Much to my initial dismay, this year I was not able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my beloved Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, the “hugging saint” from India who is popularly called Amma, which means “Mother.” Due to financial, health, and other issues, I just was not able to make the pilgrimage down to California. Although I felt some sadness, I remembered Amma’s teachings about the importance of celebrating life and of making the most of each moment, so I consciously transmuted the sorrow into joy by bringing Amma home to my heart here in my temple cottage.

On Thanksgiving Day I gave thanks for so many things, especially the memory of three years ago on Thanksgiving Day, when Amma looked in my eyes and gave me the name Tejaswini. Whilst cooking festive vegan foods, I listened to CDs of Amma’s bhajans, burned her Rose-Sandalwood incense, and remembered all the times I’ve sat near her, watching her give darshan (hugs). After serving the meals (lunch to my sweet boys and dinner to a beloved friend), my friend and I watched Darshan, the Embrace, a film by Jan Kounen. I had heard about this film for a while, but just hadn’t gotten around to watching it. Now I am glad I waited, because watching this film on Thanksgiving was the perfect way to bring Amma’s Darshan home to my heart!

I highly recommend this film. I loved it so much that I watched it again the next evening with my sons, and then today I watched my favorite parts one more time before returning it to the video store! The film really captures the Love and Beauty that Amma embodies, and I am ever filled with Awe and Gratitude that I have had the amazing opportunity to be one of the millions who have received her darshan in the form of her loving embraces. Kritajuutaa! Amazing Gratitude!

May all beings everywhere know the Sweetness of Deep Amazing Gratitude.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of sweet orchids from Advait taken by Teja Shankara.

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If you read my last blog article, then you know that my first attempt at this recipe was “a fail.” Well, I am happy to report that when I prepared “Teja’s Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Vegan Delight” again on Thanksgiving Day, it tasted quite delightful! Although I was feeling a tad bit sad that I wasn’t sitting near Amma at her California ashram, I made the very best of the day. I dressed up in Indian clothes that I had purchased in Amma’s store, placed a sparkling bindi on my third eye, and chanted the Gayatri Mantra many times for all the turkeys who were killed for Thanksgiving.

I have always loved Thanksgiving, and I find that being a vegan is no reason to stop celebrating the abundance of the harvest season. After all, there are plenty of ways to create a festive vegan meal. (For the full menu that I created, see “A Vegan Yogini’s Thanksgiving Menu: Turkey-Free!”)

I was filled with Infinite Gratitude as I prepared this vegan stuffing recipe, which of course I did not stuff into a dead bird! My boys really enjoyed this stuffing, topped with cranberry sauce (from a can but organic!)…

Teja’s Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Vegan Delight

Before cooking, I lit candles, burned some of Amma’s fragrant Rose-Sandalwood incense, and turned on a CD of Amma’s Bhajans (devotional songs). Then I placed 3 Tablespoons of walnut oil into a large skillet, turned the burner on medium-high heat, and added the following ingredients, in this order, as I chopped or measured them:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
15 crimini mushrooms, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (a very full ½ cup)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
½ Tablespoon dried sage
½ teaspoon Himalayan krystal salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ cups pecans
1 ½ cups walnuts

Sauté all of the above ingredients on low heat for a while longer, while tearing the bread. In a large mixing bowl, place 6 full cups of your favorite loaf of bread, torn into small pieces. Currently, my boys and I are really enjoying a specialty artisan bread from the Village Baker in Ashland – it is a hearty loaf called “Basil Garlic -n- Onion”. Add 1 cup of applesauce, ½ cup of vegetable broth, and the sauté to the bowl of bread. Stir gently, being careful to not totally break the bread down into mush!

Place 1 Tablespoon of walnut oil in a pan (I used a 9 ½ x 13 glass pan), and spread the stuffing evenly in the pan, pressing down on the top slightly. Bake at 385 degrees for 40 minutes. I covered it for the first 20 minutes, and then uncovered it for the remaining 20 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce for a wonderful taste sensation!

Breathing in Gratitude. Breathing out Gratitude.

May all beings everywhere have adequate food, clothing, shelter, and peaceful sleep each day. And may all beings realize that One Bright Energy connects everyone and everything… including the majestic bird beings who grace this sacred planet earth with their beauty.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja with Delightful Stuffing by Teja’s son Gabe. Photo of Teja with sons (Gabe and Zak) taken by Teja Shankara.

