On February 20^th, I posted a blog article entitled “Vegan Loaf You’ll Love” in which I shared my recent creation of a millet and black bean loaf. My older son shared that he would prefer pinto beans in the loaf, so this week I created another loaf recipe.

Please note that the vegan cheese and vegan butter are optional – I put them so that my older son will eat it! You could top this loaf with a drizzle of grapeseed oil or olive oil, or even some fresh salsa. Follow your inspirations, and then please share them here in the comments section below this article.

As always, please buy organic food whenever possible. It is so much healthier for our bodies and it’s healthier for our sacred planet earth.

Pinto Beans
Soak 2 ½ cups of pinto beans overnight. Change the water in the morning and again before cooking. Cook for 2 hours, 15 minutes. After bringing to a boil, add 1 medium onion, chopped; 4 cloves of garlic, chopped; 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped; 1 cup of arugula (or other greens) chopped tiny; 2 Tablespoons brown sugar. For the last half hour, add 2 teaspoons sea salt and the juice of 2 limes. For the last 5 minutes add 16 oz. frozen corn.

Quinoa (sacred, ancient, high protein grain from Peru)
Soak 2 cups quinoa overnight. Bring to a boil and simmer covered (in the soaking water) with a pinch of krystal salt for 15-20 minutes.

Vegan Pinto-Quinoa Loaf
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup applesauce
4 cups French sourdough bread, torn in small pieces
1 cup cilantro, cut tiny
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin, ground
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 Tablespoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika

Light a candle, turn on some fun music, and combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well while noticing how the music affects your soul. I listened to a Putumayo CD, Cairo to Casablanca: An Arabic Musical Odyssey, and the liveliness of that music definitely uplifted my mood. It is important to cultivate an open, loving heart while we cook, because the vibrations of our emotional states go into the food and then they go into the beings who eat the food.

Spread a tablespoon of olive oil in a 9x13” glass pan. Pour the loaf mixture in and spread evenly in the pan. Top with the rest of the sourdough loaf (torn into small pieces), 3 Tablespoons vegan butter and 10 oz. grated vegan cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Enjoy!

May all beings have food to eat each day.

May all beings know that they are Love, Love, and only Love… and may all beings know that we are all connected in one vibration of Pure Love.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See me live talking about my soup cookbook here: Yogini-Bliss on YouTube

Photo of Teja and sons enjoying vegan pinto-quinoa loaf by Teja Shankara.

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ShivaRatri is an auspicious night to chant to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. As the Destroyer, Shiva is also the Creator, because any time something gets destroyed, it creates space for something new to emerge. Lord Shiva helps us to dissolve the attachments and expectations of our egos, so that we can rest in the Bliss of our True Nature. As the Lord of yogis, Shiva is the Original Guru. One of his many names is Shankara, which means Giver of Peace and Happiness.

As a bride of Shiva, I recently took Shankara as my legal last name. For the past several years I have honored ShivaRatri in small ways, but this year I received guidance to organize an all-night chanting event. As one of the founding members of the Goddess Temple of Ashland (that will open on March 19^th, 2011), I decided to plan the ShivaRatri event as a fundraiser for the Goddess Temple of Ashland… And organizing this event has been an amazing experience: I feel as though I have hardly done anything – it is as though Shiva and Shakti did it all through me. For example, it felt effortless the way all the chant artists lined up for the night… It seems as though Ashland was calling out for ShivaRatri to be celebrated this year!

It is said that chanting to Lord Shiva on ShivaRatri is thousands of times more powerful than chanting to Shiva on any other night of the year. Even chanting Om Namah Shivaya for one hour that night will bring much auspiciousness to life.

Om Namah Shivaya ~ I bow to Lord Shiva, who is Pure Consciousness and Bliss. I bow to my innermost Self, which is Pure Consciousness and Bliss. I bow to your innermost self, which is Pure Consciousness and Bliss.

May all beings everywhere know the Bliss of Self-Love.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

ShivaRatri flyer designed by Gaelyn Miriam Larrick. Shiva art on flyer by Mia O’Dougherty.

