November is here and holiday festivities will be soon starting...so what are you consciously doing to stay centered and take care of yourself at this time? :)

As a guest contributor, I was able to share a little wisdom on "Yoga In the Kitchen". Make sure to check out my article and my favorite weeknight to-go recipe, "Chickpea Flour & Rice Patties".

Although wealth is most often associated with worldly possessions and riches, Dileepji beautifully shares in the intro of this recording, that money is only a part of the picture; true wealth is a state of mind that comes from gratitude, good deeds and faith in the divine.

A few weeks ago I had the good fortunate to host a booth for Wholesome Soul at Wanderlust 108 D.C., where 1500 yogi's made their way together for a day of yoga and mindful living. As someone who's a practicing yogi and that enjoys exercise, hatha yoga, meditation and fresh diet, it was awesome to see how this event brought so many people together from different walks of life. It was a fun and diverse mix of cultures, body sizes, skill levels and interests...which was great to see.

It's always good to remember that the one weapon we always have in our arsenal for self-care is the food we put in our bodies. Food is such an amazing tool, don't think? What we feed ourselves literally fuels our energy levels, directly impacts the appearance of our bodies and greatly influences our minds. For something we do several times a day...I'd say it's worth putting a little dedicated time and creative energy towards since the payoff is huge.

At the end of August I had the chance to go to an awesome retreat that was hosted by the Good Life Project. If you haven't heard of Jonathan Fields and his organization, they're definitely worth checking out. It was quite an inspiring weekend where I had the opportunity to hear some trail blazing speakers talk on what a good life means to them, attend some information-packed workshops on how to run & sustain an authentic business and I had the chance to meet other fellow meditators, wellness and creativity enthusiasts. Best of all there was time built in for self-care through daily yoga, meditation, crafts, talking with other kindred spirits, playing and eating three fresh meals a day.

Many people wonder why cows are so sacred in India...and the answer in short is that they're quite generous and pretty divine:).

The happiest man on earth; my grandfather.Words can't really describe what an amazing soul my grandfather was. He touched the lives of thousands; putting a smile on each and every face and filling countless bellies with food and love. He lived on 3 continents, worked hard at turning his dreams into a reality and spent his days feeding people, laughing and making others laugh. He had a deep faith in God and family. And with 8 children, 16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, he had the ability to make each one feel special and loved.

For my New Year's collage this year I decided my word for 2015 was going to be Faith. Now, as July comes to an end and August begins, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on this word; especially since it was the theme of my teachers closing words at the recent meditation retreat I went to, and it's also something my family is relying on heavily as we watch death slowly approach my grandfather.I'm so grateful for my faith.

One of my favorite things in the summer are tomatoes...and as we head into summer and the tomatoes and avocados are ripe and delicious, CTA Toast (Cottage Cheese, Tomato & Avocado) makes a great breakfast. It's especially nice because it takes less then 5 minutes to make...and it's fresh, high in protein, and of course, delicious...so ENJOY!

Hello Friends,Since I was out of the country for the start of the new year, February has kind-of-been like my January :)! So now that my new year has officially begun, so has my re-inspired love for healthy snacks. My latest and greatest favorite is super simple and only has 3 ingredients :).rice crackers + hummus + krautFor those of you that are #vegan and/or #glutenfree, this is a fantastic snack (or an impressive appetizer) that is fast, filling and easily changeable...not to forget it also looks beautiful :).

I love India. There's something so magical about being there...but so hard to put into words.India is a country full of all sorts of extremes that can stimulate your senses and evoke a lot of emotions. These extremes are not compartmentalized or segregated, but instead they all co-exist. There's richness and poorness, spirituality and materialism, spicy and extra spicy :), wide open farmland and overly congested cities, traffic jams and water buffalo crossings, delicious aromas and putrid smells and a deep innate sense of the constant bustle and peaceful stillness that life has to offer.It's amazing.

Before leaving for India, I had the pleasure of working on a commissioned, mixed-media art piece for a dear friend of mine. Her first grandchild was born this year, so she was inspired to give her daughter and granddaughter a very special first Christmas present that she hopes will be handed down from generation to generation.

Since I'm not here for Thanksgiving this year, I thought I'd share some recipes from one of my favorite blogs, Oh She Glows! She has a great step by step, 3-Course, Vegan & Gluten Free Holiday Menu that looks pretty good...I've never made these particular recipes, but all the recipes I have tried from her site have been DELICIOUS...so I have high hopes for these as well.

As you read this, IIndian Sprouted Mung Beans will already be in India...but I thought as the holiday season approaches and our diets get a little wacky, that I would share one of my favorite dishes that always seems hit the spot the for me when I want something fresh and full of prana...Sprouted Mung Beans---Indian Style!