Because the Wind

Daniel defines intimate dining from his Because The Wind farm to table culinary dinners set in the chef’s private loft. His vibrant presentation and warm hospitality are characteristics of an authentically crafted LA respite, with eight courses to convince you a home cooked meal is always best. The plated event also acts as an experiment, melding people with art and food, all while acting as an immersive catalyst for connection. It is clear this lyricist disguised as a chef creates with vision and intention with all he does and we took pleasure in witnessing this firsthand.

What led you to become a chef?

There are so many instances in our lives that you try to pinpoint as the “aha” moment of self-realization, the moment you figure out what it is you want to become. For me, being a chef materialized during college. I dual majored in Anthropology and Sociology and amidst learning about cultural landscapes and behaviors I was awestruck by the beauty and knowledge that food held. It is the driving force of cultural exchange.

What is "Because the Wind”?

Because the Wind, is the name of a private dining “restaurant/party” at my loft in Downtown L.A. Its name derives meaning from the notion that beauty is a function of the rusticity of nature. The wind is an analogy of time.

I created Because the Wind as a way to cook the food that I love in an atmosphere free from pretense or standardization. It is both a social function and experiment, and perhaps a product of my studies, to create an environment where strangers meet one another amidst music, art and food.

If you could have anything for your birthday meal -- what would you have?

Thinly sliced raw conch with lemon and salt, while sitting on a beach somewhere off the south atlantic coast..

If you were to write a book about your life, what would it be called?

Because the Wind.

Favorite restaurant?

I tell my self that I have not found it yet so that I strive to create it, but so far, the most perfect meal I have had was at a small restaurant in Kyoto called Gion Owatari. It was a small but perfect little space. When you enter you walk through a small garden into the private 8 seat bar where the chef questions your notion of restraint and beauty dish after dish.

What inspires your food?

My food is inspired by fallen trees, weathered rocks and the cracks in old buildings.

What’s one question you are asking yourself these days?

How do I preserve ideas while continually changing?

What is your ultimate vision?

To be able to make others feel some type of emotion through my food, preferably good emotions

What rituals keep you in a creative state?

Drinking coffee, daydreaming and being immersed in nature.

Keep in touch with Daniel & his dinners on his Instagram and website!

Sleeping Monk

Sleeping Monk is a company based in California producing high potency herbal extracts that promote better sleep, beautiful skin, better sex, protected immunity and happiness.  The formulas are crafted in a manner akin to an ancient philosophy - Chinese Tonic Herbalism - which dates back to 2950 B.C.  

We visited the owner, Louis Lenard, at his Malibu home on a gorgeous summer day.  We lounged by the pool and discussed all things herbalism.  

What was your journey to create the Sleeping Monk line?

I grew up in Malibu, California and operate from there currently. From an early age, I was drawn to excel at whatever I put my mind and heart into. I found out later that this was the result of searching for love and approval from others, as I lacked it for myself. 

First it was surfing, then music. When the success and accolades only produced a fleeting sense of peace, I did the only logical thing I could think of – do lots of drugs. I got to experience what it felt like to destroy my body, mind and spirit and eventually the pain and demoralization reached a point where I had to change or call it quits.

So, with the familiar type passion and energy I grew up with, I completely re-focused on a healing lifestyle that helped me turn my life around and become someone that people can count on and actually respect and look up to, imagine that!  

Among other healing regimens, this path ultimately lead me to the beautiful system of Chinese Tonic Herbalism, which would become the basis for the 6 products we currently offer. 

With Sleeping Monk, we just want to help you build long-term health and happiness, from the inside-out. We strive to do this by carefully crafting formulas with Adaptogenic and Super Tonic herbs that regulate, balance and optimize our cells, organs and systems first – then tonify by nourishing and strengthening them. Then we’re left to flourish with more natural, grounded, calm and powerful energy, beauty and greater resistance to stress and both short term and degenerative disease. 

Why are tinctures so important?

I feel tinctures are important because they are the most powerful, safe and effective way to extract and deliver herbal medicine that I’m aware of. This is also a way to avoid many heavy metals that commonly contaminate powdered herbal products during processing. 

What is your ultimate vision?

My ultimate vision is to have as much fun as possible while helping others achieve meaningful change with their health and happiness, both with our products and with my daily actions and a loving attitude toward all.

I want to be a positive role model for my daughter and leave a legacy that she’s proud of, and to see her flourish with her own meaningful vision of like mind. 

What does “conscious business” mean to you?

In simplest terms, I feel conscious business equals customers’ health and happiness first, and profits are secondary. When we’re driven by passion for what we do, this often comes naturally. 

To me, it means having an awareness of, and being an example of what we stand for. I believe making meaningful change in the world requires having a conscious mindset within us first, then spreading the vision outward from there, again, with our loving attitudes and actions.  

We clearly want to make the smallest environmental footprint possible, and constantly strive to improve our mission and products to best help raise awareness that supports optimal health and the fair treatment of all involved in the process of what it takes for us to bring these precious herbal formulas to you and your loved ones.

Using the safest, highest quality, purest, most powerful and effective, organic and lab-tested materials is requisite, as are the manufacturing practices and facilities from which they come. 

Giving back is also key. We’re currently in the process of setting up an alliance with Waves 4 Water to help bring clean drinking water to those all over the world that currently don’t have access.

What inspires you?

Nature inspires me… waves in particular. My daughter’s drive, charisma and beauty inspire me. Music inspires me. Watching people light up with realizations and insights on their spiritual path inspires me. Observing others in the process of living their dreams inspires me. Being of service inspires me. Hearing feedback from customers’ testimonials and seeing smiles on their faces inspires me. Honesty and vulnerability inspire me. Courage inspires me. This question inspires me!

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of being a good father, for being clean and sober for nearly 12 years and for making a living doing what I love. 

