The Official Vivapura Blog

How this whole thing started........

   This is has become my name around here as of late. I have several.......I am known in the raw food world courtesy of David Wolfe as 'coconutty', my spiritual name is krisanga......you choose as I respond to all...:) I am responsible for finding these incredible edibles!!!! Some of it is luck, connections and the rest divine intervention!!!! I give many thanks to the plant world for sharing all of its abundance with us. :)

   A little about this one....

        I have spent the last 12 years living in Key West, Florida operating a landscape design firm called Ecoscapes, www.keysecoscapes.com. During that time I swam in the ocean daily, sojourned with wild dolphins, watched amazing sunsets , climbed coconut trees, and spent my days playing with plants.

Many people over the years have asked me how I got into the raw food world. It all started one day 2003 in key west.  I woke one Saturday morning with coconuts on the brain, literally. Funny because at the time I was planting a grove of 40'+ coconut trees for a client, not an easy task. In that moment I decided to sell wild coconuts fresh from the island of key west.  And so greencoconuts.com was born. I shipped wild coconuts found by me and my landscape crew and shipped them all over the US.  I played around with this side business for about a year until I realized it was time to shift more coconut gears. Lets just say I have been bitten by the coconut bug for awhile now.

  I founded cocopura.com in 2004 on a whim.  I had been searching for a raw organic high quality coconut oil for awhile.  I finally found it in Australia! The DME was what I was after. I originally desired to buy the press so that I could make my coconut oil from key west. It was way too difficult to import the DME system into the states. David Wolfe from Nature's First Law picked up the product and the rest is history, thank you David!

 In the summer of 2007 I started selling superfoods underground in Patagonia. With the help of our wondrous 'luca' as the packaging extraordinaire. Vivapura was born overnight with help of its older brother cocopura. We merged the two together and the universe did the rest.

 My wish is that you enjoy our offerings and share the abundance!!!

 You can learn more about me and my adventures,  follow me on my blog, www.coconutty.typepad.com

 Peace be!

Well, I'm back in action here at Vivapura...and wow, have things ever changed! 

Thinking back to the days when I was bagging goji berries and cacao nibs in zip lock bags, testing out new fun recipes for potentially selling, and dreaming of the day when I'd be able to make it all a full time job, it's hard to believe that day has actually arrived. 

In only the 4 months or so that I was away, the company has just sky rocketed.  We even have a computer in the kitchen now, so I'm not constantly walking back and forth from kitchen to stock room checking out what needs to be packed next.  And OMG!  There's an intercom!!!  I can find Krisanga now without having to run around the warehouse screaming his name, and Erika is only one, well, technically two buttons away, sweet!  Let's see what else...the kitchen is laid out so much better, so much more shelving and storage, way cool.  The scales can actually read lbs to the nearest thousandth, that's right, 3 decimal points!  The heat sealer doesn't require my entire body catapulting down onto it just to press it down hard enough for a simple seal.  Oh, and have I mentioned the fact that there is only 1 bag involved to pack now?...no more packing a bag, and then having to repack into another bag to assure it's safe- so much less time involved. 

I must say, the one thing I am happy has not changed is confetti creme...mmm...the way it penetrates the entire kitchen with it's earthy smell...and oh ya- the jackfruit, now there's a fruit I missed.  Well, happy to be back Vivapura, and excited to stock the new cold storage room until it's overflowing with product (and of course needing to re-stock it shortly after as everything has obviously flown right off the shelves:)

Just wanted to introduce myself. I serve as one of the three co-owners of Vivapura along with Christopher “Krisanga” Cowen and Chris Whitcoe (loving called “Whitcoe”).

A little about me in this life: I became vegetarian when I was 12, even though I did not know a single person practicing a plant based diet. So it certainly seemed weird to the folks in my world. But by that time they knew to expect “out of the box” behavior. Turns out it isn’t so weird after all. I chose a vegan diet Thanksgiving day when I was 19 and my mom announced to all in attendance that there would be no holiday turkey that year because she was embracing vegetarianism and veganism all in one fell swoop (yeah, mom!). Everyone lived without the turkey – especially the turkey.

