Every individual is unique.
Every organizational ecosystem is unique.

Building trust and mutual understanding through the understanding of our unique temperaments:

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems, originating in India over 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda translates to “wisdom of life,” combining the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). As a medical tradition, the practice of Ayurveda brings the body in balance to heal itself. However, its holistic principles can also be applied to the unique psychological and physiological elements of individuals as well as to the collective ecosystems of organizations. Cultivating a conscious balance of these elements brings greater vitality, well-being, creativity, and happiness.

The elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Space offer accessible metaphors for learning how our personal qualities, motivations, and behaviors shape how we relate and engage with others.

Designed and developed from decades of applied learning, observation, and client feedback, Katy Bray and Zeb Severson have created an efficient and effective system that integrates the wisdom of Ayurveda with transformational coaching and skill-based practices that increase self-awareness and drive performance, innovation, and success. They have also created many other resources in the form of published books, workshops, videos, webinars and more.

With this understanding of the temperaments of Ayurveda, we can better understand ourselves and others, creating a more harmonious dynamic for the workplace, family, friends….any dynamic! It is so cool to realize our parallels to nature – once we have this simple understanding, it makes life on this planet earth so much more enjoyable! Ahhhhh harmony…

Connect to their websites below to learn about all of Katy and Zeb’s resources and products :

http://www.leadwiththelightson.com

http://www.livewiththelightson.com

Ocean photo of Keane by Ellie Hayes Portrait photo of Ellie and Keane by Corey Vilicana.

Keane Webre-Hayes sustained traumatic wounds to his upper body, lost half his blood, underwent at least five hours of surgery, and received 1,000 stitches to repair his torn upper back, shoulder, torso and face, after he was attacked by a shark on Sept. 29 while diving for lobsters. His mother Ellie was on the bluff as the incident was happening. There happened to be several other divers in the water that day that calmly went straight into action and kept Keane alive and got him back to shore safely.

Keane was diving for lobsters with a friend just off the coast of Encinitas, a popular beach city in San Diego County, California, when an eleven-foot Great White shark attacked.

Since he woke up after his first surgery Keane has been adamant about getting back in the water to dive and surf again. “I definitely want to get back out there,” He told his 8th grade classmates, a few weeks after the attack, and he hopes to get back to surfing and skating, “really, really soon”! Keane has been quoting facts and statistics to his mom and the public about how improbable it would be for him to be attacked again. He does this to ease fears others may have about getting back in the water and also to rationalize to his family why it is ok for him to get back in. This young man is SO calm, intelligent, well-spoken and wise beyond his years. He even let me know that he was more at risk of a vending machine killing him than a shark attack (I looked it up and he is right)!!!

Despite Keane’s positivity and eagerness to resume his normal activities, the reality is he has a long road to recovery. His mother Ellie has been SO balanced at letting him own and express his feelings and being a responsible parent, being realistic about their recovery, and learning to navigate a strange new normal.

As we know, most of the deepest wounds are you cannot see, like the ones under Keane’s shirt and the intense and painful emotional wounds Ellie and her family have sustained and are still processing.

Ellie has consistently stated “We are so grateful Keane is alive but we have a long road ahead of us”. Everyone that was a part of that day on September 29, 2018, is on that road to recovery together. This is not just a story about the miracle of survival, this is a story that is still very much alive and is about healing layers of wounds and highly personal processing.

This is the rest of the story.

Click here to support Keane Hayes Shark Attack Survivor organized by Justin Wright.

Happy New Year everyone!

Meet John Abate a true beacon of light and hope. John is also a huge advocate for safer roads, believes and practices wellness through nutrition and MSBR (UCSD trained) and….if that is not enough…is the Co-Founder and CEO of JoJe Bars. If you have not tried JoJe Bars, you are missing out – they are SO delicious that it is hard to believe they are packed with all the nutrients your body needs to perform at its best! He is an avid cyclist, outdoorsman and all around super cool and positive guy. He generously took time out of his busy Holiday schedule to record a podcast episode for Grey Matters Now on the first day of Winter Solstice. Winter Solstice is the beginning of new and more light every day and the Holidays we celebrate during this season are all about light and hope. We both felt an urgency to record this ASAP so that John can spread his message of hope through his first hand experiences! A living breathing, walking, cycling, stronger than ever, example of how to manifest hope and healing, provides those fighting for their lives or recovering from accidents and illnesses the tools and light they need to be warriors. He first reached out to me and Grey Matters Now in July as he was interested in having a conversation about mindfulness and sharing his personal journey. I was super intrigued and excited to set up a future conversation and podcast recording. Fast forward to December 15th when John and I officially met through a community cycling event to support our neighbor Roberta Walker who was critically injured on her bicycle when struck by a truck a block from my house and less than a block from Roberta’s on PCH 101. Roberta is one of our communities’ strong advocates for cycling and pedestrian safety and repeatedly stated “it is just a matter of time, someone IS going to get hit by a vehicle here”. Unfortunately, tragically and ironically, she was the one that was hit. John was a speaker and he was the hope component to this “Ride For Roberta” event. John and I connected very quickly and both felt a strong pull from the universe to release this episode ASAP for the New Year!