What rituals keep you balanced and grounded?

While affirmations are more often finding their way into the mix, prayer, meditation and service have never failed to bring me back to what’s important. Surfing, yoga are laughing are rad too!

What is something you wished everyone knew about you?

I wish everyone knew how legendary I am, hah! Anyway, I wish everyone knew that I love surfing.  So, if any of you out there love to surf too, hit me up and let’s get some waves! 

If it was your last day on earth, what would you want to do today?

Last day? Surf with my daughter somewhere epic, with all my family and friends on the beach, or surfing with us. Then we’d eat some awesome food and play music by a campfire at sunset. 

Is there anything you want us to ask you, but haven’t?  And what is the answer?

Why yes! Do you have any new products available? And… Did you write guitar for the music score of the Kurt Cobain documentary, ‘Soaked in Bleach’, due out this summer? 

• Yes, we do! Goddess in Bloom, our divine female formula and Enter the Dragon, our supreme male formula. Check ‘em out at sleepingmonk.net 
• Yes, I did, thank you for asking! Keep your eyes peeled and thank you for your love and support! 

Keep up with Sleeping Monk on Instagram, Facebook, and their website!

Sun Potion

How can we articulate our love for Sun Potion?  This amazing team is dedicated to health, happiness, and well-being through the use of medicinal plants, superfoods, and tonic herbs.  Their lineup is sourced from only the most potent, healing, organic or wildcrafted plants.

We had the utmost blessing of visiting their warehouse in Santa Barbara where Nitsa, Sun Potion's creative director, and Scott, owner and founder, made us the most outrageous pine pollen tonic while we indulged in Prash.  These two radiate unconditional love. Being in their presence might just be the ultimate tonic they haven't figured out how to bottle.  

What is your favorite herb?

Nitsa:  It’s hard for me to pick a favorite…but I definitely have a current (favored) herb.  That would be Pine Pollen.  It’s amazing.  It’s a complete food with full spectrum of essential fatty and amino acids.  It has bio-available protein - it’s incredible for the brain.  It balances testosterone levels in men and women.  

I always feel really nourished when I have it.  Since I don’t eat a lot of animal protein or even very many sprouted nuts anymore — the pine pollen supplies my body with protein that’s really easy to digest.  I feel it in my brain.  Most people notice the effects right away — you’ll feel kind of groovy.  

Ashitaba is also one of my favorites.  it contains essential B-vitamins, even more so than the pine pollen.  It has a history of being a Japanese beauty food — and any food that’s related to beauty and/or JAPAN I tend to eat a lot of- ha!  Ashitaba is called  “Tomorrow’s Leaf” because the leaves of the ashitaba will replensih their growth by the next day! Very resilient plant….   

My third favorite would have to be Reishi Mushroom.  Especially since we’ve been traveling a lot — I feel like it really supports my immune system and stress-relief.  

Scott: The combination of he shou wu and astragalus is mind-blowing.

Why consume herbs?

Scott: To create new circutry in your body so that you can hold more currency and energetic frequency — so that you can be an integrated embodiment of your soul.  Tonic herbs are amazing.  The results of eating these kinds of foods are more power and support in your body.  People start feeling things that they’re not used too.  Even feeling the breeze on the skin is a reality that people are not used to — because people are too busy turning mental waves.  Mental body is super limited.  Physical, spiritual, emotional body has a whole depth of experience available that’s not always appreciated or noticed…but if you eat plants that nourish those parts of your overall system — then it’s pretty likely you’ll start noticing those pieces.  

How should people take these foods?

Scott: The best thing to remember with these foods is to have a small serving consistently over a long period of time….ideally a whole lifetime.  These plants have a history of being consumed during one’s whole life.  A 1/4tsp or 1/2tsp daily is a good place to start.  You’ll get more benefit from the foods by having a small amount consistently than randomly taking large doses.

How did the look, name, and branding all come to be?

Scott: Just prior to when I moved to Santa Barbara…I lived in Ojai for about 4-5 years.  I lived a super ambient life…barefoot hiking everyday, living outside, didn’t work at a J-O-B (journey of the broke) the entire time.  By choice, I decided to have ultra minimum overhead and step outside of the commercial system and just be in nature.  When I was spending money, it was to learn Daoist alchemy and energy cultivation practices and learning about essential oils.  Woo-woo stuff.  It’s been a linear journey.  How did Sun Potion grow out of that?  There was a crystallization of a lot of experiential pieces that came to be realized in one ultimate path.  The herbs had been a part of my life for a long time.  The symbology, the logo, even the name — is coding.  The name is representing the shift to be embodied from consuming these foods; the winged sun disk symbol is representing the transmutation of the body into light — so that you are walking around on Earth embodying higher divinity.

The body has a relationship to the wing symbology that makes us gravitate towards Sun Potion products.  It’s ancient coding that reminds us of our soul truth.  

Did you guys think that you would be altering the entire course of people’s lives?

Scott: I don’t feel like we are personally doing that, but the plants certainly change people’s lives.  I had my own experience of these plants having an enormous impact on my life.  I used to be super ungrounded — so out of my body all the time and eating these herbs have totally shifted my energy.  There is a real service component to what we are doing.  Ultimately we are in service of people that are eating the herbs — but even more directly we are in service of the herbs themselves.  They have a spirit.  I have a relationship with the energetics behind these plants.  They want to work with people and they need avenues to get to people.  

I get to have the things I’m most in love with around me all the time now.  

What are your favorite spots in Santa Barbara?

Scott: This warehouse.  I love this place.  Mesa Lane beach is an incredible place I love.  It feels like a wild beach because of the huge bluff.

Nitsa: I like to hangout in my backyard.  Mission Canyon.  The botanical garden.  My studio / office. The farmers markets here are just beautiful.  

What makes you smile?

