While searching for a movie to watch for the night, we recently stumbled upon a collection of magazines. A couple of headlines caught us off guard: “Drop 10 Pounds”; “Flatten Your Belly”; “Hotter, Carefree Sex”. Unable to resist the urge to see what was being presented in today’s pop-culture media, we opened up and began to flip through. After locating the table of contents amongst all of the advertisements for hair, skin, and makeup products, we proceeded to the articles to see what we might find.
To put it simply, we were astonished. The advice and lifestyle presented inside seemed so very artificial and materialistic. Even in one of the publications that seemed to be a bit more practical and geared towards a slightly higher consciousness, a magazine called Self, most of the material was some form of marketing and much of the content was made up of blatant attempt at sex-appeal.
This was when we began to have a serious discussion about popular social beliefs regarding health and wellness. We felt a responsibility to act, and to share our understanding of what it means to be healthy and well. Thus, we have decided to create Forces of Nature, a publication of our own.
Forces of Nature will be an online journal intended to provide a grounded and holistic counter-perspective to mainstream cultural propaganda on health and wellness. It will consist of editorial articles and essays on popular topics. These topics will at times be original subjects of our own choosing, and will at other times be direct responses to referenced topics in pop-culture magazines. We are also open to input from our readership; please feel free to write in with a question or topic of concern.
As many health topics are gender-segregated issues, many of the articles in Forces of Nature will be split into masculine and feminine perspectives. Other articles will be more universal discussions, and will be addressed singularly. We encourage our readers to remember that this journal is meant to be accessible to anyone: male or female, young or old, ill or healthy, and we encourage you to read all of the material. While it may not, at times, pertain directly to you, we believe that the ideas and perspectives presented here are grounded in a great Truth, and will be of value in your life and your relationships.
As a parting blessing:
May what we share have value to you. May it guide you to a natural approach to life and relationship. May what we share help to cultivate within you self-respect and self-responsibility. May you learn to live in rhythm and relationship with the great Forces of Nature.
This post is over two months old now but I still want to say a huge THANK YOU for your insight. It is so much appreciated. I used to work for a magazine company running statistical reports that showed the high likelihood for x,y, and z readers to buy x,y, and z products that the ad sales reps would take to potential advertisers. Every day I was astounded that I got paid to do what I did. I finally left to raise my children and I am so grateful for having gotten out of a world consumed with consumption. The business of advertising has led to so many of our society’s problems. It is difficult as a parent to fight that incredibly large beast. I wish the world all over could tune into the capacity to listen to what they alone want and need and then go knock on the advertiser’s door instead of the other way around.