Yogi Favorites ~ (7) Dessert: Chocolate Mousse & Banana Ice Cream

(1) Chocolate Mousse for a mood boost! 

Dark chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, mild stimulants responsible for it's reputation as an aphrodisiac. Raw cacao is also rich in antioxidant flavanoids that can improve flow of blood vessels and calm inflammation.

Tofu is a great source of protein, calcium, and iron, but it's advised to try and find non-GMO tofu if possible (found at most health food stores) because little is known about the effects of genetically modified foods on human health and the environment. 

If you don't have vanilla extract on hand, vanilla flavor non-dairy milk can also do the trick. This dessert could win over hardcore dairy-lovers, especially when garnished with colorful berries and mint leaves to visually stimulate the appetite even more. 

Recipe:

1 cup non-dairy demi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz. silken or firm tofu
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (soy/almond/rice/coconut/hemp)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh berries and mint leaves, as optional garnish

Directions:
In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. Blend the melted chocolate, tofu, milk, and vanilla together. Chill mixture for one hour before serving.

(2) Banana Ice Cream

Enjoy dessert guilt-free! This vegan dessert is a nutritious treat that proves that ice-cream does not need dairy or added sugar to taste creamy and delicious!

Bananas and dates both provide a good dose of fiber, while bananas and young coconut water are both loaded with potassium. Young coconut water also contains electrolytes, which makes it ideal for hydration (especially in hot, humid tropical weather where they are generally grown). The simplicity of the recipe lets the wonderful flavors of these few ingredients really stand out.

Recipe:
3-4 Bananas
1 cup young coconut water
4-6 dates
Raw Carob powder, cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
If you have an ice-cream maker, blend the ingredients first and run the mixture through, then serve and enjoy, or freeze for later. 

If you have a Vitamix, you can freeze the bananas beforehand and the Vitamix will blend everything into the perfect ice-cream texture. Otherwise, you can do it the good-old fashioned way and scoop the mixture into a BPA-free glass container, then freeze for about half an hour and thaw before eating. 

Text: Lana J. Lee Pictures: Cayla Carapella

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (5) ~ Beet Salad

Ah beets, Nature's rubies...

Several years ago, it was reported in entertainment news that Mariah Carey was on a diet of purple foods, because she was convinced their anti-aging benefits would keep wrinkles at bay. As gimmicky as it may sound, there is some rationale behind this one!

While it's not recommended to limit oneself to such a small group of foods (balance and diversity is key), thinking of nutrition in terms of color can be an interesting and fun way to eat healthy. Betalain, the pigment in beets that gives them their beautiful red hue, is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant that can reduce high blood pressure. 

Beets also help detox the body by purifying the blood and acting as a liver tonic. Combined with Vitamin E packed sunflower seeds and tarragon, a powerhouse herb full of vitamins and minerals also used as an appetite stimulant and digestive aid, Sri Dharma's Beet Salad is deceivingly light but can truly serve as a meal on its own or a great appetizer.

Recipe:

4 raw beets, grated
1 cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
1 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Directions:

Begin by washing and trimming the beets as needed. If you buy beets with greens, you can use the greens for juicing or in any recipes that calls for dark greens. Grating the beets is a chore if you don’t have a food processor. If grating by hand I recommend the boxy type grater, it keeps the shreds from flying all over the place and staining everything they fall on. 

Once you have grated the beets you can add the sunflower seeds, and tarragon and oil. Tarragon leaves are longer than the thyme I used and chopping them releases their essential oils.

 If you choose to use raw sunflower seeds you can soak them prior to making the salad to soften. I usually rinse once then leave them sitting on a wet paper towel for 20 minutes so they don’t get too soft. I forgot to do this when I was prepping this time, so note the seeds will soak up the juice of the beets and soften that way as well if you let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes.

If you use roasted seeds, add them at the last minute before eating so they do not get soft! 

Stir all the ingredients together. Makes 3-6 servings.

Text: Lana J. Lee & Amy Stinchcombe Pictures: Amy Stinchcombe & Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (4) Dharma Salad

Avocados and tomatoes are both superfood fruits in their own right, but together they make a true power couple! 

