Living an Inspired Life

Morning Prayer

2011-07-26T06:41:00.000-06:00

May you be happy and at ease,
may you be free from suffering,
may you awaken to the lesson within,
may you see the beauty in everything.
SSP

Maroccan Dinner

2011-07-24T16:53:00.001-06:00

Chickpea and Carrot Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

2 cups of grated carrots.

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
1 garlic clove, sliced red onion
1 ½ tablespoons of fresh dill, minced.
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
½ teaspoon of ground cumin.

Directions:
In a glass or ceramic bowl, toss all ingredients, cover.
Allow the salad stand for several hours at room temperature.

to serve: arrange on a bed of lettuce or kale

Hummus from scratch

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove.
¼ cup of toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice.
2 cups of canned chickpeas drained, rinsed.
½ cup of water.
¼ teaspoon of ground cumin.
¼ teaspoon of cayenne.
Salt, to taste.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Lemon wedges.

Indian Prasad (flat bread) freshly toasted golden and fragrant

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, sesame seeds and lemon juice; process until the mixture whitens.

Add the chickpeas and process until smooth.

Add the water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Add the cumin, cayenne and salt and process. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Flourless Pancakes

2011-07-18T12:18:00.003-06:00

...suited for Diabetics!!!!

Instead of using flour use coconut flour and almond flour (you will need less than the original recipe w regular flour would require), instead of sugar use stevia, if you are a vegan use ground soaked flax seed instead of eggs. You can add sliced peaches, plums, apples, blueberries - whatever fruit you like. Made this on Sunday morning, it was delicious, no carbs, no sugar!!!

Vegan Cinnamon/Banana/Ginger Icecream

2011-07-08T18:18:00.000-06:00

put in a blender :
3 cups of almond milk, 1 frozen banana (cut in chunks), 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp dried/ground ginger, 1 tsp Stevia (natural sweetener suited for diabetics), blend till smooth, (optional: chocolate chips), freeze, occasionally stir to keep smooth - voila! Enjoy

writing ...meditation...

2011-07-08T15:35:00.000-06:00

...Writing has become a meditation and inspiration in itself. Meditation - because I become completely absorbed and focused through the process. I forget to eat, what time it is or to take a break. Inspiration - because reliving my life this way is like an epiphany of some sort to discover what is possible, how to overcome obstacles, how to really live life to the fullest without regrets and to hopefully give the courage to the reader to believe in themselves when times get tough, to keep going, to start over, to never give up, to keep your gaze inward, see the silver lining within yourself not at a distant horizon. Its all here inside of you, its in the here and now....

Adventures...

2011-07-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

....However, there was this particular day when I thought that beautiful little world of mine was too small and I decided to explore the world. I think I was 3 or 4 years old. So I packed my Dads “Rucksack” (an old fashioned backpack), that was so large that it dragged on the ground behind me, took his guitar (don’t ask me why), put my boots on and my “Tiroler Hut” (a hat typical for the Tyrol area in Northern Italy) and left. Nobody noticed. I got about ¼ of a mile just past the neighbor’s house when the neighbors saw me and casually asked where I was going. “Exploring the world” was my equally casual answer. Well, they asked me if I wouldn’t want to have some cookies and milk before embarking on this long journey, and, sure enough that sounded like a great idea and I went inside, forgot about the journey and enjoyed being spoiled. My parents showed up shortly thereafter, surprised of course but not even mad, just took me back home. So that is where my first big adventure ended and my dream of the big wide world started....

(excerpt from my forthcoming book

"It’s not about putting your foot behind your ear -Living an Inspired Life/A personal journey of transformation through yoga"

Wilderness

2011-05-18T14:45:00.000-06:00

...my most cherished moments are spending the night in the wilderness, curled up in my small backpacking tent or even just sleeping under the stars. I call it my “wilderness therapy”. ....sacred silence to be experienced that does not exist anywhere else, that makes me drink in the oneness with all, the interconnectedness of all beings, trees, mountains, air, water, space. Here it is where I find my happiness...SSP (excerpt from "Living an Inspired Life - a personal journey of transformation through yoga)
Publish Post

Italian Amaretti Cookies...

2011-04-25T14:10:00.002-06:00

without sugar (stevia instead)

Amaretti are little cookies that are light as a feather, yet have an intense sweet almond flavor. They're airy, delicate, and oh so simple to make. The recipe takes no more than 4 minutes to put together and they bake quickly.

Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of almond flour -or- 3 cups of blanched slivered almonds, finely ground up
1/4 cup of Stevia (natural plant based sweetener, suited for diabetics)
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract
Extra stevia for dusting

1 Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2 In a food processor mill together the almond flour and stevia. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to process until the dough is smooth.

3 Place teaspoons of the dough on the parchment paper and dust with sugar. Bake for 24-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving. They will be slightly chewy at first, but they will be nicely crispy as a day or two goes by. Store in a cool, dry place. Makes about 30 cookies.

Living an Inspired Life

2011-04-13T20:37:00.001-06:00

It's official now - I am writing a book.

