RECIPES: Gourmet Gridiron ~ Healthy, Vegan and Gluten Free Super Bowl Menu and Recipes

The holidays are behind us but an all American tradition is coming up quick, Super Bowl Sunday! No matter if you actually watch the game or are just there for the commercials, the best part (at least for me) is the food!  It’s the centerpiece of the party and a bottomless pit of mindless eating for about 4 hours. So why not make the food awesome and on the healthier side? Vegans or not, check out this year’s menu so whether you’re a sports fan or not, you’ll be looking forward to the food!

Game Day Guac

• 3 avocados, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 ears corn, grilled and kernels removed
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1-2 clove(s) garlic, finely crushed and minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the avocados, corn, jalapeno, onions, cilantro, lime juice and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with organic tortilla chips or crudite.

Kick Off Popcorn

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup popping corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspooncayenne pepper

Heat oil in deep pot over medium high heat. Add corn. Cover pot and pop the corn, shaking pan often. Remove from heat. Drizzle with melted butter. Combine spices in a small dish and sprinkle the blend over hot corn. Serve.

Field Goal Green Salad

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoonDijon mustard
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup almond oil
• Salt and pepper

For the salad:

• 12 ounces mixed field greens
• 1 bunch green asparagus, grilled then diced into 1-inch long pieces
• 1 sweet white onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup slivered almonds

For the dressing:

Whisk all ingredients except almond oil together. While whisking, slowly drizzle in hazelnut oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until ready to serve salad.

For the salad:

When ready to serve toss greens, asparagus and vinaigrette together, seasoning with salt and pepper. Place a generous handful on each salad plate, top greens with onions and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Winter Tailgate Chili

For the Roasted Garlic:

• 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Chili:

• 12 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 chile peppers (chipotles a re great)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (gluten free if desired)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 7 cups vegan chicken broth made from vegan chicken bullion
• 4 cups shredded cooked vegan chicken (like Gardein) or cubed pan seared tofu
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 15-ounce can navy beans, undrained
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 cupvegan heavy cream ( 1 block of silken tofu (12-ounces) and 1/2 cup of plain soy milk. Blend in blender until thick and creamy and there are no more lumps )
• 1 cup grated vegan mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese

Make the roasted garlic: Toss the 12 cloves garlic with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover, leaving a vent, and microwave until soft, about 90 seconds. Let cool, covered.

Prepare the chili: Preheat the broiler. Cook the shallots in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil until charred on all sides, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. Stem, seed and chop.

Add the minced garlic to the shallots and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the wine; simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the roasted chiles, 6 cups broth, the chicken, chili powder, cayenne, beans, and salt and black pepper to taste. Return to a simmer.

Meanwhile, squeeze the soft pulp from the roasted garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 1 cup broth and process until smooth. Add to the chili and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, adding the spinach during the last 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cheese.

Punter’s Vegan Chicken Pizza

• 3/4 pound vegan chicken breast cutlets (1 package and a half of vegan chicken cutlets)
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning
• 1 pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria (gluten free if desired)
• Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, spice level per your taste
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high.

Place chicken on a plate and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with grill seasoning. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.

Remove the chicken from grill and thinly slice it. Add chicken to sauce and coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy chicken, cheese, olives and scallions. Bake 18 minutes or until crisp.

Football Cake Pies

• 1 cupsugar
• 1 /2 cup vegan shortening
• 2 egg replacers
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegan buttermilk ( 1 cup plain soy milk with 1 teaspoon of apple cider or coconut water vinegar, set aside to curdle for at least 15 minutes )
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 pound vegan cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks vegan butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.

To make the cake pies, in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and 1/2 cup of the shortening. Add 2 egg replacers and mix well.

Onto a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.

Lay half of the cookies flat on a work surface. Divide the filling among the cookies, spreading out to the edges. Top with the remaining cookies to form sandwich pies. Cover tightly and refrigerate before serving. Pipe remaining icing over top of the pies in the design of football threads.

