I have always had a love for nature. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills and would hike for hours along the hillside. We had beautiful avocado, walnut, and kumquat trees in our yard. My mother would give me whole tomatoes with salt and I would bite into the juicy red ball and taste the yummy goodness. We could pick the fruit off neighbor’s trees and eat our fill. Even in our relatively urban Beachwood Canyon we had many varieties of healthy fruit trees.

Today, those trees are long gone. I can remember the first KFC to enter my world. Oh how my mother loved those mashed potatoes and gravy. In those days everything was still made fresh. Then came McDonalds and Jack in the Box. Healthy natural food was being replaced by “convenience food”. No one was truly aware of what was to come. In the 1960’s, our mothers began working. Family dinners at the table became a thing of the past. We plopped down in front of the Zenith television set with our TV dinners or fast food and were told to be quiet until the commercial. The avocado tree was cut down and all the others in our yard got diseased and soon disappeared from sight. Thank goodness my mother saw the destruction of our diet in these so called healthy fast foods and TV. She began limiting my use of television saying it would rot my brain. In the 70’s most of my family went vegan and talked about organic food and holistic approaches to wellness.

My mother lived to be 85. She made her own Kumbacha tea before anyone knew what it was and drank Dr. Schultz super food. But this was not the case for most Americans. Now, our land and our food are being poisoned and we are slowly dying. Recently on TED.com Chef Jamie Oliver gave a passionate speech on how kids in the US today will have a shorter life span by ten years due to poor nutrition. This is sad indeed. The solution? Grow your own food or if you cannot, buy local organic. Now, many of you will say “but it’s so expensive.” The truth is the money you will save on doctor and hospital bills in the long run, will far outweigh the cost of organic produce. Think of all the prescription medications that have become supplements to our unhealthy diet. As we all know many Americans are suffering from type 2 diabetes and obesity. Pay attention to your food and where it comes from; own what you are eating. We have not only lost touch with our food but also with our connection to the mother, our planet earth. In the old days people had a stronger connection with the planet. Farmers would roll seeds under their tongue so the seed would know how to feed their DNA.

This may sound strange but just think about it. Seeds grow into living organisms. They nourish our bodies and feed our families. It is important to know what the seed is made up of before ingesting it. If it has been genetically modified or injected with poison how can it be beneficial? Genetically Modified Food will destroy us. GMO ‘s have diminished nutritional value and the danger of eating GMO seeds has not even begun to be discovered. A marvelous example for all of us to follow is Vandana Shiva. Vandana has been working since 1987 saving seeds from colonization. She says that community farms should be a part of city planning. Vandana works tirelessly for future generations to have clean seeds. My little girl self who once sat in the walnut tree and swung on the branches of the avocado tree has come back to remind me of my connection the mother. As a Shaman I connect to the spirit of the land, Pachamama. I listen to her heartbeat. Pachamama has been asking me to assist others in reconnecting their spirit to her as well. She is our mother and wants to take care of us but we have forgotten how to honor her. There are many ways to honor and reconnect with Pachamama.
Start by listening. Trust your intuition. Educate yourself and your children about seeds. Shop local organic and tell others who do not know about the problem with GMO seeds to do the same. I spend time visualizing the world I wish to live in. Spend a few moments everyday in silence. Remember your inner child, the one who knows how to listen to Pachamama. Breath in beauty and breath out all that no longer serves you. Visualize what you would like for future generations. Expand your heart with each breath and connect to our mother. During your visualization meditation imagine you have an “idea seed”. Plant the seed and watch it grow. Create your own reality with this “idea seed”. Spend a few moments everyday tending to the garden of your mind. Send loving vibrations around the planet and eat as healthily as you can.

We are the stewards of this beautiful land. This is our home and together we really can make a difference. Isabella Stoloff Shaman and Golden Condor healer assists her clients in tuning into their authentic self so they can create the life they came here to live. Her transformational workshops ignite the light within, leaving participants with an incredible sense of understanding and love. She gives one-on-one healing sessions, writes for Awareness, Visions and Sedona Journal Emergence Magazines, teaches classes and holds Spiritual retreats worldwide. Isabella looks forward to assisting you on your journey to the soul.