For Tim Miejan ’83, his desire to live a holistic, healthy lifestyle started at an early age, thanks to his mother, and eventually led to his current career. Tim is the co-owner and editor of The Edge, a monthly magazine that explores all aspects of holistic living. He was hired as managing editor in 1995, and he and a colleague bought the print and online publication in 2009.
Integrating holistic principles into his daily life is what Tim calls “an ongoing evolution, both inwardly and outwardly.” He has a personal interest in natural products and complementary health care practices related to living a stress-free life. For him, a holistic lifestyle extends from the products he buys (an electric, rechargeable lawnmower and a hybrid car) to the food he eats (as organic as possible).
Tim says he has also integrated meditation into his daily life and has sought to become more “awake with regard to my personal consciousness in relationship with others and my environment.”
He enrolled at Missouri Western when his family moved to St. Joseph after he had already completed one year at a community college in Nebraska. “My (Missouri Western) college experience was centered around my desire to become a journalist, a decision I made as a high school sophomore,” he said. He calls his three years on the staff of the Griffon News the highlight of his Missouri Western experience.
Tim said his favorite classes were those related to his English major, particularly creative writing with Dr. John Gilgun.
“I truly appreciate the fine education I received at Missouri Western, as it directly contributed to me being able to step in and become a professional journalist,” Tim said. “I wish I could personally thank each of the professors and instructors who took their time to support me in my growth as a person and citizen.”
After graduating from Missouri Western, Tim worked for the St. Joseph News-Press/Gazette, where he had been working part-time as a student. He worked there 12 years before relocating to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. While job seeking there, he saw that The Edge had an opening for a managing editor’s position, and the magazine’s mission piqued his interest.
“In the mid-1990s, The Edge was a free monthly tabloid that focused on alternative healing, spirituality, metaphysics, intuition and other aspects of holistic living,” Tim said. “My desire to live simply, in a non-toxic environment, with a rich inner life, contributed to my choice to join The Edge and offer the public a way to express and share these ideas.”
He noted that The Edge offered a unique forum to explore belief systems and ways of healing outside of what was available in mainstream newspapers.
His wife, Rachel, he says, has been great influence on his desire for a holistic lifestyle. She is a Reiki healer and teacher (Reiki is hands-on healing that channels universal life force energy to others).
“I have always had an open mind with regard to spirituality and a desire live in balance with my environment,” Tim said.
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