This year, the 15th Annual One World Summer Festival is coming to Great Malvern, England August 9th – 15th, 2010. I will again be teaching at this wonderful event, offering daily mini-workshops “Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life”, “The Garden of the Soul” and “Spiritual Marketing.”

The festival will also be held in Tuscany during the first week of September, but apparently the Italian festival is already sold out! (but I WILL be there!… how lucky am I?). That just shows how popular this event is.

Over the past 15 years, thousands of people have benefited in body, mind and spirit from coming to One World, but THIS YEAR, we are giving everyone a taste of this fabulous festival right from the comfort of your own home at a unique event called…

The One World VIRTUAL Festival
Tues June 29, Wed June 30, Thurs July 1
TIME: 8pm-9.30pm UK time / 3.00pm – 4.30pm Eastern
ADMISSION: FR*EE!

A mini-fest of FR*EE online classes in holistic health, spirituality and overall wellbeing by NINE internationally acclaimed experts

Simulcast! Take your pick:
Listen via webcast OR telephone conference line

To register for your fr*ee VIP pass, go to:
http://oneworldcamp.com/01-pages/virtual-festival-2010.html

If you cannot make the live calls, register anyway
so you can download the audio and listen any time you want.

Over 3 evenings, you can enjoy enlightening classes from 9 of the dozens of inspiring teachers appearing at the British festival this year.

Here’s the line up:

*** VIRTUAL FESTIVAL DAY 1 ***

DATE: Tuesday, June 29th
TIME: 8pm-9.30pm UK time / 3.00pm – 4.30pm Eastern

DAY 1 GUESTS:
1) Christian Kyriacou RIBA MCSD – Ki Architect and House Whisperer. Christian will be talking about the Ki Signature of buildings, House Whispering, Feng Shui, Vastu and Geomancy.
2) Zascha Brésilley – Spiritual Teacher. Zascha will be talking about increasing our “Spiritual Footprint” in the world.
3) Steven Acuff – Nutritional consultant and therapist, author, teacher. Steven will give an introduction to healing with food, including acid/alkaline balance, and other vital information.

*** VIRTUAL FESTIVAL DAY 2 ***

DATE: Wednesday, June 30th
TIME: 8pm-9.30pm UK time / 3.00pm – 4.30pm Eastern

DAY 2 GUESTS:
1) Simon Brown – teacher, consultant, healer, therapist. Simon will be taking you on an introductory exploration into macrobiotics, feng shui, face reading, chi, healing and wabi sabi.
2) Maria Gillott – Macrobiotic Coach, co-founder of the One World Summer Festivals. Maria will give a sneak peek into the Macrobiotic cooking workshops she delivers for parents, showing how to cook for children through the various stages of childhood.
3) Lynn Serafinn – coach, author, radio host, spiritual marketing consultant. Lynn will talk about becoming the hero of your own life, the four Principles from her book The Garden of the Soul, and a new paradigm for spiritually-focussed businesses.

*** VIRTUAL FESTIVAL DAY 3 ***

DATE: Thursday, July 1st
TIME: 8pm-9.30pm UK time / 3.00pm – 4.30pm Eastern

DAY 3 GUESTS:
1) Julie G. Silver – Nutritional Therapist, Natural Health & Stress Management Consultant. Julie will be talking about “Nutrition for the Now”, and how to cultivate your intuitive, spiritual connection to nutrition.
2) Verne Varona – Author, film director, nutritional consultant and researcher. Verne will introduce you to the art of self diagnosis and disease reversal.
3) Samantha Terry – Acupuncturist, Aromatherapist, Chinese medicine practitioner. Sam will talk about understanding your health from a holistic perspective, and the art of vibrational healing.

YOUR HOSTS THROUGHOUT VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
Lynn Serafinn – coach, author, radio host, spiritual marketing consultant
Kyle Nash – One World Festival Promotion Team

There will also be a bit of time on each broadcast to ask questions, both over the phone OR via the webcast.

I hope you will join us for this unique 3-day online happening.
To book your place for One World Virtual Festival, go to:
http://oneworldcamp.com/01-pages/virtual-festival-2010.html

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
Transformation Coach, Book Promotion Coach, Author, radio host

About Lynn Serafinn, Creator of Spirit Authors

Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced two #1-selling book campaigns, and another #2-selling campaign, in just the past 4 months. She created Spirit Authors to offer training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. She’s also in Round 2 of the Next Top Spiritual Author contest! To check out Lynn’s video entry, brand new book proposal and read 80 pages from her book The Garden of the Soul, go to http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=2016. A free gift awaits you when you cast your vote.