Nitsa: Herbs.  Spending time with plants.  I laugh a little when I say this because it’s really honest - being open with people makes me smile…. it feels good. 

Scott: Optimism.  Human experience.  Being in love with Nitsa.  Great food.  Being outside in California — I love the sun.  I think it’s part of my nature to  be half smiling.

Can you expound on your collaboration with the Wildize Foundation?

Scott: They are a women’s collective in Ghana.  They started off as a ecology preservation group.  They were doing educational things to protect different species.  After a couple of years, they started getting into humanitarian pieces….digging wells, creating economy for women, educating people…things like that.  They are a really sweet group.  

Basically, we teamed with them to source our shea butter and also provide an avenue for their foundation.  I’ve been using shea butter on my body since I moved to California.  It’s pretty much the only thing I use on my skin.  Shea butter is an incredible skin food.  It’s a dry oil — the skin totally sucks it in as if it was eating it.

Depending on quantities we receive — it sometimes come in a gourd.  It’s really blood of mother of Africa.  If you think about it — in a very seasonally limited rainfall with very dry climate and here is the shea nut tree that have to be like 50 years old or more to produce.  They are really revered and treasured.  The nuts are boiled, peeled out of their shell, and then mashed up.  It’s all this fat that comes out of dry, hard soil.  It’s crystallized sunlight.​  

Keep up with Sun Potion on Instagram, Facebook, and their website!  

Summer Essentials

Happy Summer!  The longest day has come and passed.  The vegetation beckons to be noticed and wind takes great pleasure in playing with our hair.  Here are our essential accompaniments to our favorite time...now. 

ALOE VERA

Applying fresh aloe vera gel topically after a sunburn, or any burn, will begin to soothe and heal the skin.  Aloe is the ultimate skin tonic, but it's also a great food!  Its long-chain polysaccharides create a demulcent quality that soothes the digestive system.  Having this in the house is a priceless addition! 

CLARY SAGE TONER

Simple, uplifting and perfect.  Only organic or wild-crafted botanical ingredients comprise Benshen's lineup of skin alchemy.  On top of that, each of Benshen's products are crafted with a healing mantra.  This scent is akin to heaven's dew drops and applying it makes you feel like an invincible fairy. 

Photo by Sun Potion.

ASHWAGANDA

Emotional balancing, immune boosting, energy inspiring....all gifts of the incredible Ashwaganda.  Sun Potion sources from small organic farms in Northern India where the roots are cold-water extracted.  This adaptogen is the necessary addition to put you in the chilled-out-hall-of-fame. 

Photo by Living Libations.

Sea Buckthorn Best Skin Ever

Living Libations pushes the threshold of just how good life can get.  With Sea Buckthorn Best Skin Ever, their bestseller, the most intoxicating aroma and the pinnacle of nourishing oils dance in alchemical harmonium.  This all-in-one product is the foundation for glorious skin.

Photo by Castle Rock Water.

Castle Rock Water

From glacier to glass, Castle Rock Water is our trusted, go-to water.  Castle Rock is bottled in glass from the sacred springs of Mount Shasta.  It's so important, especially in our current water state, to seek out and support pristine, conscious water companies.  Castle Rock also gives back some of its profits to local communities. 

Photo by Strange Invisible Perfumes.

The Rose With The Broken Neck

11 year aged Sri Lankan organic nutmeg, oak-aged French Cognac, Peruvian Palo Santo, and first distillation Rose make up Strange Invisible's "The Rose With The Broken Neck".  Do we need to say another word?

Photo by Nordur Salt.

Nordur Salt

Nordur Salt is produced by combining two forces of nature; geothermal energy and the Arctic Ocean.  In the morning, we love adding Nordur Salt to our water.  This reduces adrenal stress, maintains electrolyte balance, and provides trace minerals to kick-start your system! 

Lilac Lemonade

A visit to my family’s humble lilac bushes included bumblebees, butterflies, and the sacred and volatile aroma that hangs about the surrounding perimeter. 

This is a simple recipe that forms a perfect union with sunshine, relaxation, and deep breaths.

Lilac Infusion:

• 1 C Water
• 1/2 C Lilac Petals

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  When the water is boiling, add in the lilac petals and let boil for one minute.  After, turn off the heat and let the petals infuse for fifteen minutes.  Strain the infusion through a sieve.  

Lilac Lemonade:

• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 2 C Cold Water
• 3 TBS Lilac Infusion
• 1 TBS Fresh Aloe Vera, green skin removed
• Manuka Honey, Stevia, or Maple Syrup to taste
• 1/8-1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger Juice (Optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for one minute.  Strain lemonade through a sieve and pour over ice.  Enjoy!

Brain Food

We are all looking for ways to improve our focus, clarity, and overall brainpower. Who doesn’t want to feel inspired, innovative, and socially adept? It's no wonder coffee is one of the largest cash crops. People hunger for the hyper alertness and extra energy that is often reaped from the caffeine buzz. But with a Starbucks on every corner in most big cities, it’s clear that the coffee craze has gone out of balance. Too much coffee can deplete the adrenals, plus the environmental impact of the way coffee is currently produced is severe. While there are nutritional benefits to coffee, most people have developed an unnecessary dependence on it. People with a certain genetic make-up have an extra hard time processing caffeine, making coffee especially harmful for some. Coffee has become so ubiquitous and the need for it so high, that we are deforesting millions of acres of land in the rainforest and limiting biodiversity of plants to get it. So the question is, how else can we have the alertness, energy, and focused determination we are looking for?

That’s where brain food comes in. Brain foods are whole foods and herbs that result in super clarity, alertness, and focused thinking. Brain food not only gives us the energy we are looking for, its effects are balancing and nourishing, instead of addictive and depleting. Brain food provides the fuel, energy, and clarity we need to engage in important business discussions, creative planning, clear communication and more, all of which are important aspects to the New Moon in Gemini coming up Tuesday, June 16th.

Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, and Mercury is all about communication, ideas, connection, change and movement. With Mercury now direct, this is the perfect time to harness the energy of powerful ideas and communication. There is also an important trine happening between the Air signs. All Air signs relate to the realm of thought and ideas. This new cycle might bring with it opportunities for inspiring connections and co-creations, creative planning and brainstorming, and harnessing our inner visionary to develop new visions and strategies for our lives and/or businesses. Incorporating some of these brain foods into your life at this time may help amplify the positive potentials of this cycle. Here are my top choices for nourishing brain food:

Coconut Oil: Considered one of the best foods for the brain because of its rich source of medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s).  MCT’s don’t metabolize the way normal fats due. They are able to bypass some of the digestive stages, and make it straight to your liver where they are converted into ketones.  The ketones are then released into the bloodstream and immediately delivered to your brain to be used as fuel.  Research has shown that coconut oil has helped in reducing the symptoms of those with neurological disorders. It provides long, slow-burning energy for the brain, allowing you to persist in a project, plan or thought strategy for long period of time.

Bacopa Monnieri (aka Brahmi): Bacopa Monnieri is an herb commonly used in Ayurveda.  The various bacosides present in this ancient herb promotes neuron communication, improves cognition and reduces anxiety.  A double blind study performed in Australia at University of Wollongong, has shown that Bacopa Monnieri is useful in the retention of new information.  It also improves memory and is an adaptogen, meaning that it helps regulate and reduce stress.

Mucuna Pruriens: This is another incredible ayurvedic brain herb that is commonly combined with Bacopa Monnieri for a powerful effect on the brain. It contains antioxidant content that combined with L-Dopa, help to stimulate the production of important neurotransmitters including dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. It helps reduce stress, improve mood, and protect the brain.

Iced Chocolate Chai Brain Power-Up

I like chai all year round because of its delicious taste and wonderful effects on digestion. Since it’s summer, we’re going to pour it over ice for a refreshing drink. I’ve left out some of the more heating spices like black peppercorns and ginger to balance the summertime heat. Here is a great recipe to share in a team meeting, while writing your latest blog, or for incorporating new learning and skills into your life!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ C Water
• ½ TBS Tahini
• 2 TBS Coconut Oil
• 2 Dates
• ½ TBS Mucuna Pruriens Powder
• 1 TBS Raw Cacao Powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 15-20 cardamom seeds (not pods)
• ½ tsp Bacopa Monnieri Powder

Blend all ingredients on high powered blender until smooth.  Pour over ice and enjoy!

This beautiful article was written by the incredible nutritionist, health-coach, and author Jennifer Lotus.  For more of her bliss bites, go to JenniferLotus.com

Be What You Dream

Diana Garcia is an artist and actress based in Venice, CA.  Her imagined amalgam creatures grace walls all over the world.  When she's not busy giving a Ted talk, installing new murals, or acting in critically acclaimed feature films -- you can find her amidst her Venice abode, conjuring up new visions.

This woman is a sincere testament to her motto "Be What You Dream", which is subtly inked under all her work.  

What do you dream to be?

Always free and inspired to do what makes me happy in the now.  

Why create?

Because it's the best to express what's inside. It's a need. It's the place where I loose track of time and space, it takes me to another dimension that's very pleasant.  

What motivates you? 

Love, magic, nature, connection, friends, family, art, stories, traveling, adventures, the impossible. 

What is your definition of art?

Art for me is the form of expression that liberates the essence of an individual.  

What does a perfect day look like to you?

A day where there's no rush! Do yoga, eat healthy delicious food, make love, draw, hang on the beach with friends or family...

Who do you admire?

I admire strong people, with great personality. People that are relieved from stereotypes, that are free. And people that are to leave a positive imprint in the world. 

Favorite spots in LA?

The beach, my house, Gjelina, the labyrinth and the tree in Topanga, Studio Surya Yoga, the hikes, The Observatory.

What are you most proud of?

That I can replicate my mother's mango pie! 

What is your favorite memory from your artistic endeavors?

When my girls and I pasted up the Unowlfcheetah really fast at the Diner on the main street of Wynwood Walls during Art Basel in Miami. 

If the world ended tomorrow, what would you want to do today?

Go to the beach, draw, hang out with my favorite people.

What makes you feel bliss?

Connecting with other beings: animals, humans, plants - taking the time to see the beauty, magic and details of Mother Earth.  

Keep up with Diana Garcia on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her website. 

Shiva Rose

We had the pleasure to join Shiva Rose in her beautiful home and talk to her about her consciously chic lifestyle. In her off-white creamy dress, her long dark effortless loose curls, and her upbeat relaxed personality enchanted us.

The Iranian-American beauty has a cozy gracious warmth to her.  She warmly greeted us with a rooibos tea with coconut milk and honey from her backyard. Yes, she’s a beekeeper. Shiva breathes spirituality, from her modern rustic home surrounded with Kundalini vibes, to the plethora of roses from her garden enriched in all corners and topped by whimsical crystals that decorate her earthy habitat.

A woman who has a profound relationship with the earth, a soul deep connection to her Kundalini practice, a hands-on mother, an activist, and working on her line of skincare - What can’t Shiva do? 

What got you into health and wellness?

I always was super conscious of the environment and what I put into my body. As a child I felt at times like an alien because, I would become so distraught over seeing trees cut or the natural world destroyed. Later when I had severe life threatening auto-immune issues, I realized that I had to take my health, into my own control. I began to eat 100% organically, and live close to mama earth. These things led me to becoming healthy in spirit, body and mind. 

What is "The Local Rose"?

The Local Rose is a holistic life style web site that proves you can be green and chic at the same time. I started it due to my desire to help our planet, celebrate artisans and people who are in harmony with nature, and as an answer from a call from the great spirit. 

