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Thanksgiving Meditative Thought

A thanksgiving decoration sign over a white backgroundMeister Eckhart wrote, “If the only Prayer you said in your life was ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.” This month we’ve been meditating on an affirmative prayer. As we enter Thanksgiving week we’ll continue with affirmation and discuss faith; faith that it is done. By saying thank you it becomes the affirmation of the appreciation for God and its infinite expression of giving. The more we say thank you, the more we affirm to be thankful for.

This week’s Meditation Action Plan: Seek out and affirm to say thank you every chance you get.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving,

– Skip

Vegan Recipes – Lotus Kitchen – Minestrone

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Today’s crowd pleasing Vegan recipe is minestrone from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally.

In addition, this and most of the recipes in the book are paired with a practice and yoga balance piece and this one has one at the bottom of the recipe.

Enjoy,

-Skip

P.S. Liked a recipe, let me know via my facebook page.

Crowd-Pleasing Minestrone 

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
6 stalks celery (including leaves), thinly sliced
3 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian herbs (dried blend of oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme)
Serves 12

Sautee above ingredients over medium heat in large soup pot, then cover to sweat for five minutes.  

 Uncover and add:
4 cloves garlic, minced

Sauté 5 more minutes, then add:
12 cups vegetable stock
1 box chopped tomatoes or 3 cups canned chop tomatoes
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 cans (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained
1 small head Savoy cabbage, quartered and sliced

Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Then add:
8 ounces pasta of your choice
6 more cups of vegetable broth
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

Simmer 15 minutes. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

 

The Practice:

The Karma Yoga practice is the act of serving others. This crowd- pleasing soup serves many. When serving this dish focus on how you may serve  the universe and others to better the planet. Like a breathing meditation that helps one to connect with the universe, Karma yoga serves as reminder that we are all connected.
Breathing Meditation Instruction: Sit in a comfortable position. Relax and place the hands lightly on the knees. Close your eyes and begin to breathe. Be mindful of your inhale and your exhale. Begin to count each breath. As you breathe create a mantra that incorporates your intention. “I breathe this breath for the preparation of this meal. I am aware of the Universe. This food and breath are one.”

Movie Recommendation – Interstellar

Interstellar - the movie recommendationInterstellar will blow your mind! I thought seeing this one was going to be like any other end of the world movie, but this one is not about big asteroids and things external to our world but things that we as human beings are causing our Earth. This film will enlighten you about global warming and the population problems. It’s not by any means meant to be informative in the true information sense, but it aligns nicely with what’s happening to our Earth and what the possibilities could be for us to find life on other planets so that we too can jump ship if necessary.

One of the major themes throughout Interstellar is our responsibility to take care of our world. Be forewarned, this movie will make you tear up. Human relationships are so important and this film makes the concept of time that we spend with one another that much more meaningful. Go see this one!

– Marie

December Holiday Sale

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Yoga Zen Elevation – Spice up your yoga practice and step out of the traditional mind body experience and flow to a new Groove! I create a powerful and playful environment that will up-level your practice. By incorporating music, affirmation and laughter you will elevate not only the body but also the mind and the spirit.

Only $11.99 each with coupon SKPDEC14

 

Dancer Body Breakthrough – Learn cutting-edge exercises based on strength training, dancer’s conditioning, integrative strength, functional training, Pilates and yoga to lean out the body. With a perfect balance of contract and release movement, posture, a strong core and flexibility you will feel like a new person!

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*Sale ends Dec 1, 2014 at 11:59PM PST

This Week’s Meditative Thought and Action Plan – Freedom

© M B / Attribution-ShareAlikeThis week we build upon the freedom we gain from our Affirmative Prayer . When we speak an affirmation or affirmative prayer we choose to be an active participant with the co-creator with the Universe. When we speak with this authority we begin to be part of the fabric of the reality around us and lose the chains of bondage that makes us powerless in the events that seem outside our control. Just praying to a God outside of us, hoping that a blessing will come…is powerless. When we realize our oneness with the Universe, it empower our lives. An Affirmative Prayer is the knowing that you have everything you need and that you’re free to live your fullest life.

This week’s Action Plan: All week seek to pray to God that lives within you and aim to speak to Spirit like you would to an old friend, because it is. The Universe is part of you and has been with you since before time, and it will never leave you.

Peace and Blessings,

– Skip

Friday Affirmation and Body Connection – The Affirmative

Body Connection

Greetings from Atlanta, where I am presenting at Empower Fitness. This week we covered the action plan of affirmative prayer and with it an understanding that you are one with the source of life. When transforming our body-temple our hopes and desires carry us from point A to point B. During this process one must keep faith that transformation is possible and that your goals are achievable. By keeping hope it reinforces that little spark of light at the forefront of every session. Remember that no matter what your physical goal is; weight-loss, resistance training, yoga advancement, jogging distance, or a marathon— stay with it; you can do it!

