As a doctor I see patients of many different backgrounds and circumstances. However, despite the differences among individuals, one overwhelming theme I frequently see is how people limit themselves. Many people expect a doctor and a pill to cure them of their ailments, ailments that are often preventable and aren’t always effectively treated with a pill.
Read More"Magical" only begins to explain the depth in which Nadine Artemis lives, where her unique perception and alchemical touches are honed to usher in some of the earth’s most vibrant and special offerings. Her self-care line Living Libations, handcrafted by she and her husband Ron, gives a powerful voice and vision to holistic skin and oral care.
Read MoreThe heavens parted the sky when Summer and her husband Mike brought organic juice to Sedona. A much needed addition to the town, this rainbow bright market full of fresh and easy became our go-to place for finely picked whole food sustenance during our stay. An ideal place to grab and go or sit and refresh outside on a picnic table placed within a welcoming planted garden. The menu includes cold-pressed juice, mylks n’ cold brew, smoothies and small bites, including a must order acai bowl. Pretty sure we can guarantee you’ll be stopping here multiple times during your visit so make sure and tell them HOC sent you!
What inspired you to open a juice bar?
Many things and many people. Its been in my heart for years. I have vision boards and manifesting journals loaded with juicey stuff! I was catering an event for Marianne Williamson about a year ago when she was campaigning. After the event something inside of me shifted, It was like that event was what I needed to get into high gear, just being near her inspired me! I had been stagnating a bit, not living my truth and working solely online. I felt so alive working with people again, I felt the calling to merge healthy eating and lifestyle with mind-body awareness, I told my husband that day that I didn't know what was going to happen but it was big. From that point on I had clarity and refined my plan of action.
Why Sedona?
I grew up in Sedona, I found my soulmate in Sedona, I birthed my son in Sedona. It is sacred to me. It happens to be the home to a lot of beautiful people who understand and appreciate the power of healthy food and organic juice.
How did you get into health food?
My mom and dad we're very into health food. Growing up, I was surrounded by it... Carrot juice, wheatgrass, saunas, enemas, they were total hippies and totally into it all! My mom was doing coffee enemas way before they we're trendy wink emoticon They lived off the grid on a farm where they grew their own food and built their house with no electric tools...
For a while I veered off from what I grew up surrounded by. I went to collage, I tried on a couple masks, healthy food and inward connection led me to shedding the masks and letting my true self shine through. It led me to healing both mentally and physically.
I always new I wanted to work with people and food in some capacity, but it wasn't until working for Matthew Kenney that I was able to find the confidence to really do it. Teaching at his academy forced me to meet my shyness and insecurities. I'll be forever thankful for that exerience.
What event in your life has brought about the greatest life-change? Having my son Henry. Everything changes when you help create life. He brought me to a new level of patience, responsiblity, of self-awareness and inspiration. The moment I conceived I new it, I felt fully connected to myself and god for the first time in years. Children are our best teachers.
Who inspires you?
So many people! I'm very inspired by other woman entrepreneurs, I'm inspired by people doing their best to be their best! I'm inspired by people with clarity.
What is your mission?
To help as many people as possible feel the positive effect of plant-based eating, positive thinking and full body love.
What is your dream meal?
The best gluten free crust (not the cardboard kind) pizza with truffle oil, mushrooms and arugula or a croissant from Tartine. But really, I truly love watermelon, a whole watermelon to my self, that is a hydrating super meal that nature has perfected.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I love our Avocado Toast, it has a spicy chipotle dressing on it that just makes everything perfect. Our "Sex in the Desert" Smoothie is epic, it make what our Golden Milk which is loaded with turmeric, my ultimate favorite superfood right now!
If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you want to do today?
Do everything my son wants to do, connect with each person with total presence, breath deeply, sleep under the stars.
What is your ultimate vision for Local?
Local is a springboard for a transformational lifestyle brand. We are in the midst of opening another location on the East Coast . We will also be launching a line of products that will be incredibly nourishing and accessible for people who are making the transition to plant-based eating. There is so much on the table right now, trying to take it slow and grow naturally but also use the inspiration that is abundant right now!