I earned a BA in Environmental Policy, with a focus on how food production (especially cattle ranching) effects developing nations environmentally, economically, politically and socially. And now years later (ok not sooooo many years) I find myself in the business of sustainably sourced nutrition – oh how I love the ever full circle of life.

Then off on my Spiritual sojourn – meditating in the Himalayas, receiving a teaching certification in Yoga, facilitating expressive dance, living in spiritual community, serving at the right hand of my spiritual teacher for many years. Meditating, Meditating and Meditating! And the spiritual awareness continues to deepen.

At this stage of my life Vivapura serves as a “real world” learning laboratory for Spirit in action every day! In fact, this is the reason we started the company. There are other companies that sell cacao nibs and goji berries. We wanted Vivapura to serve a unique purpose – a “sanga” for those on the spiritual path (customers, employees, and suppliers alike) decided to creating a life “in the real world” that truly supports the values of Oneness, compassion, sharing, sacred mirroring, presence, commitment, integrity, honesty, purity and Love. It has been deLightful most of the time and blessedly “trial by fire” at other times. We are truly committed to “Business as a Path of Consciousness.” (I borrow the term from Chris Whitcoe’s keynote speech by the same title.) And our cacao nibs and goji berries are really amazing too!

Life is so full. I am blessed to be a mom to Israel, my 8 year old (long haired) son. And I am completing a Master’s Degree in Vaastu: Ancient Sacred Architecture – Living Architecture (more on that in later blogs).

And I drink chia-goji water with 3 drops of lemon oil every day!

In Service to the One (that’s You)!

Michael Vick has been released from jail and will be playing football again for the NFL.This has made national news. One of the highest paid quarterbacks of all time, he was convicted of financing an illegal dog fighting ring, and there are a lot of people who are very upset at what he has done. (See http://www.google.com/search?q=michael+vick+dog+fighting) 

I find it very interesting to listen to the individuals who are so quick to bash Michael Vick concerning his abuse of dogs. I can’t help but wonder how many of them will be sitting down tonight to a steak, pork or chicken dinner. What is the connection that those people have to fighting dogs that they don’t have to what’s on their plate?

In today’s industrial farm culture, there is much evidence of the barbarous abuse and torture that our “food” undergoes in the process of raising animals for market. What is it going to take to create that kind of awareness for sausage links, hamburger patties and chicken nuggets?

One of the first things I noticed about my own experience with not-eating-meat was that my anger issues greatly diminished. Did eating meat contribute to my anger issues? Is that because of the stress hormones and acids that get released right as the animals are slaughtered? Is it because of the energetic frequencies of that torture that possibly remain in the meat that I was eating? I can’t say for sure, but I know that deep inside there is a larger effect on our being and consciousness whenever we engage, either directly or indirectly, in the process of animal abuse.

I believe that most people simply do not choose to know where their food comes from. In the remote recesses of their mind, individuals in our society would much rather enjoy their food in "blissful" ignorance of the true aberrations that accompany the raising and slaughtering of farm animals. If they did, then our society may look a little different. Instead of searching all over town to find fresh, locally grown, organic vegetarian food in a restaurant, we may one day be hard pressed to find a hamburger. 

Or maybe McDonald's will eventually have a raw option on their menu. That would be a universally happy meal!

Last week while I was sitting in the morning meeting I looked around and noticed how everyone in our group has their own soecial morning drink that we drink each morning.  Not only do we each have our own special drink but we have our own unique container.  I thought it would be a lot of fun to take a peak at what we each start our day off with at Vivapura.  First up, Ben.

                                                                                                                                                  -Erika

    I've gone through my whole superfood smoothie phase and still enjoy really well balanced elixers. These days however, my morning concoction is loaded with one of the best superfoods ever: WATER! Proper hydration is perhaps the most paramount concern for well being, especially here in the desert where Vivapura is located. We are made primarily of water and require adequate hydration for optimal function.