The Dharma Salad is a great example of how good food combining can provide even more nutritional benefits. 

Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which is better absorbed by the body when consumed with fatty foods like avocados. Lycopene is a pigment-rich nutrient from the carotenoid family that gives tomatoes, among other fruits and vegetables, their red hue. Studies have shown this powerful antioxidant's potential to reduce risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

For the purest benefits, try to purchase organic and locally grown tomatoes. 

Here's how to do it:

Cut one avocado into cubes.

Slice two large tomatoes.

Mix a splash of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil with a splash of Bragg's liquid aminos or sea salt. Add the sprouts (any kind). Stir all ingredients together and enjoy!  (Serves 1-2)

Text: Lana J. Lee Pictures: Cayla Carapella & Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (3) ~ How to make Sprouted Almond Milk

Why sprouted almonds? Seeds and nuts contain vital energy forces that enable them to grow into trees and plants, given the right conditions. With the life essentials of water and sunlight, inhibitor enzymes built in to protect the seed are released and begin to germinate, increasing the power and bio-availability of vitamin and mineral content. 

Note: During germination, the skin becomes toxic, so always peel your sprouted almonds! The germination process transforms the chemical composition of the almond, giving it a nutritional profile more like a living plant than an inert seed. 

Sprouted almonds are anti-inflammatory, diabetic-friendly superfoods packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins - the perfect Dharma yogi food! 

Here is how make it - easy, a little time consuming, but 100% worth it every time.

1 ½ cup sprouted almonds or brazil nuts

4 cups filtered water

3-5 dates 

1 Tbs vanilla (or fresh vanilla bean seeds)

Pinch sea salt, agave, honey or maple syrup to taste

It takes about 10 minutes to peel the sprouted almonds. Hold the large end in your finger tips and squeeze, the nut slips out of the skin pointy side first into your palm. Rinse after peeling to remove any lingering toxins from the skins. 

About the dates, if you remember to do it, soaked is better, if dry however, they soak themselves in the milk after blending and dissolve away leaving only skin that falls to the bottom.

Pour the nuts and water together into the blender. Close the lid and blend on high for a couple of minutes.

The better blended the more nutrition you will gain from the nut pulp.

Any linen type cloth or very fine cheese cloth will do for straining. It doesn’t have to be a bag but that will make squeezing it easier.  Make sure your bowl is large enough.

Pour the milk through the cloth into the bowl.

When the sprouted nut meal pulp is still in the cloth you can dip, wet it again and squeeze with your hands. This will yield more of the vital essence of the nut. You can add a little more fresh water into the bag as well to help with this.

You can also pour the milk through a second time, again its like squeezing milk from coconut pulp, the more you work it, the more comes out of the pulp. Once you’ve done this to your satisfaction, then you are ready to pour the milk back into the blender without the pulp now, and add the dates (pitted), vanilla and salt.

Store your Almond Milk in a glass container and shake well before consuming. It will last three plus days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Text: Lana J. Lee & Amy Stinchcombe Pictures: Amy Stinchcombe, Enid Johnstone

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

Yogi Favorites (2) ~ Sprouting Almonds & Making a Dharma Sun Salute Blend

"I think it's the best food." ~ Sri Dharma Mittra on sprouted almonds

Five facts about Almonds:

• Almond oil is excellent for the skin and almonds build muscle, reduces cravings, fight obesity and can prevent heart disease;
• Almonds make for a good flip side to dairy and is officially the healthiest of all nuts;
• If you plant an almond tree it will be covered in lovely light pink flowers in the late winter or early spring;
• In Greek mythology the almond tree is represented by the beautiful princess Phyllis. Left at the altar on her wedding day, Phyllis waited for years before finally perishing of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed her into an almond tree, as a symbol of hope. When Phyllis' fiancée returned to find her as a leafless, flowerless tree, he embraced it and the tree burst into bloom - a demonstration of love not conquered by death;
• Almonds are a Yogi staple and Dharma Yogis are great consumers of Almonds.

