This is a fun, seasonal fruit shake that perfectly combines juicy winter citrus and sweet, ripe persimmons. Blended with warming ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, this shake truly feels like the holidays. Whip it up for breakfast or enjoy for dessert!

Persimmon Spice Shake
serves 2

• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 ripe Hachiya persimmons, peeled and chopped
• 1/2″ cube fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 frozen bananas

Combine the orange juice, cashews and coconut oil in a blender. Blend until the coconut oil melts and the mixture is very smooth. Add the persimmons, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Blend again until smooth. Finally, add the bananas and blend until you have a rich, creamy shake. Enjoy in the holiday spirit!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

The moon is full, and you begin to feel that pull. You know the one – the one that calls your heart into communion with your sacred tribe. In this space, you meet women who are like you, but different in a way that you want to understand.

You walk closer towards the gathering…silhouetted bodies illuminated by the tendrils of flames coming from the fire. First you hear the drums, and then you feel them; the percussive beats enter your body and resonate with deep, insistent passion. This feeling is what you are missing and what sets the other dancing, whirling, chanting, goddess women apart. The exuberance with which they move and speak is exhilarating to watch and intoxicating to feel. Something you deeply want to feel.

To live in the rhythm of the earth is to be immersed in both rebirth and release. Every rhythm opens up new possibilities for connection and growth with other goddesses reaching out for the shift in consciousness that leads to personal empowerment and deep fulfillment. There’s a reason why generations of women have gathered under its benevolent and nourishing gaze. She restores, refills, and reinvigorates the souls of the undulating bodies joined beneath her in the timeless ritual of worship and renewal.

Starting on the Full Moon of October 29th , for 15 days, you are invited to participate in a singularly sacred FREE GLOBAL ONLINE experience. Under nurturing guidance you will open to your deepest dreams and desires. Wild Free Beautiful You this is a way of reinscribing your commitment to yourself – your nurturance in the arms of your sisters, your self-love practice. It’s a vehicle for change and stepping boldly into your highest untamed, liberated, empowered, and beautiful self.

Do you have a dream you want to set free in the world?

An unanswered question?

A big and beautiful feeling to let out?

Do you want to reclaim yourself. Shed the layers. Dig deeper. Break open. Manifest your real self. Be inspired, untamed, and turned on.

Are you ready to ignite and immerse yourself in the healing fire inside of you?

Are you ready to be so filled up with brilliant, wild, untamed light that it overflows into your whole life?

Are you ready to be Wild, Free, Beautiful You?

That’s who I see. Wild, Free, Beautiful You. You are my tribe. I am your sister. We dance together around the fire in the moonlight of a thousand nights and a million more to come. The flaming tendrils shine light on our face and inspire the fire in our hearts.

I want to share this journey with you.

We are the ones who might:

• Feel trapped and tired but KNOW we were born WILD and thrive living close to the EDGE!
• Feel stuck and out-of-our-body but KNOW we secretly listen to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” on the way to shake down our kundalini at hot yoga!
• Feel disconnected from ourself and others but KNOW we care deeply…viscerally and can meditate on world peace while chopping strawberries naked with a flower in our hair!
• Feel passion is out of our reach but KNOW Mama Earth is our willing partner in bringing potent pleasure to our sexy hips turning us on from the inside out/to our life’s work!
• Feel uninspired but KNOW we can make tea that would heal the whole world while the sensual sounds we make drinking/smelling it inspires anyone listening to hang on our every sip!
• Feel sick, overweight or just blah but KNOW we could hula hoop, booty dance and nosh on succulent sweet oranges and organic avocados with endless pleasure!
• Feel rigid and stiff in body and mind but KNOW we can shake those goddess hips like no other and imagine ourself into a decadent and peaceful wonderland!
• Feel broken hearted and defeated but KNOW our love is big enough to rock babies in orphanages all around the world into a serene slumber and wake every morning with a sparkle/faerie dust in our eye and a flame in your heart!
• Feel like something’s missing but KNOW we have a vision that could shake the pants off the world and clarity to execute it with the fluidity and grace of a mermaid!

