I'm thankful for weird stuff

I am thankful for my incredibly stressful job.

I pull my hair out and rant and rave about how much work I have and how hard it is to stay organized and how badly deadlines and waiting for others to do things sucks.  I look at other’s salaries and salivate.  I look around my office and wonder where my head’s at.  I walk to the printer or the front area and forget why I'm going there on the way. I stress on work when I'm home and wish I had a work laptop so that I could get more done.  I worry about stress in my office and the changes that are happening so quickly.

But I'm thankful I have a job and work with mostly awesome people (does anyone work with all awesome people?  If so, I want in!)  I am thankful I have a place to work and to stretch my brain.  I am thankful to feel challenged and trusted for my opinions by my peers.  I am thankful I get paid.

 

I am thankful I was a teen mom.

While my mom was always there to offer support and a roof over our heads, I was on government assistance for daycare and for food for myself and Matt.  I didn’t get to go out and party as often as my friends.  I never got to live on my own and find myself.  I was never on my own.  I always had someone whose life depended on my own.  I never had a chance to get up and go.  I never had the option to quit a job when I was unhappy.  While I may have acted like it at times, I didn’t have a time in my life when someone wasn’t learning from my actions.  I didn’t have a normal college experience and never got to live on campus.  Even after Jon and I got married, we needed Government assistance (housing) to care for our family.  Life was never easy.

But I'm thankful for Matt.  I'm thankful that he’s grown into a wonderful young man with a caring heart.  I'm thankful that he grew up with me and learned his love of music from me and Jon.  I'm thankful that he had his struggles with authority early and is over that shit.  I am thankful that I have a wider world view that contains struggle and that I can understand where many people are “coming from.”  I'm thankful that I know how to budget for many different situations and can help those in need.  I'm thankful that we no longer struggle (too hard) financially.  I’m thankful that we can afford our kids some of the good things in life (sad that we weren’t able to provide as much financially for Matt) but we are able to offer support as they all grow into capable young men. 

And I'm thankful they’ll al be over 18 (and maybe even out of the house) before I'm 50!

 

I am thankful for growing up with an alcoholic Step Father.

I would cry myself to sleep worried about the verbal abuse he’d heap on my mom.  I’d duck as they threw silverware at each other.  I held my mom when she kicked him out and I pled with her not to take him back.  I pulled him off my brother once and the cops were called to our house.  I smile sadly when we drive by that particular bar at the top of the hill between my dad’s house and my mom’s house because my step dad couldn’t even wait until we’d get back to the house between drinks and so we’d stop there and I’d play pinball while he’d have a beer.  I remember going to the hospital when he was in detox and watching a big orderly holding him down while he hallucinated.

But I'm thankful that I can spot addiction.  I'm thankful that, while he was an alcoholic, I can still be sad that he’d gone and miss his horrible sense of humor and dry chuckle.  I can be sad that my brother lost his dad and had to get married without his dad to be there or to meet any of his kids.  I'm thankful I have one more life experience to draw from when making decisions.

 

I am thankful for my whack job in-laws.

I won’t rant about anything specific here.

But I'm thankful that I’ve known them more than half my life.  I love that they love me and appreciate the parts of me that I bring to the family table.  I love that they’ve accepted me and all my faults and been there for me, giving me a hand up during difficult times.

 

Anyway, I'm thankful for my life.  Every crappy, difficult, challenging, sad, stupid moment of it. 

Stay tuned to the Mind Key blogspace to read about Thankfulness this week!

Your most essential self with essential oils

I believe we all want to feel vibrant, healthy and express ourselves with our personal touch of creativity and beauty. We want to feel more abundant, seen, and loved.  

~Jane Kamala Morba 

Jane Kamala Morba

Mystic, photographer, Aromatherapy Wellness Advocate, storyteller and coach, Jane Morba believes we are all unique and each have important contributions to the world.

"It's important that we connect with our life force and sensuality to attract what we desire."
 