What is beauty?

One of my favorite prayers is Walking the Beauty Way by the Navajo people. It states 

In beauty I walk 

With beauty before me I walk 

With beauty behind me I walk 

With beauty above me I walk 

With beauty around me I walk 

This i feel is the ultimate beauty to see it reflected around us in little details and gestures. Seeing it in the trees or flowers or sweet people you may encounter throughout your day. 

Beauty is also glowing from within from a peaceful state, food that is alive and using non-toxic products.

What do you do to get "centered"?

I go hiking in the mountains near where I live. I take salt baths with salts I make. I drink Living Tea and practice Kundalini meditation. 

Share a line from your favorite poem: 

I love Poetry! I’m half Persian and half Irish so here are two from each culture…

This paragraph by Persian Poet Forough Farrokhzad:

I will plant my hands in the garden

I will grow I know I know I know

and swallows will lay eggs

in the hollow of my ink-stained hands.

I shall wear

a pair of twin cherries as ear-rings

and I shall put dahlia petals on my finger-nails

By Yeats:

How many loved your moments of glad grace, 

And loved your beauty with love false or true, 

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, 

And loved the sorrows of your changing face; 

What inspired your skincare line?

I have been mixing oils and making my own products since I was a teen. During a kundalini mediation I got a message about starting the line. It was a natural progression since I am ruled my the Rose and this is one of the crucial ingredients in the first product I made the Rose Face Serum.

Describe your perfect day?

A perfect day would be to wake up with my daughters, make a delicious breakfast, take a hike, then go on a picnic with some friends in Ojai or Big Sur.

Who has influenced you most in your life?

I grew up reading lots of novels and plays so I would say heroines in both fiction and non-fiction have inspired me. Many artists have also since they seemed to determine their own paths and were vanguards in terms of art, fashion, and philosophy. Women like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe, Tina Modotti, Beatrice Wood. 

How has your childhood experience shaped the rest of your life?

My childhood at least the first ten years was in the country side of Iran. This bucolic setting inspired in me a love for nature. Later when we were in the States, my American Grandparents made sure to take us camping every summer into beautiful places like Yosemite. This taught me that these places are sacred and sanctuaries to be protected. Having been exposed to a lot of trauma and challenges as a child has made me appreciate a calm, peaceful life. It also gave me an artists soul, and now that is being translated into the blog and products. 

What is so special about roses?

Roses are the Queen of all Flowers. They have the highest vibrational frequency and can be so healing. They are anti-aging and anti-inflammatory for the skin and also open the heart chakra. They are my allies and I am so honored to carry their name. 

What is your favorite product you've created?

My products are like my children I love them all! Since I make them by hand they truly come from my heart. Lately my Nectar Body Oil is giving me lots of joy. The ylang ylang and cardamom combination makes my soul sing! 

Keep up with Shiva Rose on her Instagram, Twitter, and beautiful website!

Farm Market

Santa Barbara has some of the world's most diverse and abundant farm markets.  Considering there are 8 markets, 6 days a week — there is no excuse to miss out on the freshest produce available!

Saturday: 8:30am-1:00pm
Corner of Santa Barbara and Cota Streets

Sunday: 10am-2:00pm
In Goleta - corner of Storke and Hollister; 7004 Marketplace Dr., inside the Camino Real Shopping Center

Tuesday: 4:00pm-7:30pm *summer
3:00pm-6:30pm *winter
500 and 600 blocks of State Street

Wednesday: 2:30pm-6:30pm *summer
2:30pm-6:00pm *winter
In Solvang - Copenhagen Drive and First Street

Thursday: 3:00pm-6:30pm
In Goleta - corner of Storke and Hollister; 7004 Marketplace Dr., inside the Camino Real Shopping Center

Thursday: 3:00pm-6:30pm *summer
3:00pm-6:00pm *winter
In Carpinteria - 800 block of Linden Ave.

Friday: 8:00am-11:15am
In Montecito - 1100 & 1200 blocks of Coast Village Road

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Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde is the zenith of vegetarian dining.  Chef (and guitarist and painter) Greg Arnold culminates his skills to deliver a symphony of the most brilliant flavors.  We devoured multiple courses with Scott & Nitsa of Sun Potion.  Giggles were had, jaws were dropped, bellies were filled.

Keep up with Mesa Verde on Facebook, Instagram and their website

Tel: 805-899-8811

1919 Cliff Dr,
Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Keep up with Mesa Verde on their website!

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Alchemy Arts Center

Alchemy Spa is the premiere healing sanctuary.  From Ayurvedic cuisine to sensory attenuation tanks - there is a doorway to every desire inside Alchemy.

The owner, Emma, was lovely enough to sit down with us for breakfast.  Emma's life is dedicated to her mission of healing at Alchemy Arts Center.

Could you tell us about the history of the center?

Alchemy opened four years ago in March after being inspired by a two-week retreat I experienced in Thailand that changed my life. Everyday I did yoga, ate cleansing foods, and was supported through healing treatments like acupuncture. I felt incredible! My energy was boundless and I felt clear, strong and positive—something I hadn’t felt since I was a child. 

I found myself asking, “Why did I have to go all the way to Thailand to experience this?”  That was question was answered for me shortly after landing back in Santa Barbara where I intuitively decided, “It’s going to be here.” My intention was to create a sacred space for both guests and employees to thrive and heal.

Our priority at Alchemy is to provide people with support and inspiration to lead a more balanced life. Creating Alchemy Wellness Spa has been the most incredible experience, but it’s also been intense. There’ve been many challenges (especially in the beginning), but this is my passion—I had to push through! I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to have gone through this experience and been so closely involved throughout the journey of manifesting this idea.

Can you tell us about your offerings?

