All the tools you need to write, publish, and market your book!

Small group, in-person, writing retreat with publisher and author Zhena Muzyka in gorgeous Ojai, California (90 minutes north of Los Angeles)

Empowered Author’s Academy will educate, inspire and motivate you by giving you the tools, knowledge and connections to write, market and sell your book. 

Reserve early:

• Reserve before February 5  $497,00
• February 6th to March 5th  $597.00
• After March 5th $697.00

To get on the waiting list for this upcoming event, please email Thomas at thomas@zhena.tv

“Artemis, huntress of the moon, make my aim true.”

This week, I sat down with yoga superstar Kathryn Budig to discuss her secrets for balance, success, and how she ‘aims true’ in her life.

Aiming true is about knowing your natural abilities and how to apply them to your life. It is letting go of your projections and the fear of what others will think.

 “When I can stick to my guns, and put my big girl panties on, that’s how I hit my mark every time.” International Yoga Teacher, Kathryn Budig, is spreading the “aim true” message through yoga practice and online platforms.

Tell me how you came into yoga?

“I was a tomboy when I was a little girl, always into sports, and then I transitioned from the sports world to theater and fell in love with the stage.”

A friend was introduced to yoga through a ballet camp and encouraged Kathryn to give it a try. They took a class together, but the first go was not very encouraging. After trying out a new teacher, Kathryn was hooked.

 On International Success

Her petite build and blonde hair may have made Kathryn more marketable, but it has been her honesty and “realness” that has kept her business thriving. “I’m not going to monitor myself, I have no filter, which kind of gets me into trouble sometimes…In this day and age, how many people are filtering their entire life?”

 It is easy to let success go to your head,

“We have followers, we have likes, we’re all a celebrity in our own shape and form because of social media. And, that goes to our heads.” But, what truly withstands is your lessons and what you are sharing.

Finding the Inspiration to Aim True

• To stay in shape, change things up whether it be practicing martial arts or reading a piece of fiction.
• Set your yoga goal on achieving a pose, not on the number of hours or classes you take each week.
• Take personal time to restore, morning time with your dog or evenings with your mate.
• Keep your eyes open and look in odd places for inspiration.
• Cultivate your curiosity when it comes to your health and success.

Tune in for the full episode of Change Maker, Kathryn Budig: The Power of Yoga, and What it Means to “Aim True” in Your Life

Join Yoga superstar Kathryn Budig as she and Zhena discuss the power of yoga, a morning practice, and how to keep your balance. http://cbsloc.al/1DJPFdk

Poses for Paws- As Co-Founder of Poses for Paws, Kathryn Budig has a passion for animal rights. Poses for Paws is a platform to raise money and awareness. To learn more visit Poses for Paws on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/posesforpaws

Under Armour: I Will What I Want Campaign- “Will is stronger than fate.”
A company with a mission creates the culture and the change. And, that is exactly what Under Armour is doing with their “I Will What I Want campaign, empowering women to believe in themselves. Learn more at: https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/iwillwhatiwant

You can find Kathryn on her blog at: http://kathrynbudig.com/

“Happiness isn’t a destination. Happiness is a state of mind.For this week’s episode of Change Maker, I sat down with filmmaker Besty Chasse to talk life stories, uplifting women, and living your truth…

What The Bleep Do We Know?

Filmmaker Betsy Chasse on the film’s aftermath in her life,

“After The Bleep came out I was paraded around the world as some kind of enlightened master. Because, I made The Bleep, I somehow had all the answers.”

Feeling like she was lying to people, making it sound too easy to “get a dream life,” Betsy Chasse’s current life story came crashing down. Divorce, a broken bank account, and a midlife meltdown gave Betsy an opportunity to change her story, the one she thought she was “supposed” to live anyway.

“I said to myself, I don’t want to live lies. I don’t want to put lies out into the world and I don’t want to lie to myself anymore about who I am, about what I love, about what is meaningful to me.”

Betsy came away determined to live up to the truth for herself and everyone else. What Betsy realized, and what we can all take away from this, is that it is not necessarily the aspects of your life that are the lie. The lies come when you have dishonest reasons for them. It is when we choose certain paths because we feel like we will not be good enough if we don’t, rather than because it is truly what our hearts desire.

