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GEMSTONE - SODALITE

Sodalite is named in reference to the sodium content it has. It is found in light to dark pure blue color and is well known in the semi-precious stone world. It is the only feldspathoid which contains chlorine.

Sodalite balances the mental and emotional bodies. It cleanses the aura, soothes and calms inflammations. It fuels a person's creative processes and also enhances wisdom. It helps to make clear and rational decisions. It builds self-confidence, helps fight lymphatic cancer and also boost the immune system.

http://www.mineralszone.com/gemstones/sodalite.html

DESTINATION - LEOPARD HILLS

Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, South Africa, is situated on a hillside overlooking a natural waterhole. Each of the eight luxurious glass-fronted suites, complete with their own sundeck and heated rock plunge pool offer superb views of the African bush and beyond. At Leopard Hills each day is different, as you explore the endless fascination of Africa's wildlife in an open Land Rover. Leopards on the hunt, lions roar at twilight, hippos wallowing in the river, crocodiles basking on a sandy bank and overhead majestic eagles keep watch.

The suites at the Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve are generously spacious and immense in stature. The breath-taking romantic bathrooms, which include double indoor and outdoor showers, have windows which open to a glorious view of the passing cavalcade below. A special touch to each suite is the perfection of final touches provided from weathered notes and African poems, to a fine array of bath salts and other bathroom amenities. Savor the day, either in your hammock or pool lounger outside, whilst listening to the tranquil sound of the surrounding African wildlife. Aspects of nature have been incorporated into the suites, to provide the ultimate in luxury while experiencing Africa at its best.

http://www.leopardhills.com/

INSIGHT - CARL JUNG

There are no accidents!

It was Carl Jung who coined the term “synchronicity” for those odd, haunting, amazing coincidences or events which we all have experienced. These moments seem to tell us to pay attention, to perhaps change, to look harder and/ or to remember who we really are. The feeling of wonder and joy of these little moments is our connection to the universe and each other. It assures us, moves us forward, and makes us feel human and touchable. Synchronicity has always been there.

We find that our lives are intertwined and more meaningful than we thought. We find ourselves

sharing these tidbits of experiences with family and friends even strangers saying, “it’s a small world” or “can you believe this?” Notice the next time it happens to you. You’ll find yourself smiling and feeling light-hearted! The true measure of miracles is how it makes us feel connected.

The term synchronicity is coined by Jung to express a concept that belongs to him. It is about a causal connection of two or more psycho-physic phenomena. This concept was inspired to him by a patient's case that was in situation of impasse in treatment. Her exaggerate rationalism (animus inflation) was holding her back from assimilating unconscious materials. One night, the patient dreamt a golden scarab - cetonia aurata. The next day, during the psychotherapy session, a real insect this time, hit against the Jung's cabinet window. Jung caught it and discovered surprisingly that it was a golden scarab; a very rare presence for that climate.

So, the idea is all about coincidence: in this case, between the scarab dreamt by the patient and its appearance in reality, in the psychotherapy cabinet. But this coincidence is not senseless, a simple coincidence. By using the amplification method, Jung associates in connection with the scarab and comes to the concept of death and rebirth from the esoteric philosophy of antiquity, a process that, in a symbolic way, the patient should experience for a renewal and vitalization of her unilateral personality, the cause of the neurosis she was suffering from.

Thus, a significant coincidence of physical and psychological phenomena that are acausal connected.

http://www.carl-jung.net/synchronicity.html

RESTAURANT - ABC

Paulette did an amazing job transforming the space into a stylish, warm dining room, using many recycled materials. Beautiful old beams from a barn and the whitewashed floor creates a farmhouse effect that matches the market-driven menu.

Local artists made the ceramic plates and the bread and dessert dishes and the silverware are antique. Placemats and menus come from 100% recycled paper and our coasters are squares of cardboard from shipping boxes.