Jane's mission is to encourage people to use earth based practices to heal body, mind and spirit, to balance the masculine and feminine qualities in our lives, and to support  intimacy.  
 

She practices a blend of Buddhism, goddess feminine wisdom, Hinduism, and the school of yoga. She is a yoga teacher, trained in ecstatic dance, and also studies and practices Native American medicine and shamanism to tap into intuition and soul retrieval. All of these practices take part in her guidance, healing, and creative offerings.

"My desire is to support men and women to lead a truth building life with my wildly traditional transformational programs so people can feel more connected and thrive."

Jane will be joining us with a booth, a free demonstration and a talk at the Mind Key Winter Solstice Festival, tomorrow in NJ. 

At 12:20 pm she will give a talk about ancient practices that support us today to feel empowered in our own health with the vibrational qualities of pure, certified grade, essential oils. She will also share holiday gift ideas to help your friends and loved ones feel happy, well and vibrant, one drop at a time, especially with doTerra's essential oil Christmas blends.

At her booth, Jane will offer free consultations and share samples of doTerra essential oils from around the world including lavender, wild orange, peppermint and citrus bliss, as well as Christmas scents like Frankincense, myrrh and more. Holiday gifts of sample oils will be available for purchase. Her free essential oil consultations discuss your needs and any health challenges, and include recommendations. 

Jane will also be offering specials on massages, tarot readings, gift certificates, and goddess theme classes on beauty, wealth and enhancing relationships. Private consultations on her 90 days program of living a feminine empowered life as well as information on aromatherapy oil classes will be available. 

Jane also photographs spiritual and visionary women who want to capture their essence to connect with their clients. 

"I am a photographer and artist, I dance, workout, take walks in nature, sip tea and meditate to relieve stress and activate my visualization power."

Learn more about others at the festival:
About the festival
The Village Shaman 
Living your most radiant life
Muses with Scissors creativity for all
Essential oils and goddess energy

Connect with your Muse at Mind Key's Winter Solstice Celebration

Red Room, art and poetry by Tara Ann Lesko

To not live some sort of creative life makes little sense to me. I love creating with words. I love working with collage paper, scissors, and glue. In the rigmarole and chaos of the 21st century, it's too easy to fall into a drone-like eat-sleep-work routine. Creative endeavors such as visual arts, gardening, dance, or writing pull us out of the abyss of the mundane. Only when we create do we reach a deeper understanding of ourselves and our places in this world.

Bare Bones, Tara Ann Lesko

             With the support of Mind Key, Muses with Scissors hopes to prove that there is no such thing as sucky, talentless art. If it moves you or makes your eyes dance and your soul hum, then it's art. But more importantly, art is the vehicle for energetic and spiritual change, and deep personal growth.

You are not bound by right or wrong.

 
           At the Muses with Scissors booth this Saturday, be prepared to lose yourself in an array of colors, patterns, pictures, and positive affirmations. Muses was designed to take a different approach to the art and wine party craze. Your party host comes to your home with all of the materials needed so that you and your friends can enjoy a meaningful and explorative art experience.

          The focus of each party is collage making and you will have the opportunity to work with various media. Your party host will also supply prompts and inspiration to spur on the creative vibes.

          At the Mind Key Winter Solstice Celebration, all are invited to the Muses table to dig into collage making. Instructions and prompts will be provided so that you may get a taste of what a collage party has in store.

          Tara Ann Lesko, creator of Muses with Scissors, will also have some of her collage poetry on display and for sale. Stop by and grab a framed print, handmade affirmation and greeting cards, or a bookmark for the word and art lover on your list.