We are all dealing with a lot of stress in this modern, fast-paced world of ours. Whether that stress is from the environment, a divorce, the death of a loved one, an injury, the loss of a job, etc., it’s essential to allow the body to release that stress – along with any other negative emotions. It’s also important to have the consciousness to learn how to take care of one’s self. People need a place where they can go to learn how to do this, to reset themselves so to speak, so they can enjoy life to it’s fullest. Alchemy is that sacred space. 

All year-round we offer organic cold press juice cleanses and a cleansing food program. It’s really important to understand that our organs are our guidance system for this life of ours. Even if we have a super clean diet there are environmental pollutants that store in our bodies. 

Once a month we offer featured cleanses facilitated by our beloved Siddhi. 

Our last cleanse focused on the liver. The participants gathered in the morning and were guided through movements and breath work focusing on cleansing the liver which supports weight loss, healthy sleep, renewed energy, better digestion, relief from depression & balanced hormones. 

There are also food treatment packages designed for liver support; Alchemy’s amazing wraps with macerated herbs soaked in specific oils. 

We also have an incredible float tank full of Epsom salts with a special Memon ® transformer to remove any harmful energetics from the water; Much like a crystal, water stores energy. If we have “unhealthy or bad” information/radiation that enters our cells (us), the water in our cells, naturally transmits this to the cells next to it making reproduction of healthy cells more complicated. This is the natural process of our body’s intelligence. The usual  "purification" process used to treat water is great at removing potentially dangerous chemicals and ionic materials from water. Though these potential dangerous contaminants are removed, the water still remains, with electrical "imprints" of bad things that were in the water, attached to the water molecules before those chemicals were removed, or simply "imprinted" into the electrical characteristics of the water molecules from external sources. The tank is especially amazing after a massage. 

We have a wide array of services and have ways for people of all budgets to interact with us. For example we hold a group acupuncture class every week . They are an amazingly economical way to experience Alchemy at $15 . 

We also offer Aura-Soma, which is a non-intrusive, self-selective soul system. Combining the energies of colour, plants, and crystals, these vibrational tools can support all levels of our being, bringing harmony and balance within the subtle fields promoting wellbeing and a joy for life.

What treatment do you suggest for first timers?

I love the crystal healing facial. Using the healing vibration of crystals, this experience very calming. We use fresh Rose cells and Rose Damascena to rejuvenate and raise the vibrational energy of the skin. Deep lymphatic drainage and acupressure with hot poultices and Rose Quartz, restores a glowing radiance to the skin..Pure Bliss…

Then to complete the Alchemy experience I would recommend our Pearl and Jasmine body renewal with an amethyst wrap. This mineral-rich Himalayan salt crystal treatment, has the immediate effect of restoring energy, mental clarity, wellbeing and strength. This is followed by a gel body wrap to relax and restore the nervous system; stimulating the circulation, regeneration of skin cells and cell growth.

What are your favorite spots in SB?

Santa Barbara is a truly incredible place to live.  I’m a swimmer so I love the ocean. But really there’s so much to love here—the sunsets, sunrises, the trails, the trees, the restaurants, the people. The list goes on.

What is essential that you can’t live without?

My essentials are my family, my spiritual practice, friends, Ayurveda, and last but not least adventures.

I was just going to say that.  You seem like an adventurous person.

Humans can get stuck in repetition, so I like doing something that takes me out of that. Like getting up early in the morning and going for a swim in freezing cold water, Sleeping under the stars—something that gets me out of my usual comfort.  

It’s strange that as humans we are often afraid of change, yet we change all the time. At each breath our molecules are transforming. We often look for safety in not changing, even if it’s not supportive to our well-being. I like to ask, “Who would you be if you were really just present living your life right now in this moment?” This is all we have . This moment ! We have to show up the best that we are able to…To Forgive, To be grateful, To Laugh, To share, To Love.

We’re not necessarily taught how to do that.  When you give yourself to the moment, you start to live your life from a different perspective.

What does alchemy mean to you?

Transformation, transformation of one thing into something greater and more refined. Alchemy is a place to come together, share ideas, find connections, release old patterns that no longer serve us and transform ourselves into something better.

Why is self care so important?

I believe it’s vitally important to take care of yourself. In our culture we are taught that it’s selfish to put ourselves first. When in actuality, unless you know how to take care of yourself (love and fully accept yourself), you won’t be able to do that for another.

Tel: 805-899-8811

35 West Haley Street,
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Keep up with Alchemy Arts Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and their website!

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Kotuku Elixir Bar

We arrived at Kotuku early in the afternoon.  Olly, the owner, welcomed us with slices of raw wildflower honeycomb from the Santa Barbara mountains and the most decadent, cheesecake-like coconut yogurt.  

Olly opened Kotuku, the Santa Barbara based elixir bar, in 2013.  This is the go-to place for next level alchemy and elevating cuisine.  Whilst we chatted with Olly, he sampled us some private-reserve shilajit from Kashmir and then made us an herbal cappuccino with sprouted almond milk, gynostemma, mucuna, reishi, and molasses.  Needless to say, Olly is a sweetheart and a sage.

What inspired you to start this?

My parents had a co-op and organic farm in New Zealand, so I grew up around the health and wellness mindset.  As I got older, I got interested in Daoism, Tai Chi, meditation, Chinese mysticsm and stuff in my early twenties.  That whole ‘hermit, step out of society’ thing really appealed to me at an early age.

When I was studying Chinese medicine, I remember trying to find wolfeberries in New Zealand…and it was impossible.  No one knew what a wolfberry was.  Now, you can’t move without seeing goji berries (which are what wolfberries are).  The internet has completely changed the health food movement.  Our access to things is endless. 

When I came to California, the health food movement was so alive.  It rekindled my excitement for tonic herbs.  It all came to life for me here.

What is your favorite herb?

I love reishi.  We’re really stoked at the moment because we just started working with this really amazing reishi grower in China and are bringing over the spore powder.  It’s the highest grade, organic powder.  It’s super potent. 

