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 :)