If you could give one gift to your child, what would it be? To know that there is beauty in every moment, feeling, thought, emotion. To not judge anything as bad or good, to simply feel, process and thrive. I would love this for my son, for myself, for all humans.
Tel: 928-282-8932
Obviously the town watering hole, Chocolatree is the only place in Sedona to get a full vegan meal, filled with an energy you feel the minute you walk in the door. A vision developed by father, daughter, husband team (David, Jen and Kelly) over a period of 6 years, the restaurant oozes community with its impromptu tea services, day and night music events and weekly workshop offerings. The sacred garden patio will have you grateful for each moment, as time slips away into eternity where you receive a chance to admire the epitome of full bloom, complete with a hammock lined path in this oasis within an oasis. There’s even a room dedicated to chocolate, which you’ll immediately experience if you come during production time when the smell of the intoxicating cacao fills the entire restaurant. This world-renowned restaurant is a place not to be missed, so be sure to make a stop.
How would you describe ChocolaTree Organic Oasis?
A sanctuary created to nurture authenticity.
How do you create a thriving team?
Their mothers/fathers created them. We just all come together to be our authentic selves, in service to our vision. (ultimate vision below)
Who do you admire?
Ghandi, Mother Theresa, babies, Swami Sivananda, Martin Luther King, Swami Vishnudevananda, animals, my dogs.
Why?
Because of their authenticity and they spoke up about their vision and did what they could to carry it out.
If you could be invisible for one day, what would you do?
What kind of invisible are we talking? If just invisible not everything I touch as well - I would go to the largest inhumane factory farming opperations and free the animals. Let them all fly and run free. If everything I touch is also invisible or I have an invisible cloak - and if I could get in and out of any gold/silver vault (stolen in the first place) then that's where I would go. Then use those moneys to bust the factory farming operations and let the animals free.
What is one thing people can do to elevate their health?
Remember, we are only a dream of a dream. Do what you feel in your soul and the rest will take care of itself.
If you could give one piece of advice to pass on to the next generation, what would it be?
Just to say, you are loved. and keep a positive perspective.
What is your ultimate vision?
I see a world of natural beauty where every child is born into their very own domain of clean air, pure waters and a garden growing in a splendid paradise. - this extends to all the animals of the world too.
Enter a deep red velvety everything, with a front and center case full of luscious delights and warmer than warm service, we welcome you to Lulu’s. The only lounge in Sedona, where all is served with the sweetest of intentions, it becomes clear after you taste the best raw paleo brownie of your life served alongside a high vibe tonic to match that you’ve indeed hit the jackpot. The hand-crafted chocolates are the first to greet you, stunningly beautiful to look at and unbelievably decadent, each raw bite better than the last. Behind the lounge sits an actual chocolate factory, viewable from the couch you can rest on as you enjoy the process and the finished products simultaneously. "You’re in for a treat" doesn’t even begin to explain it.
It all began with my love of chocolate and my desire to find the best. This led me to find specialty chocolate shops where I could buy bars from all over the world, always looking for something extra special. While teaching yoga in Portland, Oregon, I discovered I was sensitive to sugar and needed to give it up. For me, the tragedy of this was that it meant going without chocolate!
I travelled to Hawaii, to do a cleanse, and it was on this journey that I discov- ered my first cacao tree. Experiencing cacao in its’ raw, pure form filled me with bliss and ecstasy! I was truly blown away and my life changed. I began making my own raw chocolate creations and shared them with everyone around. When I found coconut sugar, I knew it was my mission to create a chocolate line that didn’t compromise taste for health. Chocolate that has it all.
Turns out people LOVE my creations and a business was born out of my passion for sharing what I consider the best chocolate in the world. This raw chocolate wants to be shared and I am so happy to co-create with its magical energy. I feel blessed to sell Lulu’s Chocolate to hundreds of retail markets and now to have our very own Chocolate Lounge in beautiful Sedona, Arizona.
Dreaming of a world covered in Lulu’s Chocolate...
What inspired the lounge concept?
The Chocolate Lounge came to be because A) I needed a creative outlet and B) It is so fun to interact with people as they are experiencing Lulu's Chocolate! Our wholesale business demands the kitchen to be a bit of an assembly line in the way that we make the same flavors over and over again. The Lounge allows me to experiment with new ideas and flavors as they come to mind. It gives me a venue to share them with the public without having to commit to marketing them. Marketing a flavor is very expensive and time consuming as there are packaging minimums and new item submission forms to take into account.
What is your favorite creation?
I love it deep, dark & pure. Midnight Velvet, our 88% cacao bar, is my daily breakfast each morning. Our most popular bar however is Smoked Sea Salt Almond. I love them all or they wouldn't exist!
Where do you get your inspiration for your new unique flavors?
I get cravings and then realize I have to create what I crave. I recently decided we needed to add some fruit to our product line and we are launching our Raspberry Rapture this week! I also love caramel but choose not to eat sugar. I am perfecting a Salted Caramel recipe that we will launch this Autumn!
What is your ultimate vision?
I have fallen in love with the Chocolate Lounge! I aim to open more of these around the country. Meanwhile, our wholesale business continues to expand so that people all across the country, maybe the globe, will have access to buy Lulu's Chocolate at their favorite stores. Our website also does really well and is always growing. I love seeing new fans as well as our devoted return customers purchasing online.
If you had one hour to spend in Sedona, what would you do?
I would share some tea and a Midnight Velvet bar with my husband, get on our motorcycle and go to an epic hiking spot so we can get lost together in the deep magic of Mother Nature!
What are your spirtiual practices?
I think this is something most people deal with and I am certainly not immune. I have spent most of my life reprogramming myself! Awareness of bad habits and self limiting patterns leads to being able to bust them down as they are happening. Anything one can do to practice presence will help end the power that unconscious patterns hold over us. I am a big fan of yoga, meditation, mantra, dancing & all creative activities. Choose the higher thought until you don't even have to choose! It WILL happen naturally with practice.
Lulus's chocolate oozes sensuality...tell us more?
Sensuality. One of my best friends always says, "Lulu, you put the sexy back in healthy chocolate!" I am a big fan of not compromising. My mission is to offer a product that truly bridges the gap between healthy and gourmet. I want to help people realize that they can have it all. They can enjoy things that make them feel alive & amazing, while also enjoying the sensual experience of deliciousness! I'm afraid that alternative foods, such as raw chocolate, have somewhat gotten a bad rap in the mainstream due to there being some products out there that aren't great. I want to change that! I have gotten the most beautiful fan mail from people who say they quit eating chocolate completely due to how ingredients like milk, soy and sugar made them feel. Then they tried healthy chocolate that didn't taste like chocolate to them, so they just gave it up till they found Lulu's. They are so grateful and so am I!
Who inspires you?
I just got to meet India Aire and share chocolate with her in our Lounge after going to her live show of Songversations: I Am Light. It was very deeply inspiring to be so moved by experiencing her story on stage. Then to find out that she is also a fan of mine was the cherry on top! I LOVE Danielle LaPorte and her Desire Map work. She led me to Marie Forleo, and I am now enrolled in her online B School. Saida Desilets is the most sensually inspiring person I know and I am now taking her Jade Egg Mastery workshop.
What is one question you are asking yourself these days?
What choices can I make today to nourish & grow my "Core Desired Feelings?" This is part of the Desire Map work. My CDFs are: Inspired, Passionate, Creative, Abundant, Grateful, Playful, Sensual & Present!
The soul of Sedona breathes deeply into those who take the time to simply be in her essence − Illup Gravengaard knows this to be true. An alchemist who serves the wildness of the red rocks, he embodies a dedication to transformation, brought through in his earthen empire known as Kejiwa he created with Emma Clare Juniper. Here he shares once in a lifetime elixirs, scents, ormus’ and tinctures that act as guides, waiting to remind and reconnect you with your innate vitality. In one sip of the Mystic A-Rose kombucha or a deep inhalation of the Sedona oil, it becomes clear you are sacredly imbibing with the earth in her purest forms.