If there is one herb you could recommend to people, what would it be?

We recommend Triphala to start with.  It’s one of the best digestive tonics.  It’s three sour, astringent berries that are regulating for the gall bladder and pancreas.  Our digestion is the foundation for health.  

Also, in tonic herbalism, schisandra is considered classic and standard to start with because it repairs and strengthens the entire body. 

Tel: 805-897-3382

25 East De La Guerra Street,
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Keep up with Kotuku on Facebook, Instagram, and their website.

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Scarlett Begonia

Scarlet Begonia is farm-to-table breakfast, lunch and dinner at its best. Located in the Historic Victoria Building courtyard with hints of Spanish style architecture, Scarlet Begonia’s is everything you want to eat made with only the best ingredients. Every item is meticulously picked and gathered by Chef Avery who personally visits to the farmers market and chooses only the freshest seasonal produce he can find.

We sat down with Owner Crista Fooks and Chef Avery to find out more about this conscious nurturing restaurant.  Organic, local, sustainable - exactly why we had been making this our Santa Barbara staple.  Just know when you are eating here — all the food is made with love and intention.

CHEF AVERY:  I know a bunch of farmers.  I do really simple food.  It’s seasonal and thoughtful.  It’s somewhere in the middle of modern and rustic.  People ask us what kind of food we do, and I like to respond by saying “the food we have around us”.  I forage wild edibles, and we work with a local farm called “Sustained Harvest” that uses aquaponics to grow food.  Today, I’ll be at the farmers market at 3 and we will do an “on the fly” menu which is based off of what I find at the market. 

What inspires your dishes?

CHEF AVERY:  Seasons.  If it’s cold out - we lean towards rich fare.  As we move into spring - it gets really light, really sexy, and very green and colorful. 

What is your favorite meal to cook?

CHEF AVERY:  Breakfast.  Such a small percentage of people actually go out to eat.  They’re there for the food and they need sustenance but it also brings family’s together for birthdays, engagements, parties.  It’s a celebration.  It’s exciting to see all these different types of people wake up real early in the morning and come in to eat breakfast. 

What is an ingredient you can’t live without?

CHEF AVERY: Salt.  Salt is what makes everything better.  When you look back on history, salt is the reason time went on.  It preserved foods.  Without salt - we don’t go on. 

Being a native, what do you love about Santa Barbara?

CHEF AVERY: The seasons, they change so much we can grow things that other people can’t.  It takes 5 minutes to have your feet in the sand and 10 minutes to be in the mountains climbing rocks and picking wild fennel.

Why Santa Barbara?

CRISTA:  You’d think Santa Barbara would be a lot greener as far as the food is concerned, but there aren’t many restaurants like us in Santa Barbara.  I think ‘farm to table” has been bastardized in the industry.  A lot of restaurants may say they are farm to table, but we really embrace local innovative simple cuisine, and we feel a deep obligation to stay true to our word. 

My restaurant strives to offer a high end food experience- at the same time being a neighborhood joint that you can bring your kids and dogs for breakfast lunch and dinner.  Sustainable meat and seafood, gmo free, organic produce and dairy; we work hard to stay fresh…we don’t short cut our customers.

What makes Scarlett Begonia so special?

CRISTA:  We call our food “thoughtful”, because there is so much thought behind every single dish.  When I first made our Lemon Ricotta pancakes - I got a lot of grief …people said “no restaurant makes pancakes like this where you whip the egg whites and you make it light.  It’s never going to work.  You’ll never pull it off.”  Well, we pulled it off.  We’re practiced at it.  The guys in the back can make these pancakes in their sleep.  When I was a kid my mom never a pancake that didn’t have whipped egg whites.  When we first opened she was very firm that we continue doing that, and I’ve kept my promise!  Every dish has a story, every dish is given great care and thought, and every dish must be great, and that is what sets us apart.

It’s amazing that you had this vision and now we are sitting here - experiencing it!

CRISTA: My vision does drive me, and continues to.   People don’t necessarily know what it is, cause I’m a little weird about sharing and it constantly being tweaked and re-arranged in my head. My whole life I’ve always had a very determined mindset of how I want things to be, and I’ve found that if I shared it with people before it is complete— they would tell me it was too hard or try to kabosh it — and so I just keep it a secret and just plow forward. 

What’s your favorite thing on the menu?

CRISTA:  If I only could order one thing for the rest of my life it would be the soft scrambled eggs.  It’s such a good little mix.  We’ve perfected it over the past three years….and I rarely admit to perfecting anything! We roast fingerling potatoes and toss them in whole grain mustard, we softly scrambled eggs with fine herbs and place them on top of the potatoes, then fresh spinach is lightly sauteed and finished with fresh cream, topped with an aged gouda cheese (beemster)  I think it’s such a well balanced dish.

What made you decide to enter the culinary industry?

CRISTA:  I grew up in Valencia, which is a horrible place for food.  It’s all fast food or chain restaurants.  I was raised on fast food!  There was this little bistro that opened up in a strip mall called “The Crocodile Bistro”.  My dad wanted to go check it out — and this was in 1982 or ’83.  This is kind of when food started to happen — when people began to move away from the industrialization of convenience food.  So we went into “Crocodile Bistro” and he was making purees next to your steak, like sweet pea puree — which back then was like crazy, avant-garde.  We took a bite of it and we were like “OH MY GOD IT TASTES JUST LIKE PEAS.  OH MY GOD.”  I will never forget how fancy it felt in there.  My dad started talking to the owner and his name was Jean Pierre, and my dad called him JP.  They became friends and he would invite my dad to come and cook.  My dad could not cook, but he started with JP and practiced at home.  He got super into it and then I got super into it.  That’s when we both really found food.  For my birthday from then on, my grandmother would take me to any restaurant I wanted to go to.  I would spend all year trying to figure out which restaurant I would choose. 