“Everything you see is based on what you believe, so if you believe you are not worthy of love then all that you believe is going to be based around that idea of not being worthy.”

The Scariness of Letting Blame Go

When you take back charge of your life and stop blaming other people, there is no one left, but you. Everything is on you and you are responsible. That can be scary. An idea that came out of The Bleep: I create my reality. “When I say that what I’m saying is…I create my perception of reality. My reality is created based on my belief systems. I get to be in charge.”

We can gain empowerment by having conversations with ourselves. In any given situation ask: Why am I choosing to see it that way? Is there another way to see it?

For more tips and insights, listen in to this week’s episode of Change Maker:

Filmmaker (What the Bleep Do We Know, Song of a New Earth) Betsy Chasse Shares Her Secrets for Living the Truth

Join Zhena and Betsy as they discuss Betsy’s commitment to being “truthful at all times”and what that meant for her marriage, her kids, and her career. By committing to the truth, she found her own brand of happiness and you can too. http://cbsloc.al/1MmJ6p5

I sat down for a chat with co-founders of Kijini, Matthew Sanderson and Mark Hinds, to talk frequency, resonance, and voice analysis…

Who knew that the high and low points in your recorded voice give clues to the state of your health,

“Your voice essentially represents the frequencies that are in your nervous system and throughout your body. When we look at your voice a certain way, when it is analyzed with our algorithms, we can look at the specific frequencies that are out of balance or not in perfect harmony or coherence with the rest of your system. By pulling those out, we can see what effect those frequencies may be having in your system.”

What is this science behind sound and voice analysis?

It just so happens that everything in existence emits a vibrational signature. Everything is what it is by its vibration. The voice has a unique set of attributes that represents what is happening in the body. Think about it, we can tell what mood those around us are in by the sound of their voice. Now, we can add scientific analysis to that sound for better health of the body. This sound technology allows us to look at the attributes of the body as a whole. The Kijini apps break down what we have all experienced, using science and technology, for optimum health!

Our voices are hardwired to the brain and nervous system…
“The recurrent laryngeal nerve and the vagus nerve go right from the heart and brain to the voice box and the vocal cords. So, all of that vibration is embedded in the voice…If we look at everything from a vibrational perspective, we can see why it’s manifesting physically. We’re getting to the source of the problem.”

When Kijini analyzes your vocal frequencies through the app, it can tell you what frequencies are resonating low. The idea is that by using a resonance in harmony with you, with what you need, balance and healing can occur. Sounds can be applied that are most supportive to your optimal health and energy.

To learn more about the amazing healing power of sound, listen to this week’s episode of Change Maker: The Sound of Wellness
Meet the inventors of Kijini – a new technology that takes the sound of your voice to heal your body, mind and spirit.http://cbsloc.al/1LJ94Qr

Data-driven technology reveals Secrets in Your Voice
You can learn more about Kijini at http://kijini.com/ Or contribute to the app project via IndieGoGo:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kijini-unlock-the-secrets-of-your-voice/#/story

The Diamond Cutter-principles on wealth, love and living a life of generosity with Geshe Michael Roach

The first Westerner to complete the extensive twenty-five-year training in the monastery, Michael Roach was sent to New York to start a diamond business. The goal? Raise one million dollars in a year using the law of get this…karma.

Upset with the idea for months, not enjoying business or New York, Michael gave in and began the journey.

What are these “Diamond Cutter” Principles?
“In the monastery, over many years of study, you learn everything you do or say gets recorded, it makes an imprint on your mind, on your subconscious…that imprint then becomes a seed.”

The seed will later open and have an impact on how you see the world. The theory applies to business in the way you interact with others. When you help someone else in business, be profitable, it creates a seed in your mind. When that seed is nurtured properly, it will open into a successful business.

With all the things in the world, why diamonds?
This ancient book by Buddha named The Diamond Cutter, explains how the golden rule works,
“There’s no mention of diamonds and there’s no mention of diamond cutters. So, in the monastery, I would spend a lot of time asking my teachers what’s so important about the diamond. It’s a very important symbol or metaphor in meditation and Buddhism because the diamond is the hardest thing in the universe. Nothing can scratch a diamond.”

A diamond is the closest thing in the universe to emptiness. A diamond is pure potential.