 I choose to nourish myself on some of the most pristine water. My first choice is spring water from a nearby source (translation of "nearby" -- a five hour drive). If this is not available, I Love upgrading my water with the following:

Pattrick Flannagan's Crystal Enery is uniquely formulated to create more hydration from our water and better assimilation of nutrients and vitamins.
MSM aids in internal cleansing and flexibility.
Quantum Polar Mins are minerals found near the South Pole delivering incredible amounts of mineral ionization and aids in hydration.
Young Living Essential Oil (Peppermint or Lemon) Both oils deliver excellent cooling and hydrating effects as well as imparting a flavor to water
Vortexing structures water molecules just as the bends of a river spin the water. The easiest way to structure water is to create a cyclone effect by whirling water both clockwise and counter-clockwise
Intention upgrades water because of its crystalline nature. All life responds to vibration and by honoring our water, we honor our Self & cells.
Glass Vessels preserve the integrity of pristine water. 

Pictured is my 64oz dark glass vessel of aqua. Notice the Francene Hart artwork bringing in the sacred geometry vibe to the Intention aspect. When creating your vessel for whatever your morning drink is, I invite you to also decorate it in a way that is personal to you and lends itself to conjure uplifting emotions and elevated thoughts.
Blessings & Blissings
BenJahMa

 Hello readers!  My name is Erika and I am on a huge adventure.  I just moved from Brooklyn, New York to the picturesque Patagonia, AZ to be the Office Manager for Vivapura.  I answer your phone calls and write little notes on your invoices and carefully pack up all your yummy Vivapura goodies for shipping.

When I'm not at Vivapura I like to draw, make food and sew.  I also am a Certified Health Counselor and mother to a 6 year old.  

I feel like I've found a true home in Vivapura. Everyday I am delighted to pass my time with such caring people who are interested in bettering themselves and the planet.  I've worked many jobs in the past and spent many years working for myself and I never imagined that there could be a work place like this.  To work for a company where I truly support the mission and feel truly supported by my coworkers is a true gift for which I'm grateful.

 Blessings & Blissings Vivapurians.
    I AM Benjamin, Vivapura's grateful kitchen manager. You may recognize me from guest blogger Savrah's entry entitled "VivaPura saved my Life." Remember that jar of confetti creme, or that bag of Buddha's Delite you picked up a while back? Well, I had the honor of pouring my Love into those products.
    I affectionately refer to our kitchen as the Temple of Sweetness. It is my privilege  to hold the energy of "High Priest in the Temple of Sweetness." This tongue-in-cheek nomenclature is truly my light-hearted way of paying homage to the high vibrational superfoods that VivaPura offers.
    The next time you tear into one of our sensational products, I invite you to meditate on the vibrance of that food. Maybe it comes in the form of a simple "Thank you" expressing gratitude for the multitude of bees in Australia, fervently collecting pollen from the Jarrah tree in Australia. Or perhaps it's a quick prayer for the families in the Dut village of Turkey, who harvest our amazing White Mulberries.
    We here at Vivapura hold a deep respect for our planet and the community that inhabits it. I AM proud to include you in our family.
    In'Lakesh
    BenJahman

We recommit to blogging!  Every morning we have a meeting and during this meeting we read affirmations, our missions and our sacred responsibilities as members of the Vivapura team.  Our Sacred Agreements have such choice lines such as "I am effective and efficient. I optimize every moment. I am on purpose," or "I take full responsibility for my words and what I speak. I live my word."  When the reader completes reading these we all have the chance to Recommit to our agreements or something else in our life.  If someone is late for the meeting they will recommit to being on time for example.

In the spirit of our Vivapura Sacred Agreements I would like to say on behalf of the Vivapura team that we recommit to blogging.  Not just to blogging but to sharing our information, love, gratitude and experiences with you our readers and customers.  We have plans on sharing recipes, commentary, events, videos and so much more on these virtual pages.  The intention is to have many members of the team sharing here as well as guest bloggers.