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This is a morning of Gratitude. I am feeling grateful for so many things: this cup of hot vegan chai tea with maple syrup, the candles burning on my desk, the snow falling off the trees outside, and the thick wool sweater that is keeping me warm.

This is also a morning of Grief. I am feeling sorrow for so many things: the nearly one billion people who are starving on this earth, the lonely people everywhere, the neglected children, the polluted waters, and the karma that won’t yet allow me to release the man who I cannot be with, but still long to be near.

I could go on and on and on with much longer lists of my Gratitudes and Griefs this morning. It’s just one of those days in which I’m seeing a glimpse of how different polarities can simultaneously be true. Resting in that awareness, I feel a strange contentment with it all.

May all beings know the Peace and Self-Love that arises through Cultivating the Witness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See me live talking about Peace (interviewed by Yogi Pete, August 2009): Yogini-Bliss on YouTube

Photo of Divine Mother on snow day by Teja Shankara.

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This past week I was quite busy: working at my new job (manager at my brother’s outdoor gear shoppe), writing blog articles, and supporting my younger son’s preparations for a weekend-full of violin concerts.  Knowing that there would be little time to cook on the weekend, I planned ahead and prepared a big meal on Thursday, since I got off work earlier that day.

When planning the week’s menu, I created a vegan loaf recipe that calls for cooked black beans and cooked millet. Typically, I would cook those foods the day before cooking the loaf, but this week I only had time for cooking that one day, so the night before I soaked the beans and grains, and the next day I cooked them before making the loaf. While the beans and grains were cooking, I began assembling the loaf ingredients.

Please, please, please buy organic food whenever possible! It is better for the health of our bodies and it is better for our sacred earth.

Millet
Soak 2 cups millet overnight. Add pinch of Himalayan krystal salt, bring to boil, then simmer covered for 20 minutes. You can use the leftover millet for several days: it tastes great heated for breakfast with any combination of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and maple syrup. For lunch, it is yummy mixed with salad greens, flax oil, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast.

Black Beans
Soak 2 ½ cups black beans overnight. In the morning change the soaking water, and then when ready to cook, drain and add fresh water again. Cook beans with 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 4 cloves of garlic, chopped; 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped; 1 cup arugula (or other greens) chopped tiny; 2 Tablespoons brown sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Bring beans to boil, add all ingredients except salt. Cook beans for 1 ½ hours, add salt and cook for 30 more minutes.

Vegan Loaf You’ll Love
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups cooked millet
½ cup applesauce
4 cups French sourdough bread, torn in small pieces
1 cup parsley, cut tiny
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric, ground

Light a candle, breathe in Love, breathe out Gratitude, then combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil into a 9x13” glass pan; spread oil with a piece of bread, then enjoy that bite of oily bread! Pour loaf mixture into pan and spread evenly. Top with the rest of the sourdough loaf, torn into small pieces. Cover the bread with 2-3 Tablespoons vegan butter and 10 oz. vegan cheese, grated. Bake 30 minutes uncovered at 375 degrees.

I hope you enjoy these hearty and healthy recipes. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments below this article. After cooking these recipes, please let me know how they turn out for you.

May all beings have food to eat each day.

May all beings know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See me live talking about my soup cookbook here: Yogini Bliss on YouTube

Photo of Teja taking the vegan loaf out of the oven by Teja’s son Gabe.

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Recently I was talking with a woman who was very upset because her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend felt uncomfortable with her and the ex-boyfriend still connecting as friends. I listened compassionately, and then later I contemplated the scenario, one I know well from various angles.

I have been the woman who felt uncomfortable with my ex-boyfriend’s friendship with a previous lover, and I have been the woman who the current girlfriend felt uncomfortable with. Because I am not in either of those roles at this time, it is easier for me to witness them objectively. Without any judgment, I can see the unnecessary suffering involved. Easy to say when you aren’t in it, but I do think it is valuable for us to look at things when we aren’t in them!

The key issue involved is one of trust. If you trust your partner, then you would feel comfortable with them maintaining friendships with past lovers. Of course this is tricky territory and there aren’t any black-and-white answers. Some people (not me!) even believe that polyamorous relationships can work… There are so many ways for couples to gracefully navigate the inevitable attractions that arise towards others, including sometimes past lovers.