This week’s affirmation: Take a moment and reflect that your life is the life of God and that you are one with all Divine qualities. So breathe and reflect these qualities taking a moment and let it be. Amen

Have a terrific weekend!

– Skip

Sugar Science

Article-SugarLiquid Sugar

Did you know that the sugar (corn syrup, cane, etc..) added to soda, sports drinks and energy drinks makes up 36% of all the added sugar consumed.  That makes liquid sugar the single largest source of added sugar in the average American’s diet.

There’s been much discussion about sugar in the media and the use of it into almost everything we consume.  On a recent radio segment I caught the other day on my local public radio station, KPCC, host Alex Cohen, from Take Two, spoke with Laura Schmidt the lead investigator with SugarScience.org and a professor in the school of medicine at UC San Francisco. They discussed the abundance of the different types of sugar in our world and the launch of their new website to educate the public about all the effects of sugar on their recently launched SugarScience.org The interview is terrific and I’ve put the links below. Two things stood out for me, after I heard it, the differences of the types of sugar and sugar belly.

Are ALL sugar equally unhealthy?

According to SugarScience.org, research has found a difference in the health impact of added sugars vs. sugars naturally occurring in food. For example, eating more fruit over time appears to protect us from heart disease, which is currently the number one cause of death in America and worldwide.  Meanwhile, those consuming sugary drinks and sugar-laden processed foods appears to increase the risks of acquiring heart disease and, ultimately, the risk of dying from it.  Scientists are studying a range of reasons for this.  It may have to do with the ways in which sugar comes packaged in the fiber in fruit, and wrapped with beneficial nutrients (such as antioxidants) that are known to protect us from heart disease.

Sugar belly?

Much like a beer belly, sugar belly refers to weight gain around the abdomen as a result of eating too much sugar – what doctors refer to as “visceral fat.” Fat stored around the midsection is different from other fat and can send signals that disrupt the body’s ability to sense fullness and stop eating. If a person’s waist circumference is significantly larger than his or her hip circumference, this may be a sign of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). In such a case, it is important to consult with a physician, who may want to run some blood tests to assess whether MetS is a concern.

This Week’s Meditative Thought and Action Plan – The Affirmative

affirmative prayerAffirmative Prayer

Most people believe in God, a Universal force that governs our existence. Prayer is a way to access and commune with that energy. In the past I used to pray to a God outside myself, asking and beseeching a gray, old father figure for the desires of my heart. Now I understand that God is within each and every being. I am one with this all-powerful force. I pray with an understanding that I am one with the source of life. I use a form of praying called, “Affirmative Prayer.”

Instead of begging for something, affirmative prayer states the truth of life. Affirmative prayer declares our unification with God. I believe we have everything we need. Affirmative prayer is a tool to anchor that belief. It is no longer whom I am praying to, it is where I am praying from. I am praying from a place of knowing that I am Love, Joy, Abundance, Wholeness, Peace, Order, Balance, Gratitude, Oneness, and Compassion. Affirmative prayer is a prayer field anchored by the universe, immersed in God.

 

This week’s Action Plan: All this week during your prayer time, practice affirmative prayer. Speak the truth of who you are. Say, “I am Abundance, Love, Joy, Grace, Compassion, Creativity, Wholeness, and Prosperity.” Take the time to journal your feelings and the vibration affirmative prayer gives you.

New Classes, Practice, Sexy Radio, Lotus Kitchen, Peculiar Children

Some blog highlights of the past week

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly

– Skip

Friday Affirmation and Body Connection – Faith, Hope, Prayer and Gratitude

Practice

This week’s Body Connection we continue our focus on this month’s theme of “Faith, Hope, Prayer and Gratitude” via “Practice“. We have all heard the saying, “practice makes perfect.” Now let’s change it around: “perfect makes practice.” What I mean by that is when we understand our divine perfection we free ourselves to do the practice required to sustain that awareness. For the next 30 days commit to a physical practice.

When I move my body I can feel the activation of the spirit of hope. It’s what gives me that energy in class and one that I love to share. Every time we say yes to fitness, everything else becomes a reflection of the practice. Walk, run, dance, weight train, for God’s sake shake it! LOL  It doesn’t matter; get moving and watch your life unfold to greatness.

Today’s Affirmation: Just for this moment…just for this breath, in the mind of God I have no problems or issues. God is bigger than any worries I could have. And so it is. Amen

Have a terrific and blessed weekend!

– Skip

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