White Chocolate Maple Brownies

• 10 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 2 cupsall purpose flour (gluten free if desired)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 egg replacers, mixed (EnerG is best)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces vegan white chocolate

For the Topping:

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons vegan unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegan heavy cream( 1 block of silken tofu (12-ounces) and 1/2 cup of plain soy milk. Blend in blender until thick and creamy and there are no more lumps )
• Vegan vanilla ice cream, for serving
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter the foil. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not overprocess). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 10 tablespoons butter and thebrown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg replacers, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.

Meanwhile, make the topping: Place the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of caramel.

Use the foil to lift the blondies out of the pan, then cut into large bars. Serve warm topped with ice cream, the maple sauce and the walnuts.

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READ: Ancient Science for Modern Women by Jaisri M. Lambert

Ayurveda is a collected wisdom of ages and sages, and is extremely relevant to today’s

woman. Ayurveda is, first and foremost, a science of preventative living through the

application of accrued wisdom. Traditionally, women are the first teachers of preventative

living; often, however, modern women do not care for themselves first, even though they

must—for a healthy self, family and community.

 

Physically, digestion is the principle focus of health; psychologically, one’s life

philosophy is the primary focus of health; spiritually, meditation and selfless service are the

primary focus of health. Observing these together produces health and happiness for a

woman and beyond.

 

Transformation through Digestion

“Agni,” (meaning metabolic fire in Sanskrit) implies transformation—the food

transforms into you, the image transforms into a name, the experience transforms into

wisdom. These parallel digestive processes involve heat (tapas), which implies austerity.

Restraint is necessary to choose suitable foods to be eaten at a suitable time. Serve the main

meal at noon and a lighter meal in the evening.

 

Food science in Ayurveda is based on the “Law of the Six Tastes” rather than on the

relationship between proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, which are isolated

food components. Today’s woman would do well to simplify food fads and to move toward

classical concepts of nourishing herself and her family by considering the taste on the tongue

of foods served daily.

 

“Shad rasa” (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent) describes the global effects

of substances at all four stages of digestion. While Western science does not yet discuss the

post-digestive effect of foods, Ayurveda talked about sub-atomic assimilation (the emotional

interface of mind and body) thousands of years ago.

 

The process of eating is meant to both cure and prevent disease. Most disease can be

cured or managed by adjusting the food habits passed down from time immemorial through

mothers and grandmothers, who taught their children good food choices and healthful lifestyle habits to help prevent illness. Herbs to take and observances to remember were

passed down from generation to generation in the kitchen.

 

An experienced Ayurvedic practitioner can offer advice on specific food choices for

individual women and their family members. Herbal supplements may, from time to time,

be needed for unresponsive symptoms to help maintain balance.

 

Thoughtful Nourishment

Ayurvedic medical science is based mostly in the Sankhiya philosophy of creation, as

expounded by the great sage Kapila, who taught that the soul is eternal and takes on various

transiting “coverings” (koshas). These soul coverings include the acculturalization body,

which nourishes itself through mental repetition; the respiratory covering, which nourishes

itself from oxygen in the air (prana); and the physical body, which nourishes itself from daily

food intake.

One’s thoughts are generated by a precipitation of qualitative tendencies and repeated

choices, which in turn generate the secretion of a fluid neuro-transmitter. This

communication then enters the general circulation to nourish and form our bodily tissues.

Qualitative mental influences have a greater impact on well-being than food choices, and

therefore are more important in the prevention and healing of disease. It’s best to maintain

one’s focus on emotional balance. A mother is the first guide to restrain the child from -

potentially harmful practices, and she teaches by example. So, once again, a woman must

care for the self first to best care for others.

 

Resting Meditation

Providing rest to the mind is critical to maintaining mental and emotional equilibrium.