Lois Freedman and James Liakakos have been doing a great job training the front-of-house staff to be as warm and inviting as the ambiance. We want this restaurant to reflect the farm-to-table experience with a casual and convivial atmosphere and the servers have made diners feel very much at home. We’ve even found some of the front-of-the-house staff uniforms at local thrift stores in the spirit of the recycling.

In this elegant, comfortable dining room, we serve market-driven dishes made with the freshest organic and local ingredients possible. Even the cocktails devised by Bernie Sun, my beverage director, are made with local, organic liquors and juices. I especially love the tarragon-infused Green Kitchen and sparkly Blood Orange Bellini. An extensive list of biodynamic wines and local beers accompany the mixed drinks.

http://jeangeorges.blogspot.com/2010/03/abc-kitchen-now-open.html

INTERESTING - COFFEE GRINDER

Hug your morning wood…

Machines have a reputation for being cold and impersonal, except of course if you rely on your laptop’s hard drive to be your second (sometimes better) brain. But it’s not everyday that designers create things that tune into your emotions like the funky moon rings our sister used to wear in the Seventies.

Emerging from the wildly innovative art school Bezalel in Jerusalem is Heart-Beans, a coffee grinder which when you hold it close to your body, like a baby, grinds coffee based on the rhythm of your heart. (Check out the cute guy demonstrating how it works.)

According to our friend Ziva, who plucked this gem from the blogosphere, Heart-Beans uses natural wood and high-tech lasers to detect your heart rate. It’s this pulse which “inspires” the machine to grind.

It was designed by a team of students at Bezalel during a course called ‘Food for Thought’; the coffee grinder is a statement on our culture’s of consumption, it speaks to our obsession with objects, and it caters to the way we worship technology. The designers say:

“To use this object, you must caress it and hug it, much like as a baby is held, the user inevitably bonds with it, emotionally.”

Currently in prototype stages, Ziva at Designist Dream remarks:

It’s pretty cool. It’s pretty smart. Everyone loves coffee - ‘cept for those snooty tea drinkers. And it’s technology with heart as you can see in the video below... It’s the robot that fulfills your innermost desire. In this case, coffee. Deep, rich and dark, from the bottom of your heart (beat). Ground with love - or whatever else you’ve got brewing inside.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/heart-beans-coffee-grinder.php

Designer: Adi Navwany, Michal Shamsian, Itamar Paloge & Danielle Ram

FOOD - EDAMAME DUMPLINGS

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) package frozen edamame (green soybeans), thawed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 dash hot sauce
• 2 (12 ounce) packages small won ton wrappers
• 6 cups water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Add edamame and boil for 10 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water.

2. Place edamame in a food processor; turn processor on to low. Drizzle in 1/4 cup water and olive oil while continuing to process until combined. Turn off the food processor and add the sour cream, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Process until mixture is smooth.

3. Place 1 teaspoon of the mixture in the center of each won ton wrapper. Bring 2 opposite corners of the wrapper together to form a triangle; pinch the edges closed. Bring farthest corners of the triangle together and overlap one another. Use a little bit of water on the corners and pinch them together to ensure they stay together.

4. Stir together 6 cups water and the bouillon cubes in a large, deep skillet over medium heat; bring to a gentle boil. Lay the wontons in the water, assuring they don't touch one another; cook until tender, about 5 minutes; plate. Ladle broth from skillet over won tons to serve.

ASTROLOGICAL FUN

ASTROLOGICAL FUN - GEMINI

Hindi Name: Mithun
Date of Birth: 22nd May to 21st June
Ruling Planet: Buddha
Nakshatras: Mrigshira, Aadra, Punarvasu
Lucky Numbers: 2,3,5,6
Lucky Days: Wednesday, Friday
Lucky Colors: Green, White, Yellow
Lucky Stones: Emerald, Onyx, Sapphire

Basic Characteristics Profile

The sun enters Gemini from May 21 to June 20 every year. This is the first air sign of the zodiac and also the first sign of communication and music. Gemini individuals are basically known for their dual nature. They usually behave younger than their chronological age and are regarded as prince of the zodiac.

