Learning to love your own company

This post is really for everyone, but since I am a female, this is going to be aimed towards you, ladies.

In the 21st century, we have so much freedom; we can wear what we want, vote, work, and pursue any dream that our souls cling to. We are not required to settle down and start a family by the time we graduate high school like many generations before us. This is your time to chase after the life you have always imagined. 

So many girls do not realize all that they have in front of them therefore their happiness ends up becoming dependent on a man. I am not one of those feminist women with a chip on their shoulder, but I do believe, and have learned from experience, that to truly be happy in this life, you need to learn how to be on your own and enjoy your own company. One of my favorite yoga instructors, Donny Starkins, spoke very true words in class recently when saying, "you do not come to yoga seeking because seeking requires you to look externally. You come to yoga to awaken. The answers are already inside of you." This is something that should be applied not only in yoga but in the real world! You are your own person. Never let your bliss become the result of external sources; materialistic items, money, or even a man. It is okay and normal and beautiful for certain people to put a smile on your face. But let them only ADD to the happiness you have already established yourself. 

Once you become truly happy from the  inside out, no matter what happens in this life, you will not allow your happiness to be shaken or wavered in any way. It becomes WHO you are instead of something you just TEMPORARILY have. 

When you find yourself in a time of vulnerability, step back and observe the situation. Are you truly happy making the choices you are making and surrounding yourself with the people you are around? Or are they just temporary escapes? Face the challenge for there is a blessing within it, whether that blessing be a lesson learned, a fear overcome, or a new delcared independence. 

Like my teacher, Julie Bell said in class, "commit yourself to sharing what you know in your mind, what you know in your body, and what you know in your heart." Stop searching for external escapes. You are your own happiness; I know this in my heart.

Below is a guided meditation, led by myself, to boost your self esteem and increase your self-love. Check it out! It is worth it to take the extra five minutes out of your day.

TIP: During this confidence boosting meditation, if you are confused figuring out Pran Mudra, imagine you are making a "peace" symbol with your hand, only your middle finger and index are basically glued together. This should be practiced on both hands. Place on your knees with your palms facing up.  

Yum-urrito !

I honestly impressed myself with this one. This was the perfect post-yoga dinner. It is gluten free, vegan, soy free, and DELICIOUS; hence the name "yum-urrito." The best part? You only need SIX ingredients.

What you will need:

-1 gluten free tortilla (I used the brand, "Food for Life")
-1 Avocado
-Shredded lettuce
-1 Pepper (any kind...I like spicy food, so I used a jalepeno pepper)
-1 Sweet Potato
-Quinoa

Steps:

-Sweet potatoes take a while to cook, so start with putting your sweet potato in the oven. I put mine on aluminum foil in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It took about 40 minutes for them to cook.
-As your sweet potatoes are finishing up, begin to make your quinoa. On the stove, boil water. Once it begins to boil, add your quinoa and bring the stove to a simmer. Cover the quinoa and let it cook until it has absorbed all of the water (about 12 minutes). Tip:  For 1.5 cups of boiling water, you add 1 cup of quinoa.
-While your quinoa is cooking, begin to chop up your vegetables! I used avocado, jalepeno peppers, and shredded lettuce. You can really use any veggies you like.
-Once your sweet potatoes and quinoa are finished, let them cool for a couple of minutes. Tip: Heat up your gluten free wrap in the oven just for a minute or so while your sweet potatoes are still in. It is perfect this time of year when it is colder out.
-Add your quinoa, (cut up) sweet potato, and veggies on top of your gluten free wrap. Add as much or as little as you please!
-Wrap up your tortilla (as best you can...mine always turns out a mess!)
-Enjoy your yum-urrito!


TIP: I like to dip mine in organic Sriracha sauce!

Yoga Pose of the Day: For Sciatica

Your sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. Tenderness and pain can occur along the sciatic nerve for many reasons; from running, sitting in a car for a long period of time, to various everyday activities and movements. The important thing is to listen to your body and fix the problem. Pigeon pose is just the remedy you are looking for!

• There are many ways to get into this pose. You can start by sitting on the ground. 
• If you have a yoga mat, you begin by taking the knee of the leg that is in pain to the edge of the mat, so that it is in a 90 degree angle (or as close to 90 degrees as you can get it-but make sure you do not push, or you will hurt your knee). Where ever you are at is fine. You are exactly where you need to be. 
• The other leg is going to be straight back behind you, the top of your foot on the ground. 
• You can stay upright with your palms on the floor. If you want more you can come down to the forearms. To get the deepest stretch, bring your head down to your mat or towel, and your arms straight out in front of you. Again, listen to your body. Do not push yourself so that you are in pain. 
•  Try to hold for at least a minute. Breathe. 

