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. (This paragraph is repeated each month for emphasis, since this is the theme for the 2011 newsletters.)

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

~ Well, life continues to be crazy and full, as ever. Recently a dear friend wrote to me in an email, “When will this life settle down?” I have to laugh as I ask myself that same question when I am running around to soccer games and school meetings and pilgrimages to Mt. Shasta! (I’ve written a few blog articles about my recent time on Mt. Shasta, and I plan to write more about that memorable adventure. For now, see “A Vegan Yogini’s Radiant Shiva Bliss on Mt. Shasta!” and “Barefoot Vegan Yogini Praying for Divine Grace on Mt. Shasta”) ~ If you can relate to asking the question “When will life settle down?” please take a moment to email me (teja@yogini-bliss.com) and tell me about your experience with that question. The first three people to reply will receive a free e-copy of my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. Your reply can be brief or long – just write whatever comes to you in the moment!

~ Amidst the colorful chaos, daily spiritual practices help keep me grounded in my Happy Teja Self. Recently I have been both receiving and giving Reiki healing sessions, as well as deepening into the process of sending distance Reiki during my morning meditations. And, I’ve been reading my Reiki teacher, William Bagley’s book — again! This is at least the third or fourth (or maybe the fifth?) time I’ve read his Reiki Study Guide… and this time I’m absorbing the information on a much deeper level. Here is a section that is quite potent for me:

“Part of advanced teaching is to see that we create our own reality. The ego world is real in the sense that we have created it. But it is unreal in how it sees itself. If we create our own reality, we cannot really be a victim of anything. We choose what experiences we go through. The paradox of the ego world is that people use their power to feel powerless. We can create any reality we want, including a reality where we are victims of an outside world where we cannot create our reality. Because the bottom line is that we create our reality, then any reality we create where we do not see ourselves as the creative agent must be an illusion…. We will sometimes find illusions which feel temporarily safe, but these illusions are fragile. They will be shattered by life simply changing. The natural flow of cause and effect undoes illusions. People are meant to outgrow all illusions and return to reality. Reiki heals by radiating love from a source beyond all illusions.”

~ The Reiki healing energies help me to stay on track in aligning with my purpose. Sometimes I question the process of manifesting intentions (see my blog article, “Manifesting Intentions”: a workable process in this decade?”), but recently my faith in this Magical Universe has been restored! (See “Barefoot Vegan Yogini’s Intentions are Manifesting!”)

~ Lately I have really been enjoying making guacamole in my vegan yogini kitchen. One day I wrote down the recipe, and I’ll share it with you here:

Teja’s Colorful Vegan Guacamole

4 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
1 medium red bell (sweet) pepper, chopped finely
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped finely, without seeds (or with seeds if you like it hot!)
juice (and some of the pulp) of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (use half of stems)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Himalayan krystal salt (or sea salt)

Combine all in a bowl as shown in first photo here, then mash all ingredients with a fork… then stir well, and serve. Serving suggestion shown in second photo is of guacamole served on top of cooked quinoa (for instructions on cooking quinoa, please see “Vegan Pinto-Quinoa Loaf”), with little tomatoes and pea sprouts on the side.

This is a fancy version of guacamole. Often I make a simpler version that is equally tasty, which is just avocado, lemon juice and pulp, salt, and pepper. So if you don’t have much time, you can still enjoy a tasty guacamole!

Please let me know how you like this recipe…

~ Whatever reality you are creating for yourself in this present moment, and regardless of how crazy it may be, I wish you inner peace amidst the chaos. May you take some time to ground yourself and cultivate happiness during this brief time on the playground of life.

May all beings have food, clothing, shelter, and peaceful sleep. May we all live together in Peace. Happy International Day of Peace tomorrow. (“International Peace Day this Wednesday”) Please join in the one-minute of silent prayer for peace at 12:00 noon in your local time zone, anywhere you are on this sacred planet earth.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photos of Teja’s Guacamole by Teja Shankara.