Sprouting Facts:

Most raw seeds, nuts and beans should be sprouted to reap their maximum potential.  Sprouting changes the entire chemistry of the seed, nut or bean, flooding it with the Prana (vital life-force), thus turning it into a mature, healthy plant that is easy to digest.

A sprout is a complete food and can supply the physical body with vital nutrients in promoting life and radiant health.  Once seeds and beans are sprouted, they can be placed in direct sunlight for 30-60 minutes.  The sprouts then become a green vegetable, a wondrously complete Superfood.

Sprouting instructions:

Soak the almond for 12 hours and then rinse every three to four hours for a period of 18 hours.  Sprouted almonds should be covered in water and placed in the refrigerator.  The water should just cover one half inch over the top of the almonds.  Peel the skin off before eating, as it becomes toxic during germination. Enjoy!

Using sprouted almonds:

Dharma Sun Salute Blend

Instructions:

Add the following ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy:

2 large bananas or 1 avocado
1 cup of sprouted almonds (peeled)
1 to 2 cups of the fresh juice of your choice or rice/soy/almond milk
Agave nectar to taste (the bananas are naturally sweet if ripe so you may find you do not need an additional sweetener)

While making your blend, chant the Mantra for Purification at least three times.

“I said to the almond tree, 'Friend, speak to me of God,' and the almond tree blossomed.”  ~ Nikos Kazantzakis

Post written by: Enid Johnstone Pictures: Lorenza Pintar

Recipe Source and Sprouting Instructions: The Dharma Yoga LOAY Teacher Training Manual

3 Ways To Cultivate Compassion In Your Life

By David Jozefczyk 

Ahimsa (non-violence/non-killing or compassion), the ethical guideline that stands in the forefront from the others, is life’s law of non-harming. 

Once this ethical guideline is mastered, all other ethical guidelines fall into place. Also true, is that the more compassion is studied, the more layers of understanding appear.

Most people understand Ahimsa in regards to non-killing or not causing physical pain to other human beings or pets.  But Ahimsa goes beyond that. Prior to learning about Ahimsa, I fell into this category.  The first time that I had the honor to receive Sri Dharma Mittra’s teachings regarding Ahimsa, it changed my life.  This intricate ethical guideline (Yama) was explained to me with such simplicity and in such a compassionate manner that it brought tears to my eyes and struck a chord deep within me. 

A vegetarian lifestyle is a great way to practice Ahimsa as it covers three areas - through thought, word and deed. 

1.    Thoughts

With thoughts, for example, when eating with friends and family who are not educated in Ahimsa, my thoughts do not judge or think bad of them.  I have realized their true Self does not mean to harm, it’s just their physical mind is not ready at this point in their evolution and so I feel compassion for them.

Ahimsa of thoughts not only applies towards others, but towards the self as well.  Negative thoughts can manifest themselves, so any negativity or harm towards yourself (as well as others) should be avoided.  A good amount of bad karma can be accumulated in this regard and no one wants that!

2.    Deeds

In regards to deed, leading by example and consistently living as a vegetarian is a very powerful way to influence and it may eventually change another person’s outlook on diet.  

3.    Words

Lastly, being vegetarian and practicing Ahimsa in regards to word, conversation arises from time to time and I am asked “what made you become vegetarian?”  I always choose my words carefully, as some friends and family members love to play devils advocate by mentioning plants.  I answer that it is impossible for most people to be completely non-harming due to the physical body needing sustenance, so I chose what I feel to be the lesser of two evils.  This type of conversation has the ability to transform others not aware of Ahimsa.

Words can be very powerful and life changing in both a positive and negative way.  Even a simple “hello” with the right intention to someone passing by can brighten his or her day! 

I feel it is a good practice to keep your words to a minimum and positive and uplifting in nature.  Many yogi masters teach that if you do not have anything good to say then this is a good time to practice silence or Mouna, which Swami Sivananda describes as “Tapas of speech.”

I am still learning from the masters to eradicate negative traits and to bring more compassion into my life by practicing Ahimsa.  Through a steady and consistent practice this can be mastered and then applied towards all Yamas and Niyamas!