The Importance of Reflection with Joy Over Pride

Give what you need and then reflect upon the experience of giving.
“Once you do a good deed…then you plant a seed in your mind and that seed will open and it will create something beautiful for you.”

It is a rejoicing, not an act of pride. Enjoy the good things you are doing as you fall asleep. Know that you are planting seeds. The Diamond Cutter Principles are being shared all over the world. The principles are like gravity,
“Gravity works for whoever drops something. If you have a stone in your hand and you drop it, it doesn’t matter what country you come from, or what sex you are, or how old you are, what religion you are.”

In the monastery it is encouraged to go to the difficult places. “The lotus grows best in the worst smelling swamps.”

Imagine what would happen to the idea of competition if the principle of helping others be successful really took off. Competition would become obsolete, and the world would be a better place, don’t you think! If the common view was to get what you want, you must help someone else get what they want, wow how quickly things would change.

What’s the Karma for Creativity? “The way you plant a seed in your mind to have the next big idea, is to congratulate and be happy about someone else having a good idea.”

Even for startups,
“If it’s true that you get what you give, then even in the startup of a business you should try and divert some of the money that you have towards the success of other people’s business.”

The Principle of Karma and Your Money 
Does being successful in a material way, mean that you are failing in a spiritual way? At some point, you understand that success in one does not mean ultimate failure in the other. They can coexist beautifully.
“You have to be careful not to overwork and lose your meditation time, but you also have to be careful not to over meditate and lose your touch with reality, with the real world.”

To understand more of the principles behind the remarkable book, The Diamond Cutter, be sure not to tune in to this week’s Change Maker:
The Diamond Cutter- principles on wealth, love and living a life of generosity with Geshe Michael Roach
Play.it: http://cbsloc.al/1IzaGy1
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-maker-zhena-muzyka/id951166221?mt=2

Are you addicted to certainty?

Do you write stories about what needs to happen in order for you to be ok?
“I’m going to have this job until I retire.” “I’m going to have this amount of money in the bank by the time I’m fifty.” “My child is going to go to this college so they will get a good job and have a good life.”

We hold on to these types of stories, but what happens when things change?
Uncertainty. Anxiety. Worry.

Allison Carmen was well on her way to fulfilling her story as a first-year attorney when the threat of being let go from her job began a downward spiral of fear,
“All of a sudden this whole story, that I had based so much of my life on, had just vanished into thin air. And, I started to worry what’s going to happen next, how will I pay my rent, what are my parents going to think, and I reached a new level of anxiety that I didn’t recover from for a very long time.”

Learn how a story about a horse and a farmer changed Allison’s life in this week’s episode of Change Maker: http://cbsloc.al/1BJZTyT

Allison began to play with the idea of “maybe,” of other possibilities than her predetermined stories. Maybe everything would get better or what if everything is ok as it is…gasp! Maybe!

“When I started to think that way, everything changed. My fear transformed into hope and I was much more open, much more peaceful, much more relaxed.”

A shift into playing with uncertainty can change your life as it did for Allison. You can begin to sit in a larger place and see the potential for the positive, rather than jumping straight to the negative. Hmmm, maybe everything can be good. Contemplate it for a moment.

“Maybe says, I’m available for life.” You’re showing up!

Maybe as a cognitive phase…
The Maybe Philosophy gives you permission to feel what you feel while expanding into other possibilities. You see an opening. You are able to connect and reduce suffering. You learn to understand that life does not come down to a single moment. If one thing happens, you do not need to give up.

Be sure to check out Allison’s The Gift of Maybe in a bookstore near you.
Allison Carmen also blogs at http://www.allisoncarmen.com/

Full interview available on this week’s episode of Change Maker:

Kick Your Addiction to Certainty

As a life coach, business consultant and author, Allison Carmen has developed the simple life philosophy called “Maybe” to help people deal with the uncertainty of life. She has successfully applied the philosophy to help her clients, who range from entrepreneurs and owners of multi-million dollar companies to artists, actors, writers, fashion designers, attorneys, health care workers, parents, nannies and the homeless. Allison has witnessed hundreds of people, regardless of present circumstances, who had the courage to step into the realm of Maybe, improve their lives.

iTunes– https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-maker-zhena-muzyka/id951166221?mt=2

Play.It– http://cbsloc.al/1BJZTyT

“When we started our life together, 35 years ago, there weren’t any self-help books on how to have a better relationship. We looked around for people that we could model and we didn’t find very many role models with the kind of relationship we wanted.”