Repeat on the other side to keep the body balanced.

"Christmas in a Cup"

Your welcome in advance. This Christmas drink is made of up pure raw, vegan, natural ingredients. The best part is, you probably already have most of the ingredients you need in your home. Forget the nasty chemicals.

What you will need:

• Vanilla Chai Tea bag (I use the brand, Bigelow)
• 1/3 cup of pure organic pumpkin
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Vanilla Extract 
• 2 tbs Agave
• 2/3 cup almond milk

Step 1: Brew your hot Vanilla Chai Tea.
Step 2: While your tea is warming up, mix 1/3 cup of pure organic pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla extract (all to taste).
Step 3: Pour your tea into a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix), adding your pumpkin/spice mixture, 2/3 cup almond milk, 2 tbs agave, and a dash more of cinnamon and vanilla extract if you please.
Step 4: Blend the ingredients together.
Step 5: Once everything is combined, if it needs a little bit more flavor add more agave or spices until it is as sweet as you want it.
Step 6: Pour it into a super rad Christmas mason jar and enjoy by a cozy fire.

(You can leave it hot, or like I did, you can pour it over ice.)

Trick of the day: If you own a Vitamix, to give this a creamier consistency, mix it on the "hot soup" option.

PS...stay tuned later this week I will show you a yummy coconut whipped cream recipe that will make the perfect topping for your "Christmas in a Cup."

Raw Vegan Falafel Salad (with Raw Vegan Hummus)

So, I got this recipe from TheRawChef.com. It was originally supposed to be a wrap, but my raw bread didn't turn out so I threw the falafel and hummus on a delicious salad. All you need is a dehydrator or oven and a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix).

Falafel ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cilantro
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 8 sun-dried tomato halves, soaked for 1 to 2 hours and then chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 shallots
• 1/4 cup (pitted) olives 
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• A tablespoon or two of oil (I use hemp)- just so the ingredients blend better

Hummus ingredients:

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water

-Blend all of the falafel ingredients in a high speed blender (I mentioned before that I used a Vitamix). You can always blend them in a food processor as well.

-Once the ingredients are blended, round them into falafel shaped balls.

-Either place them on a cooking tray and place in the oven at 105 degrees for about five hours OR if you are using a dehydrator, place them in the dehydrator and also leave in there for about five hours at 105 degrees. Either way works. 

-Once your falafels are dehydrating, blend your hummus ingredients in the blender until smooth.

-Once the hummus is all blended up, place it in a container and stick in the fridge until you are ready to use.

-After the falafel is ready, place on a bed of salad with whatever veggies your heart desires. 

-Massage your hummus into the salad. I also added a little hemp oil on top. 

-If you're like me, and like to add some Sriracha spice, you can top it with some organic Sriracha. I used the brand Sky Valley by Organic Ville. 

Enjoy! 

Pizza & Wine Night!

It's Italian night! This scrummy ("scrumptious" and "yummy"-my friend, Brady's term) recipe is super easy, healthy and delicious. Your welcome in advance.

All you need is:

• A gluten free pizza crust- I bought mine from Sprouts. The brand is called Venice Bakery.
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1/4 cup cold pressed Hemp oil 
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt 
• Pinch of Garlic powder 
• Pinch of Cayenne pepper 
• Pinch of Cumin
• Crushed red pepper (if you want to make it spicy!)
• 1/4 cup cashews (optional - to make it creamier) 
• Vegetables 

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Add your tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, hemp oil, salt, and spices all together in a high powered blender (I used a Vitamix). 

Step 3: Spread just a little bit of hemp oil onto your gluten free crust.

Step 4: After your sauce is blended, spread it on top of your crust. 

Steo 5: Add any veggies you want on top- I used zucchini because it was all I had. 

Step 6: (optional) Add crushed red pepper to spice is up and a dash of Himilayan pink salt for some more flavor. 

Step 7: Put your pizza in the oven for 30-45 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it). 

Step 8: Take your pizza out of the oven. Let it sit for two minutes. 

Step 9: Cut a slice and enjoy :) 

Yoga and the Thyroid

Today I want to share a mudra with you that activates the throat chakra. I have found use of this mudra recently due to a thyroid disorder I was just diagnosed with. 

