The Universe: Can you control your fate?

Hey there everyone!
Today is Thursday and it's another fabulous week for me. Yoga every day so far and Loving the challenge of it! Coconut water, cold shower and a fabulous walk with my dogs is a routine that is sticking like glue after yoga...wouldn't change a thing! If you haven't tried coconut water...get some, soooo yummy!

Today I wanted to chat about whether or not we can control our fate and how I feel about that.
Ever since I was young I have always contemplated my destiny or my fate. It has been my on going faith in a higher power that is guiding me along my journey that has helped me to accept the not so fun moments that I may stumble upon. So I may have dislocated my knee in high school while dancing 2 hours a day during the week but guess what...I was pushed toward a different passion...yoga! During physical therapy I was given exercises that were "yoga inspired" that I was told to do after every session. After a while I thought to myself, why don't I try some yoga classes? It's lower impact and I can still enjoy graceful and strong moves that remind me of dance. It was love at first sight!
You see...life has road blocks, I believe, so that you take a detour to get back to what you really were meant to do!

Another story of mine is that...My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was in college. Originally my dream was to be a psychologist or a physical therapist because I really wanted to reach out and help others going through mental or physical ailments. When my mom got sick I made a 180 turn toward Nutritional sciences, something deep deep down inside of me said...this is where you will find the answers, take a chance! So I did, I switched my major and decided that Nutrition was the key to longterm health...even before I knew much about it!
Now, my mom is cancer free and I have achieved the health and life I never dreamt of. During a yoga class I learned about raw foods from one of the other students (an accident?..I think not!). This changed my life. Eating vegan changed my perspective and raised my conciousness about our environment and the treatment of animals and eating raw helped me realize that foods are best when they are pure and unchanged.

May your journey continue and remember that even the saddest times are a gateway to your true destiny of pure bliss and contentment~

With Faith,
Rawkn Yogini~

Unleash the Real You!

Hey there everyone!
I want you all to know that I love you all for exactly who you are! We are all works in progress physically and emotionally but our souls are genuine, free and pure.

Don't be afraid to be different because being different means that you are not altering yourself. By spending all your time and energy trying be someone else, how can you fully learn who YOU are and how to better YOUR life?!

This is a short post...but I just wanted to say it...

I love you,
Rawkn Yogini~

Why do Humans dominate over other living things?

People may think I'm strange for giving up all meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs but today I was fully reminded why I made that choice after seeing an interview with Ellen Degeneris about why she became a vegan nearly 2 years ago. I may care deeply about my health and spirituality but this decision that I've made to become a vegan goes far deeper than that. I put a V next to my name on facebook not to be cool or be part of a cult of crazy extremists but because I can not be selfish and ignore the cruelty and pain that animals must endure so that I can eat. With movies like Earthlings and Food Inc. out there and books like Fast Food Nation and the China Study we can not ignore the implications of eating animal products. The Earth is made up of three things Nature, Animals and Humankind. Why is it that Humankind feels that they are entitled to dominate and use all other parts of the Earth as if they were their own? I cherish even the bounty of nature to supply me with vegetables and fruit. With each bite I think about when and where that fruit or vegetable was picked and how much work went into growing and harvesting that food. I myself, own a garden and know how difficult but yet how rewarding that time and energy is when in the palm of your hand you have the most magnificent gift that nature has provided for you. When you glance down at a steak, you most certainly make a disconnect from where it came from, how that animal was treated and how it was killed. Because how else would you be able to fully enjoy eating it. If you aren't aware of how animals are being treated you need to open your eyes. Animals are not given proper space, food, water, and treatment. They aren't born to live, they are born to die. When you eat something with a heart, a pulse, a brain, you are eating their thoughts, pain, anxiety, and fear. Many animals in factory farms never see the light of day, they never experience love, they don't know what peace and the absence of fear is. I pray every single day that someone out there awakens to this reality because with one less person eating meat and animal products that means numerous animals are saved.


Praying for a better tomorrow,
Rawkn Yogini~<3

Best Friends~

OK...so food, exercise and spirituality are all amazing aspects to superb health but...Love and friendship are also what can make or break a life that otherwise seems so perfect. You can have the perfect body, be connected to G-d and eat all whole foods but what does all that mean if you don't have a single soul to share it with? There is something so amazing about having a friend, a true friend. Someone to share your experiences with. Someone to laugh and cry with. Someone that tells you that you are beautiful and perfect just the way you are. Passion and love are also very important to feel complete. Sharing your heart with someone means fillling your soul with warmth. You don't NEED to have someone else to feel loved because you are a positive and powerful soul but doesn't it feel nice to have someone to share life's challenges with? And not just anyone...not just the idea of love or friendship but an actual person, a face and a soul that you deeply care for. Their name brings you joy when you say it. Their smile lights up your darkest days. Their voice invokes calm and peace. Best friends are soul mates...lovers will come and go but best friends are forever. Thank you to my best friends Elle and Mark for always being the loves of my life; you will never know how much you mean to me.

Hugs~
Rawkn Yogini~
PS...for all of those wondering how I'm doing with yoga this week...5 days so far and I'm still going strong.
The raw food of the day is KALE...to find out more about it, visit the "21 Day Raw Food Challenge" group on facebook.com!

