Inspiration Gallery

Welcome to the Muse section, where we commune with earth goddesses everywhere to shine healing peace into our bodies, spirits, and all around this precious planet.

Mini Muse: Megan Elizabeth McDonnell

We may refer to her as“Mini” for her youthful age…….but Megan has maximum transformational power!

When Megan was suddenly struck with ill health that caused her to be practically bed ridden at 21 years old, she set out on a journey to find her health again.

After 8 months and $23,000 worth of testing from hospitals, she eventually found a Holistic M.D. who diagnosed her with Adrenal Fatigue, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He opened her eyes to the idea that food, sleep and exercise habits truly did make or break your health.

As she began to get some relief from her pain by following an organic, unprocessed, soy-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free diet, she also wanted to learn more, and feel even better. She eventually stumbled into a quirky local Raw Food Cafe and Health Food Store in Lansdale, PA.

Having tried everything else to regain her strength and health Megan was an overnight convert. 6 months of a more “gourmet raw” diet and no significant results led to the discovery of the low-fat raw vegan diet. The answer was simple, “eat whole, fresh, ripe, raw, and organic fruits and vegetables,” as Dr. Douglas Graham would say. Within two weeks of this program she was feeling like a new person!

After following a low-fat raw vegan diet for 2 1/2 years and experiencing such personal success Megan has began mentoring other health seekers looking to follow a raw diet. “Following a raw vegan diet is as easy or as hard as you make it”, says Megan.

She recently published a low-fat raw vegan recipe book called, Easy To Be Raw, which has over 30 simple and delicious recipes, and is available in paperback and e-book form. She also created a low-fat raw vegan dessert e-book which has amazing guilt-free desserts that can be made in minutes. Check out http://www.youtube.com/easytoberaw for weekly recipe and fun informational videos. For more information or to contact Megan go to http://www.meganelizabeth.com/

Fruit-a-licious Muse: Julie Groenewald

Julie’s healing story with photographs is below, but first, here she is on the beach, advising us to “Smash the Day:”

Jules believes that eating fruit is the most healthful and ethical way to eat, because no animals are farmed, and the earth’s resources are not depleted. She’d rather see the earth filled with fruit trees and beautiful plants. She calls the journey to achieve this vision “a true peace revolution.”

Growing up eating lots of meat and dairy, Jules suffered for it – but what happened when she started eating mostly fruit?

She lost 45 pounds (20 kg), her fever blister breakouts dropped dramatically, her skin cleared up, and her low-on-strength and low-on-energy life disappeared. She now does boot camp workouts daily, and has not been sick in the past 3 years. Inspiring, right? There’s more: she’s a health coach, gives workshops and talks in Jozi, South Africa where she lives, and is now the face of Hurom Juicers! In her new raw life, socializing with her raw fruity friends, and inspiring everyone she crosses paths with, are two of her favourite ways to pass time. Visit her at www.FruitarianForLife.com

“In my life, I have NEVER experienced such amazing health, cleanliness, and lightness as I do with fruit. I look better now than ever before – even since I was a young teenager. Eating enough organic, ripe, good quality fruit, drinking enough clean water, drinking a fresh juice every day, getting enough sleep, exercising, breathing deeply, leaving the windows open for fresh air, and trusting in God for all your spiritual needs is key to a lifestyle of strength, health and vitality on earth, so we can fulfill our life purpose to the best of our abilities.”

Terra Muse: Kristi Mahy

“Terra” means earth. Kristi inspires us to connect to sacred soil with every breath, every step, all the stone-to-stone leaps that she takes.

I’ve always felt connected to the Earth since I was a little bean. I’ve been told that I watched the branches go by above me during walks in my stroller. My family always had a large veggie and raspberry patch in our urban Toronto backyard and I loved getting dirty and digging into the soil with my parents and younger sister. Eating food fresh from the garden in its raw state has become something I crave, and it all sprouted out of my childhood experiences. I wasn’t really conscious of what it meant to be an ‘environmentalist’ or a ‘healthy eater’ until a lot later. I just knew it felt right.

In high school I got involved in a number of environmentally focused clubs and was inspired to study natural resource management and organic agriculture in university. I’ve hosted environmentally themed radio shows, called ‘Environment Radio’ and ‘The Understory’. I also wrote an ongoing column called the ‘Eco Bit’, which explored environmental issues and how we as individuals can participate in a greener world.