Join me and 22 incredible guiding goddesses as we make this journey together. We’ll learn from each other, we’ll share our dreams, our goals, our fears, our secrets for success. Each guiding goddess will lead us in a profound monologue that will rattle you to your core and set you on fire with their raw honesty. Are you ready to learn from the visionaries and lightworkers  around you and set your wild, free, beautiful life on fire?

Sign up now. Starting on the full moon, October 29-Nov 16.

This global online event will help you transform heartache into inspiration, sickness into untamed vitality, and fear into an earth shattering, mind blowing, turned on life that leaves everyone around you ignited by, well, you!

Take a deep breath and feel the waves of change move from your heart through your throat and into your finger tips, alive in your soul. Feel your body shake as your inner goddess comes alive. Allow the force of sacred feminine energy all around you to rise up within you. We are here for you!

You are alive. You are the future. The nurturers of the earth. The caregivers of peace. You are a goddess.

We have designed this journey to reach the goddess hiding inside all of us: the one who says yes, the one who screams no, the one who feels life bubbling and stirring her to her core, and the one who is not ashamed to dance naked in the night wind.

She’s in there. And I can’t wait to meet her.

Willow Love is a Holistic Visionary from Los Angeles who has been midwifing the spirits and empowering the bodies of women all over the world through her Holistic Signature Programs and Blessingway Ceremonies. Willow is masterful at awakening the Divine Nature in powerful women and ushering in (holding space for) the abundance, vitality and juiciest, transformations of all the those whom she inspires, loves!

With Halloween just around the corner, I don’t think I’m the only one with candy on the brain! Temptations seem to be everywhere I look.

I picked up the most amazing barhi dates at the Santa Cruz farmers’ market and with one bite of their sweet caramel goodness, I was instantly inspired to make my own candy. It’s so comforting to have access to healthier alternatives when holidays roll around—and Halloween is just the beginning. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for the rest of the fall and winter holidays. These are simple to make and absolutely delicious.

Feel free to use any nuts you like or have on hand. You can use medjool dates as well, but note that since they are larger than the barhi variety, you will likely yield a smaller quantity as the chocolate may run out quicker.

Date Nut Bonbons
Makes 2 dozen

• 24 barhi dates
• 24 macadamia nuts or nuts of choice
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• few drops of vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Remove the pits from the dates. Stuff the dates with the nuts and wrap the date around to fully cover the nut. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla and salt. Whisk until very smooth.

Roll the stuffed dates in the chocolate, one at a time. Remove with a fork and let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the bonbons on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Once all of the dates are coated, place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set the chocolate coating. Store refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

Cultivating warmth during the Autumn months can do wonders for our well being and help increase immunity. These three simple daily practices help to keep a sense of warmth when the days are cold and crisp.

• Light a candle upon rising each morning and before going to sleep.
  Beginning and ending the day with candle light reminds us of those most basic, primal source of light-giving warmth: Fire. Although lighting one single candle flame may not provide enough heat to warm an entire house, it will bring simple warmth and sacred light deep into your soul.

• Wear a scarf, even on sunny days.
  Over the years, I have kept a few scarves on hand to wear around my neck when the weather is cold. Ranging from light scarves for warmer Autumn days to thick and heavy scarves for blustery days, these scarves provide both energetic and physical warmth and protection.

• Add spice to your life.
  Adding spices to your diet can help warm your body from the inside out. Golden Cashew Chai is the perfect drink to do just that. This recipe will make just over 4 cups. So plan on sharing with your family and friends, or store the extra chai in your fridge to drink throughout the week.

Golden Cashew Chai

• 1 cup raw organic cashews
• 5 cups water
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 18 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp diced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp vanilla powder

Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water to soak while you make the chai.

Bring water and spices to a boil on the stove. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the chai to cool.

Strain the water from the soaked cashews. Discard the water and place the cashews in blender with the cooled chai. Blend on high speed until very smooth. Strain through a nut/seed milk bag or for a thicker drink, do not strain.