This episode goes out to you Roberta Walker and my dear friend Jessica Kimbrough and all that know and love you both….keep up the fight- you ladies are a warriors!! While most of the world was celebrating Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s, both of these strong women, along with countless others, were in the hospital bravely going through and recovering from major surgical procedures to save their lives! Their fight is not over but I am happy to say both women are getting stronger every day!!! John and I’s wishes are that his story provides anyone fighting to be well the extra hope, tools to heal, and the faith that you can come back even stronger than before!!!

JoJe Bars https://aletenutrition.com/pages/joje

UCSD Center For Mindfulness https://cih.ucsd.edu/mindfulness

Thanks always to my recording, recording studio and editing wizard Bram Kaprow of Arden Records in Encinitas. Contact me if you ever need information about an amazing recording studio!

This episode is dedicated to these 2 female warriors actively fighting and healing:

Roberta Walker
Advocate for safer road sharing
Recovering warrior fighting back from critical injuries after being struck by a vehicle while cycling

Jessica Kimbrough
Advocate for affordable women’s health care and breast exams
Recovering warrior fighting breast cancer and mastectomy

John Abate and I

Two years ago I recorded this Episode with Jaysea Devoe who had just turned 15 years old. Jaysea at 12 years old became the youngest certified yoga instructor, youngest S.U.P. yoga instructor, an entrepreneur, a clothing designer and a business owner. These titles are not what are important to her – they just happened to grow from a strong organic passion that happened to come to her at an early age. The most beautiful and impressive thing about her though, in my opinion, is her old soul mixed with the ability to still see the world through the eyes of a child. Jaysea also holds a special beacon of light, a strong connection to the ocean and tool box full of balancing and coping tools. Her personal mission is to use these tools to maintain balance for herself so that she can share her gifts and tools so that others can find and maintain balance and a healthy, fun and full life. She stated she just wants to spread her love of yoga and being in nature and she would like kids her age to follow their dreams and enjoy the present moment. Being a teen is a challenging balance of school pressures, social pressures, hormonal changes and growing pains. Balance and wellness mean blending in essentials like fun, the right friends, nature, movement, and adventure to teen years and life in general. It is back to school time; we all need to share what is in our tool boxes and Jaysea has some spectacular tools. Gather your children and listen together; you are guaranteed to leave inspired and hopeful about navigating the future and grounded in the present moment!!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this episode!!!!! I had a follow up conversation with Jaysea last week 2 years to the date after this conversation. Part 2 is very powerful as getting older, even for her balanced self, comes with rougher terrain. She said, after listening to this episode 1, “Wow it was like I was really talking to my future self!!”.

Below are several links to videos of Jaysea doing her thing and links to socially and environmentally conscious organizations she aligns with and serves as an ambassador:

https://www.seavibesyoga.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja3XgB_K5E0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sih6U5hsGhY

http://www.ideacity.ca/video/jaysea-devoe-13-year-old-yogi/

https://soulofyoga.com/

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/people/sdut-jaysea-devoe-youngest-female-yogi-2014may01-story.html

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/meet-teen-yogi-turned-entrepreneur-jaysea-devoe

https://www.sanuk.com/

https://www.progenexusa.com/

https://www.changingtidesfoundation.org/

Episode artwork/photo images by Adam Walker of Sanuk

Episode 10: We’re All One or None! All One!

With Dr. Bronner’s CEO David Bronner

150 years and 5 generations of family soapmaking

Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third- generation master soapmaker from a German-Jewish soapmaking family. He used the labels on his superb ecological soaps to spread his message that we must realize our unity across religious & ethnic divides or perish: “We are All-One or None!” Still family-owned and run, Dr. Bronner’s honors its founder’s vision by continuing to make socially & environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating our profits to help make a better world. All-One!

David Bronner is Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America. He is a grandson of company founder, Emanuel Bronner, and a fifth-generation soapmaker.

David and his brother Michael established Dr. Bronner’s as a trendsetter in the organic body care industry by becoming one of the first brands to certify its soaps, lotions and balms under the USDA National Organic Program in 2003 — marking the beginning of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps’ issue-oriented activism in the natural products marketplace. David made this possible and meaningful by implementing fair trade all over the earth, family farms, and co-ops.

Because of David’s personal mission and efforts, today, Dr. Bronner’s coordinates certified Fair Trade projects for all major ingredients, including olive oil from the West Bank and Israel, coconut oil from Sri Lanka and Kenya, peppermint oil from India and palm oil from Ghana. David pioneered the use of 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) bottles for the liquid soaps, as well as a hemp and recycled paper blend to package the bar soaps.

