Raw Spirit 2011: Dreaming Awake!

The Best Valentines Day Gift Ever

~experience~

A few weeks ago I was asked to be a chef at the Raw Spirit Festival here in my town. I was so ecstatic at such an honor, I had been working on attracting a way to go to the festival for free and it just out of the blue dropped into my lap! Then I found out that we had a ZERO Dollar food budget and it was my 'job' to find sponsors to donate the food!

I have spent the last few weeks reaching out to the community, farmers and health food stores asking for donations of fresh, raw, organic produce to make a dinner for 150+ people at the Raw Spirit Festival: BLISS CAMP!

I have learned so much about myself in this short time, although this task felt completely daunting and impossible at moments, I realized what an amazing opportunity it would be to prove to myself that I can do anything and do it well!

I slowly collected the ingredients I needed, the night before my dinner someone took half of my bananas and tomatoes out of the kitchen and distributed them! It felt like a huge set back, not only did I figure out who did it, when I asked about it she suggested I use the radishes she donated, oh yes, radish dessert and radish cucumber italiano would be great!! So yes, I was irritated, judgemental and in disbelief that someone would just take stuff of mine that was tied shut in a bag that was tied to another, which had my name written on it!! I had to go home to redirect my thoughts, because I was PISSED! Went to sleep and in the morning knew that no matter the situation, my life is filled with abundance, I created this opportunity for myself, and it is my choice whether it goes well or I stress about it and fail! Failure definitely not my style! So I danced. YES, danced. I cranked up the tunes and danced through my house feeling the joy of success and abundance in my life and after a few hours of that, I was ready, I grabbed the food from the fridge and headed to the festival!

When I arrived the speaker was giving a speech about sending love to those who drive you nuts, irritate you or people you just don't like; okay okay, So I spent some quality time focusing love to this inconsiderate woman and let it go. I felt better and was ready to fulfill my dreams of the perfect meal!

I spent the beginning of the day in full relaxation mode, laid in the 'floating bed,' a suspended tee pee style bed, so cozy and comfortable. Met a new friend who climbed in who turned out to be one of my kitchen helpers (Anna), loved her energy from the moment I saw her. I got an early start on the food and walked into the kitchen with love, confidence, joy and gratitude bubbling from every facet of my being! I organized well, delegated well, the food tasted amazing, all of the food was done by 6pm (right on time) and on plates aka banana leaves! I infused the dishes with reiki, positive energy, love and we all did some tribal~happy dancing to kick the food up a few notches!! It was a beautiful experience, I literally felt high; elated! And I am so ready to do it again!

Providing nourishing foods full of nutrients, love, time and energy is an incredible service to be able to offer my brothers and sisters of this abundant planet. To have their hearts and taste buds tantalized and satisfied is such a wonderful accomplishment.

I moved to Maui to pursue my dreams..And here I am,

DREAMING AWAKE!

I am so blessed and grateful for this experience and all those to come!

It has been a magical wonderland of experiences, emotions and accomplishment!

My Tropical Pudding Dessert, it was oral~gasmic for sure!

My Beautiful Assistants Loving Up the Salad: Sister Cheyenne and Friend Anna

I requested the dressing be massaged into the kale and pohole with love! And they did a most excellent job!

TRAVINN MY ANGEL

Travinn's autonomy, communication skills and freedom are wonderful things to nurture and how lucky to be in an environment where allowing such things is safe and worry-free; a gift, to both of us. It feels great to allow your child to stray from your side to pursue what interests him. He had someone paint his face, learned to hula hoop, made friends and got to make his own decisions, guided by only himself. Watching as this beautiful young boy determines more and more each day the kind of person he will be is incredible. I am so blessed to be his mother, I learn so much from him everyday, about myself, life, my ideals and the value of patience! I am so grateful to have been a part of such an environment and experience!

During the festival I traded chaga for chocolates, kale chips and an entire case of organic cold pressed coconut oil, met a few connections to pursue wholesale bulk foods, possibly supply chaga to a distributor, and... after my dinner was served a woman approached me looking to see if I would be interested in providing some private lunch catering!! Oh Heck to the YES! Also have other friends interested in starting up some raw food business endeavors, what an amazing part of my journey!! And its only going to get better, I assure you!