Warm slightly on the stove, sip slowly, and feel the warmth!

Katherine Dessert is a mother, nurturer and Waldorf trained early childhood caregiver. She is passionate about bringing beauty into the world through shining light on daily rhythms and sharing her love of nourishing food. She lives with her family in Northern California.

Roses have always been a favorite flower of mine. During my childhood, my mom wore rose oil perfume and the scent and sight of roses have always held a maternal quality for me.

This fall, as the last of the roses begin to bloom, I stand in awe of their beauty and fragrance. They invite me to turn inward, spiraling consciously towards the things that feel warm and comforting, such as wearing cozy slippers on my feet, taking long baths, and having my hands warmed by steamy mugs filled nourishing beverages like this.

This recipe can be made with fall roses harvested right from your own a garden. I hope that you find it to be as deeply nourishing and delicious as I do!

Cardamom Rose Almond Milk
Makes 4 cups

Bring 4 cups of water to a gentle boil.  Add the rose petals and steep for 10 minutes.  Strain and set aside until the tea has cooled to room temperature.

Place rose petal tea, almonds, cardamom and sweetener of choice in a high speed blender. Blend until very smooth.  Strain through a nut/seed milk bag or, for a thicker drink, do not strain.

Warm slightly on the stove, taking care not to over heat. Pour into large mugs and enjoy!

Katherine Dessert is a mother, nurturer and Waldorf trained early childhood caregiver. She is passionate about bringing beauty into the world through shining light on daily rhythms and sharing her love of nourishing food. She lives with her family in Northern California.

We hope to see you at some of these upcoming live events!

HoneyRoot Women’s Retreat
Nevada City, CA
September 28-30, 2012

If you are feeling the need for some deep body and soul nourishment, Honeyroot Retreat is coming up at the end of this month. Join us for this weekend of warm, supportive feminine community amidst incredible natural beauty. Melissa will be teaching some of the core material from our highly acclaimed online course, Cultivating the Sweet Life.

Food and loging are all covered with registration. All you have to do is show up and receive.

The Early Bird Discount ends September 12th, so sign up today!

You can learn more here:
http://www.honeyrootretreat.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HoneyRoot

Women’s Nature Retreat
Half Moon Bay, CA
September 21-23, 2012

The Women’s Nature Retreat is an opportunity to reach beyond known borders of your inner and outer worlds, to remember and reclaim all that you are.  It is the opportunity to experience and receive the gift of the reflection of your true nature by Nature itself, which is clear seeing and truth revealing.  If you are a woman being beckoned to this journey, then you are answering a call that is deeply, uniquely of Woman….a call that will be heard by great wild nature and the nature of your innermost being.

On this retreat, you will learn sacred, ceremonial ways to enter into relationship with yourself, other women and the land surrounding you.  You will prepare for a twenty-four solo fast.  Once alone in the solace and peace of your place, you will rest and engage the work of your soul….answering your deepest longings to follow the call to home, home to the authentic self.

Sacred Food & Ceremony
Santa Cruz, CA
September 16, 2012

Sacred Food & Ceremony is a monthly community event with the intention of bringing the sacred back to the dinner table through earth inspired ceremonies and the sharing of pure, organic, plant-based foods. We will sit in sacred space, explore ceremonies with roots in Andean Shamanism and enjoy food focusing on local, seasonal and living cuisine. In a time where many of us are seeking to change our food system, we can gather as a community to create powerful transformations through simple but profound intentions and ceremonies.

Our first event is on September 16th in Santa Cruz, CA. Please visit our Meetup Page for details.
http://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Food-Ceremony/events/79359352/

We hope to see you soon!

Many of us in the pure food world buy lots of prepared snack bars for easy nourishment when we’re on the go. I know that I do! But with many of them coming in at around $2-$3 a piece, we can find ourselves hungry for a more affordable option! Taking a small amount of time to whip up a batch of homemade bars with bulk ingredients is a simple solution. They’re much easier than you might think and no dehydrator is necessary! Plus, when you create your own bars, you can flavor them to match whatever you’re craving.