Living an Inspired Life/A personal journey of transformation through yoga

It's not about putting your foot behind your ear :)!!!!!

Drawing from a rich colorful tapestry of life experiences there is an urgency to share my story with the reader. This book is about dispelling the myths about yoga being only for the young, fit and flexible as well as that one has to become a Buddhist/Hindu or that one will be converted into a different belief systems in order to benefit from yoga. I want to encourage and inspire other people, to step out of their comfort zone and try something new - that weird thing called yoga - then see for themselves how their lives will almost miraculously change. This is my personal inspiring story how it all started, how it helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life, leading me to taking yoga teacher training (at the time only to advance my own practice, never wanted to be a teacher ), to becoming a vinyasa yoga teacher and loving it; I started in my 20ties, sustained my practice through my pregnancies, to now being in my 50ies and feeling young, flexible, alive and vibrant and still teaching 8-9 classes per week. The last two legs of my yogic journey are very exciting! Based on my 30 years of experience practicing and teaching yoga I developed my own yoga clothes line (OmShanti Yoga Wear) which is based on organic/sustainable soy/cotton/bamboo material and the design is semi-custom, tailored to the specific size/shape/need of the yogini wearing it. The reviews speak for themselves. The highlight of my career of course is this book that has captured me for a long time now and I am very excited to finally being able to actually writing it. This book is a testimonial of my personal life story, development and transformation through the practice of yoga with all its components, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.It is a story from the early beginnings and discoveries through the life saving benefits of yoga during some major challenges in my life to my personal journey of becoming a certified yoga instructor. Throughout all chapters I am sharing yoga success stories from some of my students who never believed that yoga was for them only to discover that in some instances it turned their lives around 100%.

(read more)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-an-Inspired-LifeA-personal-journey-of-transformation-through-yoga/177861362265874

Soul Connections - Part 2

2011-03-01T21:45:00.002-07:00

While talking to a close friend last night I realized that there is a part 2 to my earlier email about Soul Connections – (thank you my friend - for inspiring me to delve into this topic a little bit deeper)

Soul Connections Part 2

Very few people have the privilege and honor to have a deep soul connection to another the way I described earlier; but those who do know exactly what a profound feeling of trust, love and belonging emerges from it.

Those very special friendships that we have need to be cherished, nourished and celebrated even if we do not live close, see each other on a regular basis or even talk for years in some instances. I KNOW that some of these very sacred connections in my life will be there forever and the moment we do reconnect we pick up exactly where we left off days, weeks, months or in some cases many years ago - it is as if we just had spent time together yesterday. There is a deep knowing, understanding and yes, a “soul connection” that make this possible. I believe that some of us are connected on/at a different level of frequencies where time and space don’t exist, where we realize that all there is is the present moment that is to be lived, loved and utilized to its highest and best ability. SSP

Why worry now...

2011-02-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Soul connections

2011-02-16T19:46:00.002-07:00

Have you ever met someone and instantly you feel a deep connection with them, you discover similarities in your lifestyles, likes/dislikes, the way you think and act and you KNOW that you know this person, although it’s the first time you ever met?

Sometimes there is an “atmosphere” that feels charged, ripe with energy that you cannot explain. Sometimes it feels like you have known this person forever or they even feel like family to us.

It has been said that before we incarnate, we make agreements with certain souls for the purpose of exchanging energy, to learn from our experiences and sometimes to resolve unresolved Karma from previous lives.

These encounters can be wonderful or not so wonderful; of course when they are pleasant we are happy and enjoy the experience, however, when we feel that we are dealing with unpleasant situations we will try to move away from them. It is to our benefit if we work through them though and the learning experience we find will bring us to the next level of our life path. There is something that we have to learn/teach from/to each other and it is a valuable lesson for both people involved if we use the opportunity to grow.

We have “soul”families that we “agreed” to re-incarnate with but there are also unfulfilling or empty attachments when we feel drawn to someone in an unhealthy way based on some kind of a contract in a past life that is still tying us together; this is called a “negative contract”.

The most important is to keep our compassion towards the other person, no matter if it is a negative or positive experience in our opinion, there is a reason for what is happening and we have our part in it.

True Friends

2011-02-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

We discover true friends when we face life's uphill climb. They may have disguised themselves as cranky, always complaining how slow we walk. But not once did they entertain leaving us behind. Well ... perhaps just once (to keep us going)! ~ By Dodinsky's - Garden of Thoughts

It's ironic how people adore those who ignore them, ignore those who
adore them, love those who hurt them and hurt those who love them. (Author unknown)

Surya Namaskar

2011-02-05T22:33:00.002-07:00

OmShanti Yoga Wear/Royal Yoga in ACTION

I love Rumi

2011-01-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have phrases and whole pages memorized, but nothing can be told of love. You must wait until you and I are living together. In the conversation we'll have then...be patient...then. Rumi

Rumi

2011-01-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

My worst habit is I get so tired of winter
I become a torture to those I'm with.

If you're not here, nothing grows.
I lack clarity. My words
tangle and knot up.

How to cure bad water? Send it back to the river.
How to cure bad habits? Send me back to you.