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Yesterday morning, when I awoke at 4:00am to take my brother and his wife and baby to the airport, my bleeding cycle began, and it was raining. My adorable six-month-old niece thought that the dark car ride was pretty funny – she smiled and even laughed at me the whole way! When I returned home, I was filled with such a deep love, and I felt in synch with the Flow of the Universe.

By mid-afternoon, the rain turned to snow, and my mind shifted into some hormonally-induced negativities. In Amma’s little book Immortal Light: Divine Mother Ammachi’s Advice to Householders, she says, “Some women experience more negative thoughts during their monthly periods. It is all the more necessary to chant the mantra during that time.” Knowing this, I did a lot of chanting, especially as I took out the ingredients to begin creating my new recipe, “Teja’s Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Vegan Delight.”

Well, that recipe did not turn out so delightful. As my teenage son would say, I was “emo” and the recipe was “a fail.” Our emotional state, when cooking, really does affect the food we create. I even wrote about just that in the helpful hints section of the vegetarian soup cookbook I published! (Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas) Unfortunately, even with lots of mantra chanting, I was not able to maintain a calm, balanced state of mind for preparing that new recipe. I will try it again on Thanksgiving, and if it turns out delightful then I will share it here.

The funny part, which did not seem so funny last night, was that the reason why the recipe failed was like a metaphor for all the watery flowing that was going on yesterday, with the raining and snowing and bleeding and copious tears falling. The recipe failed because I put way too much vegetable broth and then stirred it way too long into the bread, so that the bread broke down into mush and then baked itself back into gooey dough. Uggh! Time to light the Fire in my yogini heart and balance out all that water!

May all beings know Dynamic Acceptance of What IS.

Om Shanti (Peace), 

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of wet day by Teja Shankara.

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In this photo I’m wearing my new beaded eyeglasses necklace that my sweet friend Jill and I made together a few weeks ago. As a highly creative person, I find it necessary to continually engage in artistic expressions. This week I’m focused on creating a vegan Thanksgiving menu, and I’m absolutely filled with Gratitude for the abundance of good, organic foods in my life. Here’s what I’ve got planned ~

~ Curried onion and red lentil dahl. For this hearty, thick soup, I plan to include several different kinds of onions. I’m particularly hoping to find the small pearl onions to plop whole into the pot!

~ Quinoa cooked with parsnips.

~ A raw salad with greens and lots of colorful vegetables.

~ A baked pie pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup drizzled on top.

~ Cranberry sauce. (Canned, but organic!)

~ And finally, a new dish that I am making tonight for the first time, and then I will post the recipe here on the Teja Blog. It’s called “Teja’s Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Vegan Delight” and it’s a “stuffing” that is NOT for stuffing into dead birds! With celery, onions, garlic, mushrooms, pecans, walnuts, your favorite bread, and more, this recipe will be sure to delight all your senses!

May all beings, including the U.S. turkeys, be free to live in harmony.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja wearing new beaded eyeglasses necklace taken by Teja Shankara.

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Several weeks ago I invited a dear friend over to chant and have lunch. He played my harmonium and led us in singing some beautiful chants. We sang Om Namah Shivaya, and also a chant that was new to me: Rama Ragava, Rakshamam; Krishna Keshavam, Pahimam. I dropped into a wonderfully deep, peaceful place inside myself, so then the rest of the day I couldn’t stop exclaiming, “Chanting is the Best Bliss on the planet!”

So then, this past Saturday evening, I attended the Ashland Amma Satsang, and I hadn’t been to an Amma Satsang since early September in Mt. Shasta City. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed it, until we were chanting the bhajans (devotional songs), and I was witnessing myself unwinding. I thought, ‘Wow, how did I get wound up so tightly again?’ And even as I thought that, I watched myself unwinding even more! In total awe, I reveled in the Bliss that arises from within when I am chanting the Names of God. 

Whilst reveling in the Bliss Energies, I was also tuning in to a beloved friend who was sitting right behind me. I received guidance to give him Reiki healing energies, so I asked if he would like to sit in front of me, and I would send Reiki into him by touching his back. He gratefully agreed, and for the remainder of the bhajans, I channeled Reiki energies while we sang the chants. Afterwards I said that was “Bhajan~Reiki”, and we both commented on how special that combination was…

Later, when I got home, I took the above photo of myself, trying to capture the Teja~Bhajan~Reiki~Bliss~State I was in! Combining Bhajan Bliss Energies with Reiki Healing Energies was super sweet and nourishing, and I was filled with incredible Gratitude for the experience.