I have a family history of thyroid issues. I have a goitre, which means my thyroid is enlarged. It is two-and-a-half times larger than a normal thyroid. I am also inbetween Graves Disease and Hashimotos Thyroiditis. Basically, a person can either be hyperthyroid or hypo but I am going back and forth between the two of them. 

Your thyroid is like the traffic cop of your entire body. Dealing with these issues has made me feel like someone has stripped me of all my energy. I've been so emotional and anxious! It's not very fun to be so irritable like this all of the time. When you don't feel yourself, it affects all aspects of your life. I am sharing this with you in hopes that it will help you if you are struggling with a similar situation and overall inspire you to live the healthiest life possible.

Mudras are hand gestures that help control the energy channels of your body. Granthita Mudra (Knot Mudra) opens your vocal cord entry and balances your thyroid gland. 

• Start by interlacing your fingers.
• Your thumb and pointer finger on both hands are touching (like in Gyan Mudra).
• Pull on your hands as you keep the fingers together so you are experiencing a resistance-type feeling on the hands. 
• Hold this mudra up to your throat.
• Meditate on your throat center for at least five minutes.
• Breathe and relax as your self-healing takes place.

I hope you find this useful! Namaste :)

Yoga Pose of the Day: For Dancers

Dancers spend all day on their feet. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose) is a great pose for them to take all of that tension off their legs and feet. It also reduces tension in your back and neck (so for those of you with back pain, this is a great go-to pose that you can do anywhere).

• Lay down on the floor so that you are facing the wall. 
• Bring your butt all the way up against the wall. 
• Let your feet go straight up. 
• Relax and breathe. 

Hold this pose 5-15 minutes. 

You always have the option of placing a blanket or bolster underneath you as well for support. 

Yoga Pose of the Day: For Runners

I've decided as a way to get people more involved with yoga, I am going to start posting a different pose every day for different kinds of active people; from runners, dancers, football players to busy stay-at-home mothers. Everyone can benefit from yoga, whether it be mentally or physically.

Today's pose I chose is called "Crooked Monkey" and it is an AMAZING pose for all of you runners (and sprinters)! 

• Start by stepping your right foot forward, your left leg is back and your left knee is on the ground. Your are in a deep lunge.
• Keep your left palm on the ground and grab the outside of your left foot with your right hand. 
• You can either kick your left foot into your right hand OR pull your left foot in close to your butt. 
• There are many variations and levels of this pose. Keep trying to bow the right knee out, do not let it cave in.
• If you are feeling more open, you can come down to your left forearm. Hold this pose for at least five breaths and then switch sides. 

This pose works your Psoas Muscle. This is located on the side of your vertebral column of the lumbar spine meeting the rim of the lesser pelvis. This muscle is usually responsible for hip soreness in runners because it flexes and extends the hip while running. Increasing your core strength and flexibility will help to decrease this soreness. 

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Goodness

It is getting to that time of year where I crave hot drinks all the time. It just brings on that Christmas-y feeling (even in the hot desert of Arizona). I am a huge fan of chai, so I decided to experiment with my own recipe instead of spending money at a coffee shop. This recipe turned out AMAZING. I have to say, I really did impress myself. All you need is a blender and five simple ingredients: 

❤ Vanilla Chai Tea bag (I use the brand, Bigelow)
❤ 2/3 cup almond milk
❤ 1 tbs cinnamon
❤ 1/2 tbs ground ginger
❤ 1-2 tbs agave (depending on how sweet you like it)

Step 1: Heat up water.
Step 2: Put your Vanilla Chai Tea bag in your water.
Step 3: Pour your tea into the blender.
Step 4: Add the rest of your ingredients into the blender.
Step 5: Mix ingredients.
Step 6: Pour into a mug and garnish with some cinnamon.
Step 7: Enjoy this delicious Christmas in a cup! 

Optional: Pour over ice if you want it cold.

A cup full of benefits:
-Ginger is really good for nausea
-Cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar
-Agave is a natural sweetener
-Almond milk is a low calorie, dairy free milk alternative
-Vanilla Chai Tea is full of antioxidants plus it's an anti-inflammatory

Creamy Cashew Berry Bowl!

This was a delicious and filling smoothie bowl filled with all sorts of nutrients. Seriously, it was too good. 

Smoothie:

-2/3 cup cashews

-1/2 cup blueberries

-1/2 cup blackberries

-1/2 cup strawberries 

-Coconut water (or you could use a nut milk)

-1 cup ice 

Blend all ingredients together in a high power blender. Then pour into a bowl and use whatever toppings you want! I used coconut flakes, chia seeds, and cocao nibs. You could also use fruit!

