Hello Beautiful People!

Yesterday was my beautiful sister's birthday. I love birthdays. Some people think they're just silly, but I like how they celebrate the existence and life of a unique individual. Life is precious right? I'm also just a softy for all holidays. I love cards, balloons, lights, getting people gifts, eating good food and seeing happy faces.

That's why this week's Friday Five is about birthdays :)

1) Do you celebrate your birthday or keep it quiet? Do you share your age?

2) Do you like it when people sing Happy Birthday to you in a crowded restaurant, or are you shy? ;)

3) Who were you celebrating at the last birthday party you attended?

4) What was one of your favorite birthday presents?

5) What's your favorite birthday "decor"? (Balloons, flowers, performing clowns, candles or something else?)


Posted by Jessica.

Beautiful Gaians.

Hello Beauties!

It's Thanksgiving here in the United States and we're beginning the holiday season. So, I know you will be busy cooking, eating and hopefully reveling with merriment in the company of loved ones; however I want to ask you a favor.

We've started a little holiday project on Gaia. Every week until January we'll suggest a little activity to inspire and treat yourself, the people in your life and community members here on Gaia. The idea is to have fun and connect, to remember what love the holidays can hold.

Here's our first holiday assignment (of course there are no grades, we just hope you'll share in the season with us!) :

Hi Gaia!

I have a little secret...while I've been working today I've been snacking on a small bag of chocolate chips. Shhhh!

We all have our snack food, those tiny in-between meals. Some are healthy, some are not as healthy, and that's ok, right? I know what you're thinking about me and my chocolate chips ;) but hey, they are organic and fair-trade. I remember when I was a kid I would stay at my grandmother's house and sneak into the fridge where she always kept chocolate kisses and minature Hershey bars...I loved that.

So, share with us about your favorite snacks in this week's Friday Five...

1) Do you like chocolates?

2) Do you eat carrot sticks?

3) What was your favorite snack as a child, or one of you favorites?

4) Do you like late-night snacking?

5) If you had to pick a snack right now would you choose a) pretzels, b) chips, c) chocolate, d) celery with peanut butter, or something totally different :)


Posted by Jessica.

Hello Beauties,

So, I love cooking. I love beautiful kitchens. I adore good spatulas and croon over parchment paper. I attended at a small vegan chef training program before I began working for Gaia and have taught many cooking classes over the years. We all have to eat, some of us like to cook, and some of us like to un-cook and eat raw. Thus, this week's Friday Five is about the kitchen and eating. We're getting all ready for Thanksgiving.

Ready...

1) What is you favorite utensil?

2) Do you like non-stick pans?

3) Have you ever made your own waffles or pancakes? (or do you like a simple cereal?)

4) Do you use/ like cloth napkins, no napkins, paper, towels, or jeans? (it's okay either way ;)

5) What are you having for lunch, if you're not having lunch, then what's your favorite food? (or you can answer both)

Join in the fun and let us know :)

Posted by Jessica.

Hello Gaians of Loveliness!

I'm here to announce, not only the winners of our most recent scholarship, but our next scholarship, co-sponsored by the wonderful publication Spirituality & Health. I know a lot of you have been waiting on this announcement for a long time. We had a few delays, but we're thrilled to share our winners with you. (I promise it's worth the whole read!)

First, here's the big announcement. Our new scholarship, In partnership with Spirituality & Health is focused on making the world a better place and spirituality.

This winter, Spirituality & Health Magazine is partnering with Gaia Community to award two winners $1,000 each to put toward an accredited program, university, holistic school, self-development or spiritual retreat of their choice. If you're dreaming of going back to school--be it for yoga teacher training, a degree in massage therapy, vegan cooking classes or any other program that makes your heart sing--we'd love to support you.

Our questions are simple and profound:

• What is your purpose?
• What is your personal definition of spirituality?
• If you could have one spiritual question answered, what would it be?
• What is the role of spirituality in creating a brighter future?

Come share your dreams with us. Anyone who wants to make the world a better place and has a program they'd love to attend or are attending is welcome to apply. Old applicants are welcome too, since we're approaching the new year of 2010.

Now, the winners of our 2009 Scholarship!
All of our finalists were inspiring and it was very difficult to choose, ultimately we employ democratic method and the Gaia team votes. We try to pick unique individuals who are expressing themselves authentically in the world and want to make a difference.

Please say hello and wish them congratulations with us!

First, please meet Ratasha. She's fulfilling her passion at Berklee College for music. Here's a bit of her application:

Question: What is your wish for the world? (25 words or less.) What do you think could help the world most? If you had one wish for everyone, what would it be?
Answer: My one wish for the world is that we remember, remember who we each really are underneath the false layers of identity that we’ve accumulated.

Question: What do you plan to do next to brighten the future of the planet? (250 words.)
Answer: I have attended several meditation retreats this year. They have indeed taught me how to embody all that we truly are. For the last several years I have served humanity as a Teaching Artist, using the arts as a tool for inspiration and education. Last year I was even honored and humbled to receive a “Women Making a Powerful Difference” award from a national magazine. However, my next step is truly my biggest leap, and has taken the most time and effort to reach. At the wonderful age of 30, this September I will become a member of the freshman class of the Berklee College of Music. Over the next several years I will learn how to compose, arrange, and effectively communicate with musicians worldwide. With the universal language of music, I will sing my song of healing, transformation, and unification throughout the globe. The golden cord that ties all of humanity together is so much stronger than the little strings that we allow to unravel and pull us apart. I believe that there is so much power in not only disseminating this message, but in creating experiences that allow people internalize this fact. I know this is what I am called to do… especially as it relates to faith, religion, ethnicity, and culture. This combined with my teaching and workshop facilitation experience will allow me to serve the world in exactly the way I was designed to.

Ratasha also made Gaia a truly kind thank you video and told us a bit about what she's doing with her scholarship. It's about 13 minutes and homemade ;) but worth with time if you have it. It's amazing that we can share in making dreams come true.

Our next winner is Morgen! We had a hard time reaching her at first because she was off in Costa Rica studying Art & Ecology working with the local people there. You can also check out some of her art here. I love this one:


Here's a glimpse of what she had to share:

Question: Why is optimism intelligent? (250 words or less.) Why is it brilliant to be hopeful? What's the benefit of looking on the bright side? How has a positive outlook helped your life?

Answer: Sometimes, hope is all we have...it is something that an outside force can never take away from us...it is entirely in control by our psyche...we choose to harbor it, or ignore it...but it's always there. Most importantly, it produces the freedom for change. When people are hopeful, they energetically generate the possibility to move forward, to live differently. We can't create change if there is no space for it to flourish...staying positive gives us that space. We need the "hopers" to open that door to the other side...a brighter side...that others may have doubted. Striving to stay positive brightens the energy I show myself, and more importantly, others...this brightens their lives, and therefor brightens the world. It is a gift that keeps on giving :)

Question: What do you plan to do next to brighten the future of the planet? (250 words or less.)

Answer: Currently I am pursuing a master's degree in Transformative Arts/Art & Healing at JFK University in California. It is leading me on quite a journey...into my heart. This summer, I will continue this journey as I embark on an adventure to Costa Rica for an Art & Ecology class... With the help of several other students from my school, we will be developing and creating earth-based spiritual workshops and environmental art projects that will invite the community members to come together for a common cause. To read more click here :)

Amazing... We wish these beautiful people the very best as they go out to bring art and beauty into the world. Thank you to all who applied. We had so many brilliant entries and I wish we could have given scholarships to everyone. It was so inspiring to read about the optimism within these beautiful people.

So, come apply for this Autumn's scholarship, dream, strive, and share your passions.

Posted by Jessica.

Hello Wonderful People,

We've spent the past few weeks celebrating the Alchemist and we've gotten wonderful responses for our Friday Fives, book giveaways and encouragement for Matthew ;) This week I'm going to reveal a bit about one of the most important lessons the Alchemist offered me. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler, alchemy is, after-all, clearly about transformation and we know that this book is of a spiritual nature.

I have two favorite parts in the Alchemist. The first is the simple image of our hero cleaning delicate crystal in Tangiers. The second is when Santiago, the main character, has a conversation with the deep parts of his hidden heart. Sometimes the voice of our heart is feint because we have listened to other, loud voices for so long and ignored its precious whisper. There are times when I think about how easy it is to get off the right path or lose ourselves in what we "think" seems like the right idea. Our heart always knows the truth. As for me, whenever I try to ignore that little voice, it's only a matter of time until my heart once again proves itself right as the small machinated illusions and structures crumble in the face of the truth that my heart had inside it all along.

So please share with us about the heart in this week's Friday Five :)

1) Do you talk to your own "heart" (conscience, inner voice, true self)?

2) Name one thing that helps clear your mind and heart.

3) Pick three words that describe how you feel when in sync with your heart.

4) Do you think you have strong intuition?
(a simple yes or no is okay, or elaborate as you like ;)

5) Do you feel peaceful while cleanimg dishes like Santiago in the book, or annoyed or just wet?

Let us know....


Posted by Jessica.

Hello lovely Gaians!

We need your help.

Most of you beautiful beings know we're celebrating The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's a fable of magic, transformation, growth, miracles and listening to your Heart. I know many of you have read it, since it's been our top book on Gaia as long as there's been a Gaia.

However, can you believe that one of our own Gaia Team members hasn't read this inspiring work?

Matthew, who we all know and love, who clearly believes in True Love, and the miraculous hasn't yet read this literary gem.

Our last Friday Five was about Alchemy, transformation and magic in the world. Matthew's answers nearly humbled me to tears with their authenticity and love. I think reading Coelho's book would inspire him even further on his path towards love and an exceptional life.

So, for those of you who have read the book, for those of you who were touched by it's simple beauty and wonder, for those of you who just think Matthew needs to read more...

Tell us right here in the comments below:

Hello Beautiful Gaians,

Alchemy.

What does it mean? Is it the transformation to lead into gold is it about something more magical, like a broken spirit or lost heart in the dark rising into the sunlight full of understanding and whole. Either way alchemy is a magical process and a journey of the hopeful, of those willing to believe in the miraculous impossible.

Many of you may have read Siona's post about our book giveaway to celebrate the famous book by one of Gaia's favorite authors, Paulo Coelho. It's been on the New York Times Bestseller's list for two years and a Gaia favorite since our launch in 2006. If you haven't read the book yourself, we highly recommend it, but even if you haven't you can share in this week's Friday Five about transformation, journeying, and turning darkness into light.

Please share with us....

1) Do you believe in miracles?

2) Name one place that you have been that has felt magical, brought you peace or comforted you?

3) Name one thing you treasure?

4) In one to five words, name one place, person, event or thing that has felt magical to you or cheered your heart.

5) In less than 10 words, if you had one wish to go to somewhere or be with someone, from any time where would it be or who would you visit? (Go with your instinct :)


Let's open our hearts and explore :)


Posted by Jessica.