Chocolate, it just makes life better. Well, in this JNY Fun With Food Blog we make a chocolate favorite even better with some healthy hacks: avocado, coconut oil and maple syrup. I first tasted these delightful little nuggets at a local yoga retreat (check out Centerpeace Yoga) and they are so yummy! I love surprising my students at Lifesource Yoga with these and baking them up with my PEACE Retreat peeps. Try your hand at them and let me know what your taste buds think.

Happy Snacking! 

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour (gluten-free all purpose works or brown rice flour)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 3/4 c non-dairy milk (I use almond)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (use vegan if preferred) 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin pan (I like to make minis!) with paper liners or use coconut oil and a bit of flour to reduce sticking. 
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a blender or food processor puree together the avocado, milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. 
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Do not over mix.
5. Divide batter into muffin pans. Bake regular muffins for 20-25 minutes. Bake minis for 10-12. In both cases use a toothpick to test doneness. It should come out clean when baked fully.
6. Remove muffins from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Lastly remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool completely. Enjoy! 

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There’s great delight in cozying up with a hot, delicious cup of soup on a cool day. It’s even better when you share this pot of nutrition and taste with friends and family. In this installment of “Fun With Food” I share my favorite veggie soup recipe. This is one of my go to dishes for PEACE Retreats and other events with clients here at the Lake Studio. It’s also what I take to most potlucks during the fall and winter. Make it as directed or follow your culinary creativity to make it your own home cooked happiness. Grab your ingredients and head on over the video below to get your soup on!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
• 2 medium yellow or white onions
• 3-5 large cloves fresh garlic, diced
• 1 Tbsp diced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp diced fresh tumeric
• 1 cup chopped celery 
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cup chopped radish and/or potatoes
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1.5 cups dried green lentils
• 2 Tbsp vegetable boullion 
• 6 cups water
• salt, pepper and additional spices to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large stock pot, warm oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger and tumeric. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so stirring gently here and there.
2. Add in the rest of the veggies in the order listed. Saute for another 8-1o minutes stirring frequently. While doing that, boil your first 2 cups of water then stir in the bouillon till dissolved to make your vegetable broth. Let stand.
3. Add the lentils last and finish sautéing and stirring everything together for 8-10 more minutes.
4. Add vegetable broth and remaining 4 cups of water (warm from tap is fine). Bring to a simmer and keep it there until all veggies and lentils are well cooked to desired texture, typically about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and other spices of choice (I usually add more powered ginger and tumeric) during this phase. If you like a thicker, stew-like soup then leave the lid off during the simmer. Cover to keep the soup more brothy.
5. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and/or add shredded cheese or feta. Enjoy!

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I recently came across an old voice memo I recorded years ago. In it was a short but powerful message I needed to hear. A message that contains several concepts I often forget again and again though they are quite important in the relationship with myself. I could hardly believe this wisdom was coming from me and it felt profoundly nourishing to listen to my own voice, my Truest Self, shining light on an age old battle between my mind and soul. As I was reflecting on this I felt compelled to share what’s come up. Here’s both the recording and transcription along with some additional musings I’ve turned into this blog series. 

What we need most is not discipline, rather permission. Permission to be who we are, to fully express ourselves in the world. If we have to force ourselves to do something, it is not in alignment with our true nature of divineness. We are not ready. We need more training; training in our own pain and our own suffering at times, but once we become present with that we will be healing through the true barriers to our freedom. It’s the process not the product that provides for us, that feeds our souls. It’s our becoming that is important.

This concept first showed up for me in yoga teacher training back in 2008. It wasn’t something our teacher talked about, but it come through my own direct experience which is actually what yoga promotes as our greatest source of wisdom. As students we were encouraged to do our daily practice (called sadhana) at home every morning between trainings. I had some resistance to this and found the more I judged myself for missing days, the more days I would miss. Guilt and shame began to build month to month as we returned to our weekend long retreats and were encouraged to report our “progress.” At some point I decided to simply let myself off the hook. I changed the mantra in my head from a stern “You need to do your practice!” to a compassionate, 

“You have permission NOT to practice.”

There was something so incredibly freeing in this. I felt a weight was lifted. I felt a new kind of self-love that I was not entirely familiar with yet in my life. Remarkably, at some point soon after I made this shift within, I developed a regular meditation and asana practice without struggle. I woke up with ease and floated to my mat to sit for twenty minutes at a time, something I found daunting before. Practicing postures became intuitive and exciting as my body was liberated from the “shoulds” in my mind. It was perplexing but I consciously released the thinking and trying to understand it and focused instead on simply enjoying what was happening. To this day I find this to be a key component to staying consistent with my practice (and happiness for that matter), 

I allow myself to be human rather than perfect. 

The magic of this type of permission over discipline is in the acceptance. Now there are many layers to this whole acceptance business but for the sake of simplicity, let’s break it down to two things here: embracing resistance and living in our wholeness. 