Enjoy!

Sweet 'n' Sour Smoothie!

This smoothie reminded me of Sour Patch Kids. The green layer was sweet and refreshing. The pink layer was sour and awakening!

Green Layer:

2-3 cups of kale (depending on how green you like it)

2 bananas 

A splash of coconut water (I use Harmless Harvest)

Pink Layer:

1 cup homemade cashew milk (click here for recipe)

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries 

1/2 cup strawberries

Step 1: Blend the green layer ingredients in a blender

Step 2: Pour your green layer in a glass, cup, mason jar or whatever you are drinking out of

Step 3: Blend the pink layer ingredients together

Step 4: Pour pink layer on top of the green

Step 5: ENJOY! 

This smoothie is raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free!

Dairy Free Milk!

This delicious and healthy milk alternative is super easy to make.

Ingredients: 

-1 cup of cashews or almonds 

-4 cups of water 

Step 1: Soak your cashews or almonds in water for a couple of hours.

Step 2: Drain your nuts.

Step 3: Combine your soaked nuts and 4 cups of water in a blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend until it is smooth and creamy. 

Step 4: Pour the blend into a mesh nut milk bag over a bowl and squeeze so all of the milk is in the bowl and the nut pulp stays in the bag. 

Step 5: Pour your delicious milk into a pitcher and enjoy! (You can dispose of the pulp or use it for something else!)

Nut Milk vs. Dairy:

-Dairy is bad for your skin and can cause breakouts 

-Nut milk is only 40 calories per serving opposed to regular milk which contains 146 calories per serving 

-Nut milk is also lower in fat (3 grams per serving unlike regular milk which contains 8 grams per serving)

Vegan Mexican Night!

This raw vegan dish was AMAZING. If you are craving Mexican food or just a filling and delicious salad, you need to try this. It was super easy.

Raw Vegan Taco "Meat":

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

A dash of cayenne pepper

Red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy)

Raw Vegan "Cheese":

1 cup cashews (soaked for an hour)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup ice

Salad:

3 cups baby arugula

Taco "Meat"

Avocado

Medium Tomato (I used an heirloom) 

Raw Vegan "Cheese"

Step 1: While cashews are soaking, blend all of the Taco "Meat" ingredients in a high power blender (I use a Vitamix).

Step 2: Once your "Meat" is ready, place it in a bowl and put aside. 

Step 3: Blend all of the "Cheese" ingredients together in the high power blender.

Step 4: When the cheese is finished, put your arugula, "Meat", tomatoes, avocado, and "cheese" on a platter so you can dig in!

Enjoy! 

For all of you calorie counters out there, this delicious vegan dish is 478 calories. 

Why You Should LOVE CHLOROPHYLL!

What is Chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is the green pigment molecule in plants responsible for absorbing the sun's energy during photosynthesis. It is chemically similar to hemoglobin in human blood. The only difference is the central atom in chlorophyll is magnesium while the central atom in hemoglobin is iron.

Why you should love it?
♡ Chlorophyll detoxifies your liver and purifies your blood
♡ It helps to build red blood cells
♡ It aids in rebuilding tissue

How to include chlorophyll into your daily diet?

Chlorophyll gives plants that dark green pigment. You can find it in:

♡Kale

♡Spinach

♡Chard

So next time you make a smoothie or salad, use some of these nutrient packed greens! What's not to love?

Post Yoga Greens :)

I don't know about you but whenever I am done with yoga I feel more motivated to eat healthy. After a sweet morning yoga sesh, I went to my aunt's house and we made a delicious smoothie packed with nutrients. You only need three ingredients:

♡ 1-2  cups of baby kale

♡ 2 bananas

♡ 1/2 bottle of Harmless Harvest coconut water
♡ Ice (optional if you want it cold and also for thickness)

Zoodles

This is one of my favorite raw meals!

Noodles: 4 Zucchinis put through a spiralizer - you can buy one at Fully Raw Kristina's website (click here).

Tomato Pepper Dressing:
-1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
-1/2 yellow (or red) bell pepper
-1/2 cup organic olive oil
-1/4 cup water
-1 tsp of Himalayan Pink Salt

Put all the ingredients in a high powered blender (like a Vitamix) and blend until you have reached a desired consistency.

Serve on a pretty plate and enjoy with friends and family! :)