I am a stroke (major neurological event) survivor, they still do not know exactly what happened or why. This “event” put me in bed for 7 years (5 full time), I was told that I would never walk or talk properly, and I would never work again.

I no longer recognized the woman looking back at me in the mirror, not body, mind, heart, or soul. I was already struggling before this happened, I suffer from constant chronic pain from bone and joint issues and fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, and bipolar, all of which were magnified during this. The weight gain from being in bed all those years did not help things either, I was over 300 lbs.

I will wholeheartedly admit that for a while I resigned myself to the idea that I would never really do anything ever again. My brain and my body were now my enemies. My goals, my dreams… were never going to happen.

Due to my past, I already considered myself a survivor, a warrior; my mantra was that nothing could keep me down for long. I refused to let this be any different…

I started studying nutrition for healing from my bed, I became obsessed with what I needed to eat to heal my brain and my body. And so, after about 5 years in bed full time, my journey (my fight) back to me began…

I changed the way I thought about food completely and I changed my diet to heal, including vitamin-packed smoothies every morning.

One day, while researching, I came across an ad (thank you Google!!) for a “superfoods” shake, it had so much of what I was trying to get into my body to heal and so much more at a fraction of the cost of what I was spending on my morning smoothie routine. The “superfoods” shakes were part of a complete health & fitness program that also came with an option of having a health & fitness coaching business; it was exactly what I needed at the time.

I will never say that the shakes were a miracle cure, I am not cured however, I do think that they saved me. The vitamins, the minerals, the nutrients, the superfoods… they fed my brain and body what was necessary to start the healing process, gave me energy, and cut down how much food my body needed. The program also included a ton of information on nutrition and eating right.

I could not do the fitness part of the program in the beginning, but I did have them playing on my TV 24/7, to inspire me. In my first months in this program, I would get up to go to the bathroom and do 30 seconds of the workout video, on my way back to bed I did another 30 seconds... and then I dropped into my bed exhausted and in pain. In year two I was averaging 2-5 minutes at a time a few more times a day.

As part of my healthy new life goals, I decided that I wanted a garden and as I transitioned from year two to year three of my journey, I made it happen. Everyone told me to start small, a few beds; I never do anything small and my garden that year was 14 raised beds. I brought everything I needed in by the bag and mixed the soil by hand, planted, weeded, and harvested mostly by myself; it was painstaking, and I paid for it, but it was so worth it. The next year I added another 13 beds to my garden for a total of 27.

It was during this time that my financial situation changed, I could no longer afford my shakes. I did not have the self-esteem, confidence, or results I needed to be a successful health and fitness coach and I left the company. I did still have my workout programs and my nutrition plan but I was still in bed the majority of this time.



The next year my youngest daughter got a job in a factory that made car parts, she called me on her break the first day and said “Mom, they have free coffee!”. My response “I am in!”. I was frustrated with everything in my life; I was barely surviving financially, I decided that even though I was still having issues walking (when this all started I could only do about 20 steps) and still having cognitive issues, that I could not live like this anymore. I was going back to work.

And so, I went to work at a factory making car parts, on my feet 8 hours a day in heavy work boots on concrete floors; averaging 15,000 steps a day, 6 or 7 days a week. By the time I got home most days, I fell into my bed sobbing in agony; I was pushing myself way past my limits every single day.

Now in year 7 of my journey (my fight) back to me, I would love to say that I am healed, no longer suffering from pain or any lasting effects of the stroke, but I cannot. I am still in constant pain and I still have cognitive issues including memory and learning issues. I also started having idiopathic seizures in the last year.

However…

I am now back with the company that kick-started this journey into high gear for me, back on my “superfoods” shakes, working out daily, using my determination, passion, and the tools and programs I used, to coach other women and help them achieve their health and fitness goals. The obvious signs of what I have been through are not apparent, most of the time you cannot even tell I am in pain.

The most amazing part of all of this is that in my strength and determination I have found my true calling in life and I am working towards transitioning into “whole” life coaching. I love helping women go after and reach their health and fitness goals but so much of the time, as I found out with myself, there are often much deeper limitations to not being able to reach goals. For me, it was 75% mindset, 20% nutrition, and 5% fitness. I want to change mindsets and impact the lives of women on whole other levels. Through my adversity, I have found my strengths, my passion, my purpose.