Joy comes from the contentment of everyday satisfactions such as appropriate food,

meaningful work, loving relationships and opportunities to serve in the world.

A woman needs to take time to withdraw from worldly life in order to re-charge and discharge her “batteries,” which can be unduly affected by stress. Taking 20 to 60 minutes daily

in the morning and evening for quiet introspection refreshes the consciousness and restores

creative enthusiasm to the mind. Sit facing east for ease in receptivity to the inner light of

gladness. Sit with the back straight and relax the body deeply, gradually. Focus the attention

in the third eye (located approximately behind and between the eyebrows) and return the focus

there if the mind wanders. Follow the breath until the mind become quiet behind the

root of the eyebrows. Let the mind rest between respiratory phases.

 

Morning meditation supports the day to unfold with grace and alignment, while evening

meditation supports preparation for deep rest and repair of the body’s cells. If you awaken

early in the early morning, sit in meditation, which will to help provide deeper restoration to

your body than will fitful sleep.

 

Seva (Selfless Service)

In Ayurveda, the spiritual priorities used to guide difficult decision-making are:

God/Goddess first, family second and community third. “God” (cultivating love) is first by

giving priority to meditation and the remembrance of our divine nature, according to one’s

personal style and beliefs. Secondly, decisions  are made in favour of the family’s needs.

Ayurvedic teaching is to put oneself in the first position of family, that is, to put one’s own

self-care first. Next in priority is the spouse’s needs, then the parents’ or children’s,

depending on the ages and stages of need, and then other family members.

 

If energy or resources such as time or money remain, up to half can be given away to the

community as selfless service. To give hidden donations with no consideration for return is

meritorious and helps ensure enduring spiritual health and strength. If only one-tenth or

one-fortieth can be spared, this is still very effective in cleansing spiritual imbalances such as

fear or judgment while strengthening faith and tolerance. With loving kindness, such as

volunteering or many daily kind acts for the family or community, happiness, freshness and

creativity return to the mind, heart and body.

 

Once again, it is common for women to take the last place in the priority chain, but

really they need to put themselves first. Only then can excellent care of self and others be

created and sustained.

 

Women and Public Health

Throughout history, women have upheld family and community health. Nowadays, the

responsibilities of women have further increased and stress has grown as a result. However,

practice of the basic principles of food science, herbology and loving kindness is enough to

sustain individual health even in today’s busy lifestyle. Still, the realization of the importance

of self-care is absolute. Taking time to rest while menstruating, for example, is a single

important gesture to make each month for self-care. The consequences of not observing rest during the flow are costly for society. The consequences of hormonal replacement therapy

for birth control and menopause management are also costly for women and their society, as

are the consequences of imbalance, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Ayurveda is a universal science of everyday living, brought to us through an ancient oral

tradition of living principles of ancient wisdom. Living includes eating, sleeping, thinking,

relating, working and, indeed, all of life. When a woman accepts that her life is of the utmost

importance, the balance and health that results benefits not only her but those she loves as

well.

Jaisri M. Lambert has studied and taught Ayurveda since 1990. See the HANS “Calendar

of Events” at http://www.hans.org for her upcoming lectures, classes and appearances.

Jaisri can be reached at (604) 290-8201 (Canada) or (408) 378-2880 (US).

Her website is http://ayurveda-seminars.com

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READ: An Excerpt from: ‘The Guru and the Jerk’ by Christopher Pinckley

My latest work is called ‘The Guru and the Jerk’ and is the first of a new, emotionally honest trilogy

I recently completed the final edit for The Guru and the Jerk.   I had previously released this book only to find that I had neglected quite a few grammatical errors.  My hope had been to release this book as raw as I possibly could, but this approach backfired on me as it needed editing.  So, now it’s done!  The book will be available as a kindle ebook at first, and then later as a paperback.