From the Vine, Tara Ann Lesko 

Learn more about others at the festival:
About the festival
The Village Shaman 
Living your most radiant life
Muses with Scissors creativity for all
Essential oils and goddess energy

Finding healing for body, mind and soul at the Mind Key Winter Solstice Celebration

Barbara Steingas is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker and radiant life coach. She has written three books which share her tools of healing and wholeness through body, heart and spirit, drawing on her personal path of healing, and 30 years experience as a physical therapist. Her coaching, workshops and talks are designed to help you quickly identify the missing pieces to your personal healing puzzle, optimize your health and vitality, and live the radiant life you deserve.

As a member of the Mind Key Community, Barbara will be joining us at the Winter Solstice Celebration this Saturday in West Milford, NJ.  Visit www.mindkey.me/festivals to learn more about this day of free events, demonstrations, crafts, live music and open mic, and more for the entire family.

"I have creativity/artistic talent in my genes," Barbara said. "My maternal grandfather was an opera singer in Germany and my dad was a musician, mainly saxophone. I danced ballet and played flute in my youth, but didn't reconnect with my artistic side until my late 30s."

Divine inspiration came while watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" for about the 3rd time, and she wrote her first book about her German family.

"It occurred to me that I have so many warm and touching stories about them and one doesn't hear about that aspect of the German culture too often," Barbara said.

She was also compelled to write about her journey of recovery from Crohn's disease. This book, The Healing Puzzle won Honorable Mention Winner of the 2nd Annual Global Book Contest.

"Writing, especially journaling,  is a great way to assist with healing by allowing one to release emotional, mental and spiritual dis-ease, which when held inside, leads to physical disease of the body. It allows us to creatively express our true inner feelings safely and allows us to discover our authentic voice," Barbara said.

At her table, Barbara will be offering her three books: Germans are Funny, Too!, a story of experiencing and understanding the German culture through her cuckoo Kraut family, and the healing that comes with it; The Healing Puzzle, a story of how unconditional love helped Barbara heal from a chronic autoimmune disease; and Solving the Crohn's and Colitis Puzzle, where Barbara shares seven simple and easy-to-follow strategies for body, mind, emotion, and spirit which are designed to help those suffering from Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis improve and optimize their quality of health.

In addition to taking appointments for her one-on-one coaching sessions for living your most vibrant and radiant self, Barbara will be offering health consultations including seated chakra balancing with reiki healing at the festival.  Each 20 minute session is only $20.

Barbara will also be onstage at 12:00 noon to talk about Five Simple Strategies to being Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually Fit.  In this talk, she will share how feelings, interactions with others and thoughts can combine with food and mindful physical practices (such as yoga) to help the body function in a state of wholeness and health.


"Everyone has a puzzle in their past that created where they are now, but there is also a puzzle of where they want to go in all areas of their life, such as goals for health, financial prosperity and relationships. I help people find the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual pieces they need to achieve these goals so they can live their life fully and radiantly."

Barbara's piece "Everything in Moderation" can also be found in Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance, Mind Key's second anthology, which will debut and be available for sale at the festival this weekend.


Learn more about others at the festival:
About the festival
The Village Shaman 
Living your most radiant life
Muses with Scissors creativity for all
Essential oils and goddess energy

Meet The Village Shaman at the Mind Key Winter Solstice Celebration 11/21/15

We are pleased to announce The Village Shaman as one of our vendors and healers at the Mind Key Winter Solstice Festival in West Milford, NJ this Saturday

 Today, Kieran of The Village Shaman shares The Village Shaman's philosophy and offerings:

"The whole is more than the sum of its parts".

                                                               ~ Aristotle

Holistic care addresses not only imbalances of the physical body, but encourages harmony within the entire being, body, mind and spirit. The Village Shaman believes that the best healing occurs within a partnership between client and practitioner, in which the client is educated and inspired to take an active part in sustaining their well-being in all aspects of life.  Through a variety of modalities, we offer an opportunity to rediscover health, peace and empowerment. By living our own Truth in integrity and joy, we who walk the shaman’s path hope to inspire others to do the same by reawakening their inner wisdom.

