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2010

Many images in HempStar are a courtesy of Microsoft Office.

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8Activism in Denver Pg. 16

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Are you a small online business Or

A fair trade/eco-friendly business?

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Breastfeeding is absolutely the best thing a mother can do for her baby.Breast milk has innumerable health benefits as well as emotional benefits;a lifelong bond between mother and baby. Many people choose tobreastfeed simply because it is the easiest, most natural way to go aboutbaby feeding. Others choose to do it because of its amazing benefits. Butbreastfeeding isn’t so easy from the start. Here are some pointers to helpnew moms ease their anxieties about nursing.The first and foremost important fact about breastfeeding is nutrition.Mom’s body will take vital nutrients and vitamins from her in order toproduce healthy breast milk. One of the best things a mom can do iscontinue taking her prenatal vitamins and keep a balanced diet. Abalanced diet includes at least 5-9 servings of whole grains, 6-7 servings offruits and vegetables, 3-5 servings of dairy, 3-5 servings of protein, and lotsof water (at least 1.5-2 liters). Omega 3’s and essential fatty acids (such asDHA) found in fish*, algae, flaxseed, pomegranates, and avocadoes arealso vital to baby’s healthy brain development.

When breastfeeding, mom has to keep in mind that everything that goesinto her body will go into baby’s sensitive developing body as well.Consuming organic foods whenever possible is key to ensure baby is beingkept away from chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, and geneticallymodified foods. Those can all be extremely harmful to baby, causing manyadverse health effects, not only short term, but especially long term.

Breastfeeding is not easy at first. It takes perseverance and patience.There will be obstacles in the first couple of weeks. Mom will need tolearn many new things and adapt to her baby’s schedule. But the mostimportant thing to remember is not to give up. After the first couple ofweeks it becomes a breeze.

There are some fundamental things to keep in mind. First of all, feedingbaby on a schedule is not the best way to go about it. The best thing todo is to feed on demand and pay attention to baby’s schedule, he knowswhat he needs. The next thing to remember is to always try to place the

3

nipple and surrounding areola entirely in baby’s mouth; otherwise it will bepainful and cause sore nipples. Another tip is to keep baby close as much aspossible. Wearing the baby in a sling or wrap is very important and alsoversatile. This will not only allow mom to be hands-free and able to do otherthings while bonding with baby, it will also increase her levels of prolactin,which is the motherly hormone that also increases milk production. This isalso the most comfortable of positions and places for baby to be. It helpsto ease the transition from womb to cruel, cold world.

There are many more important facts about breastfeeding, so the mostimportant thing is to become educated and well-versed by reading a fewgood books such as “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”, published by theLa Leche League. Not giving up is probably the most crucial part of theprocess. Baby will be grateful and mom will see the many benefits andrewarding trust relationship as her child develops and grows.

*Know the right kind of fish to consume when pregnant and/or nursing. Shark,swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel should not be consumed at all due to the highlevels of mercury. Women should only have 1 pound/16 oz per week of fish such aschunk light canned tuna, which contains very little mercury. Only eat the fillet of the fish.

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1ml = 25-30

drops

5ml = 1/6

oz

15ml = ½

oz

30ml = 1 oz

60ml = 2 oz

25mg = 1

drop

7

Here is a list of common pure plant essential oils,

please read more into their specific properties,

these are just an overall intro to their uses;

You Will Need:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Let’s Get Started!

8

Enjoy!Lotus Blossom 9

o you ever wonder if what you are filling up your shopping cart with is worth the money you are spending on it? Well, you

ARE what you eat, so you are either paying for your health now in your groceries, or later in medical bills. What you put in

your body is definitely what has the biggest influence in your health. Haven’t you heard or read the latest reports on cancer

among many other (if not all) conditions being dependent upon your way of life, nutrition, etc

I believe that as highly intelligent beings, we have the right and the obligation to know our own bodies enough to keep

ourselves healthy and to treat ourselves when illness hits. So studying what is healthy and isn’t is extremely important to

living a healthy, whole lifestyle.

D

Every time you are wondering what to put in your cart, the most important thing to do is to read the nutrition label and

the ingredients list. The first thing to know about the ingredients list is that the ingredients are written in order of the

amount of something that is present in the product. So if it looks like this, it’s a big NO-NO;

Ingredients: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Yellow Lake #

6, Red 40.

