At the Heart of it All

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Hey there yogis, foodies, and friends!
Today I'm feeling a bit poetic and lyrical so I'm going to share a piece that I have written to express my current feelings and emotions.

At the Heart of it All
You provoke these feelings, feelings that are even hard for me to subdue
Even in the chaos of the day, the pulse and beat of your heart finds mine
I smile for no other reason but to see you smile back at me
It's hard to sleep when I feel as though my reality is better than any fantasy or dream
My chakras open up to your energy
No person or thing is perfect and I'm at peace with that
My positive powerful soul has been truly awakened

The Green Juice is back and so is my best friend!

Yay,

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So excited because my best friend came home from South Carolina on Tuesday and I seriously felt like my other half was back!  I picked her up from the airport and came home to a scrumptious dinner by her mom.  She made me a great salad with a ginger sesame viniagerette while everyone else had potato salad and cheeseburgers!  Seeee how sweet and receptive other people can be toward your lifestyle.  Yesterday, I watched Eat, Pray, Love.  The movie was very inspiring and made me realize that we are all searching our whole lives for our ultimate purpose and that purpose may even change and evolve just like relationships, our cars, our homes and our clothes!  Don't take life toooo seriously because just when you think things are "on track" we get sidetracked or go onto another path that we never could have planned for!  Be spontaneous.  The only true reality is love and family!
And!  To top off all of those great ah ha moments, I'm sitting here-finally with a green juice.  I've only been thinking about it for weeks.  Don't know why I didn't make it.  It literally took me less than 5 minutes! It's super delicious.  It makes me feel more alive!

Have a fantastic Day,
Rawkn Yogini

Being outside makes all your worries disappear

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Hi there,
Today I'm talking about being outdoors and how it makes me feel.  When I step outside onto my deck or to take a walk with my dogs I immediately feel a tingle, a rush of energy and love.  The sun and the smell of nature really do fuel my mind, body and spirit.  Add a best friend to that experience whether it be sitting on a beach, taking a nature walk or hike or just sitting outside chatting over iced tea and your heart will be filled with so much love and excitement.  Once I go outside on a beautiful day I feel like a little kid that doesn't want to be dragged inside to do anything else.  Even now, typing on my laptop, I'm sitting outside on my deck enjoying the sound of my dogs walking around, smelling and exploring every acorn, leaf, squirrel scurrying away.  Their tails are wagging for me to give them a treat or give them a rub behind the ears!  My best friend is on a much needed vacation in the Carolinas visiting her grandparents and I can't stop thinking about how much fun she must be having but how I can't wait for her to come home so we can go to the beach or have a  fiesta outside on my deck!!  Enjoy nature and enjoy the love in your life.  We all have happiness within us.  Love is the spark that ignites happiness!!!

Namaste~
Rawkn Yogini~

Little Sprouts!

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Hey there!
I'm ecstatic to share my recent plans for the future.  I've decided to go back to school to become an elementary school teacher and Bikram yoga instructor.  I really look forward to making a difference in children's lives.  I want to help shape their little minds and bodies to become healthy and happy and vibrant adults.  I look forward to becoming a yoga instructor as well, which not be for another year while I work and go to school to make some money to afford the tuition which is over 10,000 dollars!  Doing what I love it priceless however and I'm very excited about these new adventures.



Now for more information on sprouting and how to do it.  It is sooooo easy.
1. Take beans such as mung beans or buckwheat to start with since they are in my opinion the easiest to sprout.
2.  Place beans (one type) in a bowl of water and cover with a napkin or wax paper just to keep out the bugs.
3.  Soak them overnight.
4.  In the morning when you wake up, pour entire bowl into a mesh colander or strainer.
5.  Rinse off the beans and shake till they are somewhat dry with a little moisture.
6.  Place beans back into bowl without adding water and let sit covered for two days.
7.  Rinse and strain and place back into bowl about twice a day.  Sprouts will have tails that are about 1 inch long.
8.  Store them in the fridge for about a week.

Eat sprouted mung beans on top salads or use to make hummus.  Sprouted buckwheat you can use as a base for granolas or raw breads!
Let me know if you have any other questions...

Seeing Step Up 3D tonight...woohoo
Peace~

Concentrated Nutrition!