Traditionally, shamans have been the Wounded Healers of societies and cultures, enduring a symbolic—and sometimes literal—process of death and rebirth. Through this powerful journey they learn to heal themselves, often with the assistance of spirit guides and guardians, angels, buddhas or other spiritual beings, and having traveled this path of healing, are called to guide others to wholeness. The shaman walks between worlds, acting as healer, warrior, mystic, counselor and teacher as required.

Most of us are aware of the many changes taking place in our world today... socially, culturally, economically, spiritually, even climatologically. With compassion and insight, The Village Shaman hopes to assist people in adjusting to these changes as smoothly as possible.

The Village Shaman carries a variety of raw and polished crystals, geodes and healing tools, plus an eclectic assortment of jewelry. Prices range from $1 to over $100, with most merchandise ranging between $10 - $30. We also offer services by appointment including Tarot and Chakra Readings, Life Empowerment, Guided Meditation, Energy Balancing and Herbal Medicine.

At the Mind Key Festival, we will display a selection of our merchandise as well as offer readings (approximately 20 min) at a special discounted festival rate of $20. Stop by to view a fusion of natural beauty and creative inspiration, enjoy an Intuitive Card or Chakra Reading, or just say hello!

The Village Shaman offers:

Intuitive Card or Chakra Readings

Michka Grant

“Awaken Your Inner Light”

“My main goal is to help people.  Lead them back on the path that they've wandered away from.  Help them in their relationships.  Help them understand why they have the problems they do.  All of the information given to them is guided by and attributed to Spirit.  The work I do doesn't start with me.  I am only a vessel, not the source.”   
                
~ Michka, Brindle Light Wolf Spiritual Consulting

Michka Grant – Also known as ~White Raven~ is a unique Tarot Reader and Intuitive. He has a variety of decks from which clients can choose, and employs an approach which allows the cards to speak to the client directly through the words of the original authors. Michka’s technique allows for the “Wall of Privacy” to be maintained, as he is made aware only of what needs to be addressed during the reading. There are also are times when additional information comes through. Guided by Spirit, Michka shares his insights with a blend of humility and perception, to provide honest and often eye-opening readings.

Herbal Medicine     

 “Treat the person, not the disease.”
                                    David Winston, RH (AHG)

As holistic practitioners, our goal is to use the natural healing properties of herbs to nourish & support the body’s innate intelligence & gently guide the systems back into alignment, while providing encouragement to make lifestyle changes that address underlying issues.

Energy Balancing

Energy Balancing is a form of healing in which the energy system is rebalanced and replenished, promoting harmony among the body, mind, emotions and spirit.

A being’s energy system can be compared to the circulatory system. If there is a blockage in one of the blood vessels, if blood has been lost or the pressure is too high, a body won't function to the best of its ability.  Likewise, if one’s energy is depleted or stagnant, if there is a blockage or a leak, that being will not experience the fullness of their capacity.

And more!

The Village Shaman is proud to support businesses who display integrity, compassion, & Fair Trade practices. Check out our Likes on Facebook for local businesses you can trust!  Also, we have an Online Marketplace for those unable to attend the festival!

Stop by to see us at the Mind Key Festival on Saturday,  November 21st on Maple Road in West Milford, NJ.  Click here for more information, to sign up for our open mic and to learn about our vendors and free, family-friendly events throughout the day.

Learn more about others at the festival:
About the festival
The Village Shaman 
Living your most radiant life
Muses with Scissors creativity for all
Essential oils and goddess energy

Sneek peek: The Mind Key Winter Solstice Celebration and holiday shop

This week we will be sharing the stories and offerings of vendors that will be joining us at the Mind Key Winter Solstice Celebration this Saturday, November 21st from 11:30-5 pm.  There will be talks, live music, and a number of free events and demonstrations.

