Life Expo in Los Angeles. Continued...

Gung Hei Fat Choi! Chinese New Year in San Diego

It’s the Year of the Rat and to celebrate, the San Diego Chinese Center will present the 26th Annual Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair. The event will take place February 16th and 17th in the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District, located at Third Avenue and J Street in downtown San Diego. Admission is free. The two-day event will feature Chinese acrobats, dragon dancers, Chinese folk dance and music, martial arts demonstrations, and Asian Story Theatre. Continued...

Health Freedom Expo

The HealthKeeper’s Alliance will host the Fourth Annual Health Freedom Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center February 22-24, 2008. The Health Freedom Expo is the premier natural and alternative health gathering and features daily lectures with over sixty of the top national, regional, and local health professionals Continued...