Wow! This is a common ingredients list for candies and such. Definitely not what you want to be made of! See how there are

two kinds of artificial sweeteners and some refined sugar on top of that? And they are the first on the list, which means that

the ingredient present in most abundance is the first, and as it goes down it’s less present. There are also artificial colors,

which are linked to all sorts of health problems such as cancer.

Something else you don’t want in your food is preservatives. Preservatives are also linked to health problems.*

Don’t be fooled by added vitamins, the junk food industry will provide you with i.e. a colorful, sugary cereal or snack

targeted at your children that has only bad ingredients such as food additives, preservatives, and colors, but will slap on

there ten essential vitamins to make you think that it is worth buying and feeding to your family. Don’t be tricked. The

vitamins are much better obtained from a natural, fresh source such as produce or whole grains. The additives and poor

ingredients in those foods make the vitamins not worth it.

Always buy whole grains. Make sure that any grains you buy (pasta, bread, etc) do not say bleached flour in the

ingredients list. Or bleached anything for that matter, our food simply should not be bleached.

Buy local! Enjoy the freshness of your local farmer’s market. By supporting local farming you are keeping such things

alive rather than supporting big, corporate companies that care little for freshness or nutrition. Besides this, you are

creating relationships with those that are growing your food, and you know for sure that it’s fresh and eco-friendly (it

hasn‘t traveled hundreds of miles in the back of a truck while losing its freshness and nutritional value).

Buy organic whenever possible, but if you can’t always buy organic, just make sure that you do buy the most important

things organic. Here’s a list of produce that should always be organic due to the extremely high levels of pesticides;

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Peaches, Apples, Nectarines,

Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes,

Pears, Raspberries, Plums,

Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe,

Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit,

Watermelon, Blueberries

From Highest to Lowest Levels of Pesticides

Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce,

Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans,

Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower,

Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes,

Sweet Potatoes

Just keep in mind the rule of thumb to go by is the thicker the skin, the less the need to spray and protect from pests. Also,

with things like bananas and pineapples, you aren’t eating the skin, which is where the pesticides reside afterwards, so it’s not

as important to buy those organic. Although there are more reasons to eat organic than simply the pesticide factor. But you

can read more about that on my focus for the next issue: Why Organic?

I’m sure there is widespread confusion about the right type of sugar to consume. With foods containing even up to 4

different types of sugar in a single snack, you’ve got to know which are safe and which aren‘t. So avoid all refined white

sugar, all corn syrups and high fructose corn syrup, and sugar substitutes such as splenda and more. The healthier ones

would be honey, molasses, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice.

The types of oils that are present in your food are also extremely important. Keep out hydrogenated oils as those just

translate to trans fats. The healthier oils are among grape seed, coconut, olive, flax, and sesame. All containing healthy

amounts of essential fatty acids to prevent heart disease.

Also watch for nutritional content. You want to buy foods that are high in nutritional value while still being whole , healthy

foods. So check the label to make sure what you are buying has a variety of vitamins, fiber, protein. Watch for the

compatibility of viramins. Some cereals, for example, will say they are both rich in iron and calcium at the same time, but if

you consume calcium and iron together, the calcium completely blocks the absorption of iron (vitamin c aids it), so it‘s

pointless to have both.

Just remember to watch for additives

in your ingredients list such as

preservatives, artificial flavors,

artificial colors, etc

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY! Most of us have been conditioned

to believe that the more the better, so we have awesome

deals to buy two for the price of one! But it is proven that

just having a constant intake of healthy nutrients,

antioxidants, and vitamins is much more important than

having a lot of nutrition-lacking foods. So it is better to have

small portions of health-conscious food throughout the day

than large amounts of unhealthy foods (which are just

helping to build up toxins in your body.)

Lotus Blossom

*See next issue for a more complex explanation.

e all have to deal with stress; it’s a healthy part of our daily lives. Though stress canbe helpful (yes, really!), it can also destroy you inside and out. But that’s all up to howyou deal with it. So I’m going to give you few little tips that have helped me out overtimeand through the best and the worst.

WLet’s start off with a couple of definitions for stress according to www.dictionary.com;

Stress:A specific response by the body to a stimulus,as fear or pain, that disturbs or interfereswith the normal physiological equilibrium ofan organism.Physical, mental, or emotional strain ortension.