Learn more about:
The Village Shaman 
Living your most radiant life
Muses with Scissors creativity for all
Essential oils and goddess energy

The Winter Solstice Celebration is a day of vendors, music, talks and events for the entire family. Finish your holiday shopping early with our vendors, and with the Mind Key gift certificate, offering products and services to help you live your happiest, healthiest, most inspired life--the perfect gift for anyone ready to live their passion.


 Join us at Lindy Lake Manor house
270 Maple Road, West Milford, NJ
Saturday, November 21, 2015
11:30 am - 5 pm

Including a number of free events throughout the day:
*Raffles and giveaways
*workshops & demos
*Live music & open mic
*Readings from Mind Key's newest Anthology
*Spiritual collage with "Muses with Scissors"
*Interpreting your dreams
*Essential oil demo
*Motivational speakers
*Strategies to be whole-body fit
*Holiday crafts with "That's It!" Art Studio
        and much much more!

Schedule of events

1:00-2:30 Musicians open mic
SIGN UP HERE:
http://www.mindkey.me/signup/open-mic

3:15-4:15  Poet and writers open mic
SIGN UP HERE:
http://www.mindkey.me/signup/open-mic

Speakers and demonstrations

12:00-- 5 Tips for Healthy Spirit and Body
                    with Barbara Steingas
12:20-- Goddess energy and essential oils
                    with Jane Morba
12:40-- Healing naturally
                    with Dr. Lisa Avila
2:30 -- Dream Interpretation
                    with Jefferson Harman
2:40 -- Living with inspiration
                    with author Azuka Zuke Obi

Vendors

*Gold, silver and gemstone jewelry
    by jeweler and artist Rachel Bertoni
*The Village Shaman--
    crystals, healing tools, and tarot & chakra readings
*Tarot card and psychic readings
    by Sarah Loukos & Kathy Fuering
*Dream Interpretation
    by Jefferson Harman
*Spiritual Healings
    with Kathleen Santora
*Chakra balancing with reiki
    with Barbara Steingas
*Essential oils and consultations
    with Jane Morba
*Healing consults and sessions
    with Chiropractor, kinesiologist & herbalist Dr. Lisa Avila
*Motivational and inspirational books & gifts
*Handcrafted jewelry
    by SuZen RavenHeart
*Cupcakes & baked goods
    by Sweet Sweet Wonderland
                        and many others

Scrivener Tutorial: Why I wouldn't use any other word processing or organizational program

Whether you've never heard of Scrivener, or whether you use it regularly, this simple, easy-to-use program is always surprising me with how versatile, effective, and powerful it truly is.

While it's impossible to talk about everything Scrivener does in one blog or tutorial, today I'm discussing why this program is one of the most effective time-saving and organizational tools I discovered as a novelist and a freelance writer.

For one, I can keep everything I'm working on in one handy-dandy online "file cabinet."  This means if I'm NaNoWriMo-ing, and need to pick up a phone call with a contact for an interview, I can click off my NaNoWriMo folder and easily click to my article folder, creating a new blank document in the appropriate spot.

I can keep all my notes conveniently alongside my interviews. When I'm ready to write, I simply duplicate the research article, and all my interview notes get carried over with the interview itself.

Now I can move folders around to organize the article in a coherent and effective way without losing track of, or having to search my notes for who-said-what.

Clearly these features are just as helpful for writing a lengthy novel. The corkboard view lets you see your chapter or scene synopses at a glance to find what you need to edit, or to easily move it within the story.

To learn more about Scrivener check out our tutorial below. Even seasoned users may find some tips you didn't know before. I know I discover new ones every day!

If you have questions for us to address in our next Scrivener tutorial please leave them below as a comment--or if you have anything I missed or got wrong, please let us know!

Shut up and write Nanowrimo-ers!

Last April, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (aka. Mind Key's Minute Novel Challenge) for the first time, and not since grad school did I have the discipline to write and write often. I guess the competition was a big motivator too. Yes, there was a prize to be won, but more importantly, there was a group of us on a mission. We joined a chorus and passed muses to one another. Unexpectedly, I won the Minute Novel challenge with a variety of excerpts from my memoir-still-in-progress, The Golden Skillet.

