Why I haven't been around online the last few weeks...

I’m BACK :)  

As you may possibly have noticed, I’ve been more or less “absent” online in the last few weeks…today I finally have the energy to connect again, so here I gratefully am :)

I want to share what has been unfolding for me this end the last few weeks… I basically became uncharacteristically extremely unwell and ended up in bed for almost two weeks. I believe the situation began with some kind of infection or virus, then spiraled from there, leaving me still slowly rebuilding my energy daily right now.

On the morning of October the 10^th I awoke to a sudden very odd sensation in my head and body…a lot of pressure in my head, a feeling of “not being in” my body, vision behaving strangely and so on…after a few hours I laid down again and pretty much ended up in bed for the next two weeks, bizarre symptoms playing themselves out over time…hot and cold flushes, sweating, semi-delirium, complete loss of appetite, pressure in head, extremely low energy, strange vision, huge difficulty moving the physical body and so on…

This illness was extremely odd for me to experience, as I am *not* used to feeling ill anymore at all… At this point now today, all of the strange “symptoms” have passed and I am more or less back to my usual self, though it definitely feels like I am still rebuilding my vital energy day by day…my sleep pattern had also become completely messed up from being in bed so long, so I am still working on getting back into a more typical flow… 

 

More than anything, I am left with a deep and clear message once again in my life that *health is the greatest wealth* - trulytrulytruly, without our health, we have so little…health and vitality are such incredible gifts, so often overlooked I feel, when we are used to having them with us… 

While I was in that semi-comatose state in bed, I would see what other people were doing around me, how fast they moved, how quickly they could think and speak, the number of things they could do in a day and I was just in complete awe…from the place I was in, it all looked *impossible* - in the space of a day it was literally all I could do to drink some juices, eat something and shower – the rest of the time I was just there, in bed, in a daze of symptoms and semi-delirium…very odd to experience…

When I would connect to Spirit during this time and ask them what was going on, I always got the same response – an overall “blankness”, basically a message to "keep out of it", the over-arcing feeling that everything is fine and being taken care of – I may not understand the process at play now, that doesn’t matter, I am still being supported and carried and at some point it will all make sense, this is a necessary part of the process… The message seemed to be more or less: “you just do what you can to keep the physical body alive right now and we’ll take care of the rest, at some point this will all make sense.” Wow…pretty bizarre to be experiencing…just trusting in the unfolding flow, especially as I pretty much had no option in terms of energy anyway; I could barely move or think, so it all very much felt like a space of surrender and waiting to see what was unfolding…I felt much like I imagine a caterpillar does as it languishes and liquefies in the chrysalis, deconstructing into a mush, trusting the process and eventually emerging on the other side, brighter, stronger and ultimately transformed… :)

Now that I am more-or-less out the other side of this health “drama”, it is amazing to me to be able, for example, to make a batch of flax crackers, as I did yesterday…I had wanted to do that for about two weeks, yet it literally would have felt impossible for me to do so even a week ago…to note yesterday that there was enough vital energy back flowing through my system to perform such a task without feeling completely and utterly exhausted by the end of it was such a bright blessing and I am so grateful :)

This experience the last few weeks reminds me of a similar illness I experienced when I was about nine years of age – as I recall it came on just as suddenly and left me totally wiped out on the sofa for more than a week, swirling in symptoms and semi-delirium… No-one ever knew what it was I was dealing with, it just came, did whatever it did and moved on…

Perhaps my current detox process just finally hit that age of my life and I am reversing back through that curious stage again – who knows… ;) I do recall that after I came through that experience at the age of nine and finally had some vague appetite again, my parents whisked me up to the local corner shop to buy whatever sweets, chocolates and other treats I would eat – lol – while I certainly won’t be taking that approach this time around, I am definitely grateful to be able to eat again…you may notice that there are no food logs for me here in my blog for the last few weeks – there wasn’t much to make note of and I had no energy to do so anyway… we’ll see if I can get back on track now with making my usual notes… ;) 