_____________________________________

Dave Jozefczyk began practicing yoga in 2006 by taking class with his wife ‘chelle in his basement.  Having a consistent flow of friends who attended three days per week made it an official class.  The next chapter in Dave's spiritual journey was experiencing a long weekend immersion with Sri Dharma Mittra at Kripalu in 2008 with his wife.  Since that transformative weekend, he has been faithfully practicing Dharma Yoga.  During these five plus years of practice and observing his wife's transformation after completing her 500-hour LOAY Teacher Training, Dave realized that he also had the ability to help others and serve in so many different ways. In June of 2013, Dave was very humbled to experience the 200-hour LOAY TT at the Dharma Yoga Center in NYC.  He is currently teaching at the CNY Yoga Center (Dharma Yoga Syracuse) to fulfill his internship credentials.  It brings him such joy to be able to share the Dharma Yoga teachings, which he continues to learn from Sri Dharma and the Dharma family.

Dharma Yoga Across the US

Q & A with Dharma Yoga teachers in the US...

This week: Ishvara Pranidhana Om

– Jefferson City, Missouri

  By Nicole Sopko

Ishvara Pranidhana Om, simply called “Vara” by her students at Dharma Yoga Missouri, is a dedicated and reverent student of yoga. She has fully incorporated the practice of yoga in her life, running Dharma Yoga Missouri as well as the attached vegan café, Vitality (www.vitality-cafe.com).

Where do you live?

I live in Jefferson City, Missouri. It’s the capitol, in the heart of the state that’s in the heart of the Midwest. I lease a building that has Dharma Yoga Missouri along with Vitality, our vegan café, on the first floor. I live in the apartment upstairs with my two daughters and two cats. I like just walking downstairs and being at work.

Which LOAY trainings have you completed? How did you come to do those trainings?

I completed my LOAY 200-hour in June 2010 because I started subbing and needed to have formal training. Also, I took a weekend workshop with Dharma Yoga Teacher Rebecca Kovacs in San Diego, CA, that blew my mind and blew all of my perceptions about Yoga out of the water.

So I took a 24-hour trip to meet Sri Dharma Mittra for a Maha Sadhana the day before Valentine's in 2010 to check out the facility and the teacher. I had watched his Maha Sadhana DVDs and his voice was something so old in my memory that when I met him in person I started to cry.  Sri Dharma asked me, "What's wrong with you, did you break up with your boyfriend? Oh, you just have some Shakti rising up" as he gestured to his heart. I was stricken and all I wanted was to be with him. So I signed up for the LOAY 200-hour teacher training.

I took the LOAY 500-hour training because I was so happy about my first training and also so that I could teach all the levels at the center. When I heard that there was going to be a LOAY 800-hour I was like, "PUT ME ON THAT LIST!" At this point I have an overwhelming burning desire for liberation, it's all I think about and I think that is certainly a result of such intensive immersion experiences. I think the LOAY 800-hour TT has been the one of the best experiences of my life so far.

How have the people you met in the training inspired you?

The people I met are a varied group of people, some whom I remain very close with to this day. There are people from every walk of life, all different ethnicities and from different parts of the world.  I am inspired by the fact that we can all be so different, yet are all reflections of each other in our love for Sri Dharmaji and our quest for Self-Realization.

What is one practice that you do every day?

I watch the activities of the mind and pray constantly. I devote every action to God, and try not to be concerned with the activities of the mind, but I am always trying to observe it. I am consumed with thoughts of liberation, so I ask for Divine Help all the time.

This is the easiest practice for me because I don't always have time for asana and pranayama, or reading scriptures every day.

What are you currently working on?

I opened Dharma Yoga Missouri in 2010, and three other trainees have taken the LOAY 200-hour training since then. I’m letting them take over most of my classes for the summer so I can focus on the Vitality Café. I will return in September with emphasis on teaching the Deep Healing Relaxation Series.