In these types of heated emotional situations, I like to remember this poignant quote by Sri Ramana Maharshi:

“Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.”

(The Essential Teachings of Ramana Maharshi: A Visual Journey, edited by Matthew Greenblatt, InnerDirections Publishing)

Thus, if the boyfriend is meant to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, then there is nothing the current girlfriend can do to stop that! And, conversely, if he’s meant to stay with the current girlfriend, then there’s no harm in him still being friendly with the ex-girlfriend! And anyway, in either case, the only True Bliss is inside our own beings, so there is really no reason to fear losing the boyfriend.

Regular, daily spiritual practices take us on amazing journeys to Self-Love… May all beings everywhere go inside and find Bliss, Bliss, Bliss!

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See me live here: Teja’s Campaign on IndieGoGo

Photo of pink sunset in city by Teja Shankara.

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Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

On this playground of life, we get to choose how we spend our time: we can choose to run around doing things that lower our vibrations, OR we can choose to commit to regular, daily spiritual practices that raise our vibrations. Each small change that we make within ourselves then ripples out and benefits all of Creation. This year I intend to help raise the vibration of the human species, through my work as a cheerleader for spiritual practices.

Here is some recent news from the playground of my life ~

~ On January 24^th, I joyfully celebrated the one-year birthday of my website! Happy Birthday yogini-bliss.com ~ here’s wishing you many more sweet journeys around the Sun!

~ Recently I created a fundraising campaign for myself on a really cool site called IndieGoGo. On February 3^rd I posted a blog article (“Yes! Yogini! Help Teja Promote her Books, Blogs, and Circles”) in which I explained a bit about the campaign. Most importantly, I talked about how it’s not really about “me” – rather, it’s about the work that comes through me that is benefiting others. Please read and share this campaign: Yes! Yogini! Help Teja Promote her Books, Blogs, and Circles  ~ if you use the “Share” buttons on the campaign page itself, that will really help, because any activity generated on that page will increase my chances of being featured on their home page. Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to help me with this!

~ As I shared in the blog article (“Yes! Yogini! Help Teja Promote her Books, Blogs, and Circles”), I created this campaign because I believe so strongly in the work I am doing. For the past 7 years, I have been working very hard and serving others in very valuable ways. Very little of that work has been financially compensated, and so I followed my bliss all the way down to my last dollars, and so now I am opening to receive new financial support. While I patiently watch to see how this Magical Universe is going to support my Light Worker visions, I am now working as the manager in my brother’s outdoor gear shoppe. It is a fun, stimulating, and challenging job, and I am super grateful for it. (And, it is impressive to my boys – and to their friends – that I work in the “coolest” shoppe in town!)

~ A few weeks ago I made a video of myself talking about my soup cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas. In this short video I explain that even though I’ve shifted to a vegan diet, I believe this cookbook still has value, because many people need some transition time between becoming vegetarian and becoming vegan. Please view this video here: Love Soups Video.

~ One of my favorite spiritual practices is cooking organic vegan foods with love. Last week I hit the jackpot one night with a dinner that both boys really loved. I posted the recipes in a Teja Blog article (“Vegan Yogini Prepares A Thumb’s Up Dinner for her Sons”). Other recent blog article titles include: “Giving Gratitude in Advance”; “Goodbye Dust; Hello Prosperity!”; “Spiritual Practices Cheerleader: Two Teams At Play”; “Dear Diary: A Look at the Seeds of Destiny”; “Spiritual Practices Create Healing Energies through Alchemy”; “Cultivating the Witness: A Look Within at the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine”; and “Spiritual Practices Book Receives Positive Reviews”.

~ This week I am busy preparing for an upcoming ShivaRatri event that I am organizing as a fundraiser for the Goddess Temple of Ashland. The Goddess Temple’s grand opening day will be March 19^th, 2011. The ShivaRatri all-night chanting event will be Wednesday, March 2^nd, 9pm. Please go to this link for more information and to see the gorgeous flyer that my beloved soul sister (Gaelyn Miriam Larrick) designed: ShivaRatri in Ashland. Shiva art (on the flyer) by Mia O'Dougherty.