For now, I am SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful to still be here in the game, to be feeling more vital life energy in my system day by day, able to walk around again, converse with people, do a few more activities each day, eat and drink with more ease and so on – again, a huge reminder that *health is the greatest wealth* - may you all be feeling truly vibrant and healthy, today and always… :)

All love, 

Angelalalaaaaaaaaaaaaa. xxx

Cherry Star's *FIRST* Birthday :)

Today is the FIRST birthday of our baby horse, Cherry Star :) 

This cheeky little equine angel popped into the world a year ago today, the same day that we landed back here in Ecuador…it’s *amazing* to me that we’ve been here a year non-stop today – it has gone SO fast and soooooo very much has happened…we are so blessed :)

Cherry’s entrance into the world was the most beautiful welcome home present imaginable back then, especially as no-one was really even sure if his mum, Barbie, was pregnant…then suddenly he was just here and…evidently she had been pregnant all along… ;) The pictures here show, from left to right, tiny Cherry the day after he was born, then running down the hill to see me today and finally contemplating whether to chew the vines or not ;) (I posted more photos to Facebook HERE if you'd love to see more ;)

Cherry’s character is very much laced with the cheeky trickster energy, from his “surprise” entrance into the world, to his love of throwing his food all over the floor, to his delight in getting into areas of the garden we’d prefer him to not be, to his constant curiosity about the dogs and daily niggling of the older horses, playing with their tails and manes, trying to provoke them into playing with him – he is a total delight, such a HUGE loving heart, gentle eyes, cheeky horse-anality and always ready for a bum massage... ;)

We give blessings and major gratitude today for the gift of this beautiful little being in our lives –

Happy Birthday, dear Cherry Star :)

on October the 5^th I appreciated:

1 quart water

3 cups watermelon/orange juice

8 granadillas

2 cups pretty intense greeeeeen juice from the garden

water of a young coconut

plate of yummmmmmers raw food goodies at raw potluck, followed by a carob yumball

big mug of herbal tea

chunk of Mr. M's amazing Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)

2 cups coconut water blended with Vitamin C

1 cup water

WOW, I had such fun playing with Google Earth yesterday…have you used it recently…? It had been a while since I’d plugged into it and I got re-inspired after hearing friends talking about using it to “fly to a bazaar in India”, visit their homes and more… So I downloaded the latest version yesterday and Mr. Monarch and I went on a really fun little trip around the globe to some places of significance for us… 

It was AMAZING to be able to show Mr. M exactly where I grew up, without taking a huge trip to England here in this physical reality… ;) Have you used the “street view” function on there…? Unbelievable…with this function I can literally “stand” outside the house I grew up in, turn around 360degrees to see how the whole neighbourhood looks these days, “walk” up the street to the shops I used to go to daily as a child and the pub I used to drink in as a teenager… Really amazing technology…thanks for the entertainment and memory-nurturing, Google ;) 

You can get the latest version of Google Earth from HERE if you’d love to play too... :)

on October the 6^th I loved:

1 quart water

8 granadillas

2 cups greeeeen juice from the garden

water of a young coconut

bowl of cucumber salad with sauerkraut/nori sheets/Sea Clear/lecithin/tahini on the side, followed by a sliced apple

big mug of herbal tea, big chunk of Mr. M’s amazing Pili Nut “Chocolate”

water of a young coconut

 1 cup water

on October the 7^th I was blessed with:

1 quart water

1 quart coconut water blended with Camu powder and Royal Jelly Powder

2 cups greeeeeen juice straight from the garden

bowl of cucumber salad with sauerkraut/nori sheets/Sea Clear/lecithin/tahini on the side, followed by a sliced apple

2 cups water

water of a young coconut

big mug of herbal tea, big chunk of Mr. M’s amazing Pili Nut “Chocolate”

2 cups water

Ooooooooo, one winner is going to be in for an out-raw-geous treat this month...we are blessed and blissed to be able to offer y'all a giveaway gift pack containing ALL FIVE sublime flavours of the supreme Rawtella spreads: Original, Mint, Crunch, Coffee and Silk - wow :)

If you've never tried the Rawtella spreads, they are the stone-ground, raw version of the popular commercial food "Nutella" - the raw versions are handmade with highest quality raw chocolate, hazelnuts, coconut crystals and other yummy ingredients - you can check out all the deets HERE.