Immediately stress is seen as negative, it puts a strain on your body and mind. It takesover your whole being making you feel as if you have no control. It puts your emotions onedge. Learning how to deal with it is crucial in order to survive it and not let it affect yourwhole being.

•

Being able to see past the negative aspects of stress will greatly help you in your battle towin back your sanity. Stress is just a way for our psyche to show us that we need change inour lives. If we choose to be grateful to have that pointer that we need change, we canview stress as a means of assistance rather than a means of interference.

•

Now that you are able to view stress in a positive light, use the inspiration it gives you tochange your current situation into success. The law of conservation of energy states thatenergy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. Therefore, if stress is changingyour energy into negative, you can turn it around and change it back into positive. Turn itinto inspiration to no longer have that stress.

•

It’s nothing extraordinary; it’s all part of the cycle. Think of life and your fortune as a bigwheel and it’s always turning; you’re either on the top, in the middle, or on the bottom.Either way, it’s going to turn again and you’re bound to wind up on the top some time! Sothere is no need to lament what is happening, as my therapist always used to say “This tooshall pass.” Every experience is a learning one, therefore you are acquiring wisdom andknowledge while you are suffering and it is not in vain. You can’t expect to learn muchwhen there are no obstacles. You can’t learn to pick yourself up if you never fall down.Embrace this experience with all your might, it’s only temporary.

•

Well, it really could be worse. Think of your situation and try to look at it from way out inthe universe, from far away outside eyes. As if you were a satellite looking down at yourtiny little self and your tiny little problems (I am not undermining your problems,everyone’s issues and capacity to handle those issues is entirely different). Now look at allthe much bigger problems going on such as murders, tortures, famine, disasters, losing oflimbs, losing of loved ones, etcSeem a little better? Think of it in a global level and how the earth has many threateningissues; even how our own existence is being threatened. This all makes our own issue verysmall, makes us even feel selfish.

•

It’s not eating when stressed that’s a bad thing; it’s what you eat that matters. I’d like toshare with you some very useful information from an article I recently read, written byfood expert David Zinczenko.David states the 7 best stress fighting foods. Here’s a brief overview;

1. Papaya; due to its naturally occurring highconcentration of Vitamin C and antioxidants, itstops the flow of stress hormones.

2. Peppermint tea; helps to boost focus andperformance. Makes you more alert and less anxious.

3. Pumpkin seeds; contains high levels of Magnesium,which is a big anxiety/tension/fatigue buster.

4. Avocado; high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids& Potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure.

5. Salmon; high levels of Omega-3s (which help to maintain healthy levelsof cortisol) and tryptophan (which helps you sleep well at night). Ofcourse for us Veg lovers, there are always avocadoes, walnuts, flaxseeds,and algae, which are also very rich in Omega fatty acids.

6. Almonds; contains monounsaturated fats & Vitamin E,which helps greatly to control stress hormones.

7. Oatmeal; consuming fiber-rich, whole grain carbs help tostimulate a steady flow of serotonin and prevent sugarmood swings.

•

For example;-A bath with sea salt and 5-8 drops of lavender essential oil.-Aromatherapy; lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, orange blossom.-Relaxation & breathing exercises.-Turn on your favorite song and dance away like no one is watching.-Go out with good friends and indulge in something you have neglected yourself of fora long time.-Do some sort of physical activity; walking, jogging, aerobics, yoga, etc (workingout/exercising helps to produce endorphins, our naturally occurring happy chemicals)-Realize that life goes on and there are no problems, only solutions.

If I can do it, so can you. Don’t give up.

“Men's best successes come after their disappointments.”

Henry Ward Beecher

Lotus Blossom

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DENVER

ACTIVISM

In the month of March, Denver definitely sawa lot of activism. Always makes me happy tosee our brothers and sisters exercising theirfreedom to express their beliefs and rights.Here’s a recollection of what happened. On theday that the Million Marijuana March issupposed to happen around the world inmany different locations, Denver had a smallgathering of people to march for their rights,which honestly kind of disappointed me asfar as how many marijuana patients thereare. Not many people showed up. Though theimmigration march, being the same day, didin fact put the MMM to shame. Gatheringthousands of people holding banners, signs,and Mexican flags, and chanting in unison“Si se puede” (Yes we can), the immigrationmarch definitely had its voice heard.