~ I’ll end this month’s e-newsletter with a wonderful quote from Dr. Mikao Usui, the beautiful being who rediscovered Reiki healing in the late 1800s:

“Just for today… I will not worry. I will not be angry. I will do my work honestly. I will give thanks for my blessings. I will be kind to my neighbors and all living things.”

~ And, my sweet sister Natalie Savelieva Wakefield’s adaptation of the above quote:

“Just for today… I will trust.”

May you trust on the playground of your life.

May all beings know the inner Radiance that nourishes and sustains all life!

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photos of yogini-bliss birthday and boys with polenta breakfast by Teja Shankara. Photo of Teja by Teja’s son Gabe.

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This morning my boys enjoyed a breakfast of leftover polenta with maple syrup on top. Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal that is popular in Italy. I learned how to make it years ago in a cooking class, and yesterday I pulled the recipe off the shelf and adapted it to my vegan diet. The dinner turned out so fabulous that both boys really loved it, and my older son even exclaimed, “You should make this and sell it at one of those summer festivals!”

I’m smiling as I type this, because it was so rewarding to cook something that I love and then not just one, but both boys gave it a thumb's up! This simple yet incredibly delicious dinner consisted of polenta, sautéed vegetables, and fresh arugula (the spicy green that President Obama was criticized for liking). Here are the two recipes, as best as I can remember them this morning. Please comment here (below this article) if you have questions.

~ Please buy organic food whenever possible! It is better for the health of our bodies, and it is better for the healing of our sacred planet earth. ~

Polenta
2 cups polenta
6 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
2-3 Tablespoons vegan butter
5-6 Tablespoons vegan cheese
sprinkle or two of ground black pepper

Soak the polenta in the water for a few hours. Add salt; bring to a boil. Stir constantly with a whisk (to prevent clumping) while it boils for ten minutes. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the vegan butter, vegan cheese, and black pepper.

Sautéed vegetables
3-4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
15 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup pecans, chopped
4 oz. jar of capers
sprinkle black pepper

Sauté onion in oil for 5-10 minutes, then add mushrooms and soy sauce. Stir well, then add spices, and sauté for about 15-20 minutes – until onions and mushrooms are soft. Then add pecans, capers, and black pepper, and sauté for 5-10 more minutes.

Please let me know how you like these recipes!

May all beings have food to eat each day.

May all beings everywhere find Peace within.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See me live, talking about my soup cookbook here: Yogini Bliss on YouTube

Photo of Teja’s sons by Teja Shankara.

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Today I am thrilled to feature a guest here on the Teja Blog: my beloved sister, Natalie Savelieva Wakefield, from Mallorca, Spain. She posted this photo of herself holding my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, on Facebook, along with the following comments:

“To the Radiant sister of Light and Love, Yogini Tejaswini… from the Miraculous sister of Forgiveness and Healing Aaliyah… with gratitude, affection and big hugs. Namaste ♥

“For all friends who would like to check out Teja´s blogs and books and particularly the one I have in my hands here Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, here is her website: www.yogini-bliss.com

“My heartfelt recommendations, this little book is a loving, wise, witty and big friend to accompany anyone on the path of awakening. And... it fits into your pocket! :) ♥

“It is about going back to your true reality of a Being of Light and Love, one with our creator and with every aspect of creation through the Path of Raja Yoga, which is a Path of meditation and includes aspects of four other yoga paths. It contains practices for every day to achieve and maintain the state of awakening, the main ones described as "cultivating the Witness, working skillfully with vasanas (patterns or tendencies), and understanding the spiritual process of expanding and contracting" (p.15 of the book); and of course meditation itself. I encourage all who are wondering what the book is about to go to her website homepage and listen to Teja´s short interview where she, very laconically and simply, presents the book and explains what it is about... Enjoy!