My success with Nanowrimo could have only been accomplished by the energy and support provided by Mind Key members and followers. Knowing that significant snippets of my work had an audience became a driving force to continue the arduously fulfilling task of writing my book. It's still not done, and for a simple reason - every month is not Nanowrimo.

So now it's November. I'm sure there are college dorm rooms cleaner than my apartment. I bought underwear and socks at Walmart to delay having to do laundry. I'm back in grad school, working two teaching jobs, and I am on my second sinus infection of the season. Go me.


This time around, Nanowrimo is in the back of my mind despite the overload. That means there are times I can say "piss off" to normal responsibility and lose myself in my memoir and fiction writing. You may ask, "Well, if she has all this other stuff going on, how can she write 1,500 words a day?"

Here's my answer. I can't. And God bless anyone else out there who can.

As easy it is to be discouraged by my lack of consistency this time around, I am determined to feel accomplished, even if I conjure up two decent pages or one crappy paragraph. A word count of over a thousand in one day is fantastic, but for some, it's a long shot. The most important thing to do is write. To paraphrase Neil Gaiman, it's that simple, and it's also that hard. Drop what you are doing and write. Shut the blinds, hide the phone, plug-in the earphones, and write. Best of luck and a thousand blessings to all Nanowrimo-ers.

Lose Yourself in NaNoWriMo

How many of us have grand ambitions of writing a masterpiece? Ok, how many of us have actually accomplished that? Yeah, me either. It’s OK. It’s not an easy task. Staring at a blank page can be daunting. You can see your world so crisply, so clearly. The mere act of typing out letters, though, dilutes your world. That word you just typed, that doesn’t quite convey what you felt while imagining. No, that sentence doesn’t really show the reader what you meant. Before you know it, your inner Editor has taken over, rationalizing and nitpicking your dream to death until it’s less than vapor. Suddenly that magical world in your head seems foolish, not worthy of bringing to the light of day. You walk away. Maybe next time…

Don’t get me wrong. The Editor isn’t your enemy. The Editor is a valuable team member. After all, there is a very small subset of people that like reading stream-of-consciousness. Most people prefer a polished work, something that they can lose themselves in. There is absolutely a time and a place for the Editor to do their thing. That time, however, is not at the beginning, before the work is even created.

Think about childbirth. The whole process is a bloody, terrifying, sticky, painful mess. You can’t wash the baby before it comes out. First priority is getting the baby out. Once that’s accomplished, while you’re (hopefully) riding on that post-natal high, then you can clean and present the baby to the world.

Yes, I suppose I just did use childbirth as an analogy for NaNoWriMo. I know it’s not a perfect analogy—at least, I hope there’s no actual stickiness or blood involved. Or maybe there is. Not for me to speak on your creative processes. The point is, NaNoWriMo is about cutting out the time you would normally use to silence yourself.  It’s about putting your Editor on vacation and just letting it happen. It’s about giving yourself permission to lose control.

Now PUSH.

NaNoWriMo 2015: What You Need to Know

For writers, this is the highly anticipated month of the year.  We bite our fingernails to stubs, elusively try to rearrange our schedules, and promise—no, threaten—ourselves to be as productive as possible.

It’s NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and it’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Okay, maybe Christmas is, but November holds a very special value for those who yearn to write a novel or simply tackle a writing project.

Sounds crazy?  It is… a bit.  The truth is if we silence our inner critic, if we truly sit down and ignore the grammatical mistakes, editing faux-pas, and everything telling us that our writing isn’t turning out right, then the 50,000 word mark is actually achievable.  Read author Marissa Meyer’s guest blog to find out how NaNoWriMo inspired her to write, complete, and publish the first book of her Lunar Chronicles series.