As the main facilitator of the Hemp Industries Association’s (HIA’s) successful multi-year litigation against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), from 2001-2004, David played a crucial role in US farming of industrial hemp and defending sales of hemp foods and body care in the U.S.

David is an active supporter of both the HIA and Vote Hemp. He is also a key leader in the fight to label GMO foods in the U.S. David dedicates time and resources to many different issues on behalf of the company’s mission — which encompasses commitments to making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and to dedicating profits to help make a better world.

Did you know that Dr. Bronner‘s knows how to heal the soil to heal the planet? This is a Company that selflessly truly lives by example!

The most technically sophisticated form of agriculture, designed to solve our future food & climate challenge and the most ancient, wise, and timeless way of growing is Regenerative organic agriculture. David made this possible and meaningful by implementing fair trade all over the earth, family farms, and co-ops. He and his Dr Bronners’ family is helping turn the earth around. From a corporate view it was not the cheapest idea but from the helping the earth view, it was incredible. He achieved this with his innate fundamental, environmental and social ideals and applying them to the earth around us and applying them to reality to serve the ideals Dr. Bronner his grandfather put on the label. Join us as the quest to unite spaceship earth continues. So excited to release my next Grey Matters Now podcast Episode 10 with David Bronner. Hands-down one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had!!!

Dr Bronners mission is profound and simple –

In all we do, let us be generous fair and loving to spaceship earth and all its inhabitants…

For we are all one or none – ALL ONE!

Resources:

http://www.drbronner.com

https://www.drbronner.com/about/our-community/youth-community-services/

https://regenorganic.org/

http://www.patagonia.com

https://www.patagoniaprovisions.com/pages/regenerative-organics

https://www.compassionatefarming.org/

https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic

https://www.ciwf.org.uk/

https://lavamae.org/

http://www.thinkdignity.org/

https://defyventures.org/

https://www.fairshake.net/

http://reentry.org/

to view the HUGE list of resources and collaborations: https://www.allone.report/2022

https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/

Rodrigo’s Recycled Art:

https://www.greymattersnow.com/grey-matters-now-01-rodney

Dr. Bronners Magic Soap Box : http://magicsoapbox.com/a-note-from-sara/

Dr Bronner’s original folk song is from the movie Dr. Bronner’s Soap Box – see credits from movie

Sigmund The Seamonster in front of David’s car when we met:

Emma’s View of Her Journey/ Coping with Emotional and Physical Pain

This is a follow up to Episode 8 Part 1: Am I The Only One? My Child Is Self-Harming. Make sure you listen to part 1 before part 2

Listen to mom- Jessica’s journey in episode one and Daughter Emma’s perspective of their journey and coping mechanisms in part 2. Listen and learn about her journey to self-discovery. Emma, like her musician father, is able to express herself best through her artistry. This has become a big ingredient in her healing and coping. Both she and her dad Will are so gifted in their personal story telling through their individual creative outlets and through this conduit they beautifully channel raw emotion and gift us with visual art and song.

Emma is now 22 and has since graduated from college. I caught up with her last week and we recorded her unique perspective and story. I had her listen to her mom’s episode and she really liked it and, in her words, expressed that her mom did a good job explaining her perspective. I have to admit – I had NO idea how this would pan out! After listening, she was all in to tell her story from her point of view. She felt by telling her story she may help with the stigma and shame around mental health and give people a more holistic view of their journey and struggles.

Now I have known this young woman since the day she came into this world super early with her 3 pound self. I have spent a lot of time with this fun and loving family but I had no idea the depths of Emma’s struggles with emotional pain and chronic physical pain. Because I am close to her, parts of this conversation are heart breaking for me. I am also so proud of how well she articulates and explains her journey and the courage it took to get this far in her healing process and her ability to become so present and whole as a young woman. I guess my point is have the uncomfortable conversation; it is so worth it in the end!

Thank you, Jessica and Emma, for being so open and sharing your stories!!! Thank you, Will for your open and honest perspective through your incredible song writing and performances and thank you for allowing us to share your families story to help others. You and Jessica have been such great role models for your girls and the rest of us trying to find our balance.

This is a VERY sensitive subject and it was very difficult to find a family willing to share their experience. I want this to always be a safe place to share and a platform for healing and fostering consciousness. This is NOT a forum for judgement, finger pointing or arm chair parenting. This is a platform for conversation, active listening and resources. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions, would like to share or need more resources.

Will Kimbrough writes a lot about life, his family and the road. Will is a critically acclaimed singer song writer from Nashville Tennessee…you can check out some live performances and videos about his family https://www.willkimbrough.com/media to learn more about Will, tour dates or listen to more music visit https://www.willkimbrough.com

Mental Health Care Resources:

Talk Space – https://www.talkspace.com/

NAMI – National Alliance On Mental Illness – https://www.nami.org/

7 Cups – https://www.7cups.com/

In the San Diego area up2SD – http://up2sd.org/

National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 800-273-8255