Throughout this experience working with the festival I had numerous support and encouragement, but the person who helped me the most and remained my constant supporter is my dear friend Shane. Never did he have a doubt that I was capable of succeeding. He supported me through love, kindness and reassurance each and every day. He spoke the truth and I always knew he would be there for me. He speaks from his heart and I am grateful to have met him, immediately recognize him from the depths of my soul, beginning a certain 'type' of 'girlfriend/boyfriend' relationship, accepting that it wasn't the best situation or timing for either of us, which was a very painful experience, and yet grow together from it; to be friends with him is a gift. To allow attachments to titles and emotions past to dissipate and come to one another in a place of love and sincerity is something I think most people don't allow themselves to experience. Letting go of pain (completely an ego inspired emotion)and allowing yourself to love someone simply for being them, whether they have hurt you or you disagree with what they have done, it is a liberating event in ones life to let it go; also something I learned through forgiveness towards my parents. It is an invaluable tool to create happiness in your own life.

Living in Abundance is key, and reminding yourself at every moment that there is abundance and it can be yours!

The FOOD on Banana Leaf Plates

To have such an opportunity and share it with my sister Cheyenne was so perfect, she is the most wonderful person I could imagine spending much of my time with, she helps me through all things I encounter in life, assists me in the raising of my beautiful child and no one in the world would have been better to be by my side in creating this meal. I am truly lucky to not only have such a wonderful sister, but to have her here with me on this part of our journeys.

*RECIPES*

Cucumber~ Italiano

Sliced Cucumbers

Kalamata Olives

Cilantro

Tomato

*Process & Top Cucumbers

Sesame~Ginger Salad

Kale, Chopped

Pohole Ferns, Chopped

Sesame Seed

Dressing

Sesame Oil

Grapefruit Juice

Lemon Juice

Fresh Ginger Juice

Sea Salt

Tropical Pudding

Ground Chia Seed

Banana

Pineapple

Mango

*Blend to creamy perfection, allow 30 minutes to firm

Cha-Cha-Chia!

I leave this experience with the utmost confidence in all of my capabilities and trust that living in abundance is always available to me.

I am a servant to humanity, to help, to heal, to nourish mind, body and soul.

To make healing foods for the masses.....

Dare I....

!!!!DREAM AWAKE!!!!

The Maui Me of Me

I came here to meet myself, to look within myself in truth and live in honesty and wholeness. I have taken the time to begin deep healing of my soul, learned about Reiki and received my first attunement, which has been a blessing on my path and I feel myself drawn towards helping so many people with the magnificent tool of Reiki! I received a number of messages during my reiki session, mostly in the form of flashes and messages my Reiki Master verbalized, all linked by the theme of loss.

Some of the flashes and emotional ties consisted of the following;

I lost a pregnancy when I was 17 with someone I loved very much and had hoped so much I would be with for many many years, I rarely think about this event and was extremely surprised when it came into my consciousness,

The loss of this lover, best friend, and amazing person also came through, I lost him as a partner, I lost him as a friend.

The loss of the many amazing and moving outdoor experiences in Beautiful Alaska I have had, taken too and experienced because of my father that will never be again,

I was also told that I was still recovering from the birth of my son, which in so many ways, mentally, emotionally and physically all hold truth, truths I rarely look at,

All of these losses hold so many emotional strings and tie me to my past so I am working on each issue individually and allowing these things to live in the past and detaching myself from the weight they bare on my present self.

The Labyrinths at The Sacred Gardens; this is a magical place on the mountainside tucked within the mighty trees of Maui, the atmosphere offers so much serenity! As I walked the first labyrinth the other day, after being drawn to them upon waking, The message I received was to simply allow, everything in life, to allow is to let go of all the anticipation and illusion of control, to allow things to flow in and out of my life, without naming or placing them and instead appreciating them in their simplicity, allowing good to flow freely into my life. The second labyrinth was an overwhelming, abundance of love, of all the Love in the world, in each plant, in each moment, in each person and thought and thing. I was open to the love, I am open to all the love in this beautiful world and i am dedicated to surrounding myself with love in each moment and trying my hardest to hold sight of that when I feel myself falling prey to anger. The mere thought of love brings a smile to my face and peace in my heart, try it, it feels good!

I am here, home, by the ocean, surrounded by aloha allowing my SELF to heal, grow and be filled with love.