NaNoWriMo is a personal challenge that expects you to complete 50,000 words throughout the month of November.

My personal journey with NaNoWriMo began when Danielle Rose first introduced me years ago.  She had participated in the challenge and found it inspirational and productive.  Hesitantly, I checked it out for myself.  Right after saying, NaNo-What-O?  I found myself shouting, sign me up!  And so began a journey that I would repeat yearly.  Although I’ve yet to achieve the full 50,000 word count, I’ve completed a lot more than I would have without NaNoWriMo’s challenge and inspiration. 

The cool thing about NaNoWriMo is that it’s not a solitary venture.  It literally connects every writer from everywhere in the world.  Built to be an interactive and communal effort, participants find an entire platform to network with fellow writers.  This is such an important aspect of NaNoWriMo because connecting with others leads to inspiration, writing critiquing, tips, and best of all—encouragement and accountability.

Entire groups, blogs and social media trends have emerged to facilitate the connection between NaNo participants.  

Mind Key's daily NaNoWriMo Challenge for example, encourages writers to share their daily novel excerpt for others to read and vote on as a motivational tool to help them continue creating.  

 

Tamara Rokicki runs a cozy Facebook Writers Group, which focuses on providing daily writing prompts, inspiration, tips and networking.  She’s also dedicating the month of November to posting regular NaNoWriMo blogs and updates.  Other Mind Key members participating in this year’s NaNoWrimo are Danielle Rose, Sarah Loukos, Kevin Hall, Tara Ann Lesko and Rebecca Godina.

So what are you waiting for?  It’s not too late to sign up and join millions of writers in this amazing challenge.  Happy Writing!

Becoming Whole: Making peace with the light and the dark

At Mind Key we believe are all whole and perfect, exactly the way we are. The only way to accept and make peace with this truth is by exploring the shadow side of ourselves and bringing it to light.

In our anthology, Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance our healers, artists and writers share their insights and journeys into achieving wholeness via both the yin and yang sides of themselves and the world around them.

Let them inspire you on your own path of healing and happiness in the following reviews of their contributions to this beautiful, full color work of art:

Award-winning author, inspirational speaker and radiant life coach, Barbara Steingas, helps people find the pieces they need to solve their personal health puzzle through coaching services, talks, workshops, and her writing. Barbara's passion is helping others optimize their health and vitality.

accompanying image by Alma Carel

In her piece, Everything in Moderation, Barbara tells how she seesawed between healthy and unhealthy eating habits. This bouncing from one extreme to another became a determining factor in why she eventually developed Cohn's Disease, which affects the body's ability to digest and eliminate food. Her story speaks not only to women, but also to men who struggle with striking that balance between what is right for their bodies, and their emotional health. Without this crucial balance, everything suffers.

Poet, artist, and clothing designer, Ava M. Hu studied poetry and sculpture at St. Lawrence College. To Ava, there is a fine line between art and poetry, one a written metaphor, the other visual.

accompanying photo by JoAnna Schillaci

Ava's word choice is exquisite, and her poems elicit raw, and often nostalgic emotion from a few short lines of descriptive language—whether describing the relationship nature and god, and how it reveals itself in the "Secret Mantra" of love, or representing in ten very short lines how one can achieve all they desire through observing the space, time, and poetry between the stars, between molecules of water.

"Ava appreciates short concise thoughts and questions that inflame your brain," Yin and Yang editor and contributor, Charla Dury writes.

art by Elisabeth Ladwig

Elisabeth Ladwig, an award-winning conceptional photographer, believes "that life’s mysteries fall within the parameters of scientific explanation, that science abides by the Laws of Nature, and that nature is magical."

This belief is conveyed through her digitally composed photography, each piece with elements of nature and with an anonymous subject, offering a variety of metaphors for the miracles all around us, and for humankind’s relationship with the Earth and with the Cosmos.