In this work I bring a ‘no holds barred’ approach to spirituality and self help which I feel has been missing for way too long.  There is just too much misinformation and conflicting opinions and beliefs out there to let this go on any longer.  People are becoming scared of what they think and feel for fear that they are going to create a catastrophe for themselves.  A lot of people are trying to make spiritual bypasses and delve into the spiritual realms hoping that they can create heaven on Earth.  While that’s not a completely bad idea in itself, it does not lend to creating the life of your dreams if you are repressing your emotional states of being during the process.

Thus, The Guru and the Jerk is all about emotional honesty and a hard, behind the scenes look at the making of a spiritual teacher and self help author.

I hope you enjoy the honesty, the frankness, and the realism that I provide while describing my personal journey behind the scenes.

Chapter 8 Spiritual Sexuality

So, what is the difference between me and another guy sitting at Starbucks who is checking out the ladies? Why would I attempt to elevate myself beyond the status of just some dude ogling women at the Starbucks, you might ask?

Well, a couple of things separate me from this idiot.

First, I am emotionally honest about it. In other words, I will openly admit it to anyone who asks me. This, in itself, exemplifies an alternate state of consciousness. In other words, I am not trying to cover it up by either repressing it within myself or lying to someone else about it.

For example, there was a guy sharing my table the other day at the Starbucks in Walnut Creek. A beautiful Italian woman came in who had an extremely athletic build which I found fascinating. I admired the way she had crafted her body through exercise. Every woman is beautiful to me and wears her beauty in her own way. This woman had refined her body in an athletic kind of way. This guy sharing my table was pretending to be busy, doing some sort of work, but he was watching her too. So I said: “She has a nice athletic body, eh?” And, can you guess what his reply was? A slightly embarrassed grunt “umgh” as if he wasn’t really looking at her and who am I to even bring it up!? In other words, total unconsciousness. A person who is this unconscious might be the very person who cheats on his wife. He pretends that he isn’t staring at every single woman around him, but he is busy doing exactly that.

You do not have to worry about the people who put it out there. Emotionally honest people, even if they are rude, are in the light. Let me say that again: Emotionally honest people are in the light. Whereas, emotionally dishonest people (deeply unconscious people), are in the dark. Do you understand the powerful difference here?

One guy might say that he is checking out the chicks at Starbucks. Another guy might say that he would never do anything like that, but he is busy cheating on his wife with a woman he met at Starbucks.

This also applies to women. I’ve dated women who adamantly deny that they crave external validation only to find that they are secretly making eye contact with every single dude that walks by. When confronted with this they are in total denial.

Why?

Because anything that deeply unconscious cannot be admitted as a conscious act.

You might as well ask a gerbil why they are looking at somebody, as ask an unconscious girlfriend or boyfriend that question. The only difference is that the gerbil won’t become angry with you. We could also look at why it bothers you that your partner is looking at somebody or why you notice it or why you feel the need to confront that. This is sort of beside the point I am trying to make right now though.

Here is another way of speaking about emotional honesty: If you run into someone in New York City who doesn’t like you, guess what? They will tell say it to your face – and not in a nice way.

By contrast, if you run into someone in Los Angeles who doesn’t like you, guess what? They will smile at your face and shake your hand. But, you will leave that interaction with an ungood feeling.

Why?

Because anyone, even unconscious people, sense that something is just not right. That person who doesn’t like you gave you a cold prickly instead of a warm fuzzy.

Think of it this way: Would you rather have a cold prickly on the outside of you, where you can see it, and not take it too personally? Or, would you rather have a cold prickly somewhere inside of you, and not understand where this yucky feeling is coming from?

Are you starting to get the picture now?

Of course, you can take this to the extreme too, especially a lot of men whom I have observed. “Hey man, I love women, what can I say?” That phrase has been uttered by more than one man who rationalizes that he is emotionally honest as a way to basically try to sleep with as many women as he can. Now we have a dude who is basically unconscious and additionally manipulative. Big fun for women.