I eat to satisfy my bodies nutritional needs with foods that promote clarity, wellness and vibrancy; whatever they may be, I don't need a category, I need to be me, vibrant! I welcome the changes that lye before me.

I am here, in my now, to meet myself as my whole-self, no hiding, learning to be kind to myself,

being me, knowing me, loving me, honouring me and allowing others to be who they are on their own path and recognizing that their issues are not mine.

All of my life has lead to this present reality I am living. I am grateful beyond words for my journey.

Love & Light,

Mariah~Moon

Opening & Moving Forward

The past few days have been 'feeled' with forward healing momentum.... I decided to be completely honest with my parents and finally write them letters. I decided to approach the letters from a stand point of letting them know what I would wish for them, in their personal lives, in their perspective and what I wish they wanted to know about me. All the things I wish they could see in me. I began to make a list and set it down last night, to continue after some more thought...

I am extremely sure of myself, what kind of relationships I want to include in my life and what I am not willing to have as a part of my life. This is the clarity I believe lead to the following recent events.

A few day sago I received a message from my mother saying she loved me and missed me, I was shocked, tears rolled down my face and all I could think of was how much I wish she could take the step to begin healing herself, without change our relationship cannot change; I am not by any means saying it won't, but it must begin somewhere.

Last night I received an email from my sister telling me she was sorry for betraying my trust and how much she desired not only my forgiveness, but also our relationship. And how much she loves me and Travinn.

This morning I received an email from an ex who wanted me to know he doesn't hate me, just so I know.

And the icing on the cake...This evening I opened an email from my father, 1 year without speaking to me, after disowning me and telling me I am no longer his daughter, and all I could read was the first few words that included him telling me he has always loved me and calling me his bald-headed baby. I have yet to find the emotional strength to read the letter, but I am looking forward to it, with nervousness though.

All of these amazing shifts in my life have taken place within such a short time and they feel astounding! As much as these occurrences seem like they would take a huge emotional toll on me, I am actually ready for them, I am open to them and moving forward. I look forward to the continuing of my journey with all of the emotional ties finding resolution through subtle yet huge pieces of communication.

I spent time with a friend today who helped me so much, out of the goodness of his heart and when I hugged him goodbye a wave of gratitude came over me and I am so so thankful for the beautiful people filled with love and light who are coming into my light and all we have to offer one another.

Love & Light to All,

Mariah Moon

The Most Beautiful Sunset...

Tonight I finally had the opportunity to take a half an hour to myself to enjoy a walk on the beach in the sunset. Tonight's sunset was awe inspiring. The world seemed to melt into oneness. The clouds of all different shapes and sizes and colors, illuminated with the beautiful glowing gold light, the sounds of the waves crashing upon the shore, the crabs crawling from their homes in under the sand right at sunset, right on cue, feeling the sand beneath me, between my fingers and toes, a soft breeze against my skin and a smile upon my face while love flooded my heart and body... all of these many things, many emotions and sensations, all melded into oneness...

It seems to me that our human-ness itself is our biggest distraction from our ability to transcend our hang-ups into re-realizing what we truly are, that we are all one, we are all the god-energy, we are all connected and existing as one breath....

A part of the deep love and connectedness I was experiencing tonight reminded me of how amazing it felt at the Raw Spirit festival to be surrounded by so much love and how much I want people full of love to be a constant in my life. It is like an energy-high when you are in groups of amazing loving people; something I want to recreate in my life on a daily basis. So....the reoccurring thought/topic that I keep coming back to is a self-sustainable community of conscious, loving, healthy people living off of the land, not within the 'system.' Whether it be joining an existing community or creating my own I feel that is the direction I am headed.

I moved to Maui with the intention to build a tree-house with natural materials and live off of the land in the most minimal impact way possible..That is a part of my dream....

* I intentionally chose not to take my camera with me to the beach so my memory serves as the only proof the beauty of tonight's sunset...

Love & Light

Breathe & Focus!

From time to time I feel a bit lost, a bit challenged, then I wait, not always so patiently, for the clouds to clear away and for my path to be illuminated. I look around at whats normal, by that I mean mainstream, average, the norms of our society & I have strayed from so many of those, the biggest challenge in straying; sometimes you feel so damn alone & isolated. If I wandered back into the norms of society as well as the norms of my past, I would be denying myself my own truth, and in self-deception, I find no joy, no comfort, no wellness, no love or hope.