Fragrant and Delicious

Hey there,
Do you know how to pick 'em? Fruit I mean. Do you know how to pick fully ripe fruit when you go to the grocery store or farmer's market? Here are some tips for picking the best fruit you can that is high in water content, sweetness and nutrients. More bang for your buck.

1. Pick a fruit that is heavy for its size.
2. Choose a fruit or vegetable that is the color you think of it as. Pineapple should be yellow, tomato should be red, etc.
3. Smell the fruit or vegetable. Does is smell sweet? Does is smell like it's going bad or fermented?
4. Make sure that fruits and vegetable that are supposed to be soft are soft and fruits or vegetables that are supposed to be firm are firm. Cucumbers are firm whereas peaches are soft.
5. The true test will be when you take a bite and the juice runs down your face or it is crisp and delicious. Everytime you hit a home run you will remember exactly how that fruit felt, smelled and looked and you will be sure you pick another good one next time around too.
Enjoy,
Rawkn Yogini~~~

Animal Instincts

Roarrrr,
Powerful, strong, and fearless. That is a true animal. You envision a swift gazelle, a courageous lion and a grizzly bear when I say that but...Do you think of a yoga lady or a graceful ballerina?! probably not.

However, we are all animals with animal instincts. Even emotional and sensitive women have the instincts to power through a difficult situation or stand up for themselves. How else would a simple house wife lift up a 1,000lb car to save her children? Women are sensual and sexual beings just like men, they just aren't allowed to express that unless they want to appear "slutty". Take charge of what you want ladies! It's ok to be sexual, powerful and strong! Watch out men, a new generation of women are emerging. To win us over you better step up your game because we love the chase just as much as you!
And ladies...you are all the love you need. You don't need a man to have love in your life. I guarantee you that your best friend will support you through almost anything and love you for who and what you are. Cherish those friendships and have fun! Go out, dance and sing the night away while the men watch and wish you would stop loving you and start loving them!

Shake that yoga booty and enjoy that yummy smoothie.

Enjoy femininity which doesn't have to mean weak, submissive, and naive,
Rawkn Yogini~

New Week and New Adventures!

Hey there everyone!
Rawkn Yogini is back back back! Another fabulous day of yoga and raw food! I went to hot yoga this morning then came home to work in my veggie garden and farm stand hop just in time to come in for a big salad for lunch! Fresh cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, string beans, arugala, bib lettuce, avocado and some apple cider vinegar and hemp oil=YUMMO!

My challengers at the 21 Day Raw Food Challenge on facebook are spending this week drinking smoothies every morning. Super hydrating and mineral and nutrient packed breakfast to start your day off right. Make it green by adding some lettuce, kale or spinach to your fruit smoothie and Enjoy the extra kick of protein and chlorophyl. And...each day on the group wall I post a raw food of the DAY! Join Today!

Stay tuned as I share my yoga journey and job ideas with you....
<3 Love,
Rakwn Yogini~

I did 5 Days of yoga this week!

Wow,
I have so much to share with you all this week.
The rawknyogini is back in action! Raw goodness and yoga are a staple in my life again and it feels soooo good.
Bikram oh how I missed you. The sweat, the heat, the pain, the deep breathing, the cold shower after class, the feeling of euphoria the minute I step out of the room! If you haven't done yoga or Bikram yoga you need to get yourself to a studio as soon as possible. Your life will never be the same.
And...as far as love and friendship goes, I'm a rich woman. I spent this week doing yoga with a friend all week, went to Boston a couple times with one of my girl friends and hung out with one of my guy friends too!

I realized the other night while talking to one of my guy friends that we are all so hung up on finding someone to love us or to love back. So much so, that we completely neglect ourselves and tell ourselves that we will be miserable if we don't get the affection and acceptance of someone else. A girl had broken his heart into little pieces. Worst of all she created a string of lies that led him into believing that she felt more for him than she did. HONESTY. We need to be honest with ourselves and ask first, "Is the feeling in this relationship 100% mutual?" then if you aren't sure you need to ask the other person. If they say "I don't know" that is an indication that they don't feel the same way. Wouldn't it be great if we could all love ourselves? I think once you love yourself you are able to open your heart for another soul to inhabit because I really believe they can feel the fullness and warmth of your soul and want to be apart of that.

Mission pour moi (for me) this week is to LOVE myself and I think eating raw and doing yoga is a great step in the right direction.

Come join me~
Rawkn Yogini*

The Yoga Addiction Continues

Hi there everyone,
I hope you all are doing very well. Eating raw, spending time with friends, planting in my garden and exercising are a few of the really fun things that I have had the priveledge of doing everyday!

Today I am going to Bikram yoga after about 2 months of not going. I'm a bit nervous. My ego knows that I'm not as good as I once was by any means! I know it will be very challenging. The heat is something that I'm no longer used to and so are the postures. Having to focus my wandering and spacey mind for 90 minutes is making me feel crazy! LOL!

Why Bikram yoga?!
It calms my mind
I feel strong and powerful
Detoxifies my body
lengthens my joints, muscles and ligaments so I stand up a bit taller
I feel graceful
It gives me a sense of community
Glowing skin
Toned muscles
Mental Focus

Never before have I done exercise where I acheived all of these in a 90 minute class.

So yeah I'm nervous...let's just put it this way i'm wearing capris and a tank top instead of my usual bootie shorts and bikini top. I need some security blanket!

Wish me luck
Rawkn Yogini~