Equipment
The good news is, you don’t need any fancy equipment for this one. I am using a Tribest “personal” smoothie maker, and I imagine a good blender would also do the trick. For me, my personal smoothie maker is perfect because I live alone, and there is no waste or leftovers. It’s also extremely energy efficient because it is tiny, and you only need to run it for a few seconds to make your soup. The recipe below is for ONE serving (about 12 oz/400ml). If you have a larger blender/smoothie maker, and want to make more soup, just increase the amounts as desired.

Note: If you don’t have organic veg, or you don’t have whole spices to grind, you can still make this recipe, but really the taste is completely different. And if you think you don’t have time to make this, my TOTAL preparation time was LESS THAN 5 MINUTES!

Ingredients
First of all, I highly recommend getting your produce from a local organic farm. I just started ordering a weekly fruit and veg box from Riverford organic. They deliver it fresh right to your door. I have to tell you, the asparagus was SO tender, it was like eating a completely different vegetable from anything I’ve ever had before (and the humus I got from them was simply to die for!).

• 50 gm organic tofu (about 1” x 3” x 3” block)
• 6-8 stalks organic asparagus
• ¼ bulb organic fennel
• ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
• ¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon powdered kelp (optional; I add this to boost my sluggish thyroid as it’s rich in iodine)
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin organic olive oil
• 1/2 cup water. The water should either be room temperature or slightly warm, if you prefer warmer soup. Do NOT use very hot or boiling water, as it will expand in the blender AND it will also kill off the nutrients.

How to make it:

• Grind peppercorns and cumin seed with a mortar and pestle (you can use powdered, but it simply isn’t the same!). Set aside.
• Cut tofu into 1/2” chunks and put in blender cup. Put in just enough water to cover them.
• Blend tofu until it is a smooth cream.
• Chop asparagus and fennel into small enough chunks to get around the blade of the blender. Put into blender and pulse until chunky.
• Add ground pepper, salt, cumin, kelp and olive oil. Blend for 30-40 seconds.
• Your soup is READY to eat! If it’s too thick, and some water (slightly warm if you want warmer soup).

This is awesome with a couple of slices of toasted no-yeast rye bread with humus. What a TASTE!

Ok… so why am I REALLY talking about soup?

Environment: Earlier this year, I took a “10/10″ pledge in which I vowed to cut my fossil-fuel consumption down by 10% in the year 2010. You might think reaching this goal is a diffcult thing to acheive, but something as simple as making raw organic asparagus soup can help you get started. How?

• If you buy your organic produce from a local farm, like I did, you are saving on “food miles” as they are not being flown to you from the other side of the planet. It’s even BETTER if it comes from your OWN garden.
• Coming from the local farm, and not the local supermarket, there is NO packaging or waste at all. Even the little bits of veggies that I didn’t throw into the smoothie maker I put into my compost bin, and it will be helping to grow vegetables in my back garden later this summer.
• Running a little 200 watt blender for 40 seconds takes a LOT less energy (and costs a lot less money) than cooking a pot of homemade soup on the hob for 20-30 minutes, so it’s very economical, too.

Health: Eating veggies that are local means they are fresher, and packed with nutrients. The longer the gap between when your fruit/veg has been picked and when you consume it, the more nutrients are lost. Also, eating with the seasons (as organic farms provide you only season produce) will also improve your health, as it puts your body “in synch” with your environment, giving your greater immunity.

Spirituality: There is something very spiritual about getting closer to Source by eating organic, local, fresh and uncooked. I don’t think I will ever go 100% raw, but I have to tell you, when you eat something like this, you feel like you are tasting the Sun and the Earth, and that’s pretty special. It helps you feel connected, and lets you know that you are safe in this big, vast Universe.

Fun and Creativity: It’s actually pretty cool to make up new concoctions. I make up something new every day. I had a delicious melon and plum smoothie before. Sheer nectar! In fact, what’s so neat is that just about ANYTHING you toss into the smoothie maker can be turned into something really tasty and interesting. Experiment and set yourself free!

Closing thoughts
Today, I found out another close friend of mine has breast cancer. Mind you, this particular woman is one of the most health conscious people I know, so if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. I do believe the high incidence of cancer in today’s world is due to us being just so disconnected from the Source of life, both in our food, and our state of being in general. Our failing health is a symptom that we human beings are craving a return to a more natural state of living in harmony with the Earth. And the good news is, I firmly believe it is “do-able.”

I took the 10/10 pledge because I love our Planet, and I also believe our dependency upon petroleum is simply a recipe for disaster, for so many reasons.

Let’s not consume THAT recipe. Instead, let’s start (un)cooking up our own recipes. I’ve done many things this year to make good on my 10/10 promise. If you do only one thing this year and nothing else, start off by making a pledge to buy local produce. Or better yet, how about starting a vegetable garden in your backyard? I’ve just done this with the help of a neighbourhood woman, as part of the new “garden share” project we at Transition Bedford are hoping to get going this year. But more on that another day.