I consider myself to be a sexual being. But, what does that mean? By saying that, am I creating an excuse so that I can live my life in a certain way? I think it is new and important for us to address our assumptions about ourselves. More people are beginning to recognize core aspects of themselves, whether they use numerology, integral theory, or transpersonal psychology. Along with them, I am trying to become more aware of various aspects of myself; I am trying to categorize the various aspects of my ‘self’, as it were.

This powerful tool might help me understand myself, but could it become a handicap?

Consider this categorization: “I am a Type A personality.”

This is an example of a gross overgeneralization that permeates our modern day culture. So, you’re telling me that there are two types of personalities: Type A and Type B? That’s it? “Oh yeah, I’m a Type A for sure man.”

This is obviously ridiculous and cannot even remotely encompass the human experience. However, now we have spiritual people doing it with all manner of different types of personality charts. Ok, so in the beginning I would be inclined to agree that this can offer valuable insight into one’s own psyche in that you can potentially become aware of who you are and why you do what you do.

Got it.

But, what if I denote that I am a ‘sexual being’, so to speak? Do I then get to rationalize my behavior by going around sleeping with as many women as I can? Because let me tell you, I can. I could say, “Well, I am a very sexual being and being sexually intimate with women is something that my Soul yearns for. I feel energized and excited by being with different women. I truly love women and love being with them.”

Will you buy that for a dollar?

You can apply the ‘I am an xyz type of personality/soul’ to any scenario to rationalize and perpetuate any behavior. So, it can get messy. So it becomes important to understand the real meaning of ‘Integration.’

Christopher Pinckley is the author of Reality Creation 101, a ground breaking spiritual self-help book about healing your unconscious and learning how to become the conscious creator of your own experience. He is also a spiritual teacher, blogger, and life coach. Look for his break through coaching program at the start of 2011. http://www.realitycreation101.com/

 

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READ: MAKE THE OFFERING by Rick Hanson, M.D.

What could you offer?
The Practice:
Make the offering.
Why?

One of the strangest and most meaningful experiences of my life occurred when I going through Rolfing (ten brilliant sessions of deep-tissue bodywork) in my early 20′s. The fifth session works on the stomach area, and I was anticipating (= dreading) the release of buried sadness. Instead, there was a dam burst of love, which poured out of me during the session and afterward. I realized it was love, not sadness, that I had bottled up in childhood – and what I now needed to give and express.

We can hold back our contributions to the world, including love, just as much as we can muzzle or repress sorrow or anger. But contribution needs to flow; it stagnates and gets stinky if it doesn’t. Thwarted contribution is the source of much unhappiness. For example, the wound of loneliness and heartache is about not having others to give to as much as not having others to get from. And one of the major issues with adolescence in technological cultures is that there are few opportunities for teenagers to make a real difference, to matter and feel a sense of earned worth.

Now, “contribution” covers a lot of ground. It includes big things like raising a child, inventing the paperclip, or composing a symphony. But mainly it’s a matter of many little things. You give or receive hundreds of small offerings each day, such as doing the dishes, treating customers with respect, picking up a gum wrapper, encouraging a friend, having good intentions, or staying open to feedback. You contribute with thought, word, and deed, and both by what you do and by what you restrain yourself from doing.

In addition to the offerings you already make, you may sense other things inside that want to be offered. Can you open to these and let them flow? It does not matter how large or small they are. As Nkosi Johnson – a South African boy born with HIV who became a national voice for children with AIDS before dying at about age 12 – once said:

Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, in the place where you are.

How?

Appreciate some of the things you already contribute through thought, word, and deed. Let yourself feel good about this.

Moving through your day, try considering your contributions as offerings – particularly the little things that are easy to overlook, such as the laundry, courteous driving, or saying thanks. When you relate to everyday actions as offerings, you feel an intimacy with the world, more kindness, perhaps even something sacred.