That is how the seed was planted for the Hendricks Institute and all the amazing books that Gay and Katie Hendricks have authored.

The idea of “Conscious Loving” brought Gay and Katie to desires they had for their own relationship. Concepts like:
• Being Emotionally Transparent
• Going “Blame Free” And…
• Eliminating Criticism

All relationship progress, however, starts with the relationship you have with your internal self. Struggling with emotions is something everyone experiences across ages and cultures. As we get older, we lose touch with our body intelligence.

“Civilization takes us, in many ways, away from our natural body intelligence and forces us to focus more on the outside and how our body looks rather than how it’s feeling inside.”

Relationships are an inside job. “You always get the kind of love from the outside that you give to yourself inside.” It is a natural reflection. You can become more aware of this by asking questions like,

“What are my feelings towards myself?”
“How much do I love myself?
“How much am I valuing myself right now?”

But, what do you do when you realize you are not valuing yourself when you realize you are in a fear state?

1. Acknowledge It- make that Mind/Body connection
2. Voice It (with people you are close to, have an intimate relationship with)
3. Create the space to have a good time and heal

“Most people don’t experience 15 minutes of intimacy in their entire lifetime.” ~Eric Berne

Intimacy is hard because we are afraid. Trust is a physical sensation. There are some things you cannot figure out with your mind. If you make the effort towards intimacy, it turns out that you free up creative energy. Freeing yourself from relationship struggles also frees up more space to create. Surround yourself with relationships that inspire you and encourage your creativity. If you are still struggling, you can try a “Fear Melter” exercise http://www.hendricks.com/body-free-resources/fear-melters/

Catch the full episode of Change Maker with Gay Hendricks on

The Wisdom of No Criticism in Relationships, and Body Intelligence for Success

Gay Hendricks, author of 35+ books including bestsellers: The Big Leap and Conscious Loving shares the secrets to his success in marriage, business, and creativity. Learn tips for blasting past fear, building your best marriage, and creating more love and fun in your work.

Play.It: http://www1.play.it/audio/change-maker-with-zhena-muzyka/ 
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-maker-zhena-muzyka/id951166221?mt=2

“Human connection and connecting really well with people who are very different from you, whether from another country or just a different social background, socio-economic status, that can be the powerful key to social change.” ~Kate Otto

We have so much opportunity for connection through technology, but it can make us lose “real,” human connection. People want to create change, but often don’t know how. That is where Everyday Ambassadors come in…

What does it mean for “everyday” people to become an ambassador for change?

“You can be an everyday ambassador literally on your own block, in your own hometown, without ever leaving at all. Because, being an everyday ambassador is being someone who cares about meaningful human connection and develops the skills to do that.”

These concepts of being everyday ambassadors are starting to seep into everything. Our technology, how we buy our groceries, how we farm, how we vote, all of that.

What can we, as everyday ambassadors, do to create change with our daily choices?

• Take a digital detox – disconnect in order to reconnect
• ​When you do use technology and social media, use it to stay closer to people
• Be thoughtful in the way you engage with people
• Be willing to have hard conversations and listen
• Become more mindful of the things you buy and what you support

Technology has brought us awareness, but we have to use it in a way that creates positive change.  The more exposure we have to each other’s hearts, the more understanding and acceptance grows.

Endorsements for Everyday Ambassadors

At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing- safety, healthy children, love, and peace.

“Kate is the ultimate example of how someone can mobilize the spirit, the heart and a true love for mankind to become an Everyday Ambassador.” Alicia Keys

“Disparaging her generation’s addiction to multi-tasking and superficial digital connections, [Kate] offers hard-won critical insights to others who want to be of service in the world as she discovers that the way to change the world is to change yourself.” Susan Davis; Co-author, Social Entrepreneurship

“Everyday Ambassador articulates some of the most important trends of our time. Through Kate Otto’s travels and stories we can’t help but reflect on our own lives and the incredible importance of the everyday hero that is in each of us.” Daniel Epstein; Founder of Unreasonable Institute & Unreasonable Group

Learn more about the book, the #AmbassadorOf campaign, and join in on the movement by visitinghttp://everydayambassador.org

Listen to the full episode of Change Maker with Kate Otto

Play.It: http://www1.play.it/audio/change-maker-with-zhena-muzyka/

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-maker-zhena-muzyka/id951166221?mt=2

Using Technology as a Spiritual Practice with Mikey Siegel

“What if we started to design technology as a tool for profound positive transformation?”~Mikey Siegel

Mikey Siegel began his journey working with robots with companies like NASA, MIT, and Audi. A search for meaning took Mikey’s passion for tech to a whole new level in “Conscious Hacking.”