“Anonymity allows the viewer to take part in writing the story,” Elisabeth says, “and that story is going to be different for everyone.”

photo by Charla Dury

Journalist, editor, columnist, poet and musician, Gene Myers, believes the connection between art and life is everything, so why separate music from poetry? Creating is his way of relating to his surroundings, and to others, more deeply. It's about communicating and sharing the real-life miracle of art.

"I only write when I think I have found something that is a worthy find, something to share with others. For me, that is the point, otherwise, why bother?"

Charla writes, "Gene makes you think. He brings every-day human interaction to the ethereal, describing succinctly the mood and emotion of the moment using poetry. In A God Who Is Still Making Up His Mind, Gene’s God sounds a lot like a father who is world weary or an overworked mother hoping for a 'me night'.”

Perhaps he is also speaking to the god-like-ness of parenthood, in which parents have the both grueling and fulfilling task of allowing their children free will while imposing upon them the rules of the universe.

Dr. Kevin Hall approaches both health and life from the understanding that there is “an accessible greater intelligence that we can tap into and draw from.”

photo by Danielle Rose

This intelligence offers a place to still our minds and hearts, Kevin said, so we can view our thoughts and emotions from a distance, creating a new perspective for how we feel and think. He shares this perspective with others through his words as well as his practice.

In Using Light by Night, Kevin talks about his struggle with life's curveballs. In his medical practice he encompasses a wide variety of modalities for health to create a wide-angle vision of what’s happening. So, this wide-angle applies in his essay as well.

“There are people that looked up at the starts and just saw stars, then there are those that looked up and saw constellations,” Kevin said. “I’m a constellation seer.”

art by Dana Bree

As an artist, Dana Bree believes that a connection to, and an opportunity to discover new things with like minded individuals, is essential to her health, happiness, and creative progress.

“This has also allowed me to move forward into metaphysical realms with healing and helping others as well as myself,” Dana said.

Dana's art has been inspired not only by her dreams, but by the inspiring life she has led

In The Master Juggler, Dana brings together bright and contrasting colors to create a feeling of expansiveness—as is seen through the cosmos peeking out the juggler's window—as well as perspective as he looks upon the Earth as it juggles between the cracked egg and the 8-ball. The combination of the three in suspension represent the fragile nature of our existence in the universe.

photo by Heather Taylor

Heather Taylor is a mom first, but she refuses to let motherhood define her solely, and is continually creating, whether photography, art, crafts or food.

In Heather's photo, Glisten Dichotomically, editor and Yin and Yang contributor Tamara Rokicki appreciates the yellow selection of the leaves, and writes that yellow expresses energy, joy and happiness, stressing the importance of positive vigor and contentment even throughout the coldest phases of our lives. Tamara is particularly struck by this message as we revel through autumn to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually for winter by taking courage and inspiration from Mother Nature.


This photo is also Heather's son's graduation portrait, and it reflects Heather's passion for her family, who have inspire her to show the world the amazing gifts a family can bring and the legacy it can leave.

Other artists and writers to contribute to this beautiful work of art include

art by Jason Tirendi

• art by our digital editor, Jason Tirendi,
• photography by Stan Cohen,
• meditations by healer, Kathleen Santora,
• stories by psychic, Sarah Loukos,
• storyteller Rebecca Godina,
• writer Tamara Rokicki
• mixed media and poetry by artist and jeweler, Rachel Bertoni,
• writing and photography by editors Charla Dury and Danielle Rose
• Plus many more!

Read and view more by pre-ordering your copy of Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance (CLICK HERE) today, and guarantee it in-hand with plenty of time for the holidays.


Or read the full reviews below:

The juggler of the world (Dana Bree)

How do you glisten? (Heather Taylor)

Using Light by Night (Kevin Hall)

Everything in Moderation (Barbara Steingas)

The power of simple words, images and art (Ava Hu)

What if God Were Still Making Up His Mind? (Gene Myers)

Behind the scenes: The Making of Yin and Yang (video)