This is a really special project to share with your children! The basic bar recipe is nice & sweet, but quite neutral—a beautiful blank canvas ready for your creativity. You can have your kids add handfuls of their favorite dried fruits and raw seeds to create a healthy, homemade bar that they will love—and  you will, too!

Basic Vanilla Cashew Bars
Makes 10 bars

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup pitted dates (make sure they are very fresh & soft)
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of Himalayan salt

Place the cashews in your food processor fit with the S-blade.  Process until finely ground.  Add the coconut, dates, coconut nectar, vanilla & salt and process again to combine.

Now have some fun customizing your bars! Gather a mixture of up to 3/4 cup (about 1/4 cup of 3 individual items is a good place to start). Some suggestions:

• goji berries
• dried mulberries
• dried apples, chopped
• dried mango, chopped
• raisins
• cranberries
• golden berries
• cacao nibs
• hemp seeds
• sunflower seeds

Add your chosen ingredients to the food processor and pulse to combine. Press into an 8″ square pan lined with wax paper. Cut into 10 equal bars & enjoy!

What flavor combination will you try? Let us know in the comments!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

So often I see women attempting to make changes in their lives, and then feeling frustrated, stuck and confused by their own self-sabotaging behavior.

They are deeply committed to cultivating a healthy lifestyle, but their old habits continue to resurface and take over.

Obviously there are a lot of factors at play in this kind of situation, but I’d like to focus today on one of the most common forces that contributes to that dynamic: aggression.

I’m not talking about the way you treat other people. I’m talking about the way you treat yourself.

There is often a harshness in our inner dialogue—an attitude of contempt toward whatever problem is at hand and toward ourselves for having the problem in the first place.

When this harshness is predominant in our psyches, our motivation for change is often rooted in self-judgment. We try to “whip ourselves into shape” or “attack” the issue. A lot of women treat themselves in ways they would never dream of treating others.

The thing is, if you try to aggressively force yourself into a lifestyle change, some other part of you is going to resist and rebel. It sets up an inner war.

Our psyches are like complex ecosystems with all sorts of psychodynamics at play. Aggressive tactics may temporarily repress parts of your being, but in moments of stress or weakness, repressed emotions can resurface and overpower even the best of intentions.

When we let judgment and harshness dominate our inner dialogue, our quality of life plummets. Even if we do achieve our goals, that satisfaction is not likely to last for very long because there is still a war going on inside of us.

There is this myth that if we reach our goal, we will be happy & our inner critic will finally let up. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The critic will just find new things to attack and new things to be dissatisfied with.

We don’t have a choice about whether negativity will sometimes be part of our inner dialogue, but we do have a choice about how to handle that negativity. We can give our inner bully center stage and full control over our lives, or we can consciously revoke its power… repeatedly, consistently & respectfully.

We can recognize when that harsh, judgmental inner voice is active and choose to respond to it mindfully rather than reactively. We can decide to treat ourselves with love and respect.

Why is this concept of self-love often seen as being so cheesy? I even have moments of cringing when I hear that phrase. What is that about?

I have had so many clients initially roll their eyes at the concept of consciously offering themselves love and acceptance. And yet, when they begin practicing it, they start seeing major changes in their lives.

The thing is, when we start treating ourselves with love and respect, we are more capable of treating others that way. We are far more resourceful and we have way more to give. Rather than being divided against ourselves, we cultivate a new level of coherence and integrity.

If you find your inner critic dominating your inner dialogue, here are a few techniques to try.

 *Thinking* print above is by the fabulous Jessica Swift. *Love* print is by Robert Hogan.

I’m in love with green juice and drink it whenever I get the chance. There’s nothing like the flood of easy to digest & assimilate nutrients that a rich green veggie juice can provide. Regardless of how good it tastes or how amazing it feels for our bodies, I have heard (and used) so many excuses as to why it’s impossible to keep up with a juicing practice. From being too busy to clean the juicer to finding juicing expensive and wasteful, there’s plenty of reasons why we might avoid it. I wanted to share some tips & tricks that have allowed me to push the excuses aside and enjoy super healthy green juice everyday, without stress.

Keep these four points in mind and start to develop a juicing method that works for your personal schedule and budget. Do you ave any tips that have made juicing a sustainable practice for you? Let us know in the comments.

I’d love to leave you with my 3 day green juice recipe for 2. You can skip the apples if you’re avoiding sugars and add in additional cucumbers and celery. I like it both ways!

 3 Day Green Juice for 2
(makes 6-16oz juices in the Omega)

• 6 green apples
• 3 English cucumbers
• 2 heads of celery
• Kale stems & additional scraps
• 6 lemons

Cut all ingredients to fit your juicer. Remove the seeds from the apples. Run all ingredients (except for the lemons) through the juicer. Juice the lemons by hand and stir into the juice. Drink a glass and refrigerate the rest in well sealed jars. Cheers!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

I’m often asked about the meals within the raw realm that will satisfy a deep hunger—for those times when a salad just isn’t going to cut it. When my appetite gets like this, I sometimes reach for dehydrated foods like pizzas & wraps—but when you haven’t planned far enough ahead, dehydrating is out of the question.

I love to satisfy my deepest hungers with sprouted seed pâtés on top of greens and sliced tomatoes, or stuffed inside of fresh bell peppers. There are so many flavor variations to experiment with and I never tire of coming up with new combinations.

My latest creation is an Italian inspired pâté that perfectly complements crisp, juicy bell peppers with its tomato, kale & herb blend. Don’t let the long ingredient list fool you; this actually comes together quite fast. Soak your sunflower seeds and sun dried tomatoes in the morning and you will be making this before lunch. When that deep hunger hits, you’ll be so glad that this is waiting for you!

Super Stuffed Peppers 

Serves 4-6

For the Stuffing:

• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes*, divided
• 1/4 cup pure water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt (only if your sun dried tomatoes are unsalted)
• 1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked 4-6 hours, drained & rinsed)
• 1 heaping cup of chopped kale
• 1/4 cup chopped basil (well packed)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (well packed)

*Soak the sun dried tomatoes in pure water for 3-4 hours. Measure after soaking.

Place the garlic clove in the food processor and pulse to chop. Add the cashews and 1/4 cup of the sun dried tomatoes to the processor and pulse to create a paste. Add the water, lemon, olive oil, oregano, fennel, chili pepper and salt (if using) to the food processor and process until smooth.  Add the sunflower seeds to the processor and pulse to chop the seeds, but allow some texture to remain.

Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Massage the kale with your hands until it wilts. Add the basil & parsley to the bowl. Finely chop the remaining 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Scrape the entire mixture from the food processor into the bowl and mix everything very well.

To Serve:

• 2-3 bell peppers, seeded and cut in half
• 1 small package of mixed baby greens

Place a small handful of mixed greens inside of each pepper half that you are ready to serve. Top with about 1/2 cup of the stuffing mixture and press down with a spoon to fill the peppers. Serve & enjoy!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

Indigo Bacal is the founder of the WILDE Tribe—Women of Inspired Leadership Devoted to Evolution. She inspires and empowers women to reclaim their voices and give birth to their visions. We are deeply inspired by the depth and beauty of Indigo’s work and her dedication to our collective evolution. 

If you could share a piece of wisdom or comfort with a younger version of yourself, what would it be?

If I could, I’d go back and have a visit with myself in my 20′s, and tell her quite bluntly: The grass is only greener where you water it. Nothing grows without consistent care and love, and the most important things that we create in life are born through a combination of fierce commitment and mountains of courage. I would tell her to enjoy the exploration and celebrate the potentiality of the twenties, because once fulfillment comes ~ big responsibilities come along with it.

I often wish that I could go back in time to Menarche and midwife myself into womanhood in a RED TENT. I would share the secrets of femininity with my 12 year old self, I would celebrate her opulently, offer her RED gifts, bring the wise women of the community together to massage that ripening body. I would tell my budding female self exactly how to care for and honor the Blood Mysteries and how to FLOW WITH THE MOON in a good, beautiful, and true way. I would share with her/me, the herbs and practices that create balance and enhance feminine power so that she wouldn’t suffer needlessly throughout her early adulthood with cramps and PMS. I would Initiate myself in the most loving and caring way and create a space where the shame of puberty could be brought into the light and washed clean away. I would give myself what I deserved at that precious time in my life but never had. 

I would break the spell.

Connect with Indigo:

Website

Facebook

You Tube

Indigo Bacal is founder of the WILDE Tribe, midwife of feminine magic, beauty devotee, hearth mama, fierce mover, soulful shaker, and believer in miracles. 

She serves creative + powerful women who know that they’re here to make a positive impact on the world around them. She awakens everyday feminine magic to reclaim ordinary pleasures, restore vitality, and stoke passionate inspiration. As a “midwife”, she supports Inspired Female Leaders to bring their bold voices and beautiful visions into the world. Her offerings include hip-swaying, soul-stirring live events, radically supportive deep dives for individuals and groups, and wildly beautiful web-based global rituals.

She lives in beautiful Boulder, CO with her devoted and WILD husband + their spirited 5 year old daughter. They celebrate life regularly with their beloved community ~ a group of courageous, creative folks who are fiercely committed to individual and collective evolution. Indigo is currently apprenticing with a Colombian shaman to be humbled by the power of the indigenous plant medicine of the Putumayo region and to learn the potent secrets of her own soul. 

Restorative self-care is not just about relaxing. It’s about restoring balance.

Most of us tend to associate self-care with slowing down and resting—returning to our comfort zones. The thing is… if this is the only type of self-care we are practicing, we run the risk of ending up sluggish and stagnant.

Sometimes the kind of self-care we need involves pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones… challenging ourselves… getting uncomfortable & tolerating the discomfort that we often pass through as we try to bring more vitality into our lives.

It doesn’t matter if you eat all nutrient-dense, fresh whole foods. If you aren’t also moving your body and getting your blood & energy flowing, you’re not going to look or feel healthy.

If you are still eating a lot of sugar (or refined carbs which your body processes as sugar), you are likely to end up feeling like a moody, unstable mess.

Do you have a comfort zone in your life that ultimately leads to discomfort? Are there habitual ways you get into unhealthy “comforting” patterns?

It takes discipline to consistently step out of our old, unhealthy comfort zones and embrace new habits. When we make a major lifestyle change like quitting sugar or becoming more physically active, it is hard at first. It feels like a lot of work. It is extremely uncomfortable.

Yet, when we are making disciplined changes that restore balance to our bodies and minds, the initial discomfort passes and we find ourselves drawn to the very things we used to resist. We start craving green juice instead of a latte… yoga or a run instead of mindless, sedentary activities.

When we make it over that initial hill of discomfort, we start to feel the effects of the positive feedback loops we have set in motion. The rewards set in. Our vitality returns and it feels amazing.

Once we remember what real health and vitality feel like, it’s much easier to resist the old habits that lead us back into our old, stagnant slumps.

If you’re ready to expand your comfort zone and make a positive lifestyle change, here are a few tips to make it easier.

Aarona Pichinson is a dedicated teacher and guide, sharing dynamic yoga classes in NYC, creating weekly Yoga Soundscape events and hosting adventurous retreats for inspired students across the globe. We are deeply inspired by Aarona’s dedication to true body & soul nourishment and her ability to blend vigor with grace both on and off the mat.

 

If you could share a piece of wisdom or comfort with a younger version of yourself, what would it be?

• stop being so hard on yourself.
• it is okay to be seen and heard.
• it is okay to be beautiful, powerful, and vulnerable – all wrapped up in one.
• consistency and persistence brings your dreams to life, let your imagination soar.
• your body wants you to love her deeply, and this practice of self-love has an uplifting impact on those around you.
• you are beyond taken care of and have an amazing posse of angels and guides backing you up every step of the way!

I really love this quote by Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

I want to encourage people to live from a place of inspiration, imagination, and aliveness. These are the things that fill me up and have saved me throughout life. We can apply these three words to just about everything and anything. I curate experiences for people that bring these things to life and inspire them to be more in tune with their spirit, with the needs of their personal chemistry, and with that part of their being that sparkles. I want women and men to build strength and flexibility in their body and mind so that they can navigate life with an internal quality of surrendered focus and better understand how to shape energy within and around them. I also facilitate workshops and circles specifically for women.

Ways that I do this: Through teaching yoga classes and empowering workshops that encourage/challenge students to feel all of their senses and build confidence in their body and breath, even when discomfort arises. My weekly ‘Yoga Soundscape’ events where phenomenal musicians and artists perform live as I lead an insightful and rejuvenating yoga class. And global adventure yoga retreats where participants step out of their usual perspective and reclaim the joy, health, and magic that is abundantly available to them. Stay tuned for some big surprise projects coming up!

My next exciting retreats are Epic Eden Hot Springs in Arizona May 2-6, and Yoga in the Midnight Sun in Iceland June 30-July 8. Both of them are a glorious taste of delicious magic at it’s best. I’m also teaching at Wanderlust Vermont this year June 21-24! Plus yoga classes just about every day in NYC.

Connect with Aarona:

Yoga of Nourishment
Facebook
Twitter 

Born in Los Angeles and relocating several times while growing up, Aarona’s life was shaped by a wide array of experiences, people, and places which tinted her love for adventure and travel, and put her on a continual (sweet) search for balance. In her vigorously graceful classes, global retreats, one-on-one coaching sessions, and empowering workshops, Aarona is a thoughtful and inspiring guide. She encourages people to be more in tune with the strength and energetic alignment of their body, the brilliant spaciousness of their breath, the spontaneous nature of wellbeing, and the power of feeling their senses – so they can bring this heightened self-awareness into every cell and every aspect of their life. Through her weekly music/yoga event “Yoga Soundscape” and an upcoming multi-media sensoryscape yoga project, Aarona has a refreshing creative touch and ability to merge communities in the yoga and art world. Currently based in NYC, Aarona has a thriving teaching career that she’s evolving daily. She teaches at Kula Yoga Project, YogaWorks, Park Slope Yoga, and Reebok Sports Club, plus works with people privately. She’s been featured in the New York Times, Elephant Journal, FitYoga, Yoga Journal, Well+Good NYC, AlignYo, AnitaGoa, and Co-Creator Radio.

photos by Hannah Thiem

As we’ve been running our Cultivating the Sweet Life course over the last few weeks, I have found myself inspired to refine my own self-care & nourishment practices. We’ve been exploring conscious comfort foods and avoiding those foods that just make us feel out of balance.

I’ve been changing my relationship to sugar lately, knowing that a low glycemic diet just works better for me. I find that limiting my sugar intake to simple fruits and small treats works best.

Finding sweet treats that can be satisfying in small amounts and made with sweeteners that don’t cause major blood sugar spikes is how I now indulge when cravings creep in. After making these changes to how I consume desserts, I find that I really need less sweetness to feel the same level of satisfaction that traditional desserts used to deliver.

This week, I was excited to create a Strawberry Shortcake inspired cookie. Strawberry Shortcake is my family’s Easter dessert and though I no longer indulge in that particular version, this fruity, vanilla infused cookie is a beautiful reminder of past celebrations. And yes, having just one can be deeply satisfying.

Strawberry Shortcookies
makes about 2 dozen (depending on your scoop)

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups freeze dried strawberries (I found this brand at Whole Foods)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar or liquid sweetener of choice
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of Himalayan salt

Place the cashews in the food processor and process until finely ground. Add in the freeze dried strawberries and process again until finely ground.  Add in the coconut, coconut nectar, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Process again until well combined and sticky. Use a small scoop to create round cookies, form into balls with your hands or press into and 8″ pan lined with wax paper. Place the cookies in the freezer for one hour to firm. Remove from the freezer and if you opted for the pan, cut into squares. Thaw 10 minutes before serving. These can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

What provides you with sweet satisfaction? Share with us in the comments! We love hearing from you!