When water gets caught in habitual whirlpools,
dig a way out through the bottom
to the ocean. There is a secret medicine
given only to those who hurt so hard
they can't hope.

The hopers would feel slighted if they knew.

Look as long as you can at the friend you love,
no matter whether that friend is moving away from you
or coming back to you.
- Rumi

Transition

2011-01-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Any life transition gives us the chance to get in touch with our inner selves.

Transition means “change”, most of us are uncomfortable with change, with giving up the familiar, trusted. But what an opportunity to let the fresh, the new in, discovering uncharted territory.

Accepting and embracing change means going with the flow of life, resisting and being fearful means blocking that same flow and with it possibly missing out on some incredible new experiences.

Change is the only constant in life someone once said, so we better get used to it and accept it.

As long as we realize that our true inner self always remains the same, the ebb and flow of life will not affect us negatively and we have the option to embrace the new roles with the knowing that they give us fresh perspective on life and a greater understanding of the lives of others.

Remember the saying “It’s the journey, not the destination that matters”.

Personally I can only say that each time change happened in my life it was scary at first, but looking back I always moved to a better, more exciting place on all levels, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

Embrace transition with joyful anticipation, allow change to happen, but stay true to yourself because that is what life is all about!

SSP

An Angel Wrote............

2011-01-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart. Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it's his fault; if he betrays you twice, it's your fault. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. God gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into it's nest. He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all. Beautiful young people are acts of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. The tongue weighs practically nothing, but so few people can hold it. - Author Unknown

2011: Year of Illumination. A Lee Harris Message

2011-01-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Limitlessness

2011-01-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am bathed in an ocean of gratitude and guidance

As I begin my journey out from the center

I surrender to the next step

Which carries me toward

My natural state of limitlessness,

Inner completeness,

As I now prepare for my dharmic path of learning.

Feelings versus Emotions

2011-01-19T19:21:00.001-07:00

Emotions are sensations in the body that can be triggered by memories, thoughts, external stimuli and they can change our physical state. Emotion has a “story” attached to it; there is a physical aspect as well as a psychological aspect; they control our thinking, behavior and actions.

The two basic emotions are love and fear. All other emotions, thoughts and behaviors are variations of these two. Anxiety, anger, control, sadness, depression, inadequacy, confusion, hurt, loneliness, guilt, shame, are all fear-based emotions. Joy, happiness, caring, trust, compassion, truth, contentment, satisfaction, are love-based emotions.

A pure, not self-conscious state is considered a feeling.

We “feel” joy for example when we look at a baby, when we are absorbed in the moment, such as watching a beautiful sunset. A feeling is something more direct, something sensory sometimes. A feeling is something we can identify. SSP

~ Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it. ~ Vincent Van Gogh

The Power of Blessings

2011-01-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

A blessing is a prayer, an accepting, allowing. A blessing raises our vibration by either giving or receiving it.

Blessing a person, a situation, a place means we are putting our attention to it, without judging, wanting or expecting anything; we are creating space.

When we bless someone, we empower that person to prosper, we accept that person in their wholeness.

A blessing means making peace with the person or the situation and it is a simple way of bringing wellbeing to all involved.

And lastly and very importantly a blessing can be a tremendous relief in a situation where letting go is the best option, we have the choice to bless and release a thought, unwanted habit, fear, worry, person, grief, hatred, anything we don’t want in our lives. SSP

~ The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and, like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it. ~ Seneca

The Beautiful short movie and music (see previous post) inspired me to think and write about The Power of Blessings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BkT6-CDIjw (you can also find it on my blog http://www.sophiapaul.blogspot.com/ )

Allowing Blessings into our lifes...

2011-01-14T16:46:00.003-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BkT6-CDIjw

Enjoy!

Remembering

2011-01-11T06:45:00.002-07:00

When I look into the eyes of my granddaughter when she just woke up, I see joy and excitement;

When my grandson comes running towards me with his arms wide open, with a big smile I see his innocence, his trusting and allowing.

There is a familiarity in what I see and a longing. I believe it’s parts and portions of what I have given away during my life journey;

the parts and portions that had to be relinquished in order to be “acceptable”, to “fit in”.

What if I could recover these treasures? How would my life change if I invited those forgotten gems back?

What if my childish innocence and belief in miracles and wonders would return?

Perfection

2011-01-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

Being a perfectionist can make life a struggle. But there is a solution to it. Once we realize that we have options, that we have a choice space opens up for new approaches.

It’s about acceptance, releasing judgment, and embracing everything in wholeness. Accepting the issue/situation as it is, change it or walk away from it. By starting to accept ourselves from the inside, everything in our outer world will fall into place.

The spiritual journey is not about becoming perfect but to live every moment with awareness, mindfulness and integrity. SSP

IF you believe that you have come to this world to know yourself in all ways and

IF your experience of extremes allows you to know your balance and

IF you choose each commitment of life carefully, with intent and fully present doing the best that you are capable of in the moment, then

How can you be anything less than perfect in any category? (Gregg Braden, Walking between the worlds)