So all though sometimes I feel like running away from society and hiding amongst the trees, I stay, I find purpose and I am here to offer help. I have a head full of knowledge, resources, lifestyle experience and I LOVE sharing my wealth. The problem is as human beings we want to help those closest to us, the ones we love and care about the most, yet the ones we are here to help are simply the ones who seek help, which may or may not be the ones we love. Don't get me wrong I have seen the ripple effect that example creates and it is a beautiful thing, I offer myself to the betterment of anyone who seeks, but I can no longer focus energy in directions that lead no where. I seek those who seek change in their lives, I allow these people to be drawn to me and I offer all I have to give.

I am ready to actively offer myself to people who desire the change. To make the effort to be known, to share freely information that has transformed my life. I find purpose in teaching, sharing, loving, caring. These things line my path to be walked in this lifetime, I see them, I accept them and now I move forward with more determination and certainty than I have known before.

My life has changed in fantastic ways, I have released habits, depression, weight, family, material possessions, things that do not serve me; now I fill my life with love, joy, fulfillment, happiness. I have gained immeasurable amounts of truth, honesty and love, the ability to think clearly, to love fully; it is amazing what we can do as humble human beings. Focus inward and truly meet yourself, let the fear subside, you are a beautiful being of light, let your light shine.

I do not need to fit a category of beauty or eat like everyone else or approve of others choices or hope people approve of mine, I live in my truth and pray others see the benefits of wellness, it is not a part of your life, it is your life and with improvement and growth in one area, change begins to spread through your being and you become more whole.

LOVE IS MY RELIGION

My Life is Not Perfect, But it is Awesome....

DAY 4 Juice & Tea Fast

Every time I think I am there, I realize I can go further...

I am feeling such a surge of freedom. I worked so hard to buy a house for my son and I, I accomplished what I set forth to do. It is so easy to become attached to these things we work for, but as life would have it, Seeking love and family put my 'accomplishment' in a place of excess, I no longer need a home to myself if I choose to move forward and seek new adventure. Clinging breeds stagnation. It is time to let go once again, I have let go of so many attachments and beliefs in the past year I feel as if I am constantly being renewed. I am me without the people I called parents, without the people who brought darkness and negativity to my life. Letting go of my beliefs of being alone for a lifetime, that Alaska is my only home, that I can never leave, feeling stuck, feeling alone, all these belief s that didn't serve a higher purpose, I am letting go and moving on, I am allowing happiness to be a part of me. And it feels so fulfilling, I feel like I am floating on a cloud of joy.

I am constantly aware of the conditioning I was raised with, hate and anger were the seeds of love as I grew to adulthood. I met a man when I was 16 who changed my life, he taught me how to love without hate, it was an amazing lesson. It has taken me many many years to apply it fully in my life, for without self love it is hard to accept or return love on an honest level, but I am conscious of it now.

I find myself from time to time slipping into insecurity and relying on the self-defense mechanisms I have used for so many years, my little tool belt of cruelty. I said something to someone I love last weekend that was mean and completely unnecessary, I regret it deeply and I am so thankful for the love and understanding I receive from this person. I spent most of my life a very mean, cruel, hateful, demeaning, violent, controlling, SAD person. I did not know the light even existed.

I now bathe in the light everyday and feel gratitude for every piece of my blessed life. learning to value my past, let go what is no longer needed and how to appreciate all facets of my journey.

My diet is the path that brought me so much healing. I sought the answers, the truth, a way, and I found it. A diet of pure whole foods creates the path to a body and mind of wholeness and clarity.

I am so grateful to be loved deeply as I am. So honoured to be given such a wonderful gift, a partner, a friend, what I have sought for so long, I embrace LOVE , in all~ways...

Raw Chocolate Loves

Chocolate Love

Cacao Powder

Cacao Butter (M)

Coconut Oil (M)

Coconut Butter (M)

Vanilla Bean

Vanilla Extract

Agave

Cinnamon

Sea Salt

(M)= Melted, not boiled!

Add dry ingredients to Melted ingredients, stir, add agave or other sweetener of choice, pour into mold or any flat container, let set in freezer, very melty so serve chilled!

Taste Amazing!