May all beings everywhere experience the sweet nourishment of Divine Love.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

p.s. Today is my Grandma’s 97^th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Photo of Teja~Bhajan~Reiki~Bliss~State by Teja Shankara.

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When I googled “Turkey animal medicine” I was disappointed to read that the Turkey represents the spirit of giving and sacrificing, since it gives everything away so that others may live. Hmmm… That symbolism is quite questionable to my way of vegan thinking. I seriously doubt that all those turkeys really want to be killed so that human beings can feast on their dead bodies. Whilst allowing myself to grieve for the suffering that millions of turkeys will endure this month (in the U.S.), I’m also intending to spend some time chanting (singing) for the turkeys on Thanksgiving Day.

In my last blog article, “A Plea for Everyone in the U.S. to Consider Going Vegetarian/Vegan this Thanksgiving!” I pointed out that the meat industry contributes to about 18% of global green house emissions. With that being the case, even if people simply reduce the amount of meat they consume, that reduction will help the environment. For many people, it is difficult to give up animal products all at once, primarily because the body-mind is attached to (and also addicted to) the animal products. Thus, I am simply asking that people begin by reducing the amount of animal products that they ingest.

Why not begin with this Thanksgiving Day? There are so many delicious ways to go vegetarian or vegan on this U.S. holiday! For example, here is the vegan menu that I prepared for Thanksgiving, 2009:

~ Teriyaki tempeh: tempeh marinated in toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, agave syrup, and orange zest… then cooked in a skillet on medium heat.

~ Stuffed squash: baked winter squash stuffed with a sauté of extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, Himalayan krystal salt, oregano, and sage. 

~ Festive rice: brown rice and wild rice cooked together, then tossed with coconut oil, dried mint, cumin powder, dried figs, and shredded coconut.

~ Raw salad: arugula, oranges, raw ginger root, raw turmeric root, carrots, and fresh lemon juice.

~ Cooked beets.

~ Curried onion soup.

~ Cranberry sauce (out of a can, but organic!)

~ Almost raw pumpkin pie, recipe adapted from “Raw Pumpkin Pie Recipe” by The Raw Foods Witch. (Her recipe calls for raw pumpkin, but I used cooked pumpkin.)

In my soup cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas, the soups are arranged by season, and a few of the Fall and Winter Soups would grace the Thanksgiving table in a lovely way… I’m thinking of Butternut Squash Soup, Coconut Spiced Yam Soup, and Harvest Moon Soup. You can read the Harvest Moon Soup recipe on the “Book Excerpts” page of this website.

Currently I am planning my vegan Thanksgiving menu for this year, so I will soon share details here on the Teja Blog. One thing that has already occurred to me is that I don’t want to make any more “stuffing” ~ no more “stuffing” bread into dead birds for this vegan yogini! Instead, I plan to create something called “Teja’s Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Vegan Delight”.

May all meat-eating human beings consider reducing their consumption of animal products.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s Vegan Thanksgiving (2009) by Teja Shankara. Love Soups book cover designed by Gaelyn Larrick.

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“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white or women for men.” ~ Alice Walker

The suffering of the creatures was the primary reason I shifted to a vegan diet. I simply cannot bear the thought of causing harm to the animals, birds, fish, and bees. As Alice Walker so succinctly pointed out, they exist for their own reasons. This month I have tuned in to the suffering of the turkeys, because millions of them will die for the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday. After seeing turkeys in the wild, and experiencing their Beauty and Majesty, I couldn’t imagine ever again eating one of our gorgeous winged relations. 

With the sorrow of the turkeys’ deaths hanging heavy in my heart, I ask everyone in the United States to please consider going vegetarian or vegan this Thanksgiving. On behalf of all those turkeys, and with concern for all the fearful energies that millions of people will ingest through the cooked dead turkey meat, I am asking everyone in the United States to please take a few moments of silence and meditate upon the lifeblood of the turkeys.