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Lotus B

lossom

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FrankFrank Rozasy is 61 years old,but very young at hear.t Helives in Sana Monica, CA. Ifyou want to see more of hisamazing art, please visit hiswebsite @ www.rozasy.com.

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Triptic Woman

Last Laugh

An

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Lifeguard Angel

Inn

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Rozasy

Los A

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Sky is Falling

Looking Glass Self

Her Life is

a Train W

reck

Life Reflection

Therapy

Zebra G

irl

American Values

Lotus B

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Twisted Fate

Arm

anian

Visage

Kiss Me Blue

Lalo Visage

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Lotus B

lossomNative Canadian

born, but currently lives and

works in Paris.

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"We have enslaved the

rest of animal creation

and have treated our

distant cousins in fur

and feathers so badly

that beyond doubt, if

they were to formulate

a religion, they would

depict the Devil in

human form."

William Ralph Inge

eople often wonder why and howvegetarians can lead the lifestyle that they do.I’m here to tell you many of the reasons whywe choose to make this compassionate choice,not just for ourselves and other beings, but forthe entire world and the ecosystem.

• Contrary to popular belief, meat is not verynutritional and actually, except for the B-complex, it is deficient in vital nutrients andvitamins as well as essential carbs, starches,and fiber (which cleans the intestines, absorbsexcess fats, and assists with peristalsis). Onthe other hand, all the nutrients, antioxidants,fiber, and amino acids that our bodies needfor optimal performance and survival can beobtained from and found in abundance inplant sources.

• Meat has the highest amount of pathogens andmicro-organisms (bacteria and viruses) as well asworms and parasites. Plants may have them toobut in very minimal amounts compared to flesh.Now that’s just gross!

• A number of health practitioners andphysicians as well as the American HeartAssociation, the American Cancer Society,and the World Health Organizationrecommend reducing the consumption ofanimal derived protein and saturated fat aswell as cholesterol. Those are the leadingcauses of degenerative diseases, and none ofthem are found in plants.

• Some of the health conditions anddegenerative diseases linked to a meatbased diet include cancer, heart disease(the leading cause of death in the U.S.),osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes,arthritis, acne, gum disease, intestinaltoxemia, kidney and gallstones, obesity,and much, much more! The only naturalsubstances found to prevent cancer such ashydroquionenes, beta carotene, vitamin Cand B-17, and all the antioxidants found insuperfruits cannot be found in any animalderived products; meat actually producesextremely carcinogenic compounds andbenzenes.

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• Lean meats are believed to be healthier thanred meat, but the reality is that poultry isalmost always contaminated with Salmonella,Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus bacteria.And fish contain heavy metals such asmercury, lead, and cadmium as well as toxicindustrial pollutants such as PCBs, DDT, anddioxins). Overfishing is also causing a hugeimbalance in the ecosystem.

• When you become a vegetarian, your dietbecomes more colorful and you are then ableto be more creative with your meals sinceyou have to incorporate a bigger variety ofwhole foods into your plate. It allows you toenjoy a more holistic, guilt-free way of living.

• Rainforests are one of the most importantthings to our ecosystem; they containinvaluable botanical sources of medicine aswell as providing the Earth’s oxygen. Trees arethe lungs of the world. Rainforests and othertropical regions are destroyed more andmore daily in order to make room forlivestock. This is due to the demand forcheap meat, and it all causes the extinction ofmany species, plants included. Cattle grazingis actually the major cause of desertificationand soil erosion in the U.S. When destroyingthe biodiversity and the trees that filter ourair, we are contributing immensely to carbondioxide pollution and therefore threateningeven our own existence.

• Fossil fuel conservation as a nonrenewablesource of energy is another big issue, here isa chart that compares our use of fossil fuelin the production of meat.

To produce: It takes:

1 Calorie of Beef Protein

78 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Pork 35 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Poultry 22 Calories of Fossil Fuel

1 Calorie of Soy 1 Calorie of Fossil Fuel

• Another big current environmental issue iswater conservation. It takes somewherebetween 3 to 15 times more water toproduce animal protein than vegetableprotein.