Embracing Resistance: Often, when we’re coming from the angle of discipline (especially the westernized variety), we’re fighting with ourselves and thereby inherently un-practicing the first teaching of yoga which is ahimsa or non-violence. We’re engaging the ego rather than healing it. Though we’re taught it’s a bad thing, resistance actually holds wisdom for us. It illuminates woundedness that makes it difficult to allow anything loving from ourselves or others. Unhealed wounds breed unworthiness. Instead of judging ourselves when we’re feeling resistant to acts of self-care such as our yoga practice, eating well or setting/holding boundaries in relationships, sit with the experience of it. Notice how it feels in your body, observe the thoughts that feed it. Don’t psychoanalyze, rather befriend resistance and allow it the time and space it needs to teach you whatever it is showing up to give. 

Living In Our Wholenss: You see a lot out there these days about worthiness and/or “enoughness.” Like so many things, the idea of this is cool and all but to embody it is a little more complicated. Additionally, the whole self-help movement is great but I see a down side to it in that the inherent message is you are not ok as you are. If we are constantly trying to change, we never have the chance to just be. It’s in the being that the magic happens. 

I see an example of this over and over again when I teach. One of the most challenging things for students to do is stand in five-pointed star pose (standing with wide legs, arms extended with a tall posture) taking up the space they inhabit. People share feeling awkward, guilty, ashamed, anxious even angry when encouraged to hang out there in their fullness. This is not surprising given that we’re conditioned through our patriarchal systems to fear our innate awesomeness, to play small, to make others feel good but dare not do so for ourselves. We fertilize these toxic seeds of faulty beliefs by constantly “working on ourselves.” Instead, live from the basic yogic tenant that there’s actually no separation between us and God (Source, Spirit, Light-whatever you want to call it). How then would you approach things that enhance that lovin’ feeling?

I’ll be back next blog with more on discipline and permission. Be sure you’re on my email list so you don’t miss it! Join HERE. Also feel free to share your thoughts and questions to add to the exploration of this topic. After all, we’re all learning together! Comment below or email me: [email protected]

Yes, hummus makes me happy along with a million other things in this beautiful life but we’ll just cover hummus in this blog. I never thought I’d be one to make it at home but I recently married another avid hummus eater and two of the four kids between us love the stuff too. We also get tons of amazing garlic and onions from our farm share and like to limit our plastic use as much as possible. I usually buy dried chickpeas in bulk but you can use canned ones just as well. If you do the dried (which are cheaper by the way) simply soak them overnight then boil till nice and soft. Here’s the rest of the ingredients of this delicious, healthy snack packed with protein, fiber, phytonutrients and flavor!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15oz can)
• 1 small chopped white or yellow onion
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 cloves garlic (fresh or roasted)
• 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3-4 Tablespoon tahini
• 1/4-1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Optional: Nutritional Yeast, cumin, diced jalapeños, roasted red pepper, avocado

Mix it all together in a food processor adding more oil and/or water to desired consistency. You may also play with the spices to your taste. Enjoy with crackers or veggies, add to wraps, salads, sandwiches or make some fresh tabouli to go with it. Check out my video for detailed guidance and a dash of fun.

It’s been a wild week for many of my clients; intense emotions, old patterns taking over, fear and doubt running rampant. I can’t say I’m surprised, this time of year can hit folks hard. There are powerful energetic shifts as we transition seasons. This can be felt to a lesser extent during the full moon phase each month but things really amp up during these quarterly events. One of my go to skills for bringing things back in balance is deepening into the Moon and Sun Salutations. Instead of flowing through breath to breath with each movement, I hang out and explore variations. Work with one of each or go back and forth between the two, just be sure to do equal amounts of each. I created this video practice to get you started. Take a few minutes to warm up and use props as you like. Practice on!

It’s that time of year when you can find my hubs and I camped out in the kitchen putting up tons of yummy tomatoes to get us through the winter. While were cooking and canning big batches of pasta sauce, cooked salsa and stewed tomatoes to dine on later, we also whip up fresh salsa to savor with our favorite Mexican meals. We also enjoy it as a simple snack with chips or to spice up our morning eggs. Head to your Farmer’s Market or favorite grocery store for some fresh summer tomatoes (and a few other key ingredients) to make this delicious side dish for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 6 Roma or garden tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/2 red or yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped.
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves.
• pinch of cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Simply mix your chopped veggies together, dash on the spices, and drizzle the lime juice over it all. Mix well and serve. You can also add 1/2 an avocado if you like! This keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days if it lasts that long;) Salsa on!