Contemplate the fear and agony the turkeys will feel as they are being killed, and ask yourselves if you really want to take in those fearful energies. Everything, everything, everything is energy. Even Oprah says so! We are all connected in one continuous web of energy. If you eat dead turkey meat, then you take in the anxious energies that the turkey experienced while dying. Please consider going vegetarian or vegan for Thanksgiving.

In my next blog article I will share some vegetarian/vegan Thanksgiving menu ideas and recipes. And, inspired by the turkeys’ plight this month, I’ve done some research and learned that the meat industry contributes to about 18% of global green house emissions. So, even if people don’t feel compassion for the creatures, they might be inspired to reduce their meat consumption in order to help the environment. Therefore, I will soon be announcing the Voices for Vegetarianism Campaign. Stay tuned…

May all beings everywhere live in Freedom and Harmony, including the turkeys in the good ‘ole U.S. of A.

Om Shanti (Peace), 

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of turkey from the blog article “Thanksgiving Turkey Bird Facts” by Sienna Hudson.

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Well, I just have to write a blog on this magical date of 11-11-11… And, I’m writing it about the simply amazing breakfast I enjoyed early this morning. Often the small joys in life are the most profound. As I ate that bowl full of warm food-medicine, I speculated that one day I will live in a vegan community in a warm climate, and I will prepare incredibly delicious foods in a healing café that many people will visit, from all over the world… but, back to this now moment! Here I am, a simple vegan yogini in a cold town, blissing out with Deep Abundant Gratitude for the fabulous vegan breakfast I enjoyed today. With the recipes below, you too can soon delight in this vegan creation! And, please stay tuned for the details of the Voices for Vegetarianism Campaign which will soon be revealed on this blog!

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

Teja’s Amazing Apple Breakfast Sensation
1 cup Teja’s Savory Applesauce (recipe below)
¼ cup walnuts
1 corn tortilla

Pour the applesauce and walnuts into a skillet. Stir, then move to one side of the pan. Place the corn tortilla next to the sauce. Heat, turning the tortilla over once. Then, using the stirring spoon, gently break the tortilla into several small pieces. Serve in your favorite breakfast bowl. Breathe deeply, and cultivate Deep Gratitude for the healing you are receiving through this simple vegan food.

Teja’s Savory Applesauce
1 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
1 small-medium yellow onion, chopped finely
¼ teaspoon mild curry powder
¼ teaspoon Himalayan krystal salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
5 apples with peels – 2 big and 3 small (suggest Fuji or similar variety) – cored and chopped
5 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 Tablespoons coconut palm sugar (low glycemic index!)

While I was preparing this applesauce for the first time, my older son came home from school. He took one look at the cutting board full of apples, and asked, “What’s for dinner, apples?” I chuckled as I continued making the applesauce. First, sauté the onion in the coconut oil with the curry, krystal salt, and garlic powder, for 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat. Next, add the water, chopped apples, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. Bring to boil, then simmer covered until all is soft. Pour into a glass bowl and mash with a potato masher. Enjoy!

Happy 11-11-11 to one and all… And remember to watch for the upcoming Voices for Vegetarianism Campaign! You won’t want to miss this dynamic new way to help reduce global green house emissions.

May all beings live in harmony, free of suffering. This includes the turkeys, so may many of the human beings in the United States consider a vegetarian Thanksgiving this year. More blogs to follow on ways to go vegetarian or vegan for Thanksgiving. 

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of apples (given to Teja by Amma) taken by Teja Shankara.

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Back in July, when it was bright and sunny here, I posted an article announcing a new Teja Blog feature: Ask Teja! Since posting that new feature, my life has become more than a little bit busy, so I haven’t taken the time to answer any questions. Well, now that the weather has shifted to cold and grey November days here, I am inspired to light some candles and sip some hot tea while answering a dear person’s question. If you would like a question answered, you can opt to remain anonymous like this person, or you can include your name and/or a photo of yourself. Simply send me an email, anytime: teja@yogini-bliss.com

Question: So what I want to ask you, Teja, is how do you live with yourself in the face of being human...  mostly from a sacred perspective.  When getting married, becoming initiated into Reiki (especially the master level), and then accepting a Guru or two and vowing to follow their teachings, vowing to love, respect and honor, vowing to not be angry today. How do you reconcile yourself with not living up to these promises????  Of course there are times we do, but ...............

?????????????????????????????????