Also try on a sense of being unattached to the results of your offerings. Sure, it’s OK to hope for the best. But if you get fixed on some outcome, it’s a set up for pressure and disappointment. I got a good lesson about this from my friend David, who was becoming a priest in an urban zen center and preparing for his first public talk. I asked David if it bothered him to work hard to present something precious to people who might not value it. He looked at me like he could not understand my question. Then he made a gesture with both hands as if he were setting something at my feet, saying: “My part is to give the talk as best I can. Whatever they pick up is up to them. I hope it’s helpful, but that’s out of my hands.”

It’s alright to make offerings from enlightened self-interest. When you give, you receive. Which helps you keep giving. To be benevolent to others, you must be benevolent to yourself.

Also listen to your heart for additional offerings calling to be expressed. Maybe it’s the offering of never speaking out of anger, or really starting that novel, or determining to give love each day. It could even be an offering to your future self – the being above all others you have the greatest power over, and thus the highest duty to – such as regular exercise or taking steps toward a better job.

Help yourself sustain this practice by feeling good about your contributions, regarding actions as offerings, staying focused on a key new offering, and holding self-criticism at bay. As Leonard Cohen sings:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
That’s how the light gets in

* * *

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and author of the bestselling Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (in 20 languages) – and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time. Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, he’s taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers worldwide. His work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, and U.S. News and World Report and he has several audio programs. His blog – Just One Thing – has over 30,000 subscribers and suggests a simple practice each week that will bring you more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind and heart. If you wish, you can subscribe to Just One Thing here.

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The previous JOT – admit fault and move on – was about our relationship with other people. This JOT applies the same practice to ourselves. Most people know their less than wonderful qualities, such as too much ambition (or too little), a weakness for wine or cookies, something of a temper, or an annoying tendency to rattle on about pet interests. We usually know when we make mistakes, get the facts wrong, could be more skillful, or deserve to feel remorseful.,…

WHERE IS YOUR ATTENTION? By Cynthia James

There are some people that are experiencing greater challenges than ever before in their lives. Others are experiencing spiritual awakenings that are awe inspiring. The news tells us that our culture is in a crisis mode and spiritual teachers tell us that this is a transformative moment in time. The question becomes; through what personal lens are you viewing life and the world around you? How are you framing the hard moments of feeling disconnected and afraid?,…

Technorati Tags: altruism, Buddha's Brain, consciousness, fellow humans, friendship romance, Happiness, love, mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Rick Hanson, thoughts and feelings, wisdom

READ: Cosmic Cheerleaders by Edie Wienstein

Candy Danzis refers to herself as “The Mainstream Mystic” and that she is, as she bridges the worlds of the mainstream and metaphysical. For most of her career, she worked in the world of finance, making sense of dollars and cents. Now she works with senses of a different type….clairaudience (the sense of clear hearing), clairsentience (the sense of clear feeling), clairvoyance (the sense of clear seeing), and claircognizance  (the sense of clear knowing).  In front of a room, she radiates warmth and humor, ‘rock star’ microphone on her ear, perfectly coiffed blond hair across shoulders usually draped with a vivid color; today it was ‘hot mama’ raspberry pink. Her husband Brian Danzis is, as she refers to him “The brains” (the techno-dude who makes sure that the sound system works)  behind this one woman road show that on this day, brought them from their home near Hershey, PA to my interfaith community called Circle of Miracles, outside of Philadelphia. He is also known as “Mr. Candy” and as someone else joked today “The Candy Man”.

Besides being a savvy business woman and angel communicator, she is also a cancer survivor. Healthy for most of her life, this stealth condition took her by complete surprise and brought with it a chance for huge emotional and spiritual growth.  In 2008, as she was planning the annual Claim Your Power Conference, she received the diagnosis, which put the event on hold. At first, she viewed the treatment she was to receive as toxic. Then a friend suggested that she shift her perception so that she saw the chemotherapy as being divinely inspired.  In the many months that followed, not once did she feel ill from side effects. Today, she stood before us in in radiant good health.

