Coconut Water 2.0

I love coconut water. Lot's of people I know love coconut water too! And then there are some people I know who love crappy coconut water, but that's not their fault. I think it's because they have yet to taste the water straight from a coconut, direct from source.

Enter the current coconut water boom in the ever expanding, ever competitive beverage marketplace. If you're like most natural food coconut water connoisseurs, taste is everything, price is too (obviously), but not as much as taste and quality.

Many of the now mainstream coconut waters on the market are sourced from factory farms in Thailand, India and Brazil. Some of the waters you will drink even contain blends of different coconuts, from different farms, they just pour 'em into a big vat or something and bottle. That's gross, and I'm not mentioning the chemical and formaldehyde processing that undergo the coconut water production line of process.

The thing with coconut water that makes coconut water's like Harmless Harvest so good, are that it's from a coconut. One coconut, right from the source, raw and unheated! This means Harmless Harvest will contain what coconut waters naturally contain; the electrolytes, minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium, amino acids, low sugar sugar content, alkalizes the body, clears the urinary pathway and apparently kills intestinal worms. There. Oh, and it will taste like coconut water. Not something indescribable like the many current versions available today. 

I once heard David Wolfe, a leading expert in raw food nutrition say that the reason raw foods are coming into play right now is b/c the world is hot, we are hot and inflamed as a civilization. You can just look at the news every day; war, fighting, greed. As well as some of the most prevalent chronic diseases and conditions like heart disease, diabetes and acid-reflux. These are all diseases of excess heat that cause inflammation. So coconut water is a great way to bring balance to the body because of it's cooling, calming and alkalizing properties that heal the body from an acid/inflammatory state to an alkalizing balanced state of being.

Back to the brands here; I used to drink C2O daily. Mostly b/c it was on sale at Rainbow Grocery for $1.69 which for me, is tops. I'm pretty selective when it comes to coconut waters. I won't buy Zico or VitaCoco anymore, the taste is just too far away from what a water from a coconut actually tastes like, surprise-surprise when it comes to food nowadays, right?

The tall 16 oz.cans like C2O that grace the cold cases in Whole Foods Market and natural food stores alike are usually pretty good and Brandon worthy. But I'm now just finding out that they are pasteurized, treated with chemicals and ready for this-not as good as what else is available (that, btw, is key here). Time for an upgrade? No problem.

I found Harmless Harvest, who pressurizes their coconut water without heat for preserving which doesn't kill beneficial nutrients. They don't use chemicals, are USDA organic and use farming practices based in sustainability. I can say I found my next coconut water of choice. And, yes, the coconut water tastes like coconut water-thank god.

But what about the price and the quantity? Why would I go from C2O to Harmless Harvest given that I will pay more and drink less? An 8oz bottle is $2.49 at The Oakland Whole Foods Market. 

I recently heard a branding expert, Eric Barron, speak about two things he looks for in a product or service, and that is if that product or service handles his fears and takes care of his wants he has no problem paying more. Given that he is an extrovert and someone who likes being in charge, he also loves when he is taken charge of. The example he used was his new tailor in Jersey. Recently moved from Manhattan and looking for a new tailor, he found an old-school Italian guy who's been doing custom tailoring since tailoring existed. "Get up there, turn around, I don't have all day." Eric mentioned that he loved being taken charge of and when his suit came back beautifully tailored, he had no problem paying this guy $200 on top of what he normally paid in Manhattan. His fears were taken care of, his wants met. Done deal.

Because this brand of coconut water handles my context for healthy living and healthy products, being that they are the most healing and best possible product out there I become a consumer. If a brand has that and I see that it has that, I won't be counting my change and going over cost/benefit analysis on the way out, I'm gonna buy it hands down and I'll be happy to do so. That's a good product. Here's their YouTube link on how they work, take a look.