How do you balance imperfection with ideals? How does one live with oneself?  I am feeling some bi-polar tendencies in my thinking. I need more grey but don't know how to get there.

Answer: Dear being who wrote this question, first let me say that I really love this question. It really shows the depth of your longing and your sincere dedication to growth. And, in attempting to answer it, I get to renew my commitments as well as possibly help the beings who will read this blog. So thank you very much for sending this question.

The “grey” you are seeking lies in understanding the vasanas (tendencies) and in understanding the nature of spiritual awakening. These are two of the three key principles I address in the first section of my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. 

First, the vasanas are tendencies or patterns that have locked into forms in the very structure of our beings. They are like energetic knots that need to be untied and unraveled. Once we see them for what they are, they naturally begin unraveling, but we still have to do our part in working to release them. This requires a great deal of patience and also reverence for Divine Timing. The way I “live with myself” in that process, is I simultaneously keep my eye on the goal while also cutting myself a lot of slack. I do expect myself to keep trying, but I don’t expect myself to get it right every time. A lot of suffering is caused by unrealistic expectations, so I continually adjust and readjust my expectations, whilst practicing Acceptance of What IS.

Second, the nature of spiritual awakening, according to my beloved teacher David La Chapelle (who left his body in July 2009), IS bi-polar. He said, “Your system rises up to an ecstatic level of consciousness and then it comes back down and purifies.” What that looks like in our daily life, practically speaking, is we feel expanded, and then we feel contracted, over and over again! Understanding that contractions inevitably follow expansions really helps us to keep our imperfections and ideals in balance. Until we can really surrender and let go, we’ll keep making mistakes, breaking vows, and so on, and since the process of surrendering the ego is long and hard, it’s helpful to just decide right now that we’re going to love ourselves and laugh ourselves through it all! We can choose to be happy even when we’re not doing it the way we think we should be doing it.

Keeping a sense of humor with yourself is probably the fastest way to get to the “grey” balance area you are seeking, dear one. And, remembering that we are each doing the best that we can with the light that we have to see by. Having said that, though, I acknowledge that it is very frustrating once we have enough light to see the goal, but not enough light to stay continuously open-hearted. During the contracted times, it is especially important to laugh at our predicament: here we are, knowing that we shouldn’t get angry, and yet fully immersed in the anger state anyway. What a cosmic joke! As Ammachi says, “Whether we laugh or cry, days will go by, so we may as well laugh.” Let’s all practice laughing at our contracted states, whilst knowing that soon we will expand into Love once again.

If you have any questions, big or small, please send them my way: teja@yogini-bliss.com ~ You can ask big questions like the one above, or you can ask something small like how to prepare yummy adzuki beans! In the United States we are coming up on our biggest food holiday, so I am turning my focus to planning a festive vegan meal. If you have questions about going vegan for Thanksgiving, please Ask Teja!

May all beings live in Harmony, with Bright Radiant Light illuminating their way.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of candles glowing by Teja Shankara.

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Last Monday morning, before going to work, I picked an angel card for the week. I smiled when I saw the card – Light – and then I went about my day. Well, as often happens with the angel cards, as the week progressed I discovered why I had picked that particular card. Last Wednesday began Diwali (also written as Deepavali), the Hindu Festival of Lights! And, on Tuesday evening, I suddenly felt inspired to chant the Gayatri Mantra. That evening there were some negativities swirling in my brain, and as I cultivated the witness, I was intrigued to watch the effect that the Gayatri Mantra was having on those negative thought sensations. It was literally like watching the hot sun burn through some grey clouds.

The Gayatri Mantra is a mantra of brilliant Light. It is said to be the most ancient mantra, originating from a Vedic Sanskrit verse of the Rigveda. This sacred mantra is attributed to the rishi Visvamitra. The words are as follows:

Om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

There are many translations for this mantra that worships the Sun God. I like this translation: “I meditate on the Great Radiant Light which enlightens all 3 worlds. May it enlighten me, too.”

It is said that chanting the Gayatri Mantra every day keeps the Field pure for family life. To hear the Gayatri Mantra chanted live by Deva Premal & Miten, please click on “Gayatri Mantra” anywhere it is typed in this blog article.

May all beings everywhere rest in Radiant Light.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Light on Teja’s kitchen table taken by Teja Shankara.

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