Read more…:

http://www.iloveindia.com/astrology/horoscope/gemini-horoscope.html

http://www.iloveindia.com/astrology/index.html

EVENTS- DENMARK

själ in Denmark, 2010 February

Copenhagen Lifestyle Conference

själ skincare was pleased to participate in this year's Copenhagen Luxury Lifestyles Conference.

It was an exclusive selection of luxury brands including cars, jewelry, food, wine and furniture with an intimate distinctive Danish feel.

Co-founder Kristin Petrovich was an honored guest and ribbon cutter at the opening ceremony.

själ kashmir perfection facial

sjal kashmir perfection facial from sjal skincare on Vimeo.

EVENTS- NY FASHION WEEK

själ backstage with Gucci Westman at Rag and Bone

Gucci applies själ’s cela moisturizer and mineral källa tonic to models for perfectly hydrated skin.

CONCERT

själ is proud to be participating in…

Tibet House US XX Annual Benefit at Carnegie Hall on February 26th

Philip Glass, the concert's Artistic Director and Vice President of Tibet House US, has once again created an incredible 2010 show Concert Line-up with the following artists:

Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Regina Spektor, Philip Glass, Tenzin Kunsel, Pierce Turner,

Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, Gogol Bordello.

A fundraising reception will be held directly following the performance. Benefit tickets include entrance to the reception as well as prime seats at the concert.

For more information or to purchase benefit tickets call Tibet House M- F, 10 AM - 5 PM at 212.807.0563.

Please note: concert only tickets are not available through Tibet House US. Concert only tickets are $35 to $85 and can be purchased by calling Carnegie Charge at 212.247.7800.

About Tibet House:

Tibet House US is dedicated to preserving Tibet’s unique culture at a time when it is confronted with extinction on its own soil. By presenting Tibetan civilization and its profound wisdom, beauty, and special art of freedom to the people of the world, the Tibet house hopes to inspire others to join the effort to protect and save Tibet.

Tibet House US is part of a worldwide network of Tibetan institutions committed to ensuring that the light of the Tibetan spirit never disappears from the face of this earth.

http://www.tibethouse.org/

själ IN DENMARK

We are pleased to announce the nomination of the själ Kashmir perfecting mask.


Costume editor Rikke Agnete Dam gives själ’s kashmir saphir mask a thumbs up!

själ IN ASIA

DESTINATION- THE NIMB HOTEL

International jet-setters may come to Denmark in search of modernist furniture. But the Nimb, is anything but a design hotel — the quiet confidence of this 13-room lodging leaves the hard-striving hipster boutiques in the dust.

This building, bordering on the famed Tivoli Gardens, has been in the family for generations. While its present incarnation as a hotel is brand-new, the look is timeless, classic furnishings and top-quality materials arranged with a keen modern eye, familiar and at the same time totally unique. It’s the oldest cliché in the book to say that a hotel feels like a private home but every now and then it’s true.

Then again very few private homes come with a food market, a wine shop, a chocolatier and even a dairy — Løgismose handles its organic single-origin milk with a reverence more typically applied to single-malt whiskies or reserve wines. Not to mention the restaurants: Thomas Herman is one of the leaders of Copenhagen’s ongoing culinary revolution, and his eponymous dining room (along with Nimb’s more casual open-kitchen eatery) is among the hottest tickets in Northern Europe.

Nimb

Bernstorffsgade 5, 1577 Copenhagen V

Copenhagen, Denmark

Style: Contemporary Classic

http://tablethotels.com

ART- HENRY MOORE EXHIBIT

Henry Moore

Tate Britain Linbury Galleries

Wednesday 24 February – Sunday 8 August 2010

Radical, experimental and avant garde, Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of Britain’s greatest artists. This major exhibition will re-assert his position at the forefront of progressive twentieth-century sculpture, bringing together the most comprehensive selection of his works for a generation. Henry Moore will present over 150 significant works including stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronzes and drawings.