I love Vivapura right now!  I mean, I have enjoyed supporting them as their business has grown over this last year.  And that Jarrah Bee Pollen- so, so delicious!  And this week I have an absolutely new appreciation for this amazing company.

I went to Yoga last Tuesday morning with Meg, who works for Viva-p and told her about a heartbreak I've been going through.  She suggested that if I wanted somewhere to go and hang out later that day, I should come by the warehouse.  I walked into Vivapura at 11:00, and by 11:30 I was working in the kitchen, packaging superfoods.  I worked the rest of the week, packaging, cleaning, making sample baggies, hanging out with Ben in the kitchen.  It is exactly what I need right now!  I get into a meditative groove with the simple activities and the amazing energy of the products.  Working with Ben in the kitchen is providing much needed laughter and fun!

One aspect of the day I am really enjoying is the morning meeting.  It's an opportunity for everyone to sit together and ground into our intentions around how we are doing business, as well as a chance to clear any personal blocks that may be in our way.  As a guide we are using some tools from the book "Sacred Commerce", and they are quite helpful.  I fully appreciate having the opportunity to focus on what I am doing and why, as well as the opportunity to hear how things are going for other people and the company as a whole.

So, thank you Viva-p!!  I really do feel healing happening!  I am looking forward to work tomorrow!

Love,

Savrah :)

I once had a next door neighbor who lived by himself, ate fairly healthy, with the possible exception of a diet pepsi addiction. How do I know this? Because every monday and thursday, when we put the trash on the curb, I would notice that he would manage to smush all of his garbage into the 12-pack pepsi carton. Except for an occasional plastic bag, that was all he usually left on garbage day. I often wondered how he managed to produce so little waste.

Not long after, my family transitioned to a mostly raw food diet. We bought lots of fresh produce and began composting the waste. And most importantly, we "opted-out" of the modern consumer-based materialism that seems to be driving our society (not having a TV helps).

The result: very little trash. We even reduced out trash pickup to once a week instead of twice a week.

I have traveled to Mexico, China and India, and I couldn't help but notice the enormous amounts of roadside litter. In certain parts of the world, it is beyond crisis. I often asked myself, what is the enabling factor? Obviously there is a lack of infrastructure. But I recall a period in the 70's where we in the US we also prone to littering. It seems that has changed.

Here's my theory.

In extremely poor communities within "developing" nations, there isn't much "purchasing of commercial stuff" going on. People farm, raise domesticated animals for milk and cheese, and produce food. Others make crafts, some catch fish, and everyone mostly sells or exchanges at the market. Purchases are made and people carry their wares in baskets. In this scenario, all "waste" is natural compost. There is not much thought process in chucking a banana peel or apple core into the bushes. The use of a "trash can" is unnecessary. This behavior is culturally ingrained.

Then, over the course of the last 60 years or so, communities in the world are introduced to processed food, manufactured goods, and the resulting "packaging", much of it plastic. The concept of trash that doesn't compost is at some point new, and the community consciousness hasn't yet adapted to this phenomenon.

At some point, the children who are brought up under the “just-chuck-you-plastic-bottle-on-the-roadside” grow up and question the feasibility of this behavior. Eventually, they make their way into politics and help transform their communities’ infrastructure. Campaigns of “no-littering” bring attention and awareness to the issue.

Here’s the good news

With the growing trend towards consciousness and caring about the planet, consumers and produces in the “developed” countries are beginning to choose bio-degradable packaging. Perhaps we can alleviate this issue, instead of trying to “attack the problem”, by simply leaping past it and upgrading our lifestyle consciously.

 We are currently working on creating new labels for Cocopura. Stay tuned!

Our purpose is to fully support the highest potential of what human beings can be, do and have, through our body-mind-soul.

Our goals are to:

1. get out there and be known in the world
2. educate the consumer about the benefits of living consciously, initially through food and eating, and eventually in all aspects of life
3. help us on our personal journey, knowing that this is a life processes

We'll start by providing access to the most nutritionally dense superfood on the planet
Read more...