What is this new path of Transformative Technology?

I sat down with Mikey to learn how technology can transform our lives and eradicate human suffering from the inside out.

This new field is a work in progress, and we are ready to go beyond the scope of meditation apps…

“I think that what you will see, as this process continues, is that you will have technologies that begin to be a lot more innovative. They begin to actually know more about what is happening inside your body and inside of your brain and the interfaces begin to look a lot different. It’s no longer just apps on your phone; it may be devices you actually wear, measuring the rhythms of your heart, measuring your brainwave patterns, measuring your breathing…”

Development is going from apps that simply serve as a reminder to meditate and take better care of ourselves to technology that gives intuitive, specialized, real-time feedback. We have the potential to achieve greater results in a shorter period of time, by combining technology with more traditional practices.

Mikey Siegel is personally working towards tech tools that bring people together. He says that we need to start asking,
“How can we use technology to foster a deep sense of ‘felt’ connection?”

This connection and awareness affects us personally, and then spreads out into our external world in a positive way. “Our own internal process of finding a sense of peace and well-being is not just about us. It’s actually something that affects everyone around us. And as we change, as we gain in self-awareness, that whole process seeps out into the world.”

Join us for a conversation about tech, consciousness, and hacking–yeah, all at once with this week’s episode of Change Maker!

Audio Play.It http://www1.play.it/audio/change-maker-with-zhena-muzyka/ 
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-maker-zhena-muzyka/id951166221?mt=2

You can also learn more about Mikey Siegel’s work on his website at http://mikeysiegel.com 

Don’t forget to share this post on social media and leave your comments.

When Adryenn Ashley got the idea for a new kind of talk show, it was December 6th, 2014. Within a few short months, she has crowd-funded it, hired a production crew and found hosts (I’m honored to be one of them!)…

So, what is the key to gathering a team and get things happening fast?

Creative Chaos, How o Pull Together a Team:

• Start with a strong vision and hold true to it.
• Gather people that understand the mission, a strong “Why.”
• Keep only those that are passionate.

What is the “Why” of WakeUp?
Feed viewers empowering content that has the potential to change lives!

To get more viewers, networks are programming our brains with the drive-through effect…
“We don’t need more Honey Boo Boo. We need more content that actually creates better lives, and we don’t have it. That’s not what the networks are programmed for because they are committed to getting the largest audience possible. I don’t want the largest audience; I want the right audience.” ~ Adryenn Ashley

And that is exactly what WakeUp is committed to.
Adryenn hired a film team to shoot WakeUp instead of a Television team, in order to work faster and smarter with more control.

The way we are now handling media, startups, and companies, we’re ridding the heart and soul of it in order to have in friction and get a quick hit. WakeUp is controlling the conversation by carefully hand-selecting everyone from guests on the show down to the advertisers. “It’s not just about the broadcast; it’s the whole community…We’ve built a social TV community.”

To hear more about how Wake Up is operating television differently, listen here:
WAKEUP! Changing Television with New Show by Single Mom Turned Executive Producer, Adryenn Ashley: http://cbsloc.al/1E1m52E

Want to engage with the WakeUp Community?
Get Involved…
Like the Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/WakeUpTVShow
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/WakeUpTVShow

Grab your FREE Backstage Pass by visiting the website:
http://wakeuptv.com

Sunday: Self-Determination & Making Better Choices
Monday: Your Health & Fitness Plan
Tuesday: Book Club
Wednesday: Tweet Chat
Thursday: Celebrity Interview
Friday: Coaching Corner
Saturday: Show Airs!

Real Women Supporting Other Women
First show airs May 9th on the CBS My State Partnership POP!