Lynn Serafinn

“Imagine a life through which you managed to rise above the fears and concerns that always linger faithfully in the background, haunting us with their song of intended safety, always with the purpose of keeping the status quo. Imagine a life without those messages you tell your Self about what you can’t do, or those messages that diminish the brilliance of who you are in any way. You know the voice I mean.

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Meditation 61: Serernity
from “Lessons from the Lily: the Principle of Being”

Serenity is that state of Being in which we feel most balanced and connected to Self. When we are serene, the ups and downs of life do not disturb the flow of our lives. Some people believe Serenity to be that quality of not being upset by loss or sadness, but actually it is equally true that the serene person is also not imbalanced by what appears to be gain or happiness. When we are full of Serenity, we become able to hold the entire World within our arms, carry everything with equal strength and inner satisfaction. And when we are able to carry all there is, without a view to whether it is positive or negative, we become both inwardly quiet, and outwardly invincible…

In The Garden of the Soul,  the Lily is the perfect example of Serenity, which is an attribute of the Principle of Being. She stands without need for shelter, companion or status, in a continual state of song and praise for the Universe around her. She stands in the exact middle of the Garden, showing a complete balance of Self, reminding us that when we stand in our centre, the path to any destination in life is equidistant. In other words, when we are perfectly serene within our own centre, any differences between what we once thought was joy and sorrow, or positive and negative, vanish completely. When we become experts at returning to our centre, regardless of time or circumstances, we have mastered Divine Serenity.

Enquiries to cultivate this attribute

1. What people, circumstances or thoughts do I allow to knock me off centre?

2. When in the past have I been fully centred and serene?

3. What would my life be like if I were to step fully into my Divine Serenity?

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The above excerpt is from my upcoming book The Companion Guide to the Garden of the Soul. Have you picked up your copy of the original book The Garden of the Soul yet? It’s an Amazon bestseller in spirituality, mind-body-spirit and self-help. Check it out on Amazon or on the official book website.

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
“Turning up the volume of the music in your heart!”

And many thanks to Urus Fret of Norway (a member of the Garden of the Soul social network) for sharing this wonderful video.

Meditation 65: Wisdom
from “Lessons from the Lily: the Principle of Being”

Wisdom is the natural energy that flows through us when we surrender our ego so we may establish our connection with the Divine. Wisdom does not come to us as the result of learning. It is not something can be increased by any type of effort. Wisdom is Eternal, Infinite and Absolute. It belongs to no one and to everyone, simultaneously and equally. When we imagine that we can capture Wisdom via our own efforts, we are operating from the platform of ego, wherein we imagine that there is a limited amount of Wisdom to be gained in the Universe, and that it can be controlled and conquered by our own efforts. If this were the case, then the Universe would be a merciless and poverty-stricken place, as only the strongest or most intellectually gifted would ever have access to Wisdom. But the Truth is the Universe is infinitely opulent and full of mercy. Wisdom is the birthright of all living entities, and no effort is required to manifest Wisdom other than to allow it to enter us, without ego blocking its way.

In The Garden of the Soul, the Lily is the bearer of Wisdom. She stands alone, allowing the light of the full Moon to bathe her with its illuminating rays, Without effort, she absorbs whatever Wisdom is shone upon her, and then creates a mesmerising diamond-like mandala of light and reflection around her so that others may be able to see and delight in what she knows intuitively. She does not block the rays via any kind of shade or cover. She allows all of them to shine upon her equally, without judgment or preference. Like this, when we allow ourselves simply to receive the illumination of Divine Wisdom, we shine like a lustrous diamond amidst the darkness of the rest of the world, and help others to see themselves within the light of that Divinity. Without the interference of our own self-judgments or the judgements of others, we allow all Wisdom to enter us and be seen by our Hearts and Souls. Thus, Wisdom is an attribute of the Principle of Being, for it is the force that allows us to know who we truly are. When we surrender all false attachments to who we think we might be, or who we think we should be, and simply allow our True Self to sing, we begin our eternal dance with Divine Wisdom.

Enquiries to cultivate this attribute

1. How do I resist my own Wisdom?

2. What are the messages I hear but do not trust?

3. What will change for me when I learn to dance with Divine Wisdom?

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If you would like to find out how to master the four Principles of “Give, Receive, Become and Be” from my book The Garden of the Soul, as well as many other skills for personal transformation, join me and my colleague Vicki Goodyear on the Transformation Trilogy Weekend Workshop Series. Two new UK series starting 17 October (Bedford), and 7 November (Totnes, Devon). Click HERE for complete information and to book your place.

AND… if you think money is an issue, be sure you read about our innovative “Gratitude System” that, we hope, will enable everyone to attend.

See you there!

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
“Turning up the volume of the music in your heart!”