Uncooking Class This Weekend in Rockland County, NY

Hi Everyone,
Since our Retreat Weekend did not get filled, we are instead holding one of our infamous Raw Prep Uncooking Classes this Saturday.
It's 4 hours of "getting your hands in the food!" Together, we create a muti-course raw meal and learn about targeting our health with raw & living foods. Since it's so beautiful outside, our intention is to hold this class in nature; if it rains, of course we can move into the school as usual.
If you haven't ever been to one of our Uncooking Classes, they are a blast. We co-create, and then sit down and share the meal together as a community.
The class is this Saturday the 23rd from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM; cost is $75.00.
Registration will close at midnight this Wednesday, so please email back to: theholisticempire@yahoo.com.
Raw Love,
Hope

Dear Ones,

My thoughts last night:
Using Multiple Intelligences (thank you, Anasatsia!), developed by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, I tapped into my Spatial/Visual Intelligence last night to change my story:
Here was my story:
"Ohh, everyone stands at the local Dairy Queen waiting for their Summertime ice cream. It tastes so good. I want some, too! Maybe I should just go get some and forget this raw health stuff."
Now I picture myself belonging to a different club; the club of high health, unstoppable energy, clarity and focus; the club of abundant joy and confidence. I picture myself being really ME.
I visualize a dish with raw crunchy almond butter, goji berries, raw cacao (this is raw chocolate, without all the sugars, dairy, and fillers and with the high-end nutrients), agave for sweetener and mesquite powder for maple flavor. Yum I am eating it right now; I can picture how amazing I feel...and I am; right at this very moment! I step into my kitchen (for real) to make my luscious dessert. It is so good, I treat myself to two bowls!
I have transformed the story of who I am in relation to food, joy and being filled up emotionally into a whole new experience.
Peace & High-Health,
Hope

The Power of Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzVBQFx6Hjk

Anodea Judith speaks the truth for a new paradigm. I encourage you to check out this 1 minute UTube by going to the site above.
I studied Somatic Therapy with Anodea; it was she who taught me how to help people move trauma through and out of their bodies, and to finally give our bodies a voice.
Now, Anodea speaks to the planet and to each of us in living our divine truth.

I encourage you to read: "Waking the Global Heart; Humanity's Rite of Passage From the Love of Power to the Power of Love."

That is what Alan and I are trying to do here, on our brand new blog; build a global consciousness.
Raw & Living food is a catalyst to this end. When we clear out the clutter of years of metabolic waste in our bodies, we are left with clarity, focus, energy and love. It is Now that we can go out and change the world.
Try it; just for a day....
Co-Hearts,
Hope & Alan

Raw Truffles

I made Raw Truffles for Nina today. I used to make them all the time, but then I got into making raw ice cream :)
Raw Truffles:
Cacao Nibs, ground in a coffee grinder
Today, I added, ground Goji/Cacao Powder as well
1 heaping tablespoon of Raw Almond Butter
Agave
Vanilla extract (alchohol-free)
Mesquite Powder
Maca Powder
a little Water
Put it all in a food processor and process till smooth.
Form into round balls and place on a special plate that you love
Sprinkle or roll with coconut flakes
Refrigerate till cold and hard
PS - Don't forget to lick the batter!

Nina took the truffles to a new level by shaping a couple of them into the Hershey's Kiss shape!
You can get the Maca, Mesquite and Cacao at David Wolfe's
site:
http://www.sunfoodnutrition.com

Dancing Releases Toxins

We had our bi-monthly drum circle tonight, and the drumming was so powerful that the dancers were moving to the rhythm set by the drummers, especially our friend Mike.I was dripping with sweat and moving past the point where I didn't think I could. The more I sweated, the more I felt cleansed. Dancing is such a comprehensive form of movement, and set to live African drums, it connects us to our tribal heritage.
A tribal way of living was based on community, co-parenting, prayer and ritual for all the food we ate or killed to eat and a sense of being part of something greater than ourselves that would protect us and keep us safe.
Now we factory farm our animals without asking their permission, eat fast food and judge our worthiness by how much we get done each day and how little we connect with one another.
You can go on the greatest diet in the world; have you ever thought about how we digest our lives?
If you've never drummed before, no worries. Most drum circles are open to all levels; all you have to do is go on www.meetup.com and search for a drum circle in your area. It's a way to connect with people in a really healthy environment; drum and dance is the ultimate high. Hmmm, and we also served a seeded watermelon:)

Stand Up for What You Believe!

Ok, so tonight was such a magical night. Alan and I were invited to the Macolm X and Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in Manhattan. Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcom's daughter, went to high school with me, and she was so awesome to comp us these tickets to the Gala Fundraiser in honor of the work of her parents.
Wow; I am left with the vibe of the whole night; people who care...vs so much complacency in our world. You could just feel the pride and joy in the room.
Malcolm was only 39 when he was killed; and by the way, the center is where that was. Our whole dinner was in that exact room; what a legacy.
All these advocates for change; Malcolm, Martin, John Lennon...they were young! Imagine taking a stand for what you believe in your 20's; imagine that you might just change the world.
I had the juiciest watermelon for breakfast. I confess, I have a Summer addiction to organic seeded watermelons; yes, those are watermelons that are not genetically modified to be seedless. Can you imagine? People are too lazy or fatigued (probably from all the processed food they are eating) to take seeds out of watermelons, so now they breed seedless melons. What? You mean you can't spit pits at your friend?It's a raw foodists delight to eat big, juicy melon in the Summertime. This meal I don't sit down for; it's eaten right at my kitchen counter, and the chunks are large.
More to come on that one.
Peace & Love,
Hope

Welcome to The Holistic Empire

I cant believe this - I'm blogging (is that a word?).
But if The Holistic Empire is about building community
and connecting with people (which is what Hope and I do
best) then it's time to be blogging. Maybe this will finally
get me to send out Elena Martinez's blog that she has been
asking me to do for months! Elena teaches yoga for The
Holistic Empire as do I and Luba (details to follow,or
e-mail us). Yoga is one of the things T.H.E. does, not to
mention Holistic Health Counseling, lectures on Raw and Living
Foods, raw food prep classes, and raw retreats. We also just
love talking about the path to wellness on every level.

There is a revolution of health and wellness and increased
environmental awareness happening all around us and it's
exciting. Whether the political tide turns or not it's up
to us to take our health and healing into our own hands
and know that we have the only power that matters - the
power to "be the change you want to see in the world".

We can't wait to be on this journey with you.
In peace,
Alan and Hope

Ok, so this is my first post in our brand new blog of ecstasy; June 25, 2008. Why today, given that I've thought about creating a blog for the past year?
I'd have to say it was all about RAW, and the most magical salad, and my neice, Nina, who is staying with me for the Summer. We were out on my porch overlooking the water, and were eating our salads filled with beautiful, organic vegetables and raw pistachio nuts and a raw dressing with Bragg's Amino Acids, olive oil, Umeboshi Plum Vinegar and raw tahini....yum :)
and then Nina said, "I really love these sea vegetables," as it was her first time buying seaweeds, which we had just rehydrated with water and added to the salad. So, our salad had pieces of lush green, deep plum and transluscence, and Nina was really groovin' on the whole experience, consciously connected to her food. These sea veges were breathing life force into both of us, and as soon as she said it, I knew it was time for my first blog.
So, Greetings of Bliss to All of You Out in BlogSpace!
I am excited to bring my visions to the cyber world.
And we are excited to turn y'all on to The Holistic Empire: "Where it's Not About the Accumulation of Wealth; It's About the Accumulation of Health!"
Peace, Love & High-Level Health,
Hope & Alan