• There is an immense amount of grainsbeing used to feed livestock, all of which ischeaply grown with the use of syntheticpesticides and herbicides, which in turn goesinto the meat being eaten and into theground and water that we drink and use in

our everyday lives. It cantake up to 16 lbs ofgrains to producesimply 1 lb of beef.Think about that incommercial numbers;billions. All of this grainbeing fed to livestockcould be feeding manyof the starving populati

ons in the world.

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• Meat production is ahuge contributor togreenhouse gases andemissions. Not only themethane produced incrammed, full of fecesslaughterhouses, butalso the nitrous oxideare the biggest toxinstrapping gas in ouratmosphere.

• By making the choice to be a vegetarian, Iam showing compassion for all beings andembracing my love and respect for allsentient life. How can I call myself an animallover and still want to cause harm or deathto them simply because I enjoy the taste oftheir flesh? How come no one ever sees it asthe same as eating your dog and/or cat?

• Metaphysically, by consuming the lowestfoods on the food chain, I am getting thepurer energy from it than I would fromsomething that has eaten something else,and something else after that. By purerenergy, I mean energy directly from our all-powerful source, the sun, not energy takenfrom other beings against their free will;which means that whatever emotions andenergies these beings died having (violentand fearful), their flesh retained them andthat is what I am consuming and puttinginto my sacred temple, my body. After all, Iam what I eat.

• Factory farms and slaughterhouses raisetheir animals in extremely inhumane andpoor, unsanitary conditions. Most of themlive in filthy and cramped spaces, withoutever having the chance to see sunlight andto have fresh air. These spaces are filledwith animal excrement and other decayinganimals. Their movements are restrainedbecause it is cheaper to have morelivestock in less space. They cannot mate,the offspring cannot nurse, and theycannot develop social behaviors. Chicks aredebeaked (the process of cutting/grindingoff their beaks), not to mention that maleschicks are useless since they cannot layeggs, so most are piled alive in a trash bagand left to die by suffocation, or are gassedto death.

Chickens are thrown in boiling water alivein order to be defeathered and then hungupside down to meet their fate of havingtheir throats slashed to bleed to death allwhile still fully conscious. They are alsopumped with dangerous amounts ofgrowth hormones, which makes theirbodies grow too fast in proportion to theirfeet, causing tumors and disabling them towalk and move properly. I’ll leave it up toyou to find out about the veal industry.

Because of these extremely crowded, filthy,and poor conditions these animals areraised in, the animals develop cannibalism,stress, fighting, and illness/disease. Bycontinuing to purchase and consume meatproducts, I would be showing that I agreewith factory farming and their ethics onraising animals inhumanely. I would alsoshow that I agree with their unsanitary,unsafe, and unhealthy methods of handlingmy food.

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• If you believe even the smallest bit inKarma, you should know that every littleaction you take in your life makes adifference and has a huge impact forgenerations to come. Have you ever heardof the butterfly effect? I certainly want tobetter my karma and reduce my footprintby living light on this earth, and notworsen it.

• Every meal I eat, I feel guilt-free.

• I believe in nonviolence, and worldpeace, I live it in my every action everyday. I’m not a hypocrite.

• I definitely want to be a good rolemodel to my children and all thosearound me. Teach them to live consciousand aware of their every action.

These reasons I’ve listed, allenvironmental, ethical, and healthful, donot even constitute half of the reasonswhy I and many others choose to bevegetarian. It is a very personal choice,and should be made with care, love, andof course, for the right reasons and out ofyour own free will. So make an effort tostudy and educate yourself and make achoice that fits your needs as well aspreaches love for all beings. Join themovement! Not just of vegetarianism, butof conscious choice-making.

I highly recommend watching the videos on secret slaughterhouseinvestigations done by PETA and other animal activist groups. They areextremely eye-opening and make us more conscious of the actionsbeing taken behind our backs as well as the consequences of ourindulgence. These videos can be found on PETA.com and onYouTube.com. Ignorance is not bliss, but rather, closed-minded, andwell, just ignorant. How do you like to be fooled?

For more information on these and more concerning environmental issuesas well as how vegetarianism can lead to better world, please visit thesewebsites:

http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asphttp://www.vivavegie.org/vv101/101reas98.html

http://veggie123.com/www.navs-online.orgwww.PETA.com

Lotus Blossom24

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Lotus Blossom 25

Thunder Mesa Tea Made with Inka Tea By: Rik Thundercrow

Ingredients can be ordered from:

www.Comprasperu.com

Inka Tea is made from the Coca plant.