I opened the Vitality cafe in my town because there is nothing like it for 150 miles in any direction! Vitality is named after the Vitality diet that I was required to follow during my LOAY 500-hour training. Vegan food is considered to be fairly radical here! Starting in September, our studio and cafe will be doing Fresh Start, a one month program on just raw food.  Every day there will be recipes, inspiration, and a Dharma Yoga Asana mini-class.  I am also doing some half-day intensives with raw vegan dinner afterward.  All info can be found on our website.

I admit that I am using customer’s senses to trick them into making a compassionate decisions about food. If I give someone chocolate cake and please their senses to the point that they might consider having vegetarian food next time they eat something, then that is better than me trying to feed them a bunch of sprouts which they will simply reject and classify as "health food." So we offer food that is not sattvic, but we have to get them hooked on vegan food somehow…

How has your experience in the Dharma Yoga LOAY program affected your life outside of training?

The name of the program "Life of a Yogi" is exactly that and has turned me into an aspiring Yogi. I went from a drugged-out meat eater, deluded, with total lack of self-control to a person that my family and old friends have a hard time recognizing. I don't think I will ever look back to this time and think, "Oh well, you know...I was young." I can't imagine going backwards from this point. The love and discipline and other qualities that Sri Dharma and my other teachers exemplify is so far-reaching that Self-Realization seems the only way out!

What books are you currently reading or studying?

Yogic Powers by Yogi Gupta (because it pertains to my 800-hour training and Psychic Development). Plus, I am always reading and re-reading the Gita.

Check out the Vitality Café on Facebook for beautifully styled and delicious vegan food.

________________________________________________

Nicole Sopko(Gopi Om) is a Dharma Yoga teacher living in Chicago, IL where she teaches Dharma Yoga and operates a nationwide vegan natural food company alongside her (life) partner. She takes great care to be always aware of the ways in which these two responsibilities intersect and spends her time promoting compassion in all forms. She is a dedicated and loving student of Sri Dharma’s and visits New York as frequently as possible to absorb the benefits of his holy teachings in person.Nicole Sopko(Gopi Om) is a Dharma Yoga teacher living in Chicago, IL 

15 Truths I learned from Sri Dharma Mittra

By Sorsha Anderson

Picture by Natasha Phillips

1. To make progress you must learn to do three things: Fast, keep silent and wait...
2. Breathe as slowly as possible for an hour and watch your cravings disappear. 
3. See yourself in the practice you are not able to access right now.  Imagine yourself in it.   
4. Do the work.  Not because you expect results, but because it’s work that needs to be done.  
5. In the beginning, do the poses any way you can. 
6. You can become king of the gods by watching…
7. Cultivate compassion--the rest will come. 
8. Expect nothing.  Do it because it has to be done. 
9. Avoiding discipline is a trick of the mind.  It enjoys its pleasures.  The mind will throw you down.  It is powerful. 
10. There is no ‘mine’.  Where there is ‘mine’, there is bondage.
11. Be kind to all beings.  Everyone passes through the same obstacles.
12. You can reach higher states with drugs, but there is a blackness behind it.  You despair because you know you cannot get there without the help.  When you achieve higher states with meditation, you feel bliss because you realize no one can take it from you.
13. Yoga is…perfect obedience to the teacher.
14. Drop the elbows. Don’t think!  Forearm stand!
15. After enlightenment, there are plenty of exciting jobs for you to do! 

_________________________

Sorsha Anderson is a certified Dharma Yoga Teacher who lives and teaches in Vermont.  She has been practicing since 1991 and worked with very gentle and restorative yoga until her 30's when she wandered into a hot and sweaty, but meditative vinyasa studio.  Neither a dancer nor gymnast as a child, and after having had two children, she surprised herself by balancing in crow for the first time at 36.  She never looked back.  Sorsha approaches each new pose with a sense of optimism and adventure and delights in encouraging others to try what only seems impossible at first glance.  She particularly enjoys teaching older women who are trying to find their way back to their bodies after a sometimes very long absence.  Sorsha is thankful to have found her way to the Dharma Yoga Center and makes the trip from Vermont as often as she can.  She offers gratitude for the beautiful physical and spiritual teachings of Sri Dharma Mittra.