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Hey y'all!
Today I'm going to talk about concentrated nutrition such as sprouts and juices.  Other concentrated forms of nutrition could also be dehydrated and dried foods such as raisins and even herbs. 
Concentrated nutrition is basically just getting as many nutrients as you can in a small package/quantity. 
When we eat concentrated foods our body doesn't have to work as hard at processing lots of food. 
Don't get me wrong, eating a huge salad with lots of water and fiber is good for our digestive system BUT our bodies won't be able to absorb all the nutrients because all that fiber actually pulls some of the vitamins and minerals with it.
When we drink *JUICE* with no pulp in it our bodies are able to take in ALL the nutrients and energy without almost any energy being put in by our digestive systems therefore our bodies will run faster, more efficiently, and will have time to clean our bodies and heal from diseases.  You will notice that after just a single day on juice that you will have brighter eyes and clearer skin!  You can easily incorporate juice into your current lifestyle.  Having FRESH unpasteurized juice as a snack or meal is an amazing thing!
*SPROUTS* are also packed with nutrients.  They are a living food!  A seed that could grow an entire plant is being sprouted so that the seed wakes up and starts to grow.  You are eating a new plant with just one single sprout.  Make yourself a sprout salad with different sprouts and you are eating sooo much nutrition in such a tiny amount. 

When we eat the energy of plants we feel alive!

Start living!
Rawkn Yogini~
Not sure what fruits or veggies to juice or you don't know how to sprout?  Stay tuned...

I want some Energy!

Are you in need of some energy?
Do you constantly suffer from fatigue throughout the day?
Are you unable to complete simple tasks without feeling like you need to relax or sit down?

Well...
You may be suffering from a nutrient/vitamin/mineral deficiency.
Believe it or not if your body isn't getting all the vitamins and minerals that it needs you may feel tired and lackluster
The solution is to get more greens and Fruit.  Greens are amazing because they are extremely high in many minerals and vitamins and protein that your body needs to rebuild cells and tissues and to keep your electrolytes balanced
Add dark leafy greens to smoothies by creating the following combination:

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1-2 cups of spinach

1-2 cups of water/coconut water as needed to blend

1 ripe banana
1 cup of berries or other fruits
Voila you have a yummy green smoothie.

Another way to get more greens is on pizza, soups, cassaroles, and of course salads.

You could also be lacking in energy because you actually don't have enough energy or fuel (calories) coming in.  EAT MORE!

But don't eat junk...eat juicy sweet fruits with natural sugars that will provide sugar to your cells and your brain!
Make yourself a fruit salad before work or school or just pack a few pieces of fruit to enjoy throughout the day.  Eating three meals is not the way to go if you want continuous energy.  Eat small frequent meals to keep your metabolism up and your energy soaring

Pumped!
Rawkn Yogini

PS...A post about juice and sprouts for concentrated nutrition coming tomorrow...stay tuned!

Does Yelling get another person's attention?

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I often wonder why people yell at one another when they are having a discussion or argument.  I feel that when someone yells at me or yells something they want to convey to me I completely stop listening or respecting what they have to say.  I simply say, "This person isn't in a calm enough state to even have a worth it conversation and I certainly can't handle all of this forced energy upon me".  Maybe some people enjoy yelling at another person and even like being yelled at but if you don't like being yelled at but you enjoy dishing out to others maybe you should rethink your behavior and approach.  Are you also saying things like "This is the way it has to be done!" or "I want things done my way, and you don't have a say in it" or are you even giving out threats and ultimatums like "If you don't do it like this then you can't do _____ or you will lose my respect or you will tear apart/poison ___" 
The very moment someone starts uttering things like this to me, I lose all respect for them.  Add a raised voice and voilent expression and maybe even violent body language and you are dealing with full on abuse.

You don't  need to stoop to their level.  Calmly and without hesitiation walk away.  They don't want to listen to you anyway!

Protect yourself especially your strong and positive heart and soul,
Rawkn Yogini~

A Release From Reality~

Hi there,

We all want some sort of release from reality.  After seeing the movie inception and the Matrix several years ago, I'm starting to question what reality really is.  As we dream, we create ideas and situations that sometimes confuse us when we wake up to the point that we say "Was that real or was that just a dream?" I once heard the quote "Love is the only reality" and I think  I now completely agree.  Feeling love really awakens you and brings you back and holds you in tight to the world you live in.  When I do yoga, I quiet my mind and let my body and soul listen to the cues and escape from reality.  For 90 minutes, I have no other responsiblity besides listening and moving.  When people take drugs and alcohol they do them to escape from reality.  I wonder why we can't always be in a state of enjoyment with no reality...

Maybe it's all a dream...

Rawkn Yogini

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