I’ve worked as a canoe trip guide, swimming instructor, composting coordinator at the University of Guelph and farmer and in the future I aspire to weave together my love of nature, food and working with children. I’m envisioning an organic farm offering Community Shared Agriculture, an intentional community and a learning centre for all ages. I want my future farm to be a testing ground for all kinds of interesting environmentally and socially conscious projects.

Right now I am co-organizing a bike journey across Canada, down the west coast of the United States, through Mexico and Central America. Our goal is to visit a variety of sustainability projects along our route, learn from them and document what they do. We’ll turn the experience into a media project, including a website and blog, print media, radio, TV and video. We want to show folks how accessible sustainable living can be, in a diversity of locations and contexts. Our website is www.PedalAcrossTheAmericas.com. Feel free to follow us as we journey. We’ll be leaving in July 2010.

We will finish our journey in Costa Rica, where we’ll return to visit an inspiring intentional community called Durika. Durika has been restoring endangered rainforest to its natural state for years, among other exciting projects. Check them out! www.durika.org

Before I leave, I am offering a series of workshops on local food skills. I’m covering a diversity of topics, from how to grow your own food during cold Canadian winters, to urban gardening in a small space, to preparing and preserving local foods and wild foraging for food and healing. Its wonderful to engage people in these issues and learn from each other. Its also wonderful to see people coming away with new inspiration to eat more locally, sustainably and healthfully. Please email me if you’re interested in these workshops.

I’m also currently involved as a volunteer with a number of Guelph community projects.

I help Wellington Water Watchers go into schools to inform children of the importance of finding alternatives to bottled water. We raise awareness of the negative environmental and health impacts of bottled water and how individuals can help by making positive choices. www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca

My work with Land Is More Important Than Sprawl (LIMITS) is to help protect natural spaces from development and encourage development on more appropriate sites, such as re-used industrial or commercial land. www.landismoreimportantthansprawl.com

In the midst of my projects, I’d have to say my favourite way to spend time has always been in nature. Whether canoeing, gardening, swimming, cycling or hiking. I love being outside, especially if there are edible plants around! You can find me in a tree, or email me at Kristi.Mahy at gmail.com

Earth Empress Muse: Shakaya Breeze

Bowing down in gratitude, grace, and honour to our inspiration for true beauty, self-love and authentic, vibrant womanhood:

Shakaya inspires women to be proactive in their health and embrace their beauty. Naturally. She recently launched her website called EarthEmpress.com where all the goddesses are gathering.

‘Women are sovereign. and Nature is sacred,’ she says, for in her world, women are full to over-flowing in the self-love spilling out to everyone in their circle. It is where she empowers women to uphold their soveriegnty as women, and, to be self-centered- Centered in Self. This sounds selfish, but actually it is the most generous way to live because as Shakaya explains, ‘Whatever a woman does not have herself, she cannot give to her community, child or mate.’

As a raw foodist, Shakaya Leone has become a trusted voice in the raw community and has attracted tens of thousands of women to her online events including the Raw Mom Summit and W.I.S.H. (Women’s International Summit for Health), which she co-produced, and had the pleasure of interviewing Marianne Williamson, Byron Katie, Dr Mercola, Marci Shimoff, Sonia Choquette, Byron Katie, Dr Carolyn Dean, Rainbeau Mars, Dr Bernie Seigel, Rory Freedman, David Wolfe, Morgana Rae, Susun Weed and dozens of other luminaries.

Shakaya created the documentary Raising Children Raises Us- a documentary about Conscious Parenting, Raw Food Nutrition and Un-Schooling, and wrote Naked Beauty, a rich resource that gives women the tools, inspiration and permission they need to care for and pamper themselves like the goddesses they are. Shakaya is also an artist and she creates original Goddess Portraits on commission.

Living a sensual and spiritual journey, Shakaya gravitated to a Natural lifestyle which includes Raw Foods, sleeping under the stars, playing out in Nature everyday be it barefoot hiking all year round, Polar Bear Dips, tree-climbing, gardening, eco-living and constant prayer, gratititude, tithing, volunteering, and meditation. “When we lose touch with Nature,” she says, “we lose touch with our own nature.”She is inspiring women to awaken to their sacred feminine goddess nature at www.earthempress.com and dancing across cyber space in other places too. Join her:

Invitation to Naked Beauty: