YOGA on the HIGHWAY

Yoga on the Highway

~A Driving Practice~

I Just got home from a 15 hour weekend of yoga teacher training including asana (poses), anatomy of the shoulders and discussion on the Yoga Sutras, I am being so fully embraced and absorbed into yoga as a way of life, opportunities to practice yoga just keep presenting themselves; everywhere.

I am BLISS. I am STUDENT. I am TEACHER.

The studio is about 60miles from my house so let me tell you first about the weather: Ice, Rain, Snow and Dark. Oh, and my car has summer tires that aren't very prone to stopping in the winter... Perfect weather for a Sunday drive right?

Well............................Turns out, it was!

On the drive I felt the initial anxiousness and fear of driving on the roads when it is difficult to see, difficult to not get sucked into the ruts and puddles, difficult not to slide around on the ice, difficult........You get the picture. So deciding to choose skillful action and thought I released those fears, I realized that those fears are like taking a ride on thoughts and emotions about things that don't exist in the present, because what I was worried about was 'what if...'s,' all 'what ifs' are based on the future, not the now so I made the choice to remain in the present, remain in a balanced place and just trust; just be yoga.

I have always loved the metaphor for life that 'when driving on a dark highway, even though you can only see 200 feet in front of you, you trust that the road will be there and keep driving even though you can't see it' and such is life, we don't know the future and we really don't need to. The roads tonight were perfect, I could literally only see maybe 3 feet in front of my car and I released the fear of it and chose to trust that the path will always be there. And be there it was, I arrived home safe, sound and in such a joyous mood contemplating my experience of

Yoga on the Highway

Opportunity for Yoga is everywhere once we are awakened to it.

I am so grateful for my path.

I feel like so many aspects of yoga were present during my drive it can't be considered anything but Practicing Yoga !

~NAMASTE~

Edible Goodness

Edibles to Energize & Feed the Sweet Tooth

~Breakfast Energy Booster~

1Tbs Spirulina Powder

1Tbs Lucuma Powder

1tsp Reishi Mushroom Powder

1 1/2 Frozen Bananas

1/2tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

*Blend Until Creamy & Enjoy!

Benefits:

Spirulina- High in Chlorophyll, 18 amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids, lots of vitamins and minerals, GLA & “Spirulina contains the highest concentration of protein (by weight) of any food known, between 65 and 71 percent protein, depending upon the variety.”

—David Wolfe

Lucuma- (Peruvian Fruit) B3, iron, 14 trace minerals, mild maple flavor, Sweetener

Reishi- Strong Adaptogen, Boosts Energy, Boosts Immune System

Banana- Tryptophan Improves Mood, High in Iron, High Fiber, Nourishes Probiotics already present in the body, Natural Whole-Food Sweetener, Energy Boosting

~Coo-Coo for Cacao Bars~
1 1/2cu Soaked & Peeled Almonds

1/2tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

1Tbs Mesquite Powder

1Tbs Lucuma Powder

5Tbs Melted Cacao Paste

{Cacao Powder or Carob Powder would also work}

Pinch of Sea Salt

4 Soaked Medjool Dates

1/4cu Coconut Flakes

1Tbs Cacao Nibs

*Process Together until dough like, spread into a dish & freeze until ready to serve!

Optional Topping: Goji Berries

*Soaked Almonds; approx 12 hours, hand peel


EAT & ENJOY

This is the link that inspired the Cacao Bar Recipe, they are similar, but I didn't have all the ingredients so they differ a little:
http://www.rawfoodrecipes.com/recipes/cacao-chip-coconut-bars.html

~ LIVIN' LIKE A RAW-k-STAR ~

Yoga~Flowin~Heart~Openin~Self~Lovin

Whenever I stop and think about what I love to do most what really gets me giddy,

I always comes back to 2 things:

YOGA

&

RAW DELIGHTS

This morning I did a slammin' session of yoga geared towards opening the hips which releases fears, anxiety and stress. Intention during practice and day:

To Honor my Voice, My Worth & Truth!

{Sequence to come! It gets the prana and tapa a'flowin'!}

On to FOOD! Been busy in the kitchen yesterday and today, so far we have:

A Yummi Nummi way to start a day

JUICY BEETY JUICE

2Beets

2Apples

2in pcGinger

1handfulParsley

ALMOND MYLK

Blend Water with Almonds, Strain through Nut Mylk Bag

Voila!

I (s)CREAM

I adore the taste of maca, it is malty thick and grounding, my sister just got back from Peru and brought me maca, how could I resist making this treat for myself, I LOVE ME!

Almond Mylk

Frozen Banana

Maca Powder

*That's it, blend it or process it to desired consistency....

A Creamy Flavor~Full Frozen Treat
Feelin Fruity?

Process the following:

maca~nana base

Frozen Blueberries (wild Alaskan if you're lucky enough)

Frozen Mango

FRUITY SORBET

OH YES!

Next Up...... Savory Pizza~ish~ness

I am a huge fan of sprouting, but i have always used cheese cloth and rubber band toppers and I bought these cheap toppers the other day and I must say:
I FREAKIN LOVE THEM!

-----Take a Break and Snack on Some Nutritious and Delicious DULSE!-----

My Favorite Savooooooory Snack

ITALIAN FLAX CRACKERS

1cuSoakedFlax Seeds

1/2cuSprouted Spelt(ground or dried and ground into flour)

1/2cuSprouted WheatBerries(ground or dried and ground into flour)

Spice it Up:

Kelp Flakes

Sea Salt

Fresh Basil

Italian Seasoning

Herbs de Provence

Chopped Tomato

Stir it Together and Dehydrate at 115*F for an hour then flip and continue until dry but still pliable

SAVORY PIZZA~ISH~NESS

BAM it looks like this: okay okay maybe there are a few added ingredients:

Top Italian Crackers with Tomato Avocado Kalamata Olives & a pinch of Sea Salt too

Most of All

~ENJOY~

What you choose to spend your time doing and savor the nutrition you provide your body, mind and spirit

ENJOY & LOVE

Molestation; the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another

Sometimes it is hard to find your voice....especially when you are young, scared or confused.

{the following is a true recollection regarding my experience of sexual violation}

Summer 1996

I am a fresh teenager, couple months after I turned 13, and I am staying at my cousins house. There is this boy/man I think is cute (he was 17, 18 or 19, not really sure). I never made out with a guy, never had any sexual experiences with a guy, so the 'fantasy' in my head is french kissing, what a rush to be young and seductive! So I flirted with the guy and we go for a walk with my cousin over to a river and then she leaves. We are alone, quite a ways away from the house, out of view of anyone and he kisses me, fantasy fulfilled, so much excitement coursing through my veins then he starts to ask about sex and I tell him I am a virgin and I have never 'done anything.'

Then He put his hand up my shirt, underneath my cotton under wire Mickey & Minnie Mouse bra and grabbed my right breast, I closed my eyes tighter and started to grasp at thoughts, how the hell do I get out of this? The excitement left me, I felt no pleasure, only fear. I was a scared child in that moment. I kept saying we should go back, I 'm a virgin, trying to talk him out of it and he just kept telling me I was lying and he knew that I was lying. Then he moved his hand from my breast and pushed his way down inside my pants and underwear and shoved his fingers inside of me, I didn't like it, I didn't want it, I didn't know how to get away, no one could even hear me if I screamed, I didn't want to be hurt so I just kept trying to talk him into stopping. He grabbed my hand and pushed it into his pants onto his erection and moved my hand up and down. What the hell is a 13 year old naive girl to do? I couldn't overpower him and I couldn't help but think that I did this, I put myself in this situation, I had no idea it would turn into this, I didn't even know what this was! Then he started to pull me towards a large fallen tree, he said we could do 'it' over there. I kept saying no, I kept telling him I was a virgin, that I don't want to, he told me to sit down on the tree, I just kept pulling away, finally I pulled away and got enough distance between us and started to head back to the house, lost in a frenzy of thoughts, fear still lingering but safety slowly seeping in.

So much innocence was lost that day. It set the tone for my sexual experiences and so many unhealthy choices and situations to be violated followed.

I don't know if it was fear or a desire to be 'cool,' but I never told anyone what happened and that I objected to it, I just casually acted like everything was fine. I even interacted with him in the future and never brought it up. I never shared details with anyone. In the past 15 years since it happened I only told a couple people about the fact that I was violated . To this day he probably thought what happened was okay, but today I spoke up, so never again will he be able to say it was okay.

How did I do this? Well, my recent self-work (mainly in chakra balancing and clearing) in recognizing violations in my past lead to a physical manifestation of this man yesterday. While out with my family I saw him. He approached me, hugged me, keeps it casual and mentions the 'good times' and makes an odd comment about my age and how young I was back then. It was awkward, and I felt my discomfort, but I spoke in a kind manner, felt no anger and kept my truth tucked away inside me. I have no anger or blame towards him, but today I realized I am able to speak. I wrote him and let him know exactly what happened from my perspective and that I was molested, by him. And then, on to sharing this truth with others, BLOGGIN'

There is a lot of tension in my stomach as I write this and revisit this experience, but I expect an abundance of healing from allowing this truth, this secret, I have carried for so long to be known. It holds no power over me anymore, I am no longer a weak child, I am a Body~Bright Woman Standing in My Truth and Healing.

LOVE

TRUTH

VOICE

WILL

LOVE

WomanHood=FalseHood

As Americans {and other countries as well} do we not have enough insecurities yet? We can hate our boobs; get new ones, hate our labia; get labia reduction, hate our nose; get a new one, hate our hair; change the color, hate our lips; get injections, hate our eye color; get contacts, hate our stomachs, thighs & arms; get liposuction, hate our vagina; get vagina-plasty, hate our bodies; starve ourselves or puke up our food, hate our body hair; trim it, shave it, wax it........................

How fantastic is it that we have ALL these options available! No really, how fantastic is it to perpetuate more HATE towards ourselves so we can strive to ~feel~ Beautiful, Wanted, Attractive, Normal and Accepted not only by others, but it is so well ingrained in our thoughts now that we need these things for ourselves, to feel okay with ourselves. THIS IS SAD. This is so sad to me. It is an issue I face in my life and I realize so many others do as well.

We are so detached from Nature, I wonder if women even remember that you are actually CREATED to grow hair when you reach puberty, our armpits, our legs, our lady~parts, sometimes our upper lips, we are ANIMALS, we are created perfectly. ---WE ARE WOMEN, NOT 8 YEAR OLD GIRLS--- we have the body of a woman. When are we going to embrace ourselves? At the very least not feel like we HAVE to do these 'maintenance' things to be beautiful, that we are lovable (to ourselves and others) as we are, even if the maintenance isn't maintained.

When are our men going to let go of their deep rooted perverse desire to sleep with hairless girls instead of full~bodied women embodying their womanhood?




Why is it such a challenge to simply be what we ARE instead of striving to be what we aren't?

We are born natural creatures of this earth, as we are meant to be. As adults I can support any body modification choice one chooses to make, because I believe in allowing people choices; however, I WISH the choices we make in life would be based on Self~Love and a desire to create even more love for ourselves, not based on self HATE. NO AMOUNT OF BODY MODIFICATION can make you LOVE yourself.

We are REAL at our cores, it is our denial of this through so many superficial alterations that we become disconnected from our SELF.


BODY HAIR: Giving in to societal NORMS only continues to set un-natural standards for all women to try to attain. Teaching our children they NEED TO SHAVE, not for hygiene reasons, but because that is what BEAUTIFUL IS only continues to perpetuate feelings of insecurity and makes us uncomfortable in our own bodies. These insecurities spread like a plague through our society, the seeds of SELF-HATRED are everywhere you look.

I have really fine hair and I didn't get pubic hair until a little later than other girls and I remember being so self conscious that I always changed in the bathroom stall so no one would see, finally I got pubic hair *HOORAY* then I get a little older and learn this isn't right either, I should be shaving it off, man do we ever get a break?

*Where is the sense of reality? Not all Vulva look the same, not all breasts look the same, not all stomachs look the same, not everyone looks the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And yes, some people have body hair, some people even choose not to shave certain parts of their bodies {GASP} !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Labia reductions, Breast implants, Eye skin removal (in Asian cultures) these are common graduation gifts these days, WHAT THE FUCK! Seriously, why aren't parents teaching their children to love themselves? It is far more important to teach our children to love themselves than how to conform to societal views of what is Beautiful. You don't teach your children to jump off a bridge if all the other kids are doing it, (that was my parents always said)but so many children are being taught to give in to the biggest peer pressure of all: SOCIETAL VIEWS OF BEAUTY.

If your hair isn't Silky smooth and long you aren't feminine, If your breasts aren't perfect perky and symmetrical, you aren't beautiful, If your stomach isn't smooth and flat, you aren't beautiful, If you don't have long lean legs, you guessed it, you aren't beautiful, if your lady~parts aren't shaved smooth or waxed a man isn't going to want to be with you, If you don't look good in a bikini yup you get to feel bad about being you.

Altering your body to fit into the mold of societal beauty isn't improving your self esteem or empowering womankind. Until we can love ourselves in our natural state this disconnect from reality will continue to thrive and along with it so much sadness and self hate.

I try to love myself each and everyday and on many levels I achieve this goal, the hardest is being able to love my physical body, it isn't attractive, it feels like a lie every time I try to see beauty in my physical self. To love it anyways, this is a work in progress.

I think a lot of women at first would find body hair off-putting, but I challenge you to look deeper than your superficial views of the world and your self, they came from somewhere and it isn't natural, you weren't born with a list of reasons to not love yourself!

When I am alone sometimes I feel pretty, because there is no one to tell me otherwise, I forget that my legs haven't been shaven today and I dance like I embody beauty just because I exist; as it should be. Can you imagine a world where everyone loves themselves, I know, I am a Dreamer, but imagine it, what if just you and your family truly loved yourselves? That would be an amazing start and in the home is where it starts. Lets try to heal our own wounds from societal views and teach our children to love themselves and others for what they are, not what they aren't.

I have a man, a partner in my life who loves me, but I am always aware that I don't fit the idea of beauty. I don't have small perky breasts, or a small 100lb frame or a smooth thin stomach. And I actually feel guilty for it.

I am never going to look like a magazine cover-model, apparently that isn't a part of this lifetime, hell I am never going to look good in a bathing suit, let alone a bikini! I HOPE that I can someday love myself enough that these things don't matter; because in the end I know it doesn't.

SELF~LOVE: PERPETUATE THAT!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~peace~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Peace Flowing In~

Like all things,(for me at least) when you know what the problem is, you begin to have a great understanding of it and doorways begin to open.

The past few weeks have provided me the tools to truly make some big changes in my life and my self~growth has been so significant, I think even a stranger could see it today!

A zest for life I haven't had for a while has been rekindled in my soul with more enlightenment, understanding and clarity than ever before: GROWTH. I Love It! And I am so very grateful for it!

A couple of weeks ago I visited someone I care about and the issues she is experiencing are the type of issues I experienced for a decade of my life (teens to early twenties). Depression, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, eating disorders, self-hatred, self-mutilation, hopelessness; I felt like I was looking into a mirror and the fear began to set in. It wasn't even rational, things in my life were great, but I went into this strange downward spiral of darkness. I stopped feeling anything but despair, everything I said felt like I was stating a fact not anything I felt. I felt so disconnected, isolated, lonely and lifeless; just like I did for that decade of sadness, feelings so similar that I began to get scared, like I wasn't in control anymore, like I have been living a lie, fooling myself to believe that I am a healthy happy person and I have been fighting the inevitable. That in reality, I am a self-hating, miserable person and it was time to face the facts. These things did not resonate with me, but they felt so strong that I couldn't overcome them. I started journaling about self mutilation, trying to reason with my mind. And the biggest fear on my mind was that self-mutilation is an addiction, something I can't ever really get over, even though it has been 5 years since I hurt myself and admittedly I wouldn't recognize the woman I was then. But I was afraid this darkness was right, that I am stuck in the sadness and it will never go away, so one afternoon when I was really upset and depressed, I cut myself, to see how I would react. It lessened the emotional anxiety, it scared the hell out of me and then, probably in the same moment, I realized that I could do it again, but I didn't want to. I understand the repercussions of taking that path and they are all negative, they are dark and that is no longer a path for me. I am so happy to have realized that it did not stimulate the same reaction it once did. I have grown so much, I crave all the positive and healthy tools I have in my life now. Cutting myself was not a good idea, I do not support anyone hurting themselves, but from it has begun such a much more intense healing in my life that I cannot regret doing it, it is a part of my path and thankfully I now KNOW it is also a part of my past, not my future. I realized that although this darkness felt like it had a strong hold on me, as soon as I felt the difference in cutting myself now then when I was unhealthy and miserable, that I could take control, that I am not living a lie, I know that I am who I choose to be and I am happy with that.

This has created a harsh distance between the girls father and myself, him being my best friend prior to finding out about this incident days later. A distance that hurts like hell. I could not lie though, I will not lie about it. And that is the right decision for me.

This is a part of my truth and maybe it is ugly, but to me what blossomed out of that darkness is so bright and promising that I feel blessed.

I cannot change how other people react to the things I have done, but I can stand firmly in who I am, how I got here and where I am going. I do not want darkness to be a part of my life, I spent years discovering ways to make changes in my life so I can be a healthier happier me and I continue to do so.

The Most Important Part: Seeking and Finding

Being heard, not just heard but understood feels so amazing. Relief. Love. Gratitude. I went to see a counselor today to talk about these issues, and when I was done talking the very first thing she said was 'can I tell you what I hear? You have symptoms of PTSD {post traumatic stress disorder}' and it began to all make sense, I had been referring to the visit with this girl as a trigger, but I didn't understand why I went into such an illogical darkness and it suddenly was clear. She was right, this is why I was here. The ten years I spent in a whirlwind of sadness and despair are very hard memories for me to even think about, it was a traumatic time in my life, a lot of self-abuse and I went there, right back to being a girl with all those issues. This trigger threw me back there so fast I didn't know what happened. I am already fasting, cleansing, healing and now to deal with this PTSD directly, first is to be aware of what triggers it, which I am and I know from dealing with this once before in my life (directly after someone tried to kill me) that EFT {emotional freedom technique} is amazingly beneficial to me. So I will continue to work on me, discover more about myself, see how much healing can occur and then go even further.

I am loved, I am supported and I am Happy. I get to be ME, not what I once was. I am moving forward, I am claiming my right to grow.

PTSD Information

-Bold lettering are my experiences-

People with PTSD re-experience the event again and again in at least one of several ways. They may have frightening dreams and memories of the event, feel as though they are going through the experience again (flashbacks), or become upset during anniversaries of the event.
Symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity
Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
Recurrent distressing memories of the event
Repeated dreams of the event
Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event

2. Avoidance
Emotional "numbing," or feeling as though you don’t care about anything
Feelings of detachment
Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
Lack of interest in normal activities
Less expression of moods
Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event
Sense of having no future

3. Arousal
Difficulty concentrating
Exaggerated response to things that startle you
Excess awareness (hyper vigilance)
Irritability or outbursts of anger
Sleeping difficulties

~Love and Light to Everyone~

Tsunami of Emotions

Mother Earth, Father Time, Mama Maui, The ME of the NOW

On Thursday I stepped into the clearest Beautiful Waters on the shore of Maui. My usual source of Energy & Vibration wasn't filling me with the usual rush of energy and joy. In fact I didn't go out very far because I had a strange sense of fear or worry & noticing that I wasn't receiving the usual 'good vibrations' I didn't spend much time in it. This struck me as odd and I thought maybe I was just depressed, it was a stressful week after all. I got through the day never shaking the 'hum-drum' mood though.

Then the evening came and I experienced my first tsunami evacuation. We live across the street from the beach and needed to evacuate to higher grounds because tsunami waves as a result of the Japan Earthquake were heading our way. We left to higher grounds, well prepared with necessities; My Loved Ones, Food, Water and Shelter.Looking around the apartment deciding what I actually needed if my apartment were to be destroyed, and gone forever, it was like an epiphany slowly seeping into my being. My Son, My Sister, The Dog {Uno} and their teddy-bears of course, those were the things I truly wanted, the things that mattered. I tend to think logically and when things begin to seep into my logical thought process they tend to reshape my whole life...........................................................I am LETTING GO...............................THINGS THINGS THINGS! I am looking at these pictures of devastation in Japan and my heart aches for the pain of so many. But I am also noticing not just in the aftermath media, but in everything, everywhere, so many things, so many vehicles, so many houses, so much debris, so much extra stuff in our homes, lives, all of these things, these many extra things, too many things, too many things!!......................................And thus the following series of thoughts, realizations and awareness of the past few days..............................I Notice Resonation...................I make decisions in alignment with my Resonation.............I am choosing to let my EGO GO & BE Unconditional Love!..................I can choose every thought and decision based on either fear or love......................Fear is a low vibration holding us back from being our potential selves.................LOVE.............................Love is a high vibration that reaches out, to everyone, everything, our cells, the waters, the planet, the universe, ALL.................................One event, situation or decision does not DEFINE the person, it is simply a choice, made from either love or fear........................................A Lesson in Releasing...........New ideas................................Ah-Ha's...........................Realizations......................................A FlOoDiNg of Emotions....................................Forgiveness....................Using the Key Forgiveness to Shape a Happier more ABUNDANT life and Reality.....................................Unconditional LOVE............................EXPRESSION.....................Hurt, Anger, Disappointment; they happen. Feel Them, Express them, Embrace Them, Release them and allow Healing to take place...................Release.............................I am Grateful for my Avatar Body.....................I embrace my Role as Mother..................I am Living in The Moment for LOVE, for The Universal Whole, for All Consciousness, for Myself and All that IS..........I am Shifting into More Harmony, Awareness & Peace...............LOVE.........I am AwArE...........I am Noticing.......Synchronicity is All Around Me...............ABUNDANCE......................I am Holding Hope.................................................I am OPEN to all answers.....................I am OPEN to All Questions...................I am Open to all Paths.........I am LOVE...................You are LOVE..............................Let US ALL be LOVE..................................

~L~O~V~E~

Pohole Ferns: Available to You!

I wanted to share with everyone a great product I discovered on Maui! It is the ferns I used for my Raw Spirit Dinner and I was recently informed that they can ship anywhere!! They have a delicious flavor and unique texture. So if you ever want to treat yourself, buy some POHOLE!!

Pohole is a good source of Vitamin A, B's & C. It has twice as much iron as an equal serving of spinach. There are also trace amounts of calcium and protein.

Scientists are just discovering how nutritious fiddleheads (the family of ferns pohole is from, fiddleheads are also found in Alaska, harvest time is early spring, before they uncurl!) are — even better than blueberries, the gold standard for antioxidants. They have found that fiddleheads are twice as strong as blueberries with regard to antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants help to support and neutralize free radicals linked to the development of a number of illnesses. Test show that fiddleheads are packed with the nutrient omega-3 fatty acids.

Fiddleheads are a good source of dietary fiber. They are low in sodium, and contain vitamins A and C, niacin, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium.

Get Your Fern On!

http://www.hanaherbs.com/id1.html

Raw Spirit 2011: Dreaming Awake!

The Best Valentines Day Gift Ever

~experience~

A few weeks ago I was asked to be a chef at the Raw Spirit Festival here in my town. I was so ecstatic at such an honor, I had been working on attracting a way to go to the festival for free and it just out of the blue dropped into my lap! Then I found out that we had a ZERO Dollar food budget and it was my 'job' to find sponsors to donate the food!

I have spent the last few weeks reaching out to the community, farmers and health food stores asking for donations of fresh, raw, organic produce to make a dinner for 150+ people at the Raw Spirit Festival: BLISS CAMP!

I have learned so much about myself in this short time, although this task felt completely daunting and impossible at moments, I realized what an amazing opportunity it would be to prove to myself that I can do anything and do it well!

I slowly collected the ingredients I needed, the night before my dinner someone took half of my bananas and tomatoes out of the kitchen and distributed them! It felt like a huge set back, not only did I figure out who did it, when I asked about it she suggested I use the radishes she donated, oh yes, radish dessert and radish cucumber italiano would be great!! So yes, I was irritated, judgemental and in disbelief that someone would just take stuff of mine that was tied shut in a bag that was tied to another, which had my name written on it!! I had to go home to redirect my thoughts, because I was PISSED! Went to sleep and in the morning knew that no matter the situation, my life is filled with abundance, I created this opportunity for myself, and it is my choice whether it goes well or I stress about it and fail! Failure definitely not my style! So I danced. YES, danced. I cranked up the tunes and danced through my house feeling the joy of success and abundance in my life and after a few hours of that, I was ready, I grabbed the food from the fridge and headed to the festival!

When I arrived the speaker was giving a speech about sending love to those who drive you nuts, irritate you or people you just don't like; okay okay, So I spent some quality time focusing love to this inconsiderate woman and let it go. I felt better and was ready to fulfill my dreams of the perfect meal!

I spent the beginning of the day in full relaxation mode, laid in the 'floating bed,' a suspended tee pee style bed, so cozy and comfortable. Met a new friend who climbed in who turned out to be one of my kitchen helpers (Anna), loved her energy from the moment I saw her. I got an early start on the food and walked into the kitchen with love, confidence, joy and gratitude bubbling from every facet of my being! I organized well, delegated well, the food tasted amazing, all of the food was done by 6pm (right on time) and on plates aka banana leaves! I infused the dishes with reiki, positive energy, love and we all did some tribal~happy dancing to kick the food up a few notches!! It was a beautiful experience, I literally felt high; elated! And I am so ready to do it again!

Providing nourishing foods full of nutrients, love, time and energy is an incredible service to be able to offer my brothers and sisters of this abundant planet. To have their hearts and taste buds tantalized and satisfied is such a wonderful accomplishment.

I moved to Maui to pursue my dreams..And here I am,

DREAMING AWAKE!

I am so blessed and grateful for this experience and all those to come!

It has been a magical wonderland of experiences, emotions and accomplishment!

My Tropical Pudding Dessert, it was oral~gasmic for sure!

My Beautiful Assistants Loving Up the Salad: Sister Cheyenne and Friend Anna

I requested the dressing be massaged into the kale and pohole with love! And they did a most excellent job!

TRAVINN MY ANGEL

Travinn's autonomy, communication skills and freedom are wonderful things to nurture and how lucky to be in an environment where allowing such things is safe and worry-free; a gift, to both of us. It feels great to allow your child to stray from your side to pursue what interests him. He had someone paint his face, learned to hula hoop, made friends and got to make his own decisions, guided by only himself. Watching as this beautiful young boy determines more and more each day the kind of person he will be is incredible. I am so blessed to be his mother, I learn so much from him everyday, about myself, life, my ideals and the value of patience! I am so grateful to have been a part of such an environment and experience!

During the festival I traded chaga for chocolates, kale chips and an entire case of organic cold pressed coconut oil, met a few connections to pursue wholesale bulk foods, possibly supply chaga to a distributor, and... after my dinner was served a woman approached me looking to see if I would be interested in providing some private lunch catering!! Oh Heck to the YES! Also have other friends interested in starting up some raw food business endeavors, what an amazing part of my journey!! And its only going to get better, I assure you!

Throughout this experience working with the festival I had numerous support and encouragement, but the person who helped me the most and remained my constant supporter is my dear friend Shane. Never did he have a doubt that I was capable of succeeding. He supported me through love, kindness and reassurance each and every day. He spoke the truth and I always knew he would be there for me. He speaks from his heart and I am grateful to have met him, immediately recognize him from the depths of my soul, beginning a certain 'type' of 'girlfriend/boyfriend' relationship, accepting that it wasn't the best situation or timing for either of us, which was a very painful experience, and yet grow together from it; to be friends with him is a gift. To allow attachments to titles and emotions past to dissipate and come to one another in a place of love and sincerity is something I think most people don't allow themselves to experience. Letting go of pain (completely an ego inspired emotion)and allowing yourself to love someone simply for being them, whether they have hurt you or you disagree with what they have done, it is a liberating event in ones life to let it go; also something I learned through forgiveness towards my parents. It is an invaluable tool to create happiness in your own life.

Living in Abundance is key, and reminding yourself at every moment that there is abundance and it can be yours!

The FOOD on Banana Leaf Plates

To have such an opportunity and share it with my sister Cheyenne was so perfect, she is the most wonderful person I could imagine spending much of my time with, she helps me through all things I encounter in life, assists me in the raising of my beautiful child and no one in the world would have been better to be by my side in creating this meal. I am truly lucky to not only have such a wonderful sister, but to have her here with me on this part of our journeys.

*RECIPES*

Cucumber~ Italiano

Sliced Cucumbers

Kalamata Olives

Cilantro

Tomato

*Process & Top Cucumbers

Sesame~Ginger Salad

Kale, Chopped

Pohole Ferns, Chopped

Sesame Seed

Dressing

Sesame Oil

Grapefruit Juice

Lemon Juice

Fresh Ginger Juice

Sea Salt

Tropical Pudding

Ground Chia Seed

Banana

Pineapple

Mango

*Blend to creamy perfection, allow 30 minutes to firm

Cha-Cha-Chia!

I leave this experience with the utmost confidence in all of my capabilities and trust that living in abundance is always available to me.

I am a servant to humanity, to help, to heal, to nourish mind, body and soul.

To make healing foods for the masses.....

Dare I....

!!!!DREAM AWAKE!!!!