~B

Giving is Receiving

Revamping life. It's time for a change. If anything being away taught me, it's that being away is the best way to find my way. Of course I would want to be around communities and local sustainablity and connect more to my own passions and gifts that I have cultivated over the last 10 years of my life as an artist and a healer.

To get out of the NY/East Coast/NJ rut was the best medicine I could have ever asked for.  I'm ready to come back more connected and aligned to who I am and to what my heart is saying. Being in California was feel good. I worked with a lot of people on the YogAlign Method and even found myself leading a shot-gun style class at this raw food/superfood collective one night where raw pie and poetry was the theme.  And it felt good, not to try but to give, know what I mean?

Ah, the theme of this blog comes through. When I give my gift freely without trying to or being attached to doing so, my own expression comes through with more vibrance.

I have found this true before in the past as well. For instance, last week when I was sitting around talking to people about life and yoga and hawaii what naturally came was, "I can show you some stuff" and bc it was natural and in the conversation, the gift I offered was more readily able to be received- and thus received as I showed Alexander some neuromuscular breath work. He benefited from it but even if he didn't the experience for me was rewarding as I too received the gift of service. As they heal, we heal.  I wondered if I had come with the intention of working with people at the party, would it have come naturally as it did just by me wanting to help others and share? 

I always thought there was this rigid formulaic way to go about marketing and 'getting' clients as a practitioner, but what I keep noticing is that it's always a natural process for me and if anything I have been fighting my gift of spontaneity, charisma and connection with people.  I could easily be myself, go up to strangers and talk to them, I do all the time. And to then share with them my talents is what's next.

As a health counselor in the past when I tried to make things happen I rarely achieved success in that model. But I always noticed that when I was natural and in my own wanting to share what I know with others, openly and without expectation of a return, like money, I wound up being successful in the relationship, which could be the initial consult for bringing back clients who will pay.

There are many times when I see someone suffering or ailing on the street, that I just want to go up to them and give myself, without any expectation in return. I most of the time restrict that natural energy, thinking "that would be weird," and go about my life. But now I see it differently and as my recent travels have shown, I am more open to sharing and giving which excites me because when people ask, "are you going to teach when you return home," I say yes, but really don't want to force anything. I'm really just most interested in helping others and letting the energy flow as it does, and if it leads to clients and classes, etc. great. If not, then so what, I'll do and be where I'm guided.

What are your talents you share or don't share? Where have you noticed yourself in command through the energy of giving? What would be possible for you if you were present with yourself and your gifts? What would you receive? What could you give to others? What difference would that make for them?

Right Now & Moving On~

4 days left in Kaua'i. Damn I'm gonna miss this place. People have said, "why don't you just stay?" I say, "I don't know, my home is in New York (or New Jersey)." Sure the air will be dirtier, the food not nearly as fresh, the people a little more aggravated and the pace A LOT FASTER. But, it's my home, so that's where I will be, for now.

Moving on, this blog will serve as a place to learn about alignment and yoga, and the humor and wonder of taking the philosophy of yoga (remember it's not just postures) out into the world with our people in our lives.

BUT, I promise you I will continue making videos of smoothies and fruits and foods that serve the yogic lifestyle of simplicity and wholeness, as well as other fun ones, just because. AND, I will be in California and Oregon until May 13th, so you will get to see more adventure and fun along the way, and hopefully some videos of me working with, I don't know, you!?

Let me know if YOU would like a session to check out the amazing benefits that YogAlign provides for feeling light and free in your body. It really is the bomb. We'll work out the details later.

Right now I am teaching a man for 4-days who has been a yogi for longer than I have been alive! He knows a lot, but what I am finding is that just because one practices yoga doesn't mean one doesn't have pain. It's amazing teaching Roberto, hopefully he will write in on this post and share. I'm almost in as much disbelief as he is witnessing his quads opening more than he has ever felt. Ever! Or seeing his face as he experiences his psoas (or hip flexors) opening up, he seems as though he is in shock! This work really does work, wow.

Mahalo for reading, B~