Ingredients

• Inka Tea

• 10 tbsp of powdered Inka Tea

• 2 liters of distilled water or Brita water at a minimum

• (using distilled water is important)

• 2 unbleached coffee filters

• 4 tsp of baking soda

To make your Thunder Mesa tea concentrate

Place both coffee filters into a slightly larger

strainer

Put 10 tbsp of Inka Tea into the filters

Add 2 tsp of baking soda to each liter of distilled

water

(total of 4 tsp of baking soda to 2 liters water)

Very, very slowly pour boiling water over the tea in

the filters. The water should remain very hot while

pouring over the filters: if necessary reheat the wa-

ter as you go because you will have to pour very

slowly to avoid the tea from bubbling over. (see

image)

So slow that this step could take

up to 15 minutes or more. Slowly

pour over the filter and keep the

water very hot. Avoid the tea bub-

bling over the filter.

Some of the water will boil out

and some will be absorbed into the

tea and filters, so you should end

up with about 1 liter of Thunder

Mesa Tea.

Next to make your cup of Thunder Mesa Tea, mix about 1/4 cup of your con-

centrate with 3/4 cup of hot water. This mixture can be adjusted to taste, but

don’t make any adjustments until after you have tried this mixture a few times.

Remember this is a concentrate

so your 1 liter of concentrate

will make about 4 liters of tea.

As an additional effect you can

re-heat your cup of tea with a

little hemp mixed right in your

cup, then heat up the cup of tea

for just a minute more.

Store your concentrate in the re-

frigerator in an air tight con-

tainer until your ready for more!

Enjoy!

Private Investigative Services Include

Electronic Counter Surveillance Infidelity Investigations Video Surveillance Teen Surveillance/GPS Tracking Service of Process

Sandy & Steve Bennett

Oh wise ancient spirit of the earth

though you are of a different shape

and color

we are still one

our energies, interconnected,

run through one another time and

time again

please guide me

with your ancient knowledge.

to subdue my anger

to bring me tranquility,

serenity,

peace.

to die and be reborn again

as new

like you.

help to ground me

and understand the stillness of your

body

And as your roots are all connected

under the earth

in our endless circle of unity

speaking to one is speaking to all

I and I are one.

Roots

Lotus Blossom30

*Just remember; I am not a certified physician, and any information I give you is purely educational and should not be relied upon to diagnose,

treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Never take any oils internally unless advised to do so under medical supervision. Do not ever

apply undiluted oils to the skin. Please always use extreme caution when dealing with essential oils as they are highly concentrated and

effective. If you are pregnant, or have a serious medical condition, please consult with a professional certified aromatherapist before use.

Information& content from Simplers Botanical Company AromatherapyGuide to Essential Oils.Lotus Blossom

My Personal Account of

Lotus Blossom

As you walk in, you better have your wristband on your arm or your ticket at hand. Youstroll through the walkway while being greeted by many people. The first sight ishundreds of families with their camping chairs and coolers all set up like a fourth ofJuly barbeque. The grass is filled with laughing children and dancing adults. The air ishot, humid and filled with sound. It is so hot everyone has hoses and fans sprayingwater at passers by. And finally, down at the river, there are many people enjoying thecool, refreshing water, standing, sitting, swimming, and even posted on chairs. The riveris nice and shallow, clean, sparkling, and full of beautiful small rocks that you can seeright through the water. Yes, I’m talking about Reggae on the River!

Although it may sound like an absolutelyunforgettable experience, Reggae on the River 2010was not such an amazing festival. It took place inBenbow, CA, and though normally it is a camp-inevent, this time it was not. It was only two days long,and the camping was at the least 3 miles away fromthe event, with it shutting down at night and startingagain the next day, which means hauling all of yourstuff to and from Reggae both days. There was alsono parking near or at the venue. They did, however,have shuttles that went back and forth betweenReggae and the campsites as well as town(Garberville). Another downer was that the campsiteshad outrageous prices per night, so you did not onlyhave to pay for your ticket, food, and camping, but youalso had to haul all your stuff to and from the event,making it not only exhausting, but extremely expensive!Not to mention the music was not loud enough, and itjust didn’t make me want to get up and dance. Therewas only one stage, and overall the festival was justtoo small and short lived! There was hardly any spaceto even sit down on the grass and/or in the shade,even for a pregnant woman with a one year old!People were hoarding all the room and not evensitting at their chairs! What kind of conscious event isthis? I really wish I had come across moreenlightened and unique people like at Earthdance.