SWAMI BEYONDANANDA (aka STEVE BHAERMAN)

Swami Beyondananda is the cosmic comic alter ego of writer, humorist, performer and uncommontator Steve Bhaerman. The Swami, whose favorite yoga pose is tongue-in-cheek, is the spokesperson for a new non-religion, FUNdamentalism (accent on “fun”). Says the Swami, “We are strictly non-dominational.”

Steve was pursuing a career as a teacher and writer, when a funny thing happened. The name “Swami Beyondananda” flew into his head on day in 1979. As Steve tells it, “I got struck by enlightening during a brainstorm.”

The following year, when he and a cohort were casting about for a comic mascot for their ground-breaking holistic publication, Pathways in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Swami’s name popped back up. The first issue of Pathways in January, 1980 featured an ad spoofing the old Famous Artists ads. This ad was for Famous Guru’s Schools, and the headline proclaimed, “We’re looking for people who want to draw … on higher consciousness.” The piece included some mock testimonials, including: “Dear Swami … loved your leadership training … please send followers.”

Before long, Swami was the most popular feature in Pathways, as he held forth on topics such as “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sects” (“… unbridled sects can lead to unwanted misconceptions …”), Teach Your Dog to Heal (“… being around friendly canines generates healthy hormones called puptides …”), Tantrum Yoga (“… the latest rage on the path to ire consciousness”), and Be There Now, Swami’s ultimate take on bi-location (“… the first time I stepped outside my body, I was beside myself with excitement …”).

After Pathways ceased publication, the Swami’s articles began to appear in national publications such as the old East West Journal, and local publications in Philadelphia, Austin, Salt Lake City, among others. When Steve decided to pursue comedy as a full-time career in 1985, the Swami was the obvious vehicle. (You can read the surprising story of the first words that ever came out of Swami’s mouth in the e-book, Wake Up Laughing: An Insider’s Guide to the Cosmic Comedy.)

Anyway, shortly after his first public performance as Swami in 1985, Steve met his wife-to-be Trudy, and a year-and-a-half later, they took off in a van and trailer and launched the Swami and Trudy show. And the rest … is mystery.

In the course of nearly twenty-five years of purveying cosmic comedy and healing laughter, Swami has had a successful, long-running monthly column, Ask The Swami, has written four books (Driving Your Own Karma … When You See A Sacred Cow, Milk It for All It’s Worth … Duck Soup for the Soul … Swami for Precedent: A Seven-Step Plan to Heal the Body Politic and Cure Electile Dysfunction), and produced a half a dozen comedy cassettes (sorry, not available on 8-track) and CDs.

He has been on stage with the great sages of the past quarter century, and even performed for Swami Satchidananda’s 80th birthday party in 1994, along with Hollywood celebs and international recording artists. He has gained a reputation for being both pointed and compassionate (his comedy has been called “irreverently uplifting”), and over the past decade, his comedy has become more political.

(“I know,” Swami says, “that many people don’t want to go there. But there has already come here.”)

In recent years, the Swami has performed at numerous political events, including the Transpartisan Alliance Citizens Summit, the Network of Spiritual Progressives Conference, the Department of Peace Conference, the Praxis Peace Institute Economics of Peace Conference, to name a few.

Swami’s latest venture is to combine his non-religion of FUNdamentalism with the non-politics of the newly-formed Right to Laugh Party (“one big party … everyone is invited”), to create one big evolutionary up-wising to overgrow the current dysfunctional system. He will also be launching his radio feature, Karma Talk this year — to give folks from all over the world to ask the Swami answerable questions, and receive his questionable answers.

A   N   N   I   E

H   A   S   L   A   M

PROGRESSIVE ROCK QUEEN

ENCHANTING SONGSTRESS 

with RENAISSANCE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Renaissance has had a long history spanning close to 50 years since its formation in 1969. With several personnel changes in the beginning years, the sound of the group eventually matured into a unique blending of folk, rock, and classical music including the integration of a full symphonic orchestra. Crowning all of this was the sound of the equally unique five-octave voice of Annie Haslam. During their great success in the 70’s the band toured extensively throughout the world in support of their numerous album releases. Highlights of this era included three sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra and a sold-out concert at The Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Chorale Society, all of which were recorded and released as ‘Live’ albums.

The woman whose crystal clear, high-flying soprano vocals earned her worldwide attention as the lead singer of the English classical rock band ‘Renaissance’ has recently achieved an entirely new level of appreciation as an ‘Intuitive’ painter. Annie is able to ‘tune’ into people, animals, situations, feelings and places, and portray them in her own unique style.

On canvas, Annie Haslam’s unmistakable world of sound is taken into unique vistas of color and vibration, not unlike the flow of her five-octave voice. Transporting the viewer to other worlds and through inner boundaries is her ultimate goal, bringing healing, serenity and peace through her work. 

…….Nicholas J. Sands, director of Sands & Company Fine Art in New York City, heralded Annie’s paintings as “magical, enigmatic and wondrous for their ability to take us to a far-away place… of fluid forms that are at once alien and familiar, primordial yet recognizable, which dance in an endless array of colors that are as rich and intense as molten lava.”

In 2009 Annie and bandmate Michael Dunford reformed ‘Renaissance’.

Sadly Michael passed away in November 2012, and is greatly missed.

Annie decided to keep the music alive and kept touring with Renaissance in support of their album 'Symphony of Light'.

With their musical virtuosity, five strong lead voices, newest technological instrumentation and love for the music, they have created a new sound taking them into a new age and performing the repertoire with powerful precision across the world. This incarnation of Renaissance is new and different and is nothing short of amazing!

Annie Haslam & Renaissance recently released their new DVD entitled ‘A Symphonic Journey’ and are currently embarked on their Day of the Dreamer Tour –in support of their new DVD while performing selected US dates this Fall.

Purchase the brand-new DVD from Renaissance entitled

‘A Symphonic Journey’ at amazon.com

The DVD was filmed in October of 2017 and included for the first time the addition of The Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, a hand-picked group of 10 musicians, including strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. For this new DVD the band returned to the Keswick Theatre, this time employing the use of track and boom mounted cameras to create more up close and personal shots of the band and orchestra. The concert also featured large screen projections of original paintings by Annie Haslam, with corresponding titles to each song performed throughout the concert.

The DVD/2CD set will be available from Amazon USA, Europe, and Japan. Also, ‘Annie Haslam’ signed copies will be available through the band’s website

Essential Growth Through The Pain of Abuse:  The Rise of Tristan Bliss

As a child Tristan grew up with alcoholism and violence. Violence her mother endured and she and her siblings witnessed, as well as violence, emotional and mental abuse from her mother toward her and her siblings. She has now turned around a series of custody battles, court cases and fleeing for safety to founding GIC - Global Inbound Closers, creating a way for overtaxed entrepreneurs to access trained Sales Teams to service their inbound calls and for women to have an income source which allows them the freedom to make the best choices for their life and their family, with financial freedom.

"This behavior was a common thread in my life in my own relationships in various ways that was directed at me into my adult years.

The end came in 2018 when my ex-husband mentally and psychologically tormented myself and my children to the point that I reacted in violence against him and lost everything, including my son. It was a battle for two years to finally have my son back in my care. The emotional and mental battle that ensued was relentless. Dealing with courts, custody and pleading for someone to finally listen to me, paid off. I refused to surrender to narcissistic abuse and having my child used as a pawn in a game.

 

So I directed all my efforts on rebuilding my life and re-establishing myself after losing everything and being close to homelessness. The turning point happened in August of 2020 when I was finally able to have my son back with me and we started to rebuild a new life that was honest, healthy and loving.

On December 4th, 2020 GIC was born. And my quest to help other women living in the same circumstances became a reality."

Now the Author of  2 books: "Financial Feathers From Heaven: Rebound from Trauma to Personal & Financial ABUNDANCE!" and "Your Childhood Zillionaire", Tristan is building out her vision to serve clients while creating financial freedom for women, as the Founder of GIC-Global Inbound Closers.

To connect with Tristan, reach out here:

 

www.globalinboundclosers.com  

https://www.facebook.com/GICFreedom

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanbliss/

https://www.instagram.com/gicfreedom/