Yoga for Hope 2013

By: Shannon Purves

Imagine six hundred people practicing a heartfelt, uplifting yoga flow on the outfield of Petco Park in the San Diego sunshine.

This event is Yoga for Hope, which raises awareness and vital funds for cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.

There was beautiful energy surrounding the entire event as we took to the perfectly grassy field to practice a special hour and a half yoga flow.

Several amazing teachers lead us through this transformative practice including Bonnie Saldivar-Jones, Claire Petretti Marti, Michael Fukumura and Stacy McCarthy. Each teacher was able to bring their own essence and personality to their portion of the class while collectively interlacing the ideas of unity and togetherness.

The final twenty minutes were lead by the lovely Seane Corne. With cancer being close to her family, she found great importance in being apart of this event. She spoke freely about her struggles while losing her father to cancer and her advice that it doesn't get easier, it just gets different is still ringing in my mind. She opened our hearts and helped us find support in ourselves and our vast yoga community.

It was a pleasure to represent Prana Yoga Center along side teachers Abby Vernon and Shauna MacKay. We stayed after the event and made connections with many of the practicing yogis. It was one of those events that reassure you that you are on the right path with the right people.

"Over the past two years Yogis from all over San Diego have been touched by an event that has humbled our community and opened our hearts to HOPE. Because of your generosity, Yoga for Hope has raised more than $100,000 and united over 1000 yogis and dozens of studio partners to raise vital funds to aid City of Hope doctors and researchers to continue their life-saving work. From its inception, Yoga for Hope has not only been wildly successful, but has also become a popular and sought after event throughout the greater San Diego community."

Please join us next year as we plan to continue making a difference in our community and giving back!

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters Recipe

By: Amy Jo Hearron

Last week, I made a batch of these Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters twice, because once just wasn't enough. They were so perfect and sweet and gooey and chocolatey and better than any other candy I've ever had. Yes, possibly my new favorite candy. Maybe because I love the combination of caramel and chocolate with tiny pieces of pecans and have never before found a version that my belly likes before now. Whatever the reason, I am excited to share with you this recipe. Do yourself a favor and make them next time your sweet tooth whispers its wishes.


Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters

Caramel Pecan Clusters
10 medjool dates, stoned
2 tbs. raw almond butter
2 tbs. pure maple syrup
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
You have two options here, depending on whether you want to use a food processor or not (I used my hands instead and loved how this turned out).

Food Processor Version
1. Place dates in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and salt and blend well, until you have a smooth doughy texture.
3. Place caramel mixture into a bowl.
4. Add pecans and knead the dough with hands until pecans are evenly combined.
5. Place a spoonful of dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Gently mash the caramel cluster so it is slightly flat on top. Repeat until you run out of dough.
6. Place in fridge.

Hand Mixing Version
1. Place dates in a large bowl and mash with fork. I divided each date into half and mashed one at a time. It was a bit of work, but I prefer working with my hands when possible.
2. Add almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Mash together with a fork.
3. Add pecans to mixture and knead with hands until well combined.
4. Place a spoonful of dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Gently mash the caramel cluster so it is slightly flat on top. Repeat until you run out of dough.
5. Place in fridge.

Chocolate 
1/2 cup raw cacao butter, finely chopped
1/2 cup raw cacao powder, sifted
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
*You will be using a double boiler and an oven-proof bowl to melt the cacao butter.
1. Place two cups of water into the bottom pot of a double boiler.
2. Place raw cacao butter into an oven-proof bowl that will fit on top of the double boiler pot.
3. Bring water to a boil.
4. Place bowl of cacao butter onto pot until the butter is completely melted.
5. Remove bowl from heat.
6. Add cacao powder and maple syrup.
7. Stir well, breaking up any chunks left in the powder.
8. Let the chocolate sauce cool until it thickens a bit. You do not want the sauce to harden. You do want it to thicken a bit so that it will slowly pour down the sides of the caramel clusters.
9. Once the chocolate is slightly thick, add a spoonful to each of the caramel clusters and cover the sides with the chocolate sauce. I used a spoon to assist this step.
10. Once you have finished, place the chocolate caramel pecan clusters into the fridge and let sit for an hour, until chocolate hardens. Store in fridge for up to a week. AMAZING!

Find more recipes on Amy Jo's new blog, a journal of imaginative kitchen creations and purely sweetened indulgences. These dishes are gluten-free and full of flavor, containing natural ingredients and no refined sugar.

 

What is the fastest, easiest, most reliable way to master any skill?

Apprentices Jessica and Mandy on set

By: Stacy MacCarthy

Find a mentor that is getting the results you desire.

Mentors have been around for centuries.

Krishnamycharia mentored B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar & Indra Devi….David Foster mentored Josh Grobin…..Laurence Olivier mentored Anthony Hopkins.. …Obi-wan Kenobi mentored Luke Skywalker… Jim Rohn mentored Tony Robbins…. Benjamin Graham mentored Warren Buffett … Socrates mentored Plato … Plato mentored Aristotle … Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great ….
Throughout my life, I’ve had mentors that have helped me in all the important areas, family, health, career, spirituality and contribution. Finding and choosing a mentor is an important mission and decision.



Apprentices Assisting and Adjusting

A good mentor helps you get a clear-sighted view of what’s most important to you. They should serve as a model for reaching your most significant goals in the most important areas of your life.

A mentor can help us identify where we need to grow. We may be ahead in our health while lagging behind in spiritual awareness. Or emotionally or financially astute but lazy in the way we eat. A good mentor will be honest with us about where we are and then help us work on the areas that need attention. Your mentor should have a genuine history of success & experience that has stood the test of time.

Each year I mentor a group of teachers who are working on the completion of their 500 Hour Professional Level Yoga Training. Over the next six months, you’ll see these devoted protégés observing & assisting at my classes, events & workshops. Please take the time to meet these assidious teachers and thank them for their dedication & service.


“Empowering yoga teachers to grow their practice through mentorship is a profound experience for both parties.  I believe in the impact of one person on another person’s life. The opportunity to share over 20 years of experience creating a thriving and sustainable career teaching yoga is rewarding. As a mentor, I dream of a world for our next generation of yoga teachers in which our yogic light becomes so bright that it will wash away the unnecessary pain and suffering in the world. We can do this. We can build a yoga revolution, teacher by teacher, student by student”.
Stacy McCarthy, E-RYT500, Yoga Namastacy