“Check out Teja´s book, it is really worth it.  Very rarely, or maybe uniquely, as to my current awareness of spiritual books, one can find so much practical knowledge in such a small size volume.” ~ Natalie Savelieva Wakefield

One of Natalie’s friends on Facebook asked me to comment further about the book, and this is what I shared: “An Indian man at Amma’s ashram in California read the book, and he said, “You obviously have integrated the practices into your being – you “get” the information and you have explained it in such a clear way that anyone could easily get it too!” This pocket book is available in print version and in e-book version.”

I’ll look forward to featuring many more people as guests here on the Teja Blog, as more and more people read and review Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.

May all beings everywhere know Love and Compassion.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Natalie Savelieva Wakefield by Miles Wakefield.

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A couple of days ago, I created a fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo, because I believe so strongly in the work I am doing. For the past 7 years, I have been working very hard and serving others in very valuable ways. Very little of that work has been financially compensated, and so I followed my bliss all the way down to my last dollars, and so now I am opening to receive new financial support.

When it comes down to the essence of this, it is not really about “me” – it’s about the books that came through me that are helping others to heal themselves from the inside-out; it’s about the Light that shines through me at the Radiance Rising Circles that is uplifting others and sparking their own inner Light; and it’s about the Teja Blog articles that come through me that are touching chords and benefiting the blog readers. I am just one tiny vessel willing to pour out Light, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to radiate the Light in so many ways.

So, if you would help me spread the word about this IndieGoGo fundraising campaign, by using the share buttons on my campaign page itself, that will “up” my “GoGo Factor” and then my campaign will be featured on the home page and exposed to many more people, including possibly the media.

I would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to read my campaign and share it with your networks… click here to read my campaign: Yes! Yogini! Help Teja Promote her Books, Blogs, and Circles.

Even if you aren’t inclined to donate financially yourself, if you would take just a few minutes to share this campaign, there might be some people in your networks who would be inclined to donate, and that would help me so much!

And, again, it’s not really about “me” – it’s about the helpful work that comes through me. That work brings me bliss, but more importantly, it inspires and benefits others.

May all beings reunite with the inner Light.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Yes! Yogini! Help Teja Promote her Books, Blogs, and Circles

Photo of Teja Shankara by Teja’s son Gabe.

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Last night at the Radiance Rising Circle, after chanting to Sri Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god who removes all obstacles, we shared in a lively discussion about many topics. One such topic was the differences between the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. In this blog, I will highlight my sense of their attributes, and I invite you to comment here with any further characteristics that you see.

The Divine Feminine is receptive, nourishing, holding space, allowing, and inviting. The Divine Masculine is focused on solar purpose, discerning, concentrating, holding form, and acting. At the highest level of Consciousness, the two are in constant Union. Like fire and its power to burn, they are inseparable.

So how does this apply to those of us who are not yet living at the highest level of Consciousness? Well, first we need to understand that all of us – men and women – have both the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine within us. Next, we can look to see if those attributes (listed above) are in balance within us. When we look inside, we might notice some imbalances. If the Divine Feminine is not in balance we might feel irritable, whiny, needy, and/or grasping. If the Divine Masculine is not in balance we might feel impatient, aggressive, forceful, and/or intolerant.

Once we begin to cultivate the witness and get to know our internal feminine and masculine aspects more intimately, then we can gradually heal those elements and bring them into harmony within. That internal mystical union is truly the goal of “tantra”.  Today there is much focus on the sexual union aspect of tantric yoga, but at the highest level, the tantric union of Shakti and Shiva is not meant to be acted out on the physical level. Rather, it is symbolic of the internal union of the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine.

When I witnessed the dance between the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine within me, I noticed that I have tended towards easily accepting and forgiving the Feminine element within, but I have not been so easy on the Masculine element within! I have often expected my internal masculine to be perfect all the time! This explains why I have expected the men in my life to be perfect all the time, since we often project our internal experience out onto our beloveds.

What do you see when you look within at these elements? I welcome your comments here below.

May all beings everywhere know Balance within.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

See my new video (about my Love Soups cookbook) here: Yogini-Bliss on YouTube

Photo of Mt. Shasta through car window taken by Teja Shankara while driving on I-5!

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