Natalia is a shamanic practitioner and pure food chef working holistically to guide clients towards thriving health and unwavering happiness. She is currently living & loving in Santa Cruz, CA where she maintains her Shamanic Healing practice and hosts monthly Sacred Food & Ceremony gatherings. Learn more at NataliaKW.com.

Everyone has a limited capacity for stress, and we all face challenges that temporarily put us over that limit.

This past Saturday morning I recorded some teachings on dealing with overwhelm, emailed the recording to the women in our course, and then immediately proceeded to drop my laptop and shatter my hard drive.

Needless to say… overwhelm set in.

Apparently I was being tested to see if I could actually practice what I preach.

Once the overwhelm hit, all signs of intelligence and resourcefulness appeared to instantly vanish from my brain. I just went blank.

My inner dialogue became dominated by one repeating loop: I can’t believe I just did that… I can’t believe I just did that… I can’t believe I just did that!

This went on like a broken record until I remembered something I had read that morning by Kate Courageous. She had written about learning to say thank you in the midst of a difficult moment, and I decided to follow her lead.

I stopped fighting the situation and tried consciously welcoming it—offering gratitude for the unknown teachings and blessings it carried. As I began to work with the challenge rather than against it, my nervous system started to calm down.

Then, one step at a time, I began to deal with the situation at hand. I booked an appointment at the Apple store, made myself some tea, and began relaxing into the reality of being without a computer for a few days.

I was forced to take a break from work, and that break facilitated a lot of important insights and experiences. I ended up deepening my yoga practice, spending more quality time with my daughter, and remembering how much I love reading and listening to stories before bed.

As I was falling asleep last night, I listened to this beautiful interview with Sylvia Boorstein. I was so touched by the wisdom and gentleness of her approach to suffering. When in the midst of a difficult experience, Syliva practices saying to herself:

“Sweetheart, you’re in pain. Relax. Take a breath. Lets pay attention to what is happening, and then we’ll figure out what to do.”

When we face our challenges with a strong, open heart, and treat ourselves with kindness and care, our power slowly returns and hidden blessings begin to reveal themselves.

The next time you face a situation that feels overwhelming, I invite you to work with the challenge rather than against it.

The beautiful Everything Will Be Alright print above is by the lovely & talented Jessica Swift. Thank you, Jess!

Today we have a delicious giveaway from one of our favorite raw food companies: Artisana!

Their organic nut & seed butters are a raw food kitchen staple. From their simply perfect raw almond butter to the decadent & creative cacao bliss, we have loved every single product we’ve tested (which happens to be all of them)!

One lucky winner will receive an 8 oz jar of choice plus a bunch of convenient, single serve packs.

It’s simple to enter!

How to enter:

1. Sign up for the Nourishing Our Radiance Newsletter. 

2. Like Nourishing Our Radiance on Facebook.

3. Leave one comment below on this blog post letting us know you did both of the above.

That’s it!  Now you’re entered!

Bonus Entries (up to 5 total chances):

1. Share the Artisana giveaway on Facebook:
Check out the Artisana Giveaway from Nourishing Our Radiance! http://bit.ly/GWznVs

Leave a separate comment on the blog letting us know you did it, including your Facebook name.

2. Follow us on Twitter: @NourishRadiance

Leave a separate comment on the blog letting us know you did it, including your twitter handle.

3. Tweet about the Artisana giveaway: Check out the #ArtisanaNutButter Giveaway from @NourishRadiance & @ArtisanaFoods! http://bit.ly/GWznVs

Leave a separate comment on the blog letting us know you did it, including your twitter handle.

4. Share one of our recent blog posts on Facebook or Twitter

Leave a separate comment on the blog letting us know you did it, including your facebook name or twitter handle. (Each post has a “share” button directly on the blog.)

*US shipping only, please.

Giveaway ends at midnight Pacific time on 4/3/12. We’ll announce the winner on 4/4/12 on facebook!

Thanks for playing & good luck!