Mostly everyone at this festival was completelynormal and plain, not very personable, andextremely secluded to their own cliques (of course,excluding the few unique souls), honestly it allseemed like a status thing to me. But that’s justmy opinion. I truly hope that next year it will bebetter or there is no way I am wasting my time ormoney on this event. The one thing I cannotcomplain about is that we arrived a couple of daysearly and ended up scoring the best parking spotright near the event, walking distance. It was areally rad old man’s property that he let peoplepark on, he was sweet, fair, and willing to trade forthe time we were parked there. It ended upbecoming much more fun than the event itselfbecause he was particular as to who he allowed topark there; most being down to earth hippies orRastas. It just made it that much better that youcould hear the music and see the entire festivalfrom this spot. Gotta be grateful for cool peoplelike him, they make such experiences all worth it..Let’s hope they hear our cries and next year thisevent will be made ten times better.

I do have some great pics to share withyou all from the best moments ofReggae on the River. Check ‘em out!

Benbow, CA –July 17, 18

2010

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Lotus Blossom 35

So you’ve noticed the new popular style. Yeah it’s

definitely hip, but new? Not at all! Dreadlocks have

been around since cavemen. Ancient holy men, new

agers, hippies, dead heads, shaivists, among other

cultures have dreadlocks for many reasons that range

from deep spiritual/religious meaning to just the

desire for the look. One of the most famous and

intelligent artists of all times Bob Marley was a firm

believer of the concept of natty dreads. Natty dreads

is when you don’t use any method to “make”

dreadlocks such as twisting and back combing,

beeswax, braiding, etc . It’s when you simply leave

nature to do its job. Without manipulation.

•

•

•

•

1. Letting your hair do its own thing speaks for

itself. Your first step is to stop combing or

brushing your hair completely (that includesrunning your fingers through it). When you stop

combing you hair, you are allowing all the

strands to join up without the need of any

chemicals or greasy beeswax. If you use

beeswax, it will gather inside of your dreadlocks

like gunk, you don’t want that.

2. The next thing to do is to keep washing your

hair like you normally do, excluding the useof any conditioner or moisturizer. Also, do not

put any chemicals such as gel or hairspray

because the same thing will happen as with the

beeswax. You will want to start using a shampoo

that is not filled with chemicals and unnecessary

additives because those as well will form a build

up in your locks. A good example is Dr. Bronner’s

Pure Castile Soap. It is all natural, completely

vegetable based, and has no synthetic foaming

agents, thickeners, or preservatives, so you can

use it on your hair and body! Plus it’s probably

the most eco-friendly soap out there!

3. Wearing hats and alternating which side you

sleep on at night will ensure that your

whole head gets a chance to dread.

4. Now don’t give up and start combing your

hair. Real natty dreads take time and

patience. It will be a while before theystart to form, and once they do, they will

probably look horrible and like rat’s nest.

That’s the point of it, you cannot let your

physical appearance bother you. No more

doing your hair or worrying about how it

looks. You are beautiful as you are. Waiting

it out will teach you to suppress your ego

and understand true natural beauty and the

unimportance of physical looks. True

beauty should emanate from the inside, and

not through doing your hair and make up.

5. Once your dreadlocks start to actually form,

you will need to rip them apart,otherwise, you will have one BIG dread! So

look around at the very root where you

think it should be one or two, or even three.

36

Follow their natural formation and rip them (by

pulling them apart from end to root) according

to it. It might hurt a little. Hang on!

6. For some people it takes 6 months, for some a

year and a half. Whichever you are, by the time

your dreads start to look like dreads you will feel

very accomplished. Everyday you will notice a

new dread and it will give you a sense of

fulfillment, you are giving your hair life and

expression. Now you can even start to put

in beads, shells, or metal rings to add a

unique touch. Beads also help to relax

unwanted bumps or raises that may form on your

dreadlocks.

“You are

giving your

hair life and

expression.”

