PURE ENERGY

Actress, model, public figure and e vironmental activist— Liz Solari is a beloved celebrity in Argentina, known for her active involvement in environmental issues, animal rights and spiritual enlightenment.

Since arriving at the Gran Meliá Iguazú, Liz Solari has been captivated by the view outside her window. She can’t take her eyes off of the largest waterfall in the world, or avoid talking about the special energy they awaken within her. ‘You feel it too, right?’.

Last year was a busy one for Liz. She launched an audiobook of meditations, guided us across five continents as the host of the legendary TV show RestodelMundo, and released The LastMan, her first starring role in Hollywood, sharing the screen with Hayden Christensen and Harvey Keitel.

She belongs to a famous lineage of soccer players and coaches –daughter of the legendary Eduardo Solari, niece of ‘Indio’ Solari, and sister of Santiago, Real Madrid’s coach until last March–, she possesses a kind of fresh, peaceful, luminous beauty, an accurate reflection of her personality. She sees her work as ‘a blessing game that lets you try on different emotions, which is an excellent practice for real life’. Now, recently married and about to move to Europe, we talk to her about some of the things she truly cares about.

Liz Solari. We are at one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This is

a divine creation, and it’s great that people come to see and enjoy it, but without destroying it. It’s important for tourism to be matched and regulated by policy. Here, a few weeks ago, there were a series of protests against a plan to build tourist villas inside the national park. The project has recently been put on hold because its environmental impact has not been sufficiently studied. We, the society, have to accept our duty to peacefully protest in order to protect our Earth.

MStyle. Do you feel responsible as a public figure?

I am well aware of the influence a person can have on their surroundings. Just as an individual, a person has influence over their environment, but when you have a voice in the media, the responsibility multiplies. And the enormous amount of pollution generated at an ever increasing rate by human ambition really worries me. Everyone sees the consequences, but only a part of society is reacting.

What do you do?

I think the most important thing is to live by example; to act according to what you say. I say this, but I also do it.

I live like this. I dedicate a lot of time to animal rights. Animals are still seen as objects and that is something that has to change, and it will change. Among many other things, I am involved in a campaign called Million Dollar Vegan, led by Genesis Butler, a 12-year-old who is asking Pope Francis to go vegan for Lent and to encourage others to do the same. Last year I started a campaign, #Stop Testeo Argentina, and filmed a informational video to support Senator Magdalena Odarda's bill against animal testing in Argentina. And I also launched a campaign with the NGO Sin Azul No Hay Verde (Without Blue There is No Green), thanks to which we have been able to get new areas of the Argentine sea protected. You can do seemingly impossible things when you work together.

You also don’t eat meat.

Animal agriculture is the main cause of climate change. But when I stopped eating meat, eight years ago, it was part of a bigger spiritual education. My teacher, Cher Chevalier, taught me the importance of being inoffensive. Meaning, to not harm others, or yourself. To love. It seems very simple, but in practice it is much more refined. And it starts with what I eat. If there is death and suffering, I don’t want it. My veganism began with this learning and also as a result of seeing the documentary Earthlings (Shaun Monson, 2005), which had a big impact on me. When you’re ignorant of something, okay, but when you know something is not right and you continue doing it, you become an accomplice.

You’ve published a book of meditations with your teacher Cher Chevalier. InnerJour neyMeditations is an audiobook with 36 guided meditations that focus on different areas involved in growth, including forgiveness, gra

titude and love. They are short meditations, with each one lasting five minutes. In addition, I recently began to guide live meditations through Instagram. I set a day and a time, and we all connect. I get amazing feedback. And it's wonderful sharing this knowledge.

Last year you did a lot of travelling. Yes, lots. I was host of the show Resto delMundo for the year and travelled to 14 countries and countless cities. I went to Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Kenya... But more than getting to show how beautiful the world is, what really interested me about this work was that it allowed me to learn about the projects, organisations and human beings who are changing things. For example, in Australia we interviewed a guy who transforms electronic junk into new gadgets and teach kids at school how to do it. They are inspiring projects that show us that each and every one of us has the ability to change the world. We can all plant a seed and watch it grow.

Now you’re moving to Europe.

My husband is Italian and we have decided that our base will be there. At first we will live in Italy, but I feel very close to Spain. Let's see where destiny takes us.

Your favourite place in the world?

My favourite place is inside myself. Travelling has two sides. There is the type of travelling that nourishes you, and opens your mind, but there is also the one that is used to run away, trips for distractions and escapes. And the important thing is to feel at one here, now, in my temple, in myself. If you find that balance, you can enjoy things on a much deeper level than simply as a tourist. When you truly live with all your heart, everything takes on a new intensity, with new colours.