#liveyum

BHAKTI BLUEBERRY SUNRISER SMOOTHIE BOWL & NOTHING AGAINST THE GRAIN-OLA New Live Yum Recipes!

The word Bhakti in Sanskrit roughly translates to fondness for, love to, or devotion to. This smoothie bowl showcases our fondness for blueberries and also foods that provide great taste and medicinal benefits. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, kale is high in fiber, bananas are an excellent source of potassium, almond butter provides a punch of protein, ginger is a digestive aid, lemon juice is a great source of vitamin C, and turmeric aids in reducing inflammation. Consider this smoothie bowl a morning ritual of health. Have our Nothing Against the Grain-Ola on hand for the week and use it to top your smoothie bowl for even more body-mind benefits. Serves 2.

¼ cup of our Nothing Against the Grain-Ola (below)

½ cup kale leaves ½ ripe avocado (seed and skin removed) ½ cup frozen blueberries 2 small ripe bananas (frozen) 1T almond butter ¼ tsp. ginger (cut into small pieces) 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice Dash of turmeric 1 – 1 ¼ cups unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk, or green tea

1. Blend all Bhakti Blueberry Sunriser Smoothie Bowl ingredients until creamy.

2. Top with a ¼ cup of our Nothing Against the Grain-Ola.

NOTHING AGAINST THE GRAIN-OLA

As the name implies, this is a grain-free granola (though we have nothing against grains). Our Nothing Against the Grain-Ola is packed with heart-healthy raw nuts and coconut oil. Enjoy this nutty mix alone as a snack, with your favorite nut milk, or as a topping for a dessert. We think it pairs brilliantly with our Bhakti Blueberry Sunriser Smoothie Bowl! Make our Nothing Against the Grain-ola for the week for a delicious go-to food. Makes about 4 cups.

1 cup raw slivered almonds 1 ½ cups raw pecans (roughly chopped) 1 cup raw walnuts (roughly chopped) 1/4 cup pepitas (sunflower seeds) 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 4T pure maple syrup 2T coconut oil Ground Himalayan salt (to taste) ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon Dashes of nutmeg, cardamom and/or turmeric (optional, to taste) 1/2 cup dried blueberries 1/4 cup dried dates (roughly chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Combine nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl.

3. Spoon mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

4. Remove mixture from oven and mix in blueberries and dates.

“THOUGH WE TRAVEL THE WORLD OVER TO FIND THE BEAUTIFUL, WE MUST CARRY IT WITH US OR WE FIND IT NOT."

INTRODUCING WELLSPRING MEDITATION Kristen's First Endeavor as a Certified Chopra Center Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor 

For the Love of Food and Yoga co-author, Kristen Taylor, recently participated in a comprehensive teacher training program with the Chopra Center—the premier global leader in providing experiences, education, teacher trainings, and products that improve the health and well being of body, mind, and spirit—and is now certified as a Chopra Center Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor!

Kristen's training included learning directly from Dr. Deepak Chopra—considered the #17 most influential thinker in the world and #1 in medicine according to global surveys conducted by The World Post and The Huffington Post. She also received much of her instruction from Dr. Chopra’s longtime colleague, Roger Gabriel (Raghavanand), a Chopra Master Educator and trained meditation teacher under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who famously introduced meditation to the members of The Beatles in the late 1960s. She joins thousands of Chopra Center teachers worldwide who are committed to total wellbeing through self-awareness, and the practices of yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda.

Meditation, leading us from activity to silence, restores our memory of wholeness. For thousands of years, people have used meditation to move beyond the busy activity of the mind and emotional fluctuations into expanded peace and consciousness. The benefits of meditation may include releasing stress, cultivating inner silence, improving sleep, increasing immunity, reawakening intuition, improving relationships, deepening relaxation, increasing harmony, decreasing the effects of depression and anxiety, and attaining greater vitality.