Her message was clear and simple, and that is that each of us has a guardian angel assigned to us at birth whose job it is to guide us. They, along with a host of various Divine messengers are just waiting to be asked to help. In fact, she stated that by our acceptance of their assistance, we are doing them a favor. As she shared those words, which I have heard many times before, tears sprung up and I really got it.  I had this image of a row of cosmic cheerleaders with pom poms waving, kicking up their heels as they rooted for my transcendent touchdown.

She spoke of the grand opportunities she sees in 2012 which flies in the face of the mainstream media view of the cataclysmic end of the world

Candy sees it as a chance to experience positive shifts with dynamic outcomes. She invited us to engage in five specific practices that would enhance our lives.

1. Practice Joy, making it our ‘new normal’. What if you could truly live in joy, immersing yourself in its bubbling over essence? Joy attracts more joy, pleasure, more pleasure. It is contagious and draws into our experience, other people who live in that juicy way as well. I’m all for that!
2. Accept what is. The past is over and unless we can invent a time machine to return to it, it serves no valuable purpose except as a teacher of what to continue doing that worked and what never worked in the first place and we ought not to do THAT again.  Once you take stock of where you are, consider whether you want to stay put, or move ahead.
3. Raise your vibration. Her statement that “the planet is moving to a higher vibration”, calls for us to join in and amp ours up as well. She talks about “feeding our spirit” with loving thoughts, positive people, meditation, energy work, affirmations, exercise, being in nature and restorative sleep. Like attracts like, once again.
4. Trust you Gift of Creation. Candy invited us to move beyond the gloom and doom mass consciousness mentality and into conscious creativity of what it is that we do want, rather than what we may fear.
5. Take Guided Action. She sees this as a beyond expectation time to manifest from our heart’s desires.  Calling on the angels, our spiritual tools and this transformative statement:  “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.”, coined by Emile Coue’  When used through the day, she shared, that it made a huge difference in the way she felt.

I felt a hardy YES! resonating through me as she reinforced “Everybody and everything is conspiring for my Highest Good.  How about them apples?

www.candydanzis.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvz8AMvZKGo    There’s A New World Coming by Mama Cass Elliot

Rev. Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW is a Renaissance Woman and Bliss Mistress who delights in inviting people to live rich, full, juicy lives. Edie is an internationally recognized, sought after, colorfully creative journalist, interviewer and author, a dynamic and inspiring speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, offering uniquely designed spiritual rituals. In addition, she is a PR Goddess, promoting events and transformational teachers, healers, writers and artists. She speaks on the subjects of wellness, spirituality, sexuality, creativity, time management, recovery, body image, mindfulness, self esteem, stress management, re-creating yourself, caring for the caregiver, loss and grief. She is a frequent guest on radio and TV. Edie is currently writing her first best selling book entitled The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming the Ordinary Into The Extraordinary and is offering a workshop for women who want to re-create their lives, based on those concepts. A 20 year old journalistic vision came to pass in July of 2008 when she interviewed His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was a potent reminder to never, ever, ever give up on our dreams. Over the years, Edie has written for mainstream and transformational publications. She has interviewed hundred of notables in the transformational fields, including Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Debbie Ford, Leonard Peltier, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Beckwith, Jonathan Goldman, Gregg Braden, Neale Donald Walsch, Mary Manin Morrissey, Dan Millman, Alan Cohen, Ram Dass, Jack Canfield, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Patch Adams, Ben and Jerry, Donna DeLory, James Twyman, Elizabeth Lesser, Michael Franti and Jean Houston. Her website is http://www.liveinjoy.org 

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Technorati Tags: Angels, Brian Danzis, Candy Danzis, Circle of Miracles, Claim Your Power Conference, Clairaudience, Claircognizance, Clairsentience, clairvoyance, Hershey, Mainstream Mystic, Mama Cass Elliot, PA, philadelphia, There's A New World Coming

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