To be in with a ch@nce of winning this delicious and generous gift pack, just send in your A to the following Q, to rawreformcontests@gmail.com:

"Which other old favourite commercial chocolate treat would you love to see replicated in a raw version and why...?"


Get your entries in by October the 21st 2011 to be in with a ch@nce of receiving this yummy selection  - the winner shall be chosen at random and with great j0y shortly thereafter...
In the meantime, if you'd love to order some yummmmers Rawtella for your own delight, you can do so HERE - enjoy :)

 
All love and splashes of serene joy, 
A. Stokes-Monaaaaaaaaaaaaaarch. xxx

The "Healing Cancer World Summit" Starts Soon :)

Do you know someone living with cancer...?
Hmmmm, I wonder who *doesn't* know at least one person with cancer these days - the stats for cancer are *SHOCKING*...
Well, those wonderful Giannis have created a wonderful new free online summit starting soon called the "Healing Cancer World Summit", which features free talks from nine of the world's leading experts on healing cancer naturally...
The summit starts on October the 25th and runs for five days, sharing insights and inspiration from people such as:

Dr. Thomas Lodi, Charlotte Gerson, Mike Adams, Dr. Nicolas Gonzalez, 

Dr. Francisco Contreras, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, Burton Goldberg, and more.

Combined, this group has had multiple decades of experience working with cancer patients in their clinics and seeing fabulous results...

To join in this potentially life-saving, free online summit, click HERE - enjoy :)


on October the 1st I appreciated:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/orange juice
1 cup intense greeeeeeen juice from the garden
little bowl of fresh strawberries straight from the garden
bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/Curry-Kraut crackers on the side, topped with Sea Clear, lecithin and Brazil nut butter, followed by a sliced apple
mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
big chunk of Mr. M's *amazing* new Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)))
1 cup water


on October the 2nd I enjoyed:

1 quart water
8 granadillas
water of a young coconut
2.5 cups veggie juice straight from the garden
little bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/Curry-Kraut crackers on the side, topped with Sea Clear, lecithin and Brazil nut butter, followed by a sliced apple
mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
water of a young coconut blended with Vitamin C powder
chunk of Mr. M's *amazing* new Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)))
1 cup water


My dear friend Caro in the UK has a *WONDERFUL* new project to share with y'all... The Living Rainbow Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that Caro has set up to offer coaching programmes for people in supported living who want to improve their health by eating more fresh foods - love it :) This project arose when it became clear that Caro's own son, Ben, who has special needs and lives in a supported living house, was going to become more responsible for feeding himself, rather than meals being supplied - after witnessing some "other-than-optimal" choices unfolding from this new framework, Caro decided to step in and start sharing info with the people there about smoothies, juices and healthier living in general - she saw great improvements and felt the desire to share this message wider, especially considering that apparently 70% of the people in the UK with special needs show up as either overweight or underweight :O
Caro received funding from UnLtd in the UK to create this foundation and now she has a great new website to share the message of The Living Rainbow Foundation - check it out at www.the-living-rainbow-foundation.org. If you'd love to get involved with Caro's project, you can contact her through the website - brightest blessings to all involved :)


on October the 3rd I was blissed with:

1 quart water
2.5 cups watermelon/orange juice
3 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
1 cup water with lime juice
plate of yummmmmmmmmmers salads at a friend's house, with flax wraps on the side, followed by a slice of delicious raw strawberry cheesecake :)
1 cup water with lime juice
water of a young coconut
chunk of Mr. M's Pili Nut Chocolate
cup of herbal tea
1 cup water


on October the 4th I loved:

1 quart water
2.5 cups watermelon/orange juice
8 granadilla
3 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/Curry-Kraut crackers on the side, topped with Sea Clear, lecithin and Brazil nut butter, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's *amazing* new Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)))
big mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
2 cups water


I recently filmed a 5-part YouTube Q&A video for TheCoolVegetarian, the links for which you can see below - we covered, among other things, my weight loss story, women and body image issues, my "top 3 health secrets" and natural birth control - enjoy :)

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlAFJm-TQdg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbwG7pSnjkY
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOoNUrkz0TY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAqAmtUlW9Q
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzoBLU13pbc

 

All love and splashing silhouettes of joy, 
A. C. Stokes-Monaaaaaaaarch. xxx

Get Your Goddess Meditation Bliss-Flow On ;)

Mmmmmm, we went out with a blissful final interview for the recent season of shows over at TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com - we were blessed to be joined by the beautiful Alexandra Jaye Johnson, chief Goddess over at MyGoddessLife.com...we discussed ideas for optimising health, relationships, nutrition, playtime, fitness, confidence and much more - Alexandra has *so* many GREAT, practical tips and insights to share with women (and men too, if they're drawn... ;) - check out the free playback of this wonderful interview this week over at http://www.TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com - enjoy :)

We'll be piecing together the next line-up for another season of interviews sooooooon, all being well - you can stay tuned to TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com, or enter your email address in the box below to find out about the new schedule when it's ready and if there's anyone *you* would particularly love to hear interviewed, just send us an email to angela@rawreform.com and let us know...thanks ;)

Sign up for Radio Show Updates Here!
Your Email Address:

on September the 28th we were on the road quite a lot again and I enjoyed:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/orange juice
8 granadillas
water of a young coconut
40 chlorella tablets
water of half a young coconut
2 curry powersticks
water of half a young coconut
little bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/curry-kraut crackers on the side, spread with Sea Clear and Brazil nut butter, followed by a little hand-stirred yumpot of Brazil nut butter, carob powder, orange oil and stevia
2 cups herbal tea
1 cup water


I recently did an interview for the lovely Yvelette over at CalmingCorners.com - you can check that out HERE for some of *my* tips on starting a raw lifestyle, plus our yummmmmmmmers "Chocolate Milk" juice recipe and more ;)


on September the 29th we were once again on the road a lot and I appreciated:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/orange juice
8 granadillas
40 chlorella tablets
water of a young coconut
3 tbsp bee pollen/hemp seed mixture
water of a young coconut
little bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/curry-kraut crackers on the side, spread with Sea Clear and Brazil nut butter, followed by a few soaked pruuuuuuuunes - YUMMERS :)
mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut


on September the 30th I loved:

1 quart water
2.5 cups watermelon/orange juice
2 cups semi-intense greeeeeeen juice from the garden
little bowl of cucumber salad with nori sheets/curry-kraut crackers on the side, spread with Sea Clear and Brazil nut butter, followed by a few soaked pruuuuuuuunes - YUMMERS :)
1.5 cups water
mug of herbal tea
2 sliced apples dipped into a little bowl of Mr. M's new Pili Nut "Chocolate" batter ;)
2 cups water


Dear raw diva Courtney Pool recently sent over a link to MedMob.org, which I felt would be fun to share with y'all here...according to Courtney:

"Over the globe, a phenomenon called MedMobs, or Meditation Flash Mobs, are happening. In dozens of countries, people are rounding themselves up to set a date and time to meditate as a group, often choosing public parks, squares, or other places where they can be seen and where people can spontaneously join when inspired. It seems most groups meditate together for up to an hour, and some MedMobs gather over 200 people at once.

MedMob.org is the main website, which has a map of all the places around the world who have groups organizing these. I'd encourage you to share this site with everyone you know, all around the globe, who may be interested in participating in their area. -- Courtney."

LOVE it - thanks for sharing Courtney and enjoy getting your mass meditation on, people ;)

All love,
Angelalaalaaaaaaaaa. xxx