MY MONTHLY PICKS
At the beginning of every month, I share what has moved me during the past weeks. Be it a yogic practice, a movie, a documentary, a podcast episode or a recipe... I share what has inspired me and enriched my life.
This month I’m sharing my favorite yoga set for hip flexibility, my favorite mantra playlist, an Oscar winning movie that I loved and which moved me deeply (and that may surprise you), and a great highstreet “sadhana suit”, amongst other things…
What I was listening to this past month…
Japji Sahib
The Japji is the song of the soul, and by listening to or reciting it you create a closer relationship with your soul, and allow your soulful Self to shine through more in your life.
It’s a longer shabad, a poem given to us by Guru Nanak (the first Sikh Guru), and contains many paurees (verses) which helps and works on different areas of your life. You can choose one verse and recite it again and again for a deeper effect—11 times minimum is recommended.
The Japji has been on repeat both on my phone, in my mind and also while I sleep. It feels a bit strange to present it here in such a “light” format as a ‘monthly picks’ list, but it’s actually the thing that I have listened to the most this month. In all transparency.
Listen to the Japji Here.
Find a list of the paurees of Japji and what they do Here.
Find my Spotify Favorite Mantras playlist Here.
What I wore…
Zara Home cotton home wear set
I’m always on the look out for cotton basics—and while I of course enjoy being able to shop at boutique or sustainable brands, I never scruff at a good highstreet scoop.
This cotton “pyjama” (I guess that’s what they intended it as) has become my sadhana uniform, and it’s actually so good that I just ordered another set.
I’m all for duplicating things that work in my closet. If I like something I try to stock up on it, as many times in the past I regret not buying more of a style, as I tend to wear these things out.
What I made…
Sweet Potato Brownie
A favorite in our house, my Sweet Potato Brownie is in frequent baking rotation here at home.
Problem is… I never really measure anything. Especially with this one I just keep going until I have the desired texture, as often times the sweet potatoes will vary in size etc. making it hard to give exact measures of everything.
So here below is my “sort of” method, and Here is the recipe I’ve been riffing on, if you’re more into that.
Sweet Potato Brownie (no eggs, gluten free, refined sugar free)
1 sweet potato, or two small sweet potatoes, baked in the oven until completely soft.
Oat flour. I like oat flour as it has a sweeter taste, and I also use it because it’s a gluten free option.
Half a stick of butter, melted (sometimes I use Ghee instead—which is equally as delicious).
100g of dark chocolate (I like 85%), melted ‘bain marie’ style.
Two table spoons of nut butter or tahini (I don’t eat nuts at the moment because of allergens, so I use Tahini, but if I were eating nuts, I would probably use almond butter instead).
Sweetner—2-3 table spoons. Either some maple syrup or coconut sugar. The amount depends on how sweet you want the brownie. Tip: it needs a bit of sweetness, otherwise it tastes bready.
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean (scrape the inside of the bean or in powder).
1 teaspoon baking powder (optional, but it does give a bit more volume and airiness to the brownie).
1/4 teaspoon salt.
If I were okay with nuts I would probably add some chopped walnuts to this recipe.
Procedure
Bake the sweet potato in the oven at 200 degrees for about half an hour. You can tell that it’s done when liquids come out of it (this becomes like a caramel).
Peel the sweet potato and add to a bowl. Add the melted butter, melted chocolate, sweetner, nut or seed butter, and vanilla bean. Mix well.
Then in another bowl add a bit of flour (you don’t want to add too much already as you will use the flour to gain your desired texture), with the salt and baking powder, if you use it.
Now mix your flour into the wet ingredients. Add more flour until you get the consistency that you like. It should be sticky and not runny.
Line an appropriate sized tray with parchament paper, and scoop the mixture in. Then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Don’t over bake it, just until the edges are crispy.
The brownie is best served after it has cooled down, and even spent a bit of time in the fridge. I usually make mine the day before and cool it overnight, then take out in the morning and eat throughout the day.
Hope you enjoy this delicious egg free, gluten free, refined sugar free recipe.
What I practiced…
We’ve been deep in the Bound Lotus Course, so this month has been a lot of stretching, and practicing hip opening yoga sets.
Try this kriya I’ve been teaching for opening the hips and warm up the spine.
Sign up for my Kriya Collection members area for more yoga sets and meditation videos, on demand.
What I watched…
Anora (Sam Baker)
One of the things I enjoyed the most this month was watching the (now Oscar winning for best motion picture) film Anora.
Okay I know, maybe not totally on brand for what else I offer and write about, and you might wonder why I’m sharing it at all here?
But it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, and I absolutely loved it!
There are movies where nudity is just excessive, and even not necessary for the story. But Anora is different. The movie is an excellent portrayal of human behavior, disposability, and how people treat each other.
It is also a movie about dignity, fierceness, survival and female instinct. I can absolutely recommend it!
You can, and you should, chant mantras while you watch—this is generally recommended for anytime we watch anything, but especially with movies that are violent, or have nudity in them etc. as chanting prohibits the subconscious mind from activating and archiving, what it is seeing in the conscious mind.
By chanting while you watch a movie, you avoid being hypnotized by the pattern presented. I chant Mul Mantra or Wahe Guru and usually on a mala, as it helps me remember.
All media is essentially created to activate or install subconscious patterns in us. This is just how these things work, and it’s fine but we should be more aware of it. We are being controlled and manipulated, but by chanting while we watch we can avoid it, and lessen or completely bypass the effect.
Watch Anora Here
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