Ghee is used by Ayurvedic practitioners to build ojas (vitality and the source substance that governs the stability and immunity of the body). Although in the Ayurvedic system ghee is recommended for balancing aggravated pitta (fire element), I do not necessarily recommend it for general use because it is a dairy product and a cooked [...]
Foods that support the spring season include the dark leafy greens, which are cleansing as well as nourishing. This lightly spicy dish (with ginger and turmeric) makes good use of spring greens. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil 1 tsp grated ginger 1 tbsp white sesame seeds ½ tsp turmeric 1 medium carrot thinly sliced 2 [...]
In like a lion, out like a lamb, or so we say. Yes, Spring is a time of changes, and the transition from Winter to Spring is one of the most stressful and challenging shifts we go through all year. In most areas, Winter, with its cold weather, gradually gives way to the increasing warmth [...]
Throughout our lives, we experience times of increased vulnerability, change and even confusion. One of the most intense of these are the teenage years, puberty and the transition from childhood to adulthood. According to Ayurveda, birth through the early twenties is the time of life dominated by the kapha dosha, the energies of water and [...]
How your food is prepared is as important as what food you prepare. This section gives you some tips and suggestions for making your cooking and dining experience pleasurable. Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. –– Harriet Van Horne A clean body, a clear mind and [...]
Chocolate has become the quintessential Valentine’s Day gift, representing love, sweetness, devotion and sensuality. Its origins as the go-to gift for romantic holidays are fairly recent and involve the magic of marketing and the ‘60s, specifically the 1860s. This was when the heart-shaped candies and the heart-shaped boxes were released in force. Before [...]
Raw Brownie Recipe By Rod Rotondi In the home where I grew up, the acts of baking and offering brownies were gestures of love. At the time, the bleached white flour, refined white sugar and margarine were just part of everyday life. I now see those ingredients in a different light after nearly [...]
At a recent Yoga retreat two questions were raised: “What do you want to gain from your Yoga practice?” and “What has Yoga done for you?” The answers, suffused with “I” and “me,” implied that Yoga tends to be an egocentric practice that endeavors to improve the sense of self. That being said, an often [...]
Community: Creating Karma Organic Soup Kitchen: A Quality Meal Every Sunday morning in Santa Barbara, individuals and families gather together over organic and wholesome meals served up fresh and free for the community. Inspired and prepared by Anthony Carroccio, Organic Soup Kitchen (OSK) is a nonprofit organization that believes that no person regardless [...]
Libra Max: Animal Activist / Vegan / Yogini Those of us on a spiritual path have an even greater responsibility to be honest with ourselves about the violence we cause when we eat and wear animals. If we envision a nonviolent world, we can participate in the one that already exists by going vegan and [...]