Summer brings many wonderful things; sunshine, flowers, butterflies, good times and lots of fresh food. An easy thing to grow at home or find at your local Farmer’s Market is fresh basil. Packed with antioxidants and phenolics, this culinary herb is a rich source of vitamin K, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium and dietary fiber. In this blog I show you how to turn a bunch of basil into a delicious sauce for pasta, sandwiches, soups and more. Basil is also:

• anti-inflammaroty
• antioxidant
• cancer-fighter
• analgesic (pain-reducer)
• antipyretic (fever-reducer)
• hepatoprotective (liver-protector)
• immune booster

Pesto pairs basil with another fabulous food: garlic. Known for it’s cardio protective properties, immune boosting and more, garlic adds a beautiful bite to this recipe. Store your pesto in a Mason jar like in the pic above for up to 3 days in the fridge or freeze for longer storage. Click below to make some magic with me!

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

Gentle Life

I lay by the water 
full of heartache
A child gone
her soul moved on

Confused
by my pain
Why is it this way?

A friend
A colleague
A Mother like no other

I can’t imagine her loss

There’s a pull to rise 
to speak her name
Speak to her
though it may be in vain

Serena,
I did not know you well on Earth
yet I was struck by your strength
your grace

I don’t know what to do
but I am open to your wisdom
your Truth                                                      

From the stillness
a few simple words emerge

Live a gentle life.

Dear Friends,

I write to you through tears. A friend of mine just lost her daughter. Serena had CF and we knew her life would be “limited” but this unfolded much sooner than expected. While I could present any number of other topics for this month’s post, this is what’s most present for me right now and my heart was called to share this sweet message from Serena. Of course I could keep writing about this concept and expound yoga’s teachings (God knows I love to go on and on…), it feels right to leave this light and simply say I love you.

Namaste,
Julie

Ever notice how much time we spend thinking about things that cause us stress? It’s such a habit to let our attention drift to drama. To allow our mental energy to slip into the fear zone where it becomes comparison, judgement, doubt, pessimism, etc. Can you relate? I know I can! I have to call upon my yoga practice multiples times a day in a multitude of situations to help me stay in the love zone. Here I not only feel better but I’m more effective in every area of life. In this blog we explore the concept of awareness and how to direct it so we’re reaping the benefits of health, happiness and service in this crazy world.

Awareness is the greatest agent of change.

Eckhart Tolle

A couple weeks ago I met with a friend to discuss some concerns she had about a situation we’re both connected to. This friend is someone I have deep respect for and I was excited to catch up and process what was going on. Much to my dismay, the conversation was painful. The details don’t matter, but I was met with judgement and micro aggressions that were so incredibly uncharacteristic. As we walked and talked I became more aware of what this was triggering for me and the reactivity that wanted to take center stage. At the same time, I was also aware of who I know this person to truly be and an intuition that there was something more going on beyond the topic at hand. 

Drawing on my practice, I let myself breathe with the agitation I was feeling and directed my awareness to the truth within even though it was a more subtle sensation. Grounding into the moment through the five senses helped keep the discomfort from building into a compulsion to lash out. While we ended on a “good” note, things still felt unsettled as we parted. I tried to stay with the conflicting inner stirrings about the interaction with a focus on compassion towards myself and my friend.

The next morning in meditation, I realized my deeper emotion of hurt. I worked to feel through that and to stay connected to the love I know to be at the core of this relationship by practicing Loving Kindness Meditation. Early that afternoon she texted an apology for being “off” yesterday and shared that she was going through some other, unrelated things that affected our conversation. I felt a huge relief and was so glad I didn’t fall into past patterns of letting my pain take center stage and create conflict. This is just one example of how working with our awareness can decrease stress, progress our personal growth and enhance relationships. Had I not invested my awareness towards more that my agitation, I would have likely experienced a lose of friendship. 

 The mind tends to focus on pain, on discomfort. It’s part of human nature to do so and it actually serves a purpose as far as basic survival goes. Problem is, this dynamic gets in the way in more complex scenarios like the one above, or say…POLITICS (lol). Think of stubbing your toe. A toe is one small part of the body but man can it take all of our awareness! The same is true for when we’re triggered, i.e.. when we are scared, hurt, angry, ashamed, etc. We want to know what’s going to happen next when we are in a vulnerable state and we want to know we are in control. Reality is, that’s not how life works. Acceptance of what is is another place to invest our awareness that gives us a big return of peace and empowerment. Here are some other places to focus your awareness to gain more grace and goodness in life.

Gratitude

Yes, I know this is obvious but I find most people can use the reminder (myself included).

Hope

Abundance

Scarcity is an expression of fear and limits potential, yours and others.

Compassion

Find the common ground, the lessons, the grace.

All this is not to say to ignore what’s painful. Notice in my example above that I fully acknowledged my emotions. This step is imperative but be sure to also widen your lens to all the other aspects of your experience and the world as it is. Meditation is the best way to expand and direct awareness. Work your way up to twenty minutes a day for best results. I offer a new meditation every month in the Membership Area in addition to all the chakra meditations in the free Body Peace eCourse. Let me know how things are going in the comments below and stay connected (if you aren’t already) through my free monthly newsletter by signing up through the image to your left. Thanks for reading! Namaste.