Eventually, someone told me that I should go to culinary school.  I hadn’t considered it before that.  So I went!

Tel: (805) 770-2143

11 W Victoria St #10,
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Keep up with Scarlett Begonia on Facebook and their website.

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Santa Barbara

Two hours northward on the magnificently scenic Pacific Coast Highway, a piece of paradise called Santa Barbara awaits.  

White crispy linens, local flavor, and indigenous wine create a quick getaway with a clean sustainable touch all its own.

This town is typically known for luxurious real estate, Oprah, stunning beaches, and a top-rated college in the nation — however, a whole other side of Santa Barbara has been in bloom over the past few years.  

High vibrational restaurants, healing centers, yoga studios, juice bars and other conscious businesses line the streets urging growth among all who visit.

The Central Californian agricultural dynasty known for the best farmers markets available every day (sans Mondays) has unveiled a new wave of locally sourced organic living, complete with newly awakened awareness.

Kippy's! Ice Cream

Kippy’s! is an all organic, raw, vegan ice cream shop in Venice, California.  The ice cream is made from organic coconuts (that they get themselves from Mexico every Thursday) which they grind down into luscious coconut cream, and is sweetened solely with raw honey.  Kippy keeps it simple, pure, and honest to achieve the most ridiculous ice cream on the planet.  They offer a range of flavors that vary from night to night — following the seasons and local produce.

Kippy, the owner, is just as delightful as you would imagine.  She has descended to this Earth with a permanent, sparkling smile and the most killer ice cream that will ever grace your lips.  We caught up with Kippy at her shop while we all enjoyed a bowl of ice cream (obviously). 

How did you conceptualize Kippy’s?

We started Kippy's because when I changed my diet and there wasnt a dessert that fit my needs!  and we all know that if you change your diet and its going to be sustainable....you must have dessert!

What does conscious business mean to you?

Conscious Business means to me, that you might not do everything perfect, but you keep trying, and improving.  Conscious Business means that you go beyond what you are told you can do, and you do what's best for you, business, and the planet...no matter what, no matter how small!  Remember butterfly wings can make hurricanes!

What inspires you?

Nature inspires me most!  It keeps going, buzzing, flowering, it takes a break, it starts off small, and then boom!  A bloom comes up, you see a tree grow a bit, and you smell all of nature around you!

Who do you admire?

I admire kids!  Kids that say everything that is on their mind.  Kids can be honest on how they feel about you, them, and everything around them!

What is your favorite flavor?

My favorite flavor is chocolate, of course...so chiché.  I also love sesame and honey together!

Other than Kippy’s, what are your spots in Venice?

My places in Venice are Venice Ale House, Organic Nails and Spa, GTA's, and the Venice Canals!  I love walking around the Venice Canals.  I love the shop called Trading Closets on Main Street!

If you could only keep three possessions, what would they be?

My Tree of Life Necklace I always wear, red lipstick, and my wooden spoon I always carry with me!

What does a perfect day look like to you?

A perfect day for me, is waking up to birds and the sunshine and bird watching, then watering my garden and doing some planting.  Going into the ocean for a bit and riding the waves then laying out in the sun.  Going for a hike....and taking a nap afterwards!  Waking up to make dinner and a fire and having all my friends over!

What is the future of Kippy’s?

The future of Kippys is that we will be the most well known spot in LA to come for the best most awesomeness ice cream experience!

What is your favorite memory from the ice cream shop?

One of my favorite moments in the ice cream shop is.... there was a little girl who came to the ice cream shop often, and she made a doll and named it Max... who usually helped her in the shop, and told me she plays Kippy's Ice Cream Shop game at home and Max is her doll!

Anything else?

This is is one of the best jobs in the world!  I make ice cream, taste ice cream, and kids love me!  We make it with a lot of love and thought, and its the healthiest ice cream out there.  Go and enjoy.   Do things with love, and change the world!

Tel: (310) 399-4871

326 Lincoln Blvd,
Venice, CA 90291

You can keep up with Kippy on Facebook, Instagram, and her Website.

Color Therapy

It’s easy to become immune to the repetitive things that we experience in this lifetime.  The inborn can become seemingly dissociated from our senses.  For example, when is the last time you have acknowledged color?  If you are not blind or completely color blind, then you experience color every moment of your life.  Even your dreams are in color.

Imagine that from the beginning of your existence that you never had a sense of sight at all.  Not only would you never understand what anything actually looked like, you wouldn’t even have the context for what color actually is.  How would you explain color to someone who has never, and will never, see?  

This question came whilst pondering color therapy.  

Color therapy, or chromatherapy is an alternative medicine in which color is used to equalize energy in a person’s body.  Each color corresponds to different systems in the body.

• Red - Root
• Orange - Sacrum
• Yellow - Solar Plexus
• Green - Heart
• Blue - Throat
• Indigo - Third Eye
• Magenta - Crown

Color are also associated with our emotions.  Max Lüscher, a Swiss psychotherapist, has created a test in which color selections are guided in an unconscious manner.  The color selections act as a mirror to reveal your inner truth.  You can take the quiz here to find an extensive analysis of your selections.  

To further your understanding of how you interact with color — aura photography shows what colors comprises your energy field.  Spearheaded by the work of Walter John Kilner (1847-1920), a medical electrician from London, who published one of the first western medical studies on aura (or as he coined it, “The Human Atmosphere”) — aura photography is now an instantaneous process in which biofeedback imaging cameras capture your body's invisible electromagnetic field!  The results are then interpreted using the color correspondences as listed above.  

If we always remained aware of our breathtaking senses — then it seems no one would ever have the time to experience lack, separation, or unworthiness....we would be too busy being devotees to the magic of life.  But then, maybe forgetting our nature is just as important as remembering.