While Kristen is versed in different styles of meditation, including teaching meditation to children and specialty groups, her focus and certification is in Primordial Sound Meditation. This is an ancient, deep healing, personalized mantra-based meditation practice. Chopra Center founders, Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon, revived and systemized this time-tested technique for modern lifestyles, creating the Primordial Sound Meditation program, which is now practiced by more than a hundred thousand people worldwide. Primordial Sound Meditation ultimately enables us to experience what we do in our lives more fully, with more awareness, and with more joy.

Through Wellspring Meditation, Kristen will offer the following services:

Private Primordial Sound Meditation Courses: In Person & Distance/Online

Group Primordial Sound Meditation Courses: Scheduled & Create-Your-Own

Introductory Meditation Classes: Private & Group

Workplace Wellness: Presentations, Meditations & Workshops

Community Meditations: Guided & Silent

School/Youth Mindfulness: Education & Integration

Kristen also teaches Free Community Meditation classes weekly at River Yoga, with the goal of introducing and sharing the benefits of meditation with as many people as possible.

Learn more about Wellspring Meditation and the benefits of meditation at

www.wellspringmeditation.com

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

JOIN US IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO! Join Us and Janati Yoga School at the Kingston Farmers' Market for Yoga, Snacks and More!

Join us and the Janati Yoga School for a For the Love of Food and Yoga Special Summer Event at The Memorial Center Farmers' Market! Janati Yoga School, in partnership with the Memorial Center Farmers' Market, is pleased to host us (Liz and Kristen) with our book, For the Love of Food and Yoga, for a special Market Yoga Event! Join us Sunday August 20th, from 10am-12pm for tasty treats, shared community, and, of course, yoga! We will begin with a yoga class led by Liz and Kristen, followed by an opportunity to sample a few of the recipes from our book (all recipes will be made by Janati Yoga School volunteers and with local ingredients provided by Market vendors)! You can pre-order your copy of the book through Janati and have it signed at the event. You may also pick up the fresh ingredients for many of the recipes to make at home from Kingston's wonderful local farmers.

AYURVEDA FOR DOGS! Yes! It’s a Thing. And, It Works! 

While at the Chopra Center earlier this year, we had the opportunity to meet Amanda and Rene Ringnalda.  They were funny and fabulous event hosts, and Amanda also shared compelling stories about one of the couple's passion projects: dog rescue and providing Ayurveda health programs for dogs. For over 10 years, Amanda has studied closely under Chopra Center co-founders, Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon, and is a Vedic educator (meaning she's trained in meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda).

AMAZING STORIES OF WILD ANIMALS SAVING HUMAN LIVES True Tales of Compassion and Connection

Opportunities to see the interconnection between all beings (furry, slimy, or those dressed in business suits) are all around us. Sometimes, we see this inter-species connection more clearly than others. There is often an illusion of separation between humans and domestic animals and even domestic animals from wild animals. Truthfully, however, we're all energy and information (just made up a bit differently).

Recently, we had the opportunity to enlist the help of local wildlife rehabilitation workers to rescue a great horned owl. This has been an amazing experience in connectivity and compassion. The experience made us curious about what stories were available to us describing the opposite: wild animals saving human lives. (Please note, there are also many stories of domestic animals saving human lives.) Obviously, sometimes wild animals injure humans and humans injure wild animals. However, when beings align, true acts of altruism and bravery may blossom. Below, we share a few of our favorite tales of connection:

1. The editors of One Green Planet share with us an amazing story of three lions chasing off a young girl's kidnappers in Ethiopia. The lions stood guard until the police officers found her.

2. Also from the editors of One Green Planet, we learn about a young boy from Ontario, Canada who was orphaned on a camping trip and saved by three wild beavers who snuggled up with him through the night, keeping him from freezing to death.

3. Wildlife Insider shares that hours after her ship sank, a 52 year-old woman survived in the water with the help of a large sea turtle. The turtle came underneath and kept her afloat for 36 hours. After rescuers got to her, the turtle dove underwater and circled them twice before seeming satisfied that the woman was safe.

Yoga Nidra The Time-Tested Sleepy Time Yoga Practice