Lotus Blossom

Beautiful People

37

Being a hippie is all about freedom. It is about love. It is about peace. It is about

being one with all the brothers and sisters of the world and the entire universe. It

is about being unique and confident in one’s beliefs. It is also about not

conforming to authority and societal standards. Hippies love one another, share,

learn, and most important of all, we respect Mother Nature.

The first step in following the hippie lifestyle

is to love and respect every life form

encountered (yourself as well). That means

bugs, animals, and trees too! When you love

and respect others, you will receive the

same. Anger and hatred can change one’s

true self and how they act, hurting loved

ones and causing an endless cycle of

negativity. So being peaceful, even to so-

called enemies is key.

The next step is to see the beauty and truth in

everything. In order to do so, you must forget

competition and learn cooperation. That is the

basic foundation of evolution. “If you see

yourself in others, whom can you harm?” When

looking into someone’s eyes, one sees his own

reflection, that has got to mean something,

maybe that we are all just reflections of each

other. In order to see truth, one must also

remove all prejudice, discrimination, and

judgment. Those can cloud the vision of truth,

making the eyes only see what wants to be seen

by the mind.

Groovy music is a must. What is a hippie without music?

The Grateful Dead and the Beatles are great bands to

start with. Hippies love Classic, Psychedelic Rock and

Reggae. Bob Marley, Matisyahu, and any other artist

whose music promote peace, love, spirituality, and

describe psychedelic experiences such as Shpongle are

perfect.

The next thing to do is to stop shaving

everything. Hippies are all natural. They don’t

wear make up or shave to fit into societal

standards. They grow out their beard, leg hair

(even if it isn’t winter), and armpit hair (yes

girls, give it up). And they are not afraid to

flaunt it! Hippies are confident in the way they

are and understand true and natural beauty.

It’s time to bash the perfect media image of

hairless, flawless, edited, made up people that

are not naturally that way. Hippie mamas are

not afraid to walk barefoot and show off those

beautiful legs regardless of choice on

personal grooming.

Now, to get rid of all unnecessary material

attachments, grab a backpack, fill it with

necessities only, find the nearest highway and

stick out that thumb. Girls should not do this

alone. Hippies are not afraid to take their

pet/pets with them; many on the road have their

cats trained to sit on their shoulders, and their

dogs to be their loyal road companion, after all,

they are pack animals. Bringing a tent and/or

sleeping bag is crucial in order to post up

anywhere and make use of all of earth’s

amazing resources. Suggestions are trips to the

forest, hot springs, gem hunting on the

mountain, the beach, etc. Not forgetting to stop

by a few music festivals, they are unforgettable

experiences. Being free and enjoying what life

and spontaneity has to offer is the hippie way.

38

Time to learn some skills. It is almost

necessary to learn an instrument. Yes,

listening to music is amazing, but making

music is even better! So putting your

hands to good use and learning a groovy

instrument is the way to go. Whether it’s

the freestyle djembe (like at drum

circles), the guitar, the banjo, or the

flute, it is inevitable to identify yourself

with an instrument. There are other skills

to be learned as well, such as hemp

making, stone wrapping, hoola hooping,

fire juggling, or even making people

laugh. It will take some skill to keep you

fed and entertained on the road. Not to

mention you will be bringing joy, beauty,

creativity, and inspiration everywhere you

go.

You cannot look like a hippie in a suit or

tie, so it is great to gather some old

articles of clothing and cut them up,

make them into patchwork, tie dye

them, and personalize them to taste.

Whichever it is, it is not the hippie way

to go out and buy new clothes.

Recycling is the way to go!

Being kind to Mother Earth is very important.

Hippies do whatever they can to live light; not

waste necessary resources, always recycle,

and not use heavy chemicals (such as

cleaning or personal care). For example, with

Dr. Bronner’s 18 in one pure castile soap one

can do laundry, wash hair and body, wash the

dog, clean their tent/house, etc. One might

even consider becoming vegetarian for the

sake of the world. Also, it is important to

never leave trash anywhere, whether it is a

campsite or the side of the road and never

mess with natural life or destroy any habitats.

Every small action will cause a chain reaction

that will go on forever, so try not to leave a

deep blueprint behind.

The last step is to be happy, smile,

share, love, and always give out positive

vibes.

Lotus Blossom 39

Just email me at

LotusBlossom@HempStarMagazine.com

and I will give you full details!

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