As a trusted steward for those desiring further inner alchemical activation, Illup offers himself more wholly through his unique healing modalities made of ancient wisdom, sound and subtle touch. In his words, "And so let us open to the gift of grace ever here at hand". Yes, lets.
What is alchemy?
Alchemy is consciously assisted self-evolution and living innovation. Alchemy is the transformation of the dense lead of our being into the untarnishable brilliant gold of our being.
What do you think is your purpose in life?
I could say my purpose is being of service sharing alchemy, but the core of it all… the heart of it all is that my purpose is to permeate love into every aspect of my life and so be a living love potion that inspires more love… compassion, caring, sharing, forgiveness, harmony, and connection in this world.
What is your ultimate vision for Kejiwa?
'Kejiwa' means "of the Soul" and what we do is ever transform, reform, and in-form our ways of serving and nourishing the soul… assisting highest creativity and expression of thriving life however that continues to change, grow, and blossom for us all.
What are spagyrics?
Spagyric literally means "to separate, and recombine." This is a long practiced way of medicine-making that has the understanding that we are physical beings AND we are energetic beings; that we must heal all aspects of our being to really be whole and healthy. Spagyrics are a combination of tinctured herb, distilled essential oil of the herb, and calcined plant salt of the herb. This creates a refined highly bio-available medicine that effectively touches on the physical, the soul, and spirit.
What inspires you?
Nature, flowers, the wind in the trees, ecstatic poetry, the invisible undefinable magic constantly permeating us all, all of the beauty we can perceive around & in us, the star-light twinkle of excitement in a person's eyes after sharing alchemy with them…
How can someone elevate their energy?
Close your eyes for a moment and breath the biggest three breaths you have taken yet today. Even better; go outside, put your bare feet on the earth, now take these breaths with your hand laid over your heart.
What is your most valued possession?
Creativity.
If you could have anything, what would you have for your birthday meal?
Fresh Egyptian lotus blossoms with Ecuadorian cacao (chocolate) drizzled on top.
What is something you wished everyone knew about you?
That deep down, I am exactly like you and I love you so much, more than imaginable.
What motivates you to stay in a state of mindfulness?
Mindfulness feels like I need to be tactful about how my actions affect others and how I engage with the world which is a starting point. Heartfulness feels like a state I can more thrive in, sensitizing to an empathic relating to everyone around me via compassion, caring, and sharing in what ways are most alive for me and most lights up the world for us all. Witnessing this is all the motivation I need.
What is the biggest personal change you have ever made?
Stepping on to the path of alchemy. To demystify this, it was an aligning to the understanding that everything I do, create, and enact in this life, has an immediate reflection within myself for my own personal revolutionary evolutionary innovation of being. So as I leave a mark on this world, a mark is left in my inner being. And when I create a new reality of experience in my inner being, a new reality of experience is created in my world. This is a stepping-stone to the realization that there really is no separation, no inner and outer, no you and me. And on that musical note, we can all just take a deep breath of relief, for we really are all in this sweet symphony together.
Have you ever had an epiphany?
Ever moment is ripe for an epiphany. We just have to realize these phenomenal fruits of existence are ever available to us. Getting a degree in college was a great achievement that I would never take for granted, yet it wasn't till I shed most of my material possessions & unconsciously adopted understandings of life and lived in the wilds of the desert for several weeks that I realized there is a different type of learning that happens spontaneously, naturally, intrinsically in our being. I had been entrained in the ways of books and memorization for years, but my experience immersing with the plants of this land showed me that all the knowledge we ever need is constantly available to us if we actually not engage but calm the mind, and reach out with our hearts.
Illup Gravengaard has over 6 years sharing his Kejiwa elixirs across the country. His background is in natural medicine, wild herbalism, raw live-vegan nutrition, music, energy healing, yoga, meditation, graphic design, poetry, & award-winning photography.
For more information about Illup Gravengaard, follow him on Facebook and visit Kejiwa Creations.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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
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
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
Tasya Van Ree is a Los Angeles based photographer and artist. Her evocative work speaks to the subtleties of human experience and transitory nature.
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