Message from Sara A Poem for You Favorite Summer Recipe Moon Calendar Upcoming Events Yoga Teacher Training in Thailand The Hello Love Experiment Featured Article: Rise of the Yogini

"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Greetings!

I hope that this finds you feeling at ease and embraced, wherever you might be in space and time.

As we move into the abundance of a ripe and colorful summer, I am delighted to share with you some ways to celebrate this season. You will find in this newsletter some special contributions from two of my amazing girlfriends, Rebecca Andrist and Heidi Rose Robbins.

Rebecca has included a yummy recipe for her famous avocado chocolate pie (a perfect treat to prepare for friends on a full moon evening), while at the end of this newsletter read all about Heidi’s brilliant “Hello Love Experiment” that so simply and powerfully inspires and empowers us to change the world one heart at a time. Check it out and pass it on. And her T-shirts are great, by the way!

Also, you are invited to visit four mermaid’s newly renovated (for easier ordering) online boutique to find some great summer styles.

As for me, I am enjoying some time off this summer to kick back and taste life’s sweetness before Jonas and I begin our teachings in Europe. Until next time….

With a deep bow,
Sara

Now here is a reason to celebrate. This tasty and healthy pie recipe was contributed and concocted by my good friend and food goddess, Rebecca Andrist. Rebecca leads rejuvenating detoxification and healthy eating retreats in Europe and Asia.

Raw Chocolate Avocado Pie For the crust: 1 cup pecans or walnuts, soaked overnight (soaking makes them easier to digest) ½ cup soaked dates (soaked 1-2 hours) 1 banana Mix the nuts and dates in a food processor*. Blend well and press into the bottom of a pie pan. Place in a food dehydrator for 1 hour or in an oven on its lowest setting for 15 minutes to dry the crust slightly. When done, place a thin layer of sliced banana on top of the crust. * If you don't have a food processor, you can try blending by hand or in a good blender, but you will get the creamiest consistency with a food processor. You can buy little ones that are not too expensive and they are good to have for making other things, like bean dips, pates, etc. For the filling: 2 ripe avocadoes ¾ cup soaked dates (soaked 1-2 hours) 2 tbsp. virgin coconut butter or cacao butter ¼ cup raw cacao nibs* chopped very finely in a food processor or coffee grinder 2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder 1 tsp. vanilla *If you can't get raw cacao nibs, just use more dark cocoa powder or melt a bar of organic dark chocolate. You can’t go wrong with chocolate! Blend everything together until smooth. Put the filling in the pie crust and refrigerate for several hours so that it sets. Eat and enjoy with love! For variety, try adding berries, lemon, or a little passion fruit juice to the avocado mixture to give it a yummy zing! You can also leave out the crust for this pie and make only the filling, serving it as a delicious chocolate pudding.

By honoring the cycles of the moon, we can connect with the cyclical rhythms in nature and within ourselves.

New Moons:
Use these days to relax, sleep in, meditate, curl up with a book and eat simple foods like fresh juices, salads and steamed vegetables.

June 15, July 14, August 12, September 11, October 11, November 9, December 9

Full Moons: 
Use these days for high-energy celebrations. Dance, go for a hike, skinny dip under the moonlight, indulge in rich desserts and festive meals with family and friends.

June 30, July 30, August 28, September 26, October 26, November 24, December 24

2007 Hatha Yoga Teacher Foundation Course  
November 16-December 15, 2007; Chiang Mai, Thailand

With 27 happy graduates and much enthusiasm from our first teacher training here in Chiang Mai, we are now accepting applications for the 2007 course.

2007 Hatha Yoga Teacher Foundation Course 

2006 teacher training graduates

click here to download flyer "This course was priceless, most inspiring, and well worth the time, money and effort.   I could not have asked for more dedicated, true, skilled, gracious and authentic people and teachers than Sara and Jonas.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Lizabeth Maris; Massage Therapist Wolcott, Vermont

The Hello Love Experiment is a grass-roots social experiment in love. It acknowledges with a simple greeting that we are all love.

It began when Heidi Rose Robbins was writing in her favorite coffee shop, searching for a way to communicate what she had always felt to be true: that all of us, at our core, are only love. She thought about how she often greeted her husband and daughter with the phrase, 'hello love' but had never extended the greeting beyond her intimate circle. That day in the coffee shop, she began to experiment, greeting everyone who entered with a silent 'hello love'. Immediately she felt the power and simplicity of those two words.

Since early 2006, Heidi and four close friends in Los Angeles have been meeting regularly to continue the 'hello love experiment.' They stand at various locations throughout Los Angeles, holding 'hello love' signs and wearing 'hello love' t-shirts, waving and greeting passers-by (who sometimes gawk and question, but inevitably smile). All the participants have been deeply moved by the response.

The Hello Love Experiment encourages everyone to use 'Hello Love' as a practice. When we connect eye-to-eye and our first thought is about love, we begin to change the world.

The Hello Love Experiment is in the process of filing for non-profit status. Everything -- t-shirts and donations -- goes into spreading the word and expanding the vision. Their current goal is to generate enough income to rent a billboard on Sunset Boulevard for one week by October 2007.

To purchase T-shirts and for more information, visit:

Pick up a copy of the July issue of Fit Yoga to read Sara's article, "Rise of the Yogini," featuring interviews with 8 of the world's leading female yoga teachers.