Henry Moore first emerged as an artist in the wake of the First World War, in which he served on the Western Front. This exhibition will emphasise the impact on Moore’s work of its historical and intellectual contexts: the trauma of war, the advent of psychoanalysis and new ideas of sexuality, and the influence of primitive art and surrealism.

The exhibition will explore the defining subjects of Moore’s work, including the reclining figure, the iconic mother and child, abstract compositions and seminal drawings of London during the Blitz. The exhibition will assemble a group of Moore’s great reclining figures carved in Elm wood, the largest number ever to be brought together. These beautiful, heavily grained works show the development of the reclining figure over the course of Moore’s career. The recurring motif of the mother and child will be explored throughout the exhibition. Moore called it his ‘fundamental obsession’, and presented a complex vision of the maternal relationship, ranging from the nurturing bond of Mother and Child 1930-31 (Private Collection), to Suckling Child 1930 (Pallant House).

As Official War Artist, Moore made a series of drawings of Londoners sheltering in the London Underground from the Blitz. Henry Moore will include a selection of the most important of these, made between the autumn of 1940 and the summer of 1941. The drawings transformed Moore’s reputation, not only documenting, but helping to build, the popular perception of the Blitz. His depictions of rows of sleeping figures lying huddled in claustrophobic tunnels captured a sense of profound humanitarian anguish and the fragility of the human body. This continues in his work of the 1950s, reflecting the aftermath of war and the prospect of further conflict.

Visit www.tate.org.uk

SPA – SPA AT FUCHUN RESORT IN HANGZHOU, CHINA

Touring this resort was like stepping back in time. Every inch of the resort was like that of a temple. The spa was no exception with treatments like Himalayan Gem therapy the the Qi balancing massage combining Shiatsu, Reiki, Thai Yoga work to balance the Qi in the body.

Total relaxation and revitalisation is the philosophy at Fuchun Resort where peace and serenity reign supreme. Surrounded by mountains, lakes and a working tea plantation, the resort’s path to rejuvenation includes Asian-inspired spa treatments, 18-hole golf and calming Eastern exercise.

Inspired by a 700-year-old painting, Fuchun Resort has captured its dream-like spirit completely. This resort has it all, from deluxe rooms and suites to superlative villas with views of the mountains beyond. The lakeside lounge and restaurants serve exquisite Asian cuisine.

http://www.fuchunresort.com/move.html

HEALTH- CHINESE MEDICINE

The good, bad and the ugly

During my recent trip to Asia. I decided to indulge in one of my favorite past times, Chinese medical treatments- This time was no exception. After a long flight and an intense Hong Kong schedule. I was looking forward to my next destination, Shanghai, where I would make certain to experience the local clinic “scene.” After touring some serious luxury 5 star spas, I was more ready for a no nonsense approach to combat my inherit ant ‘low chi’. My concierge sent me to his clinic where hopped into a cab in search of the holy grail of Chinese treatments. Initially, I went in for acupuncture written in Chinese by the concierge only to receive an intense a cupping sessions that left me black and blue up for days (see image). The next day I went back for my acupuncture session with a Chinese Doctor in his 70’s with a hearing aid. As I explained to his assistant everything I was experiencing he seemed to know where the source of my issues stemmed from. And, rather and doing the usual song and dance he went in for the kill---- right to my lower back only hitting on these nerves but digging into with all his might- I have never screamed during an acupuncture session, but I guess there is a first time for everything. All the while the Doctor was speaking rapidly to his assistant who exaggerated movements and gestures about my condition while laughing. At this point he applied an electronic frequency or and told me to let him know when I was numb….I thought to myself make certain feelings in my limbs. I could just image the stupid tourist leaving paralyzed? After a few of hours of leaving mentally and emotionally traumatized, I slowly began to feel my back completely opened up and FREE….woweee…If only we could find this ruthless genius doctor in all ports of call…. He wasn’t scared to go to the root of the problem- which between said it was caused from being tired…almost too much to comprehend!